Leaving this here for posterity:
Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPA, MPP, MEM Schools Applied To: UT Austin MPAff, Princeton MPA, Goldman MPP, O'Neill MPA, Ford MPP, Heinz MSPPM-DA, Nicholas MEM, CU Denver MPA Schools Admitted To: UT Austin (75%), Goldman MPP (0%), O'Neill MPA (50%), Ford MPP (25%), Heinz MSPPM-DA (80%), Nicholas MEM (3/5 reduction I think?) Schools Rejected From: Princeton Still Waiting: CU Denver Undergraduate Institution: Small unknown public school in the Midwest Undergraduate GPA: 3.6 Undergraduate Major: History & English GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 161q / 170v / 5.5 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 5 Years of Work Experience: 5 (1.5 full-time, rest is part time) Describe Relevant Work Experience: 1 year AmeriCorps, substantial political volunteer experience Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Likely strong. I may have strained credulity by trying to stich my disparate work history into a coherent story. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Two professors and one former supervisor. All of them knew me well and seemed willing and able to provide strong recommendations. Other:
I think I'm going to CMU! For what it's worth, I'm not attached to any name-brand institutions. You've never heard of my college or my employers. However, I had some interesting accomplishments that I was able to add to my SOP.