Planning Admission 2021

[mightybruinss]

I've been holding up pretty well, until recently now that Berkeley has begun releasing some decisions. The stress is definitely starting to build up now... we're near the finish line.?

 

[bananaghost]

according to my research, we should be at about max-anticipation  

[bikepedkait96]

On 1/8/2021 at 11:36 AM, bikepedkait96 said:

Sent in my few applications and I am very excited to be on the journey with everyone. I am so incredibly passionate about this field and I realllly want to go to a graduate program that will allow me to be my best so I can make changes to our build environment. I am looking forward to being in this field with everyone! 

Age/Gender/Citizenship

24/F/US

Undergraduate degree/School/Year graduated 

BA in Environmental Studies / NC Uni / 2019
 

GPA - GRE  - TOEFL (for Int'l students) 

3.2 BA - V158/Q150/AW4.5

Work Experience:

- Environmental Law Internship with professor and a GIS spatial analyst with a Non profit 

- Clean Cities Internship with Council of Government 

- Transit Internship with a Municipal Planning Organization 

- VP of events with a solar renewable energy student organization 

Letter of recommendations: (from whom)

Transportation Professor, Sustainable City professor, Supervisor at Internship

Schools applied to: UC Berkeley, UCLA, UIC, UNC, Clemson

In: Berkeley, Clemson

Out:

Wait-list:

Awaiting: UC Berkeley, UCLA, UIC, UNC, Clemson

Results:

GOT INTO BERKELEY and Clemson !!! I'm waiting for funding decisions before I make any decisions but it's definitely top 3 for me 

[bikepedkait96]

On 2/13/2021 at 9:39 PM, alliecask said:

In at UIC, email said no departmental funding will be available through this semester though.....

Is that normal tho? To not have funding the first semester then you apply in later semesters for the GRA/GSR positions?

[rogueginger]

if we didn't get any sort of notification by berkeley can we assume waitlist/rejection? 

i know they rarely take straight from undergrad but i applied to a concurrent degree program in CED. it was my top choice, so i'm just trying to figure out how to manage my emotions/be able to compartmentalize and move onto the next notification. 

[alliecask]

9 minutes ago, rogueginger said:

if we didn't get any sort of notification by berkeley can we assume waitlist/rejection? 

i know they rarely take straight from undergrad but i applied to a concurrent degree program in CED. it was my top choice, so i'm just trying to figure out how to manage my emotions/be able to compartmentalize and move onto the next notification. 

Hi! I'm in the same boat for Berkeley admissions & being an undergrad. I read somewhere that this year Berkeley is doing rolling admissions instead of batch admissions (so the "the longer you wait the less likely your chances" idea might not be as accurate this time?) I'm hoping that's the case as well. 

[cigkofte92]

On 12/20/2020 at 11:43 AM, cigkofte92 said:

Age/Gender/Citizenship

28/F/US

Degree/School/Year graduated 

BA in History / smallish, underfunded, unranked state school / 2014
MA in Public History / unranked state school, but notable in my field / 2017

GPA - GRE  - TOEFL (for Int'l students) 

3.6 BA/3.8 MA - GRE was Q160/V162/W5, but I'm not submitting.

Work Experience:

3+ years in historical and environmental consulting as an analyst/planner; 4 internships in archives, museums, historic preservation planning, and cultural resources management

Letter of recommendations:

MA Thesis Advisor, MA professor of history and theory, and former boss as historical consulting firm

Schools applied to: Cornell is the only one for Urban Planning. The others (MIT, UC Berkeley, BU, UW, UVA) are all architecture/built environment history.

In: Cornell, Berkeley (Architecture)

Out:

Wait-list:

Awaiting: MIT, BU, UW, UVA

Results:

AHHH in at Cornell!

[jd212]

14 minutes ago, cigkofte92 said:

AHHH in at Cornell!

Congrats! Was notification via email or through the ApplyWeb portal? Still waiting here...

[cigkofte92]

Just now, jsm94 said:

Congrats! Was notification via email or through the ApplyWeb portal? Still waiting here...

Via email. It just came through 20 minutes ago. And it seems like a couple others got emails late last week. So something may still come through!

[nola360]

On 2/6/2021 at 7:12 PM, nola360 said:

 

In at UIC!!!

Edited February 15, 2021 by nola360

[nola360]

On 1/28/2021 at 12:21 PM, nola360 said:

 

Hi! Best of luck everyone!

 

Age/Gender/Citizenship

21/F/US

Undergraduate degree/School/Year graduated 

BA in Economics and Environmental Studies / top private school in the south / 2021

GPA - GRE  - TOEFL (for Int'l students) 

3.6 - 163/157/4

Work Experience:

Internship at renewable energy nonprofit, community gardens internship, tutor/TA

Letter of recommendations: (from whom)

intern supervisor/band director/professor

Schools applied to: Yale, UCLA, USC, UCI, Berkeley, UIC, UNC, Duke, UPenn, Michigan

In: UPenn, UIC

Out:

Wait-list: 

Awaiting:  Yale, UCLA, USC, UCI, Berkeley, UNC, Duke, UPenn, Michigan

Results:

 

[planningfor2021]

 

Does anyone want to guess on when USC will post? 

Edited February 15, 2021 by planningfor2021
typo

[dumbstarbucks]

does anyone have a link for the reddit page(s) about planning admissions? Thanks!!

[cigkofte92]

41 minutes ago, dumbstarbucks said:

does anyone have a link for the reddit page(s) about planning admissions? Thanks!!

 

[cityplace_uptown]

12 minutes ago, cigkofte92 said:

 

Had no idea these existed! Love it, thanks for sharing.

As an aside, really really hoping to get at least one response back this week (expecting UT).

[dumbstarbucks]

2 hours ago, cigkofte92 said:

 

Thank you! 

[jphd95]

On 1/29/2021 at 9:54 AM, jphd95 said:

 

Age/Gender/Citizenship

25/M/US

Undergraduate degree/School/Year graduated 

BA in Political Science, Urban Studies, 2018

GPA - GRE  - TOEFL (for Int'l students) 

3.34 - no GRE

Work Experience:

AmeriCorps VISTA - Economic Development, Regional Strategic Planning

Peace Corps - Community Development Associate

AmeriCorps VISTA - Entrepreneurship Development, Business Support Services

Letter of recommendations: (from whom)

Undergrad professor x2 / AmeriCorps VISTA supervisor

Schools applied to: Portland State, Oregon, UIC, Wisconsin-Madison, Iowa, Kansas, New Mexico, TAMU

In: Kansas

Out:

Wait-list: 

Awaiting:  Portland State, Oregon, UIC, Wisconsin-Madison, Iowa, New Mexico, TAMU

Results:

 

On 2/12/2021 at 4:10 PM, jphd95 said:

In: Oregon

In: UIC, Wisconsin-Madison, Iowa

[anxiousplanner]

The wait is making me more than a little nutty, so I'm caving and posting here after trying unsuccessfully to stop checking this site. The fact that Berkeley and UIC (two of my top picks) have started sending acceptances is making me pretty nervous, but I'm trying to take solace in the fact that so many others also haven't heard anything. Maybe it's not bad news this year?

Age/Gender/Citizenship

28/F/US

Undergraduate degree/School/Year graduated 

BA in Geography / good state school / 2013

GPA - GRE  - TOEFL (for Int'l students) 

3.4 BA - No GRE

Work Experience:

7+ years total, tangentially related to planning. 3 years doing community organizing for a union, 3 years for a small business development program, 1.5 years for a company that builds innovation spaces. SOP tries to make the connection to planning (my interests are in economic development, inequality, & racial wealth gap), but I'm now doubting myself. 

Letter of recommendations: 

All former or current managers, no academic letters.

Schools applied to: UC Berkeley, UCLA, Rutgers (dual with MPP), UIC, USC (dual with MPP)

In:

Out:

Wait-list: 

Awaiting: UC Berkeley, UCLA, Rutgers (dual with MPP), UIC, USC (dual with MPP)

Results:

[austinplanning256]

On 1/12/2021 at 10:46 AM, austinplanning256 said:

Hey everyone! Best of luck, finishing up my last apps this week. 

Age/Gender/Citizenship

25/M/US

Undergraduate degree/School/Year graduated 

BS in Sociology /  2018
 

GPA - GRE  - TOEFL (for Int'l students) 

3.1 BS

Work Experience:

- Current Data Analyst for a non-profit focused on food insecurity and food systems

- 1 year planning fellowship in California with a municipality 

- AmeriCorps VISTA for a municipality's housing department

Letter of recommendations: (from whom)

Geography PhD whose also a development manager for a municipality/ University Professor & Mentor at housing department/ Work supervisor in California

Schools applied to: NYU, UCLA, UT Austin, Cornell, Maryland, Columbia, Georgia Tech, Oregon, Cal Poly SLO

In:

Out:

Wait-list:

Awaiting: 

Results:

In at Cornell’s MRP program via email!

[takeitorleaveit97]

On 2/11/2021 at 7:23 PM, takeitorleaveit97 said:

 

Age/Gender/Citizenship

24/F/US

Undergraduate degree/School/Year graduated 

BA in an Interdisciplinary Degree + minor in French/ private university in NYC / 2019
MSc in Environment and Development / UK top school / 2021

GPA - GRE  - TOEFL (for Int'l students) 

3.68 BA/ still in MSc program - No GRE

Work Experience:

Lots of random research experience + year working abroad  

Letter of recommendations: (from whom)

All from undergrad professors (I was close to all of them and so I know they have a lot to say)

Schools applied to: Berkeley, Harvard, UPenn, Cornell, UMich, Columbia 

In: Berkeley (awaiting funding), Cornell (28k funding)

Out:

Wait-list: 

Awaiting: Harvard, UPenn, UMich, Columbia

Results:

 

 

Just heard from Cornell! 

Edited February 17, 2021 by takeitorleaveit97

[jd212]

Age/Gender/Citizenship

27/M/US

Undergraduate degree/School/Year graduated 

B.A. Art History and History (Double Honors), urban history and architectural history coursework / Top 15 Liberal Arts / 2016

GPA - GRE  - TOEFL (for Int'l students) 

3.77 / No GRE

Work Experience:

- 4 years in academic publishing 

Letter of recommendations: (from whom)

- 3 undergrad professors, likely strong due to close working relationships. 

Schools applied to: SUNY Buffalo, Cornell University, Harvard, University of British Columbia

In: Cornell 

Out:

Wait-list:

Awaiting: SUNY Buffalo, Harvard, University of British Columbia

Results:

Edited February 17, 2021 by jsm94

[takeitorleaveit97]

Can we chat a little about finances while we wait? What is the highest amount per year you would take out in loans for a grad program?

[cigkofte92]

3 hours ago, takeitorleaveit97 said:

Can we chat a little about finances while we wait? What is the highest amount per year you would take out in loans for a grad program?

For MA or PhD? For PhD, $0 since all necessary expenses and tuition should be covered by the funding package. For MA, I think it really depends on your existing financial situation, if you receive funding, and how your career goals (i.e. how much you'll make) line up with the debt you'd incur. But the fewer loans, the better, of course!

[austinplanning256]

17 hours ago, takeitorleaveit97 said:

Can we chat a little about finances while we wait? What is the highest amount per year you would take out in loans for a grad program?

Anything over 40K for a Master's Program I would have to think really hard about. 

[takeitorleaveit97]

39 minutes ago, austinplanning256 said:

Anything over 40K for a Master's Program I would have to think really hard about. 

100% agree. Even the 40k is a little iffy for me. The job market right now is looking extremely tough.