CMU Heinz - 2019

[woolscarves]

Hey gang. Who all is applying to/looking at Heinz this year? It's my main target; I've been very excited by everything I have read.

I'll be applying for the data analytics track, which looks like it'll be a bit bigger this year (~35 students).

Quick stats in case people are curious: 166V/163Q, 3.8GPA, 2 years work experience at economic development consulting firm.

[SketchesOfSpain]

Applied to Heinz on the MSPPM Pittsburgh track. 

Heinz's focus on data definitely makes it appealing and differentiates itself from other schools.

Based on stats I saw, I feel like I have a decent shot but while my quant score (159) is pretty good for your typical public admin student, it's poor for the STEM types so we'll see. I'm in at Cornell at 50% so I won't get shut out, still a long wait for late February-mid March.

I know someone getting their PHD at CMU and they love the school/Pittsburgh

[DeepSeaFish]

Debating between the DC track and the data track.

I'm from a social science background with no full-time working experience. But have plenty of internships in the past. The DC track gives you more opportunity and time to work which allows you to get hands-on experience. The data track gives you more tech exposure which is more marketable these days. It also has  3 years of OPT (I'm international btw). I would love to start my career in consulting industry after graduation. 

Any suggesting would be greatly appreciated!

[woolscarves]

6 hours ago, SketchesOfSpain said:

Applied to Heinz on the MSPPM Pittsburgh track. 

Heinz's focus on data definitely makes it appealing and differentiates itself from other schools.

Based on stats I saw, I feel like I have a decent shot but while my quant score (159) is pretty good for your typical public admin student, it's poor for the STEM types so we'll see. I'm in at Cornell at 50% so I won't get shut out, still a long wait for late February-mid March.

I know someone getting their PHD at CMU and they love the school/Pittsburgh

If you've got 50% at Cornell then I think you've got a good shot at CMU. No kidding about the wait though! Also great to hear that they're happy in Pittsburgh. I've never been so definitely nervous about that part if this is where I end up coming.

 

4 hours ago, DeepSeaFish said:

Debating between the DC track and the data track.

I'm from a social science background with no full-time working experience. But have plenty of internships in the past. The DC track gives you more opportunity and time to work which allows you to get hands-on experience. The data track gives you more tech exposure which is more marketable these days. It also has  3 years of OPT (I'm international btw). I would love to start my career in consulting industry after graduation. 

Any suggesting would be greatly appreciated!

@DeepSeaFish I would recommend checking out this page: https://www.heinz.cmu.edu/current-students/career-services/employment-information-salary-statistics. I think both the DC and data tracks would be great options. If you're looking at consulting, both of the tracks have pretty good placement rates to some of the big consulting firms (Deloitte, LMI, etc.) My initial reaction would be that the data track might make more sense due to the 3 years of OPT and the fact that the median salary for that track is equal to the maximum of the DC track. Of course, that's only one factor in the equation though.

[elizabethrs]

Hi! I'm a current first-year student at Heinz (DA track) and thought I'd check out grad cafe again since it was super helpful to me when making my decision of where to apply and attend. You're right, the DA track did increase, and there are about 35 in my cohort, compared to maybe 20 second-years. I assume applications were already submitted, but if any of you have questions when you hear back in March, feel free to message me! It was very useful for me to attend the Admitted Students Weekend, so if you are seriously considering Heinz, you should try to come April 5-6. There were a ton of events and I met lots of current students and other applicants with similar questions. Good luck to all of you!

[woolscarves]

Just finished the video interview. Not particularly thrilled with how I did, but hopefully it was okay.

For future reference, took a long time from me sending my GRE and transcripts to them before they were added to the system to enable the video interview, so make sure you submit very early.

[Ellie75]

I also experienced a long delay for my materials being matched with my application, but for some reason my transcript took the longest-- so much so that I panicked and sent it a second time.  I submitted my materials a few days before the deadline and I just got the video interview invite a few days ago.  Thought I'd add another data point for anyone concerned about their materials being received!

[woolscarves]

Just got accepted to the DA track with 65% scholarship! Pretty excited about it. Hope everyone else hears good news soon!

[hbgurley]

Congratulations @woolscarves I was also accepted, but with a 50% tuition waiver!

[acerbicb]

I was just accepted with 100% tuition and a 3k semester stipend... pending math camp attendance. Any folks have experience negotiating up stipends? Or figuring out finances to cover cost of living/other fees? I'd be moving from Chicago with 0 savings. /:

[invincible49]

1 hour ago, acerbicb said:

I was just accepted with 100% tuition and a 3k semester stipend... pending math camp attendance. Any folks have experience negotiating up stipends? Or figuring out finances to cover cost of living/other fees? I'd be moving from Chicago with 0 savings. /:

Thats amazing, congratulations!

 

Do you mind sharing your profile with us? I'd love to know what makes a competitive candidate!

Edited February 13, 2019 by invincible49

[SketchesOfSpain]

Congrats to everyone who got in, obviously great applicants to get that sort of money.

My question is if anyone on the Pittsburgh MSPPM track has heard back or if it is all D.C. track?

[woolscarves]

13 hours ago, acerbicb said:

I was just accepted with 100% tuition and a 3k semester stipend... pending math camp attendance. Any folks have experience negotiating up stipends? Or figuring out finances to cover cost of living/other fees? I'd be moving from Chicago with 0 savings. /:

Congratulations! That's a fantastic offer.

11 minutes ago, SketchesOfSpain said:

Congrats to everyone who got in, obviously great applicants to get that sort of money.

My question is if anyone on the Pittsburgh MSPPM track has heard back or if it is all D.C. track?

I'm in at the DA track in Pittsburgh.

[acerbicb]

19 hours ago, invincible49 said:

Thats amazing, congratulations!

 

Do you mind sharing your profile with us? I'd love to know what makes a competitive candidate!

Sure! I was unsure about being admitted due to my unusual educational background (I went to a really bad art school) and severely low quantitative GRE score. That said, PPIA fellowship ensured that I would receive the 100% tuition/stipend upon admission. 

Program Applied To: MSPPM (Pittsburgh) ((I kinda wanna switch into the DA or DC track)))
Undergraduate institution:  Columbia College Chicago
Undergraduate GPA:  3.6
Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): idk
Undergraduate Major:  Cultural Studies
GRE Quantitative Score:  126
GRE Verbal Score:  162
GRE AW Score:  4.5
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  4
Years of Work Experience:  5
Describe Relevant Work Experience:  5

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc):  My statement of purpose spoke to investigating the relationship of economic development to displacement and housing instability among low income communities of color through a social policy lens. This was accomplished by relaying my personal experiences with poverty and eviction as a Mexican immigrant, as well as how those came to connect me to hundreds of people in similar positions during my years in the non-profit field. I relayed specific outcomes of my work (e.g. the number of people served, the type of initiatives, the quality of my involvement), as well as presented professional goals tied into the schools' focus (e.g. systems change, application of data analytics to public program evaluation, collaborative classroom learning, diversity). The essay was reviewed over the course of two months by alumni from several policy schools (e.g. Northwestern, UW-Madison) and was edited in the instance by a current Heinz student. 

Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc):  I submitted three letters, two of them from former supervisors and one from a professor with whom I completed several classes over the course of 3 years. One of them I did not review, but I trust was a very quantitative evaluation of my performance in the fundraising/development field. Another was a very personal comment on my commitment to program evaluation and program planning as a young (23 year old) program manager in the youth development field. The academic one restated my overall work experience and then posited that, given the complexity of my undergraduate program's theoretical curriculum (e.g. Marx, Frankfurt School, Gramsci) and the quality of my capstone thesis, I was prepared for independent research. 

Other:  I am a Public Policy & International Affairs Fellow that completed a summer institute at the Ford School of Public Policy. I have 5 years of part time and full time experience in the non-profit sector, working a number of roles (e.g. outreach, development, curriculum development, program management) to advance racial equity in education and community development. I attended a Hometown Hangout, connected with two current students and one alumni; I maintained regular communication with admissions; and I also participated in the Council for Diversity, Richness, and Inclusion's mentorship program (you are paired with a student that helps you write your essay/answers Heinz-related questions). Lastly, I made sure to comment on the fact that my academic performance (particularly in terms of quant) was significantly hindered by extreme financial strain throughout my undergraduate education and early professional life. 

 

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Edited February 14, 2019 by acerbicb

[Guest ke7312]

Does anyone know the process for negotiating scholarship funding with Heinz?

[ird101]

Hi all,

I applied for the MISM program and just finished my transcript verification (took so long!). I'm wondering how optional the video interview round really is! I mean it says it's strongly recommended for non-native English speakers but I have a 111 in TOEFL with a 27 in Speaking. Would the presence or absence of the 3 1-min video clips really affect my application ?

[tealeaf71]

Just got in today with 80% tuition scholarship! So excited!

[SketchesOfSpain]

Got in at 65% scholarship, was really not expecting that much. Especially after seeing everyone else get their letters while I got radio silence.

Congrats to those who got in, I guess I've got to get a flight to Pittsburgh.

[bltsandwich]

I was accepted into the MSPPM - Data Analytics track with 80% of tuition scholarship. 

I had originally applied to the MISM-BIDA program, but was not offered admission. The admissions committee recommended that my application be considered for the MSPPM program based on my career goals, and I confirmed my application. Was not expecting much especially since I did not do the video interview, but I'm excited for the offer!

[woolscarves]

Congrats to everyone on their offers! Who all is planning on heading to the admitted students weekend?

[SketchesOfSpain]

On 2/22/2019 at 11:46 AM, woolscarves said:

Congrats to everyone on their offers! Who all is planning on heading to the admitted students weekend?

I plan on being there. Unfortunately CMU and U Washington are on the same day, but I need to get a better feel for CMU

[nellolikejello]

Hi all - Also in for MSPPM - DA track with 65% of tuition. I find it wildly ironic how all of the Public Policy programs I applied to just happen to have their Admit Days scheduled for the same April 5 weekend... lolz.

For those of you in the DA track, did anyone else also apply to Chicago's MSCAPP or Georgetown's MSDSPP? I feel like it will ultimately come down to these three for me (and importantly, who provides funding).

[Passing]

On 2/14/2019 at 9:32 AM, acerbicb said:

Sure! I was unsure about being admitted due to my unusual educational background (I went to a really bad art school) and severely low quantitative GRE score. That said, PPIA fellowship ensured that I would receive the 100% tuition/stipend upon admission. 

Program Applied To: MSPPM (Pittsburgh) ((I kinda wanna switch into the DA or DC track)))
Undergraduate institution:  Columbia College Chicago
Undergraduate GPA:  3.6
Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): idk
Undergraduate Major:  Cultural Studies
GRE Quantitative Score:  126
GRE Verbal Score:  162
GRE AW Score:  4.5
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  4
Years of Work Experience:  5
Describe Relevant Work Experience:  5

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc):  My statement of purpose spoke to investigating the relationship of economic development to displacement and housing instability among low income communities of color through a social policy lens. This was accomplished by relaying my personal experiences with poverty and eviction as a Mexican immigrant, as well as how those came to connect me to hundreds of people in similar positions during my years in the non-profit field. I relayed specific outcomes of my work (e.g. the number of people served, the type of initiatives, the quality of my involvement), as well as presented professional goals tied into the schools' focus (e.g. systems change, application of data analytics to public program evaluation, collaborative classroom learning, diversity). The essay was reviewed over the course of two months by alumni from several policy schools (e.g. Northwestern, UW-Madison) and was edited in the instance by a current Heinz student. 

Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc):  I submitted three letters, two of them from former supervisors and one from a professor with whom I completed several classes over the course of 3 years. One of them I did not review, but I trust was a very quantitative evaluation of my performance in the fundraising/development field. Another was a very personal comment on my commitment to program evaluation and program planning as a young (23 year old) program manager in the youth development field. The academic one restated my overall work experience and then posited that, given the complexity of my undergraduate program's theoretical curriculum (e.g. Marx, Frankfurt School, Gramsci) and the quality of my capstone thesis, I was prepared for independent research. 

Other:  I am a Public Policy & International Affairs Fellow that completed a summer institute at the Ford School of Public Policy. I have 5 years of part time and full time experience in the non-profit sector, working a number of roles (e.g. outreach, development, curriculum development, program management) to advance racial equity in education and community development. I attended a Hometown Hangout, connected with two current students and one alumni; I maintained regular communication with admissions; and I also participated in the Council for Diversity, Richness, and Inclusion's mentorship program (you are paired with a student that helps you write your essay/answers Heinz-related questions). Lastly, I made sure to comment on the fact that my academic performance (particularly in terms of quant) was significantly hindered by extreme financial strain throughout my undergraduate education and early professional life. 

 

•  

I applied to Heinz's MSPPM and now kinda wanna switch to DA track too, do you know if you can transfer to a different track?

[nellolikejello]

Hi all, I am creating a "Heinz MSPPM 2019 Admitted Students" group on Facebook for networking leading up to Admit Day.

For those of you admitted, can someone respond with their email address? I just need one email address in order to create the group on FB.

Cheers,

[PubPoll]

Swy506@gmail.com