Wrapping it Up: Admits for Fall 2010

[gen518]

Hello All,

I'm stealing this idea from Cornell07, because I found it very helpful in my process:

Congratulations! This 3 to 12 month ordeal is coming to an end. You've taken your tests, gathered recommendations, wrote crazy ammounts of essays, and waited for longer than you'd have like. By now, you've probably heard back from all or most of your schools, have weighed your choices, and might have even made your final decision. For the aid of future Gradcafe applicants, please post as much of the following information as you feel comfortable sharing after you have made your FINAL decision.

Please do not use this thread to ask other users to help weigh your choices.

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier):

Previous Degrees and GPA's:

GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing):

Previous Work Experience (Years, Type):

Math/Econ Background:

Foreign Language Background:

Intended Field of Study in Grad School:

Long Term Professional Goals:

Schools Applied to & Results:

Ultimate Decision & Why:

Feel free to add any more info that you feel would paint a better picture of your applicant profile.

[gen518]

Since I started the post, I'll go first.

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Calvin College, private Christian liberal-arts college.

Previous Degrees and GPA's: English, 3.9

GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 760 Verbal, 800 Quant, 4.5 AWA

Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 5 years total: 1 year teaching, 4 years management consulting in DC

Math/Econ Background: Zero math since High School, Intro to Macro/Mico (taken at the USDA Graduate School)

Foreign Language Background: Spanish - learned via living in Peru/Marrying a Spaniard

Intended Field of Study in Grad School: International Economics/Security Studies

Long Term Professional Goals: International Management Consulting

Schools Applied to & Results: Admitted: Yale MA ($), Tufts Fletcher ($), Harvard Kennedy School, Johns Hopkins SAIS ($), University of Virginia ($)

Ultimate Decision & Why: I am still somewhat on the fence. At this point, I think I will be heading to Yale, as I have also been admitted into their School of Management and the prospect of doing the joint-degree is highly appealing. Yale also provided a great scholarship. With its highly flexible curriculum, outstanding faculty, and somewhat academic bent, I am increasingly excited about the program in New Haven. I am still waiting to hear back from Harvard on financial aid and scholarships, so that may sway my decision making.

Any advice to Future Applicants? For me it was seriously a factor of taking the time. I studied for the GRE for nearly four months, roughly an hour a day. Also, it helped me a lot to take the time to really research the schools and make the effort to visit them if you can. They really are different and have different things to offer, if you can capture those unique characteristics in your essays and craft a story of how you fit and will contribute to their unique culture, I believe the Adcom's find it compelling.

[boo]

Not going to answer any of the top questions because stats are worthless. As long as you meet the min. your be fine. But do follow if they say min gre is 1100 dont waste your money if you have below 1100 and same thing with gpa. If your gpa is below 3.5 and it says the min is 3.5 dont apply. The advice below is for phd programs only. Masters dont need to visit and not knocking them just being honest that they are easier to get into if anything is considered easy with grad schools.

Decissions: You may think multiple offers is a luxury but it's a curse. You only applied to programs you could see yourself at so when you must decide it's tough. Ultimately I went with the best fit and nothing else matters. Since the only thing that matters is what you did while your were there.

Advice: Make a list and see if they are taking students. Then VISIT all schools. And if you cant afford to visit all, make a list of what programs you want most and visit them in order until you run out of money but make sure you visit at least a couple. Not only will the visit help you get accepted, you see the places and the interactions and it may make you never even apply there but without the visit you might of had to spend 5 years in a place you hate. Also, have all applications in a month before hand then 1 week before hand call and make sure they have everything. This allows you a week to get any lost materials in since some places just discards your app if not complete and they love losing materials.

[washndry]

I think this type of thread was already started, might want to keep everything together (though I don't really have a preference)