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

[Connie @ TheArtofApplying]

On 11/3/2016 at 11:43 PM, 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.

@jdreisba, I agree that you have a great story, and a great combination of work and volunteer experience to back that up. First, definitely retake the GRE if you can and focus on getting that score up. If it’s too late to register before your application deadlines, find an online or community college course on microeconomics and/or statistics, and make sure you ace that. Admissions committees will see it as a good sign that you are aware you don’t have a lot of quant experience. You can let the adcom know you are taking these supplemental courses in your optional essay.

In regards to your 1.5 year gap and going home to take care of your family, many of us have odd gaps or timings on our resumes, and universities often provide space in an optional essay or a part of the application for you to discuss this. Since you’ve only been out of school a few years, I think it’s a good idea to put in a brief explanation about this gap. It shouldn’t prove a real barrier to your candidacy. 

Your schools look like a great match for your interests, but not for your funding situation. Public schools are usually not in as good of a position to offer you substantial money, though they can be better once you establish residency and are eligible for in-state tuition. I definitely suggest adding a few private institutions to your list, like Duke Sanford (pretty great social policy program). 

[YunaCamel]

Program/Institution: M.A. in International Relations/Asian Studies (Professional Degree Programs such as Johns Hopkins SAIS, Georgetown MSFS, Columbia SIPA, Tufts Fletcher, etc.)

Interests: US-Korea Relations, Korea-Japan Relations, East Asia Security/Political/Economics
Undergrad Institution: Boston College
Undergraduate Major: International Studies Major / Asian Studies & Economics Minor

Undergraduate GPA: 3.62/4.0 (not too sure about major GPA but has has 2 C+s in Intro to IR & Microeconomic Theory courses... ugh.. My grades are mostly B+s and A-s.

Quantitative Courses: Econ minor so 2 principles, 2 theory courses, 1 econ stat, and 2 econ electives

Additional Education: One-Year Study Abroad Program at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan during 2011-2012

GRE: GRE: 161 V 161 Q, 4.5 AW 

Age: 26

Years of Work Experience: 3.5~4 years. Undergraduate Internships in Consulate-General of Korea in Seattle, Korea Importers Association, U.S. Embassy Seoul, East Asia Institute; Samsung (Business Development position, full-time) for 2.5 years with a focus on overseas business expansion. Currently in Sejong Institute (Research Assistant at a leading IR/diplomacy think tank) for 6 months by the time I apply. Also English tutoring experience and freelancing Korean-English Translator/Interpreter - 3 years... quite well-known on the Korean internet (side-job while working full-time in Samsung)

Undergraduate Activities: University Orchestra, Asian-American magazine, Japan Club, Study Abroad Advisory Board, Conversation Partners Program... but these are not that extraordinary

Additional Information: Dual-citizen Korean-American, Competitive Study abroad scholarships such as Boren, Gilman, Freeman-ASIA, Bridging Scholarships; merit scholarship at Waseda. Spent a significant amount of time living in South Korea..

Languages: Native fluency in Korean/English, professional fluency in Japanese, intermediate Mandarin Chinese.Passed the highest level in Japanese Language Proficiency Test with almost a perfect score, won multiple Japanese language contest awards. 

LORs: One from a PoliSci professor whom I've known for 6+ years and took 4 classes and received several LORs in the past
Another from an Asian Studies professor, and third one from the Vice President of Sejong Institute

Concerns: I am very worried that my horrible grades in the Intro to International Relations and Macroeconomic Theory courses will strongly affect my competitiveness in a negative way, which is even said on the SAIS website (individual grades will be considered more than the overall GPA and poor academic grades in political science or economics courses will hurt competitiveness.) I also have a W from a class I took in the final semester of college and it is also a concern even though it is not related to my major.  

I know that I cannot do anything more about it as I graduated from college 3.5 years ago. Due to mediocre GPA I wanted to get exceptional scores on the GRE to compensate for my weak grades and aim for fellowship/funding opportunities but I guess 161 V/Q are probably my limits.

The thing is, my GRE and GPA scores do fit within the average range of admitted students into JHU and GT which are my dream schools, so I'd like to know that since my GRE is not too abysmal then GRE will not be much of a concern for adcoms or still higher score the higher chance? My work experience seems decent but not that exceptional or superior too... but I think it still demonstrates my steady commitment/interest in the field.

How do my chances look in general for the aforementioned schools above? SAIS is my top choice and then GT.  Also, what more could I do from now on to improve my chances from now on other than writing a solid SOP, getting strong recommendation letters, etc.? I would appreciate your responses.!!

 

Edited November 28, 2016 by YunaCamel

[Connie @ TheArtofApplying]

On 11/23/2016 at 7:54 AM, LC0496 said:

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!

@LC0496, it makes sense that you are a worried about your quant GRE score. Since you’re so close to your school deadline, you probably don’t have plans of re-taking the GRE. In that case, I would urge you to focus on your other quant credentials. 

Since you’re only three years out of school, your academic coursework will count for more. If you got anything less than a B+ in your econ classes, I suggest enrolling in a microeconomics and/or statistics supplementary course right now to refresh yourself, and make sure you get an A in the course. 

Admissions committees will appreciate you taking those courses as a sign that you’re aware of your application’s shortcomings, even if your grade doesn’t come in before they make a decision. You can also directly address your quantitative experience in your SOP, and confidently state that you can handle the quantitative rigors of graduate school. 

Other thoughts on how to handle your recommenders: I had immense trouble with one of mine, and ended up having to go with a back-up recommender. If you are severely troubled by their inability to respond to you, create a Plan B. However, if you think this person’s just having trouble finding the time to write about you, make it easier for them by creating and giving the recommender a recommender packet. The recommender packet should contain: 

• a one-sheeter that outlines exactly what you are asking them to do (i.e. names of schools, deadlines for submission of letters, etc.) 
• your resume 
• your personal statement (you don’t have to include all essays for all schools) 
• a list of achievements, experiences, or personal qualities they could highlight about you
• optional: a half-sheet summarizing how each school talks about itself—giving the writer an idea of the "personality" of the school 

A recommender packet can be useful if you want them to emphasize something particular you did in undergrad, and act as a subtle reminder that they need to write you a letter soon! 

Finally, I suggest you look into the Heller School at Brandeis if you haven’t already. It’s a wonderful social policy program, and could be very much up your alley. Good luck!

[LC0496]

Thank you so much, @Connie @ TheArtofApplying! While my economics course grades were good, I've made it a point to stress my quantitative work experience in my SOP. Your LOR tips are helpful - I'm doing another round of follow ups this week so I have my fingers crossed. Thanks again!

[Imperator_Taco]

On 10/22/2016 at 4:00 PM, Imperator_Taco said:

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:  MALD (Fletcher), MPP (University of Chicago), Masters of Democracy and Governance (Georgetown), IPED (Fordham), MPP (University of Michigan)

Undergrad Institution: Highly-ranked Philippine/Asian university

Undergraduate GPA: 3.44

Undergraduate Major: AB Philosophy, but took 11 classes in the social sciences (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. 

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

LORs: Three strong ones from 2 undergraduate professors and former superior at NGO

 

Bumping my. Would appreciate some feedback.

Edited December 1, 2016 by Imperator_Taco

[akdoehler]

Hey everyone,

I'm applying straight out of undergrad for a masters in IR/IA. I'm applying to several programs, but my goal is to wind up in DC and my top three choices are JHU's SAIS, GW's Elliott School, and AU's SIS. My field of focus would be European/Eurasian studies, and while SAIS has the biggest name it's econ focus scares me a bit which is why I think GW and AU might be better fits (specifically AU because I could do a concentration in identity, ideology, and nationalism, which is what I'm writing a thesis on). I'm going to post some of my stats and if any of you could give your two cents as to my chances of getting accepted I'd really appreciate it!

School: Gordon College (no name liberal arts school north of Boston, but surprisingly well known and connected in DC)

Majors: International Affairs and Political Science

GRE: V: 166 Q: 151 AWA: 5.5

GPA: 3.89

Languages: French (intermediate level)

Internships: four internships in political science or community development, plus a job leading a tutoring program

Abroad experience: taught English in Hong Kong and Cambodia summer after freshman year, studied abroad in Croatia fall of junior year (included an internship)

Extracurriculars: Model UN head delegate, president of MUN club, president of Democrats Club, campaign volunteer for Seth Moulton, mock trial, commencement committee

Awards/Honors: Newman Civic Fellows Award, Alpha Mu Gamma Honors Language Society, MUN Outstanding Delegate, Presidential Honors List every semester of college (step above dean's list, means 3.75+ GPA)

Also writing an honors thesis on the intersection of Croatian nationalism and EU membership, which I"ll be presenting at at least one conference in the Spring

Thanks for any and all input!

[ironheart]

I already have a decision for my first choice (Columbia SIPA, MPA-ESP program, accepted with some fellowship money), so I want to share with you guys my profile. I hope it helps.

School: top university in the Philippines, BA European Studies with 3.49 GPA

GRE: 150Q 156V 4.0W

Languages: English and Spanish

Work Experience: 2 years as a research specialist in a myriad of projects (forestry, sustainability, energy, oceans), 6-month stint in government before transferring to the regional office of a non-profit; 5 years (from undergrad to present) with the Philippine delegation to the UNFCCC negotiating the Paris Agreement

Writing Experience: A number of op-eds in major publications, topics mostly on the climate change negotiations

I am the perfect example of someone with meh GRE scores who got in her preferred school because of work experience. The MPA-ESP program is also rigorous quantitatively (the summer semester will be purely on science course), which is why I was a bit worried about my scores when I submitted my application, and I didn't have time to re-take the exam because I constantly had to travel for work. I just made sure to highlight my quantitative work experience and all the writing I've done to make up for it.

Good luck everyone! I'm just a PM away if you need some advice.

[Connie @ TheArtofApplying]

On 11/28/2016 at 1:05 PM, tharr011 said:

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,

@YunaCamel, I think you underrate yourself! You have a really outstanding profile. If you’re this good at representing yourself on a forum, you’re probably not going to have any problems impressing an admissions committee. It sounds like you have the right job experience to pave the road for an IR degree, and certainly more than the necessary language skills. You seem to have worked hard on showing a specialization and depth in one particular subject, which will be very compelling. As you said, just make sure you write a brilliant SOP that conveys your story clearly.

To address your main worry, I believe your quant GRE score is strong enough to overcome a C+ in an intro class. It might detract from your ability to get funding, but that’s a different concern. If you got mostly As and Bs in your other econ/stats classes, that C+ will definitely fade in importance. The intro classes don’t count as much; after all, Admissions want to know that you improve over time and finish strong, because we are often very different from the people we were at age 18 or 19. You’re in a good position overall! 

[UNC2016]

Program/Institution: Professional Degree Programs such as Johns Hopkins SAIS, Georgetown MSFS, Columbia SIPA, Tufts Fletcher, GWU Elliott, American SIS

Interests: Political Economy or Middle East Focus
Undergrad Institution: UNC Chapel Hill
Undergraduate Major: Political Science and Economics with an Asian Studies Minor

Undergraduate GPA: 3.37/4.0 (About 3.3 first two years and 3.5 final two, extra math classes held me down a bit, Poli Sci and International classes for last 2 years is 3.76)

Quantitative Courses: AP Stats, Intro to Stats (B+), Econometrics (C+, which was not reflective of ability), AP Calc AB and BC, Calc III (B-), Applied Linear Algebra (B), Intro to Scientific Programming (A)

GRE: 170 VR, 163 QR

Age: 22

Years of Work Experience: ~1 if counting internships (Pol/Econ intern in US Embassy in Tajikistan, Consular intern in US Embassy in Armenia (Dealt mainly with Iranian visa applicants, Congressman from my home state)

Languages: Farsi (has atrophied, but I can get it back up before matriculation)

LORs: 2 professors (one ECON and one Poli Sci), and boss from Tajikistan

Concerns: My GPA is a little low, but you can see my grades improve starting junior year. Especially in internationally focused classes. Econ average is only a B, but it is higher for my upper class years. Fresh out of undergrad, so little work experience. Worried about funding.

Any insight into admissions and funding would be greatly appreciated.

Edited December 7, 2016 by UNC2016
Left something out.

[Connie @ TheArtofApplying]

On 12/2/2016 at 7:43 AM, akdoehler said:

Hey everyone,

I'm applying straight out of undergrad for a masters in IR/IA. I'm applying to several programs, but my goal is to wind up in DC and my top three choices are JHU's SAIS, GW's Elliott School, and AU's SIS. My field of focus would be European/Eurasian studies, and while SAIS has the biggest name it's econ focus scares me a bit which is why I think GW and AU might be better fits (specifically AU because I could do a concentration in identity, ideology, and nationalism, which is what I'm writing a thesis on). I'm going to post some of my stats and if any of you could give your two cents as to my chances of getting accepted I'd really appreciate it!

School: Gordon College (no name liberal arts school north of Boston, but surprisingly well known and connected in DC)

Majors: International Affairs and Political Science

GRE: V: 166 Q: 151 AWA: 5.5

GPA: 3.89

Languages: French (intermediate level)

Internships: four internships in political science or community development, plus a job leading a tutoring program

Abroad experience: taught English in Hong Kong and Cambodia summer after freshman year, studied abroad in Croatia fall of junior year (included an internship)

Extracurriculars: Model UN head delegate, president of MUN club, president of Democrats Club, campaign volunteer for Seth Moulton, mock trial, commencement committee

Awards/Honors: Newman Civic Fellows Award, Alpha Mu Gamma Honors Language Society, MUN Outstanding Delegate, Presidential Honors List every semester of college (step above dean's list, means 3.75+ GPA)

Also writing an honors thesis on the intersection of Croatian nationalism and EU membership, which I"ll be presenting at at least one conference in the Spring

Thanks for any and all input!

@akdoehler: You have a lot of honors and accomplishments coming out of undergraduate, which will definitely make you stand out. It’s also good that you have a strong focus on what you want to study, like the concentration on identity, ideology, and nationalism.

What the admissions committees will want to know is what you want to do with this degree. What kind of organization do you want to work afterwards? In what kind of role? What skills/ experiences are you hoping to gain from school that will make you successful in those positions?

Make sure you address these questions thoroughly in the SOP. This is where undergrad applicants are typically weak on, and what adcoms will want to explicitly hear from you. Years of work experience tend give applicants a better idea of where they want to be afterwards, and how the program can help them get there. I certainly did a 180 on what kind of degree I wanted to get between graduating college and actually applying to policy school.

I would say close to 20% of my policy cohort came straight out of undergrad; it’s much more common to see people with two or more years of work experience. Good luck with those apps! 

[Connie @ TheArtofApplying]

On 11/28/2016 at 1:05 PM, tharr011 said:

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,

@tharr011: your profile seems relatively strong. Your work experience seems to me your strongest point. Make sure you tell a compelling story about how that work experience has informed your interests in security and East Asia policy.

Your GPA shouldn’t be a huge issue. Your transcript will show that you did well in your major courses, which are somewhat related to public policy. If the classes you did not do as well in are in quantitative fields, you do need to be concerned.

That lack of quant background and a middle-of-the-road GRE score means you should probably try to take an online or community college course in microeconomics or statistics. Even if you don’t have a completed grade to show, being able to report in your optional essay that you’re taking that course shows the admissions committee you know where your weaknesses are.

You’re applying to some very selective IR schools, and while your profile may well be strong enough to get in, you may not receive a lot of funding. If getting a full ride or most of your tuition covered is a must for you, consider reapplying next year after significantly boosting your quant scores and taking introductory microeconomics and statistics. 

[nic2017]

Hello! New to Gradcafe and throwing my qualifications (or lack thereof) in the ring:

Program/Institution: MIA (UC San Diego, Columbia, American), MPP (Berkeley Goldman, HKS), MSFS (Georgetown)

Interests: Human rights and humanitarian policy, refugee crisis, ethnic/religious conflict, authoritarian regimes
Undergrad Institution: UC Santa Cruz
Undergraduate Major: Politics  

Undergraduate GPA: 3.87

GRE: Quantitative: 156 
Verbal: 160 
Writing: 5

Age: 23

Years of Work Experience: 1.5

Work Experience: Interned with the IRC in Oakland doing refugee resettlement for about 5 months. Worked as an AA then as a Case Manager with Catholic Charities SF, working with HIV+ and homeless populations in a continuous care facility (January to July 2016), then moved to San Diego and worked as a Volunteer/Outreach Coordinator (after being taken on from an internship) with the San Diego Democratic Party during the elections.

Language: Fluent in Spanish (studied in college, Latino background, studied abroad in Spain), intermediate in Russian (studied 1 year in college), and beginner in Burmese (self-taught). 

Awards: Dean’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research April 2016;  Elected Phi Beta Kappa, Upsilon Chapter of California June 2015; HAVC Porter Scholarship, University of California, Santa Cruz  May 2015; EAP Scholarship, University of California May 2013; Dean’s Honors, University of California, Santa Cruz December 2011 – June 2015;  UC Santa Cruz Grant September 2011 – December 2012; UFCW Union Scholarship July 2011 – July 2013  

LORs: Two professors (one was my thesis adviser in the politics dept and one was a mentor in the Art History dept. that knew my writing really well), and two fmr. supervisors (one the division director of HIV Services at Catholic Charities, and one was my immediate supervisor at the Democratic Party)

Concerns: I have very little quantitative experience (one course on climate and one on astronomy that covered the stats and math GEs - I took them both pass/fail and passed handily, but I'm planning on taking Macro and Micro at a community college this spring) and a brief (but intense!) segment of work experience. My essays are strong and so is my GPA, and I wrote a senior thesis, but I'm paranoid about the lack of quant/work experience coupled with middle-of-the-road GRE scores. 

 

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[gradblues]

Program Applied To : M.P.P/ Econ program. I want to focus on advanced policy analysis and international development

Schools Applying To: American University- MPP, University of Michigan-MPP, University of Minnesota- MPP, Carnegie Mellon MSMPP, UCSD MPP, George Washington-MPP, and Econ programs abroad- Stockholm and Bocconi

Undergraduate institution: University of California , Santa Cruz

Undergraduate GPA: 3.42

Undergraduate Major: Global Economics

Awards: Dean’s List for three semesters/ quarters

GRE Quantitative Score: 163

GRE Verbal Score: 155

GRE AW Score: not sure yet, expecting around 4.5-5

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 2 years

Years of Work Experience: 2 years 

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 2 years of experiencing working a variety of internships and consultancy.  6-month research internship with a UN agency in the impact evaluation department, 3-month research assistant position with a professor in rural Tanzania implementing and RTC.  6-month contributing researcher for an NGO working in East Africa, performing background research for their project expansion into conflict zone countries.  Currently, I am a Fellow for an education NGO in Ghana for 14 months where I provide operational and research support across teams. I am also an editor/ translator for a small business (for over one year) working remotely.  

Languages: Advance Spanish (I am Latina, studied it in college and studied abroad in Spain), beginning Italian and Swahili. Planning on taking Arabic 

Quant: Econometrics, Calc, Stats, Intermediate Micro and Macro, Econometrics in International Development, Economic Analysis . Experience using Stata and SPSS

Strength of LOR: I have one letter from my professor that I did the internship with who is a well-known development economist.  I have another letter from a professor where I was top in his class, and also a work reference from my supervisor from my time at the UN. 

Concerns: I am worried about my low verbal score. I feel that my profile is nothing special compared to the hundreds of other students who are applying for their MPP. My undergraduate profile is very generic. I didn't know what career to pursue while attending university and did three years of community college before transferring.

Any advice would be helpful!  

[nh23]

Program/Institutions : Graduate Institute Geneva / IHEID & SOAS; MA Development Studies

Areas of Interest: Education in displaced populations, forced migration, humanitarian policy & aid

Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Los Angeles 

Undergraduate GPA: 3.4 (low due to poor grades in my initial course of study. marked improvement in my grades once I changed majors.) 

Undergraduate Major: History (3.8 GPA) , with a minor in Education (4.0 GPA)

Awards: Dean’s List Honors for 5 quarters

GRE: n/a for selected programs

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 8 years

Years of Work Experience: 8 years, 6 of which are in international development

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 2 years working as project manager in South Asia for a social enterprise consultancy. Following my return to the US, spent 1 year working as an impact fellow for a social enterprise then worked for 2 years for an education nonprofit. Most recent position was 1 year as consultant the World Bank. Currently living in Europe, looking for work and studying French. 

Languages: English - fluent, Spanish - intermediate, French - beginner

Strength of LOR: I have strong professional recs from past employers, including one in Bangladesh, but weak academic references. I did not remain in touch with any of my professors after graduating, and it's been almost a decade. IHEID in particular places a high weight on the academic reference, so I'm worried about this area of weakness. 

Concerns: I'm primarily concerned about my academic profile - while my major GPA is high, my overall score is on the low end. This, plus my weaker academic reference, makes me concerned about my chances of getting in to IHEID, my top choice. I'm somewhat more confident about my chances of getting into SOAS. While I've had an impactful development career thus far, my positions have been more on the consultancy/strategic side, and I haven't had many opportunities to develop a strong quantitative or research background. 

Any advice would be much appreciated! 

[Connie @ TheArtofApplying]

On 12/13/2016 at 3:06 PM, gradblues said:

Program Applied To : M.P.P/ Econ program. I want to focus on advanced policy analysis and international development

Schools Applying To: American University- MPP, University of Michigan-MPP, University of Minnesota- MPP, Carnegie Mellon MSMPP, UCSD MPP, George Washington-MPP, and Econ programs abroad- Stockholm and Bocconi

Undergraduate institution: University of California , Santa Cruz

Undergraduate GPA: 3.42

Undergraduate Major: Global Economics

Awards: Dean’s List for three semesters/ quarters

GRE Quantitative Score: 163

GRE Verbal Score: 155

GRE AW Score: not sure yet, expecting around 4.5-5

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 2 years

Years of Work Experience: 2 years 

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 2 years of experiencing working a variety of internships and consultancy.  6-month research internship with a UN agency in the impact evaluation department, 3-month research assistant position with a professor in rural Tanzania implementing and RTC.  6-month contributing researcher for an NGO working in East Africa, performing background research for their project expansion into conflict zone countries.  Currently, I am a Fellow for an education NGO in Ghana for 14 months where I provide operational and research support across teams. I am also an editor/ translator for a small business (for over one year) working remotely.  

Languages: Advance Spanish (I am Latina, studied it in college and studied abroad in Spain), beginning Italian and Swahili. Planning on taking Arabic 

Quant: Econometrics, Calc, Stats, Intermediate Micro and Macro, Econometrics in International Development, Economic Analysis . Experience using Stata and SPSS

Strength of LOR: I have one letter from my professor that I did the internship with who is a well-known development economist.  I have another letter from a professor where I was top in his class, and also a work reference from my supervisor from my time at the UN. 

Concerns: I am worried about my low verbal score. I feel that my profile is nothing special compared to the hundreds of other students who are applying for their MPP. My undergraduate profile is very generic. I didn't know what career to pursue while attending university and did three years of community college before transferring.

Any advice would be helpful!  

@gradblues: You have a very interesting profile! I want to especially address your concerns and help you see another side of your candidacy. 

It’s easy to get caught up in all the different profiles that are floating around on Gradcafe or other places, but those are distractions from the real story: yours. You have a compelling story to tell, the story of how you came to be interested in international development and policy analysis, and your job is to share that story with schools through your SOP. 

In your SOP, admissions committees are always looking for three things, no matter what essay prompt they put forward. They want to know that:

1) because of your past experiences, you know that 
2) you want to do something in the future, and 
3) that you know how their program/school is going to help you get there. 

You can have sparkling statistics and work experience at brand name companies or organizations, but if you fail to articulate this, it weakens your entire candidacy. 

Based on your undergrad major, it sounds like you started down a path in community college and university that has led you to your job experiences (which have been broad if not deep) and your current interest in graduate school. If that’s the case, focus on telling that story through the SOP.  

Your story about community college is very much an asset. By showing that you transferred as a community college student to a four-year institution, you’ve already demonstrated that you put in hard work and had initiative, so that part will likely add to your candidacy, not detract from it. 

Since you can’t retake and get a better verbal GRE score, I’d say focus on emphasizing your writing experience in the SOP too. It sounds like you have collaborated with others in writing and have some publications to your name. 

In short, you have much more to offer than you think you do. Be confident in your applications! 

[Greene]

Program Applied To : SAIS - MA IDEV John Hopkins, SIPA- MDP Columbia, Development Practice (MDP)Berkeley and MDP Minnesota

Interest: Development, anything on Development, i want to work in that sector, so passionate about it.

Undergraduate GPA: 3.26

Undergraduate Major: Health Sciences

GRE Quantitative Score: 150 (want to retake GRE)

GRE Verbal Score: 152

GRE AW Score: not sure yet, expecting around 5

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 6 years

Years of Work Experience: 3.5 years 

Relevant Work Experience: After school, volunteered and engaged in Community Development, lasted for 6 months. Then currently has 3.5 years of banking experience.

Languages: English, French

Econs background: Took courses on Microeconomics and Macroeconomics in Banking school, and learnt on Coursera too. About to enrol for Statistics, although i took a course in undergrad, came out with B.

Length of LOR: I have 2 professors and a former employer. 

Concerns: My GRE and weak Econs background. Which other schools should i consider. These 4 are competitive, but it was tough to pick others, since i saw MPP or Development Policy, but i just wanted something on development entirely.

Edited December 21, 2016 by Greene

[crugs]

Program Applied To : English PhD: UChicago, Brown, Northwestern, UConn, UofM Twin Cities, UTexas Austin, UDenver, George Washington, URI, UIC, UMass Amherst

Interest: Shakespeare in Education--looking not just at the way plays are taught in the classroom but which plays are taught....I'll hopefully be focusing on character tropes and themes that relate to the modern diversity of a classroom and what these kids are dealing with on a daily basis. 

Undergraduate GPA: 3.59 from Framingham State University/Master's: Merit (out of Pass/Merit/Distinction) from King's College, London

Undergraduate Major: English/Secondary Education/Master's: Early Modern English Lit

GRE Quantitative Score: 154

GRE Verbal Score: 161

GRE AW Score: 5

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 8 years/Out of Master's: 3 years

Years of Work Experience: 6

Relevant Work Experience: Have taught High School and worked one semester as an Adjunct Professor

Languages: English

Strength of LOR: This was tough-ZERO of my MA profs still work at the school...So I have an undergrad prof, a program advisor from King's, and a supervisor

Concerns: So many....Do I have enough of a range in the schools I applied to? I know there's not much to do about it now...but I'm seriously stressing. 11 schools seemed like a lot at the start of this process but now I'm not so sure. I think my main concern is my time since being in school and my LOR not being personal enough...My GPA and GRE scores aren't excellent but they aren't poor, will that be enough to counter my years removed from school and the Letters? My writing sample dealt with Modernization of Shakespeare on Film for the 21st Century Student through the lenses of Race, Gender, and Violence so it combines my academic and teaching experience...But I know Shakespeare must be super common for a PhD focus so I'm just hoping I've got something specific and unique enough? Basically I'm just concerned about everything!!!!

[Yanaka]

Wrong thread, it's for Government Affairs here @crugs!

[crugs]

thanks @Yanaka this site is like a maze!

[coldbrew5]

Program Applied To : M.A. in Security Studies (Georgetown University's Security Studies Program)

Interest: U.S. National Security 

Undergraduate GPA: 3.82

Undergraduate Major: International Relations

GRE Quantitative Score: 153

GRE Verbal Score: 158

GRE AW Score: 4

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 0

Years of Work Experience: 3

Relevant Work Experience: Have worked at the State Department for 2 years in both internship and full-time employee capacity

Languages: English, German

Strength of LOR: Three undergrad professors, one is the coordinator of the pre-law program at my undergrad institution and one is a Fulbright scholar in the IR field

Concerns: That my GRE scores are too average to distinguish me from the crowd

Thanks!

 

Edited December 29, 2016 by coldbrew5

[cshal]

Program/Institution: MSc Social Policy & Development (LSE)

Interests: Public Policy, Governance, NGO Work, International Development

Undergrad Institution: Mid-tier Canadian uni

Undergraduate Major: Public Affairs & Policy Management

Undergraduate GPA: 4.0

Quantitative Courses: Intro to micro/macro econ, a number of stats courses with an emphasis on SPSS

GRE: Didn't take (not required for program)

Age: 21

Years of Work Experience: Only things I've done throughout uni. 6-week human rights policy internship in Peru with a Peruvian NGO in 2015 conducting research mainly; 4 months in Malawi working in governance in the water sector. I also work as a research assistant for a consultant to the European Commission and have worked for the Parliament of Canada in a few different capacities.

Undergraduate Activities: Mentoring within my program, exec member of program's student society, board of directors for student run non-profit, Model United Nations, Engineers Without Borders chapter.

Languages: Fluent in English, French, & Spanish. Some level of Chichewa (Malawi) and learning Portuguese at present.

LORs: One from Quant prof who I also work for as a research assistant (tenured w/ PhD). Another from public policy prof who is my thesis supervisor and is the CEO of a well-known public opinion polling firm in Canada.

Concerns: I'm coming right from undergrad and am most likely younger than a lot of applicants. My grades are good (never received below an A, save for one A-) but my age means I lack in terms of experience and additional education. This is the only program I've found that I'm really, really interested in, so am nervous about putting all my eggs into one basket. Thank you for any feedback or advice!

[BluffIR]

Program/Institution: GW-Elliot, SAIS, American SIS, Fletcher MALD, GTown MSFS

Interests: Economic Policy Analysis, Foreign Service

Undergrad Institution: Top 25 Public University (U.S.)

Undergraduate Major: B.A. Spanish/International Trade; B.A. Political Science

Undergraduate Minor: Economics

Undergraduate GPA: 4.0

Quantitative Courses: 8 courses in economics (4 400-level including 2 intl); 200-level calculus course

GRE: V: 163 Q: 161 AW: 5

Age: 25

Years of Work Experience: Three years at a Fortune 25 company. Have held a variety of roles including sales, consulting, and data analytics. Work has all been with small-business domestic healthcare.

Languages: English is my native language. Studied Spanish for 9 years and can read/write at a very high level but can only speak/listen at an intermediate level. Studied abroad in Spain for a semester while living with a host family.

LORs: One from my current manager of 2 years and one from a senior lecturer of Spanish at undergrad. I have not kept up great relations with the professor but she reached out in the early Fall inquiring as to how I was doing and my future plans (prior to asking her for a LOR).

Concerns: I have no international work experience other than some undergraduate research, and outside of my economics courses I do not have a robust quantitative background (no statistics, etc.). I am looking to leverage a Masters to pivot from domestic healthcare work to international policy, but my current work experience does not directly align with this goal.

 

Edited January 11, 2017 by BluffIR

[Policy24]

Programs: MA (GU SSP, AU SIS, GWU SPS, SAIS, Fletcher, Jackson), MPA (WWS, SIPA), MPP (HKS)

 

Interests: Foreign policy, national security, terrorism, non-state actors, conflict resolution, behavioral economics applications to diplomacy

 

Undergrad institution: Midsize state school in a large state

 

Undergraduate majors: Economics and Finance 

 

Undergraduate GPA: 3.6; Econ 4.0; Finance 3.85 

 

Quant Courses: Calc 1, Calc 2, Stats, Econometrics, Advanced Econometrics, Time Series Analysis, Intermediate Macro, Intermediate Micro, International Trade, and like 10-15 other finance and econ courses 

 

GRE: 167Q 159V 4.0W

 

Age: 25

 

Work Experience: 2 years at investment firm; 1 year at state 

 

Undergrad activities: Student Body President, Fraternity President, student investment fund, and a plethora of other activities. 

 

Languages: none

 

LoRs: Undecided. Close relationship with multiple undergrad professors and bosses I've worked for. 

 

Concerns: low verbal GRE. Not as much IR experience. Mediocre gpa from an unknown school. 

[kiwifeliz]

Program/Institution: MPA Public Administration with Emphasis in Emergency Management (UC Denver, University of South Carolina, George Mason University, Univerity of North Carolina at Charlotte) / MS Disaster Science and Management (University of Delaware)

Interests: Emergency Management, Public Policy, GIS 

Undergrad Institution: Largest minority school in Puerto Rico

Undergraduate Major: Information and Journalism, minor in Geography

Undergraduate GPA: 3.05 (3.50 in major, 3.85 in minor)

Quantitative Courses: All maths up to Calculus II, Intro to Quantitative Methods in Geography (Got an A here) 

GRE: ): low... 151V, 147Q 3.5. A lot of my programs did not require my GRE scores atleast. 

Age: 22

Years of Work Experience:  Multiple research Experience in my school (3 research projects with the Department of Geography using GIS) and REU experience working on emergency management plans, and currently researching in a Atmospheric Chem. lab. 5 conference poster presentationes, 1 oral presentation, one paper from my REU. 

Undergraduate Activities: Mentoring freshman students, A lot of community service hours recollecting disaster relief items for local and international entities, visiting childrens hospitals and orphanages, writing for school paper and other student papers, student counselor for field trips in the Geogrpahy department. 

Languages: Fluent in English and Spanish. 

LORs: One from my REU mentor, one from my main mentor in the Geography research projects and one from a mentor/professor for my intro public service course. Very strong letters from all of them. 

Concerns: I have a lot of activities and research experience in my CV but I'm extremely concerned my GPA and GRE score would drag me down anyways. I did address in my SOP the reasons of why my GPA was like that, that was a main reason why I got into my REU. 

[brittanyandrea]

Program/Institution: MPA -  Public Administration

Applying to: Northeastern, Suffolk, UMass Boston, Brown, Syracuse, UConn, and Brandeis.  #1 choice is Brown because I live in RI so it would be super convenient. And to put it simply - it's Brown.  If Brown doesn't happen, which I wouldn't be shocked, my next picks are UMass Boston and UConn.  

Interests: Education policy, unemployment insurance(weird interest, I know), health care reform

Undergrad Institution:  local school, phenomenal school but is not really well known.    
Undergraduate Major: Dual Major: Political Science & Public Administration, Minor: Geography

Undergraduate GPA: 3.72 

Quantitative Courses: Methodology in Political Science (got the highest score in the class)

GRE: ): 155V, 150Q.  My AW isn't in yet, but the last time I took the GRE I got 4.5 on the AW.  Not where I wanted to be but a lot better than where I started (first time I took the GRE I got 148 on both Verbal and Quant.  

Age: 26

Years of Work Experience:  I worked in banking for about 5 years prior to quitting and going back to school.  I've interned for a Congress member in both DC and here in RI.  Prior to that, I interned for a city planning office. Currently, I'm interning for a governmental agency dealing with unemployment insurance.  

Undergraduate Activities: Secretary of Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society), a member of Political Science Club, helped a professor with a research project for arts and humanities funding.  

Languages: Fluent in English, can speak very very basic Spanish.  

LORs: Very strong letters from the chair of my department, former dean of the college and current professor, and a professor who also runs the MPA program at the local university who I had for a couple of classes.    

Concerns: I'm nervous that my GRE scores aren't where they should be and that my undergraduate institution will hold me back.  It really is a phenomenal school, but it doesn't have name recognition.