palabared

Any MAIR applicants hear of any funding yet? Also was anyone on their webinar yesterday, I didn't think the presentation was that helpfull, but the question session was good.

You might get some better responses if you give more information about what you want to do with the degree? Did you get any funding from any of these schools (how much of an issue is money)?

haha same here I saw the Nell header and was excited for a second...arg!

Congrats that still a nice little chunk!

Did they mention anything about the MAIR only students?

Well i read that if you want to add the MPA to MAIR you can decide within the first semester of your MAIR. I'm into the Global Development concentration too and am thinking about taking up the MPA as well. But I don't know about switching, probably wouldn't be easy. It blows we may hear about funding during the welcome weekend!

youd think the interest after at least 10 years has gota add up too. Ill get a job wherever I can haha. see who will take me

We must be on the same wavelength, i was just checking that out as well. I think its 10 years but doesnt need to be consecutive. You have to make 120 monthly payments. I didn't apply for that fellowship either.

Has anyone who just applied to MAIR heard from funding yet?

Hey that's better that what many of us have been offered!!!!

Congrats on the being admitted to two great programs!! By the research I've done on the MDP programs, I think the Masters in Development practice would be much more hands on and training in a more practical sense comparatively. I think it depends on what you want to do with the degree? Development is so broad!!

hey congrats!! did it give you any info about what kind of financial relief the assitantship gives?

ya nothing here

Looking back on it, I wish I had applied to more schools, even though I am very excited about Syracuse. I just didn't think I would have gotten in anywhere! Florida was my backup, and I thought there was slim chance of getting into the other three. At the end of the app process, i realized how easy it would have been to apply to just a few more schools. Once my SOP was sorted out, I made minor adjustments for each program I applied too, so applying to a few more of the similar type programs wouldn't have taken too much time. I would also suggest you take GREs in early summer, as to give you ample time to work on applications and not be worried/distracted by the looming GRE test date...as I was taking it in November. I was studying a lot for the test and working abroad, and so I didn't think I would have ample time to apply to many places while writing good SOPs for each. But the actual application process wasn't half as bad/didn't take as long as I had predicted. check out the full list online of APSIA rated professional programs http://www.apsia.org...?section=member Some other schools I was looking at applying to (I wouldnt call them top tier but still great programs) you should check out: University of Washington Evans MPA, University of Michigan Ford School MPP/MPA, University of Maryland MPP, University of Minnesota MPP, University of Texas (austin) MPAff, UC Berkeley etc I guess you would have a great shot of getting into the schools above, and with a very strong GRE/SOP/Reference combo (and if your not too worried about cost) I would try and also apply to a couple of the well known DC/NY programs at schools like Columbia MPA, American and Georgetown. Hope this helps!

I think I was in a similar boat as you this year. I was applying to International relations and MDP programs, but still my gpa was 2.7 with a major of 3.0. I thought I wasn't going to get in anywhere, and have been surprised to say the least that I've been admitted by two and am still waiting on the 3rd. While GPA is important, and it depends on the school on how they weigh it, if you do decent on your GREs and you obviously have great experience, youll be fine. And the fact that your taking school again to show the Admissions commission that you are driven is HUGE. In an interview I had I was told that if I took just a couple courses, and got As, that would be a great boost to my overall application. Depending on how you do on your GREs, I would try and shoot fairly high in terms of schools to apply to. I was admitted by Syracuse under MAIR, but I may take up the MPA/dual program masters as well after the first semester, and I don't know if I would have been admitted to (USA Todays #1 MPA program for over a decade) Maxwell if I had applied to the MPA Dual program in the first place. I guess what im trying to say overall is you should do quite well as long as you score decent on GREs, and write a convincing SOP that shows a clear path as to what led you up to (your past) and how it connects with why you want to study for an MPA. Good luck!

you guys all going to the welcome weekend in a few weeks?

Ive read through that, but ill go back and check it since I didn't know what the PPA meant! Thanks!!!

Thx for the replies Devdoc. Yea I would be concentrating on Global development as well (with the leadership/ngo mgmnt as a 2nd minor concentration) since I too want to work in ID. I haven't been able to see online where/how the courses would overlap with the MPA degree in terms of exact courses that I could take for electives etc. I'm trying to figure out whether it is worth it to stay in school an extra 2 semesters (monitarily and timewise) or more for the MPA and be abroad less, or go for two semesters at maxwell then two abroad with just the MAIR (and possibly a certificate). I read somewhere that it is possible to add the MPA once you start just the MAIR, so I might end up doing that once I get more information to be able to make a decision.

I feel like the welcome video was more of an advertisement and not as informative as I would have liked. While I think the student questionnaire video was more informative. I'm waiting to hear from another school before I make my decision, but am liking the program at maxwell the more I look into it. But whether I get into the other school or not, I would want to go check out Syracuse. While I was admitted to the MAIR program, I might be interested in the MPA program as well, although I wasn't planning on going to the MPA day the 31st, just the 1st and 2nd.

Ok so a week great. I'm thinking about going to the welcome weekend, but I'm currently in Colombia and it will cost me about $700 to buy a round trip right now.....arrrrgg. I wonder if its worth it. I've watched the pre recorded videos from last year, but am just not sure if i should go all the way up there for 2 days! Did anyone who signed up check the box to stay with a current student? I just filled out the form a week late and am wondering if I have a chance of staying with somone for free still. I guess couch surfing could work if necessary.

Yea im in Colombia at the moment and am not sure if I should fly back for the welcome weekend in April. I too am waiting to hear about the funding, which will probably allow me to decide (hopefully) pretty easily whether i will attend or not.

Well i studied agricultural business in undergrad, so I would definitely obtain the certificate with the tropical studies center. But I am not really sure as to the quality of the main focus MDP education with a prior cohort of only 11, and this being only the 2nd year that the program has been running. I don't have much prior experience in agriculture, more in social housing so that doesn't really help. In terms of options, ive been admitted to the maxwell MAiR program, and waiting on UCSDs IRPS program. Thanks for the info!

I just received an unofficial acceptance email from U of Florida for the Masters in Development Practice program, and was wondering if anyone was in the same boat? It is the only school I got into for MDP (korbel didnt accept anyone), and now ihave to decide whether to go a more traditional route with an IR program, or MDP. The U of Florida website isn't too informative. While the tropical center sounds interesting, it's just tough to think about a decision when im not really that well informed on the school/program. Anyone know more than what the website says or know anyone already in the program this year? Thanks!!

Thx HopefullIR. I'm not going to consider the MA in int devel there. I can't justify the price for what I would study. I applied to U of Florida Gainsville MDP program, have yet to hear from them. Other than that I got into the IR program with maxwell at syracuse and am waiting to hear from the IR program at UCSD.

same here got it today. too bad, i dont know what happened.