
adollarninetynine
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Everything posted by adollarninetynine
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Employment Prospects- MPP
adollarninetynine replied to m4g1c0ff3's topic in Government Affairs Forum
why are you still here? you give terrible advice and just say what OP wants to hear. i thought we already established that you don't work at a top tier consulting firm and that you have nothing to argue against my empirical arguments. just forget everything and answer this since you have been avoiding the question. DO YOU THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO GO TO CMU WITH THE INTENT TO PAY OFF SIX FIGURES OF DEBT BY CONSULTING IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR WITH OP'S SITUATION IN MIND? you can keep saying i am not qualified to speak on this subject, but if i am so wrong in my assessment, PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO INTERPRET THE EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS of the schools since you seem to think i am wrong. what is hilarious is that even if you were right (which you are not) in that OP will be competing with undergrads, his income still won't be enough to pay off his debt with reasonable comfort. so let us summarize what you are advising: OP will have a really hard time getting even an entry position at a mediocre consulting firm since he has zero marketable skills and will have six figures of debt, BUT you think he should take this massive gamble if he "networks" and works on his case studies a lot? wow, just wow... just the fact that you think like this makes me worry about your work quality and your ability to consult with other organizations. do you advise your clients to invest over 100K in a project that has a low probability of even being able to pay off the initial investment? i can't speak for other firms, but when i worked at MBB and when they recruited at my law school, we were exclusively sought out as senior associates and they made it clear that anyone with a professional master's degree (including MPPs/MPAs) would be hired as a senior associate. i don't even think they recruited seriously at HKS. if you don't believe, just do some basic google searches. -
Employment Prospects- MPP
adollarninetynine replied to m4g1c0ff3's topic in Government Affairs Forum
i am sorry i may sound harsh but the truth is i keep trying to tell you the truth about the situation in the real world because i have seen my friends get screwed because they were stubborn and a bit naive like you. what the deans say have no place in this discussion. they aren't the ones that will be interviewing and hiring you at consulting firms. i am sorry to sound a bit elitist but what did you expect by not attending at least a top 20 law school? you made the awful decision of attending a TTT law school because you didn't properly RESEARCH the job market and reality and you are making the same mistake again by assuming you will get a consulting gig to pay off a huge debt with a MPA/MPP from CMU. think about the facts again. you have no consulting/finance/banking experience, you have low academic credentials, and you have a gap in your resume that says TTT law school. you really think a quality consulting firm will hire you over other top MBA students and professionals who do not have your weaknesses? i hope you know that you will not be competing with undergrads, with a master's you will be interviewing as a senior associate. i don't get why you think i am trying to ruin your dreams. if you were going to CMU for more grounded reasons i could understand, but you are going seeing consulting as the end game with no marketable skills to offer the firms. you think having CMU on your resume is going to get your hired? if that were so HKS, SIPA, GSPP, and etc. students would all get the job. it is funny how i keep telling you to look at the employment stats and you refuse to even acknowledge them. -
Employment Prospects- MPP
adollarninetynine replied to m4g1c0ff3's topic in Government Affairs Forum
LOL, you think i am trolling. i am probably the only person on these boards that has an inkling of how the recruiting process works for consulting firms. how am i prestige obsessed? because i keep pointing out his TTT law school failure? i think you might be ignorant since you never applied to law schools but going to a TTT and dropping out means OP went to an unranked law school with abysmal scores and still could not cut it there. by the way, have you ever even done consulting before? my arguments may be confusing for you because you lack the acumen to understand basic hiring and real world functions, but like i said if you don't believe me, just click on the HKS employment statistics and the answer should be right there assuming you have some basic statistical skills. i don't get what is so hard about looking at the stats when the facts are right there in front of you, but i forgot this board is sometimes filled with people who want to pursue their "dreams" even though ever sign leads to them being in massive debt with no marketable skills. -
Employment Prospects- MPP
adollarninetynine replied to m4g1c0ff3's topic in Government Affairs Forum
i never said you would not be able to get into a decent program. i said you would not be getting a decent consulting gig to pay off your six figure debt reasonably. the fact that you got into CMU and couldn't even get into a halfway decent law school says everything. you think a consulting firm is going to hire you as a senior associate when you have no meaningful consulting/finance experience before school, dropped out of a TTT law school, and had only the grades to get into a TTT? just look at the employment statistics at some of the TOP mpa/mpp programs to get a picture. even if you went to HKS, you would still have a slim shot unless you were a dual degree applicant with the business or law school. -
Is 100K of Debt Not Insane?
adollarninetynine replied to senatorsmith85's topic in Government Affairs Forum
well i can't blame you for being attracted to prestigious names since i have done so myself in the past. i can see now why you would want sipa since you plan on continuing your current job. makes sense now and im sure sipa does have fantastic resources. did you just apply to that one school? -
Is 100K of Debt Not Insane?
adollarninetynine replied to senatorsmith85's topic in Government Affairs Forum
you basing your attitude off of someone who has had the completely different experience of taking out debt for a MD is a bit naive. i never said you compated the actual degrees to each other, you compared them both as degrees both worth massive debt. of course they are going to say it is ok because it worked out for them. why don't you ask one of the unemployed SIPA grads what they think and i bet they will tell you the opposite. there is a reason why the employment stats for MIAs are not very detailed at some schools. i am sorry about the apparent harshness of my tone. my purpose is not to offend you but to discuss with you since i am interested in your predicament. i understand you need an advanced degree to advance, and i am not bashing the fact you are pursuing an MIA. there are great MIA programs out there for sure. i am just questioning why you would resign yourself to attending SIPA for full price when you could probably get funding from other schools if you tried. SIPA is notorious for attracting ppl just after the Columbia name and for not giving any funding as a cash cow program. also, that name does not take you very far since it will still be your work experience that is your main asset. -
they liked the US news rankings?
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WWS, HKS, any other school that gives me 1/2 or more funding.
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Is 100K of Debt Not Insane?
adollarninetynine replied to senatorsmith85's topic in Government Affairs Forum
lol optimism to such a degree has no place in a situation where things are so out of your control and where the odds are crushingly against you. you are comparing a MD/MPH to a MIA from SIPA? seriously? it is not a good investment in yourself if you can't make up for the opportunity costs and come out with a positive return on your money. you think more doors will be open to you? if you are going to spend six figures you better be pretty sure you will be in a better spot. you are just going to make it work? just because you think you will does not mean consulting firms will just magically hire you. why is it that so many people on these boards look to consulting to be there lifeline when it is actually one of the most competive jobs out of school. also i don't even think MBB comes to recruit at SIPA. why would you go to a cash cow program at SIPA when you could get funding from other schools and still be well off? it is seriously disturbing so see someone who has work experience willing to take out six figure debt just because of optimism. -
Is 100K of Debt Not Insane?
adollarninetynine replied to senatorsmith85's topic in Government Affairs Forum
his situation is slightly different in that a master's and phD in sociology is not a "professional degree". at the end of the day, you pursue a professional degree for career advancement more so than intellectual stimulation. it is easy for him to say that since it worked out for him, but it is really foolish to take on a six figure debt with that mentality. it frustrates me sometimes how some ppl really do not comprehend how much of a burden a debt to that degree will enslave you if you do not have the income and job to pay it off somewhat comfortably. more important, the age in which your professor lived in and we live in are completely different. i think there is really no place that is worth 100K+ of debt for an MPA/MPP. just do some time calculating your monthly payments based on a 10 and 20 year repayment plan and realistically look at how much income you will probably earn after graduation. it is a different story if you have money saved up, have relatives help you, or get some financial help from the school. there are so many ppl out there (even HKS graduates) who regret their decisions to go to a school at the sticker price because they never took the time to realistically analyze their financial outlook and just focused on the excitement of the school experience. -
Employment Prospects- MPP
adollarninetynine replied to m4g1c0ff3's topic in Government Affairs Forum
funny how you haven't refuted a single part of my advice to OP and continue to resort to false ad hominem attacks to discredit me. as for the OP, i really hope you aren't listening to JAubrey just because they said what you wanted to hear. as i said, go browse through some of the MBA forums like gmat club to get a realistic overview of how consulting recruiting and hiring works if you don't believe me. you made the bad decision to attend a TTT law school, so i hope you don't make another bad decision because i have see many people lead crappy lives from huge debts and no job prospects to help pay the loans off. you apparently haven't gone through admissions for other professional schools, but some adcomms are known to browse through forums. it is obvious you work for deloitte seeing how you get so upset when i mentioned deloitte is not an elite firm. i could name ten firms better name deloitte off the top of my head. i don't see why you are so upset, maybe an inferiority complex? what is the use of being so mad on the internet. unless you can refute what i've advised OP with clear facts, stop giving bad advice. the bottom line is that you seriously advised OP to spend 100K+ for a miniscule shot at consulting. i would hate to be the company that hired you as a consultant. -
Employment Prospects- MPP
adollarninetynine replied to m4g1c0ff3's topic in Government Affairs Forum
you are seriously relying on someone's past internet post history to make judgements? have you not heard of fudging info to prevent outing? seriously OP, if you don't believe me go search the web for information on consulting on MBA admissions forums and look at HKS's employment stats. as forJAubrey, you seem to dislike me due to the fact that I told you that your firm is not in fact in the top tier and that i basically poked holes all throughout your useless advice. instead of responding to my arguments you resorted to making an attack based on internet history (lol). what is sad is that you seem to have an inferiority complex. as for the "zero years of full-time experience", i simply stated that since i had no public service experience and MPPs look for public interest work. and yeah you are right in that i am not in the dual degree for a MPP. i am in one for the MBA. thanks for playing. now go back to working at deloitte thinking you are a top consultant. lol, just lol. -
Employment Prospects- MPP
adollarninetynine replied to m4g1c0ff3's topic in Government Affairs Forum
lol, just lol. first of all, you are still advising the poster to go to those schools and spend a huge amount of money with the hope of getting a consulting job? it is funny that you admit that OP has a slim chance at even the mediocre firms, yet have advised him to pursue one of those degrees that require a huge amount of money. i don't doubt there are smart ppl from a range of schools working in consulting, but instead of giving OP anecdotal (worthless) advice, why don't you advise him to look at or ask for the employment stats for some of the elite schools and see how many of them get consulting gigs (and how many of them have dual MBA/MPP or already worked at in consulting prior to school)? yeah your advice seems sound: encouraging OP to spend 100K+ for a significantly small shot at consulting. by the way, i did not want to come to this, but since you keep pushing for my "credentials", i worked at one of the MBB out of undergrad for a few years and now i am in the middle of a dual degree and will probably go back to my previous firm after graduation. and since when was deloitte a top tier consulting firm. it is a good firm, but i have never heard any one of my peers consider deloitte in the top ten in the consulting industry. -
Is 100K of Debt Not Insane?
adollarninetynine replied to senatorsmith85's topic in Government Affairs Forum
it is crazy to go to HKS without significant scholarships especially if you do not have extraordinary work experiences. -
Is 100K of Debt Not Insane?
adollarninetynine replied to senatorsmith85's topic in Government Affairs Forum
i think you always have to be careful of employment stats no matter how well regarded a school is. i looked at the HKS stats and they seem too good to be true to be honest. you always have to beware that HKS's numbers are a bit misleading because there are a ton of dual degree candidates that boost up those numbers since they also attend the law school and business school. of course there are many who are successful out of HKS, but there are a lot who regret their decisions to attend HKS at 100K since they go back to their old jobs or another job that paid the same amount as their old job. -
Employment Prospects- MPP
adollarninetynine replied to m4g1c0ff3's topic in Government Affairs Forum
lol i think you are the one who has no idea what they are talking about. first of all, the poster said they went to a TTT law school and then dropped out. based on that, it is fair to assume they will have a small shot at Harris and Heinz and that they will most likely end up at GWU or UVA at best. i can't believe you are actually telling the poster to look at MBB coming out of Harris. are you serious? do you have any idea how difficult it is to get through those interviews? the poster is going to be having a hard time even getting an interview invite since it is obvious they have no connections inside those firms. and yes i know the difference between the two booz firms, and even if the one of them is less prestigious, it is still hard to get in. you are actually suggesting to a poster who dropped out of a TTT law school and then will most likely be attending a non top MPP program and has no significant work experience to set their sights on private/public consulting? you really think giving someone idealistic advice is better than me giving them an honest assessment of their chances? the thought of someone suggesting to another that a school's proximity to DC is a significant asset in this economy or Batten would give them a good shot at consulting shows a total lack of knowledge regarding the job market these days. -
Employment Prospects- MPP
adollarninetynine replied to m4g1c0ff3's topic in Government Affairs Forum
it will be very hard for you to find work at booze allen mainly because they won't recruit at the schools listed above and it will be hard for you to even get an interview without great work experience or a "prestigious" pedigree. it seems like you want to get into consulting and to do that an elite master's degree is needed to get an interview. deloitte is a far step down from a firm like booze allen though so you may have a small shot there. -
for prospects, networking, and quality of institution, i would have to say UT Austin. LBJ definitely has better prestige and recognition internationally. also, the US news rankings for the MPA are pretty messed up and don't really show you which school is better. (contrary to the rankings, syracuse's mpa is not better than WWS or HKS obviously)
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with a 2.9 you are out at the top schools.
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no one cares if you have an interest in languages if you don't have the proper experience in those fields. that is what i was implying. you don't apply to a program in journalism if you don't have the experience to back up your claim that it is a passion. even if you forget about your lack of experience, your scores are not good enough to get you into a top school. i was not bashing your score, i was merely saying that your goal is to go to a top 50 school, but you don't have the scores to do it. i don't care if you are chinese, mexican, caucasian, or an alien from mars. you said it yourself just now that you did not have the time to study. that is what i am pointing out. you want to go to a top school but you won't make the time to study for the GRE. what is worse is that the GRE is a completely learnable test (especially the math section) and you won't commit to it. it does not matter if you suck at math, if you are of average intelligence you should be able to cram some basic algebra and geometry to score above a 700 since the questions are the same except for the numbers for the most part. lastly, no one here is trying to crush your dreams. they are just laying out the reality of your situation and you seem to be still in your alternate universe thinking you can get accepted based on your background and grades. by the way, i am french canadian, not chinese.
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Would top programs generally prefer academic or professional letters? Thank you!
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OP, you don't make any sense at all. you studied computer science but now you have the urge to go study journalism? do you have any experience in this field at all? also, i am going to be brutally honest and say that your scores are a complete joke. it is obvious you did not spend the minimum time to study for this exam considering you took it a whopping 3 times. your english scores are understandable since you may not be as proficient as other candidates, but there is no excuse for your math score. honestly, the math section is basic algebra and geometry you learn in middle/high school. if you want to get into a decent graduate school, please try to put in some effort to get there. no one is going to give you a free pass especially if you are a below mediocre applicant.
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Usefulness of a MPA/MPP
adollarninetynine replied to adollarninetynine's topic in Government Affairs Forum
reading comprehension is your friend, i never said that, i was told this and was merely asking for opinions. -
Chances - 2nd tier MPA/MPP
adollarninetynine replied to tomasltc's topic in Government Affairs Forum
i didn't know HKS and WWS were 2nd tier schools lol. -
Usefulness of a MPA/MPP
adollarninetynine replied to adollarninetynine's topic in Government Affairs Forum
i am sorry to offend anyone maybe my word choice was too blunt. this was certainly not a sentiment shared by me, i was just wondering what you guys were planning on doing and what you guys knew about job prospects. basically wanted hear some thoughts from you guys since you have all already applied and will be attending as I have still not applied.