AddSmith

I did not! The day I got waitlisted, I emailed the person I had talked to the whole time, a counselor I met at Idealist and a Boston event! She said I could submit new letters of recommendation, and since I was about to be in the process of taking microeconomics, I could send my updated scores and information from the course. Edit: she also said I could retake the GRE and submit if I felt compelled.

@kayemeh I think they start re-reviewing after the April deadline based on new materials you sent in or based on the same profile. She was telling me it would be in a month or two when I asked beginning of March. I think all of those factors plus people beginning to turn down and accept offers mid-April to now is a good guess for now until any time May about anything. I think one person got in off that I've talked to because that person sent in new microeconomics scores!

I had a low quant score (148), and was accepted into Heinz, a quant heavy program, which is the one I’ll be attending. However, my other parts of my application were very strong. If you don’t want to take the GRE again, you can always take stats or calc online through UCLA Extension or a community college. As long as you’re willing to show that you’re up for quant work, you should be good.

I feel like a current student can answer this better, but from my experiences with friends in a variety of CMU undergrad and grad programs, it's mostly for undergrads. Friends in PhD programs don't seem to stretch themselves out due to CMU culture. At the same time, all the students I met this weekend had their hands in so many jars, and I felt the need to commit to some organizations quickly as a result of the weekend as well. They really pushed involvement outside of the classroom in sessions.

Is anyone going to the class and discussion in DC Monday? Seems odd to have an event the week of admitted student weekend, but I’ll probably go.

Pittsburgh is also becoming a hub for tech companies like Google and IBM, who are trying to recruit CMU talent (there is literally a shuttle bus to Google headquarters from Carnegie Mellon and back). There's also a good number of consulting firms with offices in Pittsburgh, and I think roughly 60% of Heinz grads go for-profit or consulting, but more specific numbers are available on the site!

When you submit your acceptance, you can defer for 12 months. It popped up on my acceptance letter as an option! There's specific guidelines about it on the admission response form.

I think your big issue is going to come with your credentials verification and not completing your term of service, thus an issue with your resume and creds. I understand not wanting to lose Segal, it’s something I am heavily relying on for CMU. I think if you’re upfront with Heinz, it should be okay? But, it’s hard to tell what will happen with your SPS. If I were you, I’d reach out to admissions and discuss your predicament, with a backup plan for scholarship. I think being an Americorps participant should hold its same weight, even without completing the term of service.

Interestingly large jump for a young Batten program out of UVA from 42 to 29. La Follette fell about eight spots, which is also interesting. The top ten (minus La Follette from a top ten spot to #15, so who jumped into the top ten?) seem to always be the top ten, but in different rankings throughout. I'm still sticking with Heinz (not like I have much of a choice due to my limited options).

CMU has a pretty all-encompassing list that includes JL Land and Sterling as two top companies! My friends in Pittsburgh use Walnut Creek and love them, as well. Shadyside and Squirrel Hill are quiet with minimal undergrads, and have plenty of dog-friendly housing! That's where I'm looking at right now, due to my dog probably coming with me as well! From when I lived in Pittsburgh for undergrad, Shadyside was always the place that my friends in graduate programs lived.

Have you thought about the overnight train? It’s easier to sleep on. It’s called the Vermonter, and it leaves NYC pretty late. The NYC Megabus stop is the worst place in the world and unreachable by subway, so you would need to take a cab there from Columbia, which would really make your leave time ~9:30-10 p.m. Whereas, you can easily hop on the A, C, etc. to get to Penn Station from Columbia and be there in about 30 minutes. Both options will get you to Union Station, which is centrally located in DC, so you could easily get to a hotel, friend’s place, etc.

This is from a blast email from admissions: "Regardless of work study eligibility, students can earn $5,000 in a variety of on-campus positions including office assistants and research assistantships (RA) during their first year in the program. In addition, Career Services and the Office of Financial Aid can assist interested students in identifying off-campus employment opportunities with similar earning potential for year 1 and in year 2."

I asked this question when I was emailed by a professor welcoming me to Heinz! He said there are limited opportunities, and the more open you are with the person in charge of the institute/center about your willingness to help the more it'll help you! He said to start reaching out closer to the school year to see what's available! He says they're mostly for second years, so even if it doesn't work out in year one, you can pursue it later in the program!

@lackey, you're still killing it! Look at all the places you got into straight out of undergrad! You'll do great no matter where you end up.

It looks like another person was admitted today! This seems promising for y'all, hope it's all good news!

@UrbanPolicy&Development and @anmanya, last year the first batch was the first week of March, then third week, so possibly next week for y'all?

@MoE'd I think that's entirely your call! If you're afraid of being lost, you can always begin studying now, or you can go to SIPA! I don't think Duke would have admitted you to the MIDP if they didn't think you were ready. Have you called Sanford admissions to express concerns?

My choice was made relatively easy based on the fact that I was waitlisted by half the schools I applied to. I decided on Heinz over American because AU still hasn't released financial aid information. I also want a program that is more being focused on letting me be a student and allowing me to do research and take a full class load. AU's program is so professional friendly that classes start after 5 p.m., which isn't a bad thing, but it is not what I'm looking for. Heinz is also very good about reaching out to me with concerns I didn't realize I had and engaging me with professors and heads of research institutes I'm interested in. After being admitted, the head of the concentration I am most invested in quickly reached out to me to discuss the program and coursework. That's a level of dedication that I appreciate, and made the choice even more simple. Also, @yoh_rrg , isn't DA typically a small cohort size within the ~110 MSPPM students? I'm sure you can email David for more specifics, or even call the admissions office!

Morning, @MoE'd! For the work you want to do, I would say SIPA is a better choice, but I am here to make the Duke case! I am a firm believer in being happy over your time in a program as well! I've lived close to Charlotte and close to Durham, and I love North Carolina! Greensboro is also really fun and cool, and offers a lot for weekends and such. I think for you to be successful in your program, you need to be happy, and from the way you're phrasing your move to NYC, I think Duke is a good choice! It's a strong program, and Duke is a beautiful campus. There's also a lot of up and coming startups and nonprofits in Durham and in Charlotte, and since you're looking at nonprofit work that could be useful! A lot of my friends are on boards / starting their own nonprofits down here, and due to the proximity of Duke, they are finding outstanding candidates to work for them! I know you said cost isn't a concern, but the cost of living in the Triad/Greensboro is relatively inexpensive. All this said, parts of 77 and 85 are always perpetually under construction, so it may not be the easy-ish hour long commute you're thinking! If you ever want to talk NC, shoot me a personal message! I have friends in the MPP program at Duke who swear by Sanford. Also, and this seems huge for your decision based on what I've read, Duke has summer work in India working with NGOs. It's technically a research opportunity. I have attached the link here: (https://sanford.duke.edu/academics/special-programs/india-summer-program-for-international-development-leaders)

Program Applied To: (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.) MPP, MPA, MSPPM Schools Applied To: Heinz, La Follette, American, Harris, Batten, McCourt Schools Admitted To: Heinz (50%), American (Still waiting until March 15-?) Schools Waitlisted: Batten, La Follette, McCourt Schools Rejected From: Harris Still Waiting: none Undergraduate institution: Mid-tier private university in Pittsburgh (I promise the Pittsburgh part is important) Undergraduate GPA: 3.43 Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): 3.7 Undergraduate Major: Journalism and Political Science GRE Quantitative Score: 148 (30%) - more on this in other GRE Verbal Score: 152 (54%) GRE AW Score: 4.0 (60%) Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 3 Years of Work Experience: 3 Describe Relevant Work Experience: Teach for America Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Probably why I was waitlisted at some schools I should have heard no from (*cough* Wisconsin). I got to talk about experiences in my classroom and how different policy initiatives would help my students. It was also the best part of my Heinz application, as I was able to talk about how I began my journey towards educational equity and research in Pittsburgh and how I wanted to study policy there as a result. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Very very good. My TFA supervisor, my publications board advisor, and a professor/advisor from my college newspaper days. I also had my policy professor from college able to write letters for Harris and La Follette, but not for all due to federal government work taking over. Other: My Heinz admission requires me to take summer math courses through QSSP. I also had a panic attack the day of my GRE and was open with admissions offices regarding it, and my willingness to take more quant classes over the summers. Ultimately, I’ll attend Heinz due to financial aid and the program, plus the fact that Pittsburgh is my home away from home.

I’m in Pittsburgh two year track, and I’ve heard some people got in DA track and three semester track as well! Haven’t heard about MEM, MAM, etc.

Thanks so much! Heinz is my top choice, so I may message you some more questions at some point! I did undergrad in Pittsburgh and miss it terribly.

I was marked complete January 29, and finished my video interview on February 9!

I think strategic partnerships is a HUGE part of this as well for those of us who have the chance. As an Americorps service member, I was automatically given $10k to CMU, and my Americorps education award would be matched by Harris, McCourt, etc. Heinz is always good about funding, and actually gave me more than the minimum they promised for TFA. WWS is also AMAZING for funding. I've heard Batten is great too (and they pay for your health insurance!). In terms of limited funding, Wisconsin and George Washington are the immediate ones that come to my mind!

Hi all, I was recently accepted to the MSPPM program at Heinz, contingent upon completion of the QSSP. Has anyone ever done this math boot camp? I definitely need it, but would need to rescind my acceptance of a summer job to help me pay for Heinz... it’s a circle. Any advice / words regarding the QSSP would be great!