juanlisa

This. I worked in a graduate admissions office for the last two years. When the school waived the GRE requirement this spring, having no GRE meant you would get the average scholarship with the rest of your admission stats. I would recommend checking the average GRE scores for each program and submitting to the school if you exceed that.

I know newly admitted students and applicants email sometimes about switching programs under normal circumstances. Email Heinz Admissions (hnzadmit@andrew.cmu.edu) if you haven't already and tell them your situation.

I don't know much about Harris's healthcare policy coursework/if it exists, but that comment was mostly referring to the fact that Heinz does have specific degree programs for Health Care Policy and Health Care Analytics and plenty of quality coursework in that field.

Of course! I can only provide my perspective, but I'll answer as much as I can.

Second year Heinz MSPPM-DA student here. I applied to MS-CAPP and was admitted to MPP, but actually preferred MSPPM-DA to MS-CAPP while I was filling out my applications. I'm hoping other people will weigh in, but I'm happy to provide my perspective, which has evolved since I made my admission decision. Harris is probably more balanced in terms of having quality policy and analysis classes. If you're interested in analytics but also want strong coursework in a policy area other than healthcare, Harris may be a better option for you. Additionally, Harris's coursework seems much more suited towards academic/policy research. In my personal experience, Heinz's statistics/econometrics coursework is suitable for a career in analytics, but if you're hoping to bolster your academic background to work in policy research, Harris may be your best option. That being said, I personally got the impression they were somewhat elitist, which was not suitable for me as I was embarking on a drastic career change. That being said, I'm very happy with Heinz. While Heinz does not excel at policy, if you want to learn analytics you can definitely do that here. MSPPM-DA students can take courses in information systems within Heinz, and many of my peers have also taken courses in the School of Computer Science for more advanced topics in machine learning. The first year of PPM-DA is very structured and has A LOT of core curriculum to get everyone on roughly the same page with policy, analytics, and professional skills. The curriculum for the second year, however, has been almost entirely self-selected, so I've been able to take courses ranging from data science to program evaluation to decision analytics. There's a lot of flexibility in the MSPPM-DA program to make it very easy to tailor your courses to your interests.

I can only speak about Heinz, but if you're concerned about your quant background, apply anyway. For what its worth, your GRE scores are in the average range for MSPPM. Additionally, students with so-so math backgrounds can be admitted conditional on completing a Quantitative Skills Summer Program before classes start.

Considering Georgetown's hefty tuition, I'd say it will almost definitely be worth the time and effort to have other offers to leverage. Since you likely have most of your materials ready from applying to Georgetown and some programs have no application fee, it seems you have little to lose and a good amount to gain.

I'm actually a first year MSPPM-DA. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the point you're making, but I want to clarify that while Heinz does have certificate programs, MSPPM-DA isn't one of them. If anyone does have specific questions about MSPPM-DA, I'm happy to answer them.

@Airninja I understand your anxiety to get final decisions, but I don't really have any great insight. When I submitted my Harris application I knew it had shortcomings, and when I was waitlisted I wrote a motivational statement to fill in the gaps. Every application is different, and for me it was that I didn't explain my career change enough; most applicants don't have that problem. I would caution against adding even more materials now because it may take some time for them to be processed, especially since it seems you've made a lot of updates already. Unfortunately, my best advice at this point is to wait, and figure out what you'll do about McCourt's offer if you still haven't heard back from Harris.

@Airninja I submitted an additional essay using the Waitlist Form about three weeks before I heard anything. I got an email last week that my application status had changed, and two days after that my financial aid letter was posted.

@Adhi a current student told me 2 or 3 people transferred in. It came up at admitted students weekend, though, that some tracks are pretty tough to change once the program starts because the first semester course requirements are too different. If being able to shift tracks would change your decision, I'd recommend reaching out directly to Heinz to see if it's likely/feasible.

@elizabethrs They hadn't posted my letter yet; I'm actually eligible for $20k/year. It would still be more expensive than Heinz, and its MSPPM-DA vs. MPP. Unless my Heinz visit goes badly, pretty sure I'm headed to Pittsburgh. But I'm keeping Harris in my back pocket until I know for sure.

I know that Heinz's MSPPM-Data Analytics program is STEM-designated; I'm pretty sure the regular MSPPM track is not. I honestly don't know about Harris. @byc123456 are you looking for a more quant-heavy degree like the Heinz Data Analytics track and Harris's MS-CAPP? Maybe figure out if transferring into a more quant-heavy program within the school is an option. I heard from a current Heinz Data Analytics student that a few members of the DA cohort did that. Also, it sounds like asking both schools about the international job prospects could be really important for you. Heinz has an internship requirement, but maybe ask Harris how many students actually do an internship between first and second year?

I applied for MS-CAPP, and was just admitted to MPP yesterday. There's no aid letter yet; should I assume that there's no funding? Or did an aid letter come later for some applicants?

Not the original poster, but this is now my problem, too. I was accepted off the waitlist into Harris MPP last night (I applied for MS-CAPP), but no funding info yet. My top choice has been Heinz's Data Analytics track with 80% of tuition covered, so Harris is making me question things a little. For someone with analyst ambitions, can Harris's MPP possibly compare with Heinz's MSPPM-DA?

I was in a similar situation. Overscheduling myself in undergrad led to a C+ in calculus and a B- in intro stats. Taking online math courses in calc 2 and linear algebra (and doing well) more effectively demonstrated my capacity for math. But possibly more important: the courses made me less anxious about applying. For what its worth, those courses and a decent GRE score were enough to get me into the analytics track at CMU and the data science track at Georgetown.

Heinz and Harris were my top choice programs while applying, and I can see why you're struggling--they're very similar quantitatively. That's what I was looking for in a program, too. Both have plenty of quantitative courses and embrace students who don't have extensive backgrounds in math. A few distinctions: Heinz is top-rated for analytics education, incorporates management into their curriculum (for better or worse), and a 10 week summer internship is included in the program. Harris has experiential opportunities (but no requirement), and University of Chicago is famous for driving mainstream economic thought during the 20th century. If you're into neoclassical economics or are all about prestige, this could be a great thing. My two cents: it really depends on what you're into, and then you can figure out who does it better. Is there a policy area or concentration you're looking for? Or are you just trying to do as much quant work as possible? Does location make a difference?

@cpaxton I haven't heard back, and sent the check-back form March 8th.

Program Applied To: (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP/MPA, MS-CAPP, MS DSPP, MSPPM-DASchools Applied To: Wagner, Humphrey (UMN), McCourt MS DSPP, Heinz Data Analytics, Harris MS-CAPPSchools Admitted To: Humphrey ($$), Wagner, Heinz($$), McCourt ($)Waitlisted: Harris MS-CAPP Undergraduate institution: top 20 private liberal artsUndergraduate GPA: 3.53 Undergraduate Majors: Economics & Theatre GRE Quantitative Score: 163GRE Verbal Score: 165GRE AW Score: 5Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 5Years of Work Experience: 2 years directly relevant; 4 years after undergrad spent working as a technical theatre supervisorDescribe Relevant Work Experience: Schools Admitted To: Currently serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA working in data visualization. Did a gap year of AmeriCorps NCCC service following first year of undergrad.Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Since I'm going through a career change, this was my biggest source of anxiety. I spent a lot of time conceptualizing my narrative in a cohesive, yet honest way. For me, it was much easier to nail the longer SOPs because I had time and space to tell my story. My working theory on why I got into Heinz with considerable funding and was waitlisted at Harris was because Heinz had a 1000 word essay and Harris had 300 word prompts. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Exactly what they needed to be with my unorthodox experience. One academic, my AmeriCorps supervisor, and my former theatre supervisor. I mostly went ignored in undergrad, but had a Writing for Economics professor who I knew would remember me. My AmeriCorps supervisor is a HKS alum and executive director for a large non-profit. My theatre supervisor worked with me for four years, hired me on staff after a year-long internship, and can attest to my leadership skills, technical ability, and work ethic.Other: I definitely felt like applying for MPP programs, especially the quant-heavy ones, was a serious gamble because of my lack of directly relevant experience (other than two years of AmeriCorps service). My Harris application definitely suffered for not talking about technical theatre enough. With my successful applications, I made a strong case for how theatre lead me to this point by making me realize I wanted work that was more analytical, more meaningful, and had more potential for long-term growth. Worth mentioning for the people nervous about proving quantitative ability: I had a C+ in undergrad calculus and a B- in Econometrics (I'm a recovering over-scheduler) that worried me a lot. I took Calc II and Linear Algebra at a community college last summer and got As in both, which I think along with my GRE scores and current data-related job proved I would be up for the quantitative-heavy MSPPM-DA and MS-DSPP programs.

@mppstudent23 I think you have a decent amount of leverage with Georgetown for the following reasons: 1. You can point out Harris has offered you more money, and they probably steal a lot of McCourt admits because of funding. 2. Georgetown's tuition is more expensive than just about everywhere else. Rough tuition and fees costs for two years at McCourt is above $100k, while Harris is about $75k. You're not only getting more money from Harris, but that money is going further than money from McCourt. Without external funding, Harris could leave you with about $45k in debt, while Georgetown will be more like $80k. You can use that. Be polite, but upfront. Say McCourt is your top choice and you're really excited about the program, but the amount of aid you receive may sway your decision. Ask them asap so they can have a chance to come up with more funding before decision deadlines.

Funding has effectively eliminate NYU Wagner from my options. I was admitted into McCourt's inaugural MS-DSPP program, and even if they offered me more than the $12k/year award I probably wouldn't go. I'm 95% sure that Heinz MSPPM-DA is the program for me, and felt that way when I was applying. Great program, experiential learning, 80% funding. I've also gotten into UMN Humphrey with a scholarship, but it's a MPP program and I think I want a more quantitative program. I was waitlisted at Harris CAPP, and have given them a decision deadline. Harris is probably the only school that could tempt me away from Heinz, but from what I hear Heinz is more generous with their aid. Honestly, I'm trying to keep my mind open until I go to the admitted student days for UMN and CMU. We'll see what happens.

@alkalidz I got an email on March 8th that an application decision was now available. Did you have issues with submitting transcripts? It sucks that they're keeping you hanging. Is McCourt one of your top choices?

Checked the website, and MS-DSPP decisions are up! Accepted with $12k/year in funding.

From what I've heard, Georgetown needs all the official transcripts to release a decision, but not make one. I had a similar concern and emailed admissions to see if I was all set; they're pretty good about responding within a day.

I'm in the Data Analytics track with 80% tuition. I keep tearing up; I can't believe it.