abogs78

ADollarninetynine,

I don't think it makes sense for you to come to the MPA/MPP forum to feel the pulse of people here regarding jobs prospects after graduation. Some of us just got into schools and the last thing we need is someone telling us ahead of time that some law school smucks believe that MPP/MPA degrees are worthless. If you have heard from folks in law school that MPA/MPP are worthless, then you need to be the one to make up your mind regarding why you are going for an MPA/MPP degree in the first place. I am sure there are a lot of people who will say going to law school is a waste of time as well because of the high price tag of attending law schools, without any idea whether you will get a job or not once you graduate.

I am sure you can say that about any degree. Getting an MBA or a JD does not lead to jobs just like that particularly in this economy. It is all about what you bring to the table, your experience and sometimes, knowing one or two people in the job arena you want to work in at the end of the day could also be useful. So, like others rightly said, how about apply first, go for your MPA/MPP and then decide if in fact it is really worthless. Pheewwwww......I just got pissed off with that line "'MPAs are pretty much worthless' line." I guess you need to ask Ban Ki-Moon, Klaus Schwab, David Petraeus, Paul Volcker and Eliott Spitzer if their MPA/MPP degrees are worthless

Josephine, may I suggest that you contact the admissions office of each school to get an answer to your question. Each school will be in a better position to offer an advice regarding financial aid in my view. However, if I were to make a personal suggestion, I don't think you should allow your GPA to be a hinderance from getting good aid from these schools. There are a lot of criteria to consider when these schools pick their students including who gets financial aid: recommendations, SOP, resume, work experience, etc. So GPA is not the only thing that is important! Good luck with your applications.

ADollarninetynine,

I don't think it makes sense for you to come to the MPA/MPP forum to feel the pulse of people here regarding jobs prospects after graduation. Some of us just got into schools and the last thing we need is someone telling us ahead of time that some law school smucks believe that MPP/MPA degrees are worthless. If you have heard from folks in law school that MPA/MPP are worthless, then you need to be the one to make up your mind regarding why you are going for an MPA/MPP degree in the first place. I am sure there are a lot of people who will say going to law school is a waste of time as well because of the high price tag of attending law schools, without any idea whether you will get a job or not once you graduate.

I am sure you can say that about any degree. Getting an MBA or a JD does not lead to jobs just like that particularly in this economy. It is all about what you bring to the table, your experience and sometimes, knowing one or two people in the job arena you want to work in at the end of the day could also be useful. So, like others rightly said, how about apply first, go for your MPA/MPP and then decide if in fact it is really worthless. Pheewwwww......I just got pissed off with that line "'MPAs are pretty much worthless' line." I guess you need to ask Ban Ki-Moon, Klaus Schwab, David Petraeus, Paul Volcker and Eliott Spitzer if their MPA/MPP degrees are worthless

ADollarninetynine,

I don't think it makes sense for you to come to the MPA/MPP forum to feel the pulse of people here regarding jobs prospects after graduation. Some of us just got into schools and the last thing we need is someone telling us ahead of time that some law school smucks believe that MPP/MPA degrees are worthless. If you have heard from folks in law school that MPA/MPP are worthless, then you need to be the one to make up your mind regarding why you are going for an MPA/MPP degree in the first place. I am sure there are a lot of people who will say going to law school is a waste of time as well because of the high price tag of attending law schools, without any idea whether you will get a job or not once you graduate.

I am sure you can say that about any degree. Getting an MBA or a JD does not lead to jobs just like that particularly in this economy. It is all about what you bring to the table, your experience and sometimes, knowing one or two people in the job arena you want to work in at the end of the day could also be useful. So, like others rightly said, how about apply first, go for your MPA/MPP and then decide if in fact it is really worthless. Pheewwwww......I just got pissed off with that line "'MPAs are pretty much worthless' line." I guess you need to ask Ban Ki-Moon, Klaus Schwab, David Petraeus, Paul Volcker and Eliott Spitzer if their MPA/MPP degrees are worthless

ADollarninetynine,

I don't think it makes sense for you to come to the MPA/MPP forum to feel the pulse of people here regarding jobs prospects after graduation. Some of us just got into schools and the last thing we need is someone telling us ahead of time that some law school smucks believe that MPP/MPA degrees are worthless. If you have heard from folks in law school that MPA/MPP are worthless, then you need to be the one to make up your mind regarding why you are going for an MPA/MPP degree in the first place. I am sure there are a lot of people who will say going to law school is a waste of time as well because of the high price tag of attending law schools, without any idea whether you will get a job or not once you graduate.

I am sure you can say that about any degree. Getting an MBA or a JD does not lead to jobs just like that particularly in this economy. It is all about what you bring to the table, your experience and sometimes, knowing one or two people in the job arena you want to work in at the end of the day could also be useful. So, like others rightly said, how about apply first, go for your MPA/MPP and then decide if in fact it is really worthless. Pheewwwww......I just got pissed off with that line "'MPAs are pretty much worthless' line." I guess you need to ask Ban Ki-Moon, Klaus Schwab, David Petraeus, Paul Volcker and Eliott Spitzer if their MPA/MPP degrees are worthless

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!

Yes, I think you should be fine. Lay out the issue comprehensively and give a good analysis of policy issues that should be addressed to tackle the issues. Another suggestion: if it is a required essay from one the schools you are applying to, I am sure you can ask someone from the admissions office on how best you should approach the question. Good luck! Oh yes, you are right we do have some dumb folks on this forum who make stupid remarks like the one you received earlier. Ignore such people

I am with "braindead" on this one. Your essay should be like a story of a life journey: How did you decide/what event lead you to think there is a need for you to get a MPP/MPA degree even though you already have a law degree/consulting experience? Is there something in particular that you want to address or even more interesting, do you have a topic in law school which you will like to combine with your public policy degree to get a better understanding of what it really means to you? (e.g environmental law, human rights advocacy issues, foreign aid regulatory dynamics...etc).

You need to articulate why you think a particular school is best for you to get a better idea of why you should pursue your MPP/MPA degree there. What topic/.burning issues do you want to address post graduation? Is it something related to international development and you feel that the MPA-ID program at Harvard will give you the quantitative and qualitative skills to address them or is it something related to environmental/sustainable development and you feel Columbia or University of Michigan is the best program to engage yourself in their curriculum to do so? Are there specific professors who teach in certain public policy programs you are so eager to work with or attend their classes? Do you have specific classes in certain schools which you believe will give you the required foundation you are looking for? Be careful not to be too generic in terms of the reasons why you are applying to a specific school..e.g I am applying to Harvard because it is a globally ranked school and its professors are the best in the field of public policy." Yes, all the schools will expect you to write a little bit of "kiss ass" paragraphs so that you can get into their schools but then why our school...? You need to emphasis that very well! I cannot tell you how important this part is while you are writing your SOP but I am sure you already know that .

At the end of your SOP, you can then write about what you think you will gain at the end of the program which will shape your short-term and long-term goals. Of course, don't forget to mention what these goals are in your SOP as well. I really think if you can break your essay down into: 1) the beginning - Why do you want an MPP/MPA 2) Why you think an MPP/MPA is necessary at this point in your career even though you already have a master's degree 3) Why you do think a specific school or program is the best choice for you and why you think you are a great fit for the program 4) Your goals once you graduate - where do you see yourself making an impact in the world......you should be fine.

So as you can see, this is really a story, not some professional essay as some people suggested. Don't forget that the admissions officer has hundreds of essays to read. Of course, I am not suggesting you write something you will send to a colleague or your neighbor who lives next door. All I am saying is craft your story careful, straigh to the point and very readable - meaning let the paragraphs flow from one to another so that is can be read easily. An admissions officer only has about 5mins at the most to go through your essay, so start with a captivating story at the beginning and something that keeps drawing them to your essay until they read it to the end! But of course, scrap that quote you have at the beginning. This SOP is about you and you alone. Referencing some guy is going to appear to the admissions folks that you are lazy and just looking for a way to fill up space. So focus on yourself, focus on the school you want to attend and then focus on yourself again at the end of your SOP on what you think you can do for this world!

This method worked for me, like braindead, although I applied to 10 schools and I got into 8 (including 2 Ivy League schools and Chicago Harris). Thinking of it now, I wish I did not but it was not too bad because I was not the one paying for the application fees Like my boy Ice Cube, once said, "You can do it, if you can put your back into it." Goodluck and I wish you the best with your applications.

HumbleBee, I don't know if you are a guy or a gal, but let me say this: you are my hero/heroine for what you said below! Life shouldn't always be about what it is in for me at all times. Sometimes we need to make sacrifices for the benefit of man kind and the greater good. Although I did not get into HKS I will be matriculating at a school that gave me a full ride, thus debt is not an issue when i grafuate. However, when I look back at where I am today, I am glad I quit my Wall Street life two years ago and decided to go back to my country and make an impact in the lives of the rural people who are marginalized in our society in W. Africa. Do I regret making such a transition? Of course I enjoyed the money and material things that came with working at a prestigious bank but if I had to make this transition again, I will do it in again and again and again! I think if folks in our society started this idea of dropping the attitude of me, me, me and me alone, I really think our world might just a little bit better

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!

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!

Yes it is an excellent program. I wanted to study the Econ and public policy concentration of their program and funding was great too (full scholarship plus 22k living expenses per year). I hope you get some news from Harris or taken off the waitlist at Harvard

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!

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!

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!

I don't think your AW score will be the only thing that will knock you out of a top school. A friend who had a 3.0 AW last year applied with solid work experience, good recommendations and SOP for his applications to HKS. In fact his verbal GRE scores were not even high but you know what....he applied anyways and he got in with a good amount of funding. AW score, GRE scores or GPAs are not the determining factors. They look at your application as whole and decide if you are good fit for the program and will ultimately contribute to program and your classmates experience. What am I saying? Relax folks, it is out of your hand at the moment, you have already submitted the application and there is nothing more you can do. It makes sense to wait for Harvard to tell you YES, you are in, NO, you are not and WE LIKE YOU BUT, chill on the waitlist.