Berkeley GSPP Results 2011

[julia9109]

I've also heard that Berkeley's resources don't compare to top tier private institutions (this from someone who went to harvard for undergrad and is doing an MA at Berkeley, though in a different program). I don't care so much about that, just whether or not the school is well respected enough so I can get a job afterwards. I wasn't able to visit the school so I don't have as good a sense of GSPP as I'd like.

Does anyone know if Goldman has a good network in the DC/NY area? I emailed someone in career services about this but still waiting to hear back...

[OnEdge]

I've also heard that Berkeley's resources don't compare to top tier private institutions (this from someone who went to harvard for undergrad and is doing an MA at Berkeley, though in a different program). I don't care so much about that, just whether or not the school is well respected enough so I can get a job afterwards. I wasn't able to visit the school so I don't have as good a sense of GSPP as I'd like.

Does anyone know if Goldman has a good network in the DC/NY area? I emailed someone in career services about this but still waiting to hear back...

My sense of grad schools is that they have the strongest relationships career-wise where they have the strongest alumni network and also where they draw professors from. GSPP has contacts in the San Francisco Bay Area, WWS in New York and DC, etc. The further out you expand beyond that network, the weaker those relationships are. I feel like that's one of the most important reasons people going into grad school should have a good sense of what they want to do as a career, because the geographic scope of its network is a pretty major consideration. I'm applying to WWS, but I'm leaning towards GSPP right now for that very reason--I don't want to be in NY/DC, I want to stay on the West Coast after graduation. The opposite consideration holds true as well, so I would be careful going to school on the West Coast if you want to be in NY or DC

[Nimesis]

I tend to agree with what you said. I'm sure Berkeley's strongest resources are geared to working in either the Bay Area or maybe in Sacramento. However I also think that most of the top policy schools have a pipeline into DC so I wouldn't let that be a reservation about considering Berkeley or any top program. If you want to work in DC, I'm sure all the policy schools can help you with that. Other than that, geography matters, as OnEdge stated.

[ero89]

I pretty much agree with what has been said. I actually obtained my B.A. from Berkeley and love the campus. As an undergrad, I attended some of GSSP's outreach/recruitment events and I know they have strong relationship with PPIA. I decided not to apply to GSPP because I decided I preferred the MPA and because I wanted to be in Los Angeles where USC has a stronger network. With that said, Berkeley does have a strong network in the Bay Area as well as in D.C(or is building one). I also think it's all relative when you consider what's important to you (i.e. course work/training, career services, name recognition or location).

I'm pretty sure I'll be going to USC, but I'll always be a GOLDEN BEAR....rooooolllllllll ooooonnnnn yyyoooooouuuu bears!

[julia9109]

Thanks for all your thoughts on the program! They were helpful.

[Nimesis]

To add to this discussion about their recruitment process, I did get a call today from a first year student at Goldman asking if i had any questions. Did anyone else get a similar call?

[foodlover28]

I did as well, around dinner time on the west coast.

I thought it was nice of them

To add to this discussion about their recruitment process, I did get a call today from a first year student at Goldman asking if i had any questions. Did anyone else get a similar call?

[foodlover28]

I did as well, around dinner time on the west coast.

I thought it was nice of them

To add to this discussion about their recruitment process, I did get a call today from a first year student at Goldman asking if i had any questions. Did anyone else get a similar call?

[OnEdge]

I wasn't able to attend the GSPP open house today. To anyone who was there - can you share your general impressions that might help those of us still making decisions?

[Nimesis]

I wasn't able to attend the GSPP open house today. To anyone who was there - can you share your general impressions that might help those of us still making decisions?

I went to the open house today and the main thing that sunk in for me about it was the strong community feel the program has. Seems like everyone knows everyone else at the program and the faculty makes themselves readily available to the students. I already knew a lot of the other stuff about the program (strong quant emphasis, world class faculty, top 5 programs in every field accessible via electives), but the community aspect is what really hit home today.

[Soapcase]

Has anyone on the waitlist heard from GSPP yet?

[state_school'12]

Reading olds posts and came across this from earlier in this thread:

Thanks for the info.

Just got an email from TheWatcher@berkeley.edu. It simply read "Go outside." I did, and there was a wizened man in a druid's robe and a UC-Berkeley baseball cap waiting just outside my building's door. He had no nose and two mouths, one where his nose should have been. I wouldn't stake my life on this because the flowing robe made it hard to tell, but I could have sworn he was standing an inch or two off the ground.

"Well, did I get in?" I asked him, shivering. The area around him was 10-15 degrees colder than it is in Boston today.

"I don't know," said the top mouth.

"Did you?" said the second mouth.

Then there was a flash of blinding light and The Watcher became a flock of crows that quickly ascended and headed west -- toward Berkeley, I can only assume.

When I got back to my computer there was another email from The Watcher, this one with a link to a Libyan website I had never heard of. When I went there there was a video of my family and myself (they looked normal but I, strangely enough, appeared to be 20 years older) feasting silently and voraciously on the innards of a flock of sparrows, some of which were still kicking and flapping what was left of their wings in futile, pathetic attempts to escape. We were doing this just outside what appeared to be an early-20th century textile mill. Patriots offensive lineman Logan Mankins, in full uniform and pads, stood in the distance, gazing upon the grotesque proceedings and nodding grimly but approvingly.

So now I'm even more confused! Has anyone else encountered The Watcher? Of those who did and got in, did The Watcher notify you via email or in person? And does the video mean I am on the waiting list?

I couldn't believe this floated by the conversation - no one commented! Hilarious!