Oxford MPP 2019-20

[Strider1]

Hey guys, the final deadline for the MPP application was 25th January and while we wait for the decision, let us connect here and get the conversation going. Surprisingly this is the 1st thread for Oxford BSG MPP. Thanks.

[chinaffairs]

Do we know when will the result be out this year? I have also applied to Cambridge for two mphil programmes but already been rejected... I now await decisions from the impa at UPenn, msc developments management at LSE and msc comparative social policy + mpp at Oxford. 

[worrypower]

Not applied to MPP but I am also a bit surprised to see so little discussion of Oxbridge on this forum! Maybe Brexit has scared everyone off? Has everyone stockpiled enough canned peaches and French wine? Hahaha

[Strider1]

21 hours ago, chinaffairs said:

Do we know when will the result be out this year? I have also applied to Cambridge for two mphil programmes but already been rejected... I now await decisions from the impa at UPenn, msc developments management at LSE and msc comparative social policy + mpp at Oxford. 

Hi there, that is a pretty diverse set of policy programmes. I guess you are aiming at PhD as well, because then MPhil will be very helpful, others are more practice oriented. Anyway best wishes to you. Back to your question, BSG results are expected in March, so we will know in a months time more or less.

[Strider1]

17 hours ago, worrypower said:

Not applied to MPP but I am also a bit surprised to see so little discussion of Oxbridge on this forum! Maybe Brexit has scared everyone off? Has everyone stockpiled enough canned peaches and French wine? Hahaha

That indeed can be a possible reason but complete silence is weird, plus there is a general drop in gradcafe MPP/MPA activities I am noticing (lowest since 2014 I reckon). Anyhow, thanks for the insight.

[ketchup23]

I applied but I haven't heard back yet. What kind of qualifications are you guys going in with? Good luck guys  

[Strider1]

18 hours ago, bloomeighty said:

I applied but I haven't heard back yet. What kind of qualifications are you guys going in with? Good luck guys  

Thanks. Got an email from BSG Admissions a few days back that the results will be declared latest by 22nd March, so I guess till then fingers crossed!

[ahemside]

On 2/27/2019 at 6:54 PM, Strider1 said:

Thanks. Got an email from BSG Admissions a few days back that the results will be declared latest by 22nd March, so I guess till then fingers crossed!

May i know in what date you received the bsg email? And what the subject? Is it 'application received' or something else? 

I got it too in January saying application received. Do you think it's generic email for all of applicants or what?

I'm very curious since i received it... 

[Strider1]

I received the email on 22nd February with the following text as excerpt:

***

Dear ________,

Thank you for submitting your application to the Master of Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government. Your application will now be prepared for assessment by our Admissions Committee and a decision should be communicated to you no later than 22 March 2019. 

***
Clearly a generic email and probably for all the participants. One month to go ?️ ??️

[pewpew123]

What kind of profiles are you guys going with ? 
I was an aide to a Minister in the Indian govt. and later a policy consultant at the same ministry. Then started off as Political Consultant/election manager. Legal background. Volunteered for legal rep of forced migrants and asylum seekers in India. But on the border of lower second class and upper second glass. Very average grades. But a few years of professional exp.

Not very confident about the whole thing. Any consoling words?

 

 

[Barns]

Hi Pewpew123,

I have a similar profile as yours. What is your GRE Score? 

[pewpew123]

3 hours ago, Barns said:

Hi Pewpew123,

I have a similar profile as yours. What is your GRE Score? 

Applied without a gre score

[Strider1]

The admissions blog at BSG has been updated and here is the post that sheds some light on what's happening this season: http://blogs.bsg.ox.ac.uk/2019/03/13/admissions-update-decision-making-time-for-the-mpp/

Edited March 14, 2019 by Strider1

[jamalliu]

Anybody has heard anything from the admissions? The blog said results will be released this week.

[ID2019]

Just heard back - in

[PaoloC]

Also in! But funding information is a month away. 

[bastilka]

Congratulations to those admitted! Didn't get in, pretty devastated... And did not get in any other UK degree, while admitted to US schools including Harvard Kennedy School... I wonder what's so wrong with my application from the viewpoint of UK schools...

[Strider1]

2 hours ago, bastilka said:

Congratulations to those admitted! Didn't get in, pretty devastated... And did not get in any other UK degree, while admitted to US schools including Harvard Kennedy School... I wonder what's so wrong with my application from the viewpoint of UK schools...

Similar story here, got accepted everywhere I applied except this one. Btw congratulations for HKS, no mean feat! 

Congratulations to all those who got in, the BSG blog says 74% of the 2018 incoming class was fully funded so you guys are in for a treat I am sure. Cheers!

Edited March 19, 2019 by Strider1

[Strider1]

12 hours ago, PaoloC said:

Also in! But funding information is a month away. 

Man you got into WWS! You have arrived sir, congratulations for that and of course for BSG. Where will you be heading now, though not hard to guess

Edited March 19, 2019 by Strider1

[Anathema]

Alas! I didn't get in. It started so well with acceptances and (partial) scholarships from Columbia and Duke but rejections from WWS and BSG have left me deflated. Do we have a whatsapp group or something similar to discuss how to improve our applications for next year?

[bastilka]

2 hours ago, Anathema said:

Alas! I didn't get in. It started so well with acceptances and (partial) scholarships from Columbia and Duke but rejections from WWS and BSG have left me deflated. Do we have a whatsapp group or something similar to discuss how to improve our applications for next year?

Would love to discuss!!! In a very similar situation. Doubting whether to go to a school that accepted me or try again... For trying again I need to know where to improve though...

[parislover]

Hey Guys!

Chin Up ! I also got rejected, so we are in this together. However I got other great offers, so everything will be fine in the end

I wouldn't recommend applying again to the same school as realistically within a year your profile will not have changed that much and being rejected twice in a row is not going to be fun. 

One thing to keep in mind which I reflected on: Blavatnik curriculum is honestly not very strong from a skills perspective. Compared with other programs where you come away with some strong quantitative and analytical skills, BSG's curriculum is wishy washy and their job placement history is a bit questionable. 

So you may have dodged a bullet there  Good luck to everyone

[SomeFolk]

Hey there, congratulaciones to all!

To those who got in: see you this fall...

 to those who did not get in: http://www.princeton.edu/haushofer/Johannes_Haushofer_CV_of_Failures.pdf

Edited March 20, 2019 by SomeFolk

[ID2019]

Has anybody heard anything about funding? ?

[jamalliu]

On 3/27/2019 at 2:59 PM, ID2019 said:

Has anybody heard anything about funding? ?

Hi, I received a scholarship particularly for Chinese nationals. I suppose you could apply for suitable fundings listed in the page below, or you could contact with the Office of Fees and Funding to require more information:

http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/fees-and-funding/fees-funding-and-scholarship-search

BTW, did you guys receive any feedbacks from the admissions? I sent them my confirmation of acceptance and asked some questions last week, but no message has come back from them.