Ravine55

They're going out now, just received mine (an additional $2K).

Has anyone heard back about their financial aid reconsideration request?

Thank you! Not yet, I'm waiting to see what their aid offer is first.

FYI to those on the waitlist, they're calling around now making offers to waitlisted candidates. Just got my offer.

Dm'd you.

First by email, but it ended up in my promotions folder. It just directed me to the portal where there was an updated letter.

Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty debt averse, so I agree those numbers are not ideal. My career interests are DC-focused, but the GPS grads I know ended up finding DC jobs anyways, so I'm not sure how much of a problem this will be. Luckily the JHU program isn't in Baltimore. It's in DC and Beijing (dual degree program), which is pretty special IMO. Still, UCSD is great and the money is hard to turn down. Thanks again, and I hope you get some good funding news soon! True, location is a big factor! GPS does have some awesome Asia-focused faculty and the quant curriculum is similar or better than JHU, so it's a tough choice.

Thanks so much! Right now it's between SAIS (would leave me with $31K in debt), GWU Elliott ($27K), and UCSD. All of them are great, and in terms of location/quality of life, UCSD wins by a mile. ...am I crazy for considering anything other than GPS?

I read the letter a few times and asked myself the same thing! I emailed them to confirm, but it refers to the award as a "fellowship" and requires me to be a Student Ambassador volunteer. It would be strange for them to send me an email telling me, a state resident, that I'm getting the in-state rate.

MIA awards are going out. I got "Full California Resident Tuition and Fees: Year 1 and Year 2 ($53,118). This makes the decision much more difficult.

Programs Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): IR/MPP/MPASchools Applied To: Georgetown (MSFS), SAIS (MAIR Dual Degree w/Tsinghua), American SIS (Intl. Affairs Policy/Analysis), GWU Elliott (MAIA), Columbia SIPA (MIA), UVA Batten (MPP) Cornell CIPA (MPA), Syracuse Maxwell (MPA/IR Dual Degree), Tufts Fletcher (MALD), NUS LKY School (MPP), UCSD GPS (MIA). Schools Admitted To: SAIS (27% of tuition), Cornell (38%), GWU (40%), UCSD(in-state, financial aid TBD), American (33%), Tufts (23%), Georgetown, Columbia SIPA.Schools Rejected From: Syracuse MaxwellSchools Waitlisted From: UVA BattenStill Waiting: NUSUndergraduate Institution: Mid-tier UCUndergraduate GPA: 3.7Undergraduate Major: Politics & History Double MajorGRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: Didn't takeYears Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 4 by the start of the programYears of Work Experience: Around 2.5 yearsDescribe Relevant Work Experience: Full time experience at an international development organization focused on education in South/Southeast Asia. Also had an internship at an Asia-focused nonprofit organization after graduation. Other post-grad experience included a yearlong language study scholarship from a foreign government.Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): 8/10. I think I had a clear/concise narrative tying my previous experience to why I want to go back to school and what I want to do afterwards. It was a compelling enough read that I think it probably stood out, even though the content is what basically every other applicant wrote (State Department as the main goal, etc). Somehow I think my recommendations helped me more. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): 10/10, very strong. One from my CEO who I reported to directly, one from a professor who I have a personal relationship with (and is the chair of the department), and one who I took 4 courses with and can speak to my language abilities. I felt really good about these. Other: Funding offers were surprisingly low this year, but it must be a product of the tough cycle. SAIS, GWU, and CIPA leave me with the least debt, but of that group, SAIS stands out as the best. It also gives me the opportunity to live overseas again, which I am thrilled about. UCSD is a wildcard, as in-state tuition is cheap, but my career goals are more suited to DC.

MIA decisions are out!

Ah well, congrats on getting in. It's a great accomplishment for sure. Looks like it will be SAIS or GWU for me (pending SIPA results).

This is mine. No links other than "Return to Application Status"

Got in as well! Can't seem to find the link to the funding notice. Anyone else have this issue, or am I out of luck?