Sachin

What's your take on the MPP/MPA vs. JD debate? If you want to go into the public sector -- and have no appetite for private sector corporate law -- and would preferably like to work in shaping public policy through government work (local, state, or federal) which would you do? One of the things that keeps me up at night is that I think my inability to finance law school (I'll have to take about 150K to 200K in loans) would force me away from a public policy career. It seems like you have a couple options: Do corporate law for 3 or 4 years and pay off that debt. That's not too appealing because spending 4 (intense 24/7) years of your life (your good years) doing something you care nothing about doesn't seem appealing. Do nonprofit legal work and just accept the low 40 to 60k salary. They have loan repayment programs that will help you stay afloat. Problem is, I'd like to do a little more than just get by. Loan repayment options don't seem as great once you read the real fine print. This differs depending on the school. Or, you could be an Assistant District Attorney and make good money and do good work. You'd do that for like 5 to 10 years to pay off your debt. That's a fine choice but I'm less interested in that because honestly at the end of the day that's just about implementing the law and not (as directly) creating it. I have a really great job right now and I'm afraid that if I go to law school I'll never get back to it. I'm a policy analyst for a local elected official and it's great. I write weekly memos advising my boss on how to vote, write a lot of speeches, work on political strategy, and get to attend community/board/commission meetings on her behalf. It's a sweet gig and it's exactly what I want to do. I'm afraid that if I go to law school I won't ever get to come back. Will I? It seems like there are some MPP/MPA schools that offer a lot of grant aid so not only will you get a degree that pushes you more towards a policy job but you'll be able to take it because you won't be as slammed into debt. I know that Princeton and USC offer very generous grant packages. I'm sure others do as well, I just haven't done all my homework. Anyways, I don't want to guide the discussion too much. But what's your take on all this? I keep switching back and forth (lately i've been leaning against law school, again) and I'd like some of your guys' great advice. Thanks!

Hi Everyone, Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School seems like a top program. What accounts for their relative lower rank in US News? It doesn't appear to match up with its arguably higher reputation? Is my perception of WWS incorrect? Thoughts? Thanks.

Edit: *Intern in Feinstein's office. Forgot to add that.

Hey Everyone -- I'm applying to the KSG this Fall. I'd appreciate your take on my application and your advice on where I might try to strengthen my application. Specifically, I'd like your take on how well I need to score on the GRE (taking it in November) to get in. I'm pretty sure that'll be the weakest aspect of my application. Do you think a 620(V) 630(Q) would cut it for my application? Also, what do you think my chances are at Berkeley, Duke (MPP), Chicago (MPP), Syracuse(MPA), and USC(MPA). Undergrad: UC Berkeley 3.9 GPA (environmental policy) Demographics: male, indian-american, 21 Work Experience: San Jose City Council - Policy Analyst (1 year at time of application) Responsible for advising the councilmember on political and legislative issues, frequent speechwriting, drafting press releases, policy analysis, conducting research, attending community and stakeholder meetings on behalf of the councilmember, speaking on behalf of the councilmember, event planning, community outreach, public relations, constituent casework, and other related matters as requested. My policy portfolio includes: budget, education, housing, labor, economic development, redevelopment agency, public transit, airport, marijuana/tobacco, and environmental issues. The White House - Intern ( 3 months) Worked with the Council on Environmental Quality. Office of U.S. Senator, Dianne Feinstein (5 months) Worked on energy, environmental, and international narcotics issues. Menlo Park High School Speech and Debate Program – Assistant Coach (1 year) Responsible for teaching students debate, editing and reviewing cases, preparing argumentation, etc etc. Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice - Public Outreach Consultant (3 months) I was hired to construct the foundations of a public outreach program that would enhance Greenaction's reach and increase funds in order to take on more campaigns. Fund For Public Interest Research - Field Manager / Campaign and Lobby Coordinator (1 year) Organized grassroots campaigns for different non-profit groups such as the Human Rights Campaign, CALPIRG, and Environment California.