LBJ MPA/MGPS Fall 2019

[hbgurley]

Admission decisions went out today! How did everyone do? Has anyone heard about scholarship/fellowship information?

[MPPhopeful322]

Super grateful to have gotten in with in-state tuition reduction!

[HereIsHoping]

I got accepted! But I haven’t heard anything about financial aid, my portal says to come back in two weeks. @MPPhopeful322 how did they tell you about your tuition reduction?

[gradskoolbound]

Congrats everyone! I got accepted into the MGPS program and received a letter that said I was awarded a fellowship. It’s looking like it will cover about 75%. Although I am a bit confused on how much the program will cost overall. Does anyone have any estimates? 

[madrid]

got accepted today with full ride and 19k stipend!

[SciGuy720]

Congrats @madrid, that's awesome! I emailed the Grad Coordinator today because my portal still says "In Review". They quickly responded and said decisions are rolling out and everyone should hear something soon. Just wanted to update in the event that others are still waiting to hear back as well!

Best of luck to all!

[MPPhopeful322]

On 2/10/2019 at 9:09 AM, HereIsHoping said:

I got accepted! But I haven’t heard anything about financial aid, my portal says to come back in two weeks. @MPPhopeful322 how did they tell you about your tuition reduction?

It was the fellowship they awarded me. It was mentioned in the acceptance letter.

[HereIsHoping]

On 2/11/2019 at 9:49 PM, MPPhopeful322 said:

It was the fellowship they awarded me. It was mentioned in the acceptance letter.

Ahh makes sense. I guess I didn't quite make the cut for fellowships, but at least I got in!

Congrats on your acceptance and your award!

[czf92]

Hi all! Hoping you can help me with this. I just received an admittance (maybe lol?) to LBJ. I'm just confused by the wording:

We are delighted to inform you that the admissions committee has recommended you for admission to the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs (the LBJ School) at The University of Texas at Austin (U.T.) Fall 2019 entrance. 

You join a diverse and select group of students whose academic preparation and professional aspirations set them apart from this year’s competitive applicant pool. Your admission is pending final approval by the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies and the Graduate and International Admissions Center. After all of your graduate application materials have been approved, the Office of Graduate Studies will send you an official notice of admittance. 

 

Does this mean that my admittance is not yet official? Or is it conditional? Idk why it would be be conditional, I definitely meet the admission requirements. They have asked me to make a decision by March 15 which is very soon, so I'm just wondering if this is confusing language, or if I have not been officially accepted? 

 

Thanks for help in advance!

[MPPhopeful322]

4 minutes ago, czf92 said:

Hi all! Hoping you can help me with this. I just received an admittance (maybe lol?) to LBJ. I'm just confused by the wording:

We are delighted to inform you that the admissions committee has recommended you for admission to the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs (the LBJ School) at The University of Texas at Austin (U.T.) Fall 2019 entrance. 

You join a diverse and select group of students whose academic preparation and professional aspirations set them apart from this year’s competitive applicant pool. Your admission is pending final approval by the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies and the Graduate and International Admissions Center. After all of your graduate application materials have been approved, the Office of Graduate Studies will send you an official notice of admittance. 

 

Does this mean that my admittance is not yet official? Or is it conditional? Idk why it would be be conditional, I definitely meet the admission requirements. They have asked me to make a decision by March 15 which is very soon, so I'm just wondering if this is confusing language, or if I have not been officially accepted? 

 

Thanks for help in advance!

Hi,

I was admitted with a fellowship. As far as I know, it's just a formality. I think the University just has to officially process it. The March 15th deadline is just a preferred deadline (at least that's what my portal says). The letter states an April 15th official deadline for accepting/declining my fellowship.

[czf92]

1 minute ago, MPPhopeful322 said:

Hi,

I was admitted with a fellowship. As far as I know, it's just a formality. I think the University just has to officially process it. The March 15th deadline is just a preferred deadline (at least that's what my portal says). The letter states an April 15th official deadline for accepting/declining my fellowship.

Sweet. Thanks for the speedy reply! 

[HoboPresident]

Got into the DC MPAff program with a full ride and extra stipend.  It's going to be incredibly hard to turn something like that down, but I still gotta hear out other school at this point.  

 

For what it's worth - if anyone is curious about the March 15th - April 15th date confusion, I talked to the fellowship office and they confirmed to me that the April 15th deadline is true no matter what.

[AudaciousAutomaton]

12 hours ago, HoboPresident said:

Got into the DC MPAff program with a full ride and extra stipend.  It's going to be incredibly hard to turn something like that down, but I still gotta hear out other school at this point.  

 

For what it's worth - if anyone is curious about the March 15th - April 15th date confusion, I talked to the fellowship office and they confirmed to me that the April 15th deadline is true no matter what.

I received the same! And thank you for clarifying that as I was disconcerted as well.

Mind sharing any concerns you're weighing (if you have any)? I'm nearly convinced this DC Concentration is the best option for me but need to mull it over longer. 

[HoboPresident]

12 hours ago, AudaciousAutomaton said:

I received the same! And thank you for clarifying that as I was disconcerted as well.

Mind sharing any concerns you're weighing (if you have any)? I'm nearly convinced this DC Concentration is the best option for me but need to mull it over longer. 

Mostly just the importance of prestige weight.  I’ve heard from people in the DC area that it’s far more important than is given credit. 

 

Not saying I won’t go, for what it’s worth. Just that I have to consider other options and it’s hard when I have a free ride staring me in the face. 

[madrid]

7 hours ago, HoboPresident said:

Mostly just the importance of prestige weight.  I’ve heard from people in the DC area that it’s far more important than is given credit. 

 

Not saying I won’t go, for what it’s worth. Just that I have to consider other options and it’s hard when I have a free ride staring me in the face. 

I totally agree - was not expecting such a generous offer and it's hard to turn down..

[SciGuy720]

Just curious if anyone else on here applied prior to the R1 deadline and is still "In Review"? I have emailed the Graduate Coordinator twice and and have been told that they hope to have all R1 decisions out "soon". Has anyone in a similar situation gotten any further details? I have several offers with funding but LBJ was always high on my list and it sounds like this has been an issue for them in the past. Any info that anyone has would be appreciated.

[Mer215]

Hi, I am in the same boat----I am just waiting it out and just hoping for the best since LBJ is my first choice (I mean they have they have one of the best humanitarian intervention scholars in the country)! I figure decisions will come out in the following weeks. 

Edited March 7, 2019 by Mer215

[czf92]

18 hours ago, Mer215 said:

Hi, I am in the same boat----I am just waiting it out and just hoping for the best since LBJ is my first choice (I mean they have they have one of the best humanitarian intervention scholars in the country)! I figure decisions will come out in the following weeks. 

Yeah, they def will! I applied maybe a week after the R1 deadline (just couldn't get my shit together I guess haha) and I got my offer last week. Maybe they're a lil swamped, but I got mine last Friday, if that helps! 

[madrid]

Just for future records - Austin unprovoked emailed me this Saturday to offer me an increase in stipend, bumping me up to full tuition and 31k stipend

[gradskoolbound]

3 hours ago, madrid said:

Just for future records - Austin unprovoked emailed me this Saturday to offer me an increase in stipend, bumping me up to full tuition and 31k stipend

Hi Madrid. What were you looking at for funding before? Like how much did they bump you up in comparison to what they originally gave you? 

[madrid]

2 hours ago, gradskoolbound said:

Hi Madrid. What were you looking at for funding before? Like how much did they bump you up in comparison to what they originally gave you? 

Hi, they offered me full tuition and 19k stipend originally. I'm not too sure why they increased as I didn't ask as it was a generous offer and it seemed tone deaf to ask for more!

[madrid]

On 4/8/2019 at 7:13 PM, madrid said:

Hi, they offered me full tuition and 19k stipend originally. I'm not too sure why they increased as I didn't ask as it was a generous offer and it seemed tone deaf to ask for more!

second update for future reference - about 3 days before deadline I got bumped up to full ride and 43,248 stipend (!!!!). Mind absolutely blown. Didn't negotiate them at all. The waiting game worked out unintentionally I guess... So grateful

[acv123]

4 hours ago, madrid said:

second update for future reference - about 3 days before deadline I got bumped up to full ride and 43,248 stipend (!!!!). Mind absolutely blown. Didn't negotiate them at all. The waiting game worked out unintentionally I guess... So grateful

Hi, I’m actually in the same boat - I was bumped up to the same amount on Friday unexpectedly, which is making my decision harder. Are you definitely decided on LBJ, or still considering other options? I’m between LBJ, Berkeley, and Columbia at the moment and trying to decide ahead of tomorrow’s deadline ? Curious to know if the funding increase has influenced your decision making. 

[madrid]

On 4/14/2019 at 11:27 PM, acv123 said:

Hi, I’m actually in the same boat - I was bumped up to the same amount on Friday unexpectedly, which is making my decision harder. Are you definitely decided on LBJ, or still considering other options? I’m between LBJ, Berkeley, and Columbia at the moment and trying to decide ahead of tomorrow’s deadline ? Curious to know if the funding increase has influenced your decision making. 

Sorry I disappeared to Morocco with no WiFi right after this happened haha. Since my next best offer was a full ride in a high cost of living city (LA) I went with Austin!