Public/Intl Affairs/Relations/Policy Fall 2009

[nab190]

GWU is my #1 - I applied to its M.A. in Public Policy with a concentration in Women's Studies. Any other WST folks out there?

Not WST, but I applied to the MA in Public Policy for Philosophy and Social Policy. Since its actually housed in the Philosophy Department, I'm hoping that other people being accepted to GWU's MPP program doesn't mean I should have heard by now. I just got accepted to American for its MPP, but GWU also my top choice.

Good luck!

[enantiomorph]

.

[Cornell07]

Dammit IR! I am going out of my mind! Could you please give me some news? I need a response from one school, any school to temporarily sate my appetite. I could have just one response and then wait for two weeks to hear from everyone else and I would be content.

[Dreams]

Dammit IR! I am going out of my mind! Could you please give me some news? I need a response from one school, any school to temporarily sate my appetite. I could have just one response and then wait for two weeks to hear from everyone else and I would be content.

Just a little longer. I say we are down to the final two weeks. The applicant who has not ripped out all hair, gouged both eyes out, and fallen into a coma from anxiety and shock is the winner

[splic]

Got into Duke, woohoo! They said I'd get details of funding by snail mail - wait, that's another three weeks! :shock:

[techie]

Hey Guys,

I am not applying to the Harvard KSG but I know that many of you are. Don't want to alarm you but I came across this interesting statistic, apparently applications are up 35%. Not sure what to attribute this to, the Obama effect, Harvard reputation or just the economy in general?

"The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University has seen a 35-percent hike in applications for the Masters in Public Policy program, but is not planning to accept more students, wrote Doug Gavel, associate director of media relations and public affairs, in an e-mail."

http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com ... 9345.shtml

[Cornell07]

Hey Guys,

I am not applying to the Harvard KSG but I know that many of you are. Don't want to alarm you but I came across this interesting statistic, apparently applications are up 35%. Not sure what to attribute this to, the Obama effect, Harvard reputation or just the economy in general?

"The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University has seen a 35-percent hike in applications for the Masters in Public Policy program, but is not planning to accept more students, wrote Doug Gavel, associate director of media relations and public affairs, in an e-mail."

http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com ... 9345.shtml

Eww. Eww. Eww.

[lm776c]

I think its because the economy is in the tank. When people can't find jobs, the alternative is graduate school

[younglions]

"The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University has seen a 35-percent hike in applications for the Masters in Public Policy program, but is not planning to accept more students, wrote Doug Gavel, associate director of media relations and public affairs, in an e-mail."

http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com ... 9345.shtml

Well, that confirms what was already rumored on these boards with 1600+ applicants. With a 35% increase in applicants, the acceptance rate would be a little less than 21%. Good luck to all. Two more weeks and we should have a clearer picture of our futures.

[mpp_hopeful]

Hey Guys,

I am not applying to the Harvard KSG but I know that many of you are. Don't want to alarm you but I came across this interesting statistic, apparently applications are up 35%. Not sure what to attribute this to, the Obama effect, Harvard reputation or just the economy in general?

"The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University has seen a 35-percent hike in applications for the Masters in Public Policy program, but is not planning to accept more students, wrote Doug Gavel, associate director of media relations and public affairs, in an e-mail."

http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com ... 9345.shtml

I'm glad I already have a few acceptances (GW, GPPI) under my belt. It's comforting to know that even with a tidal wave of applications, I got in at least somewhere.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

[linden]

I'm still feeling quite positive. I am willing to bet my right pinky that a good number of the applicants who would not have applied if the economic situation were better are individuals who are probably not as well prepared as many of us are. And, I am willing to bet my left pinky that many of them cannot show the same level of commitment to public service most of us can. Unlike banking and manufacturing, the public sector has not been bleeding jobs. During a recession, people generally don't leave a good job to go to school; they go to school if they lose a job or if they cannot find a job. I am willing to bet my right index finger that the increase in applications comes mostly from disillusioned private sector workers and undergrads who had never thought of public service before.

Okay, I better stop now before I run out of fingers to wager.

[Dreams]

I got dibs on those fingers But seriously, I second linden. Those of us here doing the worrying are likely the ones who will end up where we want to be because we have the experiences and backgrounds that the programs are looking for. They will be able to quickly spot those who applied due to the recession because their applications will bare it all. Fifteen more days folks. Fifteen more days.

[younglions]

I received an e-mail today from a current student at CMU Heinz offering to answer questions about the program. The e-mail also noted that I would be receiving good news shortly. This is only going to make my constant refreshing of the Heinz online application even worse. (To other Heinz applicants who haven't heard anything, don't worry--the e-mail was specifically directed at me because of a few things I mentioned in my application.)

Plate or platter has previously mentioned how impressed s/he is with the Heinz community. I'd like to second that sentiment. I know it's a little late to apply this year, but for any lurkers looking toward the next admissions cycle, I recommend that you check out their programs.

[anxiouslywaiting]

I think what we have to realize, with Harvard and with other programs, the problem is two-fold. On the one hand, applications are way up. On the other hand, the budget is decreasing. Harvard's endowment took a 30% hit over the past year and it's no secret that they are looking to cut costs wherever possible. Bottom line is that its going to be harder to get in and less likely that you'll get much in the way of funding. However, if you have some source of funding coming in, a fellowship or something, you are going to be extra attractive.

[publicpolicy79]

I can verify that though there is an increase in applications, the overage are not of great quality. My sister works in administration in the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at a university I won't name (state school, not top-tier but not a directional-state either). They have seen an increase in applications, but the admissions committes have reported that they can easily tell which ones were "driven" to apply to school because of the economy. They stand out for the lack of preparation and/or relevant experience. Those are quickly discarded.

So though the overall applications have increased, I don't know that the number of applications that are being seriously considered has increased.

[Cornell07]

I can verify that though there is an increase in applications, the overage are not of great quality. My sister works in administration in the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at a university I won't name (state school, not top-tier but not a directional-state either). They have seen an increase in applications, but the admissions committes have reported that they can easily tell which ones were "driven" to apply to school because of the economy. They stand out for the lack of preparation and/or relevant experience. Those are quickly discarded.

So though the overall applications have increased, I don't know that the number of applications that are being seriously considered has increased.

The thing is, when the university budgets are tightened, an easy way to off-set their shortfalls is to accept more students and not offer as much aid.

[publicpolicy79]

Actually, surprisingly, my sister reports that her university plans to offer better financial packages to those they accept because they expect most other schools to be taking the smaller package route. They figure offering better packages to fewer students will make them more competitive (in this economy) against higher-ranked programs.

[mpp_hopeful]

I'm still feeling quite positive. I am willing to bet my right pinky that a good number of the applicants who would not have applied if the economic situation were better are individuals who are probably not as well prepared as many of us are. And, I am willing to bet my left pinky that many of them cannot show the same level of commitment to public service most of us can. Unlike banking and manufacturing, the public sector has not been bleeding jobs. During a recession, people generally don't leave a good job to go to school; they go to school if they lose a job or if they cannot find a job. I am willing to bet my right index finger that the increase in applications comes mostly from disillusioned private sector workers and undergrads who had never thought of public service before.

Okay, I better stop now before I run out of fingers to wager.

Uh oh. I wonder what this means for me.....

I spent 3 years working at two government regulators of the financial industry, and later at the White House (George W. Bush). However, I've spent the last year or so working as a management consultant in the private sector. Business is good and my job isn't at risk, but I really do want to go back into public service. Hopefully someone at Harvard sees my history in government service!

[techie]

I received an e-mail today from a current student at CMU Heinz offering to answer questions about the program. The e-mail also noted that I would be receiving good news shortly. This is only going to make my constant refreshing of the Heinz online application even worse. (To other Heinz applicants who haven't heard anything, don't worry--the e-mail was specifically directed at me because of a few things I mentioned in my application.)

Plate or platter has previously mentioned how impressed s/he is with the Heinz community. I'd like to second that sentiment. I know it's a little late to apply this year, but for any lurkers looking toward the next admissions cycle, I recommend that you check out their programs.

Thats excellent news younglions, I guess that the closest thing to hearing directly from the adcoms. Looks like congratulations are in order here.

[pepper84]

I think you'll be fine, actually. Harvard is actively recruiting Republicans--in fact, in one admissions information session, one of the current students joked that he felt like it was the first time something like affirmative action worked for him. It was a joke, of course, but something to think about. So on top of your financial industry/regulator experience/government experience, that WH line on your resume is going to look great.

[anxiouslywaiting]

Well does that mean people with experience working on the Democratic side are at a disadvantage, since we're a dime a dozen in the public policy applicant pools?

[Cornell07]

Well does that mean people with experience working on the Democratic side are at a disadvantage, since we're a dime a dozen in the public policy applicant pools?

Le sigh.

[policy_applicant]

A professor I spoke with at Berkeley also lamented the students' idealogical homogeneity. It made me briefly (and unseriously) consider posing as a Republican to increase my chances of admission.

[pepper84]

I don't really know what that means (I'm in your boat--D). From what I've gathered, Harvard in particular receives a lot more applications from people who've worked the blue side of the aisle, which makes Rs stand out.

[younglions]

That does sound like good news!! From a professional standpoint, though I am surprised they would let students see that kind of information. When I worked in admissions, admissions decisions were top secret. I could see them (as a staff member), but I wasn't an admissions officer so I wasn't allowed to give them out to parents or students. This was undergrad though, so I don't know if things are different.

I think it's a matter of the differences between undergraduate and graduate admissions. For both, once a student is accepted the university essentially turns into a recruiter. For undergraduates, you're recruiting a large group of 17 year olds into a large university. Most of the those prospective students don't have concrete career/research plans, so it's harder to target your marketing. For graduate school, most know exactly what they're doing. If there's a current student that has similar interests to an applicant, s/he can be a great recruitment tool. I don't think it is at all uncommon to involve students in the application decision and recruitment processes for these schools. For example, Fletcher has students review every application and Harvard has a call-a-thon where current students call admits to inform them of the good news and answer questions.