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MPP/MPA 2011 Applicants


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Hearty Congrats! thats a crack! :) What funding package did you receive?

Just got an acceptance mail from GSPP (MPP) - departmental fellowship too :-)

Any idea when HKS is due?

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Hi guys,

Anybody knows when we will hear from Chicago Harris?

thanks

Based on the timing in years past, my guess would be sometime next week (or, at the outside, early the following week).

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Johns Hopkins (IPS/MPP) called me today :). They said they are sending a letter with funding info in the mail!

Anyone know any details about this program? I applied to a wide breadth of schools not really knowing where I stand. There are alot of good things(hyperbole and a half, anyone?) said on other posts in the forum, but maybe someone can weigh in? Its apparently a smaller program where you can take classes at SAIS (through a competitive process), and also Bloomberg, both of which I am interested in, and their other grad departments.

I can't really tell how well this program will prepare me for a career compared to Minnesota (the other school I got into so far), which seems to be very supportive and resourceful to its students.

Anyone have thoughts?

Also, I'm still waiting to hear from Wagner, SIPA, Evans, Trachtenberg, Maxwell and Ford.

Thanks!

Edited by ched
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Johns Hopkins called offering me acceptance into their program as well. Just need to find out about funding.

Johns Hopkins (IPS/MPP) called me today :). They said they are sending a letter with funding info in the mail!

Anyone know any details about this program? I applied to a wide breadth of schools not really knowing where I stand. There are alot of good things(hyperbole and a half, anyone?) said on other posts in the forum, but maybe someone can weigh in? Its apparently a smaller program where you can take classes at SAIS (through a competitive process), and also Bloomberg, both of which I am interested in, and their other grad departments.

I can't really tell how well this program will prepare me for a career compared to Minnesota (the other school I got into so far), which seems to be very supportive and resourceful to its students.

Anyone have thoughts?

Also, I'm still waiting to hear from Wagner, SIPA, Evans, Trachtenberg, Maxwell and Ford.

Thanks!

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It certainly is brilliant! Getting into UCB is a dream for many, and fellowship makes it a pleasant one! :-)

Not much - $5k - but still better than nothing. And given California's finances, I guess it's good enough :-)

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Here we go!

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPA/MEM/other environmental policy and management programs

Schools Applied To: Yale MEM, UPenn MES, Columbia MS Sustainability Management, UMich MS Sustainable Systems, Indiana U MPP/MES, University of Washington MPA, UCSB MEM

Schools Admitted To: UMich!

Schools Rejected From: none yet!

Still Waiting:

Undergraduate institution: UC Irvine

Undergraduate GPA: 3.54

Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): umm 3.7ish?

Undergraduate Major: International Studies, minor in Accounting

GRE Quantitative Score: 730

GRE Verbal Score: 550

GRE AW Score: 4 gross.

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 3 (by Fall 2011)

Years of Work Experience: 2.5

Describe Relevant Work Experience: Current volunteer/intern for a natural restoration area. We're restoring 40 acres of Native American land and removing invasive plants and planting plants that are native to California. I've also been a registered volunteer with an international NGO since high school. More recently, I've been representing the NGO by hosting and organizing events on recycling and sustainability. Professionally, however, I work at an global computer company in their operations department (traffic/fulfillment/sales/product management/accounting liaison)... so not really relevant, although it did make me realize how much unnecessary waste corporations create!

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Even though I'm from the SF Bay Area, I never considered myself a treehugger, let alone an environmentalist. It wasn't until I took a trip to China and Taiwan that I realized how many awesome things you can do by using sustainable systems. I talked about my transformation, and discussed my added vigor and enthusiasm once I realized what it was that I wanted to do. Writing the SOP was probably the most difficult and tedious process I've had to go through over the past 2 years... so it took a lot longer than I had expected. Don't forget to mention how the resources/faculty/curriculum can help you!! I had to rewrite this part for each school that I applied to, but it really made me realize which schools were best for me in the long run.

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): I had one academic, and two from my volunteer and internship experiences. I compiled a recommender's reference packet with my current resume, a copy of my SOP, unofficial transcript, and writing sample. It seems a little tedious to compile all of these documents, but when your recommender is writing your letter, they will thank you for having these resources. Even if you know your recommender well, I suggest creating this packet anyway. My academic LOR was submitted to a 3rd party folio website, so I did not see how strong of a letter was written; same goes for the LOR written by my supervisor/team leader for my volunteer experience. I did get to read the letter my supervisor from my internship wrote, and it was... bland. And didn't really show how I would grow or benefit from the grad program. He also didn't mention how I helped them on their project. I know I should have talked to him more about the content of his letter, but by the time he sent me a copy, he had already submitted the letter to all the schools I applied to. Lesson learned: maintain constant dialog with your recommender.

Other: I visited Indiana U while I was visiting family in the midwest and was still on the fence on whether or not I wanted to apply to the school. After seeing the campus and hearing what the faculty and staff had to offer, I was sold and decided to apply to the program. Campus visits are kinda eh.. to me, but I found this one particularly helpful especially since I was not familiar with the school or the region.

Update! Waitlisted at Columbia and accepted into SPEA's Dual MSES/MPA!!! :)

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Hi, when did you receive an answer from Columbia? Today? To which program did you apply?

I applied to Columbia's MS in Sustainability Management and received a response on Wednesday. Good luck to you!

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Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MIAs and one MPP

Schools Applied To: American University, GWU, U Denver, Tufts, Georgetown, UCLA (MPP program)

Schools Admitted To: U Denver

Schools Rejected From: None yet...

Undergraduate institution: Medium-sized school in Ottawa, Canada

Undergraduate GPA: 3.55

Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): 3.41

Undergraduate Major: Public Affairs

GRE Quantitative Score: 650 (Never done a standardized test like that before, so not that great results)

GRE Verbal Score: 600

GRE AW Score: 5.0

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 1 - 1.5 (depending on how you count it; had a thesis as my only undergrad requirement in 2010)

Years of Work Experience: 1.5

Describe Relevant Work Experience: Worked for a government department in Canada.

Edited by psychicoctopus
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Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPP, MPA, and IR

Schools Applied To: American University, U Denver, Michigan, Syracuse(MPA/IR), Duke, George Mason, Johns Hopkins IPS, U Chicago, U Texas

Schools Admitted To: Syracuse, Johns Hopkins IPS

Schools Rejected From: None yet

Undergraduate institution: Georgia State University

Undergraduate GPA: 3.02

Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): 3.26

Undergraduate Major: Business Economics

GRE Quantitative Score: 730

GRE Verbal Score: 610

GRE AW Score: 4.5

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 4

Years of Work Experience: 3

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 2 Online Banks and a Management Logistics Firm for two years

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I tried to focus on the fact that I did well in econ and international Business classes. I also reiterated the fact that my last job was relevant to what I wanted to do(international trade and monetary policy). I made it a point to mention at least 3 faculty members with similar interests for each school. It was strong enough to get into to schools so far.

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): Two economic professors and the VP of the logistics company I worked for.

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Wow, that's really surprising. What is it these people want?!

I am absolutely shocked to be able to say that I got into Sanford (with way more funding than I would have expected).

Through this whole process I've been telling myself that I only need to get into one good school... and now I have! I am sooooo relieved. It's all downhill now... or until August, anyway!

Waitlisted! This process is really ups and downs, isn't it ... I just got funding from Gtown today but then waitlisted at Duke.

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Wow, that's really surprising. What is it these people want?!

I am absolutely shocked to be able to say that I got into Sanford (with way more funding than I would have expected).

Through this whole process I've been telling myself that I only need to get into one good school... and now I have! I am sooooo relieved. It's all downhill now... or until August, anyway!

Haha, my thoughts exactly! I wish we could all get a post-admissions play by play of their decision-making process. Congrats on Sanford and the funding!

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