2021 Results

[EscapingBrexit]

6 minutes ago, academiaenthusiast said:

I'm an international student in the United States so it'll be harder to re-enter once I leave. Although the idea of a free education is v tempting

That definitey makes things harder for you! Do you want to remain in the US afterwards? Or do you have another destination in mind?

[limabeans08]

2 hours ago, MPAmcd said:

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPA
Schools Applied To:  Maxwell School (Syracuse University), CIPA (Cornell)
Schools Admitted To:  Maxwell (about 98% funding with a GA Assistantship, scholarships, etc), CIPA (~65% funding with fellowship, summer stipend, small assistantship)
Schools Rejected From: None
Still Waiting:  n/a
Undergraduate Institution:  Highly ranked private liberal arts school 
Undergraduate GPA:  4.0
Undergraduate Major:  Economics, minor in Entrepreneurial Studies
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores:  154 (ouch!)/168/5.5
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  3
Years of Work Experience:  3+ years of fulltime experience after graduation in nonprofits and political campaign support, I also have internship experience from every summer in undergrad, and worked for my undergrad institution throughout my senior year. 
Describe Relevant Work Experience:  Lots of experience in the philanthropy sector, supporting foundations and nonprofits. 
Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc):  It was pretty strong (got into both institutions). It detailed my professional goals of working with nonprofit strategy planning and support, gave specific examples of where I want to gain more experience and how each program could help. Since I only applied to two programs, each SOP was highly tailored. 
Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc):  Very strong, I used one professor recommendation and two professional references (including my current boss). They were all more than happy to write letters  - I was only able to view my boss's letter, but I'm sure the other two were good as well. 
Other: Torn between the two choices at the moment, I definitely have heard a lot of comments about how CIPA is a newer program but they've been very helpful throughout the application process, and you have access to courses from all of the schools at Cornell. The flexible curriculum, opportunity to have an internship during the summer, gain extra experience in consulting experiences, and general name recognition make this an attractive option. If I were able to obtain a Research or Graduate Assistantship in my second year, I'd have very little debt (and I'd definitely hustle to make that happen). 

Maxwell has a great reputation based on alumni conversations and most of the remarks on this forum. I'm worried about the tight timeline and rather inflexible curriculum, since I do want to gain enough experience to be a viable applicant at consulting firms. Of course, the shortened time out of the workforce is a benefit. The massive aid offer and strong alumni presence are obviously a big draw. One major consideration for me is that I don't intend to stay in the NY, NYC, or DC area (hoping to move to the West Coast after graduation), so I'm conflicted about which name will be the best one across the country, and not just the northeast.

I keep going back and forth, and know that whichever choice will have its costs and benefits...Any advice would be appreciated! 

curious why you applied to just two schools

[MPAmcd]

Location, partner's job, affordability, program reputations, etc.! At the time of applying, I was honestly only looking at Maxwell due to already being in the Syracuse area. After getting accepted to Cornell I've been looking much more in-depth into their program and weighing the benefits of going there instead. 

[MPAmcd]

10 minutes ago, limabeans08 said:

curious why you applied to just two schools

Location, partner's job, affordability, program reputations, etc.! At the time of applying, I was honestly only looking at Maxwell due to already being in the Syracuse area. After getting accepted to Cornell I've been looking much more in-depth into their program and weighing the benefits of going there instead. 

[academiaenthusiast]

1 hour ago, EscapingBrexit said:

That definitey makes things harder for you! Do you want to remain in the US afterwards? Or do you have another destination in mind?

remain in the US! Also, if any of you had to choose, would you choose a free ride to a decent university or take out 75k loans for the top university? I'm really in a pickle rn.

[taxbat]

2 hours ago, academiaenthusiast said:

remain in the US! Also, if any of you had to choose, would you choose a free ride to a decent university or take out 75k loans for the top university? I'm really in a pickle rn.

I'm in the same boat too. Not 75K in loans but still significant. I'm probably going to take the plunge only because I'm doing a career pivot and I feel like getting good connections from a school with a better program will be a must. I'd rather take out loans and have more of a sure thing than be debt free but few post grad opportunities. Should also mention I'm part time so I plan on working to pay down loans while I attend. 

Edited March 17, 2021 by taxbat

[povertypolicypolly]

Hey y'all, I was accepted to UC Berkeley Goldman and Oxford's Blavatnik School both for an MPP and am weighing my options between the two. I'm in-state in California, so pricewise, the degrees would be comparable, given that Oxford is a one year program and Berkeley is two years, and barring any additional funding Oxford may offer (still TBD). Obviously there is a job opportunity cost being out of the job market for multiple years. They appear to be of similar caliber and both have professors I would be interested in learning from. Is anyone else deciding between these two? Would love to hear how you are going about this decision! 

My specific interests are in integrating RCT results into policy and practice, and governments contracting with NGOs/nonprofits to pilot new policy.  

[MPA2021]

Long time lurker, finally heard back from all of my schools and I am happy to contribute for future generations!

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): American SPA (MPA), George Washington Trachtenberg (MPA), Harvard Kennedy (MPP), Princeton SPIA (MPA), University of Denver Korbel (MPP), Columbia SIPA (MPA)
Schools Admitted To:  American ($$$), GWU ($$), Columbia ($$), University of Denver ($$)
Schools Rejected From: HKS and Princeton 
Still Waiting:  N/A
Undergraduate Institution:  Top 20 U.S. university
Undergraduate GPA: 3.75
Undergraduate Major:  International development studies and gender studies 
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores:  155/163/5
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  4 
Years of Work Experience:  4 by start of program
Describe Relevant Work Experience:  4 years of progressive experience at an international development organization in Washington, DC. I have been able to touch all components of program management (budget, communications, stakeholder engagement, etc.) on major U.S. government funded development projects. I manage multiple employees, involved myself in numerous organization wide initiatives, and traveled to the field multiple times. I think my work experience was the strongest part of my application.  
Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc):  I spent many months working on my essays and had them reviewed by numerous friends and colleagues. In the end, I think they were very strong and effectively conveyed where I have been and where I want to go, and how the degree will help get me there. I think they really represented me and I was overall very happy with them. 
Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I had a letter of rec from my supervisor of three years, which I am sure was very strong. My second was from a professor from undergrad who I took three classes with. I didn't keep in touch with him, but did have two calls to go over why I was applying. I'm less confident in his letter. My third was from my Project Director, who knows my professional work well.  
Other: I was pleasantly surprised to get admitted into SIPA with funding and suspect my low GRE quant made me less competitive for HKS (and SPIA, though I had little to no hope there). I found studying for and taking the GRE during the pandemic extremely difficult, and simply could not make myself to take it again. Overall, I'm excited about all of the schools I was admitted to and looking forward to starting in the fall! I found GradCafe to be helpful, though sometimes a bit toxic

[Quitethabrotha]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): All MPA: Syracuse Maxwell, UT Austin LBJ, Texas A&M Bush, UT Dallas, Binghamton 
Schools Admitted To:  Bush, UT Dallas, Binghamton
Schools Rejected From: Maxwell
Still Waiting:  LBJ (waitlisted)
Undergraduate Institution: Syracuse (the irony)
Undergraduate GPA: Let's just say, bad.
Undergraduate Major: Political Science  
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 151/157/5.0
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  3
Years of Work Experience:  3 years + relevant internships all 4 years of college
Describe Relevant Work Experience: Worked in multiple legislative offices in NY + TX, non profits dedicated to education, large national non profit internship. Since graduation worked in political PR, civil rights lobbying, back to non profit work.
Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Kinda tough to say. Had a great supervisor in PR + 2 poli sci professors that knew me well write them up. Good enough to get me in school with bad stats. 

 

I have a question, though. my decision is going to be between A&M and UT. I'm just wondering if I should just prepare for A&M now, or if the gap between LBJ and Bush School is so great that it's worth putting faith in UT. Anybody know of how many get off the waitlist etc? I'm in state so even with little-no funding I'm good on that front. I've looked at both school's employment stats, run through the LinkedIn's of both alum groups, scoured past forums for insight etc. Just wondering if anyone has any direct experiences/knowledge of the two schools. Plan on staying in Texas, though DC might be a plan way later on. Any info is appreciated. 

[anxious_coffee]

Whelp, didn’t get into GWU’s MPP. Honestly surprised considering I got into Luskin and Wagner ?

[egghorse]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MALD/MIA/MIP/MSc/MA/MAIR/MPP

Schools Applied To:  Columbia SIPA (MIA), Johns Hopkins SAIS (MAIR), Tufts Fletcher (MALD), LSE International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies (MSc), Stanford Ford Dorsey (MIP), Yale Jackson (MA), Harvard Kennedy (MPP), Georgetown SFS (MSFS)

Schools Admitted To:   Columbia SIPA (MIA), Johns Hopkins SAIS (MAIR) ($$), Tufts Fletcher (MALD) ($), LSE International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies (MSc), Georgetown SFS (MSFS)

Schools Rejected From:  Stanford Ford Dorsey (MIP), Yale Jackson (MA), Harvard Kennedy (MPP)

Still Waiting:  

Undergraduate Institution:  Columbia (Dual with Sciences Po)

Undergraduate GPA:   4.0/4.0

Undergraduate Major:  Human Rights, Politics and Government 

GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores:  169/99% (V), 159/69% (Q), 5.5/98% (W)

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  0

Years of Work Experience:  0

Describe Relevant Work Experience:  Internships at State, French Embassy, private sector intelligence, research experience in Germany and Cambodia, multiple research fellowships, student director of national advocacy NGO

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc):  I think they were pretty good. I have been on a very specific and relatively unique (even for these schools) path since the beginning of college, so was pretty easy for me to describe specifically why each program made sense. 

Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc):  Probably okay/good? Definitely not the best best ever. A few profs I was decently close with/did research with, a few bosses who liked me. Probs none of the really outstanding ones people post about on here lol.

Other: All things considered, I am super happy how I did this application season, especially considering that I am coming straight in from undergrad. I got 30k a year from SAIS so most likely will be heading there! Better learn how to math asap...





 

[InternationalStudent]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPA/ID, MPA, MIEF, IDE, MA in Econ, MA in Development, Trade, and Finance
Schools Applied To:  HKS (MPA/ID), LSE (MPA), SAIS (MIEF), Yale (IDE), IHEID/Bocconi/Barcelona GSE/Central European University (MA in Econ), Barcelona GSE (Dev, Trade, Finance)
Schools Admitted To:  LSE, SAIS ($$), IHEID, Barcelona GSE (Dev). Invited for CEU interview but turned it down.
Schools Rejected From:  Bocconi (said they didn't like I was more than 2 years out of college), Barcelona GSE (Econ), Yale, HKS
Still Waiting:  None
Undergraduate Institution:  Top 10 IR school
Undergraduate GPA:  3.55
Undergraduate Major:  IR
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores:  168/169/5.0
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  3 at time of application, 4 at time of enrollment 
Years of Work Experience:  same as above
Describe Relevant Work Experience:  Internships in DC think tanks, 1 year in political risk consulting, 2 years in financial policy
Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I thought they were all pretty strong but they varied a ton between applications, some were fairly cookie cutter others took their time to write (especially HKS that made me write 6 different essays (4 for app 2 for financial aid) that were all fairly specific). 
Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc):  1 from current employer that really likes my work, 1 from past employer that's also a fairly well known Political Science phd, 1 from a professor that I wasn't too close to who taught me way back in 2016. Honestly getting an academic reference 3 years out of college was fairly tough. I didn't get the chance to read any of them so idk how strong they were.
Other: I didn't meet the prerequisites for the SAIS MIEF and still got in so I'd suggest everyone talk to admissions to see how flexible they are with these and shoot your shot.

 

Ok so I finally received all my results. It's gonna take a while to get over getting rejected by my dream program (MPA/ID), but I'm also pretty lucky to have good options. I'm struggling a little to decide between the SAIS MIEF and IHEID's International Econ program, thankfully both have webinars next week so that might help. 

[surreynotsurrey]

Background info : Current grad school student and former lawyer.

Applied to:  LBJ MPAff, HKS MPP, USC Price MPP, LSE MPA, Cambridge MPP

Accepted to: USC Price MPP ($$), LBJ MPAff (In-State Tuition), LSE MPA ($)

Rejected from: HKS MPP, Cambridge MPP

Still waiting:

Undergrad Institution: Large Canadian Institution

Law School: Top Canadian School

Graduate School: Current MSc Candidate at a top 3 British Institution

Years of experience: 3

Undergrad GPA: 3.95

Law School GPA: Top 25%

GRE: Q 160, V 162, AW 5.0

Quant experience: Beginner Stats; Causal Inference; Multivariate Stats; Econometrics; Microeconomics; Macroeconomics; Formal Logic; I can use R, Python and Stata.

Relevant Work Experience: Lawyer for one of the largest law firms in the world. International volunteering experience. Worked as a research assistant. A few publications to my name.

International experience: International volunteering. Currently studying in the UK.

Strength of LOR: Very strong LORs. References were from a judge, a law school dean, and a partner at my former firm.

SOP: Very strong in my opinion, was able to highlight my work experience and various volunteering to highlight my commitment to public service.

[jukebox123]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP/MPA
Schools Applied To:  USC Price (MPP), UCLA Luskin (MPP), UW Evans (MPA)
Schools Admitted To: USC Price ($$), UCLA Luskin (no funding), UW Evans ($$) 
Schools Rejected From:  none
Still Waiting:  none
Undergraduate Institution:  highly-ranked undergrad business school
Undergraduate GPA:   3.57
Undergraduate Major:  Business/Political Science/Economics
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores:  170/163/5.0
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  2
Years of Work Experience:  2 (full-time)/3 (including internships)
Describe Relevant Work Experience:  I did an internship at a non-profit that focused on building public-private partnerships, but my other internships and my full-time position were finance/tech related.
Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc):  I presume pretty strong? I wrote about my academic experiences and interests in CSR/social impact and contrasting it with what I've seen professionally. For my personal statement, I wrote about my identity and lived experience as a POC female in my personal statement and what that means in the context of greater racial inequality. 
Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc):  I asked two of my professors and one of my managers from my full-time role. I got the chance to speak with two of my recommenders before their wrote their recs and got to see them and provide some feedback before they submitted. I have no idea what my last recommender wrote, but I guess it was at least positive.
Other: 

[2020applicant...]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP, MSCAPP, QMSS, MS, MPA, MA

Schools Applied To: I got fee waivers so I was a bit excessive. Stanford GSE (MS Education Data Science), Princeton SPIA (MPA), Yale Jackson (MA), Berkeley Goldman (MPP), Chicago Harris (MSCAPP), UCLA Luskin (MPP), UCSD GPS (MPP), USC Price/Viterbi (MS Public Policy & Data Science), Columbia GSAS (QMSS), Carnegie Mellon Heinz (MSPPM-DA), NYU Steinhardt (MS Applied Statistics for Social Science Research)

Schools Admitted To (ordered cheapest to most expensive): UCSD MPP (100% + stipend/health insurance), NYU MS Applied Stats (50%), Carnegie Mellon MSPPM-DA (60%), UCLA MPP (in-state), Berkeley MPP (in-state), Harris MSCAPP (30%), Columbia QMSS (0%), USC MSPP&DS (0%)

Schools Rejected From: Yale MA (Waitlist), Princeton MPA, Stanford MS

Still Waiting: n/a

Undergraduate Institution: A highly ranked U.S. public school 

Undergraduate GPA: 3.3

Undergraduate Major: basically Poli Sci. Took stat1, econ1 in college, took a couple computer sci courses post-college

GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 158Q, 164V, 5.5AW (took it in 2017)

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): ~5 years as of now

Years of Work Experience: ~5 years full time as of now

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 1.5 years tutoring at a small domestic nonprofit, 2.25 years in Peace Corps, 1 year in evaluation at a large domestic nonprofit

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I had enough relevant work experience to tie my stated interests to professional anecdotes

Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I didn't read them. Peace Corps Post Senior Staff/Current Supervisor/Seminar Professor from undergrad

Other: I want to contribute my info for posterity, but with this post I'll add a note @ future applicants: please don't limit yourself based on what folks on this forum (including me) say. Take your time on your app process and aim higher than you think you should - there's always an element of randomness to this stuff.

Edited March 19, 2021 by 2020applicant...

[Zeppelin17]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP, MAPP, MPA, MSc Economics for Development, MPhil Development Studies

Schools Applied To: Chicago Harris MPP, Michigan Ford MPP, Colombia SIPA MPA, Harvard Kennedy MPP, GWU Trachtenberg MPP, Sciences Po MPP, Cambridge MPhil Dev. Studies, Oxford MSc Econ. for Dev., NUS LKY MPP, CEU MAPP

Schools Admitted To: Sciences Po (waiting for funding results), GWU Trachtenberg (0$), Cambridge (0$), Chicago Harris ($ + TA), Michigan Ford (0$), Colombia SIPA (0$), Harvard Kennedy (0$). 

Schools Rejected From: None so far

Still Waiting: Oxford University, National University of Singapore (interviewed), Central European University

Undergraduate Institution: some obscure university in a post-Soviet country.

Undergraduate GPA: 3.87

Undergraduate Major: Economics

GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 162/158/4.5

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 1.5

Years of Work Experience: 2

Describe Relevant Work Experience: Worked at the #1 ranking think tank of the region for two years, conducting policy analysis. 

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): This is my second year applying to master's, and I believe I learnt a lot from the mistakes that I did in the past cycle. Overall I would rate it 7/10. 

Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): One letter from the head of the think-tank that I worked for, who at the moment is a member of parliament. The second letter one from the head economics department at the university. The third letter (when required) from my professor of econometrics. I believe all three were strong letters, I would rate 9/10. 

[fkeod021]

Not entirely sure if all of my programs are relevant here, but for future applicants:

Schools/Programs Applied to: GWU (ID), AU (Intl Peace/Conflict Resolution), Boston (Global Policy), UT LBJ (Global Policy), Columbia (Human Rights), Sciences Po (ID), Utrecht (IR - Conflict and Human Rights), London SOAS (Violence, Conflict, Dev), Amsterdam (Conflict Resolution and Gov), Uppsala (Peace and Conflict Stds), Lund (ID), Oxford (Refugee and Forced Migration Stds)

Schools Admitted to: GWU ($$$$ + stipend only for first year, $ second year), AU ($$ + RA/TA), Boston ($, waiting on additional results), Sciences Po (waiting), Utrecht (waiting), London SOAS (0, competitive full tuition scholarship for Americans not offered this year), UT LBJ (0), Amsterdam (0), Columbia (0) 

Schools Rejected From: None yet

Still Waiting: Uppsala, Lund, Oxford

Undergraduate Institution: Top 50 public state school

Undergraduate GPA: 3.9

Undergraduate Major: IR and Arabic

GRE Scores: N/A

Years out of Undergrad (if applicable): 1.5 at time of application, 2 at enrollment 

Years of Work Experience: 1.5 full time post undergrad / 4 including relevant internships 

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 1.5 years US federal government, 3 years various internships in regional studies/govt/social issues, 1 year various relevant volunteering

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Worked on it for nearly a year because I went through the application (and rejection) process for Rhodes/Marshall. Discussed my interest in the field, relevant experiences, interest in that specific program, and ultimate goals.

Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Haven't read them but I was told they were strong by a fellowship advisor. 3 from former professors and 1 from current employer. One of the professors advised my undergraduate research.

Edited March 20, 2021 by fkeod021

[povertypolicypolly]

On 3/19/2021 at 9:18 AM, Canuck2020 said:

Background info : Current grad school student and former lawyer.

Applied to:  LBJ MPAff, HKS MPP, USC Price MPP, LSE MPA, Cambridge MPP

Accepted to: USC Price MPP ($$), LBJ MPAff (In-State Tuition), LSE MPA ($)

Rejected from: HKS MPP, Cambridge MPP

Still waiting:

Undergrad Institution: Large Canadian Institution

Law School: Top Canadian School

Graduate School: Current MSc Candidate at a top 3 British Institution

Years of experience: 3

Undergrad GPA: 3.95

Law School GPA: Top 25%

GRE: Q 160, V 162, AW 5.0

Quant experience: Beginner Stats; Causal Inference; Multivariate Stats; Econometrics; Microeconomics; Macroeconomics; Formal Logic; I can use R, Python and Stata.

Relevant Work Experience: Lawyer for one of the largest law firms in the world. International volunteering experience. Worked as a research assistant. A few publications to my name.

International experience: International volunteering. Currently studying in the UK.

Strength of LOR: Very strong LORs. References were from a judge, a law school dean, and a partner at my former firm.

SOP: Very strong in my opinion, was able to highlight my work experience and various volunteering to highlight my commitment to public service.

Any reason why you applied for Cambridge MPP and LSE MPA but not Oxford MPP? Considering Oxford and wondering if there is something I should know...

Edited March 21, 2021 by povertypolicypolly

[surreynotsurrey]

10 hours ago, povertypolicypolly said:

Any reason why you applied for Cambridge MPP and LSE MPA but not Oxford MPP? Considering Oxford and wondering if there is something I should know...

I picked Cambridge and LSE because Oxford appears to strictly want a reference from your current school. At the time I applied, I only had been in my current program for a month or so, so it was unrealistic for me to get a meaningful reference from any of my professors. However, Oxford appears to be a perfectly good option from my perspective. Good luck with your decision!

[LDmpp21]

On 3/1/2021 at 11:35 PM, LDmpp21 said:

Another longtime lurker - now that it’s March I thought I would try to participate more

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP/MPA

Schools Applied To:  UCLA MPP, UCSD MPP, UCB MPP, USC MPP and MPA, Princeton MPA, American MPP, GWU MPP

Schools Admitted To:  American MPP (no funding info yet), UCSD MPP (no funding info yet), UCLA MPP (35% $ through TA position)

Schools Rejected From:  

Still Waiting:  UCB MPP, USC MPP and MPA, Princeton MPA, GWU MPP

Undergraduate Institution:  Private US university 

Undergraduate GPA:   3.86

Undergraduate Major:  Chemical Engineering 

GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores:  168/168/5.5

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  4 

Years of Work Experience:  3.5

Describe Relevant Work Experience: Local government community affairs internship, ~2.5 yrs in think tank communications

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc):   I thought pretty good - talking about desire to work in climate adaptation policy, tied in with experience as CA native with wildfires

Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Supervisors from current job and past internship, professor from college who I TAed for - I read the first two and they were strong 

Updating...

Schools Admitted To:  American MPP ($$), UCSD MPP ($$$$), UCLA MPP ($$), USC MPP and MPA ($$$), Princeton ($$$$), GW (no funding info yet)

Schools Waitlisted At: Berkeley MPP

[MPP2021app]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): Berkeley MPP, UChicago MSCAPP, Heinz MSPPM-DA, HKS MPP, Princeton MPA, Georgetown MPP, Duke MPP
Schools Admitted To:  Berkeley MPP (15k first year, 10k second year), UChicago MSCAPP (15k/year), Heinz MSPPM-DA(40k/year), HKS MPP(0), Georgetown MPP (27k/year), Duke MPP (37k/year +4k RAship)
Schools Rejected From:
Still Waiting:  Princeton MPA (waitlisted)
Undergraduate Institution: Top 25 private institution
Undergraduate GPA: 3.7
Undergraduate Major: Political Science, Economics
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 170/164/5
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  3.5 at time of application
Years of Work Experience:  1 fellowship + 2.5 years work experience + relevant internships throughout college
Describe Relevant Work Experience:  academic research center

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I think they were solid. Started in September and probably overdid it with the rounds of edits. I have one "template" SOP and was able to adapt it for most of the schools.
Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strong. Read two of them--one from my current manager and one from my old boss. Didn't have a chance to read my old professor's LOR, but I'm assuming it was solid.

I will probably end up attending Heinz unless I miraculously get off the Princeton waitlist or Chicago comes back w/ more money.

General advice: As others have said on this forum, start early! Reach out to ppl in your network who have gone through the MPP/MPA process. I was lucky to have a number of ppl at my org w/ MPPs and their perspectives rly helped inform the way I approached the process. Feel free to DM me if you have questions.

[mega_mpp]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): University of Chicago Harris MPP, Georgetown McCourt MPP, GW MPP, HKS MPP, Princeton MPA, Brown MPA, Duke MPP, UT Austin LBJ MPAff, Michigan Ford MPP
Schools Admitted To:  Duke MPP ($17k + $4k RAship per year), Chicago (10k/year), Georgetown MPP ($27k/year), GW MPP (none), Brown MPA (waiting on $$), UT - Austin (50% tuition)
Schools Rejected From: HKS, Princeton
Still Waiting:  Michigan Ford MPP (waitlisted)
Undergraduate Institution: Top 25 US
Undergraduate GPA: 3.85
Undergraduate Major: Political Science, Public Policy
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 164/165/5.5
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  0
Years of Work Experience:  2 years research + relevant internships throughout college
Describe Relevant Work Experience:  internships with an NGO, political campaigns, and federal agency - all relevant to my career goals 

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Good but not great. Definitely wrote them down to the wire for December deadlines, but the ones due in Jan had more time and edits. Described my (rather unique) area of interest and how the program fits my academic/career goals.
Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I assume strong, but waived my right to read them. One is from supervisor at federal agency, so I think that carried some weight. 

I am really torn right now between University of Chicago Harris and Duke Sanford… and if I get off Michigan Ford waitlist… will be extremely torn between all three. Anyone with insight on these three programs PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS! Thankfully money is not a deciding factor, but definitely a consideration. I really like the smaller cohort size at Duke, but it seems the Harris brand is a bit stronger and known for strong quant coursework (which I want).

I don’t know exactly what I want to do, but I'm interested in social policy, technology policy, and crime. Most likely looking to work in federal government or potentially government consulting. 

Edited March 21, 2021 by mega_mpp

[maham]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.):  MPP/M.Ed Policy
Schools Applied To:  Vanderbilt Peabody, HGSE, Sanford, Ford, GW Trachtenberg, UVA Batten
Schools Admitted To:  Peabody ($$ - 35%), Batten ($$ 40,000), Sanford ($$$ 50% + 4k Assistantship/semester starting spring of first year), HGSE (5K grant), Ford ($0), GWU ($0)
Schools Rejected From:   
Still Waiting:  
Undergraduate Institution: State flagship
Undergraduate GPA:   3.94
Undergraduate Major: Political science
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores:  Not submitted
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  1
Years of Work Experience:  3 -- paid policy work in undergrad
Describe Relevant Work Experience:  Two terms as Student Body President at large SEC university, policy work with State Council on Postsecondary Education, currently working at my undergrad alma mater as a student life coordinator and contact tracer
Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc):  Maybe 8.5/10 I had all of my recommenders read it and they each said it was very strong. A lot about personal ties to impact of education policy and goals of serving rural low-income communities through policy work.
Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc):  A 9/10 Each from a reputable faculty member who know me personally and respect the work I have done. 
Other: The funding amounts are a little wonky above, but the COA is relatively the same among Vandy, UVA, and Duke after funding is considered. Duke is the cheapest by a couple thousand though. I'm leaning toward Duke because I like the flexibility of a broad MPP compared to Peabody and it is a more established program than UVA, but I'm curious if anyone else has any advice. The only thing holding me back is the fact that I would be able to offset cost at Vandy because the program is organized to allow us to work almost full time whereas Duke is not. For the loan debt I'm banking on either Public Service Loan Forgiveness or a well-paying consulting job if that even ends up being an option -- also looking for any input regarding PSLF. 

[d535]

13 hours ago, MPP2021app said:

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): Berkeley MPP, UChicago MSCAPP, Heinz MSPPM-DA, HKS MPP, Princeton MPA, Georgetown MPP, Duke MPP
Schools Admitted To:  Berkeley MPP (15k first year, 10k second year), UChicago MSCAPP (15k/year), Heinz MSPPM-DA(40k/year), HKS MPP(0), Georgetown MPP (27k/year), Duke MPP (37k/year +4k RAship)
Schools Rejected From:
Still Waiting:  Princeton MPA (waitlisted)
Undergraduate Institution: Top 25 private institution
Undergraduate GPA: 3.7
Undergraduate Major: Political Science, Economics
GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 170/164/5
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  3.5 at time of application
Years of Work Experience:  1 fellowship + 2.5 years work experience + relevant internships throughout college
Describe Relevant Work Experience:  academic research center

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I think they were solid. Started in September and probably overdid it with the rounds of edits. I have one "template" SOP and was able to adapt it for most of the schools.
Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strong. Read two of them--one from my current manager and one from my old boss. Didn't have a chance to read my old professor's LOR, but I'm assuming it was solid.

I will probably end up attending Heinz unless I miraculously get off the Princeton waitlist or Chicago comes back w/ more money.

General advice: As others have said on this forum, start early! Reach out to ppl in your network who have gone through the MPP/MPA process. I was lucky to have a number of ppl at my org w/ MPPs and their perspectives rly helped inform the way I approached the process. Feel free to DM me if you have questions.

5k for the second year seemed to be the max that Berkeley offered for the second year. Were you really offered 10k or is that a typo?

[MPP2021app]

6 hours ago, d535 said:

5k for the second year seemed to be the max that Berkeley offered for the second year. Were you really offered 10k or is that a typo?

My bad! Just double checked, and I was actually given 10k the first year and 5k the second year. So ya that 5k max for the second year sounds right.