UrbanMidwest

Boy, that's some expedited snail mail! It's about 10 weeks since i submitted all of my material and not a word from them besides the "thank you for your application please be patient with decisions and remember, don't call us if it's an absolute emergency!" So I'm going to send them an email.

So I did the math for tuition for UIUC MSW Outreach Program, and after 8 semesters - the duration of the program - ($559 per hr) 72 hours total, is $40, 248. I threw up in my mouth a little. I believe that's more expensive than the full-time students. UIC full-time tuition (2 years) is $32, 560. UIC still hasn't notified of my status. I'm not even sure if going into debt to become a social worker is even worth it ...

Are there any current students or alumni in this program here? In about two weeks I'll be making my decision between UIC or UIUC Outreach Program (online/distant), and I'm wondering about the experiences of those who are currently/have gone through the program, especially the online option. Thank you in advance.

Same here. Everything is verified for me but the app fee. I recently received an acceptance to UIUC's online program which starts in the summer. Acceptance on my behalf is due March 29th, so I hope I get a decision by UIC within the week. UIUC's tuition is higher and it's a three yr program; UIC is my first choice.

Thanks for the suggestions. I used smallpdf.com and it worked perfectly fine - no watermarks. Again, thank you. I appreciate the help. Good luck to all.

Does anyone know how to do this without purchasing the entire Adobe suite? For whatever reason I have to combine all of my transcripts into one PDF file no larger than 5MB. I have seven pages (three of which are legends/keys) of transcripts total. Thanks in advance.

Can you expand on this, please? OT: If you don't mind me asking, how's DC as a city? I heard it's rather expensive to live in the proper.

@ Cake Tea + RCtheSS: Thanks for the replies. Excellent thoughts and advice.

What on earth did I just read ... Given that DC is a "where did you go to school?" type of city aka prestige wh_re - with the all "equality" talk - I find this highly ironic. Plus, I was just went on the WW page with bios of the MPA students -- many of the internships, if the student who attends a school outside the top 25 is resourceful and has done his homework, many of the internships that's available to a student at an elite institution can be accessed. The only thing that holds them back - and it's not language skills or quant skills (a good majority who are Hill staffers majored in the liberal arts & humanities for Christ sakes) - it's just the awareness of internships. That's where the department career services come in. This gap can be shrunken if the student researches about internships about students who also want to enter their given field.

From my observations, no, if you have work experience. A high GPA also helps combat any suspicions. Graduating Honors/Phi Beta Kappa also aids to the softening of any non-elite/"never heard of this uni" before thoughts. If you're straight out of undergrad then graduating from a top 25 may help. You must realize if you're straight out of undergrad adcom will take into consideration your internships and the strength of recommendations. Yes. those who attend elite institutions have better access to internships, but, at least in my experience, the gulf between a worker who graduated from a non-elite college and one that did is much smaller than one actually thinks. Graduate school is the leveling field for those who have not attended the elites -- reality shows there is a mix of elite/prestigious universities/colleges and non-elites. Oh, and GRE score. MPA/MPP programs take a more holistics approach to admissions. This isn't like law school where GPA & LSAT scores are the two main ingredients for a "Welcome to Harvard Law!" Seriously, the only advantage the students at elite schools have over you is connections (roommate/boyfriend's parents know so-and-so in Federal Agency/prominent think tank/prominent non-profit). Do connections help? Sure. But some posters here paint it like some Everest type of challenge. It's not. Get the language skill,s get the quant skills, get the work/internship experience (whatever you ca get), get the GRE score and get the recs. Kill the essays and hit submit before the day of the deadline. You also have to take in account that the MPA/MPP world is usually self-selected. I know more lawyers than I know people who have an MPA/MPP. The world of public sector/policy "wonk" nerds isn't big.

I was wondering if one attended a local/regional MPA (Public Administration) at UIC, what would be the possibility to move to DC and work in the government agencies and think tanks? East coast schools will no doubt dominate the applications pool, of course. I'm located in Chicago and I think I'm going to get some work experience in the city and then try my luck in DC a few years from now. From what I've read it isn't like getting an MBA at #40 ranked school and wanting to enter i-banking or consulting, yet I'm just worried that I'm limiting my chances to work in DC since I'm unaware of how extensive the program's alumni network is. I suppose since it's politics it all depends on how I progress in my career here in Chicago and the networking that's available in the program; I've looked at the faculty, though small, seems pretty decent. Add to the fact that tuition for in-state is a downright cheap.

In my research It seems Princeton's Woodrow Wilson's MPA program (two years) is a top candidate. Harvard's Kennedy, Columbia's SIPA and Cornell's CIPA come to mind as well.

I want to bump this thread because I might be applying to Yale's join degree program SOM/MA, Jackson Institute (JI) of Global Affairs. One thing that is making me reject this idea is because I want to concentrate on domestic policy. The big red flag, from my observation and research, is that the tone & atmosphere of the program and all of the proposed concentrations and coursework are geared towards international thought. I fear the "design and pursue their own concentrations" doesn't include domestic policy (which I find absolutely strange) like, say, Princeton's Woodrow Wilson MPA program. I think, if I apply to the joint degree, I wouldn't be a good fit since I reviewed the JI's curriculum and it's practically devoid of such classes that would be found aiding a domestic concentration. I could be wrong, though. I am aware of a Yale SOM student getting special permission to have a joint degree with Princeton's Woodrow Wilson MA program, so such cases can be done, but I don't think I'll be the "second" exception (her being the first). It's a rare case. But then again, I might try my luck because WW practically gives full funding to all admits as opposed to Yale's JI where loans are probably the norm. I'm not willing to go into serious debt for an MPA when the sector doesn't pay that well to begin with. I may just attain an MBA then a few years down the line apply to Princeton's WW as an MPP candidate for mid-career, or look at other programs that are joint whose MPA/MPP program supports domestic concentrations.

You've met Joel Devine? That's cool! I looked at his research interests and it seems really interesting. How's he like in person?

Anyone applying to Tulane's new doctorate program called "City, Culture, and Community" for fall 2011?