ahoskins321

Is there a facebook group for new students? I see the GPPI facebook page but it doesn't seem to be specifically for the incoming class. Just wondering if I am missing something.

I also accepted my offer for fall and was wondering if anyone got any kind of confirmation from the program? I got some stuff about email access from the University but nothing from the program acknowledging I will be attending. Just wondering if anyone heard anything else. I can't seem to find a facebook group be we should definitely have one. I'm getting excited for fall!

I don't know anything about that program but you might want to try posting your question in the Professional Studies- Government Affairs forum... most mpp information is there.

I don't know that much about it, but Goldman does offer a dual degree MPP/MA in International and Area Studies program that you can apply to after your first year. I'm not sure how closely it would relate to your IR interests, but you can declare quite a few regional or topical concentrations. You might want to contact that department directly and figure out how that ties in with what you are looking for since a third year could be more of a commitment than you were planning on. http://gspp.berkeley...grams/#programs Also, I went to undergrad in San Francisco and it is an excellent place to look at trafficking and immigration issues. There is a massive population of trafficked garmet factory and sex workers in the city, and there are a number of nonprofit organizations working to address local and global trafficking issues. San Francisco is a sanctuary city and so immigration is an especially relevant and interesting topic when looking at trafficking. I would imagine it wouldn't be too difficult for you to get involved with Not For Sale, POWER, the SAGE Project, or Global Exchange if you want relevant internships.

I was very impressed by the open house. I knew almost everything that they covered fact-wise about the program, but was pleasantly surprised to find that the other admits, faculty, and current students all seemed like thoughtful, intelligent, and driven people who really care about policy issues. I was slightly hesitant going into the open house because of Georgetown's undergraduate reputation (not very diverse, overly privileged, etc.) but found that as far as I could tell, none of that applied. They definitely played up the DC location, but my impression was that it is a truly strong program with amazing connections and excellent placement in internships and careers. I also loved the sample class on International Policy and found it interesting and engaging. Feel free to PM with any questions! I am pretty set on heading there this fall.

Nope, still haven't heard anything. I went to the open house today though and I would imagine they were too busy with the event to send out many emails! Fingers crossed for Monday...

Has anyone heard anything back on this latest round of scholarships? I know they are kind of slow sometimes, but just wondering! Also, anyone going to the open house tomorrow?

I'm doing the Georgetown MPP open house and I would have done the American one but I can't miss that much work! What ones are you headed to?

See, it's great to have sane people to run this by. I have officially banned her from the event and explained in the politest way possible that it's not normal to bring your mother to things at this age. If you can't tell, she is more than a little overbearing. Thanks for all the advice and validation everyone!

Ah see that is totally what I thought all along but then people keep telling me I am being silly and no one will care. None of them have ever gone to a graduate open house though so I don't trust them

I am going to be starting an MPP program next fall and will be attending some open houses over the next couple of weeks. My mom will coincidentally be visiting me from out of state during my open house at Georgetown, and I am looking for advice on how acceptable it would be to bring her to the event. I am only 23 and am worried it will make me look unprofessional or younger than everyone else, but then part of me thinks no one will even care/notice. Any thoughts? I know she would love to hear about the program but I also don't want it to look weird. I realize this is a trivial question, but it's causing me undue stress. Thanks for any input!

First of all, there has been some great advice from all the posters above. In order to avoid repetition, I will be upfront and echo that I completley agree with a lot of what was said, and that I am aware of the different opinions on this issue. I've found on this site that the overwhelming majority of people seem to frown upon students applying straight out of undergrad, and so I figured I would try and share my decision thought process as someone who graduated less than a year ago and who will be enrolled in a public policy program this fall. I am very fortunate in that throughout my life I had many opportunities to travel to countries that don't fall in the typical "family trip to Euorpe" category (not that there is anything wrong with that, I was just interested in development). By the time I entered college, I was dead set on spending as much time abroad as I could and studying international relations with a focus on development in Africa. I was given a scholarship to spend four months working full time for a small development organization in Uganda and then studied abroad for 6 months in Madagascar where I did a solo research project on women's health. I also had multiple relevant part time internships that were facilitated by my location in San Francisco, and when I graduated I was hired to work for a non-profit organization focusing on education. My point is, when I was making the decision whether or not to apply, I felt like my relevant experience, while certainly not comparable to some of the people that I am sure I will meet in my program, was substantial enough that I have a pretty good idea of what I am interested in and what I want to do. I know that many people will argue that when I graduate I will be at a disadvantage for having more limited professional experience than my classmates, which is a completley valid point, but in my experience there is a lot more that goes into getting a job than just a laundry list of experiences on your resume. Who you know, your personality, and dumb luck all play a role in who gets hired, especially in this economy. Additionally, I chose a program in DC where the majority of students intern during the year, so I hope that this will allow me to do some catch up while in school. Anyways, I am not trying to rationalize all of my choices, just to show that as others have said it is a very personal decision that depends on your own life experience, your financial situation, and what you want to get out of a program. I will tell you upfront that I am not one of the people on this forum who was accepted to every school they applied to. I largely attribute that to my limited full time experience, and if you do decide to apply you should be aware that the 10% rule is almost universally true for top programs. I feel fortunate that I got into one of my top choices, and so I feel good about where I will be in the fall, but had I not I would have considered staying on at my current job. Since I haven't started my program yet, I can't tell you whether or not I regret my choice to go, but if you do decide to apply feel free to PM me in the fall and I will let you know! Good luck no matter what you decide!

Thanks that's very helpful and congrats on the scholarship that's awesome!

Not to be overly nosy but do you mind sharing what your award was? (you can totally ignore this if you don't want to!) Did they get back to you when they said they would or was it later? Just wondering because they are supposed to notify the night before the admitted student day and it would be great not to be stressed about it at the event haha.

Just got one too! I am so glad! Does anyone know if they have sent requests and then not offered any aid? Just curious... good luck to everyone!