mpp.2020 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Folks, decisions are beginning to trickle in (looking at you, Chicago and Georgetown!), so I figured a 2020 admissions thread might be in order. I'm a long-time lurker who finally applied to MPP programs this year and have always found these posts super helpful. Previous versions of this thread are here: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014. Format below: Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): Schools Applied To: Schools Admitted To: Schools Rejected From: Still Waiting: Undergraduate Institution: Undergraduate GPA: Undergraduate Major: GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): Years of Work Experience: Describe Relevant Work Experience: Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Other: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcarvano Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPASchools Applied To: GWU TRACHTENBERG, LIU POSTSchools Admitted To: LIU POSTSchools Rejected From: N/AStill Waiting: GWUUndergraduate Institution: University of DelawareUndergraduate GPA: 3.64Undergraduate Major: Public Policy and Administration GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: None Submitted/None Required Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): N/AYears of Work Experience: 3Describe Relevant Work Experience: Held a Senate internship with the office of Senator Cruz for 4 months as a legislative intern. Worked on government contracts with a consulting firm for 4 months. Current teacher's assistant at the University of Delaware for an undergrad law class. Volunteered for a congressional campaign while in High School. Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strong, described my merits. Went into detail about how growing up during Hurricane Sandy and having financial struggles has created a deep connection that reflects in my research and work. I also highlight my public service background and how I have set myself up, through networks, to work on the hill if accepted and enrolled. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Very Strong. Received one from the woman who works for my current institution's MPA program as well as the director of economic development for Chuck Schumer. Other: Was just curious about my gpa and other considerations. Unlike undergrad I feel like there is no clear bar to reach or pass other than some info GW lists. For example, GW states that it generally accepts those with a 3.5 or higher and also lists itself as competitive. Of course I have no way of knowing what the pool of applicants looks like, but was just curious if anyone had insights on my professional and academic background compared with the standards of GW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexuwhit Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MA Educational Transformation Schools Applied To: Georgetown UniversitySchools Admitted To: N/ASchools Rejected From: N/AStill Waiting: GeorgetownUndergraduate Institution: UC Santa BarbaraUndergraduate GPA: 3.2Undergraduate Major: Global StudiesGRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: Not requiredYears Out of Undergrad (if applicable): Going on 2 yearsYears of Work Experience: 3Describe Relevant Work Experience: Interned at the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Organizations, Office of Peacekeeping, Sanctions, and Counter-terrorism going into my final year of undergrad summer of 2017. Then interned at an education policy nonprofit back home in LA after I graduated in June of 2018. Worked at the LA Superior Courts then at a personal injury law firm.Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Extremely strong. Wrote about my experience living in LA and my educational experiences of going to low-performing public schools since I'm applying to an educational policy program. Lawyers at my job and professors I had at undergrad read and made edits to my SOP.Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I have one from my Chinese professor (took two years of Mandarin), one from my constitutional law professor, and one from my labor history professor.Other: My program as three deadlines: 12/1/2019 (priority scholarship), 2/1/2020 (interim), and 3/15/2020 (final). I applied before the priority scholarship deadline and now I'm just waiting to hear back. Emailed a woman in the department and she said that decisions will conclude in April, so between now and April I should hear something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotabroad Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 Just got an email today from GW Trachtenberg saying they've forwarded my application to the committee for consideration, so I thought I'd jump in and start populating this...good luck everyone! Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP and MIDP Schools Applied To: Georgetown (MPP & MIDP), George Washington (MPP), American (MPP) Schools Admitted To: Schools Rejected From: Still Waiting: all of them! Undergraduate Institution: UK university, top 20-30 in the world, depending on whose rankings you look at Undergraduate GPA: 3.93 Undergraduate Major: Geography GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 159/168/4.0 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 1.5 to date Years of Work Experience: 5 Describe Relevant Work Experience: I'm applying for policy programs with an international development and urban policy focus, so I have quite a lot of project management/study/research experience in Malawi, Tanzania, South Africa and Uganda. Conducted an 8-week independent research project on urban redevelopment policy in the US and wrote a 12,000-word thesis for which I won a university award. Interned every summer and during some semesters of my undergrad program, including at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office as an attache to a very senior politician. Other internships for a small global health NGO, my university's Community Health department, and for a disability and education non-profit. Following graduation, worked for a fairly well known international development nonprofit in their performance & governance team, providing support to their 14 field offices, contributing to policy and governance documents, and analyzing project evaluations. Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): In retrospect, they probably could have been better. I tried to adapt the SOP for each application and show a clear connection between my background, academic interests and past experience, and how the MPP will fit into that. However, reading them back, they could have been stronger, especially for GW. These (and my average quant and AW scores) are my main concern. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Really good I think, although I haven't seen them. One from my dissertation supervisor who also taught me in several classes and was always very positive about my potential, one from a senior lecturer/my faculty adviser and one from my supervisor at work. Other: I'm an international student from a low-income background and with a disability which caused me to take 1.5 years out of undergrad to seek treatment - slightly worried about how that will look, even though I didn't repeat any courses. Won department prize for being top student in my cohort (over 100 students) each of my final two years, plus won an award from a national academic body for my dissertation research. Five academic prizes in total from my bachelor's. Did a total of 168 credits at bachelor's (according to WES) if that means anything to anyone...I don't really have a frame of reference! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amichael Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP and MPASchools Applied To: GWU, UMD, UAlbanySchools Admitted To: UAlbany Schools Rejected From: n/a Still Waiting: GWU and UMD Undergraduate Institution: University of Utah Undergraduate GPA: 3.554 Undergraduate Major: Political Science (Public Policy emphasis) Minors in Campaign Management and Economics GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: n/q Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 0 Years of Work Experience: 2 Describe Relevant Work Experience: I've worked on three different campaigns (state legislature, mayoral, and presidential), interned in the State Legislature, and worked with a NGO watchdog group in DC. Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I felt pretty confident about them, but in retrospect I think I could have improved on them. Since my GPA isn't the greatest, I focused on my work experience and highlighted the upward motion in my academic performance. GW is he one that I think could have been improved upon, but there was only so much I could write in such a short prompt. I also got anxious and submitted it earlier than I should have. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I was unable to read two of them, but I felt really good about the one I did get to read. I had two professors that I got along with well, and the legislator I worked for wrote the other. Other: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnvPolicyHopeful Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 (edited) Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP, MPA, MS (MS in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy) and some joint degrees including Berkeley's MPP/ERG and Michigan's MPP/MS in Environment and SustainabilitySchools Applied To: UC Berkeley Goldman School Concurrent MPP and Energy and Resources Group (MPP/ERG) UW Madison La Follette MPA with a certificate in Energy Analysis and Policy University of Minnesota Humphrey School Master of Science in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (MS-STEP) University of Michigan Joint Ford School MPP and School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) MPP/MS in Environment and Sustainability and Public Policy University of Washington Evans School MPA with the Environmental Policy specialization CU Boulder Masters of the Environment (MENV) with the Environmental Policy specialization CU Denver School of Public Affairs MPA in Environmental Policy, Management, and Law UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) Environmental Policy Specialization Schools Admitted To: CU Denver and UCSDSchools Rejected From: None yetStill Waiting: Berkeley, UW Madison, Minnesota, Michigan, Washington, CU BoulderUndergraduate Institution: UW MadisonUndergraduate GPA: 3.0X for all of it, but 3.2ish last 60 creditsUndergraduate Major: Zoology, Spanish, Latin American Studies (triple major)GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: First take 152/162/5.0, Second take 160/154/6.0 (86th, 53rd, and 99th percentiles)Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 6Years of Work Experience: 5 years of relevant work experienceDescribe Relevant Work Experience: A pretty diverse range of relevant work experience ranging from wildlife field research on BLM and DOD land, a lot of land use experience with energy/agriculture/you name it, experience as an environmental consultant preparing environmental review documents for major state regulatory agencies, CEQA/NEPA author. I don't have published research per se but I have authored many environmental review documents that were published for local, state, and federal agencies (a variety of topics including energy, zoning ordinance amendments, development, etc). Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I'm going to sound like a jackass here, but even though I personally don't think my SOPs were great compared to what I'm capable of writing -- simply because the style of writing required for an SOP just isn't my strong suit -- I can write myself out of a goddamn sarcophagus cursed by Osiris himself. I cringed every time I read my various SOPs and other required essays because they're just my least favorite type of writing, but they were certainly good SOPs.Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I think good? I'm quite removed from school. I had two letters from project managers I'd worked with at previous jobs who were THRILLED to write letters for me, and one from a former professor I studied abroad with, whose area of research overlaps with international conservation. I haven't read any of them, though.Other: I think I have a good range of school options in there. I know there are other programs that would have been good academic fits, but I oped out of some places simply because I only wanted to consider places where both my partner and I would be happy living for the duration of my degree and perhaps longer -- and I think that within those parameters, I was able to find some programs that seem to be a really great fit! I'm already local to one of the schools I applied to, but quite frankly it's a bit of a long shot. I'm super pleased to have heard back from two schools already, though! Edited February 6, 2020 by EnvPolicyHopeful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaparralcountry Posted February 7, 2020 Share Posted February 7, 2020 Alright, here I go! Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): Duke University - Nicholas School of the Environment (MEM)Schools Applied To: Just Duke this year! Schools Admitted To: n/aSchools Rejected From: n/aStill Waiting: Duke University Undergraduate Institution: Ivy LeagueUndergraduate GPA: 3.6Undergraduate Major: Environmental ScienceGRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 155 (hoping to retake but math's never been my strong suit) / 166 / 5.0Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 1.5 yearsYears of Work Experience: 1.5 yearsDescribe Relevant Work Experience: I've interned for a federal agency and well-known environmental nonprofit (like the Environmental Defense Fund) doing policy and sustainability work. I currently work in academia studying the effects of climate change, and will hopefully have shored up my quantitative + programming skills before I attend any program. Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Pretty good. I've had an idea of what I've wanted to do for a long time (you can probably see from my account history haha) and I think I have a pretty decent arc? Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I'm happy with them. One is from the federal agency, another from a state agency I interned for, and the last one is from my academic advisor/professor. Other: Good luck everyone! I'm just testing the waters but hoping for the best, attending the Nic School has been a dream of mine since I was in high school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LazarusRises Posted February 7, 2020 Share Posted February 7, 2020 Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): Duke Nicholas School Masters of Environmental Management, Columbia SIPA MPA-DP, Berkeley MDPSchools Admitted To: None yet!Schools Rejected From: None yet!Still Waiting: All!Undergraduate Institution: UC BerkeleyUndergraduate GPA: 3.71Undergraduate Major: Environmental PolicyGRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 160/169/6.0Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 4Years of Work Experience: 4Describe Relevant Work Experience: Worked in nonprofit environmental conservation in college, AmeriCorps fellowship in energy efficiency policy after undergrad, currently working with a utility-scale solar & storage developerStrength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I'm very passionate about my field & career, and I'm also an experienced writer (demonstrated in part by my verbal & AW GRE scores). I had several trusted friends and advisors read it over, including a couple of professional editors, and did several drafts to refine. I'm confident that it reads well and demonstrates my dedication to sustainable development & environmental stewardship.Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Current supervisor (Director-level), former supervisor at the same job who left (Executive-level), undergrad thesis advisor who is a Nobel laureate & author of the IPCC. All submitted their letters promptly and seemed very willing to write them. Other: Fulbright India 2016 semifinalist in Energy; walked the Camino de Santiago (20 miles a day for a month); long-distance runner. The last two are on my "15 Random Things" essay for Duke. Had an informal interview with the head of the Energy & Environment concentration at the Nic School MEM, he said (and I quote) "Your background is perfect for this position." Should hear back from the Nic School in about a week, I can't fricken wait!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgr2020 Posted February 7, 2020 Share Posted February 7, 2020 Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP/MPA/MPAff/MASchools Applied To: Brown Watson, Cornell CIPA, UT Austin LBJ, A&M Bush, Carnegie Heinz, Georgetown McCourt, Johns Hopkins SAISSchools Admitted To: Brown ($), Cornell ($$$)Schools Rejected From: n/aStill Waiting: UT, A&M, Carnegie, Georgetown, Hopkins Undergraduate Institution: Large flagship state university Undergraduate GPA: 3.8 Undergraduate Major: Political Science and Economics GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 157/168/4.5Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): n/aYears of Work Experience: 3Describe Relevant Work Experience: 3 years of research experience in international affairs/conflict, Dept. of Treasury internship, House campaign internship Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strong, I had all of my statements reviewed by peers, mentors, and the university writing center.Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strong, letters from an assistant secretary in the department I worked for, the professor I did research with, and the campaign manager I worked for. Other: Strong extra-curricular and volunteer work related to national affairs and human rights. Undergrad research developed strong quant skills (programming in R, STATA, and Python). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
educationmatters Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPA, MPP in nonprofit/education Schools Applied To: IU, Brown, Duke, ASU, U Minn, U Mich, NYU, Northwestern, USC, UCB, UCLA, UCR, Georgetown, Cornell, USC. Schools Admitted To: ASU, U Minn. Schools Rejected From: n/a but didn't get into Brown early action, they put me back into the normal pool. Still Waiting: IU, Brown, Duke, U Mich, NYU, Northwestern, USC, UCB, UCLA, UCR, Georgetown, Cornell, USC. Undergraduate Institution: LMU University of Munich (top 30 school worldwide) Undergraduate GPA: 3.7 Undergraduate Major: American Studies, Law Minor GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 147/157/4.5 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): n/a Years of Work Experience: 4 Describe Relevant Work Experience: 3 years of education work in government, currently a house intern, helped found a nonprofit in college where I footed the financial/legal work. Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Pretty strong, had professor input but some are stronger than others. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Very strong, worked for many professors and had good relationships. Other: Originally from the US, studied almost totally in German (a little unique), worked for school system in US and Germany. Very active in extracurriculars and working part time in administrative and education positions. Difficult upbringing which ties together an interest in education/nonprofit work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chande_ Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): IR, MIA, Latin American Studies Schools Applied To: Georgetown MA Latin American Studies, Columbia SIPA, Johns Hopkins SAIS MIA, GWU Latin American Studies MA, U Chicago CIR, American University SIS MA, UT Austin LBJ GPS-DC, UC San Diego GPS Schools Admitted To: American U Schools Rejected From: none yet Still Waiting: Everywhere else! Undergraduate Institution: Flagship State School (UW-Madison) Undergraduate GPA: 3.67 Undergraduate Major: International Studies & Spanish, Environmental Studies Minor GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 157/163/4.5 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 2 Years of Work Experience: 4 Describe Relevant Work Experience: 6 months journalism internship in Argentina, 1 year teaching english in Spain, currently serving in AmeriCorps in El Paso, TX. During undergrad I worked for a year as an intern for a State Rep Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I think they are pretty strong, there is a clear narrative and focused research/career goals. Spent about 20 hours writing them. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Two strong, one meh. A professor with whom I worked closely and the State Rep for whom I interned who is now the WI Secretary of Revenue. Other: Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Studied, interned, and worked abroad for a total of two years in Spanish-speaking countries. Lots and lots of volunteer experience working with immigrants and refugees, directly relating to my career goals and desired degree focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnvPolicyHopeful Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 On 2/7/2020 at 7:23 PM, educationmatters said: Schools Admitted To: ASU, U Minn. Congrats on the admits, educationmatters! Could you tell me a bit more about your MN acceptance? I applied to the MS-STEP program and I'm still waiting to hear back, though based on past years' timelines it should happen any day. MN is one of my top choices, though, so I'm ANXIOUS! I had communications with faculty prior to submitting, and the faculty indicated that I seemed like a great program fit, but I'm a bit worried about my lower GPA. Really hoping my experience pulls me through, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
educationmatters Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 On 2/10/2020 at 3:03 PM, EnvPolicyHopeful said: Thank you! Congrats on CU and UCSD too! I applied to Humphrey's MPP program on December 13th. They emailed me on Friday, January 3rd at 4:30pm (EST) saying that a decision had been posted to my application page. They also emailed me saying that scholarships, fellowships, etc. would be released in march. You have a lot of really work experience that I don't have which will definitely be an asset. Minnesota also usually admits many more students than other programs... I bet you have a great shot. Also... I have a friend who just got their graduated from UCSD in environmental policy and loved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
educationmatters Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 On 2/7/2020 at 12:12 PM, sgr2020 said: Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP/MPA/MPAff/MASchools Applied To: Brown Watson, Cornell CIPA, UT Austin LBJ, A&M Bush, Carnegie Heinz, Georgetown McCourt, Johns Hopkins SAISSchools Admitted To: Brown ($), Cornell ($$$)Schools Rejected From: n/aStill Waiting: UT, A&M, Carnegie, Georgetown, Hopkins Undergraduate Institution: Large flagship state university Undergraduate GPA: 3.8 Undergraduate Major: Political Science and Economics GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 157/168/4.5Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): n/aYears of Work Experience: 3Describe Relevant Work Experience: 3 years of research experience in international affairs/conflict, Dept. of Treasury internship, House campaign internship Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strong, I had all of my statements reviewed by peers, mentors, and the university writing center.Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strong, letters from an assistant secretary in the department I worked for, the professor I did research with, and the campaign manager I worked for. Other: Strong extra-curricular and volunteer work related to national affairs and human rights. Undergrad research developed strong quant skills (programming in R, STATA, and Python). Congrats on Brown and Cornell! When did you apply/hear back? I am anxiously waiting for their reply... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnvPolicyHopeful Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 13 hours ago, educationmatters said: Thank you! Congrats on CU and UCSD too! I applied to Humphrey's MPP program on December 13th. They emailed me on Friday, January 3rd at 4:30pm (EST) saying that a decision had been posted to my application page. They also emailed me saying that scholarships, fellowships, etc. would be released in march. You have a lot of really work experience that I don't have which will definitely be an asset. Minnesota also usually admits many more students than other programs... I bet you have a great shot. Also... I have a friend who just got their graduated from UCSD in environmental policy and loved it. I ended up contacting them the other day. They said that MS-STEP notifications should go out by the end of next week, so not too long. Good luck with all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CooperSly Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 Has anyone heard back from SIPA or WWS PhD programs? Cheers to everyone who's gotten acceptances so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amichael Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 On 2/5/2020 at 8:50 PM, amichael said: Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP and MPASchools Applied To: GWU, UMD, UAlbanySchools Admitted To: UAlbany Schools Rejected From: n/a Still Waiting: GWU and UMD Undergraduate Institution: University of Utah Undergraduate GPA: 3.554 Undergraduate Major: Political Science (Public Policy emphasis) Minors in Campaign Management and Economics GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: n/q Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 0 Years of Work Experience: 2 Describe Relevant Work Experience: I've worked on three different campaigns (state legislature, mayoral, and presidential), interned in the State Legislature, and worked with a NGO watchdog group in DC. Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I felt pretty confident about them, but in retrospect I think I could have improved on them. Since my GPA isn't the greatest, I focused on my work experience and highlighted the upward motion in my academic performance. GW is he one that I think could have been improved upon, but there was only so much I could write in such a short prompt. I also got anxious and submitted it earlier than I should have. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I was unable to read two of them, but I felt really good about the one I did get to read. I had two professors that I got along with well, and the legislator I worked for wrote the other. Other: Just heard back from UMD. Accepted with in state tuition, a generous scholarship, and a graduate assistantship! Very excited! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamsiey Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 8 hours ago, amichael said: Just heard back from UMD. Accepted with in state tuition, a generous scholarship, and a graduate assistantship! Very excited! Woow! Congratulations!!!! I applied to UMD as well for MPP. Yet to hear back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamsiey Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MA Int. Studies, MPP, MPA Schools Applied To: UMD (without GRE), Georgia State, Missouri Truman School, NC State Schools Admitted To: NC State, Missouri Truman School Schools Rejected From: Still Waiting: UMD, Georgia State Undergraduate Institution: International ( Ghana) Undergraduate GPA: 3.36 Undergraduate Major: Sociology & Chinese GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 152/150/4.0 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 4 Years of Work Experience: 4 Describe Relevant Work Experience: Program assistant NGO Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): highlight of my work experience at the NGO, my cultural background and future plans Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I’m pretty sure they were very good! Other: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lfew Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): IR, Global Affairs, Humanitarianism Schools Applied To: Albany, NYU, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Bath Schools Admitted To: Bath, Albany, NYU Schools Rejected From: Still Waiting: Syracuse, Notre Dame Undergraduate Institution: SUNY School Undergraduate GPA: 3.37 Undergraduate Major: TESOL GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: not great(: Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 0 Years of Work Experience: 1 year of teaching Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): hopefully pretty good? Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): again, hopefully pretty good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PupCakes Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): IR - MA, MSFSSchools Applied To: Georgetown MSFS, GWU Elliott, Johns Hopkins SAIS, American SISSchools Admitted To: American, GWUSchools Rejected From: Still Waiting: Georgetown, Johns HopkinsUndergraduate Institution: University of FloridaUndergraduate GPA: 3.46Undergraduate Major: AnthropologyGRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: Didn't Submit/Weren't Required (rocked the verbal, quant, not so much, lol)Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 2 monthsYears of Work Experience: 7-9 depending on what you think counts.Describe Relevant Work Experience: Over 9 years in the US Navy working within the government as foreign language and intelligence analyst with ~ 2 of those years spent acquiring two different foreign languages.Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Fairly strong, I think. Described why I thought I would be a good fit and what I could contribute to the programs. Focused on where I've been, where I am now, and where I want to be in terms of IR. Had two mentors look over and give feedback on multiple revisions.Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strong. One academic and two profressional, though one of the pros has seen me in academic settings multiple times over the course of many years. All of my recommenders know me very well. I waived my right to see them, but one sent me an overwhelmingly positive draft.Other: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddyawesome Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): International DevelopmentSchools Applied To: American SIS, SAIS, Emory MDP, Heller SIS, Seton Hall, NYU, New SchoolSchools Admitted To: American SIS, Emory MDP, Heller SISSchools Rejected From: Still Waiting: SAIS, NYU, New School, Seton HallUndergraduate Institution: Undergraduate GPA: 3.26Undergraduate Major: International Relations with an French minorGRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 158/162/4.5Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 3Years of Work Experience: 5Describe Relevant Work Experience: RPCV and guest english teacher in South Korea Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Pretty strong I suppose.Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): No clue. Didn't read them. Other: the process has been pretty chill so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
failure2connect Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP and MPA Schools Applied To: Chicago Harris, U Mich, Carnegie Heinz, Cornell, Brandeis, American (MPA), GWU (MPA) Schools Admitted To: Brandeis ($$), American ($$) Schools Rejected From: Still Waiting: everyone else Undergraduate Institution: Undergraduate GPA: 3.8 Undergraduate Major: International Studies GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 155/170/4.5 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 2 Years of Work Experience: 2 Describe Relevant Work Experience: Two years of AmeriCorps with nonprofits and local gov Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): strong - reviewed by various peers, a prof, and a current student at Heinz Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): idk, I hope they're strong but didn't feel comfortable asking to see them Other: Spent a year in undergrad in a study abroad program in a "non-traditional" country Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcarvano Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 (edited) For anyone who applied to GW for MPA or MPP when are you expecting to hear back? I think I made a good case for myself (2nd post is my criteria) just getting nervous! Edited February 26, 2020 by rcarvano Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graddygrad Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP and MPA Schools Applied To: U Chicago Harris (MPP), GWU Trachtenberg (MPP), Princeton WWS (MPA), NYU Wagner (MPA), Columbia SIPA (MPA), Georgetown McCourt (MPP), UCSD GPS (MPP), HKS (MPP) Schools Admitted To: U Chicago Harris (applied to the MPP, got accepted into the MAIDP with $$), UCSD (no info on funding as of yet) Schools Rejected From: Still Waiting: GWU, Princeton, NYU, Columbia, Georgetown Undergraduate Institution: Elite social science research center in LatAm Undergraduate GPA: 3.8 Undergraduate Major: International Relations GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 147 /170/4.5 I know terrible quant Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 4 Years of Work Experience: 4 Describe Relevant Work Experience: Two years in federal government agency working closely with Minister, NGOs and research experience. I got a Fulbright to fund my Master's. Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Reviewed by peers and counselors. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): At least one strong letter from a direct supervisor at former job, two others from former professors (one of them is my current boss) Other: I speak 5 languages, at least 3 of them fluently. Really uncertain about how this whole process is gonna play out for me since Harris accepted me into my second option (I think my low GRE quant score might be the reason). If you have insights or advice I would love to hear it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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