Dreams
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Posts posted by Dreams
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Hi
I got admission to the MPA program in Maxwell (2010). But I will know about funding only by march 15.
According to US News rankings it is ranked pretty high, but I want to know how reliable are the rankings.If i don't get any funding is it worth taking a loan for the 1 year program?
I am an Indian ,29 years and after 4 years of work ex, would rather go for a one year program
Thanks for any info/suggestions
A school's rankings won't matter in the long run. But just in case you are concerned about whether people will know about the program, trust me in the "Maxwell Mafia" is pretty well known in the policy world
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Hi there,
I'm looking into MSW programs, and am having a tough time finding programs that provide an international focus. Does anyone know of any good ones? There are a few I am aware of, but am having a tough time navigating through the internet on this.
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
There aren't too many schools with a concentration specifically international focused that come to mind. Two I can immediately list are Columbia and Monmouth. Have you considered a dual degree between SW and IR?
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yea, i applied!
I got an email from Patricia Scroggs from the Rangel Program that said the admissions committee will convene on the 22nd of Feburary to discuss applications and we will be notified by phone soon after. They will only call the candidates that have moved on to the interview round. I think everyone else gets a rejection email.
NO idea on Pickering. I've heard they take a long time to even start the process.
The Rangel program has a very quick turnaround time, and if she said that they will convene on the 22nd, then you will likely receive the phone call if you are accepted that week. People who are waitlisted will also receive notice to standby in case someone declines to move forward.
The Pickering has for the past few years not began until the Rangel process has ended. This is for several reasons, one of which being that many of the people who apply to the Rangel also apply to the Pickering. They wait until Rangel notifies them of the selectees so those people can be witdrawn from the Pickering process.
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Great stories. Mine pales in comparison. The first time I took the GRE, I fell asleep at the beginning of the verbal portion and was only awakened by the 5 minute (or something similar) dinger. Needless to say my score in that section was not hot at all.
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How do the Rangel Fellowship people expect the FAFSA to be done accurately when a lot of people haven't received their tax forms for 2009?
You can send in a copy of the FAFSA for the current school year, along with the EFC sheet that you fill out on the FAFSA site.
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I'm a CUSSW grad and I think that they definatley will value your experience and your graduate GPA over your undergrad.
I concur with the previous posters. Not only will your MPH show you can handle graduate level work, but you experience shows that you have been clearly committed to the field up to this point. Go for it!
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Hi there!
I'm just starting to look at DrPh vs PhD degrees at various schools. I don't want to get into the whole DrPH vs a PhD discussion right now, I'm more interested in whether I should be considering an MPH. I have an MA in International Affairs and a Certificate (from while I was getting my MA) in Global Health Affairs. I've worked as a research assistant with two professors on two separate projects while in grad school. And I've also interned at the World Health Organization. My main focus has been population aging and chronic disease epidemiology. I'd like to be in a program that teaches a little more science, I've done mostly policy and affairs courses with my MA (but health focused). However, as I'm looking at the doctoral degrees I see that a lot of them require an MPH or MPH coursework as prerequisites. I'm planning on working for a few years in the field (mostly doing academic based research like I have in the past) before pursuing the degree. I'm hesitant only because I've been told getting another master's would be pointless since I have one already. Any other thoughts on this?
Thanks!
I will chime in as the voice who will tell you (in case you have not already done so) to go ahead and apply to the doctoral programs. Not all schools require a masters level public health degree, and your work experience will work in your favor. Take my case: I have an MA in a field totally unrelated to public health, but I have work experience in multiple areas of PH. I applied and was accepted to several top PH doctoral programs. Just be sure you make the case on why you are pursuing the degree. Good luck.
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rockchalk did a great job giving information on preparation for grad studies in the field. I will simply add that there are several paths you can take once you graduate. They include focusing on linguistics (including translation and pedagogy), literature and culture, and area studies (including comparative studies). These opportunities exist both on the masters and doctoral level, and you can find more info on US programs here http://www.aatseel.org/graduate_programs.
You are in a tough spot between Moscow and Saint Petersburg. There are pros and cons to choosing each. MGU is a good university, but Moscow is also a very expensive city. You are also likely to run into a lot of English speakers there, though the same can be said for Saint Petersburg. The Polytechnic university in Saint Petersburg is home to a very large contingent of foreign students, who study in a block of the university away from the Russian students. You may want to take that into consideration, as it will require more effort on your part to meet natives.
I think overall though either choice will be fine, just be sure not to fall in the common trap of only associating with people from your program or falling back on English during tough times. That is the surest way not to maximize your acquisition of Russian.
Also, here is a link to a blog with a sample of jobs that require use of Russian.
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gender-studies
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For those of you applying to social work programs, I'm curious to hear how many programs you are applying to. I started off with three, now it's quickly moving to four or five programs that I am interested in.
So long as you are equally interested in attend all of the schools you apply to, go for it. What really matters is the strength of the application so that you will not only get admitted, but be eligible to receive any scholarships schools may offer. Good luck.
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Quick question: for HKS and WWS, they require a policy memo. (I know the deadline is past - I'm just curious). Do I need to provide sources for what I'm talking about - i.e. a bibliography, in footnotes or otherwise? (It's a slightly technical topic).
Thanks!
No, it's not necessary so long as you are not outright copying blocks of material from a source.
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Hi everyone-
I'm currently applying to a few MSW programs, and I'm wondering if I should contact and/or meet with any of the professors in the programs. I know a lot of people who are applying to PhD programs do this, but wasn't sure how common it is for those applying to MSW programs. Has anyone contacted professors from programs in which they are interested?
It isn't necessary, and won't help you when it comes to admissions. If you are looking to get more info int he programs, it would be better to contact the admissions offices of the schools you are interested in.
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Congrats. Hopefully this will begin a chain of good news for everyone.
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Try posing the question in the Government Affairs where people in a similar boat as you will be more likely to see this.
My question would be what do you want to accomplish with your degree? I ask that because the some of those schools have differing orientations. Secondly, working for a major government or intergovernmental institution of not necessary for a strong application to those schools; but a strong commitment to public service, broadly defined, is. Your application will be competitive so long as you keep that in mind.
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While more work experience is typically better and makes for a stronger application, it should by no means be a deterrent from applying to programs now if you choose to do so. Experience can take many forms: from studying abroad to really focused internships. If you show yourself as having carved out a trajectory toward public service during your time in undergrad, then it will work in your favor when applying.
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I appreciate the link but I've already read through it; most everyone on these sites is a 3.7+ GPA, 1400+ GRE, etc. etc. but I don't have those stats so it's not of much help.
I would say your chances are good for all of the schools you applied to, but I think you know that already. The admissions folks will be aware of the difficulties in completing science and engineering degrees verses other disciplines. All of your other experiences further strengthen your application.
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I've heard this argument, though I'm really leaning toward policy instead of clinical social work. From everything I've read, Columbia offers very little financial aid but some say it's worth the debt to go there because policy concentration will open up more doors for phd programs and academic posts. Is this consistent with what you know of the field? I'm very nervous about going $120,000 in debt!
Columbia is indeed very stingy with aid. I would suggest doing three things if they do not give you an acceptable package.
1. Strongly consider deferring and lobbying them for more aid for the following year. or..
2. Finding a different department in the university who would be willing to offer you an assistantship position.
3. Petitioning for a paid field placement.
Likely one of the three will pan out. I lobbied for more non-loan aid and Columbia boosted it to over half my total tuition and fees for the first year. If you can claim financial hardship, then number 3 might be achievable. And as for number 2, a friend in another department managed to snag an assistantship that zeroed out his tuition. So if you are determined, then there is a way. You just have to be very creative. Good luck!
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Thanks for those! I know there are a few more out there that are targeted to or at least include the humanities as well...
Will see what I can dig up and hope others add more also.
Like the Ford, Javits, JKC, OSI, FLAS, and so on? Those are to start, at least. I will list more once they come to me.
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Very interesting look. Everything is so large on my screen now. But overall not bad. I also had to reset my password. For a minute there I thought I was going crazy.
And a small note bgk, how about altering the drop down box in the profile edit section to include a blank option for people who are not in an application season!
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Hey guys,
I am interested in going to the middle east next year to study arabic. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what is the best program? Please give some reasons as well as I'm trying to figure out whats best for me.
Rob
I agree that this may be better suited under languages. I posted a response to your question there.
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Hey guys,
I am interested in going to the middle east next year to study arabic. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what is the best program? I have only one year of MSA under my belt. Please give some reasons as well as I'm trying to figure out whats best for me.
Rob
Are you looking to do a degree program or just language study? If you are looking to do language study, you might want to look into the Boren fellowship and the Critical Language Scholarship. The Boren carries a government service requirement and is already accepting applications. The CLS will be opening very soon.
Another opportunity that may be able to net you a degree in the process is the National Flagship Scholarship for Arabic. All three opportunities are very competitive, especially with Arabic. So be sure to pull out all stops.
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How crucial is it to contact professors who share your interests for these professional-type programs? I have only been in touch with one prof at one of ten schools so far, after a suggestion that came out of a campus visit. But I haven't been very aggressive with scanning school websites and emailing profs. Do I need to get on this ASAP? Seems like a great thing to include in a personal statement about why a particular school would be a great fit...
I know it's vital for h.D. programs, but what is the thinking for MPP/MPA/Masters in IR programs?
Thanks, fellow applicants!
Contacting professors in masters level programs is not necessary, and in some cases discouraged. It definitely will not give you leverage in admissions, as it is the adcoms that will decide the applications, not the professors themselves. If it is someone who you have interest in, and would like some suggested reading lists, then maybe. But I would definitely not be contacting them about admissions related questions.
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Thank you all for your helpful advice.
I have another question, if you do not mind.
I noticed my choices for MSW are pretty much ranked as the highest programs in the field. I was wondering if there was a sort of master list of schools which have a MSW. I tried the random thinking of schools and seeing if they had a masters in social work, but it got old... really fast. If not, and this is an idiotic question, I apologize.
Once again,thank you so much for your advice and suggestions. I appreciated it greatly.
Instead of wading through the schools, you may want to stop first and ask yourself what you want to do with the degree. Different social work schools have different strength. For example, if you are interested in clinical, then NYU or Loyola will be good bets. Fordham is good for macro practice. Check out the NASW and CSWE websites. They have a list of all accredited BA and MA level programs.
And another note, getting a job will not boil down to having a degree from a higher ranked school in the end. It will will depend on your ability to get licensed.
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I second the above question.
Also, would these professional programs look down on the idea of me getting another MA first? If I were to get my anthropology MA, get some work experience in, and maybe in 3 years or so come back and apply for an IR degree..is that possible? I think I have seen a few people with other masters degrees...but I am just curious how common it is/how it is looked upon if anyone has that info.
I know several people who went on to get another masters degree before going back for a masters in IR and policy, and at some pretty impressive schools at that. It definitely did not hurt their application. I would actually say it enhanced their application a bit. The intersection between international relations and policy, and other fields is becoming very important today. So people who are thinking along that route stand a strong shot of getting in to programs of their choice.
Woodrow Wilson School
in Government Affairs Forum
Posted
Congrats to those who have already heard, and to those who will get the good news shortly. Also, let's not forget about the waitlist. As tortuous as that purgatory is, especially given the low pull rate, there is always a chance some could be pulled from it.