Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPA Schools Applied To: Maxwell School (Syracuse University), CIPA (Cornell) Schools Admitted To: Maxwell (about 98% funding with a GA Assistantship, scholarships, etc), CIPA (~65% funding with fellowship, summer stipend, small assistantship) Schools Rejected From: None Still Waiting: n/a Undergraduate Institution: Highly ranked private liberal arts school Undergraduate GPA: 4.0 Undergraduate Major: Economics, minor in Entrepreneurial Studies GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 154 (ouch!)/168/5.5 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 3 Years of Work Experience: 3+ years of fulltime experience after graduation in nonprofits and political campaign support, I also have internship experience from every summer in undergrad, and worked for my undergrad institution throughout my senior year. Describe Relevant Work Experience: Lots of experience in the philanthropy sector, supporting foundations and nonprofits. Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): It was pretty strong (got into both institutions). It detailed my professional goals of working with nonprofit strategy planning and support, gave specific examples of where I want to gain more experience and how each program could help. Since I only applied to two programs, each SOP was highly tailored. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Very strong, I used one professor recommendation and two professional references (including my current boss). They were all more than happy to write letters - I was only able to view my boss's letter, but I'm sure the other two were good as well. Other: Torn between the two choices at the moment, I definitely have heard a lot of comments about how CIPA is a newer program but they've been very helpful throughout the application process, and you have access to courses from all of the schools at Cornell. The flexible curriculum, opportunity to have an internship during the summer, gain extra experience in consulting experiences, and general name recognition make this an attractive option. If I were able to obtain a Research or Graduate Assistantship in my second year, I'd have very little debt (and I'd definitely hustle to make that happen).
Maxwell has a great reputation based on alumni conversations and most of the remarks on this forum. I'm worried about the tight timeline and rather inflexible curriculum, since I do want to gain enough experience to be a viable applicant at consulting firms. Of course, the shortened time out of the workforce is a benefit. The massive aid offer and strong alumni presence are obviously a big draw. One major consideration for me is that I don't intend to stay in the NY, NYC, or DC area (hoping to move to the West Coast after graduation), so I'm conflicted about which name will be the best one across the country, and not just the northeast.
I keep going back and forth, and know that whichever choice will have its costs and benefits...Any advice would be appreciated!
