Suziebob

First off, I want to apologize for not responding to this by now. I got sort of busy, and by that time this had fallen off the first page, and I figured it would never be seen again. Also by that time, the deadline for the thing you linked me to had passed. I'm not planning on graduating until next fall, so could I apply for the NEXT cycle and do it then? That seems like a really good idea. Also, I'm looking at the University of Maryland now. My only problem (with any MPP program) is that I feel like my transcript isn't quantitative enough. I've only had one Econ class (possibly two, if I can get a cross-listed course converted) that I made an A and an A- in. I also have two C's from mass classes at my actual undergraduate university... so that's sorta weak. But a good GRE and a good overall GPA should make it okay, right? I could be totally wrong, but I believe we actually got rid of our Public Administration program. If you're still around this forum, I'd love to hear from you! It's awesome to actually run into another UVA-Wise person on here... I probably already know you, given the nature of Wise.

Thank you SO MUCH for your response. I really can't put into words how much confidence just talking to you two posters has given me. The one other concern that I have is that I am going to end up being a History major. There seems to be this idea out there that History is somehow not analytic or something, which is just a joke. Political Science seems to be the hot major to have right now. And I've taken several PoliSci classes and have a 4.0 in those classes, don't get me wrong, but at my college, PoliSci is a REALLY vigorous course of study. As in... it takes over your life. And I LOVE studying it, I really do, but I also love studying History, and I can take it, make the same grades, and still have a life outside of college. Do any of you see a significant difference in the marketability of a Political Science degree to a History degree? Especially considering I'll likely end up with an Economics minor anyway?

Thanks a ton for your answer. I was going to be a Political Science major, and I've taken multiple political science classes. Infact, I may still pick up a Political Science minor to go with the Economics minor I'm looking to attach to my History degree. So I'm not TOTALLY in left field on this, I don't think. What I'm worried about is, today, if you look at my transcript, it makes it look like I'm terrible at math. I have two D's from HIGH SCHOOL, but they're technically college credit like everything else. I got screwed into a C in a ProbStat's class at my actual degree granting institution, but I feel like if I retook it, I could do much better. And I have an A in an Economics class... So yeah, still think I should be okay?

Okay, first off, I'd just like to say that I'm new here. I've lurked for a little bit and have really appreciated two things about this site. First, the information and views expressed here have been very, very helpful. I believe that what is pushing people toward law school is the fact that the process of admission is so streamlined and easy to understand, whereas it's a bit murkier for other graduate programs. Second, this site seems to be lacking in the elitist attitude of a lot of other sites, which makes me happy. Here's my situation. I am a junior at the University of Virginia's College at Wise, which is sort of UVA's secret bastard child in the Appalachian mountains. It's a really good school, but it has a mixed reputation outside this region. I'm a History major and I currently have a 3.57 GPA at my degree granting university. I took some dual-enrollment classes in high school, so somewhere out there is a transcript for me that has some D's in two Pre Calculus classes. That pulls my overall GPA down somewhat, though I have a feeling that an admissions committee would understand that I was 16 at the time. I've had an internship with the office of a United States Senator, which I feel like is somewhat relevant to the field of Public Policy, but not really. That internship was last summer, but because of awful family circumstances and a sick father, I've had to take a dinky job in retail to help my family pay the bills, so I've not been able to translate my early success into more job opportunities. The programs I am looking at are all in the Washington DC or Northern Virginia area. American, George Washington, William and Mary, etc. All of these schools seem to be ranked pretty well without the MPP/MPA community, so I really feel like I'd have to have some relevant work experience under my belt just to have a chance at getting in? Am I right in assuming that?