UCLA MPP 2011

[jjay]

Has anyone heard anything? Does anyone know how big the cohorts are?

[Nimesis]

Has anyone heard anything? Does anyone know how big the cohorts are?

I called them yesterday and they said they are going to start sending out acceptances this week. They told me by the end of the week. If you are really anxious you can call them and they can tell you your status. She asked for my last name and more or less told me I was in.

[kapture]

I called them yesterday and they said they are going to start sending out acceptances this week. They told me by the end of the week. If you are really anxious you can call them and they can tell you your status. She asked for my last name and more or less told me I was in.

I was accepted about a month ago, but have not received information re: financial aid/fellowships. They said that information would come in the mail in about a week.

[jjay]

Thanks for the info! Do you think you'll attend?

I called them yesterday and they said they are going to start sending out acceptances this week. They told me by the end of the week. If you are really anxious you can call them and they can tell you your status. She asked for my last name and more or less told me I was in.

[jjay]

Wow...did you turn in your application early?

I was accepted about a month ago, but have not received information re: financial aid/fellowships. They said that information would come in the mail in about a week.

[pushpin]

Letters are in the mail!

I just got my acceptance and funding information packet in the mail today (I'm in southern California.)

Good luck!

[kapture]

Wow...did you turn in your application early?

I submitted it on the day of the deadline and was notified via email on Valentine's Day. I received an official letter about a week and a half after that.

I'm hoping to be able to visit in a week or two, but airfare is sooooooo ridiculously expensive.

[jjay]

Lucky you then! And congrats btw.

Where are you at now? I'm from Kansas and visited in January and fell in love. Is there an admitted student day or anything?

I submitted it on the day of the deadline and was notified via email on Valentine's Day. I received an official letter about a week and a half after that.

I'm hoping to be able to visit in a week or two, but airfare is sooooooo ridiculously expensive.

[Daisym]

I just spoke with the Admissions lady...

She said that they are trying to go over applications in waves, and that they thought they'd complete everyone in the next two weeks. She also said it was a REALLY large pool of people.. I guess this means that the next two weeks are going to be nerve racking!

[oogabooga]

Accepted students: did they say when the big visit day would be? I'm trying to plan my travel schedule and would like to hit UCLA and USC at the same time if possible. Thanks!

[blah25982]

Welcome event for UCLA is on April 11, 2011, a little more than 2 weeks after USC's Dean Merit event, though I think USC has an April 8 visit day planned as well.

Accepted students: did they say when the big visit day would be? I'm trying to plan my travel schedule and would like to hit UCLA and USC at the same time if possible. Thanks!

[oogabooga]

Welcome event for UCLA is on April 11, 2011, a little more than 2 weeks after USC's Dean Merit event, though I think USC has an April 8 visit day planned as well.

Thanks for the info. It's the same day as Berkeley's! Seems the old Bears-Bruins rivalry is going strong...

[kapture]

Lucky you then! And congrats btw.

Where are you at now? I'm from Kansas and visited in January and fell in love. Is there an admitted student day or anything?

I'm In Hawaii. Still waiting to get my packet, despite being notified so early. I hope it didn't get lost in the mail!

[tdpoulos]

I called the admissions office today to let them know that I was going to be in a different location for spring break and they told me that I got in. So excited!! No funding, but I will probably still go here because I'm a CA resident. It seems like a great program, and the new Luskin donation is probably going to skyrocket the school's resources and reputation.

[OnEdge]

Does anyone have any more detail on what the $50 mil Luskin donation is going to be used for in the short term (i.e. the next 2 years)? I read the school's story on it, and it mentioned fellowships, endowments, new faculty, and adding a couple of programs. But I would think that the 2011-12 school year (and maybe even the 2012-13 school year) would be too early to see any real dramatic changes in the faculty, facilities, programs, etc. Is it worth it to attend with the hopes but ultimate uncertainty that you would reap the direct rewards of the money? I was accepted to Berkeley and applied to UCLA, but I'm having trouble seeing myself choose a program with more uncertainty but also a fair amount of potential for growth (UCLA) over a program that is high quality as is but isn't necessarily going to have the same investment over the next two years (Berkeley). Any thoughts?

[ca010]

Does anyone have any more detail on what the $50 mil Luskin donation is going to be used for in the short term (i.e. the next 2 years)? I read the school's story on it, and it mentioned fellowships, endowments, new faculty, and adding a couple of programs. But I would think that the 2011-12 school year (and maybe even the 2012-13 school year) would be too early to see any real dramatic changes in the faculty, facilities, programs, etc. Is it worth it to attend with the hopes but ultimate uncertainty that you would reap the direct rewards of the money? I was accepted to Berkeley and applied to UCLA, but I'm having trouble seeing myself choose a program with more uncertainty but also a fair amount of potential for growth (UCLA) over a program that is high quality as is but isn't necessarily going to have the same investment over the next two years (Berkeley). Any thoughts?

My two cents:

$50 million is a lot for an MPP program, but GSPP seems to me to be a significantly better program at this point and that's not likely to change in the next few years. If the donation turns into big fellowships right away then that's a different story. Berkeley just seems like they have much better graduate programs and since you're a CA resident it's not a huge debt burden.

[plohani]

I just got my letter that I am IN

But there is no mention of financial aid or scholarship. Is this information provided later? I still haven't received my formal notification from the UCLA graduate division.

[Nimesis]

I just got my letter that I am IN

But there is no mention of financial aid or scholarship. Is this information provided later? I still haven't received my formal notification from the UCLA graduate division.

I got a letter from Luskin yesterday and in it they mentioned receipt of a "Luskin fellowship" for like $1,000. I'm not sure if there's any other funding offers forthcoming, but I am assuming that any funding you receive is probably mentioned explicitly in the letter you got already. I don't think anything more will come from graduate division, although I could be wrong.

[kapture]

There should have been a packet with an acceptance/declination of offer form, a stapled together packet of information about the Luskin School, and your admissions decision.

My acceptance letter also said that they would be sending more information by March 31st with more details.

[OnEdge]

Accepted with $1,000 fellowship. Has anyone received anything higher than $1,000? Based on the big game they were talking following the $50 mil donation, I was expecting a bit more...

[Nimesis]

Accepted with $1,000 fellowship. Has anyone received anything higher than $1,000? Based on the big game they were talking following the $50 mil donation, I was expecting a bit more...

I felt exactly the same way to be honest. I mean, with USC throwing out money left and right and them having their visit day on the same day as Berkeley's, I'm not sure how UCLA can even compete without giving out more funding. From what I've heard their career services aren't as strong as either Berkeley or USC and their alumni network is probably also not as strong as those two either. I'm not insulting the university as a whole, its a really great school, but I feel like the School of Public Affairs isn't reflecting that greatness with these small offers...

[kapture]

I just got my letter that I am IN

But there is no mention of financial aid or scholarship. Is this information provided later? I still haven't received my formal notification from the UCLA graduate division.

I think I received two mailings from them: one that just had my letter of acceptance and no mention of scholarships/funding, and then a few weeks later, an actual packet with more specifics about funding, that had all that other stuff that I mentioned and a paragraph in my letter of acceptance saying that I will have confirmation by March 31st.

[legs]

Accepted with $1,000 fellowship. Has anyone received anything higher than $1,000? Based on the big game they were talking following the $50 mil donation, I was expecting a bit more...

Finally just got my big envelope in the mail here in New York. It made the contrast between the $1,000 scholarship and the $50 mil all the more striking since the two were mentioned in consecutive sentences in the letter. I'm considering other schools as well -- but wanted to throw out there: Can anyone think of a reason to choose UCLA over USC if you want to be in LA? Particularly given USC's generous funding, which makes the cost pretty similar, if not less, and how not impressive UCLA's admissions office and process has been the last few months... It hurts me to say, since I'm a big UCLA fan and almost went there for undergrad... but at this point the ONLY thing I can see that Luskin has over SPPD is the neighborhood. Can anyone think of anything else?

EDIT: In response to OnEdge -- someone posted in results that they got $15k from Luskin.

Edited March 12, 2011 by legs

[jp47]

Finally just got my big envelope in the mail here in New York. It made the contrast between the $1,000 scholarship and the $50 mil all the more striking since the two were mentioned in consecutive sentences in the letter. I'm considering other schools as well -- but wanted to throw out there: Can anyone think of a reason to choose UCLA over USC if you want to be in LA? Particularly given USC's generous funding, which makes the cost pretty similar, if not less, and how not impressive UCLA's admissions office and process has been the last few months... It hurts me to say, since I'm a big UCLA fan and almost went there for undergrad... but at this point the ONLY thing I can see that Luskin has over SPPD is the neighborhood. Can anyone think of anything else?

EDIT: In response to OnEdge -- someone posted in results that they got $15k from Luskin.

This is exactly what I'm wondering. I haven't heard from UCLA yet (in Socal) and since it's spring break my school's mail room won't be open until the 21st. UGH. I got a half tuition scholarship to USC and it seems to me like th program is better. I was hoping to go look at apartments around USC over spring break, but don't want to waste my time. Am I right in assuming that USC is better unless UCLA for some reason gives me like 10k?

[pushpin]

This is exactly what I'm wondering. I haven't heard from UCLA yet (in Socal) and since it's spring break my school's mail room won't be open until the 21st. UGH. I got a half tuition scholarship to USC and it seems to me like th program is better. I was hoping to go look at apartments around USC over spring break, but don't want to waste my time. Am I right in assuming that USC is better unless UCLA for some reason gives me like 10k?

I'm sort of in the same position and wondering the same thing. It seems like UCLA is more academic and research oriented so if you wanted to focus on that, maybe it would give UCLA a slight edge over USC. It's sort of the only difference I see but I wonder if you can get the research and academic rigor at USC anyway.