East_of_Eden

Hey, I think that's great you're going in for round two Honestly, I made flashcards for over 950 words. It's pretty sad now b/c I don't remember about half of them! Because there were so many words, I merely memorized them through repetition, not actually learning the words. (I'll probably kick myself later in life when I realize that I probably should have truly learned the words, but oh well.) At the beginning, I seriously felt stupid for not knowing so many words, but when I took the test, there literally wasn't one word for which I wasn't able to immediately produce a definition and then manipulate to solve both the analogies and fill in the blanks. Also, when I began memorizing the words, I even included words whose meanings I was only slightly familiar with. If I didn't know a word 100%, I made a flashcard for it. Sadly, when my friends saw my flashcards, they said things like, "Oh my god, you don't know what such-and-such means!", which was a bit humiliating. Even though many say the GRE doesn't matter and you need not worry, I don't regret the studying. When I took initial diagnostics tests in the books I bought, I was scoring between 550-590. After studying for about three months, I scored over 700 on the actual GRE. Of course, I have no idea if my GRE was heavily factored into admissions decisions. Clearly I'm a big proponent of memorizing those GRE words. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions!

Hi, While I don't know anything about ASU's SPA, I do know that mention of it hasn't shown up on this forum -- at least not in a long time. U.S. News gives the program a decent nod in its rankings, but the rankings have been widely branded as relatively useless because of the lack of criteria on which the ranks are dependent. Personally, I'd be cautious of ASU. The institution as a whole is not perceived well and is generally seen as a party school -- though in fairness that stereotype is probably a result of the undergrads. In terms of public affairs, if you're looking to live on the west coast, it might be an ok choice. However, if you wish to land a job on the east coast afterward, take a look at the east coast public affairs programs, which seem to be more highly regarded. Of course, there are exceptions: GSPP, UCLA, UW, etc. I obviously don't know your resume, but if you're committed to working in public service and can convey that passion to an ad com, you should be able to get in to a solid program. I just know some ASU alum is going to crucify me for saying all this

Hey there, I'd retake it. There's no reason you can't work on/enhance the rest of your application while preparing for the GRE. I know it's been said before, but the GRE -- especially the verbal -- is something for which you can prepare. Ok, your quant score is at the acceptable level for the schools to which you're thinking of applying, but your verbal can, and should be, brought up a bit. This is not to say that your verbal score will "break" your application -- it won't. However, with something like the GRE score, which is well within your power to better, why not try? I don't know how you went about preparing, but flashcards -- despite the high schoolish nature of them -- work, and practicing word analogies and reading comp series ad nauseum also works. And, say you feel that your 660 quant is fine for you, or that it's reflective of your quantitative ability at this juncture, KNOW that you can just let the time run out on the math section (or any section for that matter, to my understanding) and NOT answer a single problem. By doing this, you'll be given an NS (No Score) on your GRE score report for the section on which you failed to answer a single question. If you're concerned about the possibility of doing worse on the quant, it might be best to do this. This will allow you to focus exclusively on the verbal section during your studies. Alternatively, if you're not happy with either score, try to nail both sections. Anyway, sorry for the Kafka-esque nature of my reply. This is only my advice; others may say to refrain from taking it again or that the GRE isn't at all important. In any event, I think you should continue to work on the rest of your application AND bring up your GRE verbal score. Best of luck to you!

Hi AGH, I suppose statistics are valuable when it comes to the admissions process, but I wouldn't place too much emphasis on them when it comes to the GRE and admittance into a(n) MPP/MPA program. (Perhaps others who respond to your post will see it differently.) Generally speaking, the GRE is important, but not an application maker or breaker. I have heard stories of students who did well in college, earned a sub-par GRE score -- in the 1050 range -- and still managed to gain acceptance into some top/strong programs. On the same token, I have heard of students doing well on the GRE and well in college, but receiving rejections from some of the top/strong programs. When I applied this past year and met with members of different ad-coms, I was left with the sense that a GRE combined score of 1300 is considered "good". (Again, others may feel differently.) In my experience, I can't tell you how much or how little my GRE score mattered. I had 5 years of relevant WE, decent-but-not-great grades and a relatively strong GRE (over 1400). I was rejected by 2 of the programs to which I applied and accepted to 8. Furthermore, in my opinion, I don't believe members of ad-coms embrace one particular method when it comes to reviewing applications. For example, I don't think it's highly formulaic, like some academic areas, at all. Most of the programs and schools want to see evidence of a desire to enter the field of public service -- and this can be exemplified in a number of ways -- strong academic marks, and an ability to write and think critically. The GRE shouldn't be viewed as UNimportant because it is clearly used as a factor by which ad-coms measure future students, however loosely or stictly in some cases. I don't think you should believe that the GRE will only be used to compensate for a weaker application. I don't think you should believe that a strong app., save for the GRE score, will be denied admission. And, I don't think you should give too much thought to the NASPAA stats on GRE scores. The GRE is a test for which you can study, prepare. Honestly, you still have a few more months to prepare before you really need to take it. Finally, if you're looking at WWS or HKS, chances are you're application will need to be exceptional in all areas, GRE included. I hope this helped some. Now...go study

While I'm not sure about much concerning IR-focused programs, you may want (your friend may want) to look into Carnegie Mellon's Heinz School. http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/index.aspx It looks like I'm heading to Philly next year and will soon be referring to myself as a "Quaker" too. But, now that application season is over, there are only two programs to which I wish I had applied: Princeton WWS (likely would have been rejected) and Carnegie Mellon's Heinz. In my opinion, your friend should definitely apply to WWS, NYU, skip SIPA, look at the Johns Hopkins MPP -- if she wants a smaller cohort and a more hands-on experience -- and check out Heinz. I don't know enough about UW Evans to comment, but I have heard some great things about the school. Best of luck to you and your friend!

Hi, I was accepted into HGSE's EPM program for next year. In the end, I've chosen to go for an MPP/MPA, but I can give you a little bit of info. When I visited HGSE two years ago to gather info about their programs, I was informed that their admissions rate for most masters programs is around 50%. It's supposed to be a little bit lower than that for their Intl. Ed Policy and EPM programs, but probably not by much. They told me they look for candidates who indicate (through their applications) a sincere and proven interest in the field of Education. I haven't heard anything in regards to how one's GPA is looked at. Their avg. GRE score is supposed to hover around 1200 total. While, like most masters programs, work experience is highly valued by ad coms, I doubt it'd be a deal breaker if you have a strong SOP, solid grades, good recs and some work in education-related stuff on your resume. I'm really not sure how to best prepare but, if you haven't already done so, see how you might be able to get involved with anything ed. related. ...Could be meet-up groups, teacher shadowing, volunteer reading, tutoring, coaching, etc. Best of luck to you!

I do not believe it is worth taking on the extra debt. In terms of going to GPPI, while it does have a very strong reputation within the policy field, I feel that being in D.C. is primarily about the connections you'll have the opportunity to make while in school. I'm not interested in the IR side myself, but yes, I'd bet GPPI has far greater opportunities for students interested in pursuing such careers. However, I'm guessing that Cornell offered you $24k-$26k. (Most of us who've been admitted to CIPA have received the same/very similar offers.) Overall, you're looking at being at least $50,000 less-stressed post graduation. That's huge. Also, if living in D.C. is a highly appealing prospect for you, CIPA does have a semester-long program in D.C. in which you could enroll immediately following your first year. So, you could do an internship in D.C. over your first summer and then continue on there to take CIPA classes that next fall. In regards to the rankings, I'd not worry so much about CIPA. I'm not headed there myself, but in no way, shape or form does it have anything to do with rankings or prestige issues. I have been nothing short of tremendously impressed by everything to do with CIPA. From their director, to their students, to their career services, CIPA will be an upper echelon program in short time -- if it isn't already considered so. Lastly, the two programs in question are very different in scope too; look into that and it might be a deciding factor one way or the other. GPPI is supposed to be great. I visited there prior to application season, but never applied. From looking at the forums here, there are some incredible people heading off there for next year, which'll bode well for classroom dynamics. But your initial question had to do with prestige and money. I don't feel that there's that much of a difference in quality between the two programs -- at least not enough to warrant spending $50k more. Hopefully, I'm not offending any GPPI folks Good luck!

dngo, I just sent you a PM b/c I too am thinking about Penn. I didn't visit during their formal day, but when I did meet with them a few months back, I truly felt I belonged there. I'd love to hear how you're request works out. Also, Stephen33, great advice on how to broach the issue!

do8, good question! In fact, I've been wondering the same thing. I suppose I should contact the program director (Lewis) and ask, but I'd much rather hear the "inside scoop" from current and/or former students. Anyone out there know about research assistantships???

I wouldn't say it's hopeless. Also, applying to a top 20-30 program -- based on the US News rankings -- doesn't mean much. However, even with a strong GPA and "decent" GRE scores, it's highly unlikely that'd you'd get into places like HKS, WWS, GPPI, Chicago, SIPA, GSPP, CMU. But, there are still so many GREAT programs out there that will/would be happy to take someone with some strong academic promise. I've heard of people getting into Syracuse, Georgia, UMD, American and GW with little work experience. While I have 6 years of WE and can't speak firsthand, the best advice I can give you is: give it a shot.

Skz, THANK YOU! The information was great and I really like the stream-of-consciousness approach; it emanates sincerity! The campus is definitely a nice one -- well-kept, semi-colonial architecture, ample open space, very symmetrical, etc. I visited them during a trip I took back east a few months ago. Ironically, it was cloudy and raining when I saw the campus too. It's reallllllly good to hear that you were impressed by the current students and core faculty. Also, while some people prefer larger cohorts, I actually wanted a smaller program in order to get more individualized attention. During my visit, I met briefly (and informally) with two students and they were each very kind and bright. The whole idea of doing a research assistantship is highly appealing. In fact, if there are greater opportunities for me to do research at Hopkins as opposed to Cornell...well, I guess I'll be coming to Baltimore. Skz, do you have an idea in terms of which school you're leaning in favor of? Also, I'd love to hear how/on what you're going to be making your decision. Now that I'm essentially ruling out (all b/c of minimal or zero funding) Penn, Chicago, SIPA, Tufts, Brown, HGSE, it's becoming sooooo tough to decide between Cornell (25k) and Hopkins (23k). It might come down to the proverbial coin toss b/c both programs, while not WWS, are quite strong and have almost everything I want. Last thing, are you really that keen on GPPI? I know it's supposed to be strong and all, but I never applied there. After I visited them in late December, I no longer had a good impression...and I thought -- before the visit -- that they were going to be my #1 choice and that I was going to put "my all" into their application. Though, my impression may be skewed after all. It's easy to be let down when you have such high expectations...

I wasn't able to go to the open house. However, I did just receive my admissions package. I got $22,880/year. Now I have a tough decision to make: Cornell (CIPA) vs. Hopkins. Even though they may not be the most reputable programs to which I gained admittance, they essentially have what I'm looking for. ...And the funding is excellent. Skz, what were your general impressions of the program? Were you impressed by the other incoming students, faculty members, current students? I hope you had a good time!

Congrats on your acceptances. Despite not being a big fan of SIPA b/c of their near-inability to offer competitive funding to first year students, I would go there over the others since money isn't that big an issue. From what I understand, SIPA's reputation in the international community is head and shoulders above the other schools you mentioned. However, since I'm not going into IR/ID, you're better off heeding the advice of someone who is. Just wanted to throw you my two cents.

Skz, congratulations! What an odd dollar amount though; you'd think they'd have made it an even 25k.(?) But that's a boatload of money, nonetheless! I hope mine comes tomorrow. Show me the money!

Hey guys, just trying to keep this thread from being relegated to second page status. I'm getting antsy waiting for the funding info. to come. Has anyone received his/her aid package yet??? If so, how much have they offered? ...if you don't mind sharing, of course...

I went to UNC for undergrad, but I didn't apply to their MPA program. The program itself is supposed to be held in relatively high regard and the smaller class size should allow you to get great individualized attention. If they've given you a great aid package, be psyched; you'll love it in Chapel Hill. If you PM me, I can answer any questions you have about the university, town, culture and surrounding area. Go Heels!

Splic, congratulations on your acceptances! Being a UNC Chapel Hill graduate (Duke's rival), I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd go to Duke. I've heard nothing but great things about Duke's program. I almost applied myself, but my allegiance to UNC was too strong and I couldn't go through with the application. The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area is great and housing is very inexpensive there. I lived in Durham my senior year (2003) and paid only $750/month for a gorgeous, new, two-bedroom apartment. I'm sure you can get a nice 1-bedroom for around $570, unless housing costs have risen astronomically since I left. While GPPI is strong, if you aren't planning to work in DC after graduation, it just doesn't seem worth it. It pains me to say this, but Duke is a phenomenal school overall, with great name recognition.

Even though I'm going for an MPP/MPA, I feel compelled to chime in here. Congrats on the full-ride to Elliott!! I didn't get any dough from SIPA . Just keep this in mind: if you choose SIPA, there will be students there who are being funded well their 1st year, while you won't be. Maybe this is gonna be too psycho-analytic, but with what I just said in the sentence prior, you'll be dealing with the knowledge that your folks are spreading themselves very thin (I'm assuming) and that you gave up a full-ride elsewhere, while those being funded well at SIPA won't worry about such things. Unless your parents are very financially fortunate, a 120+k debt is far too much a burden to take on -- especially when you could get a fantastic education for FREE. From my understanding, SIPA is not the Woody Woo or end-all-be-all of IR. It's a wonderful, top-notch program that will probably offer an experience comparable to Elliott. If I were you I'd say, "Elliott has expressed a much greater desire for my presence...and thus they shall be graced by it!"

I second saisonsaparis' sentiments. CIPA was one of many programs I visited during the application process and I found the "institute" to be a program on the rise. Relatively speaking, it's a younger program and, for some, the concept of a multi-disciplinary approach is a turn-off. The location will make the networking game harder, but Thomas O'Toole (the program's professional development coordinator) seems to be a PRO at the task of helping students set up internships and find jobs. I was very impressed by him, as I was with everyone at CIPA. I'm ultimately deciding between Penn, Cornell and Hopkins. Cornell, like Penn and Harvard, has a billion different schools within the university at which one can cross-enroll. To me, this is very intriguing. The core faculty at Cornell is second to none and their accomplishments within the field will leave your mouth agape. The current director seems to be dead-set on taking CIPA to the top. They: fund most students very well, have programs in Nepal, D.C. and Rome, have numerous professional activities (like "The Current", a student-run publication), foster a warm and collegial atmosphere, seem to be stepping to the fore in the policy world, and seek to create a very culturally-diverse class. If I do choose Cornell, I'll be looking away from Brown (no funding), Chicago (little funding), SIPA (nada), Tufts (part-tuition), Penn (some funding), Hopkins (funding info to come??) and Harvard Grad. School of Ed. (Ed. Policy). And this is a very likely prospect. Early on, I was skeptical of CIPA b/c of the rankings issue. But, after visiting Cornell and nearly a dozen others, it became clear to me that the rankings merit little merit. For example, while G-Town is probably a phenomenal program, I was so unimpressed by the admissions director and the prof. on whose class I sat in, that I left disgusted and chose not to apply. d08, I wish you luck with your decision and you can PM me if you want more info. I attended CIPA's admitted students day and visited them solo twice.

Hey guys. Anyone heard anything on the actual dollar amount of his/her merit scholarship? I'm still waiting.

Hey skz, Congrats on being admitted! If I choose to go there (isn't that great that we can say "choose" now ) I'll be concentrating on either Ed. or social policy. They seem to have some great Ed. classes there, but I'm worried b/c they don't have too many graduate schools/programs with which to cross-enroll. It'd be cool to take an elective or two at SAIS, but the Homewood campus is not exactly a hop, skip and a jump to SAIS I guess we'll have to wait and see what a "merit scholarship" is worth. If we're talking free tuition, I'll tell them they had me at "hello." Sisepuede, you're very humble! If insecurity got you to apply -- and then get admitted -- to WWS, send some of them insecurities my way

Traveler06, I think Hopkins has the admissions decisions ready; you ought to contact them and ask. Sisepuede, the part about "again" is funny. From your admits, it looks as though you have done INCREDIBLY well this application season! Good for you and congrats! I would seriously love to be in your shoes with the acceptance to Woody Woo. While I'm happy with my acceptances and funding offers, I could KICK myself for not having applied to WWS...not that I expect I would have gotten in...it would be nice to have given it a shot If anyone else knows anything about the MPP at Hopkins, I'd love to hear it

Thank you FSIA! This is really good news. I just received an acceptance offer with a merit scholarship (unknown amount as of right now) and I'm trying to decide between JHU, Cornell and Penn. I'm leaning in favor of Hopkins (I think). To me it's a little strange that there's very little -- if any -- mention of JHU on this board. I suppose/hope this is because the bigger programs/names like GPPI, JFK, and NYU are where the majority applied. Anyone else? Any help's appreciated!

While I share in the collective anxiety of many -- especially those playing the waiting game with U.Chicago -- I am curious to see if anyone knows anything about the MPP program at Johns Hopkins. I applied to the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) at JHU and, more or less, saw it as a wild card. Admittedly, I do more snooping on this board than posting (I just can't speak to the strengths and weaknesses of various programs like many of you can), but I'd be delighted to hear anything from anyone regarding their knowledge (first or secondhand) of the Hopkins MPP program. I did make a visit to Hopkins during the early part of application season and was greatly impressed by the students and faculty. Outside of the "personal feel" of JHU, I know nothing. Any takers? Thank you!!

Dang, congratulations on the acceptances and the great funding! While I ultimately did not complete my application to either school, I did visit William and Mary. To me, it was my wild card. I absolutely loved the faculty, students and, most of all, the campus. Hands down, the campus is among the most beautiful I've seen. But, the "city" of Williamsburg seems a little sleepy; it's very much tucked away from any bustling area. The University of Maryland seems to have a more broad recognition/reputation within the policy field itself, but I would bet this is b/c it's a bigger program. The W&M program only has about 18-22 students/year. I would argue that W&M is a better university overall and never seems to garner the respect it deserves from the rankings. Both schools seem to have a strong core faculty and I don't know anything about their job placement stats. I would also assume that connections can be made easily at both schools (W&M has frequent policy seminar-things in D.C. and UM-CP has easy access to D.C., Baltimore and Annapolis). If I had to choose, I'd go for William and Mary b/c of its heavier quantitative focus and the beauty of the campus. If the rankings worry you most, I'd go UM. Unless W&M ups the size of its program, I can't see it ever truly being recognized among the best. But, that doesn't mean it isn't a great program!