Anshuman

Did anyone hear about hear about updated fellowships offers after April 10? Apparently there was the possibility of some more funds becoming available after that date for newly admitted students.without fellowships...

FYI to other international students who might be interested. I emailed Martha and found that it is almost impossible to get out-of-state waivers in the second year - refer http://registrar.berkeley.edu/Residency/non-citizen.html for more details.

state_school, another question I had in mind was about out-of-state tuition waivers in the second year. Is that applicable only to Americans? That's what I've heard...

Oh another important question - does the GSI include a full tuition waiver + health insurance or only in-state fees waiver?

And I would also be interested in reading impressions from the admitted students weekend

Thanks method! My major was in Computer Science and Engineering, I've worked in IT for 5 years and I am very comfortable with stats and math. Does undergrad at UoM generate a lot of demand for stats GSIs (it seems to at Berkeley)? I assume that your comments would be applicable if I were looking for a GSI within Ford, at Econ or a related school? Apart from perceived ability to teach and connect of course, which would apply everywhere.

Hi guys, I got an admit to the Ford MPP program with $20k overall. Also have an offer from Goldman that I am considering. Berkeley is cheaper than Ford because of the plentiful GSIs available, even with Ford funding. Can current Ford students comment on how easy/difficult it is to get GSIs in the second year, at Ford or at the UoM? I know it is almost impossible in the first year, but if I can get one for the second year, GSPP and Ford come out to around the same cost to me.

I too have experienced just how helpful, receptive and amazingly nice alumni at GSPP are when I talked to an alum from the 2000 batch. And the same for students and staff too. It should not be a difficult decision to choose Berkeley after all but I am just trying to exhaust all reasons that might exist to attend any other school state_school, I see that you got into CMU, Harris, Ford apart from GSPP too. Same here. I did not consider Harris (or SIPA) because of financial reasons. CMU gave me some aid but the course structure is probably not as flexible as Ford or GSPP. My background is in IT but I don't think I want to be just so tied up with quant skills or management/IT courses that I can't take politics, law or other courses I would like to take. Besides CMU will still see me taking a large loan as they don't have enough RA/TA. So I am not thinking about CMU either; it is between Ford and GSPP. Ford gave me $20k but I would still have to get a GSI in the second year to make it affordable. They are not as plentiful as at Berkeley. Eventually it is about Money. Ford has a dual-degree option open and also is somewhat more international (although don't think that is any more a factor). How do you see this choice having made a similar decision last year? I saw a post you made last year about quant skills at various schools. How did you find Berkeley after your first year? Enough econ and quant or flexible enough to take as much as one would want?

state_school'12, Thank you for your wishes and for all the information you provided! Sorry that I did not reply earlier; have been researching schools and talking to people and just forgot to check up here. I will not be able to attend the admitted students day because of work commitments too unfortunately. Guess I will loom around these boards looking for impressions I did talk to a first-year MPP student and also an alum last week. The student made similar points to yours regarding the shifting international interests at GSPP. And researching all the other departments (econ, law, pol sci and even journalism) I found many courses that would help me. My interests are in international economic development although I don't think I am quite sector-specific yet. Would really appreciate it if you could connect me to students who have similar interests. My bad choice of words regarding job stats. I was meaning to say that I found fewer international jobs for students at GSPP(continuing with the earlier theme of lower international focus) compared to other schools I was admitted to. I am quite sure that all people out of the MPP program have little trouble finding a job! But would you say that think-tanks or development banks such as the World Bank are regular recruiters at GSPP? Again, thanks for your help! It's much appreciated.

I have been accepted to the MPP program for this fall and feel quite excited about it. Working out the financial side right now. Unlike state_school and many others at Goldman I guess, I am an international student and hope to work internationally (focused on India) after graduation. Perhaps the only thing I could find worrying to me about Goldman was its lack of an international focus. By all accounts, it is an amazing school. The GSI positions are great to keep costs down and I can take courses practically anywhere, something I look forward too. But the job stats don't look so great for internationals. Does that in any way reflect on a lack of focused attention when it comes to intl students? Or not enough alums working internationally? I know I am probably being harsh on the career services here but I would like to hear any informed opinions around here before I commit.

@ridofme Thanks for your comments and your best wishes! Good luck in your applications as well. What you said about SAIS fit is absolutely true but I am not sure whether they have some kind of pre-term bring-up-to-scratch program. But now that you mentioned it I think I will ask a friend studying there. My GPA is not a particular highlight of my application. A major part of that is because I was a little unsure about where my life was going in college. I got to thinking about it and made this decision eventually to want to do public service based on my desire and passion. That is the story I want to tell in the SOP as well, just not sure how it will hold up when seen in comparison with people who have experience in the real world. Since WWS and HKS are highly selective and value work ex as you said, I thought I hadn't much of a chance right now. Indeed Harris comes out as having a quant focus. I do plan to apply there. Also thinking about Berkeley even though their strength is pure policy analysis. I think I might be able to take some electives from their well-regarded econ department, and since the tuition is lower and TA ops much more I might graduate with a manageable debt. Only concern there is its relevance to international economic development. SIPA also has a concentration in Economic and political Dev i like and they also have a South Asia specialization...Alas! SIPA seems to be too expensive. Does anyone have more insights into the schools I mentioned in my context? (CMU, LSE, Berkeley, Harris, Ford, SIPA, Duke, LBJ, USC) And may be other schools I should look at.... Your inputs will be really appreciated.

Guys, please reply with any ideas you might have. If I have not been specific enough, please let me know and I will correct myself. But I do need some inputs from the knowledgeable folks here.

*** Moved this from another thread to Government affairs. Sorry if seems like spamming *** Hello guys! After much browsing - and learning - I've decided to tap this forum for its collective wisdom. I am looking at an MPP/MPA next year, focusing on economic policy for growth with poverty alleviation. I am from India and would like to eventually return. A bit of background to give you a picture... I am jumping in to a new field after 4 odd years as an IT engineer. Haven't really volunteered much ( mainly because I thought I wouldn't enjoy the sort of work I found - may be I was wrong in hindsight) but am trying to rectify that now. Too late for this year though. GRE scores : 800 Quant, 710 Verbal, 4.5 AW (I like to think I'm a better writer but...) GPA : 7.38/10 from a top engineering school in India that takes students in from the IIT exam ( it is supposed to be a big deal ). I've had quite a few calculus and stats courses in college but only one managerial economics course. Polishing my SOP now and believe that the LORs will be good. Now to the question. After all my research, I think WWS, HKS, LSE, SIPA and SAIS offer the kind of programs I want. I think Harris and Ford are flexible enough for me to create something I want. CMU is well-regarded and it takes in many without experience although I am not sure if I want all the management courses there. I have also looked at the DC schools (GWU, GPPI) and decided that they are too expensive as well as have too many part-time students for my liking. I have also looked at Berkeley, Duke, LBJ at Austin, USC and Maxwell. My major concerns are fit, international focus for internships/jobs/learning and minimizing debt. My profile does not seem to make me competitive for WWS or HKS, and SAIS needs courses in economics I can't take now. So I am trying to narrow down the among LSE, SIPA, CMU, Berkeley, Ford, Harris, Duke, LBJ and USC and may be any others that I haven't noticed yet. Duke, LBJ and USC don't seem to be right fit for what I want but I would be open to persuasion. Perhaps 5-6 schools in the end is what I am looking at. I would like to work in an IGO such as the World Bank and eventually in a think tank/research institution. So can you guys please chime in with inputs on what schools you think will be a good fit and whether I have a chance to get some funding/TA/RA to reduce debt? I really want to keep my debt low/zero and would even make a choice based on that. Thanks a lot for your help!

Moved this to Government affairs where it belongs

Hello guys! After much browsing - and learning - I've decided to tap this forum for its collective wisdom. I am looking at an MPP/MPA next year, focusing on economic policy for growth with poverty alleviation. I am from India and would like to eventually return. A bit of background to give you a picture... I am jumping in to a new field after 4 odd years as an IT engineer. Haven't really volunteered much ( mainly because I thought I wouldn't enjoy the sort of work I found - may be I was wrong in hindsight) but am trying to rectify that now. Too late for this year though. GRE scores : 800 Quant, 710 Verbal, 4.5 AW (I like to think I'm a better writer but...) GPA : 7.38/10 from a top engineering school in India that takes students in from the IIT exam ( it is supposed to be a big deal ). I've had quite a few calculus and stats courses in college but only one managerial economics course. Polishing my SOP now and believe that the LORs will be good. Now to the question. After all my research, I think WWS, HKS, LSE, SIPA and SAIS offer exactly the kind of programs I want. I think Harris and Ford are flexible enough for me to create something I want. CMU is well-regarded and it takes in many without experience although I am not sure if I want all the management courses there. I have also looked at the DC schools (GWU, GPPI) and decided that they are too expensive as well as have too many part-time students for my liking. I have also looked at Berkeley, Duke, LBJ at Austin, USC and Maxwell. My major concerns are fit, international focus for internships/jobs/learning and minimizing debt. My profile does not seem to make me strong enough for WWS or HKS and SAIS needs courses in economics I can't take now. So I am trying to narrow down the among LSE, SIPA, CMU, Berkeley, Ford, Harris, Duke, LBJ and USC and may be any others that I haven't noticed yet. Duke, LBJ and USC don't seem to be right fit for what I want but I would be open to persuasion. Perhaps 5-6 schools in the end is what I am looking at. I would like to work in an IGO such as the World Bank and eventually in a think tank/research institution. So can you guys please chime in with inputs on what schools you think will be a good fit and whether I have a chance to get some funding/TA/RA to reduce debt? I really want to keep my debt low/zero and would even make a choice based on that. Thanks a lot for your help!