gradapp916

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP/MPA Schools Applied To: Columbia SIPA, NYU Wagner, Rutgers Bloustein, Princeton WWS, CM Heinz Schools Admitted To: N/A Schools Rejected From: N/A Still Waiting: N/A Undergraduate institution: Top Liberal Arts (affiliated w/ Ivy League) Undergraduate GPA: 3.81 Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): N/A Undergraduate Major: Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures GRE Quantitative Score: 610 (49%) GRE Verbal Score: 660 (94%) GRE AW Score: 4.0 (45%) Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 2.5 Years of Work Experience: 1.5 Describe Relevant Work Experience: Two internships for non-profits where I honed my research and writing skills drafting reports on environmental issues (namely food and water security) in East and Southeast Asia. Languages: Spanish, Mandarin Chinese Quant: Statistics and Macro/Micro in the spring and summer Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I'm a good writer (despite what my AW score might suggest -- writing a first draft under pressure is, apparently, harder than it sounds) and have drafted a SOP that strongly articulates my interest in pursuing graduate study in public policy and why each school is a fit for me. Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): They're solid. I have one LOR from my former thesis advisor who is familiar with my work from the two classes I've taken with him; another LOR from the program director of one of my internships; and a third from a former supervisor at my current private sector job to whom I reported before I was transferred to another department. Other: I studied abroad twice -- 3 months in Beijing, and 6 months in Melbourne, Australia. I'd appreciate some feedback on the competitiveness of my profile and whether or not I am applying to the "right" schools. I'm interested in environmental policy and will choose to specialize in that field at whichever program I get into/choose to attend. I should note that in SIPA's case, I'm actually applying to the one-year accelerated MPA in environmental policy, and not the regular two-year MPA.