acacia27
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Posts posted by acacia27
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6 hours ago, GradSchoolGrad said:
Its two very different schools. McCourt grads generally stay in DC (even International students) and generally focus on things related to the Federal Government. Berekley is a California school with a good DC presence but is strongest for California jobs + West Coast. Believe it or not, it might actually be easier to find a job serving state and local government (since they generally pay less and are less prestigious, but often don't have a US Citizen requirement) as an international student. That is especially true for things Data related or tech related. It is next to impossible to work the in the US Federal government and things associated with US Federal government contracts without at least a GreenCard
Yes, considering I do not intend to work for the federal government anyway Cal makes more sense. However, I hope that won't put me at a disadvantage when it comes to multilaterals or think tanks. What do you think?
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How do you guys compare Berkeley MPP with McCourt? Especially for international students. Anyone in the same boat?
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9 hours ago, Black_Sesame said:
Got Waitlisted. I only applied so I could apply with my GRE to Berkeley Law but shocked. I got into both Columbia SIPA and Johns Hopkins SAIS with Scholarship. Emotionally a bit confused. Does not bode well for HKS.
I guess MPPs are a little different than MAIR or MIA's but they're 80% the exact same degree.
Did they mail you about the portal update though? The fact that MPP at Berkeley is anyway cheaper than Columbia or Hopkins should be accounted for too. I got the acceptance mail without fellowship but no portal update yet.
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Hello everyone. No thread for Berkeley this year. What's the status?
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8 hours ago, natsecguy said:
Everybody has different opinions about this.
In the policy wonk world, I'm sure HKS and SPIA (formerly the Woodrow Wilson School) likely have the best reputation. This is mainly because Yale's program is so new.
I was in FAS at Harvard, the main 'academic' part of the university. Nobody took HKS seriously. Nor did anyone at the Law School. It's all about perspective. This is mainly because HKS is so much easier to get into relative to the JD program or the 'academic' programs at GSAS, which have much, much higher median GPAs and standardized test scores. I actually had a professor tell me that HKS courses weren't academically rigorous enough so I couldn't get credit for them (unless they were cross-listed with GSAS). On the other hand, I am getting credit for a course I'm taking at the Law School.
On the other hand, Jackson is trying to remain exclusive. It's flagship degree only takes 30 people (max) and gives them all aid. It's harder to get into than HKS. It also lets you take courses across Yale's schools, including the Law School. The only requirements for the MPP are the 2 or 3 required courses in Year 1. Jackson is also officially going from an 'Institute' to a 'School' later this year. Lots of money has been earmarked. They are consciously gunning for HKS and therefore doing something unique --- not simply aping what HKS has been doing. My sense, therefore, is that Jackson is better respected within the Yale academic community and will eventually be considered more prestigious than HKS, even if HKS has a 'bigger' name.
This is to say that the Jackson MPP is actually harder to get into than the Harvard MPP/MPA, with higher admitted student stats. If you're comparing the midcareer programs (HKS MPA/MC vs Jackson MAS), then I'd say Harvard is a better option because the rest of Harvard's schools, where you can take classes, are all (minus the Law School) higher rated. You can also take some courses at MIT's Political Science department / Security Studies Program, which is very close by/easy to get to, for credit.
SPIA is my personal favorite. I've applied for an MPP there this year. Let's see what happens. In my opinion, the Princeton degree is special because - unlike Yale and, especially, Harvard - Princeton has not kept any money-making 'backdoor' degrees across any of its schools. It doesn't have any professional schools other than public policy and, even there, the programs are small, rigorous, and generous with aid (therefore highly competitive).
Just my 2c after agonizing where to attend. My background: I got into the Jackson MPP, never applied to HKS for the reasons above; I have taken an HKS course with Professor Stephen Walt and attended a study group there while I was a student at Harvard.
I hope this helps.
This was indeed very helpful. I have also applied to Yale and as an international student, a strong alumni network and brand reputation are my primary concerns. Do you think Jackson students will have the same networking opportunities that HKS, SPIA or for that matter Duke grads have? I really liked how we customize our MPP at Yale and would like to consider it if I do manage to get in.
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8 minutes ago, Ľlllllllllllkll said:
I'm not sure. The letter was quite different from other waitlisting letters I read before... are they going to reconsider our application, in round 1?
Apparently. I guess they will reconsider our application in round one in comparison with the pool of applicants in that round. Either that or they want us to give them more information. Am glad they at least scheduled a webinar to help us out.
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@Ľlllllllllllkll Oh well. Let's see what they have to say about this tomorrow. Do you think it could be about missing/ extra documents?
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Placed on waitlist for consideration in round one. Don't know what exactly this means. Anyone else who got same decision?
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23 hours ago, anxiousaf said:
Not super relevant but due to the timezones, 15th in the US is 16th noon here so I am all the more anxious ?
You not the only one who's "anxiousaf" ? not like we'll be able to take a final decision before Mar/Apr but Chicago really sets the tone for what we can expect from other schools. Atleast that's how I see it.
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Thanks for replying. What's your take on U Toronto? As in how competitive is it and what are my chances? I am unsure because I was told they need very high undergrad GPA.
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Hi guys. Have been using this thread to estimate my chances of getting admits (and funding) this year.
Schools Applying To: Harris MPP, UCB-Goldman MPP, Duke Sanford MPP, Yale Jackson MPP, HKS MPP, Princeton MPA, Georgetown McCourt MPP
Undergraduate institution: University of Delhi
Undergraduate GPA: 3.58
Undergraduate Majors: BSc in Statistics, MA (Economics)
GRE- 167 (v), 156 (q), 4.5 (underperformed in quant but a very strong quant resume)
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): >7
Years of Work Experience: 5 years + 1 yr volunteering
Describe Relevant Work Experience: almost 6 years in central Govt. (agriculture sector) in a statistical role, same department but different responsibilities- all involving quantitative research and analysis.
Quant: Very quant heavy background both in undergrad and masters, 4 courses on mathematics, 8 on statistics, micro, macro, econometrics, SPSS, SAS, R.
Strength of SOP: brings together my experience in the policy sector, academic interest and career aspirations- data analysis and program evaluation for public/ international organizations.
Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): Two strong recommendations from senior govt officers, one from my undergrad professor.
Questions/concerns: Now that I am done with my applications I still have time to add a program or two if there are high chances of funding. Wagner and Munk on the radar. Should I apply to some more? Also what are the overall chances of getting any admits and financial aid?
P.S. I am a female international applicant.
UC Berkeley - MPP Fall '22
in Government Affairs Forum
Posted
Thanks for your response. I had almost decided to go for UCB considering financial and program fit but had a small doubt location wise. Your reply definitely helps. I guess I'll just go to Cal and figure it out later. I am sure there will be impactful roles in west coast that I can explore. Besides, I really loved how close-knit the Berkeley community is