lottesnk

Are any out of staters going to preview weekend? Friday or Saturday? Both? I'd really like to attend, but flying into Detroit has presented to be more cumbersome than I expected.

Thanks for the links, Type A! Taubman's coursework in economic and community development is exactly what I had in mind. At this point, I'm sold on the Ford School! In fact, I've already picked student groups and centers I'd like to join - even summer internships! I figure if a program is willing to make an investment in me through such a generous award, then I should take a chance on them too. (And I probably should have done my homework before starting this thread. lol).

Update: Admission confirmed! Thanks for the feedback! I perused old threads, and saw that there is an element of dissatisfaction among Harris School students (actually, it reminded me why I didn’t apply to begin with! Haha!). But I’m sure most programs have a handful (or more) discontent students who haven’t “drank the Kool Aid” – even Ford! It’s comforting to hear that there are other urban/local/state policy folks (possibly) joining me at the Ford School! My initial reservations stemmed from the concern that I wouldn’t find my academic niche within the school, like in undergrad. Or the program's focus and most students were int'l and federal policy oriented. However, I have spotted several professors in other U-M departments and in the Ford School that I hope I can take a course or two with. And I also checked out the Institute for Social Research, which has a long list of current projects. That said, I'm happy with my choice and am attending Ford this fall! Woot! P.S. @state_school'12 No, really, what is the deal with Harris?

Recently, I was accepted to the Ford School's MPP program and awarded a fellowship covering full tuition, $18,000 living stipend plus health insurance. Amazing! However, after more thorough research into the program I've realized it's not quite a fit for me. My interests is in urban and state policy, and the Ford School's strength is in federal and international relations. When browsing the faculty list, I find only 1 whose research piques my interest. And I'm struggling to find elective courses that I'd like to take. On the plus side, there is a local and state policy research center, but it now seems defunct (at least the website). The Harris School clearly has a leg up on urban policy as it is THE policy school in Chicago. There are so many elective courses that I am eager to take on family policy, workforce development, education, and human potential. I find the courses less traditional, more interdisplinary (e.g., psych and policy), and more innovative than other schools (i.e., social policy isn't limited to only welfare reform and poverty). And I would love to take classes with at least 4 professors, based on their bios. Plus, there's the option to do a master's thesis! The caveat: I didn't apply to the Harris School this application season. In order to attend, I would have to turn down Michigan's generous offer, wait a year to be accepted at the Harris School, and pray for a comparable financial aid package (rumor has it Harris is stingy with the $$$). When I graduate, my goal is to work in city/local/state government, ideally in Chicago or NYC. Can someone please tell me I'm a fool for not accepting the Ford School's offer? They both seem to offer the basic skills, which is what matters, right?

It depends on what you want out of the program and your preference for location after graduation. Although both school are nationally reputable, the MPA programs are local in reach. Majority of USC Price School graduates stay in California and majority of NYU Wagner School graduates stay in NY. Both schools' curriculum has a strong emphasis in NY and CA policy issues and numerous local internships in NYC and LA, respectively. This could be a reason why most grads stay in-state. Where do you see yourself working afterwards? What kind of work? At this point, it may be helpful to thoroughly compare employment statistics, syllabi, research centers, guest lectures, and overall quality of life. Both are terrific programs. Congrats!

Does anyone have any tips on what content I should pay special attention to in regards to the quantitative section? The Kaplan prep chapters that give me the most problem are probability, and permutation/combination. But I don't want to put all my energy and time into material that will only have 2 questions at most. Is there a bulk of GRE Q material in geometry, algebra, or arithmetic? I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

Nope. There's no way of knowing what or where the experimental will be. You'll either get an extra quantitative or verbal section. Even if you suspect it's the experimental section, answer it to the best of your ability. It could actually be the regular scored section, and you don't want to shoot yourself in the foot.

My opinion is don't worry about the AW section, concentrate on proving your quantitative capabilities to public policy programs, especially if you're applying to ones that emphasis math/analysis. The AW section is subjective unlike the quantitative (Q) section, and admissions committees know that the AW is a complete crap shoot. As a result, I believe they lend far more weight to Q than AW, particularly for those without a strong quantitative academic history. If you don't think you can boost your GRE math score, try supplementing your app with a stats, econ, or math course this fall. Additionally, you can always prove your writing skills in your SOP and the like. As one admissions director told me, all adcoms want is some evidence, reassurance, that you'll be able to hang in their stats/econ heavy program -- courses, gre score, something. If one is lacking, then they'll weigh the other more heavily. As cliche as this may sound, every application is unique and one component shouldn't make or break it.

Algebra DeMystified has helped me a lot in the quant section. I realized that I kept making errors because I forgot fundamental math rules. My Kaplan course was useful in teaching me strategies, but they proved futile without knowing arithmetic and math rules (e.g., simplifying radicals and exponents, factoring, etc).

Bump. If you find out the answer to this, please let me know. I'm interested in UMichigan MUP program that is housed in the architecture school and is very arch/design influenced, and UMaryland's that seems more policy-oriented. I'd also like to get an MPP... Did you purchase the 2012 Planetizen Guide online? I can't find it at my bookstore or library.

Georgetown MPP also has a research center for produce safety (produce safety project).

Does anyone know what are typical criteria for receiving scholarship financial aid? What do you believe is the median GRE and GPA? What is the cut-off? Schools I'm considering include the Ford School, University of Maryland MPP, U Wisconsin, and possibly Duke Sanford. Thanks!

If you were to ask this question to an MPP/MPA admissions director, he/she probably would encourage you to take courses in other colleges within the university as I believe food policy is still an emerging field that traditional public policy schools have been slow to adopt into the curriculum. The only food policy programs that I'm aware of are Tufts School of Nutrition Science and NYU Steinhardt School in Food Studies. To find schools with electives, maybe check out public health programs and universities with schools of agriculture such as the University of Maryland or UC Davis. Also, I would search this topic in the public health forum. Good luck! And keep me posted on what you find as I am interested in this specialization, too.

These are my concern too. I think in the absence of a reliable scoring scale, adcoms will lend more weight to percentile rankings. Like you, I wonder how ETS will create percentile rankings. I presume that it will be based on the guinea pigs who test in August-September. But that doesn't seem like a large enough sample. Maybe I should email ETS..

Thanks for your responses! It's really encouraging to hear your positive thoughts. I will continue to study for the current version. If I don't feel confident and comfortable the week before the exam, then I will reschedule. Although, I am leaning towards taking the revised GRE in late Sept or Oct, which buys me more time to study. I really just don't want something like circles inscribed in squares hindering me from getting accepted and awarded scholarships. Will keep you posted come fall! And I am will def. contact admissions coordinator to discuss my concerns. Thanks, again!

Seems like you've got a lot of decisions in front of you! Don't stress out. And don't get discouraged from applying to MPP or MPA programs because you lack economic courses. International development sounds like a fitting program for you! I haven't applied to MPP programs yet, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt. Spend you final year at university taking any quantitative courses if you haven't already. Each graduate program is unique, so I don't think economics will make or break your application. However, taking econ prior to grad school will ease your transition into your program. In the U.S., an MPP is more policy analysis (heavy emphasis on microeconomics and statistical analysis -- regressions, cost-benefit analysis, finance, program evaluation) while a masters of public administration (MPA) is designed for those seeking managerial training e.g., leadership, public budgeting/finance, management. People with an MPA generally have professional experience (depending on the program) and/or seek to work in government. **MPA can also stand for masters of public affairs, which can be similar to either aforementioned programs. Also, the distinction between MPP and MPA isn't mutually exclusive. Many programs try to offer both analysis and management to varying degrees. In my experience, working 2-3 years after undergraduate has definitely strengthened and honed my career goals. Since working in the public sector, my focus in public policy has changed considerably (e.g., I'm more inclined to work for city/local government than work at the federal level. Also, I've realized program evaluation doesn't interest me). Finding a job in your field can be hard in this economy, but I urge you to work for at least a year after graduating. Maybe do an international fellowship or year of public service. Graduate school really isn't a time to "discover" yourself or interests like undergraduate. You go in with specific goals of skill sets and information that you want to obtain, then you're out into the career world yet again. 2 years passes quickly. Also, from my friend's experience, students who have work experience prior to entering an MPA/MPP program have had more success at landing a job post-graduation. I'm not too sure about ID, but i would think the same holds true. Employers seek those with proficient foreign language ability, international experience (e.g., Peace Corp), and a masters (criteria for USAID). Of course, all this depends on the positions you're interested in. If you decide to work, you can also take online or evening courses that will prepare you for graduate school. Ultimately, do what you feel is right for you. Do research -- talk to admissions directors, professionals, alums to learn about the industry. Good luck!

Given my strengths and weaknesses, the new GRE will me much harder. Although it is ostensibly tester "friendly," the exam seems trickier and is longer, thus testing your ability to be accurate and keep focus. Instead of one verbal, one quant, and two essay. It increases to two quant sections, two verbal sections, and two essays, thereby increasing the test time from 3 hours to 4 hr long. For those who have a hard time keeping focus, I think this will be a huge test on mental endurance. More or less, the content remains the same, however, the format is new. Multiple answer questions (e.g., select all answers that apply), makes guessing more difficult (especially since there is no partial credit). Fill in the blank questions on quant completely eliminate guessing. Essentially, there is more room for error in the new version. Surprisingly, I do fairly well on the analogies and antonyms sections (memorized a lot of vocab words). The hardest for me is reading comprehension. It's soo long and requires more of my attention than antonyms. And new exam emphasizes reading comp (eek!). And I'd be careful about using the calculator and skipping questions. It seems like a great idea at first, but could detract from time.

"In three weeks I'm scheduled to take the current ("old") GRE. My practice CAT scores won't budge, and i've been studying for two months. I understand the material, but when I take a timed practice test I get befuddled. Since high school I've had test anxiety on standardized exams, so ideally I want to take the GRE only once (who wouldn't?). The dilemma is if I take this current exam in three weeks, I won't be prepared enough. If I re-schedule my test date, that means studying for the revised GRE -- a completely different format and supposedly harder trickier. However, I feel that taking economics and math courses this fall could better prove my quantitative abilities. Please advise: Should I spend my time this fall studying for the revised GRE, or should I take 1-2 prerequisite classes? What do you think makes a stronger applicant -- a stronger GRE score or good grades in prereq classes? THANKS!!"

I'm taking a GRE Advantage course on-site and I feel that it's helping to guide my studying a lot. Mostly, I appreciate the instructor for helping me look at the same problem from different angles. The GRE doesn't really reward smarts, but rather strategics. So she's been helpful. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much I will benefit because I"m taking my exam shortly after the last course date. I say after taking the 2 month course, give yourself a month to practice problems on your own. Let me know if you want any more explanation!

As I understand it, the revised GRE course will be more difficult than the current version. I am studying for the current exam and am scheduled to take it next month. And the quantitative section is most important to me as I am applying to public policy programs. So here ya about wanting to get a high quant score. In general, the GRE math isn't hard, it's tricky. And the revised test gets even trickier e.g., pick all that apply, fill in the blanks, etc. Basically, the new test gives more room for error than taking a basic multiple choice exam. (Plus, there will be two quantitative sections instead of one...). The only redeeming hope is that maybe test takers, who are completely unfamiliar with the new version, will score lower raw scores, thus raising your percentile ranking if you score relatively "high". It's a horrible thing to wish for, but in reality there is always a dip in test scores whenever there is a substantial revision to a standardized exam. When the SAT was revised, there were a dip in scores for the first batch and eventually scores were "normalized" as I've been told. People who take the revised GRE August-September 2011 will essentially be ETS's guinea pigs. I'm hoping I get at least a 700 so I won't have to take the new exam. Fingers-crossed! Good luck! P.S. If you're rusty on math, I say spend AT LEAST 3-4 months studying. Wish I had known this before started studying a month ago.