Greatness27

About 25% I'll be appealing for more.

Program Applied To: MPA Schools Applied To: Columbia SIPA (by the funding deadline) this is my dream school Schools Admitted To: Columbia SIPA with funding Schools Rejected From: None Still Waiting: None Undergraduate institution: large private university in Boston Undergraduate GPA: 2.66 Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): Idk Undergraduate Major: Health Science and premed GRE Quantitative Score: 155 GRE Verbal Score: 153 GRE AW Score: 4 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 4 Years of Work Experience: 3.5 Describe Relevant Work Experience: Mostly non profits, and a lot of experience in extra curricular activities that had a public health or public service agenda in undergrad Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): This was a strong point in my application. I stuck to the word limit exactly. Eliminating a lot a transition words and jargon that we're taught to use. I spoke about the experiences in the jobs and extra curriculars that made me feel that more needed to be done. Then I connected that to why I needed an MPA and why I needed to go to SIPA specifically. I spent about a week actually writing it and a month stressing about what to write. I had a few friends read over my essays and help me cut out words or rephrase ideas to be less wordy and more to the point. I think these were very strong and to the point. Respect the word limit. I also read the admissions blog very thoroughly. It helped answer some questions. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I asked my recommenders atleast 2 months in advance. I asked a previous college professor/mentor, previous manager/mentor, current manager. They know me pretty well. I just asked them to be honest about my work and who I am. I think they were very strong. Other: I used the optional essay to discuss the reasons my GPA was low and how I won't let it deter me from my goals of grad school and beyond. Also practice for the video essay question. It's not difficult, but you should practice your video presence before actually sitting down to record it. I was also very detailed in the Quant resume portion. I followed their example but also added individual test scores if I had them. For the grades I didn't have, I emailed undergrad professors for them. My CV was also very detailed. I wanted to ensure I highlighted my Quant abilities and dedication to public service. I tried very hard to overshadow my low GPA. Good luck!