policy_applicant

lycoris, I did my undergrad near UCLA and have lived in LA for the past 7 years, including a year-long stint in Venice. I would highly recommend Venice, and there are some nice parts of Santa Monica as well (though most are insufferably yuppified). There is a bus from Venice/SM to UCLA (Big Blue Bus), so the commute should be doable from there. And if you live a bit too far from the stop, you could probably do some sort of bike/bus combo commute. Rent, however, is EXPENSIVE! When I was in Venice, I had shared a two bedroom on a pretty rundown street (great location,though) and still paid $800 for my share. You'd be loath to find a one-bedroom or loft for <$1,100. And SM is even more expensive. Westwood, Pacific Palisades and most other neighborhoods near UCLA are pretty upscale and would probably be either too expensive or too homogeneous. Another place you could consider is Palms/Culver City, but as a matter of personal preference, I'd try to make Venice work first. Good luck with your choices! LA's a great place. You can make it work without a car, but you'll miss out on a lot of options on the other side of the city and just outside city limits.

If you were just admitted two days ago, I wouldn't worry too much. It looks like last year they did scholarships in two groups. There's a chance they will ask you to submit an additional essay in a couple weeks. No funding news for you on Friday, though.

I will probably do this as well. It partly depends on what I hear on Friday, though...

Just two more days... I don't see why they need to wait until Friday if the committee decided on Monday (if I'm reading the email correctly).

Oops, copying error. Man, if the ad coms read this post, there's no way I'm getting in. :wink:

Berkeley what ifs... Yield/ Acceptance Rate 55%/ 28.258% 50%/ 31.804% 45%/ 34.538% 40%/ 38.855% 35%/ 44.405% 30%/ 51.806% OK, I'm done. I promise. EDIT: Fixed.

I think this every night when I get the mail, and there's STILL no official GW letter.

Congrats! The language in the email was probably just their generic scholarship language. Don't be surprised if they hit you up for an additional essay. How did you apply so late, though? I thought the cutoff for funding consideration was mid January.

I think the problem is that the OP wrote "Dr. Hasting's," as opposed to Dr. Hastings's, which would be correct. As others have said, I don't think this is a deal breaker at all. Dagger, that's a pretty big typo. I'll definitely be paying attention to see if you still get in.

Correct. Sorry to get your hopes up, ladies. I'm adding imaginary % symbols after the numbers.

So Berkeley's acceptance rate is probably closer to 30%. The number on the WWS document that really jumped out at me was the ~35% acceptance rate for US women, compared to a 15% acceptance rate overall. Any US women around here feeling better about their chances? Also, "The yield for Chicago Harris was 33% of the 60% of accepted applicants." Seriously?

I just found this incredibly helpful document: WWS Department Profile So WWS's yield over the past few years has ranged from 62%-73%. I imagine GSPP's is a bit lower (since they're stingier with the funding).

According to the website, GSPP had a 2008 entering class of 76 from 489 applications, putting their enrollment at 15.5% of total applicants. The big unknown, of course, is yield, i.e., what percent of accepted students actually enrolled. If GSPP's yield last year was 75%, their acceptance rate was 20%. If their yield was 60%, their acceptance rate was 25%. And so on... From what I understand, GSPP likes students with high quant GRE scores and solid quant backgrounds. The average quant GRE for the 2008 entering class is 730. It looks like your quant score is solid and the rest of your profile is impressive. I'd say you're chances are pretty good.

Congrats! That sounds pretty stressful with all the anticipation, though.

I saw a thread from last year, and there was a second round of scholarship decisions, so don't panic.

It should at least be noted that GWU is $10,000+ cheaper than GPPI, at least according to the tuition and fee breakdowns on the respective websites. GWU student budget GPPI student budget

There is a comment from a current MPP student in one of the threads from the admitted students google group that suggests the program does not stress the quantitative or theoretical aspect, particularly compared to programs like Berkeley, Chicago and Georgetown. This confirms what others have written on this board before. GWU's program seems to have a more qualitative bent and GPPI's a more quantitative bent (if we're comparing the DC programs). That could certainly be either a pro or a con depending on your career goals.

You can start LBJ.

I'm not starting another one of these until dagger starts one. I'd really like people to add to this one since I'm very much on the border with NYU. Pros: -Location (could also be a con, wrt cost of living). -Faculty (I've met a few professors through a networking event and visiting the school who have been very kind, and I'm interested in one professors academic work) -Strong local government/NGO bent (see cons). -Has moved up in US News rankings due to increased focus on policy track Cons: -Seems more focused on administration and management than other policy programs, which can be geared toward quant and research tracks if desired. -Strong city government ties (could be a pro if this is a career goal). -EXPENSIVE! I would love to live in New York City and have really enjoyed the professors I've met. I have read another professor's book on microfinance and am very interested in his research. In other words, I really want this to be the program for me (assuming I get some funding!). It seems, though, that the program is really focused on the NGO sector and city government and that someone who is considering more of a research path would not get as much out of the program (this was confirmed by a current student). If anyone has additional experiences with or impressions of the program, I'd be glad to hear them, since I think it has slipped below GPPI in my estimation.

Just sent my statement. What a change of pace to have so close a response date! If I haven't heard anything by then, I'm going to be refreshing my email constantly on Friday. Good luck everyone!

Moveon at least twice a day Obama twice a week Equality CA (No on Prop 8 offshoot) twice a day Local Politicians twice a week Facebook Ugh, email from USC asking them to check out their community development events (joke's on you guys--I'm not that excited about your program anyway) Oh, and the occasional email from an actual friend But NOTHING else from schools since February 5. Not that that stops me from refreshing my email every 10 minutes.

Be careful. That's like shouting "fire" in a crowded movie theater. :wink:

I still have at least 4 schools I expect to hear from before GSPP. I'm guessing March 11 for GSPP. I really thought I'd get something this week from someone.

So, what do people think are the most compelling reasons for attending GPPI? Does anyone have reservations about the program? Here are the strengths and weaknesses from my perspective: Pros: -First the most obvious: D.C. location and associated networking/internship opportunities. -Respected name, particularly in Washington. -Strong quantitative focus, including MPP/Econ Masters option. -Strong faculty that includes top Washington policy makers. -Strong IR track. Cons: -Large class size (~130). -EXPENSIVE! -A lot of part-time/visiting faculty. -Does not seem to have as strong a quant reputation as GSPP, Chicago and Ford. -Focus on Federal Government employment (I can't find exact breakdowns)? This may not be true, as there are plenty of nonprofit, consulting and lobbying jobs available in D.C. I have never been to D.C., nor have I obviously visited the campus or sat in on classes, so my analysis may be lacking.

Per dagger's suggestion, let's use this thread to pool some collective knowledge of what the top schools we're applying to have to offer. Hopefully we can get a better picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the programs and ultimately make more informed decisions about where to attend. Also, it might be helpful if we list some of the schools that fall into a certain category: e.g., top quantitative programs, top social policy programs, top education policy programs, etc. Anyway, I'll start with Berkeley since it's one of my top choices and I have had a chance to visit and sit in on two classes. Pros: -Strong emphasis on quantitative skills. -Good name recognition. -Small class size (~70-75). -Pleasant, engaged students. People seemed friendly with one another and with the faculty. -Good location on campus, tucked away in a nook. All classes and offices are in two cozy, adjacent buildings. -Small class sizes. All 1st-year students take the core classes together, but the 2nd-year class I sat in on only had about 15 students. -Location (standard of living). Cons: -Location (cost of living, proximity to D.C.). Two of the students I spoke with did summer internships at the GAO in D.C., but if you're dead set on a D.C. job, being on the west coast could be a serious burden. -Lack of funding. The school does not provide 2nd-year funding and only offers money to the top third of incoming 1st years. I have heard, though, that there are lots of opportunities for research assistantships and other jobs on campus. Feel free to add to my list. I know there's plenty of stuff I'm missing (and probably more cons).