senatorsmith85

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Small liberal arts college, top 50 Previous Degrees and GPAs: 3.80 GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 690/760/5.5 Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 3.5 years, non-profit advocacy Math/Econ Background: micro and macro with As, stats with a B Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): Fluent in one, pretty good in another, basic in another Intended Field of Study in Grad School: Economic development Long Term Professional Goals: Schools Applied to & Results: HKS (Waitlisted), WWS (Full Ride + Stipend), SAIS (30k for 1st year), Fletcher (22k for each year), SIPA (Accepted but no $), Goldman ($15k), Harris ($15k), Duke ($18k + $4k assistantship), Ford (out-of-state tuition waver) Ultimate Decision & Why: WWS, all about the benjamins. Advice for Future Applicants: I had great test scores and grades and I know I wouldn't have gotten into the places I did with the money I did without them--my work experience was solid but not amazing. I also worked like hell on my WWS and SAIS policy memos and I know they were good--I think they're the reason I got into WWS and got the money out of SAIS I did without getting into HKS (which didn't have a policy memo). Getting into a school is like counting to 10--there are a bunch of different ways to get there but the equation has to add up. If you've got great grades and scores, your work experience can slack a little. If your numbers aren't so great, that can be made up for with very high-level work experience. Having one reduces how well you need to perform in the other.

So I'm a creature of urban America and moving to the 'burbs for grad school. I've been told by multiple people that I'll enjoy my life much more if I have a car. I'm one of those ppl who really doesn't care at all about his car as long as it doesn't break down and it doesn't smell. So I should obviously get a used car. The thing is, I don't know the first thing about where or how I buy one. I'd like it to be cheap, but obviously don't want a lemon (that becomes more expensive in the end). I wouldn't care if it lasts beyond my two years (when I escape safely to a non-car city) and wouldn't drive very far with it--mostly 15-20 minute trips to random ethnic restaurants, Costco, and the grocery store. Anybody have suggestions of where the best place to do that is? Craigslist? Is there a website? Any sort of certificate I should look for that it's in fine shape? Any and all suggestions appreciated.

OregonGal--you're planning on staying in the suburbs if you go to SAIS, right? $800 for "room and board" by which I assume you're including food is downright impossible in NW DC including Columbia Heights, Shaw, Petworth, and the other affordable neighborhoods.

It said they were mailing them out today so via snail mail.

Oh yeah, I've signed up but i think theyre going to post more details soon (like when we need to arrive etc) or that should come in the mail. I haven't asked I guess because I still can't believe I got in and am waiting for them to say "sorry, we made a mistake"!

I know they're going to send more info, but I'm a bit confused about the weekend right now. They say Saturday is program and you can attend classes on Monday. Sunday is for admitted graduate students of color. Is there a program for students not participating in the diversity program or are we supposed to hang out in Princeton for a day in order to attend classes the following day?

I'd also say that I think deferral is overrated--why do you think you won't get in again with more experience?! Programs might become slightly more competitive next year, but you'll be a much better candidate with 1-2 years of experience.

just got in. anybody have a clue about admit dates?

waitlisted by HKS...then admitted by WWS literally 1 minute later.

I wanted to take this thread in a slightly different direction. I've been admitted to Harris and Goldman and never took calculus (I did take a stats class in college designed for folks who hadn't taken calc). I'd like to really build my quant skills in grad school and am willing to study hard for the next five months before it begins so I can be a step ahead and possibly take the more advanced tracks. What would anybody who knows something about MPP programs recommend studying? Is working my way through a full college calc textbook worth it? Or is it more important to just build a familiarity with calculus and then focus on more advanced econ/stats?

I am (truthfully) from California...

If a lot of you didn't have security clearances to worry about, I'd recommend consuming a certain herb.

Telling tomorrow that I'll be leaving in May (want to take some time off to travel). Have my annual review tomorrow so figured that'd be an appropriate time. From my experience, they can hire six weeks if they really want to make it happen.

So I think you basically have to decide if you're going to the admit day (I think I read it's around 4/1) before you know if you're getting aid. And some of us (like me) aren't going to HKS w/o some $$$$.

I've never heard of multiyear. Just reapply--you'll have to repay the application fees, but wherever you get into now will accept you anyway with more work experience. No, you won't have that same safety blanket but you'll be fine. And who knows, 2 years from now an MPP or whatever may seem like a waste of time.