abogs78

Thanks for that thought mushroom288

I have to echo what CowboyDan said as well. I did not have any public policy background or experience per se. I majored in Economics and Public Policy however I worked for an investment bank when I finished college. I worked at this investment bank for 3 years before I decided to return to my home country (in West Africa) to do some development work when I got tired of Wall Street. You mentioned that you majored in IR. Where there any topics that you really liked during your undergraduate days that you want to investigate/research even further? That is something you can highlight in your SOP or decide to focus on in graduate school. Do you have any cases that you have worked on at the law firm that you find interesting (inequality, wage gap, government programs...etc)? Or, are some of the recent happenings in the world - Haiti, Japan, Chile (disaster management), Iraq, Iran, Middle East (Security/International Relations), Sudan, Congo, Ivory Coast (international development)...etc interest you and you want to know even more about them. Maybe you want to know a lot more about a specific geographical region (Africa, Middle East, Europe, Asia, Latin America) and it is relationships (in terms of trade, economy, policy decisions...) with other regions in the world. Perhaps an international travel that caused you to have a different perspective on things you have taken for granted in the past....something along these lines might be helpful. You might even want a JD/MPP/MPA combined program and look to do something related to international law advocating for women's rights, education, environmental law....etc. You need to do some research and decide on which programs or academic programs really interest you. I don't know which fancy law firm you work for but I will tell you this: making a transition from your law career to something public policy related might be a key item that sets you apart from others and get you into that top program! Personally, it was for me even though I did not have a stellar GPA and my GRE scores were decent. Like Cowboy Dan, I got into WWS as well and the director of the program highligted on my admission letter that they appreciate my transition from investment banking to the international development arena! My guess is this was one of the few things in my profile that got me in (although I had doubts about getting in when I applied) Have you had an opportunity to volunteer? Volunteering is viewed positively on your resume. However, don't pad your resume unnecessarily if you have not done any volunteer work. Having had an opportunity to volunteer for 8 years since high school through my last work in the development world which I finished this February was one of the few things that made it easy for me to define what I really wanted to do during my MPP/MPA program and the skills I would like to acquire during my graduate studies. When I was applying to grad school I had no clue what I wanted to do either. So, starting my SOP was quite difficult but I had the chance to speak with one of my professors in college and he asked me one simple question - "Which topic or challenges in our world makes your blood boil and if you have a chance to address it, what would you do?" - which sparked the areas I would like to investigate and the solutions I seek to address some of the challenges we have in our society - I ended up writing a 5 page single spaced essay witihin two months on my array of interests! Of course, I had to trim off the irrelevances and get my cousin to trim it down to two/three pages before I submitted them to each school. I applied to 10 schools (all top 10 in the MPA/MPP arena) and I got into 8 programs (6 that were willing to give me funding). So Malmo, it can be done. However, you should start your plans right now. I started a year before I submitted my applications by asking my professor (who wrote a recommendation for me as well) for guidance. I will echo CowboyDan again: get people who understand what you are looking to do or the areas that interest you to write your recommendation letters for you. Ask if they can write a "positive recommendation" for you (I actually said that in my e-mail to my professors and professional contacts). Send them a copy of your SOP (a rough draft is okay) before they start writing your letter of recommendation and give them enough time to think about what to write. Sending them your SOP might even make it easier for them to write your recommendation (my professors said this over and over again) and give them a chance to know what you are planning on doing instead of guessing/writing something generic. Again and again, time is essential not only for you to put a great application package together. It is also vital to prepare for the GREs, visit schools to decide the best programs and faculty you would lik to work with during your graduate studies plus getting your recommendations in on time. Good luck!

Any of the admits receive their admission packet yet? Any info on funding......

Thanks for the insight mppgal55!

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Hobart College (private institution) Previous Degrees and GPA's: BA, Economics and Public Policy, 3.42 CGPA, 3.54 (Major), GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 610/730/3.5 Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 4 years total - two internships in college (financial regulatory authority organization and research with professor), 3 years @investment bank and 1 year in W. Africa working with a state government on an infrastructure development initiative in rural areas. Math/Econ Background: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Economic Development, Calculus 1, Econometrics, Statistics, Political Economy, International Trade.... Foreign Language Background: Fluent in English, Yoruba (mother tongue) Intended Field of Study in Grad School: Economics and Public Policy Long Term Professional Goals: Consulting - International Development/Infrastructure financing in emerging markets Schools Applied to & Results: UMD Maryland - MPP (Accept, no funding), Columbia SIPA - MIA (Accept, no funding), HKS - MPP (Rejected), LSE - MPP (Rejected), Berkeley GSPP - MPP (Accept, $), CMU - PPM (Accept, $), NYU Wagner - MPA (Accept $), U Michigan Ford - MPP (Accept, $$), WWS - MPA (Accept, $$$) and Harris MPP (Still waiting), Ultimate Decision & Why: WWS. A very very generous financial aid. I like the fact that they have a small class size, career services are well structured to help students with internships/post gradute career and I wanted a program with a quant focus. Also, Princeton is a lovely town with a nice colonial tone plus it is less than 3 hours away from DC, NY, Phila and Delaware (for career and internship opportunities). Any advice to Future Applicants? if you think you have a very low GPA or GRE scores, don't let that stop you from applying to your dream schools. I was told not to apply to the top schools since my GPA is less than 3.7, low verbal and AWA. Do what your mind tells you, have a great story for your SOP, wonderful recommendations and start your search on time. Good luck!

Alright, I am sure a lot of us have gotten our admits/rejects by now. I hope you all got into your dream school and if not, I hope the decision you will make regarding the school you will ultimately decide to attend will give you an opportunity to make new friends, work with great faculty, enjoy school life again (exams, mid terms, annoying undergrads (lol...kidding), papers, presentations..etc) and a chance to have a fulfilling professional and rewarding personal lives! For the sake of those who might be looking at this forum to get an idea of the reasons behind your choices regarding to where to go for your MPA/MPP program, I have decided to create this forum...please feel free to share using the following information: Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Previous Degrees and GPA's: GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): Math/Econ Background: Foreign Language Background: Intended Field of Study in Grad School: Long Term Professional Goals: Schools Applied to & Results: Ultimate Decision & Why: Any advice to Future Applicants?

As we are all getting close to making our decisions on where to go this fall, I am sure a lot of you are deciding based on financial aid/fellowships, geographical location, family reasons, program reputation, faculty and perhaps job opportunities post graduation. I am interested in a career in consulting perhaps in the social sector, public affairs, internationa/economic development or government programs department/divisions of a consulting firm. I noticed that top consulting firms (i.e BCG, Bain, McKinsey and Booz) have these departments in their firm. I was wondering if anyone has any idea of the best programs where these consulting firms are likely to recruit from, if any. I know some people will mention the need to get an MBA or something related to general management but I have heard that consulting firms do recruit from top public affairs school. I just need people's thoughts If we have anyone who has had an internship at a consulting firm in their current MPA/MPP please feel free to chip in/anyone who knows MPP/MPA graduates who are working in the consulting world. Your thoughts.........

I think it is a $2500 stipend.....

I just got the e-mail as well. They gave me $20,000 ($10,000 for each year) at Ford. Wish I could get more....

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP, MPA, and IR Schools Applied To: NYU Wagner (MPA), Berkeley (MPP), Chicago (MPP), U Michigan (MPP), WWS (MPA), HKS (MPP), Columbia SIPA (MIA), CMU (MSPPM), LSE (MPA), UMD (MPP) Schools Admitted To: NYU Wagner (MPA) - $, Berkeley (MPP) - $, U Michigan (MPP) - waiting and hoping for fellowships, WWS (MPA) - waiting for packet, Columbia SIPA (MIA) - no funding, CMU (MSPPM) - $$, UMD (MPP) - no funding. Schools Rejected From: HKS (MPP) and LSE (MPA) Waiting to hear: Chicago (MPP), Undergraduate institution: Hobart College Undergraduate GPA: 3.42 Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): 3.7 Undergraduate Major: Economics and Public Policy GRE Quantitative Score: 730 GRE Verbal Score: 610 (English is my second language ) GRE AW Score: 3.5 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 5 Years of Work Experience: 4 Describe Relevant Work Experience: Two internships in college (one with a financial regulatory firm in DC and a summer economics research project focused on economic development, urban planning and industry analysis with a professor), 3 years at an investment bank and 1 yr working with a state governor on an initiative to improve the level of infrastructure facilities available in for rural communities in a West African country. Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I thought it was very good since I started writing them a year before I submitted my applications. My writing professor in college took a look at them and she gave me a very positive remark (judging that I always had to revise my essays at least three times while I was in college with this professor) and my cousin who has a PhD in English helped me with proof reading/editing. I focused on my background as an international student having worked in both developed and developing countries however I highlighted my interest in working with people in the rural locales of developing countries so that they can achieve the same level of economic and social advancement like their counterparts in urban areas. I stressed my transition from an investment management role at a bank to the current work I do in economic development programs in Africa (which I think a lot of people find very interesting since I was going from a high paying job to a very low paying one).I spoke about my extracurricular and volunteer activities both in college and post college and my international travels/dancing/cooking skills (maybe this sealed the WWS deal! ). . Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): I did not get a chance to look at them but I think they were strong: Three professors from my undergraduate school (I worked with one of them on a summer research project and he also supervised my Honors Thesis in college - still stay in touch with him even though I left the US), a supervisor from the banking firm and a current cabinet member in my country whom I worked with at the banking firm.

There is a reason why international students are admitted into MPP/MPA programs in the US. We have something unique to bring to the programs we are hoping to attend that all domestic students don't necessarily have...whether it is our international experience from travels and work related opportunities, language skills or background having had an opportunity to live and work in developed/developing countries for so long. I don't believe any domestic student is a treat to my ability to secure a job in the US. International students already have it tough but we always persevere and figure out what we need to do before we graduate. At least, we have an opportunity to secure an internship between the first and second year to test the waters and hopefully our summer employer will retain us for full time opportunities. I think what matters is when international students are looking for jobs, our options are quite limited if we are planning on staying in the US however don't forget that your MPP/MPA degree is not useful for government, NGO, international organization, development and social policy work alone. Banks, consultancy firms, pharmaceutical companies, economic research institutes, educational instiutions, automotive companies...etc all require people to deal with government regulations, programs and policies that might have an effect on their operational, managerial, finance and legal frameworks. So, they are also looking for people with our skills! I have four friends who graduated with MPP/MPA degrees and one works for a top consulting firm (McKinsey), another works for a bank (JP Morgan), another one works for a pharmaceutical company (Pfizer) and the last one for a car manufacturer (Nissan). Similarly, employers are not looking at your MPP/MPA degree alone. I hope as an international student you have had some work experience before you came to graduate school and that is another thing employers will look at when they want to consider you. Your concentration will also set you apart in terms of the kind of classes you took (whether it is quant heavy or not) and the focus on your degree (whether it is strictly domestic/international, cross regional or not). So be smart when you pick classes and don't go for classes that will only boost your GPA. Sometimes having a challenging curriculum filled with Bs might even impress a prospective employer! Worse case scenario, you can always go back to your home countries and take part in developing your respective nations. It is one thing I have found very rewarding (more than the money I ever made) when I left my banking life on Wall Street to go back to my country and contribute significantly into the lives of the improvised/disadvantaged group in my country. Hope that helps to ease the mind....oh and the school you attend for your MPP/MPA might also help especially if it is a top tier institution which has enough resources in terms of funds, a well established career services department, strong alumni network and career presentation on campus if you know what I mean (I will not mention the names of schools so that you don't start freaking if you did not get into one school or another) Good luck!

An interview? Hmm, that is interesting. I am an international student as well but I did not get to interview with Maryland. Oh well, I already got my letter of admit in the mail (although it was sent to my sister's house in the US) but I am rejecting due to lack of funding. Good luck to you and everyone!

Kimme if you are waiting for MIA, it is possible that they are considering you for funds/scholarships. I got my admit from SIPA a long time ago. So be hopeful that no news is indeed good news with some money coming your way.

I am sure a lot of folks might not take the offer from SIPA due to little or no funding. I will probably not be accepting my offer from them due to no scholarship, so I am sure some spots will open up for folks who are on the waitlist. Good luck!

Congratulations to all who got it. I guess the interesting thing about the admission cycle is we can't all get an admission into the school we all apply to. Some of us do get into our dream schools but they don't provide funding and others don't get into their dream schools but they get great financial aid which they can't turn down. I think the most important thing to remember is: I gave it my shot but I did not get in or I was waitlisted. That is of course better than you did not apply but then you are wondering if the school would have picked you if actually applied (I can relate to that...and I am happy I did apply to a particular school). It is rather interesting how one factor (GPA, GRE, WE) that is important to one school means nothing to another. Or the fact that you are related to the CEO of the World Bank is that extra quality you need to get into a specific program or you saving chickens instead of dogs is what matters to another program to get an admission. So I say, it is a matter of luck at times that we get what we want even after some hard work and perseverance. In any case, I hope you all get into programs that you find fulfilling and rewarding in your respective careers. While the school you might attend might be the difference between you get that World Bank, IMF or NGO job, I think what you get out of a program is even more important. If the program of a school gives you a chance to make a difference in the future no matter the brand name of the school, I think that is even more satisfying than killing yourself over why one school picked you and the other did not. No getting into one particular school and getting an admission into another might be what actually catapults your career and makes your personal objectives achievable! So, don't despair or be mad that HKS, WWS, Columbia, Syracuse, LBJ, Yale, NYU...etc (depending on your situation) did not give you an admission or give you enough aid to get into their program. It might just be the kick in the butt that you need to realise that this other school who admitted you might be what you really need to have a fulfilling life and a great time in grad school. I wish you all the best as you make your decisions and decide on which program to attend! I am just glad this anxiety of checking forums, e-mails and contacting schools is finally over. Be well and have a fulfilling time in grad school!

It appears you only applied to HKS or did you apply to other schools? I hope you got good news. Good luck!

I guess HKS is pretty clear mate...nothing else is required. Sit tight and be hopeful! Good luck

I think they are probably getting back to MPP folks at the moment. Good luck with your application....

DING DONG DING DONG....DING DING DING DONG..( I got the Church Bells on my mind!) I am out as well. Dang! I hope you all get into your dream schools....WWS here I come!

I just checked SPARKS there is nothing on my application status Congrats to all who received an admit! I hope everybody gets some news soon... .

Thanks for the info argonaut!

Okay, I couldn't resist. I said I was going to be a lurker.... for a while. Anyways, anybody knows how much funding does HKS give out (scholarships, stipends...etc) and the % of admitted students who usually get them if any?

So sorry to hear about the non-admit guys. I hope you all get in at other great programs. Any thoughts on how much funding they typically give their students (tuition and especially stipends)....if anybody knows please buzz in......

Officially, I will become a lurker for a while and allow the speculators to keep on with their good work of manpulating the statistics and decide the admissions rate at HKS, the date we are suppose to hear back from HKS and how many people will HKS put on their waitlist I will be back once I hear of an admit, waitlist and the dreaded....DING DONG DING DONG..DING DING DING DONG...have a wonderful weekend everyone .

Thank you for your insights Fadeindreams..they are always helpful. Well, unless the Ford School will be willing to pay as much as $2000 for my plane ticket from Africa to Michigan for the preview weekend in April, I will surely be there and check out Ross as well! But I totally agree with you though I can always apply again next fall. Now I might be persuaded once the Ford School gives me some funds. I have already started putting together some GSA/GSI applications as well.....hopefully I will get some news on that. A wonderful weekend to everyone! Go Blue!!!!!