MPP/MPA 2011 Applicants

[EconSpengler]

Also got the thumbs-down from Sanford. Ah well, I knew it was a long shot. Congrats to all who got in!! And good luck to those still waiting!

[Daisym]

Hi Everyone! I've been lurking on this board forever, sooo today I thought I'd go ahead and register!

Program Applied To: Just about the gamut! I've applied to 3 MPPs, 1 MPA, and one MA

Schools Applied To: UCLA (MPP), American U (MPA), Northeastern (MA), Mills (MPP, safety) Cal Poly SLO (MPP, safety)

Schools Admitted To: American! Just got the email on the 4th

Schools Rejected From: None so far, but I'm sure that's going to change...lol

Still Waiting: UCLA, Northeastern, Mills, Cal Poly

Undergraduate institution: Small private school in California

Undergraduate GPA: 3.9

Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): 3.82

Undergraduate Major: Government

GRE Quantitative Score: 690 (a bit on the low side for some MPP programs...eek)

GRE Verbal Score: 670

GRE AW Score: 5

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 2

Years of Work Experience: 1.5

Describe Relevant Work Experience: I worked at a foreclosure company, and at bankruptcy law firm. Both are relevant to what I want to study, which is economic policies and specifically how they impact the people on the margisn of society. I've also volunteered with an environmental activist group in my home town.

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I honestly couldn't tell you :/. I'm a terrible procrastinator, and I left my SOP until a few days before. That said, I procrastinated in college and I did alright, so maybe I'll get lucky.

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): Pretty basic, I'd expect. Two from my favorite professors/people who are both incredible, and one from a work study supervisor.

Other: Hi! Right now I'm just anxiously waiting for the acceptances/rejections to come in. I'd appreciate any support/advice on MPPs/MPAs or just grad school in general. Also, has anyone heard from UCLA SPA? Their website said that the answers would be in around now, but I haven't heard anything...it's getting to the point where I can't get my mail with out closing my eyes and peeking through my fingers. lol.

Edited March 7, 2011 by Daisym

[Heel2632]

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

Accepted to Duke and Carnegie Mellon w/ funding and waitlisted at Georgetown.

[Slow]

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

Hey I got my funding from GPPI today as well. Do you know if the scholarship amount specified is per semester or per year? It's not clear to me.

[smerd]

Hey I got my funding from GPPI today as well. Do you know if the scholarship amount specified is per semester or per year? It's not clear to me.

It's per year. When they send you your packet in the mail, they'll split your amount between semesters.

[greendiplomat]

It's per year.

Oh you mean it's not per day? *is sad*

[ironwill]

Hey guys,

For those of you considering UCLA SPA, I highly recommend that you give it a close look. The School recently received a $50 million gift and is going to be renamed the Luskin School of Public Affairs. With this mega gift, it should shoot up on the rankings in no time. I actually work at UCLA and can tell you that the School is heavily recruiting new faculty from other top MPP MPA programs and rebuilding its program to match Kennedy, Wilson, etc. The class that enters in the fall, will be the first to graduate from the renamed school and there will probably be some really cool opportunities for students.

[Siya210]

Accepted to DUKE MPP with 18k towards tuition (per year). YET, it is still rather expensive. I am wondering how I will manage to finance this...

Also called for an interview by LKYSPP.

[LadyinWaiting]

Man, wish I had been reading this while I was applying.

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

Schools Applied To: Berkeley GPPS, Carnegie Mellon Heinz (MSPPM), Chicago Harris, Duke Sanford, Georgetown GPPI, HKS, LSE (MPA), Michigan Ford, Minnesota Humphrey

Schools Admitted To: Berkeley ($5K), CMU ($24K), Duke (not sure--acceptance letter assumed I'd be accepted to an external fellowship I'd been rejected from--emailed correction and waiting for them to recalculate), GPPI ($10K), LSE (zilch!), MN (waiting on aid decision)

Schools Rejected From:

Still Waiting: Chicago, HKS, Michigan

Undergraduate institution: Top 10 liberal arts

Undergraduate GPA: 3.71

Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): 4.0

Undergraduate Major: English

GRE Quantitative Score: 770 (87%)

GRE Verbal Score: 730 (99%)

GRE AW Score: 6 (99%)

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 4 by this fall

Years of Work Experience: 4 + part time in college

Describe Relevant Work Experience: AmeriCorps service with low-income youth, English teaching abroad, currently working for women's ed NGO in a developing country

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I hate writing these things. Still, I think mine was pretty good because I had a strong narrative about my experiences and specific (ha!) career goals. Also I tried to make each one as specific as possible to the school I was applying to. Unlike a lot of other applicants, I didn't "know" I was interested in policy until pretty recently.

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): 1 academic (+1 more for LSE), 2 professional; I know all of my recommenders well and have a good relationship with them. One is an MPP grad from a top program.

Other:

Congrats to everyone! It's been sort of an up and down process for me as the excitement of getting accepted comes with the realization that even with my most generous aid packages so far, I'll still be amassing 10s of thousands in debt, because I'm basically broke all the time. Is anybody else experiencing this? For those of you who will be borrowing a lot, how do you plan to minimize your debt--TA/RAships, public service loan forgiveness, private sector work, fleeing the country, etc?

Good luck for those of you still crossing your fingers for those last decisions...

[M G]

Waitlisted at Duke.

[fso2k11]

Hi!

I thought I would let the world know about my success so far. I am still biting my nails about the Kennedy School....anyone want to comment on my chances?

Programs Applied To: CMU Heinz MSPPM (3 semester Pittsburgh track), Cornell CIPA MPA, Syracuse Maxwell joint MPA/MA-IR, HKS MPP

Schools Admitted To: CMU (60% tuition), Cornell ($28k/yr, or 71% tuition), Maxwell (no word on funding)

Schools Rejected From: None yet.

Still Waiting: HKS

Undergraduate institution: #2 school in the country for "undergraduate teaching"...ha.

Undergraduate GPA: 3.75

Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): I can't imagine this ranking matters in our field. In any case, mine would probably be lower than 3.75

Undergraduate Major: International Studies, French Literature

GRE Quantitative Score: 760 (660)

GRE Verbal Score: 560 (600)

GRE AW Score: 3.5 (4.0)

(I took the GREs in 2006 and took them again in 2010 so I listed my recent score first, the 2006 score is in parenthesis. Some programs, such as HKS, let you use the best score from each section. Others, such as CIPA, do not. Yes, I know that ESL students typically get better essay scores than I did....idk what happened but it obviously doesn't matter too much if I already got into 3 great schools.)

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 4

Years of Work Experience: 4

Describe Relevant Work Experience: I work as a researcher for a public affairs/lobbying firm in DC on technology/innovation, international development, defense and life insurance. Before that I worked on federal and state political campaigns in the mid-Atlantic (Democrat, duh). I was pursuing a Master of Science in Higher Education and running a huge residence hall, but I dropped out to join political campaigns.

Relevant Academic Experience: I added this category, because I have a lot. Graduate-level courses in organizational communication theory, strategic planning and systems thinking (I think Syracuse lets you transfer). Undergrad courses in microecon, macroecon, international econ, comparative economic systems. I have a W for a course in developing economics...that's probably a bad thing.

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): My HKS SOP is great. I talk about my passion for public service, and I think I articulate the changes that I think can be made in the field of public interest/public sector management very well. For the field, I don't think there is better experience at my age than having been a mid-level manager of staff and offices on a large political campaign. I let them know that. I also expressed my ultimate desire to run for office and how leadership experiences have prepared me for that. For CIPA and Maxwell, I expressed an international focus to my future management work.

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): For every one, I used my former grad professor in systems (he says he's never had anyone not get into a program he recommended them for...lets see if that holds true!) and my current supervisor at my public affairs firm. He's a prominent official from the Clinton administration, so I think that carries some weight. For HKS, I pulled out my ace and had the former candidate from one of my campaigns write a rec. We keep in touch, he thinks very highly of me and he also was a visiting scholar at the Kennedy School relatively recently. For the rest of the schools, I didn't use the candidate but my former campaign supervisor who is a genius and now a close friend (and who writes a mean letter of rec, I imagine).

Other: I think that leadership experience is important, so I made sure to express all of mine. This is especially true for me because leadership is directly relevant to the field I want to go into (public management and organizational theory in practical application for NGOs and US international agencies). I was recently the political director of a large young democrats chapter, I was VP of the student body in college, I started a student leadership organization in grad school. I even put my Eagle Scout award on my resume. If you're an eagle scout, you should too!

So, anyone want to hypthothesize on my chances of getting a) Maxwell funding, or admission to HKS?

[Daisym]

Hey guys,

For those of you considering UCLA SPA, I highly recommend that you give it a close look. The School recently received $50 million gift and is going to be renamed the Luskin School of Public Affairs. With this mega gift, it should shoot up on the rankings in no time. I actually work at UCLA and can tell you that the School is heavily recruiting

new faculty from other top MPP MPA

programs and rebuilding its program to match Kennedy, Wilson, etc. The class that enters in the fall, will be the first to graduate from the renamed school and there will probably be some really cool opportunities for students.

Hi ironwill! Do you of the acceptances for UCLA have been sent out? If not, when will they be? Is there any info online yet? Thanks!!!

[DevDoc82]

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPA/MA-IR Dual Degree programs

Schools Applied To: Syracuse University, University of Texas, University of Washington, University of Michigan, Harvard

Schools Admitted To: Syracuse University, University of Texas (Fully Funded), University of Washington

Schools Rejected From: Withdrew applications from Harvard and Michigan after receiving word on Syracuse.

Still Waiting:

 

 

Undergraduate GPA: 3.82

Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): 3.87

Undergraduate Major: Middle Eastern Studies/Arabic

 

GRE Quantitative Score: 550

GRE Verbal Score: 600

GRE AW Score: 4

 

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 1 year

Years of Work Experience: 4.5 years

Describe Relevant Work Experience: I served 4 and half years in the United States Navy as a Hospital Corpsman attached to a Marine Infantry Unit. During this time, I deployed to Iraq for Operation Phantom Fury or better known as the Battle of Fallujah. My primary duties pertained to providing medical care under fire to wounded Marines. Also, I maintained health records to ensure all Marines and Sailors were ready for deployment by updating vaccination shots, physical exams, etc.

 

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I received commendation from the admissions committee of Syracuse on my Statement of Purpose for its clarity. I stated my short and long term goals explicitly. Also, I spoke of my experience in Iraq, which changed my decision from being a medical doctor to pursuing a career in international development. Also, I spoke of my language training in Arabic during my undergraduate education and how it has helped me better understand the Arab people of the Middle East, an area I wish to do international development. The process was not bad at all. I wrote this on an airplane trip to from Utah to Texas.

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): For my letters of recommendation, I had three individuals provide them for me: a world renowned Arabic professor, a prominent Chinese professor, and a Marine Corps Officer who I served under during the Battle of Fallujah. The process was great. The day I sent all my request to these individuals they were ready to be submitted within a week.

 

Other: I have traveled extensively throughout the world. I have been to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Thailand, and Japan. I believe this international exposure has help to form my perspective of the world and a need for better government from the United States, meaning a humble foreign policy instead of policing the world. Also, it should be noted that my GPA also has many Pre-Medical courses within it: Physics, Chemistry, Micro and Molecular Biology, Anatomy, etc. Hence, my GPA is based on tough courses.

[fso2k11]

I received commendation from the admissions committee of Syracuse on my Statement of Purpose for its clarity. I stated my short and long term goals explicitly.

Was this commendation formal? Was it in your results letter? Or elsewhere/some other method?

Congrats!

[DevDoc82]

Was this commendation formal? Was it in your results letter? Or elsewhere/some other method?

Congrats!

The Director of the MPA program hand wrote it on my admissions letter. I was pretty elated to see pen ink on a formal letter of admissions. She wrote what she thought and signed it.

[fso2k11]

wow thats great! I haven't gotten a physical letter yet, wonder if I'll get a handwritten note! Jealous...

The Director of the MPA program hand wrote it on my admissions letter. I was pretty elated to see pen ink on a formal letter of admissions. She wrote what she thought and signed it.

[DevDoc82]

wow thats great! I haven't gotten a physical letter yet, wonder if I'll get a handwritten note! Jealous...

If you get funding from Syracuse, do you think you will attend there?

[Nimesis]

For those interested, I called UCLA's admissions office today to ask what their time frame was on sending out decisions, and they said they are finalizing decisions and will be sending out letters and emails by the end of the week.

[fso2k11]

If you get funding from Syracuse, do you think you will attend there?

If I got full funding from Syracuse and don't get in to Harvard, then I would almost certainly go to Syracuse. Partial funding means I'll look more closely at CIPA and CMU (I really like both programs....and both have been very generous.) Of course if I get in at Harvard, that is a very good problem to have but I'm not sure there is much that could keep me from going there. As a friend put it, "There is nothing like having an H-bomb on your resume."

[DevDoc82]

If I got full funding from Syracuse and don't get in to Harvard, then I would almost certainly go to Syracuse. Partial funding means I'll look more closely at CIPA and CMU (I really like both programs....and both have been very generous.) Of course if I get in at Harvard, that is a very good problem to have but I'm not sure there is much that could keep me from going there. As a friend put it, "There is nothing like having an H-bomb on your resume."

Could you please explain to me what makes Harvard such a great pick over other programs? The reason I am asking is because most people I have met that have an education from Harvard only went there for the name. Also, one of the Officers I served under in the military went to Harvard Law and he felt that the education was about the name rather than actually using applied knowledge. I am not trying to down play Harvard. I just want to know why so many people insist on their programs.

[Matthew Gemberling]

Not sure if anyone else has heard back but GSPIA (Pittsburgh) started sending out decisions today! Got my acceptance literally 5 minutes ago!!!! (def thought I would head back from them before I got my acceptance letters from GWU and American) - they don't tell you about funding till mid March though.... Good Luck Everyone!

[fso2k11]

I'm really psyched about the chance to participate in the Center on Public Leadership's activities/workshops and research. However, the following are simple generalizations that I may never have a chance to verify, even if I visit:

Individual faculty members' research and professional networks are probably the best in the world. Not that I'd have every faculty member's rolodex at my disposal come job time, but if I develop a relationship with a professor and he/she sees something in me....and also happened to know 10 people at my dream NGO who they want to put me in touch with come job time...that would be great. I think you get that at any of the top institutions to a degree (Syracuse for sure) but probably not at every turn. I've been reading The Citizen, HKS's newspaper and I think that they write lots of interesting stuff but also seem very self important, which is NOT something I'm excited about if I get in. I also probably can't identify any functional difference in the quality of education that I'd receive at HKS or Syracuse. I'd like to study under some of the big name professors, I bet they teach amazing classes. But will I come out of Harvard with better program financial analysis skills than I would out of Maxwell? Probably not. The Harvard Kennedy School is a name, but it's really a brand. People who hire Kennedy School grads know they'll get passionate, smart, hard-working graduates. The public service commitment isn't consistent at the Kennedy School, it's often known as "the second best business school at Harvard" (though they're working on admitting more potential public leaders and students committed to public service...hopefully to my advantage. If you're trying to get an MPP at Harvard to go work at Goldman, the admissions committee is going to root you out. A former member of the committee made that very clear to me.) I've also found that some employers (LMI specifically but there are others) find better-fit students at Syracuse and elsewhere. A friend who works at LMI said that they recruit heavily at Syracuse, and Maxwell grads seem to perform better (more creatively, more energetically, more humbly, with a more open mind) than do Kennedy School grads, who they also hire on occasion. I think employers have discovered that Kennedy School grads get there either by working their ASSES off or through privilege and self-importance (A digression on this below*). The best HKS grads give themselves to public service, and the rest are a mixed bag passion-wise but all are talented. That's the brand perception you gain, at least in the eyes of the well-informed. The poorly informed will know even less than that and I can't think of many circumstances where a Harvard MPP wouldn't make you better off for a job than you otherwise would be. It stands out in the crowd, no matter what you're doing.

*Digression: I am finding that lots of MPP/MPA employers are interested in attitudes & work ethics in line with people who came from mediocre public high schools and worked hard to get all A's, not those in line with the typical kids who went to Sidwell Friends or somewhere equally expensive/prestigious where success is not a function of work ethic and innate ability in the face of adversity. The MPP/MPA/MA-IR process seems to be leveling the playing field anyways. I didn't go to a "Top 10 private" undergrad, but I'm doing just fine in this cycle because my intentions are honest and I have worked hard.

Could you please explain to me what makes Harvard such a great pick over other programs? The reason I am asking is because most people I have met that have an education from Harvard only went there for the name. Also, one of the Officers I served under in the military went to Harvard Law and he felt that the education was about the name rather than actually using applied knowledge. I am not trying to down play Harvard. I just want to know why so many people insist on their programs.

Edited March 8, 2011 by blingem

[DevDoc82]

I'm really psyched about the chance to participate in the Center on Public Leadership's activities/workshops and research. However, the following are simple generalizations that I may never have a chance to verify, even if I visit:

Individual faculty members' research and professional networks are probably the best in the world. Not that I'd have every faculty member's rolodex at my disposal come job time, but if I develop a relationship with a professor and he/she sees something in me....and also happened to know 10 people at my dream NGO who they want to put me in touch with come job time...that would be great. I think you get that at any of the top institutions to a degree (Syracuse for sure) but probably not at every turn. I've been reading The Citizen, HKS's newspaper and I think that they write lots of interesting stuff but also seem very self important, which is NOT something I'm excited about if I get in. I also probably can't identify any functional difference in the quality of education that I'd receive at HKS or Syracuse. I'd like to study under some of the big name professors, I bet they teach amazing classes. But will I come out of Harvard with better program financial analysis skills than I would out of Maxwell? Probably not. The Harvard Kennedy School is a name, but it's really a brand. People who hire Kennedy School grads know they'll get passionate, smart, hard-working graduates. The public service commitment isn't consistent at the Kennedy School, it's often known as "the second best business school at Harvard" (though they're working on admitting more potential public leaders and students committed to public service...hopefully to my advantage. If you're trying to get an MPP at Harvard to go work at Goldman, the admissions committee is going to root you out. A former member of the committee made that very clear to me.) I've also found that some employers (LMI specifically but there are others) find better-fit students at Syracuse and elsewhere. A friend who works at LMI said that they recruit heavily at Syracuse, and Maxwell grads seem to perform better (more creatively, more energetically, more humbly, with a more open mind) than do Kennedy School grads, who they also hire on occasion. I think employers have discovered that Kennedy School grads get there either by working their ASSES off or through privilege and self-importance (A digression on this below*). The best HKS grads give themselves to public service, and the rest are a mixed bag passion-wise but all are talented. That's the brand perception you gain, at least in the eyes of the well-informed. The poorly informed will know even less than that and I can't think of many circumstances where a Harvard MPP wouldn't make you better off for a job than you otherwise would be. It stands out in the crowd, no matter what you're doing.

*Digression: I am finding that lots of MPP/MPA employers are interested in attitudes & work ethics in line with people who came from mediocre public high schools and worked hard to get all A's, not those in line with the typical kids who went to Sidwell Friends or somewhere equally expensive/prestigious where success is not a function of work ethic and innate ability in the face of adversity. The MPP/MPA/MA-IR process seems to be leveling the playing field anyways. I didn't go to a "Top 10 private" undergrad, but I'm doing just fine in this cycle because my intentions are honest and I have worked hard.

Blingem,

Thank you for your response on the matter. The depth you provided on your answer afforded me some great insight into why people elect to go to Harvard. I hope this application cycle is generous to you, which it seems that it already has been. I think in the end you will end up where you need to be. In my opinion that is what matters most. Good Luck!!

[achiamop]

Has anyone who has been accepted to Wisconsin - La Follette heard anything regarding merit funding? I was accepted a couple weeks back with no mention of funding and have yet to hear anything regarding it. I've also emailed them on a couple occasions to no avail.

[bzcww3]

I believe the applicants that were offered funding had a fellowship letter that was attached in the email.

Has anyone who has been accepted to Wisconsin - La Follette heard anything regarding merit funding? I was accepted a couple weeks back with no mention of funding and have yet to hear anything regarding it. I've also emailed them on a couple occasions to no avail.