Master Urban Planning-international development, MIT, Columbia, others?

[empiricist1044]

Hi all,

I'm currently applying for several master's programs in urban planning. My major research interest is the water and sanitation sector in developing countries. So far, the only programs that have come to my attention as having great international focus are MCP at MIT-IDG and the MSUP at Columbia. They look awesome but I'm skeptical of my chances getting in/ funding. Does anyone know of other programs with good international/ infrastructure planning components?

Also, can anyone give me some sort of feedback on my chances at MIT or Columbia, so that I can gauge if its even worth my time applying, or if I should pursue more work experience? I'm in my undergrad senior year and it seems like most applicants have lots of work experience and graduated years ago.

stats:

BS Environmental Engineering from Stanford

GPA 3.9

GRE 660-V 790-Q 4.0-W

6 months field research/ volunteer experience (logistics, household interviews, community focus groups) in subsaharan Africa on water supply issues-supported by competitive university grants

1 yr total experience statistical analysis of survey data

Cheers everybody!