mssyAK

Any thoughts on if everyone is asked to submit a scholarship statement? Has anyone been given money outright?

did you receive the official decision today? exciting!! i feel slightly masochistic asking but... does your decision say anything about funding? or maybe it will come in the admission letter? i'm really excited to compulsively check my mailbox this week

jean85/application_overwhelmed - have you heard any rumors about GW's generosity (or lack thereof) re: funding? i'd love to live in DC, and a bit of aid would definitely sweeten the deal.

truthfully i'd be happy anywhere i applied - i've been living in LA for the past three years and would like to be closer to my family on the east coast. i'm so excited to go back to school it's disgusting!

slight movement

Hey! Finally finished with applications, thought I would see what's happening on here - yeahgradschool! thanks for starting this thread! Program Applied To: MPP/MPA/MGA Schools Applied To: HKS, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Wagner, UNC, USC, Fels Schools Admitted To: Schools Rejected From: Still Waiting: Undergraduate institution: Large Canadian public Undergraduate GPA: 3.18 Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): 3.4 Undergraduate Major: Honors BA in Western Religious Theory GRE Quantitative Score: 780 GRE Verbal Score: 660 GRE AW Score: 5.0 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): As of Fall 2011, 3.5 Years of Work Experience: 3.5 Describe Relevant Work Experience: Have worked with the same education-based nonprofit since graduating, promoted after first year to more people, service, and relationship management responsibility; directly relevant to why I'm applying to these schools Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): It's pretty good, in that I know exactly what I want to do and have work experience in the field - K-12 ed reform Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): I have no idea how they turned out. In terms of confidence, I feel like I'm at a 6/10. Other: Pretty much my GPA screws me. I took a stats class this semester through UCSD and got an A, but I don't know if that will even mean anything or if I just made my life more hectic for fun. I'm hoping my dedication to the world of education/public service and GRE scores will help me out.

I feel absurdly embarrassed admitting this but... thirteen schools. I had to make location fit, so maybe I applied to more schools than a geographically-unrestrained applicant would go for, but there it is! USC was one of my thirteen - see ya there maybe?!?

bad dream!

During college I didn't have a steady full-time job; I worked at camps during the summer and waited tables during the year. (Yes, I recognize how unfortunate this makes me look on paper. I'm making the best out of what I've got ) Since the majority of my work experience came after college, there's not enough room on my resume to write detailed descriptions of each of my college employment options, so here is my dilemma: Do I write all the places I worked, no bullet points, just brief descriptions if they fit (the advantage being: I maintained a 3.4 at McGill and never stopped working in a French city)? OR Do I write the most recent job, even if that wasn't where I had the most opportunity/success? OR Do I write the job that was earlier in college, but in which I had the most professional development? ayúdame!

Thanks for the information!

In researching information about grad school resumes, I've come across conflicting opinions; do I write anything about high school on them or not? If I do, what should I include? GPA, honors and awards, or just school name, city, and years attended? Very trivial, but really bothering me!

Zourah/Gradpa/OP: How did you decide on which schools to apply to? I'm currently looking at primarily MPP programs (with a few MPAs scattered within my list), but I'm having serious trouble narrowing that list down to my top choices. I feel like I'm in a place to be somewhat selective, but I can really only base my criteria on brand-name schools and US News and World Report rankings. Any advice on other qualifying features? Thanks!

Any thoughts on the Urban Education Policy at Brown? Any information would be MUCH appreciated.

off day

Perfect! I feel validated. Thanks for the feedback.

I'm having a bit of a dilemma, and would really appreciate some help, if anyone is willing! Before graduating from university in 2008, I asked my academic advisor (with whom I had a very good relationship) for a reference for a job - he wrote the reference, it was amazing, I got the job, and everything was wonderful. Flash forward two and a half years to today - I'm starting to apply to grad school and need at least one academic reference. I'd like to ask him for a reference again, but I feel slightly [read: very] guilty that I haven't kept up correspondence as I should have. I'm pretty much solid in my decision to email him, seeing as I only have my dignity to lose if he doesn't remember me/never replies/shuts me down, but my question is this: in my initial email, do I come out straight and ask for a reference in a few months? Or do I email him, pretend I'm just arbitrarily updating him on my current life, and THEN ask him for a reference in September-ish? I realize it doesn't make a world of difference but... what other purpose does a forum serve?

OP, have you already taken the quantitative class suggestions for an MPP (stats, micro, macro, calc)? I'm also looking at Maryland; from this page on their website, they say applicants must show "through either their quantitative GRE score or their performance in previous coursework that they possess the ability to handle the quantitative elements of the curriculum", but also that a free "Math Refresher" course is available for students who are rusty. If you were willing to take a class on the side of what you're doing, it could help out your GPA while showing the adcom you're willing to work. Just a thought, hope it works out either way

break down

tough break

mygretutor.com has five full-length tests and over 800 questions for $7.99; the website isn't perfect, but practice is practice. number2.com also has practice questions for free. hope those help!

Thank you!

What are general thoughts re: an MPP/MBA dual degree? The idea of doing an MBA simultaneously with an MPP struck me just a few minutes ago, so any information or opinions would be much appreciated! - Which schools, if any, accept the GRE in lieu of the GMAT? - Which schools offer balanced reputations? (equal caliber MPP/MBA programs) - I was planning on applying to schools by December at the latest; how much GMAT prep time would I need? - Any personal accounts from a similar experience? - Is this a terrible idea? Thanks in advance!

Write sentences! Although handmade flashcards are so key, write sentences for the words that refuse to stick - and write them in a way that clearly elucidates what the word means. I was obsessed with Lost when I was writing mine, so I have ones like, "The pith of the issue between Jack and Locke is destiny vs. freedom of choice." It seems silly but... it worked.