Hey guys, I could really use some guidance.
I'm an applicant from India who graduated as a Mechanical Engineer in 2011. I worked for two years in the engineering sector and in January 2015, I started working at a public policy think tank working on health and education. Right now I have about 2.5 years of experience in that.
I'm wondering if I should apply this year to some MPP schools this year or next. Personally, I think I should wait because I end up having more work experience, but people around me inclined to thinking I might have a shot next fall.
My main concerns are my GPA. I got 6.38/10 with couple of Fs and a few Cs and Ds. To make up for that, I took UCLA Stats (got an A) and will take micro and macro. I also took the GRE recently and got 166q/157v/4.0aw. Another concern is that Im right now 28 (will be 29 in Nov)-- does age really matter?
What do you guys think? Should I apply this year and see what happens?
Or take an extra year, building work experience (possibly retake the GRE). Will that make a difference?
My aim is to ideally go to a top school, spend as less money as possible and work for a few years abroad, ideally in an international NGO or multilateral.
