2020 Results

[mpp.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:

[rcarvano]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPA
Schools Applied To:  GWU TRACHTENBERG, LIU POST
Schools Admitted To:  LIU POST
Schools Rejected From:  N/A
Still Waiting:  GWU
Undergraduate Institution:  University of Delaware
Undergraduate GPA: 3.64
Undergraduate Major:  Public Policy and Administration 
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores:  None Submitted/None Required 
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  N/A
Years of Work Experience:  3
Describe 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. 

[lexuwhit]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MA Educational Transformation 
Schools Applied To:  Georgetown University
Schools Admitted To:  N/A
Schools Rejected From:  N/A
Still Waiting:  Georgetown
Undergraduate Institution:  UC Santa Barbara
Undergraduate GPA:   3.2
Undergraduate Major:  Global Studies
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores:  Not required
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  Going on 2 years
Years of Work Experience:  3
Describe 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.

[scotabroad]

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!

[amichael]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP and MPA
Schools Applied To:  GWU, UMD, UAlbany
Schools 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:

[EnvPolicyHopeful]

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 Sustainability
Schools 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 UCSD
Schools Rejected From:  None yet
Still Waiting:  Berkeley, UW Madison, Minnesota, Michigan, Washington, CU Boulder
Undergraduate Institution:  UW Madison
Undergraduate GPA:   3.0X for all of it, but 3.2ish last 60 credits
Undergraduate 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):  6
Years of Work Experience:  5 years of relevant work experience
Describe 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

[chaparralcountry]

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/a
Schools Rejected From:  n/a
Still Waiting:  Duke University 
Undergraduate Institution:  Ivy League
Undergraduate GPA:   3.6
Undergraduate Major:  Environmental Science
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores:  155 (hoping to retake but math's never been my strong suit) / 166 / 5.0
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  1.5 years
Years of Work Experience:  1.5 years
Describe 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. 

[LazarusRises]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): Duke Nicholas School Masters of Environmental Management, Columbia SIPA MPA-DP, Berkeley MDP
Schools Admitted To:  None yet!
Schools Rejected From:  None yet!
Still Waiting:  All!
Undergraduate Institution: UC Berkeley
Undergraduate GPA:   3.71
Undergraduate Major:  Environmental Policy
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores:  160/169/6.0
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  4
Years of Work Experience:  4
Describe 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 developer
Strength 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!!!

[sgr2020]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.):  MPP/MPA/MPAff/MA
Schools Applied To:  Brown Watson, Cornell CIPA, UT Austin LBJ, A&M Bush, Carnegie Heinz, Georgetown McCourt, Johns Hopkins SAIS
Schools Admitted To:  Brown ($), Cornell ($$$)
Schools Rejected From:  n/a
Still 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:  157/168/4.5
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  n/a
Years of Work Experience:  3
Describe 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). 

[educationmatters]

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.

 

[chande_]

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.

[EnvPolicyHopeful]

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!

 

[educationmatters]

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. 

[educationmatters]

On 2/7/2020 at 12:12 PM, sgr2020 said:

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.):  MPP/MPA/MPAff/MA
Schools Applied To:  Brown Watson, Cornell CIPA, UT Austin LBJ, A&M Bush, Carnegie Heinz, Georgetown McCourt, Johns Hopkins SAIS
Schools Admitted To:  Brown ($), Cornell ($$$)
Schools Rejected From:  n/a
Still 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:  157/168/4.5
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  n/a
Years of Work Experience:  3
Describe 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...

[EnvPolicyHopeful]

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!

[CooperSly]

Has anyone heard back from SIPA or WWS PhD programs? Cheers to everyone who's gotten acceptances so far!

[amichael]

On 2/5/2020 at 8:50 PM, amichael said:

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP and MPA
Schools Applied To:  GWU, UMD, UAlbany
Schools 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!

[mamsiey]

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.

[mamsiey]

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:

[lfew]

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?
 

[PupCakes]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.):  IR - MA, MSFS
Schools Applied To:  Georgetown MSFS, GWU Elliott, Johns Hopkins SAIS, American SIS
Schools Admitted To:  American, GWU
Schools Rejected From:  
Still Waiting:  Georgetown, Johns Hopkins
Undergraduate Institution:  University of Florida
Undergraduate GPA:   3.46
Undergraduate Major:  Anthropology
GRE 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 months
Years 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:

[teddyawesome]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): International Development
Schools Applied To:  American SIS, SAIS, Emory MDP, Heller SIS, Seton Hall, NYU, New School
Schools Admitted To:  American SIS, Emory MDP, Heller SIS
Schools Rejected From:  
Still Waiting:  SAIS, NYU, New School, Seton Hall
Undergraduate Institution: 
Undergraduate GPA:   3.26
Undergraduate Major:  International Relations with an French minor
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores:  158/162/4.5
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  3
Years of Work Experience:  5
Describe 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

[failure2connect]

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

[rcarvano]

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

[Graddygrad]

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