RCtheSS

Thanks for reminding me that I still need to catch up on SU!

I just finished marathoning Dragon Ball and quickly moved onward to Dragon Ball Z. I was feeling very nostalgic, haha. I've also caught up with Orange is the New Black and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt recently. I'm watching Game of Thrones weekly as I also try to catch up with the books!

Thirding the work experience advice! Most MPA/MPP programs will state that although they do take straight-from-undergrad applicants, it's encouraged to gain work experience beforehand (even better if there's direct relevance to the policy work you're interested in). I've also been looking to the dual MPP/MSW degree options. Along with hopeful88's recommendations I'll add U Michigan, U Minnesota, U Texas, U Washington and University of Southern California.

I've been looking forward to a thread for Fall 2016 applicants. I've been preparing to this cycle for what feels like the past two years! My goals: to conduct effective social policy research within social inequalities and poverty. I'm currently gaining direct work experience to that effect at a national non-profit. I could see myself going into the fed route at HHS, or working with another organization similar to my current employer. Favorite programs: Princeton WWS, Duke Sanford, and Michigan Ford. I'm also applying to UT-Austin LBJ and Washington Evans for their dual degrees with an MSW. Although I currently live and work in DC, I REALLY want to get back out of it (I relocated straight from FL once I finished undergrad). Out of the five programs that I plan to apply to, none of them are in the DMV metro area. I figure if I could always return to DC if I truly needed to for work. What I've done: I've had a spreadsheet of program comparisons that I've continually updated for the past 2 years--program information, cost of living, average weather, tax rates, anything I could think to add to help me make informed decisions. It's helped me narrow down from my original listing of 18 schools but whenever I start looking at it, I start to question whether I should apply to another school or two. As for the applications, I took the GRE last year before I graduated, but now I'm preparing to take it again by the end of summer to strengthen my chances of fellowship offers. Need to reach back out to undergrad professors once more, and start drafting an SOP over the summer as well.

What kind of policy work do you aim to go into? Have you compared faculty, research centers, course options that are available and of interest to you? Would the cost of living of Cambridge/Boston vs. the Bay Area impact you differently? I feel as if this website has been shared on this subforum before, but I've found it very helpful when comparing the curricula of many top-ranked MPA/MPP programs.

We're still on regular speaking terms, just haven't pinpointed when we'll see each other next. He's going through health issues and work keeps piling on here, so for now I'm staying patient. Reeeeally wanting that physical reconnection though, if ya know what I mean.

To add to my fellow online friend-"what if" experience (which had already included a sizable amount of "sexting" before the first meet-up), the physical chemistry was definitely there--hands down, strongest attraction I've felt for someone and the feelings were reciprocated in full. Personality-wise we are fairly opposite, but it's not to the point where it ruins the rest of the package, so to speak; we agree on enough things and don't get into arguments over our differences. But now it's a matter of keeping the physical contact going, since we're about 2.5 hours separated by vehicle. Not too bad of a distance for me, but planning visits has come to a stand still and that's starting to annoy me.

I love seeing fellow PPIAers on this forum! May I ask why you are interested in pursuing the MSW and then earning the MPP, versus a dual degree option?

University of Southern California offers a Master of Science in Business Administration to those holding a Master of Business Administration (MBA): https://www.marshall.usc.edu/msba Just to clarify, you are not looking into earning an MBA, but instead the MS in BA?

NASPAA provided some information comparing salary ranges for different positions and sectors: http://www.naspaa.org/students/careers/salary.asp

I have a question regarding undergraduate senior/honors theses, as I have not listed publications on my resume previously. Besides the title and department it was written for, should I also include that the thesis was awarded summa cum laude or highest honors? Currently I have that mentioned under the "Education" section with the degrees.

Fellow PPIAer here! I'll be turning 23 next month. I finished undergrad last May and am currently working before applying for the Fall 2016 cycle later this year. By the time I hope to enroll, I should have 2 years of relevant policy experience.

I feel like I didn't technically change my major, but rather I switched colleges. There were two different majors in economics that you could declare: a BA in Econ through College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and a BS in Business Administration in Economics through the College of Business. Both majors were essentially the same in terms of economic course requirements and electives, except the Business track also required about 6-8 business core classes, such as accounting and business law. So yeah, in the middle of a summer semester of taking Financial Accounting and dreading it I realized, "I don't want to learn accounting, just economics!" and made the switch to the CLAS economic major a week before that final exam. It was a better fit considering I was also working towards a double major in sociology which is also housed in CLAS.

Haha, I know. It's a great community to lurk on for such a long time, I've gained much insight into navigating the graduate world as a whole. The only looming application-related subject on my mind is obtaining letters of recommendation. I need to think about when to ask my current supervisor (which would also be a conversation letting her know my plan to leave the office next year), and the best way to contact my previous professors within their schedules. I feel bad since I'm applying to dual degree programs and the number of LORs I need doubles for each school.

I've had an account on these forums since 2012 knowing damn well I wouldn't be applying to grad school until Fall 2016 at the earliest. Nothing wrong with thinking ahead, I've always said. As my profile indicates, I'm mostly looking into dual degree programs merging social work (policy/research/community/macro focus) with public policy (social/family/poverty/inequality focus). Since earning an MPP has been my main focus, I wanted to get at least 2 years of relevant work experience under my belt before applying to schools. but I have about 3 years of volunteer experience as an undergrad that I plan to harp on in the MSW applications. I've had a list (read: Excel spreadsheet!) of schools for the past 3 years and I think I've finally narrowed it down to a reasonable amount: 5 MPP/MSW dual programs, and 1 (maybe 2?) MPP only program. For MSW programs I'm considering the Universities of: Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington. As for location, I relocated right outta undergrad from Florida to DC for my job and have no qualms about relocating again. The DMV region is too damn expensive and I'd like to explore the country as much as possible while I'm not tied to anything in particular.

I recommend posting this in the Government Affairs subforum. There is an active "Am I Competitive?" thread. http://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/11-government-affairs/

Hello, fellow PPIA alum! I'm not currently applying for the Fall 2015, making this post essentially useless...but I still wanted to greet you!

The ETS covers the Analytical Writing section on its website: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/ You can go through both the Issue and Argument essays, tips to write each, read same responses to sample questions, and it includes a scoring guide. If you're interested and have the money, ETS also offers a paid service to write and review sample AW essays. https://www.dxrgroup.com/cgi-bin/scoreitnow/index.pl

Regarding the LSAT: from HKS's admission site: LSAT (Law School Admissions Test) scores will be accepted ONLY from applicants who are in their first year at Harvard Law School, and are applying to the joint HKS/HLS degree. Also, the PowerPrep software is highly recommended for test prep. The GRE has changed its scoring methods from 800 being the highest score within a section to 170. So yeah, your practice scores are pretty much ballin'. If you want to see a concordance table to compare to the old score format: https://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/concordance_information.pdf From the sound of it, I'd take the GRE if I were you since 1) it's cheaper and 2) you're already scoring above the 90th percentile. I'd also recommend Magoosh software if there is any particular test sections you need to brush up on.

I had my own topic about taking the GRE back in February 2014, but I thought I'd share in this topic as well. I did the majority of my studying during August-October 2013. Manhattan Prep exams: Q: 154 V: 158 (taken 8/21/2013) Q: 157 V: 160 (9/21/2013) Q: 156 V: 157 (9/29/2013) Q: 155 V: 156 (11/11/2013) Magoosh Prep: Q estimated: 154-159 V estimated: 155-160 Actual results: Q: 158 V: 158 AW: 4.5 I was satisfied with my scores, mostly because I fell off my study plan for a good 3 months and spent the week leading up to the exam with practice tests. I think I took the PowerPrep tests but I didn't jot down my results. Yet I still feel the need to retake the damn exam to break 160 in each section. I have a year to decide, but at this rate the test might cost $250 by then!

I was in your position last year, except I was looking to gain social policy experience. By the start of my senior year I had a list of organizations, internships, and volunteer opportunities that I would try to apply to as graduation neared. Many of the jobs were out of state, and I couldn't say that I networked with any colleagues or faculty who knew about these organizations and their missions. It just became about selling myself all-around from my academic coursework to my extracurriculars-- I tried to make every experience fit within what they were asking. So don't shy away from seeking out job opportunities due to lack of contacts! Obviously, networking is a plus, but those faculty can at least vouch for you as a reference.

I think this is an interesting question seeing that Jackson State is a historically black university (HBCU); you'd think one would be concerned with facing racism for not being black than for not being white. I say this as a black person.

I want to make sure that I have a full understanding of children and families when it comes to implementing and evaluating social service programs. Basically, while I see myself going into the research and analytic side of things (whether it's government or non-profit, who knows), I don't want to be too far gone from the ground-level of the communities I'm advocating for. I realize that most folks who go into an MSW policy concentration probably don't do a direct-service field placement, but I wouldn't shy away from the opportunity if possible. I double majored and double minored in undergrad, so I feel like I have a knack for this sort of junction, haha.

I would keep it at "Cumulative GPA" or "Major GPA" and would not otherwise that you have pending grades. Assuming you're also sending a copy of your current transcript with your applications, admissions should recognize that you're still in the process of completing your classes, and may ask for an official transcript once all grades are final and reported.

Well congrats on your admission regardless! UChicago is definitely on my list of dual degree programs. I guess my concern is not having a full-time position (paid or unpaid) dedicated to direct service, but I suppose it's worth a shot so long as I clearly explain my research interests and long-term career goals within social policy and how both degrees will assist me. Also, awesome avatar! So happy that Homestar Runner has updated its site after so long.