lost_0101

Crucial metric you are missing for this thread: years of work experience.

HomeGrown, I am right there with you - I only applied to two schools (HKS/GSPP) and got rejected. But take heart, I'm two years older and feeling the despair just as hard! (3.8 GPA, top undergrad, 5+ years of experience, 162 Verbal 155 Quant [Which isn't great but I probably can't do much better - wasted months studying for the GRE and never broke out of that range])

and I'm out. Good luck to all who got in!

Hey Paul - Mind if I ask you, where are a lot of the Price grads going after graduation? Staying in the s. cal area or ? thanks!

Regarding the area, yes - it's a boring community, and only appealing if you want to raise kids. *however UCI is on the border of Irvine, and somewhat close to affordable housing in Costa Mesa, or a (small!) room in an old house on the Newport peninsula, or Huntington Beach and farther south to San Clemente - if you want to commute - which are some of the best places to live on the planet. (Santa Ana and Anaheim are among the worst)

Got it - last name starts @ the end of the alphabet so we'll see. I'm not concerned w/ admissions so much as funding.

Just to chime in - I submitted my application on the 15th but have not yet heard back. However in their system it says my application was completed on the January 18 - perhaps it took a long time to process my transcripts? Hope that doesn't put me in the 'non-priority' box.

First off, your experience is absolutely relevant to put you into the top tier of programs. Public Policy programs value relevant work experience, but do not have the same level of scrutiny into "did they do sufficient ladder-climbing at X job" like a 10 MBA admissions program might. Ensure your application will read like this: 1. High GRE score 2. Two Years Hill Experience focusing on X 3. Solid SOP that ties in very well with Hill work experience, good understanding of future goals 4. Fine GPA / Great School 5. Solid LOR's Don't focus on the 'administrative responsibilities' aspect of your work in your resume/SOP. Focus on how the work you did impacted a mission/goal/law and why it's interesting to you. Secondly: Avoid the whole rankings thing. Also, none of the part-time DC policy programs are particularly difficult to gain acceptance to. (funding however, will probably not exist for the part time programs. From the perspective of the very expensive DC-area schools, they'll be more than happy to take your $$$) Third: Be able to draw a clear picture of how a part-time MPP will be able to help you further your career (with a clear picture of what that career will be), and run this idea by some people on the Hill a little further along then you...I think you'll be surprised by their input. Final point: Don't sell yourself short. People (admissions, recruiters, future employers) only believe what you tell them, and if you start off with 'well I only did administrative work' your perspective-alone would be discouraging. I'm in DC as well, and the vast majority of the people here are completely full of sh*t with their resumes and pompous with how they present themselves - while I don't advise this, aim for the middle ground.

You obviously don't have to have it all figured out yet, but do you have any remote ideas or considerations on the type of work you would be most interested in? Lot of people on this forum can provide good guidance if you have anything specific. Also, somewhat off-topic, but here is an HKS blog writing on somewhat who did Law School after starting their MPP. http://hksadmissionblog.tumblr.com/post/37619620996/mpa-jd-alumni-interview-matias-a-sueldo

Somewhat confused, you want to do these top professional programs (without significant work experience) before Law School? If you want to go to law school, go to law school. Your time would be *much* better served gaining work experience and perfecting your LSAT rather than gaining tons of debt for a top IR program. If you consider your actual career outcomes, you're doing it in reverse. Law school first (even without work experience), then work for a year while before you transition to a top program.

god I love the internet

I should have refined that to stay that was specific of the 'consulting' gigs. If your finance interests are in emerging markets, or IMF/WB/MCC then SAIS or HKS MPA-ID would be great alternatives to an MBA.

I'll let you know in a few months - I waited until the last minute thinking I would be fine with the GRE and bombed in truly epic fashion. *didn't apply for SIPA though

This. Government contracting is the vast, vast majority - probably 90% of "private sector" jobs that MPA/MPP students move into. For SAIS or anywhere in DC area - reporting alumni jobs as moving into the private sector is a misnomer.

Would greatly appreciate some input on what I am attempting to do: I am currently @ one of the 'Big Four' consulting firms, and plan to stay within the management consulting 'industry', but I would like to pivot my skillset and my type of work into some of our work that has an international/economic development focus. (I've been in this line of work for five years). Doing an MBA for two years doesn't sound appealing, especially since the only type of specialty or area I am looking to pivot into is more economics focused. I am from the U.S. but willing/looking to go international for a good program and because most of our masters degrees are two-years. Graduated from a top 20 (US) school - but my degree was in political science, and I took no econ work. The program I was looking ideally @ was LSE's Economics & Management, however this program - along with many other UK programs, seem focused on students with an undergrad degree in Econ as well - not to mention it looks like a sub 10% admissions rate (?) http://www2.lse.ac.u...ement/home.aspx Any input appreciated, thanks!