jct329

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Big 10 public undergrad (not one of the good ones, either...)
Previous Degrees and GPAs: Double major in Economics and PoliSci, 3.9 GPA
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 170v/158q/5.5aw
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 6 months (immediately following UG) in a non-profit, 5 years enlisted military
Part-time Work Experience: Worked for the state Democratic Party for the 2006 midterms while in UG
Math/Econ Background: Lots and lots of econ w/ really good grades, not too much math - two stats classes, and then calc for business majors
Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): Biggest weakness besides my lack of an impressive academic quant history (A's in the ones I took, but didn't take very many or very difficult ones).  Studied Russian in high school and first year of college, but none since.  Trying to decide whether to pick it up again or go with something different.
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: Strategic Studies
Long Term Professional Goals: IGO, US government (if they'll start hiring again!), or NGO/think tank
Schools Applied to & Results:
Accepted: Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy, Columbia SIPA, Johns Hopkins SAIS, UC San Diego IR/PS
Rejected: None!  I kind of wish I had applied to HKS or WWIS.
Ultimate Decision & Why: SAIS - A large part was just name recognition.  I always regretted following friends to the flagship state u instead of going to some much better UG schools I got into.  UCSD offered me more money than SAIS and San Diego is *awesome*, but I just decided I'll take the debt for the SAIS name, network, and location.  Also, I have the GI Bill which severely dampens the blow  Also, the strategic studies program there is top notch!
Advice for Future Applicants:
Don't leave your essays for the last minute!  At least my experience was that they are *MUCH* harder than you'll think.  I'm generally a pretty good writer and the policy writing samples weren't really an issue, but the personal statements kept me up at night, shaking and crying myself to sleep.  That Breaking Bad scene where Walter White is laughing hysterically under his house after learning all his money was gone?  That was me trying to write my personal statements.
 
Super excited, though!  I remember reading about SAIS while still in UG and thinking it sounded so cool but I probably wouldn't get in.  I kind of planned to go to law school when I got out of the military and just wasn't all that excited about it at all.  Then, maybe 2 years ago, I spoke w/ a friend who did his MPP and realized I'd rather go that route, then when I started looking into schools I remembered all about SAIS and here I am.  Even more excited given the fact that I'm stuck delivering pizzas until August

I also applied to SAIS and UCSD IRPS, so Georgetown is the only MPP program I applied to.  It's going to be a tough decision between MSPP and SAIS if I get into SAIS.  Although being in the midwest this winter is making me look pretty longingly at San Diego...I guess what I'm saying is I have no idea at this point

Congrats, I just got in too!  All the e-mail says is, "Your application will be passed on to the MSPP Scholarship Committee, and you will hear from us in the coming weeks if you have been selected for merit funding."  I'd imagine a month or so?

Just wondering, as someone who is going to be applying next year, could some of you guys share numbers, WE, and funding?  I know there's the results database, but it seems very limiting in the amount of information.

That's good advice for current undergrads and people not applying this cycle, but it's incredibly obvious and has little to do with the questions of the OP. Of course you should work your ass off to get the best applications possible. I think the better question for discussion is, assuming you have done that, what is an acceptable level of debt for a given program? Should you really go into $60k of debt for this program or that program, or should you take the money and some other program?

1. Why didn't you admit and no I will not leave on my own volition.

That's good advice for current undergrads and people not applying this cycle, but it's incredibly obvious and has little to do with the questions of the OP. Of course you should work your ass off to get the best applications possible. I think the better question for discussion is, assuming you have done that, what is an acceptable level of debt for a given program? Should you really go into $60k of debt for this program or that program, or should you take the money and some other program?

That's good advice for current undergrads and people not applying this cycle, but it's incredibly obvious and has little to do with the questions of the OP. Of course you should work your ass off to get the best applications possible. I think the better question for discussion is, assuming you have done that, what is an acceptable level of debt for a given program? Should you really go into $60k of debt for this program or that program, or should you take the money and some other program?

People underestimate the degree to which they can avoid debt if they are willing to put in the work to improve their admission profile.

I would argue that many critical admission/fin-aid metrics, including GPA, GRE, obtaining internships/jobs (not necessarily your performance in them), and foreign language boil down to who cares more. Not inherent intelligence, not your financial resources, not where you were born. Effort, pure and simple. Put in the work, and you get paid for it (literally).

If you spend 4 hours a night studying in college, you're going to have a great GPA. If you spend 500+ hours studying for the GRE, you're going to have a sick score. If you are willing to troll online for hours to find relevant internships/jobs and send out 20+ applications, you're going to get one. If you take time every single day to study a foreign language, you will become proficient in it. Polishing your SOP, researching your schools to detail exactly how you are a fit for them - so much of apps (and life?) comes down to desire. There are trade-offs involved: time you spend doing those things means time not spent with friends, lovers, a good book, a sunny meadow on a spring day. It might not make you happier, or well-rounded. But if you put in the work, I guarantee someone will give you admission + serious funding.

I'll be attending one of my top schools on a full ride. It didn't just happen - I did all the things mentioned above, and more. Sometimes it sucked, GRE prep particularly so, as I ended up at about 750 hours prep time. But the thought that kept me going was that not being able to attend grad school, which I wouldn't be able to sans major funding, would suck infinitely more. So I put in the work, and now I get to go to school for free. Not because I'm smarter (guarantee that's not the case), not because I'm richer (my bank account laughs at this): because I cared more, and did the work other people weren't willing to do.

You can write this off as self-aggrandizement. Or get upset because you didn't get the financial aid you wanted and think I'm insinuating you're lazy. But fundamentally, grad school admissions and fin-aid are not mysteries. Everyone knows the things they look at to make decisions. It's your choice whether you invest the time and out-work competitors.