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PeterP

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Everything posted by PeterP

  1. I didn't end up applying to any of the schools you mentioned, but I did look into the GWU and Georgetown programs and was accepted to the Elliott School at GW. Even compared to Georgetown and AU, I think the advantage of GW is its location. Hard to beat in terms of easy access to internship opportunities. Their merit-based financial aid isn't bad either (at least, it was pretty good at Elliott). That said, I ended up in the University of Maryland's MPP program at the College Park campus, and have been happy with the program so far. It's right off the Metro green line, and the funding is pretty generous. Obviously the US News rankings are flawed, but it's ranked #16 for public policy (http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-public-affairs-schools/public-policy-analysis-rankings), just one spot behind Georgetown, and ahead of GW (#19), GMU (#24), and American (#28). Full-time faculty members include a former US Trade Representative (Susan Schwab), a former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (Phillip Swagel) and a former Deputy Assistant Director of Central Intelligence (William Nolte). Of course, the Georgetown name carries a lot of prestige, and the program is excellent. But UMD is worth consideration, at least as a backup in case GT admissions/financial aid don't turn out.
  2. I would say two of the most important questions are: 1. What sort of financial aid/funding do you offer? 2. Where do your graduates end up working? Even though some schools will have some information on financial aid on their websites, I found that representatives at grad school fairs were typically very (and sometimes brutally) honest about how things work out in reality. On the second question, if you have a specific sector (public/private/non-profit), region or issue area (environment/trade/development) you are interested in, make sure plenty of the schools' grads actually do that. That will mean not only relevant coursework, but probably a career services office with some idea of the job finding process and an established alumni network in that area. For example, a lot of Denver students work in the non-profit sector, UCSD is great for the Pacific Rim, and SAIS does well with placements in the World Bank.
  3. I think you have a good shot at these schools. I had similar GRE scores and a similar GPA and applied to a bunch of master's programs straight out of undergrad. Of the schools you are looking at, I also applied to JHU (SAIS) and GW (Elliott) and was accepted to both. That said, I ended up choosing the University of Maryland, which is located in the DC metro area and tends to be (much) more affordable. So far, I'm really happy with the choice. The faculty (esp. on the international side) are very good and well-connected in DC.
  4. If you're looking in the DC area, have you checked out the University of Maryland- College Park? It's in a DC suburb on the Metro green line. The tuition is more affordable than a lot of other schools, and the financial aid seems pretty decent. It's an MPP program, but there are two international affairs-related specializations (International Security and Economic Policy and International Development). I was impressed when I visited--friendly faculty and staff, great DC-area alumni network (esp. in the public sector) and career services office. I also think that you'd probably be competitive at GW-Elliott or AU. Having gone through the admissions process, I think that the essay is probably more important than the GRE score or GPA. They want you to show them how your past experiences have led you to pursue a degree in international affairs, and why you are specifically interested in their school, as opposed to other programs. If you can do that well, I think you're golden.
  5. Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Top 100 liberal arts Previous Degrees and GPAs: BA Economics and International Relations; GPA: 3.8/4.0 GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): v-168, q-152, aw-4.5 Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 0; three internships (US Congress, State Department, Legislative Affairs at a Fortune 500 company) Math/Econ Background: Econ major; Applied Calculus Foreign Language Background: 4 yrs of college Spanish Intended Field of Study in Grad School: MPP/IR Long Term Professional Goals: Diplomacy, Trade policy Schools Applied to & Results: SFS (Rejected), SAIS (Accepted) Elliott (Accepted, $10k), UCSD IR/PS (Accepted), Michigan MPP (Rejected), UCLA MPP (Accepted, $15k), UMD MPP (Accepted, Full Tuition), LSE MSc in Political Economy of Europe (Accepted) Ultimate Decision & Why: Maryland- couldn't pass up the funding! I was very impressed after my campus visit. The International Security & Economic Policy faculty are great, especially in trade policy. Proximity to DC was also a plus. Advice for Future Applicants: It's possible to be admitted to IR/MPP programs straight out of undergrad. I think the key is to articulate your passion for public service and explain how internships/part-time work/volunteer work have given you career direction. On the other hand, additional work experience probably would have increased my chances of being admitted to SFS and Michigan, and possibly would have increased my fellowship offers at other schools.
  6. I am this close to accepting my place at GW Elliott, but I still have a few (probably irrational) reservations. I somehow have the impression that GW isn't a very student-centered school (not much faculty interaction, few opportunities for participation in research, etc). For those of you who have visited (or even better, are current students or grads), what is your impression? Are faculty/administratiors/career services accessible and helpful? Also, on an academic level, how does GW Elliott compare to SAIS and UMD-College Park?
  7. After taking funding into consideration, it looks like the affordable options are UMD, UCLA (Luskin) and GW Elliott. I'm straight out of undergrad and am interested in interested in international economic policy. My undergrad is from a liberal arts college, so I feel like I've got a good grasp of IR and economic theoy, but lack skill-based training. Any thoughts on the differences between these three programs? I like the overall reputation of UCLA and I love the area, but I'm not sure how much of a disadvantage it is to get a policy degree on the west coast.
  8. While we're waiting on funding decisions... Is anyone else planning on attending Admit Day? I'm thinking I will attend the Friday events but not the events on Thursday...
  9. I've been admitted to the UCLA MPP program along with a few other MPP and professional IR programs, and I'm wondering about the school's reputation and location. I know UCLA is a top research university overall, but how does the MPP compare to programs like UMD and GW/SAIS in terms of academics and job placement?
  10. Has anyone else applied to the MPIA program at UCSD? I was accepted but am still waiting to hear back about funding...
  11. Did they send you funding information along with the decision?
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