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Hi! I am beginning the application process for the upcoming application process for urban planning programs, to enter in fall of 2020. I'm a little unsure of where I stand, whether I have a good shot at the schools I am applying to or whether I should try applying to less competitive programs. I would really appreciate your help in letting me know your assessment! Some background about myself: I attended (on academic scholarship) a mid-tier state school that has about a 55-60% acceptance rate, where I graduated from in 2018 with two BA degrees in non-planning social science fields. My GPA was 3.98, with my in-majors GPA 4.0 and my sophomore/junior/senior GPAs also 4.0. I haven't yet taken the GRE, but I took a practice test and got about 165 verbal and 157 quantitative. I have very good relationships with my three recommenders, so I think I'll be getting strong recommendations from them. During my undergraduate career I had a very competitive non-planning (but international policy focused) internship. I also received a Boren Scholarship to study in a foreign country for one year. After graduating, I received a Fulbright research award to study in a foreign country-- my research was about urban planning policy in the country I was studying in. After the Fulbright was over, at the present moment, I work for a non-profit where I organize and host free legal clinics where low-income people who are at risk of losing their homes can meet one-on-one with attorneys to get pro bono legal advice so that they can avoid losing their homes. At this position, I research housing issues and crises which are currently affecting poor folks in my city to then hold the clinics addressing those issues. I'm a little anxious because while my "stats" are ok, I think I lack experience in urban planning fields-- what do ya'll think? The schools I am considering applying to are: MIT, UCLA, UC Berkeley, USC, Harvard, Columbia, NYU, Penn, and UNC Chapel Hill (safety?) Do you think I have a shot at any of these schools? Or do you think I should add in some less competitive programs to ensure that I actually get into a program? 😓 Thank you so much for your help!!

I’ve been offered spots at SFU’s masters resource management (for which I will apply to planning stream ) and to Waterloo MA Planning. considerations: - I am interested a diversity of social justice issues, including public health equity and Indigenous rights. I’ve focused a bit already on how environmental policy intersects with health and treaty rights - I have a background in community engagement and social sciences, I think I’m more interested in the social side of things -I want to eventually be back home in BC (been in ON for 5 years) - I’might want to go on to do a PhD, I like research but want also a professional perspective - supervisor at Waterloo has a health focus; supervisor at SFU is planner in environmental impact assessment and has experience in working with co-management - costs may be better at sfu because I can live with my parents What I’m hoping to know: - people’s experience and interests in the mrm program - outcomes of people working in environmental policy - general opinions on my situation. Very anxious about this decision because it means very different things for my future and don’t know which is better. Appreciate any insight!!

Hey all,I am an Architect from India. I completed my bachelor's degree in Architecture ( B.Arch ) in 2017 which is a 5-year degree.I have many backlogs and one year drop. My final grades are 7.8 CGPA ( i.e 7.4 x 7.8 + 12 = 70% )equivalent to 3.7/4 Canadian GPA according to this calculator > https://www.greedge.com/blog/fall-2018-convert-cgpa-usa-germany-canada/ ( scroll down two pages for Canada Gpa calculator on the page )I have 7.5 overall scores in IELTS academic.I have 2.5 years of work experience.Is my profile eligible for pursuing masters in Canada?The degree I want to pursue is1.Masters of Urban Design2. Masters of Planning3. Masters of ArchitecturePlease do not suggest diploma courses. These are the final courses I want to look into.I was talking to an agent earlier who said my profile is low and he suggested considering Australia.However, I am not quite sure whether my profile is a low one as the yeard drop was due to a significant health issue I faced in the 2nd year.I have all my documents ready including ( Portfolio, writing samples, CV, transcripts, LOR )With the deadline being 15th Jan 2019 for most of the Canadian Universities, I am in a panic mode and don't know what to do really. I also want to be eligible for PR later.Any suggestions, please?Thanks in Advance.

What do people recommend as far as preparing for interviews? Obviously, know your own research. I know the work I've done at 2/3 institutions like the back of my hand. The 3rd was a 3 month internship I'm more vague on, but am currently reading the publication that came out of it. I have my first interview next week, and I know I should know the research of the people I'm interviewing with (I have my itinerary). 1/5, though, works on something pretty removed from my interests, and another works mostly with techniques I've never used or read much on. Should I have talking points for each person, or is it okay to not know as much about some if they weren't people I requested/aren't doing what I'm interested in? Also, generally, what should one do to prepare? I'm interviewing for neuroscience programs, by the way.

Hey everyone! I thought I'd start a thread for those applying to urban / regional / community planning masters programs for Fall 2017. We can share thoughts on programs, application stats, acceptance/rejection dates, funding, etc. I don't know too much about all the planning programs, but right now I'm thinking I'll apply to the programs at Queen's (SURP), UofT (MScPl), Waterloo (MA/MES), and Ryerson (MPl). Let me know your thoughts!

Is anyone here interested in attending UMD this fall?

Didn't see a thread about the MSc.Pl program at UofT. Saw someone post an acceptance this morning on the results page. Anyone else hear any news? I contacted Marija in mid February and this year she said they received over 200 applicants for approximately 30 spots. I applied on February 1 and haven't heard anything FYI.

Hi gang! Never too early I guess to start the application process!! Planning is in our nature, after all Thought I would start this thread so that we would all be able to connect. These are the schools I am considering: San Jose State University University of California Irvine University of Hawaii Manoa Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Cal Poly Pomona University of Colorado Denver Rutgers University - New Brunswick University College London A little bit about me: California native who attended undergrad at CU Boulder for Environmental Studies, concentration in Sustainable Development with a certificate in Public Health. Graduated in 2015 with 3.458 GPA. I worked closely with an international nonprofit through college, took some incredible sustainable design, planning, and project management courses during a semester abroad in Sweden and now as a graduate I'm back in the Golden State helping to bring about climate change mitigation and adaptation in local governments. I've always been drawn to planning as a field, but being in this job now has only solidified in my mind that this is my path and I'm very excited to be applying to all of these programs in the fall!!! Having a completely average GPA (and presumably average GRE scores as I'm a terrible test-taker), I'm hoping that my strong writing skills will be able to win over any admissions committee! I'm primarily looking in-state/WICHE, Rutgers because I felt like I should apply to at least one in the top 10, and UCL because I have British citizenship and the masters program there is only one year. I will actually be starting the UCL application now since the deadline is so late in the year (July 29th) to start in the fall, so if I get in for this fall then I will defer a year to apply to the U.S. programs. Hope I'm not the only (crazy?) one starting this now! Previous application cyclists feel free to comment!!

Hi fellow applicants, I am sad to say I have been rejected from all 11 programs I have applied to this cycle. However, life must goes on! I do plan to reapply, but I've got a few different options to choose from. Reapply to Ph.D. programs this year for F18 -- this is what I am leaning towards Post-pone reapplying and complete a M.A. in a related field where I currently work and do research, then reapply with my masters Accept a partially funded M.A. at one of the schools I applied, but it would be extremely expensive and I would have to relocate Although I appreciate any thoughts on the options above, what I am really wondering is, when should I plan my wedding? I got engaged in Dec. of last year and I have not done any planning because of interviews and waiting to hear the admissions decisions. All of the places I had applied would have required a move across the country as well, which further complicated things. The wedding will likely be in north Florida/southern Georgia and we would like to have it in the "winter" to avoid some of the heat. We had our hearts set on early November, but if I reapply this year for F18 and get accepted, what would we do about the wedding if it was Nov. 2018? Would institutions be understanding about me flying back home for my wedding? Alternatively, we could get married next Spring, but then there is the possibility that I would have interviews, which could get really messy. If I post-pone reapplying, I could definitely just plan my wedding and work on some other projects I have been putting off, but I am hesitant to wait nearly 2 years to go to grad school at that point, especially with no guarantee the second time of applying would be the charm! What would you do? Does anyone that is in grad school have any insights or opinions? As a person that likes to plan, this is giving me a headache D: P.S. I am happy to clarify any of the above information if it helps!

Hi All, I find myself paralyzed by the prospect of selecting a graduate program before even applying to a single program! Crazy, I know! Nevertheless, I'd greatly appreciate strategies, wisdom, or anecdotes from anyone who has considered planning for a masters and a doctorate. Thank you so much! Some context -- For the last couple years, I have planned to go for a MPH in environmental health, followed immediately by a PhD in medical anthropology. I decided on that order, hoping the MPH would buy my some time to explore other PhD tracks, and give me a stronger skillset and more refined research interests to bring to a PhD program. Haven't questioned that plan until now. I was just happy to have a plan. However, now that SOPHAS has opened up for MPH programs beginning in 2017, I am getting cold feet! I am questioning the "traditional" order I planned to pursue these degrees (i.e. MPH, then PhD) and struggle to prioritize the factors that are most important to me in either program: affordability (the specter that haunts us all), program quality (judged by the school's national rank + research productivity), and ability to specialize in my area of interest (judged by curriculum variety/flexibility + faculty's areas of research) I am confident that I can get into attractive, "top-ranked" MPH programs. However, I know rank isn't everything and that there are "smarter" (read "less expensive" and "quicker") ways to go about earning the degrees I want, even if that means choosing a less attractive MPH program. For example, perhaps applying to a MPH/PhD dual-degree program will make it easier to fund my MPH. I've read other forums on this site that recommended starting a PhD, earning candidacy, leaving to do the MPH, then returning to the PhD. Maybe I should go part-time for my masters and work for a few more years before going back for a doctorate--who knows! I tend to overthink large decisions and would be ready to admit that's at play here, but I am confident there are plenty of ways to pursue my goals with merits of their own that I have not considered before. I will say that mentors who know my interests have encouraged my to earn both degrees as soon as possible, and that feels right to me. So in the hopes of gaining more opinions--here we are! Thanks again, K.

I have been accepting to two programs (my first choice rejected me) which are very different and I am having a very difficult time deciding which is the best choice. Simon Fraser and Calgary have both accepted me and offered me similar funding. I'll outline the main differences below..SFU - Master of Resource Management (Planning)-$6500 funding plus opportunity for SSHRC and TAship money which would entirely cover tuition and more-accredited planning program-co-op option-Focus is on environmental planning and resource management-research opportunities for pipeline benefit sharing agreements with First Nations, implications of Great Bear Rainforest Agreement, etc-supervisor is head of the program and has done some extremely prominent research-only 1 elective-allows me to pursue a PhD in the future if I choose to-no studios-very little emphasis on urban and community planning- no GIS or computer modelling course required-in Vancouver (I would like to work in southern BC and I am from the Lower Mainland)-more job opportunities in provincial govCalgary - Master of Planning-$6000 funding which covers half of tuition. I do not think there are opportunities for SSHRC or TAships (I will email and confirm)-accredited planning program-no internship or co-op option, but i can always find my own summer student job-VERY well rounded curriculum with a focus on environmental design and community planning-4 studios and major project-mandatory technology elective plus 2 others-could not do a PhD after-in Calgary (which is not where I would like to settle)-more job opportunities in local govAbout me:I have a degree in forestry and have a summer of experience working in forestry and living in a very small town. I am taking part in a legislative internship program with the government for 6 months currently. I am interested in natural resource management, parks and regional planning, and community planning and development.If you are familiar with BC, I would ideally like to work in the Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley/Island/Sunshine Coast/Okanagan. These are all areas with small urban centres and usually surrounded by forest and farmland and very much influenced by natural resource development and extraction. Ideally, I would like to work for a local government and they often would like you to be very familiar with municipal policies and community planning. I believe my 'dream' job would be to be a Parks Planner or Land Use Planner in one of these areas and also have broad enough experience to have input into community plans and development.SO my question is... Do you think it would be better to go to a school which places more emphasis on 'community planning' rather than resource management if I would like to work for a municipality? Or should I take all the experiences I would get with SFU, in a city I would like to live in, and cross my fingers I can find a co-op in a municipality? One other option I have been considering is going to SFU and if I have a hard time breaking into the municipalities, then take a graduate diploma in urban studies or applied planning... though that is more time and money..Thoughts??

Has anyone heard back from NYU Wagner, University of Pennsylvania (PennDesign) or Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School for their urban planning programs (Masters)?

Has anyone heard back from Masters programs in planning for starting Fall 2016?

Hello prospective planners. I am probably heading to UO this fall and was wondering if anybody else on here got in and/or is heading there as well?

Hi guys, I am an international student from Nepal and came to this website after another friend applying to grad schools highly recommended it. Nothing relevant to me was showing up when I was searching for Urban Planning in this forum so I figured I would write this post. Here's my problem, I really need to find 2 safety schools and I was hoping I could get some recommendations. I know it sounds vague but since MURP doesn't have rankings for schools I really can't tell where I'm competitive. Here's my Bio: Interest: Community Development, Social Policy, International Development. I'm looking more at working with non-profits than governments and am eventually planning on working outside the US in more developing nations. Undergraduate: GPA: 3.317 BA in Sociology and International Relations from Beloit College (Ranked around 60) GRE: Verbal: 166 (97%) Quant: 157(77%) AW: 4.5(72%) Work Experience: I graduated in May 2011 so I have almost no work experience. I did conduct a fully funded independent research on social capital in a slum in Mumbai, India over winter break of my senior year however. Also, my thesis paper addressed air pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal and proposed the restructuring of the public transport system as a potential solution. Language Skills: Nepali(native), English, Intermediate Hindi, Intermediate Japanese Schools I'm Applying To: University of Illinois - Urbana Champagne Cornell University (Not Certain) University of Michigan The New School Portland State University Rutgers, The State University of New York University of Toronto University of Hawaii - Manoa So if anyone were to drop names of universities that I could apply to as safety schools I could research them further and see if things would work out. I'm completely lost at the moment. Also, if anyone could quickly give me their opinions about how competitive an applicant I could be at the schools mentioned above, I'd really appreciate that too, although I feel silly ignoring the sticky "competitive" thread. It's just that I'm running out of time so wanted to make this more visible. I would really appreciate your input!! Thanks! Isamu.

I'll can also proofread and critique yours if you could please do the same for mine. Thank you!

Is there anyone willing to review a first draft of an SOP for a Master's in Urban Planning? I could really use some advice to see if I am on the right track. It's only 800 words, if that helps.