Dreams

I asked because I saw the "MSW or MPA" on your profile and wanted to see where your interests fell more. Judging by your interests I would say an MPA is a better bet for you especially since you are more interested in policy and development versus direct practice and community organizing. Are you considering the Social and Economic policy concentration there? Now on to your profile and chances. Though you did not mention GRE scores, your GPA puts you around the average for those who apply to LBJ. Your lack of directly related work experience will not necessarily hurt your chances so long as you have at least some related work experience - say in a non profit or some law related experience. The key would then be to tie this to your reasons for applying to LBJ and detailing how studies there will help you in your new direction. You say you want to take a year to work abroad. Will this work be policy or development related? If so, then this could go in your statement too and would potentially enhance your admission chances. Now if you don't have even related work experience, then you may be in trouble because you also lack the economics and calculus courses. LBJ will give you a proficiency exam in calculus and if you do not pass it, you may need to take a prerequisite course which will set you behind. I would recommend you discuss in a separate statement how you plan to address the calculus deficiency before matriculating. If you are at all able to without interfering with your major requirements, I would recommend taking that calculus class and at least microeconomics in the spring, or summer at latest. I guess to answer your question in short, I do not think you would be as competitive as some other applicants, but from the information you gave, I say you still have a decent shot of getting accepted since LBJ last year accepted a large percent of its applicants. Other things to consider. Do you know any foreign languages? I would guess Spanish since Mexico was in your plans. This would help your case somewhat. Also, are you limited to Texas? If not, then I say apply to other places, especially those that offer dual MSW and MPA degrees. You would get to combine both of your choices in one bang. Good luck

Small question: what do you want to do careerwise?

Wow that is classic! Gotta wonder about the post office these days. I was able to order additional score reports successfully last night using the registration number. The only thing is that my scores from 4 years ago were not available, but it doesn't worry me too much.

I am bumping this for Fall 2009. Is there anyone out there applying for next year?

Sixteen schools is a lot to be applying to hartshorneBoy. But if you have the money to do so, then why not. I am applying to 6 programs: 3 master's level and 3 doctoral level. like rising_star, it is hard to classify them because they all fit very well, and I have taken the time to ensure my interests matched what each program could offer. I guess we will see come spring. I also do not recommend adding any more schools to the list frankdux. As already mentioned, you will likely get into one or more of them, especially if the fit is good between your interests and their offerings.

Thanks for the news. I am glad to hear this.

I personally like the Japanese teacher idea. It would paint a picture from a different point of view than what usually comes from Math professors. Are you allowed to use professional references? If so, then perhaps you could shoot for one of your past employers. It would be worth a shot. I am facing the same situation with one school's PhD program I am applying to and just opted for another professional reference. Good luck

If you do not have 7 years of experience for Princeton, then apply to the MPA program for track IV. The curriculum for the two degrees is similar except that one is 1 year vs 2 years. You may also want to check out the programs at: Carnegie Mellon Indiana University University of Georgia University of Maryland

What effect does skipping questions have on your overall score?

The first question that comes to my mind is: do the programs you are applying to require writing samples? If so, then do not worry about the scores too much. As it stands, I think your scores are fine. Concentrate on your personal statement, and if required, submitting a sample that would dispel any skepticism about your writing ability.

If I were in your shoes, I would replace one of the other letters with the professor who is able to address your interdisciplinary strengths since you say that 3 of the letters would be basically similar. While many programs will still take the additional letter (unless they state otherwise on their sites), the extra letter may not necessarily be appreciated since it may mean more for admission committees to read. To be honest, they will not be concerned whether all of your references come from your Master's program or not. They will be looking for a comprehensive assessment of your academic potential, part of which includes adhering to guidelines. So do the best three letters. If you still would like to use all of your references, just split them up among the different programs you are applying to. Hope this helps. Good luck

Your intuition is correct. Double spaced is standard unless they specify otherwise. Always keep to the limit the specify about writing samples. 1. It shows you can follow directions. 2. Going over the limit will mean more for the committees to read as they will receive several applications for admissions. At best, they may not read the extra pages; or at worse, they may become irritated and move you to the bottom of the pile in favor of someone who could follow the directions. So if you must, condense and trim any unnecessary words from your samples. Good luck

rising_star is correct about your degree. Most doctoral Sociology programs do not require a previous degree directly in Sociology, but do require related coursework. Since your MA is in a related field, it will likely not hurt your chances in a Sociology PhD program. What you failed to mention in your post is what research experience you have. These programs place strong emphasis on previous research experience, and not necessarily on professional work experience. Work experience tells nothing of how strong an academic you will be. If you have research experience, I advise you to highlight it in your application and statement, as well as outline your proposed research interests for your intended degree and how that particular program fits in with this. It does not have to be super-detailed, but you should have some vague idea of what you intend to pursue. While this is optional, I would also talk about about how your Geography and Urban Studies background have equipped you to be successful in a doctoral Sociology program. If you have little research experience, you may want to have one of your references address this in the letter they write for you. Good luck

It depends on how you look at it. Most schools simply look at the other choices you list as a sort of benchmark to get a sense of at what level they stand among students' choices. For the most part, listing other schools should not affect the adcom's decision to admit you or not. At least, this is how a respectable adcom would act. On the other hand, I did hear of one incident where a school that was "low ranked" did not grant admission to a candidate who listed all "high ranking" schools in the list of other schools he applied to. They probably did so because they felt like a safety choice and that the student was unlikely to attend the program. This is probably not common. Go with your gut. If you feel uncomfortable, then do not list your other choices. I did not list them on any of my applications.

Your girlfriend is right where I was a few years ago when I was planning to apply to nursing programs. I have tried to answer your questions below. 1. Taking classes a community college will not be looked down upon. People choose a cc for many reasons, especially financial. 2. Grades are perhaps one of the most important factors that will influence the admission committee's decision. I would encourage your girlfriend to buckle down and aim for at least some sort of B in the chemistry class. The grade requirements for nursing programs vary. Some require no less than a B in the prereqs. Some require overall a 3.0 (or more) with no grade less than a C. You will need to narrow down your program choices and check with those programs to see what their specific requirements are. If she is worried about future performance, then I recommend she locate a tutor, either through the university, or privately. I will forewarn you, anatomy and physiology kicks butt for a lot of people. And it is crucial that she master this. 3. If it is just 1 withdrawal on the transcript, then I doubt it will matter. I would be cautious if it were in the sciences or a clinically related class though. If it is in a gened course, disregard it. It is the overall performance that matters. Hope this helps. Good luck

The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs just made an amazing announcement that it would provide full funding to both an American who was a Fulbright recipient and a foreigner who has held a Fulbright to the United States to study in their Master's in Global Policy Studies program beginning in Fall 2009. See details here. http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/fellowships/fulbright.php Man, if Texas were not such a hot state, I would be there like syrup on hotcakes.

Ask the person from the community college to write the letter. Graduate schools scrutinize the letters very carefully, and it is better to have someone who can provide deep insight into your academic capabilities than someone who will write a vague letter. Good luck with that By the way Ferrero, wouldn't it be amazing if something like you proposed could really happen?

I spoke to people with experience in both WWS and KSG programs. About Princeton I was told that they are aware that not everyone has experience with policy issues. The most important thing is to give a problem and propose how you would solve it. There are no right answers in the solutions, but their feasibility is important. Harvard on the other hand has many applicants with some direct experience so they scrutinize the writing samples a bit harsher than Princeton. In short, don't worry about formatting, worry plenty about content and real solutions to the problem you talk about. Do not include any unnecessary information in the memo. Hope this helps, but you likely already new this. I submitted my application Monday so we will see how it pans out when decisions roll in next year. Good luck

It looks like an interesting program. Thanks for sharing the link elena,

My scores are similar to yours but here is my response which may contrast from others. If I were in your shoes, I would not retake the test. Instead I would focus on my statement, writing sample, and reference letters. The better schools will look at your record comprehensively and will not base sole judgment on the GRE. The low ugrad gpa may be a problem, but you say you have an MA with a 3.7 gpa so you have shown that you can handle graduate work. In this case I would attach an addendum about the scores. On the other hand, if you have the funds and time to prepare more, then by all means retake it. The choice is yours. Either way good luck

Thanks rising_star, AllFiredUp, and docstudent for replying so far. You are correct docstudent that I was looking to see things along the line of what you posted, though they do not have to be excerpts from a personal statement for people who are not comfortable posting that. It can just be a summary of some things you feel help you stand out. For instance, studying Biology in college, I spent my fair share time, as I am sure other Bio majors have, in various labs for my classes and doing research for professors. Grad programs will expect that of the typical applicant. What would set an applicant apart in case would be for instance, going to Finland and Cameroon to study the fish families and behaviors in those countries; or having experiences similar to docstudent. Those would be the types of things I am sure would catch a committee or two's eye. Thanks folks and hopefully others will pitch in

I see a lot of talk about stats this and that, but I am a believer that it takes more than super numbers to get in to -most- programs. I am interested in hearing some of the more unique aspects of your backgrounds that have helped, or that you will feel will help you land a spot in your intended program.

Ask the person who is able to give you the best and most convincing recommendation for your intended graduate school. It is that simple. By the most programs need at least one academic reference, so be sure that is squared away. Good luck.

1. You can do either or. Though many people take the exam early or before submitting the application so they will have time to retake it if the bomb it the first time. The choice is yours. 2. You can designate 4 schools to receive your scores for free before taking th exam. Afterwards it costs $20 per school to send further results.

You ask the person most able to make an effective case for the admissions committee to grant you entry into your desired program. Big names and status are not always the best choices. If a professor with a PhD can give you a good reference, great. If a professor with a master's can give you a stellar reference, then there is no question whom you should ask.