The 'Am I competitive' thread - READ ME BEFORE POSTING

[bummerman]

Program: MPP or MPA

Interests: Urban Policy

Schools Applying To: USC Price, Pitt GSPIA, UW Evans, UT LBJ, UM Humphrey and reaching for GW Trachtenberg 

Undergrad Institution: A fairly mediocre urban Jesuit university (Fordham, Marquette, SLU tier) 

Undergraduate GPA: 3.5 (3.8 in major)

Undergraduate Major: Sociology 

GRE: 162 V 154 Q 4.5 W (planning to retake in December)

Quant: A few stat courses and research methods classes 

Years of Work Experience: 3

Languages: Mandarin (intermediate) 

Work Experience:  1 year teaching abroad in China, half a year working in my city's Elections department, and have been working operations in the med-tech industry for the past 1.5 years.  Interned half a year at a local international institute as well.

LORs: Will be able to get strong letters from current and former employer/ a little worried about professors as I haven't kept in touch with any.

Concerns: 

1. Low GREs, I think I should be able to boost my quant by *maybe* 3 points or so.

2. Work experience, as I've done nothing strictly policy oriented.

3. I honestly just feel like I'm a run of the mill candidate and don't have anything particularly distinguishing about me (compared to others on this forum) but I'm also not applying to the top-top-tier schools so maybe there's a chance?

 

Also I'd love some recommendations for schools I've overlooked with good Urban policy programs.

 

Thanks!

[jcp343]

Program: MIA/MPP

Interests: International Relations 

Schools Applying To:  Johns Hopkins SAIS, Harvard Kennedy School , Columbia SAIS, Georgetown SFS

Undergrad Institution: University of Notre Dame

Undergraduate GPA: 3.73

Undergraduate Major: BA Political Science, Concentration in Middle Eastern Studies

GRE: 167V, 160Q, 5W

Years of Work Experience: 2.5

Languages: English, intermediate Arabic, intermediate Georgian. 

Work Experience:  After graduation I spent 9 months as a policy fellow for a non-profit organizing a forum for US Senators and Pakistani Parliamentarians that was meant to expand the bilateral dialogue beyond security cooperation. I spent most of my time meetings with Senate offices and Senators, developing policy briefs, coordinating logistics, etc. 

Since then, I have been a Peace Corps volunteer (18 or 27 months completed) in the Republic of Georgia where I teach English and work in youth development. 

LORs: I have three recommendations. Two will be very strong (one from my boss in DC, one from my Peace Corps program manager), and one should be strong, but I'm less confident (from my undergraduate thesis advisor)

I would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks so much

[chocolatecheesecake]

On 10/14/2016 at 0:45 AM, Yeswecan! said:

Program: MPP/MIA/MPA

Interests: International Development

Schools Applying To:  SIPA, HKS, SAIS, Sanford, WWS

Undergrad Institution: Non-ivy top-10 school

Undergraduate GPA: 3.7

Undergraduate Major: BA Political Science & International Studies

GRE: 163V, 162Q, 5W

Years of Work Experience: 4

Languages: English, Hindi, beginner Mandarin

Work Experience:  2 years teaching in a rural community abroad, UN summer internship, 2-years working in operations at top tech search engine

LORs: Three strong ones, one from undergraduate professor, two from former managers (some reused from last application)

Other Things: Applied in the past, and got into SIPA/SAIS/Sanford, but decided to not go, and get more work experience (wanted to strengthen analytical skills). Since last time, I'll have 2 years of more experience, as well as engagement with 2 Boards, and other community service. Have also taken economics courses.

Generally, you're in a really strong position, which you probably know already. GPA and GRE both look good, as do your job experiences and economics courses (hope you got As =D). One thing I know for Sanford that might apply to the other schools is that you will be asked to take a statistics course before enrolling. If you haven't done so in the past five years, that's the last missing piece. I would make sure to take that class at a community college or online, and get an A so that you can hit the ground running when you get there. At most schools, the public policy/ MPA core will include a more basic statistics course and a slightly more advanced one that will move faster. Having a stats course under your belt will mean you can move into the second one right away. 

[chocolatecheesecake]

On 10/15/2016 at 1:52 PM, angry_andrea said:

Program: MDP, MGPS, MIA

Interests: International development policy, specifically aid effectiveness in fragile states. 

Schools Applying To:  Humphrey MDP, LBJ MGPS, Jackson.

Undergrad Institution: Oxbridge

Undergraduate GPA: 3.7

Undergraduate Major: History

I also have a British Masters degree in Security Studies, with a GPA of 3.6. 

GRE: Haven't taken it yet. Hoping for over 160 on the verbal, and between 150-155 on the quant.  

Quant: Absolutely none. An A in Maths GCSE at the age of 16. 

Years of Work Experience: 4.5

Languages: Intermediate Persian (Kabuli dialect), basic Arabic (Egyptian Colloquial). 

Work Experience:  1.5 years in the Middle East working for an NGO and a newspaper in two countries; a year in the UK working for a British NGO on child rights in conflict supporting their Middle East/Asia programmes; a year in SE Asia followed by a year in Afghanistan doing reporting, monitoring and evaluation, and project development for a large British NGO that does humanitarian aid. 

LORs: Employee LORs should be good, but it's a while since I was in contact with any professors from university. I'm sure they will write nice letters, but there's a limit to how good they can be since I graduated in 2009 (and in 2011 from my Masters). 

Concerns: 

1. I have no quant background because in the UK we don't take a range of classes during undergrad- we just pick a subject and stick with it. I'm happy to take micro, macro, and stats before applying but I have absolutely nothing quant on my transcript. Correspondingly, my GRE quant score is likely to be awful. If I get above 150, I'll be happy. I'm studying as much as I can and plan to take the GRE at the end of November. 

3. My previous Masters degree was completely academic and theoretical. I'm planning on explaining in my SOPs that I want to get an MDP/MIA/MGPS to acquire practical skills (including quant ones) that I need to move on in my career. However, I wonder if the fact I already hold a masters degree with grades that are OK rather than stellar will be a problem in my application. 

I think my work experience is the strongest part of my application, and that my SOP should be compelling- I have a clear purpose for going back to school and a clear idea of what I want to do with the degree afterwards. I've chosen LBJ, Humphrey, and Yale because the courses offered fit my interests really well; I think I'm competitive to get in at Humphrey, that LBJ will be more of a reach, and that Yale is extremely unlikely. But even if I get in at any of the three, I am worried my lack of quant and (probable) poor GRE score will mean I am not competitive for funding. 

To address your concerns:

1. and 3. I think you're absolutely right: you need to focus on your lack of quantitative experience. To get that GRE quant score up, make sure you try some practice tests from a variety of prep courses so that you can be challenged. Definitely get at least mid-150s. Definitely also enroll in a microeconomics and a statistics course online or at a community college as soon as you can. It's too late to finish a class before you send in your application and show that you can get As in quant classes. But you can include in your app that you are currently taking those classes, and admissions committees will see it as a positive sign that you know your weaknesses/missing competencies and are addressing that. Since you have no quant, they'll probably make those pre-requisites to enrolling anyway, so you get it out of the way earlier. You don't really need macro for the admissions process, so focus first on micro and stats. Macro will be helpful for int'l dev, but you'd be fine taking that class during grad school.

Your SOP and work experience do sound very strong, and it's good that you have a clear idea of how those programs can help you get where you want to be. That's the most important part, after all!

2. Your GPA from your master's program seems absolutely fine. A 3.6 is not low by any means, and since it's almost in a completely different field, adcoms will not pay that much attention. If anything, a prior master's is confirmation of the fact that you can successfully complete a graduate course of study.

[curvilineardisparity]

Hi everyone!

I have finally gathered all my documents to apply for a PhD in Public Policy (or related area) and would really appreciate to hear your inputs on (a) the likelihood of being accepted, (b) suggestions of universities to be included or excluded from my list, and (c) ways/tips to increase my chances. Thank you very much! 

Education:
Master in Public Economics, Law and Politics (2 years, Germany) - GPA: 3.2 (on going)
Master in Public Management and Society (2 years, Brazil) - GPA: 4.0
Bachelor in Economics (5 years, Brazil) - GPA: 2.5

Exams:
GRE: 155V/155Q
TOEFL: 104

Work experience:
~ 10 years in political parties
~ 6 years as fundraiser in NGOs
~ 1 year as lecturer in a vocational/technical institute

Others:
4 publications in unknown journals on political science, international relations and economics & law.
Speak Portuguese, English, Spanish and some German.

Research focus: innovation policy in Latin America

Targeted universities (ordered): George Mason; Georgia Tech.

Again, thank you very much! 

[tairos]

I wasn't going to do this (especially because one's anonymity effectively disappears by posting precise metrics), but I'm beginning to be gnawed by doubts so why not. 

Program: MIA

Interests: Security-focused international affairs programs (though I'm somewhat leery of being pigeonholed into security entirely, for practical reasons)

Schools Applying To:  UCSD, Seton Hall, SIS, Pitt, Boston U, GMU (probably going to drop GMU at this point), perhaps SIPA

Undergrad Institution: Large non-prestigious state school

Undergraduate GPA: 3.2 (this probably overstates my academic performance, owing to multiple withdrawals and grade inflating fluff classes)

Undergraduate Major: Political Science/Global Studies

GRE: 170V, 156Q, 4.5W

Years of Work Experience: A bit hard to quantify, but it's been three patchy years since graduation.  

Languages: English, long-lapsed beginner level Spanish from high school (so just English)

Work Experience:  I've been in a military reserve component for most of this time, but I've seen no deployments or operational experience of any kind (only a rather long training period).  I am in the process of commissioning, which I was sure to mention in my SOP.  I also have a fairly high level security clearance, though not high enough to be a ticket puncher.  I did a semester as a non-degree seeking grad student in DC, in a domestic-focused policy program.  Aside from that, I have a couple public affairs/government relations internships (one of which was internationally focused) and an internship at an obscure non-profit.  I'm currently a paid canvasser for a political consulting outfit, which will end on election day.  

LORs: A couple from instructors in the non-degree program, and one from an internship supervisor 

Other Things: did a semester abroad in South Africa, which probably looks slightly better than Western Europe but is not really pertinent to security.

I self-selected out of the top programs, but since I've been accepted to SIS (with a small merit award), Pitt and Seton Hall (rejected by UCSD, but that was mostly because I applied last minute and had no time to attend their math bootcamp) I'm beginning to feel remiss for not including a true long shot program. I could still send off an app to SIPA, but because of their quant focus (I have only a couple of introductory stat classes) I feel that is a remote possibility.  Because I'm going to be once again freighted off to extensive military training some time in the next couple of years (yes, the timelines are that lengthy and ambiguous) it's somewhat important to me to get working on my masters while I still have the free time (the career field I'm going into has a much higher ops tempo than most).  I am partial to SIS, so I'm happy to go there, but in this field one unfortunately needs all the help one can get prestige-wise.

Edited October 21, 2016 by tairos

[Imperator_Taco]

Hi everyone! Would like to know what my chances are of getting accepted by AND receiving some funding from my target schools. What other programs/universities can I aim for? Should I aim higher or lower?

Program: MPP/MIA/MPA

Interests:  International Development, International Relations

Schools Applying To:  Columbia (SIPA), Tufts (Fletcher), Syracuse (Maxwell), Carnegie Mellon (Heinz), Duke (Sanford), Cornell (CIPA)

Undergrad Institution: Highly-ranked Philippine/Asian university

Undergraduate GPA: 3.44

Undergraduate Major: AB Philosophy, but took 11 social science classes (mixture of economics, sociology, political science)

GRE: 170V, 154Q, 4.5W

Years of Work Experience: 2 1/2 years

Languages:  English (Native), Filipino (Native)

Work Experience:  2 years as a development researcher and campaign officer in the Philippines. Has had leading roles in nationally significant human rights/democratization campaigns. Has worked closely with a variety of grassroots communities (farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous people, urban poor, etc.). Am also the co-founder and COO of a data analytics company. 

International Experience: Spent 9 years in the US, 16 years in the Philippines, and 3 months in South Korea

Research Experience: I've published an IR-article in a peer-reviewed journal. I've also presented in a number of national and international academic conferences.  

LORs: Three strong ones from 2 undergraduate professors (the present and former chair of the Philosophy department) and my former boss at the NGO I used to work for 

 

Edited October 22, 2016 by Imperator_Taco

[Imperator_Taco]

^^^One more thing to add:

Quant background: Got Bs in Basic Social Science Statistics course and Quantitative Methods course; co-founded data analytics company 

[Econ360]

Program/Institution: MPA/ID (HKS), MPA (WWS), MPA (SIPA-Columbia), MPP (Harris)

Interests: Economics, development policy

Undergrad & Grad Institution: Top 1 in the country, South American University

Undergraduate Major: Economics

Undergraduate GPA: Top 5% (don’t know how to put it in GPA Scale).

Graduate: Ms. Economics

Grad. GPA: 1^st of the class

GRE: 161Q, 152V, 4.5 AW

TOEFL: 110/120  

Years of Work Experience: 5

Languages: Spanish (native), English (fluent) 

Work Experience:  2 years as R.A in Macro & Development, 1.5 years in the public sector as an economist & economic advisor to a Minister (like a Secretary in the US), 1 yr in Investment Banking (6 months off work to finish masters degree).

LORs: 3 Former ministers’/top government positions, two of them former teachers and bosses 

Others: T.A. in macro and micro economics (undergrad and gred level), several publications, volunteer public school teacher, 1^st place at Harvard’s debate competition, important political activity, among others. 

Concerns: Feel my GRE is somewhat lower than HKS' "comfort zone" . I think I should retake it, still have one month till HKS deadline.

[oglethorpe]

Hey all. I would greatly appreciate any input/feedback on my stats.

Program: International Relations

Interests: East Asia, Southeast Asia, Political Risk

Schools Applying To: From scanning admissions sites, Korbel, Elliott, and Seton Hall look like the best bets given my profile but I’m unsure. Dream option would be SAIS but that looks unfeasible

Undergrad Institution: Top 25 Public University

Undergraduate GPA: 2.929 (I know)

Undergraduate Major: History, Minor in Japanese 

GRE: 165 V 155 Q 5 W  

Quant: Statistics (A-), Micro (B+), taking Macro now at community college

Years of Work Experience: 2 (including post-graduation internships)

Languages: 3 years of college-level Japanese 

Work Experience:  Internships at two international development NGOs, an internship at an IR advocacy NGO, and an internship at a major DC think tank; I’ve been a volunteer editor at a small think tank since February; about six months of unrelated professional work

LORs: I'm looking  to ask a couple of old professors and possibly my supervisor from an internship

Main Concerns: 

1. Low GPA (My GPA in my major is about 3.5. I actually had to leave school briefly during my junior year, which dramatically hurt my grades that semester; as such looking only at my final two years won’t actually help).

2. Lack of work experience. I think my internships are quite good, but I don’t have much in the way of full-time job experience.

As far as I can tell my GRE scores are adequate but I imagine my GPA seriously weighs down my profile. Are there any solid programs that don’t value GPA as heavily?  Is it even worth applying to any top programs?

Much Obliged

[Jel]

On October 24, 2016 at 8:47 PM, oglethorpe said:

Hey all. I would greatly appreciate any input/feedback on my stats.

 

Program: International Relations

 

Interests: East Asia, Southeast Asia, Political Risk

 

Schools Applying To: From scanning admissions sites, Korbel, Elliott, and Seton Hall look like the best bets given my profile but I’m unsure. Dream option would be SAIS but that looks unfeasible

 

Undergrad Institution: Top 25 Public University

 

Undergraduate GPA: 2.929 (I know)

Undergraduate Major: History, Minor in Japanese 

 

GRE: 165 V 155 Q 5 W  

 

Quant: Statistics (A-), Micro (B+), taking Macro now at community college

 

Years of Work Experience: 2 (including post-graduation internships)

 

Languages: 3 years of college-level Japanese 

 

Work Experience:  Internships at two international development NGOs, an internship at an IR advocacy NGO, and an internship at a major DC think tank; I’ve been a volunteer editor at a small think tank since February; about six months of unrelated professional work

 

LORs: I'm looking  to ask a couple of old professors and possibly my supervisor from an internship

 

Main Concerns: 

 

1. Low GPA (My GPA in my major is about 3.5. I actually had to leave school briefly during my junior year, which dramatically hurt my grades that semester; as such looking only at my final two years won’t actually help).

 

2. Lack of work experience. I think my internships are quite good, but I don’t have much in the way of full-time job experience.

 

As far as I can tell my GRE scores are adequate but I imagine my GPA seriously weighs down my profile. Are there any solid programs that don’t value GPA as heavily?  Is it even worth applying to any top programs?

 

 

Much Obliged

Hi oglethorpe, if you're truly interested in going to a top school I would recommend that you wait a few years before applying, GPA loses importance the more years of work experience you have and considering you appear not to have any full-time work experience, a  < 3 GPA will definitely weigh you down. I would also concentrate on studying for the GRE and striving the get the highest score you possibly can and perhaps taking some more classes or a certificate of some sort with a higher grade to prove to the committee that you can do the work. Unfortunately a low GPA and a lack of work experience won't make you very competitive right now. 

[oglethorpe]

Thank you for the feedback Jel. In your opinion, would I perhaps be competitive for a second tier program like SIS or Korbel?

[emilyf413]

On 10/10/2016 at 8:56 PM, hopeful88 said:

Ok...I'll give it a try.

1. Sounds like you're interested in domestic policy, so I wouldn't worry so much about lack of fluency in another language (especially since you speak passable Spanish).

2. Quant score looks pretty solid to me. Maybe not as strong as your language scores, but those are stellar. Generally you want to hit 75th percentile or above for quant, which you've certainly done.

3. This is where you may run into problems. You are (relatively) fresh out of undergrad, sounds like you're making headway advancing in your current job. Why grad school, and why now? You will have to craft a really compelling narrative in your essays to address this point. It doesn't come across clearly from anything you've written here. You should also be aware that lack of work experience will reduce your chance of getting funding, and weaken your position on the job market post-graduation (you'll be competing with folks who have the same degree, and more experience). However, these obstacles are not insurmountable if now is really the right time for you to go back to school.

4. I wouldn't worry about this too much, especially since you have a solid quant score and strong undergrad GPA (I'm assuming you took some statistics/quant oriented courses in undergrad). You may want to consider enrolling in an online microeconomics course, which you can include in your applications so that the admissions committee knows that you are developing your experience in this subject area. It would also orient you to the concepts you'll need to know in your methods courses.

Good luck!

Thank you!

The narrative I'm trying to craft is that I want the practical skills to advocate for policy changes, which I didn't get from any previous or current experiences - i.e. the economics and politics around crafting policy. I'll make sure to place particular emphasis on this. Thank you for the extremely useful advice!

[Obecalp]

Program/Institution: MPP (HKS, Chicago - Harris, Berkeley - Goldman, Michigan - Ford)  

Interests: Poverty, Social Policy, Education, 

Undergrad Institution: New York University, Tisch School of the Arts

Undergraduate Major: Theater

Undergraduate GPA: 3.6

GRE: 160Q, 170V, 5 AW

Years of Work Experience: 5

Work Experience:  1 year in Americorps working on education programs, 3 years fundraising and project management at a DV/SA shelter, 1.5 years as a marketing manager for a child advocacy nonprofit. 

Volunteer Experience: 2.5 years on the steering committee for the local branch of non-profit civil rights organization. 4 years on the board for a local mental health nonprofit, a bunch of different committees for fundraising events

LORs: One from current boss, one from former coworker who can served with me on the steering committee, one from executive director for the mental health nonprofit.  

Concerns: I did not do as well as expected on Quant for the GRE. I'm concerned that my Quant score and lack of any quant work on my resume will be a hindrance from being able to get in anywhere. Is it worth applying or should I wait a year and try to get more quant experience and better scores? 

[jdreisba]

Program/Institution: MPP (Michigan - Ford, Wisconsin - La Follette, Washington - Evans, Minnesota - Humphrey) (ranked in order of interest)

Interests: Social Policy, Homelessness, Poverty/Income Inequality

Undergrad Institution: University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Undergraduate Majors: Political Science and Creative Writing

Undergraduate GPA: 3.5

GRE: 164 V, 155 Q, still waiting on my essay scores, but I am anticipating a 4.5 or 5 (knock on wood).

Age: 26

Years of Work Experience: ~2.5

Work Experience:  Currently serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA in the Mayor's Office in Chicago, working in resilience and tasked with building a volunteer program in the city.  Previously served another AmeriCorps VISTA year with an education advocacy organization in Denver, and completed two environment-focused internships in D.C. and Detroit before that.

Volunteer Experience: Many years volunteering at the homeless shelter in my hometown.  Currently a contributing member of the Chicago Continuum of Care.

LORs: Will be from my current boss (a city employee with "Chief" in his title), my former supervisor in Denver, and my writing mentor at U of M.

Concerns: My quantitative scores are very average, wondering if I should take the GRE again to try to improve them.  I also have a 1.5 year gap on my resume, which I hope won't hurt me (after I finished my AmeriCorps year in Denver in 2014 I took time off to move home to spend time with family after my father had a couple strokes.  While I kept busy working odd jobs, those don't warrant inclusion on my resume.)  I need funding to attend any of these schools, and without a sizable offer I will likely have to turn any offers down.

[went_away]

On 11/3/2016 at 11:43 AM, jdreisba said:

Program/Institution: MPP (Michigan - Ford, Wisconsin - La Follette, Washington - Evans, Minnesota - Humphrey) (ranked in order of interest)

Interests: Social Policy, Homelessness, Poverty/Income Inequality

Undergrad Institution: University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Undergraduate Majors: Political Science and Creative Writing

Undergraduate GPA: 3.5

GRE: 164 V, 155 Q, still waiting on my essay scores, but I am anticipating a 4.5 or 5 (knock on wood).

Age: 26

Years of Work Experience: ~2.5

Work Experience:  Currently serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA in the Mayor's Office in Chicago, working in resilience and tasked with building a volunteer program in the city.  Previously served another AmeriCorps VISTA year with an education advocacy organization in Denver, and completed two environment-focused internships in D.C. and Detroit before that.

Volunteer Experience: Many years volunteering at the homeless shelter in my hometown.  Currently a contributing member of the Chicago Continuum of Care.

LORs: Will be from my current boss (a city employee with "Chief" in his title), my former supervisor in Denver, and my writing mentor at U of M.

Concerns: My quantitative scores are very average, wondering if I should take the GRE again to try to improve them.  I also have a 1.5 year gap on my resume, which I hope won't hurt me (after I finished my AmeriCorps year in Denver in 2014 I took time off to move home to spend time with family after my father had a couple strokes.  While I kept busy working odd jobs, those don't warrant inclusion on my resume.)  I need funding to attend any of these schools, and without a sizable offer I will likely have to turn any offers down.

You'll be strong at all of the schools you're interested in - you have a powerful, cohesive story. Your gap on the resume should be fine; just briefly mention it to explain what you were doing. 

The big issue that jumps out is the potential lack of intellectual rigor in your career focus. It really seems like a top program with more of an analytical focus could really help you fill that gap and merge that cerebral acumen with your good hands-on and volunteer recruitment experience. Given your strong midwestish focus, I'd recommend you drop an app at the Chicago's Harris School.  

Edited November 6, 2016 by went_away

[jdreisba]

Great, thanks so much for the feedback, went_away.  That's a great idea--I've had my hesitations about applying to U of C, but it probably is in my best interest to apply regardless.  Thanks again!

[rougeetnoir]

Program/Institution: PhD, Political science/ political economics, HKS, Stanford, MIT, Princeton, Brown, Rochester, Ohio State, NYU, Chicago Harris

Interests: Political economy of development, economic growth in South Asia, Governance and role of private sector in economic policy

Undergrad Institution: non Ivy top 10 LAC in the US

Undergraduate Majors: economics, international relations

Undergraduate GPA: 3.8, major gpa 3.9

GRE: 167 V, 170 Q, 5 AW ( not retaking)

Age: 24

Research: 2 undergrad theses ( 1 in each major), $6k grant junior year for individual research (involving fieldwork)

Quant: multivariate calc, econometrics, mathematical economics, statistics ( apart from normal economics courses)

Years of Work Experience: 2 

Work Experience:  Currently engaged in freelance research and consulting for a public health university and a health policy NGO. Spent 1.5 years working at a top 4 management consulting firm in NYC (developed market strategy for big banks), hated my work and realized my professors were right and I needed to be in academia.

Volunteer Experience:Current work at health policy ngo mentioned above,student volunteer helping rural poor cope with bankruptcy

LORs: Econ thesis advisor ( endowed chair), IR thesis advisor (associate professor in political science), Chair of IR department ( I helped him write his last book)

Concerns: My corporate experience is a huge red flag, I haven't talked about it in my SOP but it's in my CV. Advice on tackling this?

Some programs require 2 semesters of calculus, but I was advised to just take the most advanced course in college ( I was pre-engineering in HS and curriculum included advanced calc, linear algebra and differential equations) and now I only have one semester :((

Since I wrote 2 undergrad theses my senior year, my last semester was horrific and I got a C+ on a political science course for not submitting a paper on time. I really don't want to draw attention to it, but should I ask my LOR to address it anyway?

Any feedback would be highly appreciated! What should I highlight/ avoid?Should I be setting my sights lower? If yes, any program recommendations?

Edited November 13, 2016 by rougeetnoir

[Obecalp]

On 10/28/2016 at 0:12 PM, Obecalp said:

Program/Institution: MPP (HKS, Chicago - Harris, Berkeley - Goldman, Michigan - Ford)  

Interests: Poverty, Social Policy, Education, 

Undergrad Institution: New York University, Tisch School of the Arts

Undergraduate Major: Theater

Undergraduate GPA: 3.6

GRE: 160Q, 170V, 5 AW

Years of Work Experience: 5

Work Experience:  1 year in Americorps working on education programs, 3 years fundraising and project management at a DV/SA shelter, 1.5 years as a marketing manager for a child advocacy nonprofit. 

Volunteer Experience: 2.5 years on the steering committee for the local branch of non-profit civil rights organization. 4 years on the board for a local mental health nonprofit, a bunch of different committees for fundraising events

LORs: One from current boss, one from former coworker who can served with me on the steering committee, one from executive director for the mental health nonprofit.  

Concerns: I did not do as well as expected on Quant for the GRE. I'm concerned that my Quant score and lack of any quant work on my resume will be a hindrance from being able to get in anywhere. Is it worth applying or should I wait a year and try to get more quant experience and better scores? 

Can I bump this? Sorry, I hate to be a pest, but I'm very concerned about my lack of quantitative work. I'm good at math, but have no academic or work background in it and I'm wondering how much that is going to damage my application. 

[makingtheleap.back]

Your work experience is good, GPA is fine, verbal GRE is great, and your Quant score is above Georgetown's average (which is known to be a Quant heavy program). You might not get in everywhere, these are competitive, best-of-the-best mpp programs, but you'll more than likely get in somewhere. You're competitive, just try to think about how you can organize your application, resume, SOPs to be as strong as possible. 

If you feel like you absolutely have to go somewhere this cycle, apply to a lower ranked school where you feel you'll be happy as well (mine is the University of Kentucky). I think GW has a strong social policy program. 

[ELP14]

Program/Institution: MPA - Non Profit Management (with a focus in Operations and Finance) - looking for a program that offers a lot of interaction between the MBA and MPA schools, with the potential to take electives from the MBA.  First picks are UW Evans and NYU Wagner.  Also applying to Baruch.

Interests: Corporate Social Responsibility, Impact Measurement, Sustainable Investment Practices
Undergrad Institution: Colgate University
Undergraduate Major: Art and Art History

Undergraduate GPA: 3.2 (Major: 3.2) - My grades are were a little hit or miss for some health-related reasons, which I plan to disclose.  However, I never scored below a C.

Additional Education: NYU - Fundamental Concepts of Philanthropy (4.0), Grant Writing (4.0); Laguardia Community College - Intro to Microeconomics (will finish in Dec 16, likely netting out with a 3.5)

GRE: Taking in 2 weeks... several practice tests have been just about in line with what is acceptable at my two top picks.

Age: 29

Years of Work Experience: 7

Work Experience:  Currently working for a non profit consultancy which works with F500 companies on their CSR, giving and impact investing strategy.  We also work with corporations' IR teams on ESG-related sustainable investment strategy (pilot area in which I'm lightly assisting).  I serve a dual role in both Operations (as a sort of Chief of Staff and internal coordinator) and in our corporate CEO-level communications and programming department.  Prior work includes leading development (grant writing, gala planning, major gifts solicitation) and PR for a contemporary art space in NYC.

Volunteer Experience: I am the co-chair of the junior board of a social-services non profit that supports foster children and their foster and biological families though community activities, parenting initiatives and skills-based job training.  Most of these responsibilities include event and fundraising support, but I am currently working pro-bono with their development team on redeveloping their Annual Report.

LORs: CEO of our organization (and former corporate CEO); former Executive Director (and current Foundation Executive Director of an F500); HBS professor and fellow who I have worked with

Concerns: My undergraduate GPA is certainly low for top tier programs and not in a quant field.  However, it's not reflective of the high scores that I received in most of my classes, and I plan to at least present some mitigating health-related circumstances for my lower GPA.  I also believe that the depth of my work experience might alleviate some of that "sting."

Through my applications, I'm looking to demonstrate a strong desire to study cross-sector collaboration and corporate citizenship (an interest from my current work) while also focusing on honing my finance and management skills to help translate what I've learned from a few years at a very corporate-savvy, well-run non profit to other organizations.  While I am personally passionate about a few areas, I am professionally "cause-gnostic" and open minded when it comes to the mission-area that I would be working in.

Would love to get some feedback, especially with regard to some mid-level programs that might also be good to apply to.  Wagner and Evans to me are reaches, while I am reasonably certain I would be accepted to Baruch.  Aside from Seattle, looking to stay on the East Coast, if possible.

Much thanks in advance, 

e

Edited November 15, 2016 by ELP14

[chocolatecheesecake]

@ELP14, your overall profile looks strong. I don't have further suggestions for programs to consider, but you should be a strong candidate in general. Two points: First, your undergraduate GPA is perfectly all right, and matters very little since it's been a relatively long time. Adcoms also find low GPAs more worrying if it's in a quantitative field, which yours wasn't. So don't let that be a real concern. Second, make your work experience shine through your SOP - it should be very easy to relate the current work you're doing with programs and with your future aspirations. Finally, put in some extra work over the next few weeks to nail that GRE quant score (doubly important if you're expecting less than an A in intro to micro). Go for 160+.

[LC0496]

Program/Institution: MPA (UW Evans, USC, and some state schools)

Interests: Education, social policy, non-profit management 

Undergrad Institution: top 10 public university

Undergraduate Major: Sociology, Economics

Undergraduate GPA: 3.5

GRE: 152Q, 156V, 4.5 AW

Years of Work Experience: 3 years of full-time experience

Work Experience:  3 years at an education non-profit organization focused on data collection/analysis for education policy. Prior to that, interned at another education non-profit organization in DC where I worked with data analysis/collection and student program coordination. I also taught global studies to high school students through an undergraduate program.

LORs: One from current boss, one from former boss/established university program director, currently working on one from a former professor.

Concerns: I'm worried about my low GRE quant score despite my quantitative work experience and background in economics. I'm also worried about getting my final LOR from a professor, as they have been incredibly unresponsive (and are known for being unresponsive due to the large size of their classes) - I'm fine for UW Evans and the state schools, but USC requires 3 LORs with one being academic. I understand I'm not applying to Harvard or the like, but I am still nervous!

Any comments or advice are welcomed! Thank you!

Edited November 23, 2016 by LC0496

[Connie @ TheArtofApplying]

On 10/29/2016 at 1:12 AM, Obecalp said:

Program/Institution: MPP (HKS, Chicago - Harris, Berkeley - Goldman, Michigan - Ford)  

Interests: Poverty, Social Policy, Education, 

Undergrad Institution: New York University, Tisch School of the Arts

Undergraduate Major: Theater

Undergraduate GPA: 3.6

GRE: 160Q, 170V, 5 AW

Years of Work Experience: 5

Work Experience:  1 year in Americorps working on education programs, 3 years fundraising and project management at a DV/SA shelter, 1.5 years as a marketing manager for a child advocacy nonprofit. 

Volunteer Experience: 2.5 years on the steering committee for the local branch of non-profit civil rights organization. 4 years on the board for a local mental health nonprofit, a bunch of different committees for fundraising events

LORs: One from current boss, one from former coworker who can served with me on the steering committee, one from executive director for the mental health nonprofit.  

Concerns: I did not do as well as expected on Quant for the GRE. I'm concerned that my Quant score and lack of any quant work on my resume will be a hindrance from being able to get in anywhere. Is it worth applying or should I wait a year and try to get more quant experience and better scores? 

@Obecalp, I can tell you that your quant GRE score is by no means low. In fact, 160 is just above the average score for the Fall 2016 incoming class at Berkeley (https://gspp.berkeley.edu/programs/masters-of-public-policy-mpp/applying-for-the-mpp/admissions-statistics) which is definitely hard to get into. You can check out other schools’ profiles, but I think you’ll see something similar. You’ve picked four prestigious schools to apply to, and your quant score, coupled with your work experience and story, should make you a competitive applicant at all of them.

Funding can be another story. High GRE scores often make the difference between a full ride and rather little funding. If your financial situation isn’t great, and you’re open to working for another year, you can take another year to further improve your quant credentials by retaking the GRE and getting closer to 165, and even taking an online or community college class in microecon and/or stats. It could save you a lot of money on the back end, but it all depends on your personal life circumstances. Good luck with your decision!

[tharr011]

Program/Institution: MA (GW-Elliot, SAIS, American SIS, Columbia SIPA, Tufts, GT SFS)

Interests: Security Studies, East Asian Policy 
Undergrad Institution: UNC-CH
Undergraduate Major: Peace, War, and Defense (a relatively department unique to my school) 

Undergraduate GPA: 3.0 (Major: 3.4) - I had a rough 1st semester.

GRE: Q153 V165 Writing: Hasn't been released yet.

Age: 25

Years of Work Experience: 3

Work Experience: Currently, I am in my 3rd year of teaching at an international school in Shanghai. While in college, I interned for my Congressman and at the Executive Branch's office in my home state.

Language: I've taken two years of Chinese tutoring while abroad. Hopefully, I will be intermediate-level by the time I matriculate  

LORs: Two professors whose classes I did well in, but I didn't keep up relations with. 

Concerns: My undergraduate GPA is low for top tier programs. However, it's not reflective of the high scores that I received in many of my major classes. I have very little quantitative background which is a concern.

Any feedback would be great.

Thanks,