Tough Decisions - LBJ/Wagner/Heinz

[nclex]

Much to my surprise, I got into almost all of my top schools...Heinz, LBJ and Wagner, as well as Brown, but that is basically out of the running right now. I'm stilling waiting to hear on American SPA and New School/Milano but I don't think I would pick either of these schools over the three I'm debating between now.

I am really at a loss in terms of where to go. I don't know what funding I got from LBJ yet but I got $8k a semester at Heinz and 2 credit hours at NYU. I am not going to take this into consideration, at least not yet. Anyone have any perspective, insight, experience, etc that might help me make my decision?? I'm interested mainly in nonprofit management and social policy, if that makes a difference. thanks!

[aliicat11]

Much to my surprise, I got into almost all of my top schools...Heinz, LBJ and Wagner, as well as Brown, but that is basically out of the running right now. I'm stilling waiting to hear on American SPA and New School/Milano but I don't think I would pick either of these schools over the three I'm debating between now.

I am really at a loss in terms of where to go. I don't know what funding I got from LBJ yet but I got $8k a semester at Heinz and 2 credit hours at NYU. I am not going to take this into consideration, at least not yet. Anyone have any perspective, insight, experience, etc that might help me make my decision?? I'm interested mainly in nonprofit management and social policy, if that makes a difference. thanks!

Did you apply to the non-profit program at Milano?? I know it may not be on par with where you have already been accepted, but it seems really aligned with your interest and if you are awesome enough to get into all of these programs, then you might have a decent amount of money coming from them.

[nclex]

I applied to the urban policy and analysis program at Milano. I talked to a friend's mom who is a dead there and she said the nonprofit program was for people further along in their careers. i guess i should wait to hear from everywhere before I start making a decision

Did you apply to the non-profit program at Milano?? I know it may not be on par with where you have already been accepted, but it seems really aligned with your interest and if you are awesome enough to get into all of these programs, then you might have a decent amount of money coming from them.

[CC139]

I have been fortunate enough to be accepted to this three schools, plus Syracuse and a couple of European programs. I never excepted to have any options at all, so I am confused as hell now.

I applied to all of the programs because something appealed to me -the structure, capstone projects, location or all, but, for now, I am still waiting on funding decisions on a European school, Syracuse and UT, so I hope that helps me decide (funding is very relevant to me). I have been talking with some alumni from all of the programs and that has helped me realized not all of them have the same focus or career opportunities, and that has certainly helped. You should try to do it.

Anyways, I am sure you'll get a great education wherever you choose.

[nclex]

thanks...and congrats to you too! i also didn't expect to have this many choices and thus am left totally confused. I am definitely planning on attending accepted students days at all three schools, and I've reached out to the admissions departments to see if they can put me in touch with alums.

I have been fortunate enough to be accepted to this three schools, plus Syracuse and a couple of European programs. I never excepted to have any options at all, so I am confused as hell now.

I applied to all of the programs because something appealed to me -the structure, capstone projects, location or all, but, for now, I am still waiting on funding decisions on a European school, Syracuse and UT, so I hope that helps me decide (funding is very relevant to me). I have been talking with some alumni from all of the programs and that has helped me realized not all of them have the same focus or career opportunities, and that has certainly helped. You should try to do it.

Anyways, I am sure you'll get a great education wherever you choose.

Edited March 15, 2011 by nclex

[mppgal55]

One thing to keep in mind is that at Heinz, there is also a Masters in Arts Management degree (2nd best in the country for that program), and you can take classes from their program as well. (Such as nonprofit management, accounting in nonprofits, governance and corporate boards, grants and sponsorship, fundraising, etc.) That's just on top of the strong PPM curriculum options.

I'd suggest keeping in mind where you want to end up post-grad as well. Heinz has very strong DC connections, as well as a strong presence in LA, Silicon Valley, Chicago, NYC, and of course Pittsburgh. LBJ would have stronger southern connections, and NYU would be more NYC/DC oriented.

Don't rule out fit - visit the schools, call faculty members who seem interesting, etc. - that made a HUGE difference in my decision.

Edited March 15, 2011 by mppgal55

[nclex]

Thanks so much for your input...I think you are right that I need to keep in mind location post-grad and most importantly, fit. I will definitely be attending the Accepted Students weekend at Heinz and I look forwarded to learning more.

I am on the wait list at Tepper, so if I were to get in I would absolutely choose CMU. Do you know whether or not its possible to apply to the dual degree during your first year at Heinz if I don't get off the wait list this year??

One thing to keep in mind is that at Heinz, there is also a Masters in Arts Management degree (2nd best in the country for that program), and you can take classes from their program as well. (Such as nonprofit management, accounting in nonprofits, governance and corporate boards, grants and sponsorship, fundraising, etc.) That's just on top of the strong PPM curriculum options.

I'd suggest keeping in mind where you want to end up post-grad as well. Heinz has very strong DC connections, as well as a strong presence in LA, Silicon Valley, Chicago, NYC, and of course Pittsburgh. LBJ would have stronger southern connections, and NYU would be more NYC/DC oriented.

Don't rule out fit - visit the schools, call faculty members who seem interesting, etc. - that made a HUGE difference in my decision.

[mppgal55]

Yes, you have until the end of the 1st year to apply for the dual program. If that doesn't work out, you can take 2 classes/semester from Tepper, maxing out at 4 classes total.

I think I just replied to a different question of yours on the other CMU thread too. I really love the program, so I'm happy to answer any questions you have.

Thanks so much for your input...I think you are right that I need to keep in mind location post-grad and most importantly, fit. I will definitely be attending the Accepted Students weekend at Heinz and I look forwarded to learning more.

I am on the wait list at Tepper, so if I were to get in I would absolutely choose CMU. Do you know whether or not its possible to apply to the dual degree during your first year at Heinz if I don't get off the wait list this year??

[nclex]

haha yes you did, thanks so much!

i never expected to get into all these programs, especially Heinz, so I'm at a loss. I think right now I'm leaning more towards Heinz or LBJ...it will be interesting to compare them after I visit each of them.

How do you like pittsburgh? When I visited for my Tepper interview, I was pleasantly surprised. One last question (I promise ), how involved/helpful you feel the university is in finding an internship and jobs? Is it pretty self-directed for are you finding help along the way as you need it?

Yes, you have until the end of the 1st year to apply for the dual program. If that doesn't work out, you can take 2 classes/semester from Tepper, maxing out at 4 classes total.

I think I just replied to a different question of yours on the other CMU thread too. I really love the program, so I'm happy to answer any questions you have.

[mppgal55]

I love Pittsburgh! Then again, my undergrad was in a small town in Indiana, so anything would have been an improvement . I've lived in DC and Boston before, though, and I still like Pittsburgh. There are a ton of museums, theaters, parks, sporting events, bars, shopping, restaurants, etc. There is never a shortage on things to do. Plus, we aren't too far from DC, Canada, and a lot of skiing/hiking places. I even went whitewater rafting last semester an hour from here . The worst part of Pittsburgh is just driving, and that's only because it takes a long time to get somewhere that isn't very far away. If you do decide to come here, I can point you in the direction of good housing.

I'm not sure if my experience with jobs/internships is the same as others, since I'm in the DC program. DC students have a separate career advisor, and our program director is very hands on. That said, Marie (our director) assists mainly with the apprenticeship, but that's all. Most DC students get offers from their apprenticeships; others have found them through the CMU and Heinz career sites.

The career center is very hands on here, as a rule. We have at least one workshop every week, there are many information sessions with employers, and there are many employers who actively recruit through the Heinz career website. Additionally, we have network nights in NYC, DC, LA, Silicon Valley, Boston, Chicago, and Pittsburgh that are a great help in making connections. There is an alumni mentoring program you can participate in as well, and your mentor can help you find jobs. Even more, asking faculty and advisors for advice one-on-one can yield great results. A lot of the adjunct faculty will eagerly connect you to their contacts who are hiring. Personally, I had one of the advisors in the career center look up all alumni at the EIA, FERC, and Department of Energy, and then he made the initial contact on my behalf. This has led to some great connections for me.

In general, last year I struggled finding a summer position. This year I already have multiple offers, as well as a DC-centric summer funding award from CMU. The only thing that has changed in that time has been my experiences at Heinz. Albeit, I'm very active on campus, I work very hard, and I network a lot/apply to a lot of things, but I still credit the contacts, reputation, and skills from CMU for where I am now. It gets my foot in the door, and the rest is up to me.

haha yes you did, thanks so much!

i never expected to get into all these programs, especially Heinz, so I'm at a loss. I think right now I'm leaning more towards Heinz or LBJ...it will be interesting to compare them after I visit each of them.

How do you like pittsburgh? When I visited for my Tepper interview, I was pleasantly surprised. One last question (I promise ), how involved/helpful you feel the university is in finding an internship and jobs? Is it pretty self-directed for are you finding help along the way as you need it?

[onmymind]

Yes, you have until the end of the 1st year to apply for the dual program. If that doesn't work out, you can take 2 classes/semester from Tepper, maxing out at 4 classes total.

Are you sure about this? I've heard conflicting information. I'm in Tepper and Heinz (MBA/MSPPM), and a Heinz classmate said that only Tepper first-years could apply to the dual program. He may have been misinformed, or I may have misunderstood, but the school websites imply that you have to start with MBA classes (e.g., "students may apply to the Heinz School before enrolling at Tepper OR during the 1st year of the MBA program," http://www.heinz.cmu...ness/index.aspx).

To the OP: if the admissions office doesn't already know that you were accepted at Heinz and would definitely attend if accepted at Tepper, please tell them! There's been a surge of interest in the dual-degree program in my class. It would be awesome for there to be enough of us there at once to further shape the program.

Edited March 18, 2011 by onmymind

[nclex]

thanks for the info...I was going to contact someone at Tepper to clarify. In my admissions letter, they indicated that I should NOT email individual admissions officers, only the waitlist general email. Do you think I should just send an email saying I have been admitted to heinz?? thanks!

Are you sure about this? I've heard conflicting information. I'm in Tepper and Heinz (MBA/MSPPM), and a Heinz classmate said that only Tepper first-years could apply to the dual program. He may have been misinformed, or I may have misunderstood, but the school websites imply that you have to start with MBA classes (e.g., "students may apply to the Heinz School before enrolling at Tepper OR during the 1st year of the MBA program," http://www.heinz.cmu...ness/index.aspx).

To the OP: if the admissions office doesn't already know that you were accepted at Heinz and would definitely attend if accepted at Tepper, please tell them! There's been a surge of interest in the dual-degree program in my class. It would be awesome for there to be enough of us there at once to further shape the program.

[onmymind]

thanks for the info...I was going to contact someone at Tepper to clarify. In my admissions letter, they indicated that I should NOT email individual admissions officers, only the waitlist general email. Do you think I should just send an email saying I have been admitted to heinz?? thanks!

Unless you were specifically told NOT to send updates, I would e-mail the waitlist general address to share your good news about Heinz, because it's relevant for their admissions decision. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss this more.