Anyone heard from LBJ school?

[xcrazydave]

I applied to UT Austin. I know that the email said they accept in March, but they accept on a rolling basis.. just curious if anyone had heard anything on their applications of if nobody hears until March...

[sosh]

I applied for the MPA program and haven't heard anything. Looking around at results pages online from previous years, they seem to send out e-mails for the first admits beginning in mid-February. In 2007 they sent out the e-mails about Feb. 20. In 2006 it was Feb. 13.

[xcrazydave]

I have a friend at LBJ who asked a member of admissions who said they will be sending out the first letters in the next couple of weeks. I wonder if the email will go out before our status page changes...

I am a border line.

I had a bad first year in undergrad, but 3.78 upper level gpa, 4.0 in one semester of grad at Texas State... GRE is a little below their average, but I got a 6.0 on the writing when the average writing at LBJ is 4.3, so that is a wash... good recommendations by three professors and military experience and a clear vision of where I want to go... so.. I am figuring 40% chance I got in,20% I am on the new wait list, 40% I did not.

I also sent my materials all in by September... so I should be one of the first to find out.

I wonder when the reject letters start.. same time?

[sosh]

It has to be e-mail notifications (at least I hope). I don't know why they'd do e-mail the past few years and then switch over to exclusively postal service.

I think I'm in the same boat as you.

I had a bad first year undergrad because of electrical engineering. I've got two years professional work experience in journalism and two internships. My verbal GRE is a plus, I think my analytical is a slight minus.

Considering they have an approximate 50 percent admit rate, I think you're selling yourself a little short on your chances. I'm counting on a ton of people applying with horrible stats, no letters, etc. Wishful thinking I guess.

[xcrazydave]

Yeah, did you attend any visitation days? I went and watched a class an referenced that in my essay of why I want to go there, hoping it earns points.

I do no incomplete packets are not counted in the number they look at.

[orangedonkey]

Hi guys, I appiled to the UT-AUSTIN's MPAff program too and they told me that the result will come out by mid-march. Does anyone know it will be an e-mail notification or just a letter?

BTW..do they really have the rolling admissions process?= =...I finished my application really late...kind of worried...

[sosh]

Again, I think they send e-mails, which hopefully will be soon.

I don't think they have a rolling admissions for the regular MPA program... I think the only requirement is to meet the Jan. 15 deadline.

[sosh]

Yeah, did you attend any visitation days? I went and watched a class an referenced that in my essay of why I want to go there, hoping it earns points.

I do no incomplete packets are not counted in the number they look at.

I sat in on a class and met with one of the administrative assistants. I thought it was cool how close-knit everyone in the program seems to be.

[xcrazydave]

As far as rolling, it seems to be semi-rolling based on what they told me. They told me that they review a certain amount per week, and decide at weekly meetings, so if all the spots get taken up, they will wait list you, which is new to LBJ... But that is good given the amount of people accepted who do not end up enrolling. I would think a wait list is a good chance with around 100 students not accepting.

I am feeling like tomorrow will be the day... no idea why.

I wish I could see the applications of people who did and did not get in! It does seem that they are really big on the essay... they said they let someone in conditionally with a 900 GRE or something in that range before.... So with mine being below the average, but still within the range, and having the good writing score.. I feel okay.

I also think they look at upper level GPA much more than overall..

My buddy who goes there keeps telling me it will be fine, but he went to MIT for undergrad and I went to UT Arlington... so I am still on edge..

I think one thing is for sure, if your application was in early, and probably any time, they probably have decided.

[xcrazydave]

Yeah, did you attend any visitation days? I went and watched a class an referenced that in my essay of why I want to go there, hoping it earns points.

I do no incomplete packets are not counted in the number they look at.

This was after around 4 beers.. I did not write my essay like this...lol.

[sosh]

Perhaps the following is the result of having too much time on my hands.

According to Yuster, the first accept e-mails were sent Feb. 20 (a Tuesday) in 2007 and Feb. 13 (a Monday) in 2006. Assuming they're on the same basic timeline for notifying admits, the first e-mails have to be sent out this week.

I think crazydave has it right suggesting Tuesday. Also, it seems like they notify others as late as mid-march (waitlisted?), so I think there's hope beyond that first round.

[xcrazydave]

Hey, Sosh, which visitation day did you go to? There were only like 3 or 4 people when I went there. One guy who goes to Texas and a girl came who seemed to want to go because she had been a sorority president, and then later a girl showed up who had no idea why she was there and had been a bartender for her 5 or 6 years out of school. I thought the guy who went to Texas currently seemed the brightest.

I am hoping that is a good representation of my competition. But I was just looking on Yuster and seeing the people who got in had around 1400 GREs! Ah!

My 1140 overall scares me, but they did say a 6.0 writing helps.

With 1220 or so being the average though, there must be some low.

Did anyone on here apply to the new Global Policy degree? It seemed appealing, but I just did the MPAFF with International Affairs.

I also made the mistake of telling people I was applying... now they are asking me every 5 minutes, so it makes it worse...

[sosh]

I wasn't able to make it up there for one of the visitation days -- I had to schedule a class visit, informative appointment, etc. on my own.

1400 is way above average... 1140 isn't bad. I got 1200 and am much more worried about my GPA (3.03/4).

I thought about international affairs and global policy but instead focused on urban and state because it's closer to my work experience. Although from what I hear, LBJ isn't that focused on concentrations and you can pretty much pick and choose what to study within the school.

And I hope you're right about the competition...

[xcrazydave]

Is that 3.03 overall or upper level? Because of my first year, I have a terrible overall, but My upper level is a 3.8. I think they focus more on upper level.

[TTUjay]

First time here...I'm also waiting on the LBJ School. BTW, xcrazydave, I applied to the MGPS program. Like you I have military experience and know where I wanna go with my career. Wasn't entirely sure to which program I'd apply but went with the MGPS over MPAff. Anyone else apply to the Bush School?

[xcrazydave]

I think going for the MGPS was a good move.. new program with less applicants. If you don't have any abnormally bad stats or lack of letters or something you should be good to go.

[sosh]

Two things:

1) Any chance this thread could be moved to the Government Affairs subforum?

2) Perhaps the Clinton/Obama debate at the UT campus (which I think is being organized by the LBJ school) is delaying LBJ admission decisions?

[xcrazydave]

It might be delaying it... I am just hoping we find out by weeks end.

At this point, if it is bad news, I wish I would know too.. I am doing grad classes at TSU and need to know which way to go...

[sosh]

I think the rejections are sent in a few weeks.

[xcrazydave]

Yeah, with this being the first year with a wait list at LBJ, I am wondering how that will work and when those notices would be sent too. I know like 250 people get accepted and 150 of those enroll, so that leaves 100 spots.. if 400 apply, that has to mean the wait list will provide a good shot...

I keep thinking every time I am away from a computer for long, it might be there next time I look...

[sosh]

I'm not familiar with the first year waitlist thing. If they are doing a waitlist for the first time, I assume that would mean less people accepted outright (and thus an increased waiting time for more people) while they wait to find out what the outright accepted people do.

[xcrazydave]

When I was on my visitation day, one of the administrative people talked about having a wait list for the first time since the amount of people that get accepted is not the amount that enrolls and they have started receiving more funding, meaning they can have more students...

Seemed positive... they were not sure if they were going to do it at that time.

I spoke to my friend last week who spoke to a student member of the admissions committee, and they mentioned the wait list, and said first round letters would be out within two weeks (from last week), so I figured they went ahead with it, possibly in a different fashion then was discussed, since that was just a plan at the time.

I now wish I had asked EVEN MORE questions than I did. Like, what does an application look like that does not get in. I know a guy who did not get in with a 900 GRE, so I am guessing there are more of those than we know... hoping.

[sosh]

Did the person you know get rejected this year (for '08 admission), or was he a previous applicant?

[xcrazydave]

Did the person you know get rejected this year (for '08 admission), or was he a previous applicant?

He was rejected 3 or so years ago. Got his MPA from TSU San Marcos and got a great job in Canada, so it was not the end of the world for him.

He basically told me he though you would need an 1100 to have a realistic shot...

[TTUjay]

I just got an email from LBJ and I got in!!!

Funding info to come in a packet by the end of March. Good luck to you all as you open your emails today!