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Just a quick note -- UGA, UCLA, and NYU all draw national classes.

Hey there -- my wife and I will be in Athens this weekend looking for housing. Any recommendations on neighborhoods to look into, or those to avoid? We've got a pretty good list that includes townhouses near UGA, single family homes in Normaltown, and then more suburban places and farmhouses just outside the Athens beltway and in Winterville. Just curious as to where/what are good areas. We have a Vizsla and a Norwich Terrier, so we need pet friendly. Specifically, do people know anything about Woodlands of Athens, Summit at Athens, Pinecrest, Timber Creek, or Bridgewater? We're hoping to find an area where we can meet people yet avoid too much undergrad craziness. Thanks!!

Citizenship is required, though I work with plenty of naturalized folks who have clearance. The rationale is that to be privy to U.S. government secrets, you have to have no conflict of interest. Of those naturalized citizens who have clearance, many have specific skills which make them "integral" to the function of government. For example, solid backgrounds in nuclear issues, science and technology, or military matters. They come from all over -- Pakistan, India, Australia, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Jordan, etc., so there is no specific region that automatically disqualifies you. However, you will have to forfeit citizenship in other nations - dual citizens are generally denied, as it indicates split loyalties. Also, it is easiest to get initial clearance through private contractors (as the hiring process is generally speedier) and then to transition to the Fed if you are so inclined.

Agreed -- this thread should be continued. I've worked for 4 years at the US Department of Homeland Security as a polivy analyst, and prior to that worked in Healthcare consulting (1 year, Adv. Board Company) and Performance Management consulting (1.5 years, DC think tank). With 6+ years of experience, I seem to be on the higher end of most folks on these boards, which is good since my undergrad record does me no favors. Ultimately, it seems that admissions committees have been willing to overlook my transcripts in light of my resume, GRE, SOP, and LORs. Would be very interested to learn what has tipped people towards applying to graduate school. For me, it was the next logical step in my career development. I will work 50% time through grad school, and will likely detail to CDC or USDA following my degree. Ultimately, local government management is very appealing to me, as is academia, which is why I chose the MPA over the MPP. I'm a big supporter of public education, so didn't apply to a number of the more "big" programs.

Grew up in Charlottesvile, went to UVA undergrad, and cannot recommend the University highly enough. As others have said, the quality of academics is very high, the town is wonderful, and the pride of being a Wahoo is almost unparalleled. All that said, I didn't even look at Batten when I was applying to MPA/MPP programs. My concerns were directly related to the "newness" of the program. If you look at other programs that have been started recently (for example the W&M Jefferson Program in Public Policy), their rankings are low and as a result do not get the most highly qualified applicants. I visited programs like this, and while the professors seemed generally good, I was concerned about the caliber of the other students. Many students in these programs were undergrads who had gone onto the Masters program to simply fill time -- continue athletic competition, no job opportunities, etc. There certainly were intelligent motivated students as well, but the average was a little lower than I was hoping for. While I'm well aware that UVA is a unique institution, I felt that it would be unwise to apply to a program without any track record of placing graduates in jobs, demonstrating academic excellence, and proven reputation. I have no doubt that in 10 years, Batten will be an excellent program -- I was just concerned about the present. My advice would be to consider these factors carefully before making your decision. There are many other excellent programs near DC (if that is your goal), as well as others slightly farther afield, which may offer similar (not the same -- UVA is incredible) programs with deeper experience and records of proven success.

I'll be attending UGA for their Masters in Public Administration (MPA) starting this fall. Haven't even thought about living arrangements in Athens yet, as I've been so focused on renting out my house in DC. Also have pets (small, well-behaved), so will either buy a place or try to rent a townhouse or SFH in Athens, Winder, Lawrenceville, Atlanta, or the Gainesville area. Would certainly be interested in meeting up with other graduate students upon arrival, which should be late July or early August. Hope to see you all very soon!

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): UVA; UMD (grad cert) Previous Degrees and GPA's: BA, Politics, GPA 3.0; Public Health Information Systems, GPA 4.0 GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 700+V, 600+Q, 5.5W Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 6 years (4 at U.S. Department of Homeland Security as policy analyst, 2 at DC area think tanks-performance management and health care). Possess security clearance. Math/Econ Background: Math - none since high school. Econ - basic Micro/Macro. Foreign Language Background: Fluent Spanish, Passable Italian and French Projected Field of Study in Grad School: MPA/.MPP Long Term Professional Goals: Get out of DC for good. Intel analyst, city manager, or academia. Schools Applied to & Results: Accepted: UCONN, UMD, W&M, UGA (only applied to these 4) Ultimate Decision & Why: UGA. Ranking impressed me, and the visit sealed the deal. Great folks. Was considering W&M due to $ offered, but couldn't passs up on UGA based on interactions. So -- Does anyone have any insight into the UGA program? Loved the visit, but I'm curious that few people on this forum applied there. I may be the outlier -- already in the security game and looking to change it up a little bit. Plus, I'm looking forward to leaving DC. What do people know about the program's reputation? Any insight into why more folks aren't considering this program (despite is #4 ranking)? Thanks!