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

[GradSchoolGrad]

On 3/21/2021 at 8:45 PM, MinusLinus said:

Schools/Programs Applying To:
Below are the programs that I have applied to for this application cycle:

Georgetown-McCourt (April 1 application deadline), GWU-Trachtenburg (Accepted), UVA-Batten (Waitlist), GMU-Schar (May 1 app. Deadline)

I was late to finding this forum and after reading more in depth about the MPP programs out there, I’m debating waiting an additional year to apply to other programs that I neglected to include for this application cycle, especially given the competitive nature this year. Those programs I’m considering are:

Duke Sanford, Michigan Ford, CMU Heinz, HKS (I know this is a reach, but would like to see if there’s any chance in a less competitive application cycle), UT-Austin LBJ, Chicago Harris

Undergraduate institution: UVA
Undergraduate GPA: 3.42
Undergraduate Major: Politics w/ a concentration in Government
GRE Quantitative Score: 163 (80th percentile)
GRE Verbal Score: 157 (75th percentile)
GRE AW Score: 4.5 (80th percentile)
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 3 years
Years of Work Experience: 3 years
Quant/Econ Experience: A in Calculus, B in Microeconomics, B- in Statistics. I also have a professional certificate in Data Analytics from Georgetown SCS (though I know this prob doesn’t hold much weight)

Describe Relevant Work Experience:  
3 years working as a government contractor in the field of emergency management for a federal agency. I started out as an analyst (taking notes, putting together PowerPoints, writing analytical reports) and have assumed leadership roles/positions during my time, to include managing a significant program within my branch and leading meetings/interactions with private sector stakeholders. 

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Average to slightly above average I’d say. I don’t have a crazy story or anything, but I talk about the impact that my parents have had on me as they are both career civil servants and how I have aspirations of working at a non-partisan think tank/research center because, naively or not, I want to help find evidence-based actionable solutions to everyday real world problems. 

Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): 
I think two out of the three I have are pretty strong. One is from my former manager, one is from a current colleague (I’m not one of her direct reports, but she is in a more senior position than myself), and the final, weaker one is from a federal client I work with regularly. I know this is a knock on me because I don’t have an academic reference, but it wasn’t for lack of trying; my undergrad senior seminar professor agreed to write one on my behalf and then ghosted me for the past three months *sigh* 

Questions/comments I have: I want to offer some background into my pursuit of an MPP. For one, I recognize that I’m quant deficient based on my undergrad resume and in my current job (and there’s no real way to change this in my current professional setting) so I think the MPP could really help me in this area, and thus my overall future job prospects. With the MPP program, I’m really focused on the career outcomes that I will receive, the skills I acquire, and the social/overall experience with my peers and professors of the program, in that order. 

I’m still trying to figure out exactly what I want to do for a career, but I see myself working in some kind of domestic social policy…I really know more of what I DON’T want to do (i.e. emergency management) more so than anything else. Additional professional areas of interest for me include research stuff, legislative stuff, and operations stuff, but in all honesty these just really sound cool/interesting to me and I’m not fully aware of what they explicitly could entail/involve (I have what I’d call a ‘rough idea’).

My chances at being accepted to any of these schools along with any insights and/or feedback would be much appreciated! And I’d love to be able to continue the conversation if you're open to it. Thank you!
 

Work another year. You can do better than McCourt 

[grad_decisions]

Hi all, I'm starting my planning process for grad school, would like to apply at the end of 2021. I'm just getting into serious school research, so I'm open to ideas, suggestions, and questions. I'd love to prioritize schools where I have a realistic chance of receiving scholarships; I've tossed around the idea of an MBA with a data science focus, but don't think I can stomach the debt.

Schools Applying To: Harris MSCAPP, CMU Heinz MSPPM, Columbia Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences, McCourt MS DSPP, maybe Princeton MPA

Undergraduate institution: Ivy, not H/Y/P

Undergraduate GPA: 3.8

Undergraduate Majors: Sociology

GRE Quantitative Score: 167

GRE Verbal Score: 164

GRE AW Score: 5

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 7

Years of Work Experience: 7

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 3 years in operations at a large social services nonprofit in NYC.  4 years at a boutique think tank, doing research, data analysis, consulting projects. Currently do research project management.

Quant: Econ minor in undergrad, econometrics, a fair number of statistics courses. Know Stata very well, R to a lesser extent

Strength of SOP: I think pretty good. I have a clear idea of the work I want to do in the future (research and evaluation at the intersection of public/private sectors) and how a master's would complete my move from liberal arts to more quantitative research.

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): Could get one of my major professors to write me a LOR, one would be from the president of my current organization, and the third would either be from my previous job or another current colleague.

[GradSchoolGrad]

6 hours ago, grad_decisions said:

Hi all, I'm starting my planning process for grad school, would like to apply at the end of 2021. I'm just getting into serious school research, so I'm open to ideas, suggestions, and questions. I'd love to prioritize schools where I have a realistic chance of receiving scholarships; I've tossed around the idea of an MBA with a data science focus, but don't think I can stomach the debt.

Schools Applying To: Harris MSCAPP, CMU Heinz MSPPM, Columbia Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences, McCourt MS DSPP, maybe Princeton MPA

Undergraduate institution: Ivy, not H/Y/P

Undergraduate GPA: 3.8

Undergraduate Majors: Sociology

GRE Quantitative Score: 167

GRE Verbal Score: 164

GRE AW Score: 5

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 7

Years of Work Experience: 7

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 3 years in operations at a large social services nonprofit in NYC.  4 years at a boutique think tank, doing research, data analysis, consulting projects. Currently do research project management.

Quant: Econ minor in undergrad, econometrics, a fair number of statistics courses. Know Stata very well, R to a lesser extent

Strength of SOP: I think pretty good. I have a clear idea of the work I want to do in the future (research and evaluation at the intersection of public/private sectors) and how a master's would complete my move from liberal arts to more quantitative research.

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): Could get one of my major professors to write me a LOR, one would be from the president of my current organization, and the third would either be from my previous job or another current colleague.

What are you trying to do with you career?

Speaking in general, I wouldn’t give up on MBA yet (assuming it is right for you), because assuming you get a rockstar GMAT score, you could get some serious scholarships

[grad_decisions]

4 hours ago, GradSchoolGrad said:

What are you trying to do with you career?

Speaking in general, I wouldn’t give up on MBA yet (assuming it is right for you), because assuming you get a rockstar GMAT score, you could get some serious scholarships

I'm trying to find the right blend of: data science, program evaluation, and consulting in a "social good" setting. I really enjoy the consulting aspects of my current job, working on new projects and not doing the same thing every day. But I want to build up my data and research skills which have been largely self-taught so far. I could spend more time doing this on my own, but I learn best and really enjoy a classroom setting and want to take the opportunity of going back to school to really build my skills and think about the next step. Finally, I'd be most passionate working in a data-focused role for an organization that directly or through research contributes to the social good (ie, not a for-profit). Some cursory research suggests that could be: McKinsey Global Institute, Dalberg, a large philanthropic foundation, a government research/innovation lab, etc.

I took the GRE with the assumption that I could use it to potentially apply to an MBA program. Given some personal travel and commitments later this year, I would not realistically be able to study and take the GMAT in 2021. Does that mean I don't have a hope of MBA scholarships? Would anything change for joint MPA or MPP /MBA programs?

[GradSchoolGrad]

24 minutes ago, grad_decisions said:

I'm trying to find the right blend of: data science, program evaluation, and consulting in a "social good" setting. I really enjoy the consulting aspects of my current job, working on new projects and not doing the same thing every day. But I want to build up my data and research skills which have been largely self-taught so far. I could spend more time doing this on my own, but I learn best and really enjoy a classroom setting and want to take the opportunity of going back to school to really build my skills and think about the next step. Finally, I'd be most passionate working in a data-focused role for an organization that directly or through research contributes to the social good (ie, not a for-profit). Some cursory research suggests that could be: McKinsey Global Institute, Dalberg, a large philanthropic foundation, a government research/innovation lab, etc.

I took the GRE with the assumption that I could use it to potentially apply to an MBA program. Given some personal travel and commitments later this year, I would not realistically be able to study and take the GMAT in 2021. Does that mean I don't have a hope of MBA scholarships? Would anything change for joint MPA or MPP /MBA programs?

I recommend you look into MBA/Data Analytics Dual Degree programs then. A good one is UVA. I know others have good ones too.

It is easier to pivot into your areas of interest with a technical + operations background than a pure policy one - granted it will take some work no matter what.

As for scholarship - for MBA schools, they will pay to boost their GMAT averages that is published on US News. Covid might have changed things a bit, but by in large, GRE averages aren't published - so there is no incentive to scholarship people for rock star GREs. Going into a dual degree might help with getting scholarship, but the money most likely won't be coming from the MBA side unless you take a GMAT. 

[grad_decisions]

18 minutes ago, GradSchoolGrad said:

I recommend you look into MBA/Data Analytics Dual Degree programs then. A good one is UVA. I know others have good ones too.

It is easier to pivot into your areas of interest with a technical + operations background than a pure policy one - granted it will take some work no matter what.

As for scholarship - for MBA schools, they will pay to boost their GMAT averages that is published on US News. Covid might have changed things a bit, but by in large, GRE averages aren't published - so there is no incentive to scholarship people for rock star GREs. Going into a dual degree might help with getting scholarship, but the money most likely won't be coming from the MBA side unless you take a GMAT. 

That's helpful feedback, thank you!

[toothfairy]

Hi everyone! I have a feeling my case is pretty unique, but I'm currently a third-year dental student who discovered a very strong passion for health policy during my first year in dental school. At this point I'm pretty committed to pivoting from a more clinical to strictly policy/advocacy career path--taking with me all relevant knowledge and training within the (oral) health care realm these past 3 years. There are very few (if any) dentists out there with the type of career and training I am looking to achieve, so I'm pretty desperate for some guidance as I try to plan my next move.

I have gone back and forth about whether an MPH with a Health Policy focus or MPP with a broader Social Policy focus is the right fit for me. I am very interested in other policy topics outside of health care (housing, education, urban policy, etc.) and I'm worried an MPH program will not offer me the level of policy training I am after.

I know I'm getting old (just turned 25 lol) but I am very much interested in pursuing federal policy work in DC, ideally on the Hill or else in the nonprofit sector. Therefore, I am also looking for programs that will best position me for a post-grad transition to D.C. I'm currently living on the West Coast for dental school but would much prefer to transition to the Northeast/DC area for this next phase.

Schools/Programs Applying To:
I've done some preliminary research on schools I feel would be a good fit based on what I've already shared...

Harvard-Kennedy (definitely a top choice at the moment), Columbia-SIPA, GWU-Trachtenburg, Georgetown-McCourt...NYU? CMU Heinz? Others?

Or if I stayed in the MPH lane as many health grads do--somewhere like Harvard T.H. Chan with a 1 year accelerated MPH program. Again, I'm not entirely sold on this idea but could be convinced otherwise. A dual-degree DDS/MPH was not an option at my school.

Undergraduate institution: UW-Madison --> top-ranked dental program
Undergraduate GPA: 3.9
Undergraduate Major: Biology + Spanish w/ Business minor
GRE Quantitative Score: 163 (80th percentile)
GRE Verbal Score: 162 (90th percentile)
GRE AW Score: 5.0 (92nd percentile)
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 3 years (but still in school)
Years of Work Experience: technically 0, but 3 years of post-grad clinical education
Quant/Econ Experience: I think I may be lacking a bit in this section; I took Micro in undergrad (A) + Stats for health science majors (A) plus an A in high school Calc offered at a local community college, though I'm not sure how it reads on my transcript. All these experiences are 5+ years old at this point. I've done some quantitative data analysis research in my dental program but nothing too heavy.

Describe Relevant Work Experience:  
I've had part-time work-study gigs since freshmen year of college but none that are policy or quant-related. I do see patients full-time in clinic my last two years of dental school, which may not technically be a job but definitely feels like one. lol Besides that I've done regular policy/advocacy work with organized dental associations like CDA, ADA, ADEA--think student lobby day-esque events.

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I'm a fairly good writer who's been through the post-grad application process before. I believe I have a good grasp of who I am and what my areas of interest are within the policy realm, and better yet, that my interests may be unique as they pertain to the intersection of dentistry and LGBTQ+ health care. My gender and sexual identities definitely add to my story (I am a transgender woman, first openly trans student in the history of my program) and in my writings I lean on a lot of relevant experiences advocating for policy changes within higher ed at my institution.

Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): 

One from my direct research mentor/advisor to the LGBTQ+ club I lead on campus, one from a clinical course director who can speak to my experiences as a health care professional, and one (hopefully) from a state dental association staffer with whom I've worked closely on multiple advocacy events. I'm not certain if I've gone in the right direction with these letters as they relate to an MPP, so any feedback here would be appreciated as well.

Questions/comments I have: I'm not sure anyone will actually read this but I'm thankful to anyone who can offer any insight from an "outsider" (non-health care) perspective. I'm very excited to take this next step in my education, but it's been extremely difficult for me to start the process while in grad school (clinic) full-time and without any mentors who have gone down a similar path. I do have big dreams of contributing to progressive policy reform--especially as it relates to oral/trans health care--and I'm ready to commit to a career in public service, but I'm always open to other suggestions or feedback on alternate career paths. If I am completely off the mark here, it's better for me to find out now, so be as brutally honest as needed.

Thanks for making it this far, and I look forward to continuing the conversation if folks are interested!!!

[GradSchoolGrad]

8 hours ago, toothfairy said:

Hi everyone! I have a feeling my case is pretty unique, but I'm currently a third-year dental student who discovered a very strong passion for health policy during my first year in dental school. At this point I'm pretty committed to pivoting from a more clinical to strictly policy/advocacy career path--taking with me all relevant knowledge and training within the (oral) health care realm these past 3 years. There are very few (if any) dentists out there with the type of career and training I am looking to achieve, so I'm pretty desperate for some guidance as I try to plan my next move.

I have gone back and forth about whether an MPH with a Health Policy focus or MPP with a broader Social Policy focus is the right fit for me. I am very interested in other policy topics outside of health care (housing, education, urban policy, etc.) and I'm worried an MPH program will not offer me the level of policy training I am after.

I know I'm getting old (just turned 25 lol) but I am very much interested in pursuing federal policy work in DC, ideally on the Hill or else in the nonprofit sector. Therefore, I am also looking for programs that will best position me for a post-grad transition to D.C. I'm currently living on the West Coast for dental school but would much prefer to transition to the Northeast/DC area for this next phase.

Schools/Programs Applying To:
I've done some preliminary research on schools I feel would be a good fit based on what I've already shared...

Harvard-Kennedy (definitely a top choice at the moment), Columbia-SIPA, GWU-Trachtenburg, Georgetown-McCourt...NYU? CMU Heinz? Others?

Or if I stayed in the MPH lane as many health grads do--somewhere like Harvard T.H. Chan with a 1 year accelerated MPH program. Again, I'm not entirely sold on this idea but could be convinced otherwise. A dual-degree DDS/MPH was not an option at my school.

Undergraduate institution: UW-Madison --> top-ranked dental program
Undergraduate GPA: 3.9
Undergraduate Major: Biology + Spanish w/ Business minor
GRE Quantitative Score: 163 (80th percentile)
GRE Verbal Score: 162 (90th percentile)
GRE AW Score: 5.0 (92nd percentile)
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 3 years (but still in school)
Years of Work Experience: technically 0, but 3 years of post-grad clinical education
Quant/Econ Experience: I think I may be lacking a bit in this section; I took Micro in undergrad (A) + Stats for health science majors (A) plus an A in high school Calc offered at a local community college, though I'm not sure how it reads on my transcript. All these experiences are 5+ years old at this point. I've done some quantitative data analysis research in my dental program but nothing too heavy.

Describe Relevant Work Experience:  
I've had part-time work-study gigs since freshmen year of college but none that are policy or quant-related. I do see patients full-time in clinic my last two years of dental school, which may not technically be a job but definitely feels like one. lol Besides that I've done regular policy/advocacy work with organized dental associations like CDA, ADA, ADEA--think student lobby day-esque events.

Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I'm a fairly good writer who's been through the post-grad application process before. I believe I have a good grasp of who I am and what my areas of interest are within the policy realm, and better yet, that my interests may be unique as they pertain to the intersection of dentistry and LGBTQ+ health care. My gender and sexual identities definitely add to my story (I am a transgender woman, first openly trans student in the history of my program) and in my writings I lean on a lot of relevant experiences advocating for policy changes within higher ed at my institution.

Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): 

One from my direct research mentor/advisor to the LGBTQ+ club I lead on campus, one from a clinical course director who can speak to my experiences as a health care professional, and one (hopefully) from a state dental association staffer with whom I've worked closely on multiple advocacy events. I'm not certain if I've gone in the right direction with these letters as they relate to an MPP, so any feedback here would be appreciated as well.

Questions/comments I have: I'm not sure anyone will actually read this but I'm thankful to anyone who can offer any insight from an "outsider" (non-health care) perspective. I'm very excited to take this next step in my education, but it's been extremely difficult for me to start the process while in grad school (clinic) full-time and without any mentors who have gone down a similar path. I do have big dreams of contributing to progressive policy reform--especially as it relates to oral/trans health care--and I'm ready to commit to a career in public service, but I'm always open to other suggestions or feedback on alternate career paths. If I am completely off the mark here, it's better for me to find out now, so be as brutally honest as needed.

Thanks for making it this far, and I look forward to continuing the conversation if folks are interested!!!

Your situation is a bit more on the unique side, but your story has a well worn precedent (although not common). 

1. Recommendation about Dental School: My recommendation straight out is that whatever you do, do it with your medical degree (I am assuming in your case it is a DDS). The reason is that with it, you super stand out and become prime pick for any science, health, and etc. role that involves policy, programming, and consulting since it validates your health sciences professional school experience. Without it, your years of medical education won't be fully respected as equitable to "work experience" and you'll have to a huge cloud over your resume whereby you will have to justify leaving school rather than explaining a career pivot.

For example, right now I can internally refer you to my organization's health team with a DDS and MPH/MPP - and you would start off equivalent to a post MBA (or at least post-grad school) level. If you only had an MPP/MPH, you may not be considered because your resume creates an open curiosity of if you "left school" because you were failing or were forced out. Even if you had solid proof otherwise, that is an annoying barrier to overcome and that leaves doubt in the back of people's head. Even if you were able to get over that, you would only be considered for an equivalent of role of an undergrad +1 year of work experience (AT BEST). 

Plenty of MPP grads straight from undergrad get jobs that are equal or only slightly better than jobs for those straight from undergrad. Without a DDS degree, you risk falling in that pool. 

2. MPP vs. MPH Context: At the end of the day, I think this depends on what type of work you are trying to pivot to. IMO, MPP only makes sense over MPH if you are trying to do something related to lobbying or be a capital hill or state legislature staffer only because those are networks you wouldn't have ready access to on the MPH side. In terms of actual health policy and advocacy, we can broadly call it a gray area where it is arguably a wash (although the devil is in the details) in terms of academic experience. In terms of health programming and health operations, MPH is without a doubt the better program (generally speaking). If you want stuff more connected with the science of medicine, MPH is the better way to go.

One key thing to understand about MPP is that there is policy area interest gap between professors and students. Basically, you have a fair amount of professors with health policy backgrounds because it was cool in the 90s and to a lesser extent in the 2000s. However, these days, even though health policy jobs are relatively abundant and high paying, there is generally little direct interest in health policy. In my policy program of 150 or so, there were 2 that were expressly interested in US Healthcare (I am not counting international development for healthcare program evaluation - I played in that pool and can speak to it at length). There is a general perception that health policy isn't cool and pretty much all the major research are recycling things already known. In programs where there are dual degree programs, for MD-MPP and MPH-MPP, you then have a greater share of health policy focused students. What this means is that being a healthcare person in MPP is a comparatively lonely experience from a peer perspective. You will also forever be playing second fiddle to those interested in education policy, gender policy, and international development - at least from social cache perspective

MPH is a program that is generally closer to the science (oftentimes they have established co-programming with the medical school) and I bet you'll find yourself more at home and socially supported. I view MPH as the better program if you know you want to play in health because not do you open doors with health programming and operations (MPPs don't really play there) + you are highly competitive to compete against MPPs in health policy and advocacy.

3. Chan Policy School - I recommend you do it. Not only is it a top notch school by its own academic merits, but you have a lot of interdisciplinary collaboration with the Law, Med, and Business school that you can take advantage of and it is at a level and scale that most other MPH programs don't really have. Honestly, it is also a better school brand + outcomes (per your interests) than ALL of the policy schools you have identified. 

Edited May 12, 2021 by GradSchoolGrad

[toothfairy]

On 5/12/2021 at 8:33 AM, GradSchoolGrad said:

Your situation is a bit more on the unique side, but your story has a well worn precedent (although not common). 

1. Recommendation about Dental School: My recommendation straight out is that whatever you do, do it with your medical degree (I am assuming in your case it is a DDS). The reason is that with it, you super stand out and become prime pick for any science, health, and etc. role that involves policy, programming, and consulting since it validates your health sciences professional school experience. Without it, your years of medical education won't be fully respected as equitable to "work experience" and you'll have to a huge cloud over your resume whereby you will have to justify leaving school rather than explaining a career pivot.

For example, right now I can internally refer you to my organization's health team with a DDS and MPH/MPP - and you would start off equivalent to a post MBA (or at least post-grad school) level. If you only had an MPP/MPH, you may not be considered because your resume creates an open curiosity of if you "left school" because you were failing or were forced out. Even if you had solid proof otherwise, that is an annoying barrier to overcome and that leaves doubt in the back of people's head. Even if you were able to get over that, you would only be considered for an equivalent of role of an undergrad +1 year of work experience (AT BEST). 

Plenty of MPP grads straight from undergrad get jobs that are equal or only slightly better than jobs for those straight from undergrad. Without a DDS degree, you risk falling in that pool. 

2. MPP vs. MPH Context: At the end of the day, I think this depends on what type of work you are trying to pivot to. IMO, MPP only makes sense over MPH if you are trying to do something related to lobbying or be a capital hill or state legislature staffer only because those are networks you wouldn't have ready access to on the MPH side. In terms of actual health policy and advocacy, we can broadly call it a gray area where it is arguably a wash (although the devil is in the details) in terms of academic experience. In terms of health programming and health operations, MPH is without a doubt the better program (generally speaking). If you want stuff more connected with the science of medicine, MPH is the better way to go.

One key thing to understand about MPP is that there is policy area interest gap between professors and students. Basically, you have a fair amount of professors with health policy backgrounds because it was cool in the 90s and to a lesser extent in the 2000s. However, these days, even though health policy jobs are relatively abundant and high paying, there is generally little direct interest in health policy. In my policy program of 150 or so, there were 2 that were expressly interested in US Healthcare (I am not counting international development for healthcare program evaluation - I played in that pool and can speak to it at length). There is a general perception that health policy isn't cool and pretty much all the major research are recycling things already known. In programs where there are dual degree programs, for MD-MPP and MPH-MPP, you then have a greater share of health policy focused students. What this means is that being a healthcare person in MPP is a comparatively lonely experience from a peer perspective. You will also forever be playing second fiddle to those interested in education policy, gender policy, and international development - at least from social cache perspective

MPH is a program that is generally closer to the science (oftentimes they have established co-programming with the medical school) and I bet you'll find yourself more at home and socially supported. I view MPH as the better program if you know you want to play in health because not do you open doors with health programming and operations (MPPs don't really play there) + you are highly competitive to compete against MPPs in health policy and advocacy.

3. Chan Policy School - I recommend you do it. Not only is it a top notch school by its own academic merits, but you have a lot of interdisciplinary collaboration with the Law, Med, and Business school that you can take advantage of and it is at a level and scale that most other MPH programs don't really have. Honestly, it is also a better school brand + outcomes (per your interests) than ALL of the policy schools you have identified. 

Hi again, thank you so much for this detailed response! I definitely have every intention of finishing my DDS degree before transitioning to the next program.

I'm stuck because I do actually envision myself working on Capitol Hill, and like you mentioned I'm not sure how easily I would access those networks if I chose to do an MPH over MPP. This is much of why I had assumed MPP would be the better choice for me--I just want to be sure that whatever program I choose will help position me for policy work on the Hill post-graduation. But what you said about the policy area interest gap is very useful and something I will definitely need to consider when applying to programs.

I guess one additional follow-up question would be that if I do choose to move forward with the MPH (instead of MPP), do you have any other recommendations after T.H. Chan for programs that are strong in health policy and/or networking to the federal health policy sphere? I know I should probably cast my net wider than just one school.

Thank you again!!!

[GradSchoolGrad]

34 minutes ago, toothfairy said:

Hi again, thank you so much for this detailed response! I definitely have every intention of finishing my DDS degree before transitioning to the next program.

I'm stuck because I do actually envision myself working on Capitol Hill, and like you mentioned I'm not sure how easily I would access those networks if I chose to do an MPH over MPP. This is much of why I had assumed MPP would be the better choice for me--I just want to be sure that whatever program I choose will help position me for policy work on the Hill post-graduation. But what you said about the policy area interest gap is very useful and something I will definitely need to consider when applying to programs.

I guess one additional follow-up question would be that if I do choose to move forward with the MPH (instead of MPP), do you have any other recommendations after T.H. Chan for programs that are strong in health policy and/or networking to the federal health policy sphere? I know I should probably cast my net wider than just one school.

Thank you again!!!

1. All About Capital Hill: Okay this kind of took me by surprise that you were interested in Capital Hill, because most people interested in it are in their early 20s. If you haven't already, I really recommend you actually talk to people who work in capital hill - especially if they have health care as part of their portfolio.

- First of all, most people burn out by the late 20s (if not earlier) for a reason.

- Your career success isn't necessary defined by competence all the time (or even political savvy). Even with 2 graduate degree you can easily play 2nd fiddle to some random kid straight from undergrad that your law maker simply likes better, or play golf with the kid's dad on the weekends.

- Also, if your law maker loses an election, you would have to really hope you have enough friends to offer you another position (assuming a position is even available).

- Work life balance - you can kiss that goodbye. There is reason why weddings, surgeries, and etc. get done during the fall recess because during the other 11 months of the year, you are at the beck and call of your law maker

- Pay - starting off, you will be making what the average 22 year old makes

- Promotion - that can get interesting. You can rise really quickly if people like you + you get lucky. However, I known people who were stuck at the same level for 6 years 

- I'm sure different people can have varying perspectives, but your impact really depends on your lawmaker as well. More often than not, it is about turning the gears.

2. For MPH, the top schools are Chan - Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Columbia. - the next tier would be GW, UNC-Chapel Hill and Emory. All are good schools, but I will say the school experience and access kind of dips between top tier and the next tier (comparing my friends who went to each grouping). You will also want to do some research on what each school focuses on. I realize this doesn't totally synch with US News rankings. I'm trying to index you with federal healthcare 

3. I really recommend you think of career paths that are more predictable and have more stable opportunities to make impact. 

 

[accomplishedzone17]

 

Hi all, I would like to see your opinion in how competitive I am for some MPA/MPM degrees.  I'm from Central America. 

Schools Applying To: McCourt MPM, HKS MPA, NYU MPA, SAIS MIPP, GWU MPA

Undergraduate institution: International, not highly ranked anywhere

Undergraduate GPA: 3.35

Undergraduate Majors: Industrial Engineering

GRE Quantitative Score: 153

GRE Verbal Score: 158

GRE AW Score: 3.5 (Sorry, I'm not a native english speaker)

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 4

Years of Work Experience: 5

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 5 years working in international non-profit, exit position as Senior Program officer.  1 year of internships in public sector while undergrad (i changed priorities from business to public affairs after college), founded a local NGO

Quant: micro, macro economics, statistics, research methods during Undergrad. Have not used SPSS or others since finishing college.

Strength of SOP: I think pretty good, showing my abilities and its use into the field. 

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): I think pretty solid. Good recommendations from work in Non-profit NGOs from my two bosses, both who have worked based in DC. However, no academic recommendations.  

Edited May 17, 2021 by accomplishedzone17

[columbia09]

On 4/15/2021 at 8:43 AM, ptrfr said:

So much appreciate everyone's time in sharing their advice on these forums (particularly this specific forum...) - it's an amazing & insightful resource.

Throwing my stats into the ring here - would love to hear a take from anyone who might be willing to offer one. Cheers

 

 

Schools Applying To: HKS (MPP w/ IGA concentration), Columbia SIPA (MIA), Georgetown Walsh (MSFS), Duke Sanford (MPP), Yale (MEM), Hopkins SAIS (MAIR)

Interests: Transitioning from banking into international relations/affairs, with an interest in clean energy as well as foreign policy / diplomacy

Undergrad Institution: Penn State

Undergraduate GPA: 3.72

Years since Undergrad: 3

Undergraduate Major: Finance, with a concentration in International Business

GRE:  162V / 159Q / AW 6.0

Quantitative Courses: Standard undergrad business track of econ, business calc, etc. with strong grades throughout

Age: 24

Languages: English

Work Experience:  Capital Markets group at a global investment bank - 18 months in NYC and 18 months in Singapore after a promotion and internal transfer

LORs: Expected to be strong - three very senior managers in global banking roles located in Hong Kong, New York, and San Francisco with whom I have close professional connections

SOP: Connecting the dots between how my undergrad studies in finance, and push for an eventually successful transfer to Asia, has developed into a strong pull in the direction of international relations. Aim to weave a solid story of how my experience has lead to a desire in broadening the view of "impact" in finance/banking - and why an IR-focused degree (while leaving the door open to pair with a dual MBA at these programs) makes a lot of sense at this point in time

Extras of Note: Eagle Scout, IRONMAN finisher, additional grad-level IR coursework at LSE

Concerns: Having no fluent second language skills at the moment, having high enough test scores to stand out as a white American male at elite & Ivy league grad programs

I’m also an Eagle Scout, is that still worth noting on these applications? When I applied two years ago, my supervisor saw that on my resume, laughed and told me to take it off. 

[GradSchoolGrad]

On 6/26/2021 at 10:24 AM, columbia09 said:

I’m also an Eagle Scout, is that still worth noting on these applications? When I applied two years ago, my supervisor saw that on my resume, laughed and told me to take it off. 

I wouldn't laugh at you, but yes you should take it off. Short of having Olympic medals or something as ridiculous as that, what happened in high school will be seen as awkward at least. 

[went_away]

On 6/26/2021 at 10:24 AM, columbia09 said:

I’m also an Eagle Scout, is that still worth noting on these applications? When I applied two years ago, my supervisor saw that on my resume, laughed and told me to take it off. 

Leave it on, especially for a grad school application in *public* affairs (smh). That's a significant marker in the U.S. and an elite distinguisher. You'll see candidates for Congress touting it years later. Would be ideal if you could also show a pattern of community service and leadership in the years since e.g. undergrad student body president or local volunteer.

[Grospatapouf]

Hi guys, I'm a former high school dropout and I worked as an electrician from age 15. Later, I served in the French military within a special force unit. After that, I resumed my high school studies and I'm now 27 and in the process of completing my undergrad at Leiden University in the Netherlands. I would like to take advantage of that time spent serving the nation and directly apply for terminal degrees in public management. But since I would also prefer to work at the intersection between Business and Politics, I'm considering adding MBA applications to these. Could you let me know your feeling about my profile?

Schools Applying To: Harvard MPP, Princeton MPA (+Stanford GSB / others ?), Oxford MPP (and 1+1 MBA), SciencesPo-SIPA (MPA), The LSE (MPA), SAIS (MAIR), Georgetown (MA-IBP?) 

Undergraduate institution: Leiden University -> 1st for PSIR in the NL, 22nd QS ranking (Politics) 

Undergraduate GPA: 8.5/10 Dutch Scale, Cum Laude (Scholaro translation -> GPA 4.0)

Undergraduate Major: Political Science: International Relations and Organizations

So far it also includes: 

• Special honors track on Science & Society (additional 30 ECTS)
  • Coursework: Philosophical Consideration: Human Nature and Moral Progress ; Data Science (Python) ; Introduction to Secret Affairs ; Social Science Lab ; Extended Thesis 
• Winter School at Korea University (Korea)
  • Coursework: Principles of Finance (A), Strategic Management (A+)
• Ewha's Women University (Korea) - Korean Language A2 
• Exchange at Yonsei University (Korea) - Focus on Economics and Finance (ongoing)

GRE/GMAT: Not taken yet but expect GRE: 330+  / GMAT: 700-730 

Languages: French, English (C2), Spanish (B2), Korean (A2)  

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 0, however, during my bachelor I have created my own proprietorship to buy and rent out flats to students. 

Years of Work Experience: 6

Describe Relevant Work Experience: I was trained in Mountain Infantry and later passed selection test to join an elite unit specializing in Human Intelligence and Special Action, particularly in difficult terrains. I was deployed twice on combat operations in Africa (Sahel region) where I was deployed as military HUMINT and OMLT. I also had the opportunity to train a platoon of young recruits for 6 months by the end of my career. 

Strength of SOP:  Weak. I still find it hard to define it precisely but as well to tie my previous military experience with my current aspirations, which are more connected to economic rather security matters, although at this point I prefer to leave a lot of doors open. 

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): My Int' Law professor, whose also a Cambridge man, has already accepted to write my letters. I'm pretty close with him from participating in office hours and I also obtained outstanding grades in his exams, notably citing beyond course material. Yet, I think he is in high demand for he certainly is one of the most likable character of our program. 

Conversely, I recently reached out to one of my former commander in the military. He commanded my company while I trained recruits in my late career, also he was himself a commando and participated in similar training and operations (on the behalf of the French DGSE). Yet, it has been more than 5 years since the last time I saw him and he has not overseen my work directly. He told me he would do anything to help, however, soldiers tend to be very straightforward and I'm afraid he misses the point with the LOR. 

 

That's about it! Thanks in advance! 

Edited July 9, 2021 by Grospatapouf

[MPPLatinoApplicant2021]

Hello everyone if you can help me evaluate my profile for HKS (MPP), and SIPA (MIA), and if I hold any chance of scholarships.

Thanks in advance!

Undergrad Information:

I hold Two Bachelors degrees

- Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) concentrating in International and Global Affairs, Economics, and Business and Government Policy from Top Peruvian University

Latest GPA 4.00 Cumulative: 3.9

Dean List, Honor Society, Summa Cumme Laude) Relevant Coursework: Extremely Quant Focus degree (Micro and Macroeconomics, Experimental Statistics, Applied Calculus, between others with As and A+)

- Bachelor in Arts (BA) in Political Science concentrating in Democracy, Politics, and Institutions, and Political and Economic Development from Ivy non HYP

Latest GPA 4.08 Cumulative 3.2

Dean List, Service, Agent of Change, and Public Excellence Awards) Note: Have a compelling story for the low GPA and senior and junior GPAs have been over 4.00! Relevant Coursework: Extremely research focus degree (Researched and published papers under top professors from the Latin American Institute and Department of Political Science)

GMAT/GRE:

Took a practice test and got a 750 (Due to health reasons, was in the hospital due to COVID19 I was unable to take the test. Nonetheless, spoke with the admissions council and they stated that for this term a GMAT or GRE was not needed

Years of Work Experience: 9

Relevant Work Experience: 

9 Years of Public Policy-oriented experience (From Most Current): Note: (Will write the PP part of it)

- Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Senior Consultant Director ( Consulting Group in Public Policy where I focused on safeguarding impoverished areas in Latin America against COVID socioeconomic consequences, Pro Bono Consulting to SMEs at risk of bankruptcy due to pandemic (75+ so far), operating in 5 South American Countries)

-Founding Executive Director (NGO where I focused on strength teaching and learning across public and private schools, seeding projects from extreme poverty areas in the country (over 100 projects and 340 leaders seeded), empowering the voices of those affected by terrorism in the country)

- Education & Public Policy Consultant ( Governmental council from a Country that loves Tea, where I focused education programs (girls in STEM), Higher education Transformative pp partnerships with the country based, Quant Budget protections for the Science and Tech funds)

- Congressmen Advisor ( Advisor for a Congressmen in my country, created Mechanisms for citizens from distant cities to express their voices, Educational projects in Rural and Urban low-income areas, Quant analyses on regional aid and the financial impact it had)

- Public and Private Partnerships Consultant ( Embassy from a Country that loves Tea, created and overlooked Capacitation projects for regional and local governments in PPP, Rural Communities empowering projects alongside Top NGOs, and PPP projects funds valuations, and portfolio)

- Policy Advisor ( Ministry of Foreign affairs from my country, Overview over 45 analysts in governmental investment projects, created mechanism of Citizen and youth empowerment across the Globe for citizens, Quant and lead market research for Minister project micro and macro, and Mentored analysts on financial and policy modeling)

- International Trade & Diplomacy Representative ( Ministry of Foreign affairs from my country, Mentored over 200+ young representatives from across Peru in youth empowerment forums to express their voices in their communities, Represented my country in top governmental conferences as part of the negotiation team (they wanted a youth perspective, APEC, IMF and WB, ABAC, Andean Community, between others)

- Policy Analyst (Mayor's office, Assessed and monitor the viability of governmental projects (Socially and Quant), and PP projects drafting and analyses)

Leadership

- Fiscal Council of my country - Quantitative Consultancy Team Leader (focus on Macroeconomic scenario analysis (Effects on fiscal accounts during COVID19) and MMO 2021-2024 (Macroeconomic Multiannual Outlook)

- Columbia Latin American Center - Summer lead Quantitative Researcher (Lead 14 Top Researchers focused, Human trafficking, current humanitarian situation,COVID19 pandemic, social, cultural and humanitarian effect, in Guatemala

Elected Resident Body President (Coordinated the residency relocation, food security, and flights of over 45 international residents during the 2019 COVID pandemic)

- United Nations Youth Assembly, World Business Dialogue (WBD), Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations - Regional Coordinator / Ambassador of the Americas ( Established 4 Strategic Alliances between conferences from Germany - Peru and the United States, measured in the increasing the professional attendants from the most vulnerable economies of the LATAM region and their wellbeing in the case of financial inestability)

Quant Background: 

Strong Quant Background both academically and ratified profesionally with number to back it up with the results of PP projects and valuations.

Academically: Finance & Quantitative Modeling for Analysts, Mathematical Methods for Quantitative Finance, Six Sigma: Define and Measure, Micro and Macro economics, International Economic Integration, Quantitative Methods, Computer Sciences for Business (Most of them at MIT, Upenn, Columbia and UPC)

Research: 9 Research papers (Quant researcher) in Europe, Asia, and America top 10 Universities in PP and Political agendas

Professional: Over 35+ Quant and funds projects within Latin America, Europe, and the USA (Explained in the quant and resume in order for them to combine and potentiate the strengh of this part)

LORs:

Really Strong Academic and Profesional, but most important they all have seen me growth throught my career, became mentors and close friends, so the LORs balance and are in route with the overall strenght of the application (Highlighting key points and increasing low points)

Honors

- Elected as the Regional Youth Parliamentary for my Metropolitan Region

- National Honors for International Career by the State, Congress, and Government

- Medal of Honor from the Congress for distinguished public service and achievements

- State Medal of Honor for International Career, becoming youngest to be decorated in 199 years

- Recipient of the "Order of Santiago" in the category of "Academia," becoming youngest to be initiated in 199 years

Anything else?

- TEDx Speaker on five occasions focusing on youth and rural area empowerment through education

- Assistant Professor for College level courses in International Economic Situation, Applied Macroeconomics, Fiscal Policy, and Research Scoop and Methods

- 5 Published Papers on Public Policy

- Played water polo at varsity level and tennis at semi-professional level: ITF Men's World Tennis Tour (Long Ago though but left it due to injury) so Not going to put it

- 4 Fluent languages (Native English and Spanish, Fluent Portuguese, French, and German)

- Proficient in Python (Panda and NumPy quantitative and qualitative market analysis), Java (Algorithmic creation for trading), R Studio (Machine Learning in quantitative investments),and Microsoft Excel (IRR, NPV, Pivot Tables, Vlookups, Goal Seek)

- Presidential scholar, and several academic honors scholarships)

Had a lot of ECs, but think they might not be as strong as the one mention above (MUN, UN Campus Ambassador, Quant and Consulting elite columbia clubs)

Edited July 9, 2021 by MPPLatinoApplicant2021

[Grospatapouf]

5 hours ago, MPPLatinoApplicant2021 said:

Hello everyone if you can help me evaluate my profile for HKS (MPP), and SIPA (MIA), and if I hold any chance of scholarships.

Thanks in advance!

.....

Dude, are you even asking? You look like an absolute machine from here. To the point I am not even sure how these degrees can do any good to you. 

Edited July 10, 2021 by Grospatapouf

[prospectivegrad2021]

On 5/23/2020 at 3:07 PM, GradSchoolGrad said:

1. About Quant and SAIS... okay it improves your outlook knowing you took those classes, but your total GPA is still a 3.3. Maybe if you better explained what classes dropped your GPA so hard, that might help. If I was an admissions Officer and you had a 3.7, I might be willing to take gamble on you. I think the real way to quash any doubts about your quant ability is to do a project or take a class (at reputable institution) that touches Econometrics (a more advanced Econ class would probably do the trick). Not to sound mean about it, but there are some State schools where the 100 level classes are not the rigorous (I know because I have met people who got As in their quant classes in undergrad and struggled at grad school level intro to econometrics). 

2. Harder to get into is relative. Given your lack of more intense quant (to the best of my knowledge), I find SAIS being really difficult for you. You are basically brushing up on something that there is some doubt of your ability to graduate from and you would be in the lower tier of competitiveness. With the UK schools, you might be on the lower tiers of competitiveness, but you aren't risking any doubt on your ability to graduate. 

The big unknown factor as I previously mentioned is the competitiveness of the applicant pool. Once you check the mark on believing that you can graduate, it is all about the pool of applicants and how competitive you are vs them. Historically, you would be uncompetitive, but like I said, I think market conditions with Brexit and Recession may be in your favor 2 years from now that you might legitimately have a shot to get into Oxford, Cambridge, and LSE (probably worst shot with LSE, and Cambridge might be your best). 

3. Say you had 4 years of solid work experience (lets just assume it was moderate in terms of quan... so you used a lot of excel sheets but no econometrics... and weaker (but not COVID-19 weak) average applicant pool --> i.e. 2015 application cycle).

I think for IR/MPP/MPA (and I bucket all three of these because they can all send you to jobs in IR), these would still be a reach, but might be at least marginally viable for acceptance:

In no order of anything:

1. Elliot School (probably one the most extreme reaches)

2. Cornell MPA - (probably your best option)

3. Duke Terry Sanford

4. McCourt MPP (although I wouldn't go here for IR... although it becomes a viable opportunity)

5. U. Chicago Committee on International Relations (probably tied as the the most extreme reach)

6. Stanford - Master in International Policy 

You targets:

1. George Mason

2. Middlebury Institute of International Studies (this is a bit of a hidden gem)

3. Penn State MIA 

 

I was thinking about this post today so I thought I’d reply with the results.

 

I didn’t apply to any of these schools and only focused my application on SIPA, SAIS, and Tufts. I got into all three with funding (~30k). 
 

Thanks for telling me how hopeless my application it was, I didn’t do anything you recommended and instead focused on selling myself to the max, and all 3 schools loved my essays/work experience. I’ll come back to tell you if I fail my first year because of my horrid quant background, but considering I’ve now talked to a ton of alumni who had the same experience I had, I think I’ll be fine.

I really did appreciate the write up though, you don’t realize how much you riled me up and made me work harder than I ever have on the apps.

[GradSchoolGrad]

6 hours ago, prospectivegrad2021 said:

I was thinking about this post today so I thought I’d reply with the results.

 

I didn’t apply to any of these schools and only focused my application on SIPA, SAIS, and Tufts. I got into all three with funding (~30k). 
 

Thanks for telling me how hopeless my application it was, I didn’t do anything you recommended and instead focused on selling myself to the max, and all 3 schools loved my essays/work experience. I’ll come back to tell you if I fail my first year because of my horrid quant background, but considering I’ve now talked to a ton of alumni who had the same experience I had, I think I’ll be fine.

I really did appreciate the write up though, you don’t realize how much you riled me up and made me work harder than I ever have on the apps.

Well hey! Congrats! Hope you enjoy grad school. (especially with it going live)...

and I apologize that I under indexed your work experience. I did gloss over that too soon. I should have emphasized that SAIS does value work experience, especially if its is more unique work experience. I should know that because I have a family member go to SAIS as an older student (like 40s) with no quant but lots of interesting work experience. 

Edited July 10, 2021 by GradSchoolGrad

[ay19347194]

Hey all,

I'm applying to MPP/MPAff programs this Fall for FL22 enrollment. I'm wanting to get further into education policy formulation research (K-12 & post-secondary).

Schools Applying To: UT Austin MPAff, UMich MPP, Duke MPP, Georgetown MPP, GWU MPP, UChicago MPP

Undergraduate institution: Top regional state school, liberal arts

Undergraduate GPA: 3.84 (Departmental Honors, Honors Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa)

Undergraduate Majors: Political Science & International Relations

GRE Quantitative Score: 164 (81st percentile)

GRE Verbal Score: 163 (92nd percentile)

GRE AW Score: 5.5 (98th percentile)

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 1 currently, 2 by FL22 enrollment

Years of Work Experience: 4 currently, 5 by FL22 enrollment

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 3 years in higher education administration during undergrad (not sure if 20hrs/wk during undergrad would count toward total work experience?), 1 year (2 years by enrollment) of full-time work in higher education administration (education-related) at R1 private university, summer internship at education policy nonprofit in DC, 5 month legislative internship at state House of Representatives with policy exposure, summer internship canvassing locally

Quant: Calc I & II (As), Linear Regression/Time Series (A), Microeconomics (AP), Macroeconomics (AP), Matrix Algebra (A), methodology courses in SPSS (A), conducted 3 education policy-related research projects in SPSS (one presented at conference, none published), enrolled in Python & GIS courses this upcoming semester

Strength of SOP: I am hoping to evaluate and research education policy formulation at both the K-12 and post-secondary level. Going to explain my passion for public policy by tying in my family's financial ruin as a result of public policy failure, having to support myself financially, and my experience as a first-generation college student. Additionally, I'm going to tie in my experiences in higher education administration, education policy research (not published, but have conducted over 12 education-related research projects quantitative & qualitative) and legislative policy exposure at the state-level and federal-level.

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): 2 very strong (professor/department chair & former supervisor), 1 strong (professor/advisor)

Languages: English (native), Spanish (minor)

Questions/Concerns:

• Are these good school choices? Would anyone recommend applying to any other programs? 
• What are my odds at receiving funding from these programs? Hard to gauge I know. I'm looking to get at least some level funding as I'm broke af, but would be willing to go into some debt for a school with a good reputation.
• What are some ways I could hone in my application to make it more competitive or stand out more?
• I was considering HKS but stopped since I don't really have many years out of undergrad and I'm unsure how that'll impact my application? Stopped considering UC Berkeley for this same reason.
• Planning on keeping my applications limited to 6? This a good call?
• Any additional advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

Edited July 29, 2021 by ay19347194

[GradSchoolGrad]

19 hours ago, ay19347194 said:

Hey all,

I'm applying to MPP/MPAff programs this Fall for FL22 enrollment. I'm wanting to get further into education policy formulation research (K-12 & post-secondary).

Schools Applying To: UT Austin MPAff, UMich MPP, Duke MPP, Georgetown MPP, GWU MPP, UChicago MPP

Undergraduate institution: Top regional state school, liberal arts

Undergraduate GPA: 3.84 (Departmental Honors, Honors Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa)

Undergraduate Majors: Political Science & International Relations

GRE Quantitative Score: 164 (81st percentile)

GRE Verbal Score: 163 (92nd percentile)

GRE AW Score: 5.5 (98th percentile)

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 1 currently, 2 by FL22 enrollment

Years of Work Experience: 4 currently, 5 by FL22 enrollment

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 3 years in higher education administration during undergrad (not sure if 20hrs/wk during undergrad would count toward total work experience?), 1 year (2 years by enrollment) of full-time work in higher education administration (education-related) at R1 private university, summer internship at education policy nonprofit in DC, 5 month legislative internship at state House of Representatives with policy exposure, summer internship canvassing locally

Quant: Calc I & II (As), Linear Regression/Time Series (A), Microeconomics (AP), Macroeconomics (AP), Matrix Algebra (A), methodology courses in SPSS (A), conducted 3 education policy-related research projects in SPSS (one presented at conference, none published), enrolled in Python & GIS courses this upcoming semester

Strength of SOP: I am hoping to evaluate and research education policy formulation at both the K-12 and post-secondary level. Going to explain my passion for public policy by tying in my family's financial ruin as a result of public policy failure, having to support myself financially, and my experience as a first-generation college student. Additionally, I'm going to tie in my experiences in higher education administration, education policy research (not published, but have conducted over 12 education-related research projects quantitative & qualitative) and legislative policy exposure at the state-level and federal-level.

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): 2 very strong (professor/department chair & former supervisor), 1 strong (professor/advisor)

Languages: English (native), Spanish (minor)

Questions/Concerns:

• Are these good school choices? Would anyone recommend applying to any other programs? 
• What are my odds at receiving funding from these programs? Hard to gauge I know. I'm looking to get at least some level funding as I'm broke af, but would be willing to go into some debt for a school with a good reputation.
• What are some ways I could hone in my application to make it more competitive or stand out more?
• I was considering HKS but stopped since I don't really have many years out of undergrad and I'm unsure how that'll impact my application? Stopped considering UC Berkeley for this same reason.
• Planning on keeping my applications limited to 6? This a good call?
• Any additional advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

You are shooting yourself short! Especially with next year being a easier application cycle (or so expected), you are super competitive. Granted HKS is always a crap shoot, I think you are a very strong candidate. Yes, and I think you have no trouble getting scholarship anywhere except for HKS (it’s a crap shoot like I said).

Your only minor challenge is diversity. Ed Policy people are a dime a dozen in policy school and you would be seen as academically not diverse, but not that many people have prior research leadership that you have.

If I were you I would shoot for schools that are amazingly strong at state and local for Ed. So I recommend.

HKS - Reach

Chicago - Target

Terry Sanford - Target

U Mich - Target

Vanderbilt Peabody MPP in Ed - Special Consideration (I think this might be a uniquely great program fit for you)

I think Georgetown MPP might not be a great fit for you since it is pretty weak on state and local. GWU is probably not as quant oriented as you would like 

Edited July 30, 2021 by GradSchoolGrad

[aspiringmpagrad]

Hi everyone!

Trying this out and I would greatly appreciate yall’s feedback. I am still looking at possible programs for Fall 2022 but i’ve also got some in mind. 

I am currently working in the Presidential Communications Office of the Philippines. I am aiming for an MPA or MPP to further my experience and learning with the objective of building a career in the public/nonprofit sector and particularly in development and social policy.

Considering applying to: Columbia SIPA (MPA), NYU Wagner (MPA-PNP), HKS (MPP), GWU MPP, Sciences Po

Undergrad Institution: The New School (Liberal Arts University in New York)

Undergrad Major: Philosophy and Literary Studies (With Departmental Honors, WIth Honors, Deans Lister in every semester; Provost’s list during semester abroad in Paris)

For my current job, I have also taken certifications and seminars (within and external to my organization) concerning quality management, performance management, risk management, learning and development and so on.

Years out of undergrad: 3

GPA: 3.85 / 4.0

GRE: 163 V // 150 Q (took the GRE a few days ago and still waiting on official results including my writing)

Quant Background: None. My college did not require any quant classes. I am more than willing to take quant classes, of course, to address this lack.

Relevant Work Experience:  1 year in Presidential Communications Office of the Philippines in the Planning and Research division. I am currently employed here with primary responsibilities concerning project and program management and an array of administrative tasks. I held the main responsibilities for organizing projects (activities) concerning performance management and assisted in other division programs/projects.

1 year in Philippine National Film Development Agency (under office of the president) as a writer in the External Communications Division. I primarily wrote press releases and feature articles. I also handled the various agency social media pages.

6 Months in a Brooklyn Non-Profit and community/human rights organization for low-income youth working as a tutor and mentor. I loved this job.

Languages: English and Tagalog (Native proficiency in both), French (elementary -- took basic french classes in undergrad)

Statement of Purpose: I am aiming for an MPA or MPP to further my experience and learning with the objective of building a career in the public/nonprofit sector and particularly in development and social policy. My undergrad experience in Philosophy and Literature were deliberately not career oriented. For me, these degrees developed my critical thought and world-view at a crucial time in my life. I really loved undergrad. It showed me the possibilities of education and opened up my world to the possibilities of the human spirit. I come from a rural province in the Philippines and it was truly a unique privilege to discover the world of higher education and academia. 

For my MPA, I would like to move from the theoretical to the practical. To develop my skills concerning (policy) analysis, management, and real-world issues concerning social and economic inequality. I want to do my part in making the world a better place and I feel my skills are best served moving in this direction and in the future working within organizations/institutions addressing these inequalities. At bottom, I realize how lucky I have been in life and firmly believe this should be the norm rather than the exception. Since the pandemic, I have been living again in my  rural hometown and it continuously reminds me of all the things I need to do and the possibilities out there to help my community.

International Experience: Studied in American University of Paris for 1 semester (3.92 gpa); dual citizen (immigrated from Philippines to United States in middle school); work experience in US non-profit (6 months) and Philippine government (2 years at the time of application)

Strength of LOR: 

1 college professor and thesis advisor (department chair), my current division chief (Presidential communications office), and my previous unit head for the Film agency external communications department. 
 

Edited August 31, 2021 by aspiringmpagrad

[GradSchoolGrad]

On 8/31/2021 at 11:45 AM, aspiringmpagrad said:

Hi everyone!

Trying this out and I would greatly appreciate yall’s feedback. I am still looking at possible programs for Fall 2022 but i’ve also got some in mind. 

I am currently working in the Presidential Communications Office of the Philippines. I am aiming for an MPA or MPP to further my experience and learning with the objective of building a career in the public/nonprofit sector and particularly in development and social policy.

Considering applying to: Columbia SIPA (MPA), NYU Wagner (MPA-PNP), HKS (MPP), GWU MPP, Sciences Po

Undergrad Institution: The New School (Liberal Arts University in New York)

Undergrad Major: Philosophy and Literary Studies (With Departmental Honors, WIth Honors, Deans Lister in every semester; Provost’s list during semester abroad in Paris)

For my current job, I have also taken certifications and seminars (within and external to my organization) concerning quality management, performance management, risk management, learning and development and so on.

Years out of undergrad: 3

GPA: 3.85 / 4.0

GRE: 163 V // 150 Q (took the GRE a few days ago and still waiting on official results including my writing)

Quant Background: None. My college did not require any quant classes. I am more than willing to take quant classes, of course, to address this lack.

Relevant Work Experience:  1 year in Presidential Communications Office of the Philippines in the Planning and Research division. I am currently employed here with primary responsibilities concerning project and program management and an array of administrative tasks. I held the main responsibilities for organizing projects (activities) concerning performance management and assisted in other division programs/projects.

1 year in Philippine National Film Development Agency (under office of the president) as a writer in the External Communications Division. I primarily wrote press releases and feature articles. I also handled the various agency social media pages.

6 Months in a Brooklyn Non-Profit and community/human rights organization for low-income youth working as a tutor and mentor. I loved this job.

Languages: English and Tagalog (Native proficiency in both), French (elementary -- took basic french classes in undergrad)

Statement of Purpose: I am aiming for an MPA or MPP to further my experience and learning with the objective of building a career in the public/nonprofit sector and particularly in development and social policy. My undergrad experience in Philosophy and Literature were deliberately not career oriented. For me, these degrees developed my critical thought and world-view at a crucial time in my life. I really loved undergrad. It showed me the possibilities of education and opened up my world to the possibilities of the human spirit. I come from a rural province in the Philippines and it was truly a unique privilege to discover the world of higher education and academia. 

For my MPA, I would like to move from the theoretical to the practical. To develop my skills concerning (policy) analysis, management, and real-world issues concerning social and economic inequality. I want to do my part in making the world a better place and I feel my skills are best served moving in this direction and in the future working within organizations/institutions addressing these inequalities. At bottom, I realize how lucky I have been in life and firmly believe this should be the norm rather than the exception. Since the pandemic, I have been living again in my  rural hometown and it continuously reminds me of all the things I need to do and the possibilities out there to help my community.

International Experience: Studied in American University of Paris for 1 semester (3.92 gpa); dual citizen (immigrated from Philippines to United States in middle school); work experience in US non-profit (6 months) and Philippine government (2 years at the time of application)

Strength of LOR: 

1 college professor and thesis advisor (department chair), my current division chief (Presidential communications office), and my previous unit head for the Film agency external communications department. 
 

Will you be on scholarship?? 

[aspiringmpagrad]

2 hours ago, GradSchoolGrad said:

Will you be on scholarship?? 

Not from my job or anything like that, but I'm definitely planning to apply for scholarships and other forms of financial aid. Will that have a role in my admission chances?

[GradSchoolGrad]

12 hours ago, aspiringmpagrad said:

Not from my job or anything like that, but I'm definitely planning to apply for scholarships and other forms of financial aid. Will that have a role in my admission chances?

So given your background it is really difficult to know your chances of getting in because at the end of the day it will all depend on diversity and how unique you are. Schools like to have unique people, so if there aren’t that many others with East Asian international experience applying, that is to your advantage. If there are a lot of others, your advantage goes away.

As for your baseline (as in before considering your diversity factors), not having quant can be super problematic for HKS and to a lesser extent SIPA. It doesn’t help that your quant GRE isn’t that high either. 
 

Wagner and GW would have much less issues with that, and I would expect them to give you scholarship offers of some extent.