OregonGal

If you don't need to get academic credit for it, there are a lot of intern/volunteer/language study programs in Latin America where you're basically paying living costs--and if you do home-stay, even those costs are pretty minimal. I had a friend who spent a summer in Central America for a couple thousand dollars. If you're close to graduating and have more than a couple of months to commit to it, there are also a lot of opportunities to go work internationally--for example, you can try for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant position or take a job teaching English with a private company or public school in Latin America, so that you get international experience while not spending a ton of money and you'll use your Spanish outside of the classroom. I taught English in South Korea through their public school program after graduating college and managed to put aside some decent savings, while ticking off the "international experience" box for my graduate degree plans. There are also foreign language/study abroad scholarship programs like the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship program--it provides study abroad scholarships to low-income undergraduates (Pell Grant recipients). Your international programs office should have a list of these scholarships and other resources.

I would suggest taking both quant classes and re-taking the tests--for one thing, by taking the quant/math courses you will in fact be reviewing the test topics, in a way that gets you a grade for a double benefit on your applications. You can review test-taking strategies outside of class to help boost your scores that way as well. That being said... it sounds like your professional experience is fairly exceptional which should help you, but with a 2.9 and several failed/low-grade quant courses you'll need all the extra boost from scores/new grades you can get. Good luck!

All right, that article does have me intrigued by Vizio--I am always willing to support a company that doesn't load their machines with stickers and bloatware. However, it sounds like their machines might not be in brick-and-mortars by August and that's when I'll be looking to buy my machine for grad school, and I definitely would need to test out the keyboard and trackpad before committing. Finally, unless the trade-in value of my MacBook plummets between now and August the discount I'd get from that on a new Apple product would more than erase the price difference.

You might want to re-post this over in the Professional Programs--Government Affairs sub-forum as that is where the MPP/MIA folks hang out.

GW-Elliott is definitely one to consider--it's professional development-focused with all evening classes (except for language) to better recruit people currently working during the day in jobs or internships. Most of their professors are current practitioners, which is the other reason that they hold classes in the evenings--the instructors come in after work to teach classes. Its sticker price is also a lot lower than the other DC private schools and it's literally 2 blocks away from the State Department and World Bank. I've also attended some of their guest lectures/open forums and they're fairly impressive--at one point I attended a lecture/Q&A with Hilary Clinton's right-hand policy guy that was fairly frank and classified as "background only, unattributed" for the attending reporters. AU I didn't do a lot of research in--my initial impression was that they didn't have a strong Asia focus so I didn't apply there, though I could be completely wrong about that-- but based on all the "xx-wonk" ads they have plastered over the Metro they have a pretty strong policy focus in their graduate programs. I think that UMCP's MPP program is fairly decent, but I don't know how rigorous the international track is. If you want to get a rigorous quant-based program and don't care about the collegiate campus environment, you should also look at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. They're right on the edge of Embassy Row off of Dupont Circle and across the street from Brookings. They do like if you have a quant background, but I got the impression they get a lot of lopsided applications--either people with a strong policy background (excellent SOP and Verbal/AW GRE) or strong quant background (perfect Quant GRE and Econ minor/major)--so they sort of compare within those two pools. Also, Georgetown SFS has a very rigorous standard of admissions but with Peace Corps under your belt, I think you'd have an advantage over others who don't have significant international experience or foreign language expertise.

On my personal e-mail, I don't keep a signature--I find it annoying when people have large-font inspirational quotes under their name. On my professional e-mail (work e-mail) I list my title, mailing address, e-mail and phone number. If I TA'd a course I'd add in any official office hours but I probably wouldn't bother listing my courses or my undergraduate degree. One of the most useful things about e-mail services like Outlook is the ability to set a signature template so you don't have to re-type it every time. You can even set multiple templates like one with all your contact/hours info for students, one for your classmates/professors etc.

I have a slightly different question about roommates--what about when the university selects them for you? I got into graduate student housing at my university and was placed in a 2-bedroom apartment. Because of the rolling admit nature of these housing units, single rooms in apartments are replaced at a time--so in my case, I have a roommate already in place and will be taking the place of her roommate moving out in late July. To compound matters, I'm moving into an "unfurnished" apartment, meaning that any existing furniture in the place belongs to the current tenants. After they sent me my placement and my roommate's contact info, I sent her an e-mail introducing myself, giving a brief overview of my habits (along the lines of 'don't worry, i'm laid back about stuff and clean up after myself') and asking if I should be setting aside money for large expenses like buying a new couch or something to replace stuff taken away by the departing tenant. I also asked if the departing tenant was planning on selling her current furniture because I'd be interested in buying it--this is how I've acquired dressers/desks/etc in all my previous apartments where I was replacing a current roommate. I sent that e-mail a week ago and have received no response or had any contact with the roommate. So my questions are twofold: one, how long do you think I should wait before nudging her about a response? I don't want to be annoying and I realize that the quarter has only just now wrapped up, but I also need to know if I need to be budgeting for large purchases and I don't want to miss out on furniture her roommate might be planning on putting up on craigslist. Two, what do you think this says about the living situation I'm walking into? Should I be taking this as an indicator of how invested she is in having a cordial relationship with her roommate or her communication skills? (If so, how worried should I be about getting the roommate from hell?)

Well if it makes you feel better... at least we don't have to deal with Sallie Mae since we have access to the Grad PLUS loans! I thought 7.9% was horrible (especially when you can get a car at near 0% and a house at 4-5%) but I talked to a recent MBA graduate yesterday during a financial planning seminar, and he is dealing with undergrad Sallie Mae loans at a whopping 21% interest rate--higher than most credit cards!

Actually Kaguyahime, we've had this discussion in other threads on this forum-- The Ed Dept is phasing out subsidized loans for graduate students on July 1, 2012. Starting on that date, they will only be disbursing unsubsidized Stafford Loans at 6.8% interest with a per-year cap of $20,500, and to supplement financial need beyond that will be offering unsubsidized Grad PLUS loans at 7.9% interest and no cap.

I would disagree. I've actually looked at a lot of reviews for PC ultrabooks, and when I look at the reviews for screen/trackpad/backlighting there is not a single laptop that has all three perfected. Either the keyboard is too raised to accommodate the back light, or the trackpad is too finicky due to software/hardware issues, or the clickpad is too clunky, or the screen isn't a glass screen and doesn't adjust well to different angles. Or a combo of all those issues. I'm not talking solely about aesthetics, I'm talking about real functionality of the components and as a whole. Also, since you mentioned the Lenovo U310 specifically-- those weigh in at almost a pound more than a MacBook Air and don't have a solid state drive, just a 32GB SSD to cache programs/documents for easy re-opening within a short timeframe. Basic is also only 2GB of ram, not 4. It's cheaper, but in terms of specs it is no match for the MBA.

Hi! So, some basic info... I bought my MacBook because I was tired of buying Dells/Acers that quit on me as soon as the warranty expired, and I had several friends with Macs that worked just fine a few years down the road. I bought the MacBook primarily for its longevity/durability, and also because the main issue I had with PC laptops is a hardware design that isn't the same in Macs (how the power jack plugs into the computer, and if yanked on a PC can disconnect the power supply from the motherboard). I've worked my MacBook hard, and it's still going strong after 3+ years. The computer services office at my grad school is 'strongly recommending' (they would require it if they could) that we purchase a new laptop, which is the last push I need to update my laptop. Selling my MacBook back to Apple will also net me $300 in in-store credit (www.apple.com/recycle) which will help a lot with the purchase price of an Air. My brother-in-law has the Air; he bought it when it first came out for commuting, and actually got rid of his MacBook Pro soon thereafter because the Air was a close enough match to it. The Air is ultralight and ultrathin; the 13.3" version (same as our 2008 metal MacBook) weighs in at about 3 pounds and max width is about a half inch. It runs off a solid state drive, which is the same kind of storage that smartphones use and allows the same responsiveness--it takes about as long to open Safari on an Air as it does on an iPhone (nearly instantaneously). The 13.3" has 128GB of space on the SSD, which I'll supplement with an external hard drive. I am planning on buying the Air because it is half the weight of the laptop I have now, way faster at opening up programs/documents, just as durable and has more power under the hood. A lot of these specs are similar to other ultrabooks (the MacBook Air technically isn't one because Apple wants to feel special and refuses to label it as such). The pricing is pretty similar too. The main difference is that in terms of screens, trackpads and back-lit keyboards, PC companies are about one version behind on perfecting them compared to Apple. PC laptops also generally come loaded with a ton of bloatware (unnecessary programs) and Apple laptops do not--not a major consideration, but in terms of hassle and start up time it can aggravate in the long term. A lot of these specs are also similar to the new MacBook Pro. The new Pro is a hybrid of the old Pro, an iPad and the Air; same Air SSD tech but more capacity, an iPad screen only 1.5x the size, and a Pro-level processor/RAM combo. The new Pro also has a CD/DVD reader. It's also way more expensive. As souped up as the new Pro is, it's designed and marketed towards professionals who need a lot of processing power and a high-def screen: photographers, game developers, people who work in visual media and design. It is not designed for a grad student who will be surfing the web and writing papers--that's like a commuter driving a racecar.

I currently have the late 2008 metal unibody MacBook. It'll be turning 4 this fall, and with the start of grad school I'm looking at replacement options. I did take a glance at the Pro, and while I don't agree with his condescending tone re: the quality of Macs or the "premium" price, I do agree with Mr. Compensating With Font Size that it's designed for graphic designers/photographers/etc. If you're just using it to watch movies/browse the web/write papers, you do not need a retina display. If you want Retina that badly, you can buy an Air AND an iPad for less than the Pro. I'm planning on buying the 13.3" MacBook Air; it will serve my needs great (they're similar to the OP's) and at $1149 + discounted AppleCare of $183, it's within my means.

Hey! I didn't go this route myself, but my mother is a community college instructor and some of my friends have done the CC transfer route so I'm at least a little familiar with the process. I agree with TakeruK that a lot of your answers depends on your personal preference and outside workload; for example, taking 4 classes a term is standard for a full-time student planning to graduate in 4 years. If you work 20+ hours a week, you may want to take 3; however I always counseled my friends a year or two behind me to not believe that the financial aid definition of full time (12 credits/3 classes) is actually full-time (on track to graduate in 8 semesters/12 quarters). I've also done the online classes a couple of times, and for me it was worthwhile (yay reading lecture notes at 10 pm instead of an 8am lecture) but also easy to procrastinate on. It's up to you based on how you (realistically) think you will approach the class and the workload. Also, do you learn well from basically reading through a book or a powerpoint slide? That's probably how the class will be approached. If your required courses are pre-reqs for the major you want to enroll in at the 4-year college, I would get those out of the way. I also think you should also complete all of your gen ed requirements before you transfer because if they're not applicable to your degree or are pre-reqs, you're better off taking them at the discounted CC price. However, you mentioned getting an A.A. in Communication Studies? I would just double-check you're in the right program to go on to a 4-year college. At my mother's CC, you either get an A.A. or a University Transfer degree. You don't receive an A.A. when you're planning on transferring. Your community college should have resources on transferrable credits available from the registrar's office. Especially if you're planning to transfer to a UC or CS school, they should know exactly what course you'll be credited with at the four-year college. Now, I don't know what a "lifelong learning" requirement is. If it's a general ed requirement, like how I was required to take a "cultural" course (regional or ethnic studies) then it will most likely double-count. However, if "lifelong learning" is a community/audit course, you should be careful because some of those courses are designed as survey courses for retirees, and don't transfer.

Congratulations!

You could also check out the professional programs forums, if you haven't already. MPP folks are gathered in the Government Affairs board, MPH under Public Health. However... I would advise you that the strongest MPP/MPA programs look for candidates with real life experience. These are professional programs, the terminal degree for most of the professionals, and therefore they want to cultivate people who already know that this is what they want to do and can contribute to the classroom through the lens of their individual experiences. For a senior in college who doesn't really know what field he wants to go into, that might not be the best option for you. As for law degrees, while you do go in straight after undergrad that is a tremendous amount of debt to go into when you're not sure you want to be a lawyer. Do some research, as Jeffster said; figure out what parts of your sociology degree/university coursework you liked/didn't like, and what you can do with the parts that you did like. Then you might want to consider working for a year or two to test out what you want your career to be in before applying to graduate school.

I would be hesitant to take out that much debt for what isn't a terminal degree (I can't argue against a lot of debt for a Masters in general, because that's what I'm doing). I think you should try crunching the numbers a bit, because it sounds like you won't be able to get the job you want without first getting a PhD. Since this MA isn't a direct feeder into a PhD, is there a possibility of you finishing the MA, not getting a fully funded PhD offer and facing the possibility of either being 70K+ in debt with no job prospects or taking out still more debt to get the degree for the job you want? If you do need to work after your MA, will you be able to afford the loan payments? Also, I would strongly advise you to not let the interest accrue and capitalize on your current debt. I recently ran the numbers on this myself for my projected debt and interest after a 2 year masters program. Paying down the interest on both the undergrad and the accrued grad loans (equivalent to what it sounds like your debt load will be) before the end of the grace period is a bit pricey--several hundred a semester--but it means that I would pay $100 less a month over the course of a 25-year loan and save me $30,000. With the amount of interest that would accrue and compound over the course of a PhD, if you pay even some of it off every term you could save yourself from crippling loan payments post-PhD.

I looked at the leasing agreement and the rules, and what it sounds like we can do is sub-lease to a current student (i.e. a known quantity to the university). Certainly on the housing folder there were a lot of "sublease this space" e-mails--though that folder has since disappeared from my FirstClass and I don't know how to get it back. You could also try sub-leasing on the DL, though I think that would be easier in Mesa than in OMS or RAR because Mesa is less monitored (no key-cards or Community Assistants).

From the way that thread's been going, I don't know if you want to deal with the hair-pulling anxiety they seem to give their applicants I will say that I have a similar undergrad GPA and resume to yours and I got into UCSD IR/PS, albeit without funding, and wait-listed at JHU-SAIS--so aim high! You might want to look into schools that offer credit/scholarships for Peace Corps service; a lot of top schools really value that service year, and if they have dedicated funding for alums then you might have a better chance of having your GPA offset by your experience.

If you submitted it in February, as long as the corrections weren't major I think you should be good. It's not as if you were trying for grant aid; Stafford loans for graduate students are unsubsidized, meaning there's no "need" requirement attached. They are automatically offered to graduate students and so are Grad PLUS loans, they're meant to cover the unfunded portion of your education and the main difference is that Staffords have a cap and a lower interest rate. If you haven't received your financial aid package from the school yet, you might want to get in contact with the FA office and make sure there aren't any issues. However, a lot of public schools haven't finalized their COA budgets yet because they haven't decided how much to hike tuition, and therefore can't finalize aid. I know at my state school I'm not expecting to hear back until late June or even July because of state budget revisions affecting higher ed.

I don't think internships during the school year are as important as taking advantage of summer opportunities. During the school year I plan on working a part-time job that hopefully gets me tuition remission (TA/grader/tutor) to defray my living costs and lower my total indebtedness at graduation, on top of taking 4-5 classes. The summer is when I'll have the time to work a full-time internship and get a meaningful project done in that position (hopefully). In that sense, going to a school that provides support for summer internships is important. Thankfully UCSD IR/PS offers summer grants for students undertaking unpaid internships because they recognize how important that work experience is and want to lower financial barriers for it.

@Seaking, I'm fine with Mesa for the first year and I can always try and move into RAR later if a spot opens up or I have a friend there in need of a roommate. Anywhere off-campus is going to be prohibitively expensive on my budget. Besides, it's a temporary hang-up in the RAR female wait-list because I guess no one wants to move out, and they expect it to clear up in a couple weeks--which will be too late for me, since I'd be guaranteed to get a second offer from a place with no wait-list (Mesa/OMS) before then. At the very least, for the $10 extra a month I get 100-200 square feet extra space over RAR, a big patio, they're installing wifi all over Mesa (we'll see how good it is), and I'll get a good 4-5 miles of biking in for exercise a day (yay...).

$20K debt for a 2-year masters, even for one in the public/NPO career sector, is completely reasonable when you have no undergraduate debt. If it would make you feel better, you can run some pretty simple calculations to figure out what your monthly payment will be and what your take-home pay will be like. You can also use a "snowball" calculator to see how aggressively you can pay back your loans for earlier debt freedom. Also, if you can get that GA position most of them make your in-state tuition disappear as part of the perk--even if you only TA for two semesters, that will cut your debt in half. I ran some quick numbers for you off of the extensive spreadsheets I've been making on my (much higher) expected graduate school debt. These are unsubsidized loans, so at $20000 taken out, about $2500 in interest will build up while you're in school and be added to the principal (capitalize) if you don't pay it down before your grace period ends. That would make your final debt principal $22500. On a 10-year plan at 6.8%, your monthly payment will be around $260. Now, for snowballing... if you just pay $140 more for a monthly payment of $400 you'll be entirely paid off in less than six years. At $500/month you pay it off in 4.5 years. If you make more than $30,000 a year in most places with reasonable expenses (for a single person) that's completely manageable. Congratulations, you're one of the few students I've heard of who will be able to pay off their entire undergraduate and graduate student debt within five years of graduation

Quite frankly... my stats are worse than yours (other than work experience, I have a year on you there) and I got into a top 20 IR school. Rock your GREs, craft a strong SOP, and you should have it in the bag. Especially for an MPP the AmeriCorps experience is very valuable. I know from experience; I'm in Americorps State/National right now and was able to use the experience on my resume/SOP to really highlight the program management and direct service aspects of the program. Also, you should check and see whether any of the programs you're looking at have matching funds for the Segal Award; I know Brandeis Heller offers close to 3x matching (matches + $10K scholarship) and you have a chance at a full-tuition scholarship.

My school has a separate e-mail server/system than the university at large, but after the admissions deadline passed I was given access to an online computing services orientation and from there got my e-mail and the server client.

Pretty much; I'm very lucky in that I've got a friend at UCSD with a car, and I've already bartered food for transportation to Goodwill/Ikea