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

[GradSchoolGrad]

1 hour ago, herewegoah said:

Perhaps an unhealthy way to deal with the anxiety of waiting for my last school, but I’m dying to just make a decision and want to know - Princeton SPIA is my last hold out and most competitive. 
 

 

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPA, MPP 

Schools Applying To: NYU Wagner (accepted), Princeton SPIA, Georgetown MPP(accepted) ; Yale MEM(accepted)

Undergraduate institution: Small public liberal arts school, top 40 ranking. (American school, I am also American) 

Undergraduate GPA: 3.57

Undergraduate Majors: economics and history double major, cum laude

GRE Quantitative Score: 600

GRE Verbal Score: 620

GRE AW Score: 5

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 5

Years of Work Experience: 5

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 3 years federal legislative experience with member of Congress, 2 years hopping around the private sector before that finding a  job I liked. 

Quant: One calculus class in UG (B-) as an Econ major a decent mix of economic based quant classes with grad ranges from Bs to As. 

Strength of SOP: Good - I have a strong narrative about why I want to go into public service, but no incredible story about starting a non profit, over coming major adversity, etc etc. 

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): One prof probably weakest (I didn’t keep the best contact but I was a good student in his class); the other two are professional and strong 

 

Other:  I know SPIA is a crapshoot, but I had to try to apply given it’s free. Some of my quant grades are lower, but I had a family issue that caused some of that which I explained in my application.

I would be very surprised if SPIA accepted you in an ultra competitive year. Even if you have a good explanation for your lower quant grades, given how your GREs aren't higher (I am assuming they are in the 70s/80s percentile) and not 90s and that is time since undergrad, you aren't showing exactly a competitive trajectory. 

[herewegoah]

1 hour ago, GradSchoolGrad said:

I would be very surprised if SPIA accepted you in an ultra competitive year. Even if you have a good explanation for your lower quant grades, given how your GREs aren't higher (I am assuming they are in the 70s/80s percentile) and not 90s and that is time since undergrad, you aren't showing exactly a competitive trajectory. 

thanks for your input! I agree, I think I'm not super unrealistic but I would be very very very surprised given how competitive it is. My verbal is in the 90%, but quant GRE is down in the low 70s. 

Cheers to one more week of waiting and good luck to everyone out there waiting as well!

[mscedd]

Sorry everyone! I can't figure out how to delete it. 

 

Edited March 4, 2021 by mscedd

[GradSchoolGrad]

35 minutes ago, mscedd said:

Hello! I am applying to Lewis & Clark's Doctorate in Educational Leadership program. 

Degrees: BA History, BA Art History, Masters of Arts in Teaching.

Undergrad gpa: 3.25 from a highly regarded PNW school

Grad grp: 3.65 from a highly regarded PNW school

Work experience: Four years teaching high school English. Minor leadership roles in that time. Implemented new curriculum for the English department. 

Two VERY strong letters of recommendation (third I didn't get to read). 

They don't require the GRE. 

I'm not sure what other info to give you? 

I'm INCREDIBLY nervous, so thank you to anyone who responds

 

This is government affairs/international relations forum. Please delete your post and post in a theme more appropriate forum.

Thanks!

[Thanapoomped]

Hi guys! This is my stat. So far, I got acceptance into NYU Wagner and UCLA Luskin. No funding for both of them. Do you think which one will be a better fit for me?

On 1/5/2021 at 7:25 PM, Thanapoomped said:

Hi everyone. I am interested in public policy and have just applied to MPP/MPA program at Wagner, UCLA Luskin, USC Price, UIC, and American U. I will also apply to U of Washington Evans and GWU. I already got a scholarship from my home country government and I am expected to be specialize on Transportation policy. Most of the school I will apply to have the coursework I needed for my career.  I do know that I went to 2 undergrad institution that are not in a top-notch. But I hope that my experience in both public and private sector will help. What are my chances in your opinion for these school based on my background below? Do you think these are right school for me to apply or should I aim for a lower ranking school.

thanks!

Considering applying to: MPA Wagner, MPA Luskin, MPP USC, MPP UIC, MPA U of Washington Evans, MPP GWU, MPP AU.

Undergrad Institution: 2 average university in Southeast Asia 

Undergrad Major and GPA: 

- Political Science (GPA 3.08, Major GPA 3.36) 

- Business Administration (GPA 3.52, Major GPA 3.7)

Years out of undergrad: 5

GRE: not required 

Quant Background: Microeconomics (1s, A), Macroeconomics (1s, A), International Political Economy (1s, A),Statistics and Research Method for Business (1s, B), Foundation Mathematic for Business (1s, A), Elementary Accounting 1 (1s, B+), Elementary Accounting 2 (1s, A), Business Finance (1s, A), Quantitative Analysis (1s, A), Managerial Accounting (1s, A), Business Research (1s, A), Project Feasibility Study and Evaluation (1s, B+), Financial Management (1s, A)

Work Experience:  2 years working for a think tank of a Democratic party of my country. Part-time research assistant for 1 year. Working in private sector in both domestic and international company for 2 years

Languages: 7.5 in ielts.

International experience: almost 1 years experience working in Australia, and getting scholarships to get a certificate in the U.S. by the U.S. Embassy and marketing consulting project for a company in Switzerland

Strength of LOR: Expecting strong recommendation from my 2 currents boss. one who is a managing director of the think tank. and one for my boss from the part-time job as research assistant. an average recommendation letter from my professor from business school too.

 

[EC1225]

22 hours ago, Thanapoomped said:

Hi guys! This is my stat. So far, I got acceptance into NYU Wagner and UCLA Luskin. No funding for both of them. Do you think which one will be a better fit for me?

 

Well, NYU is a higher ranked school but it is MUCH more expensive. I’m not sure about the transportation aspect specifically, but I’m sure that there will be aspects at both, since public transportation is a big deal in LA and NYC. Do you have any other deciding factors? Lol I’m also looking at both! 

[AR89]

I received admission offers from UChicago (25 percent aid) and Tufts (40 percent aid). I'm a lawyer from India with 6 years of experience in law and about 3 years in the policy sector (at the cusp of IR and PP). I am keen to focus on technology policy but also to develop some basic quant skills. 

Any thoughts on either of these schools? How do they compare against each other - especially in terms of employment post graduation? Is Tufts a good brand name? 

I am also waitlisted at UC Berkeley for the MPP. 

[GradSchoolGrad]

On 8/28/2012 at 12:46 AM, ELM616 said:

PROFILE:

 

Type of Undergrad: B.S. Business Admin/Minor Econ ( flagship university and long standing member of AAU)

Undergrad GPA: 3.03

 

Type of Grad: Applied Economics (well known urban research university with several top ranked programs) (Not in Econ though)

Grad GPA: 3.742

 

GRE: 640Q 520V 4.0 AWA (I know its low, I'm retaking early fall)

 

Math Courses: Calc I-III (A,B,C+) Linear Algebra ( Discrete Math (

 

Econ Courses (grad-level?Adv Micro ( Adv Macro (A) Mathematical Econ ( Regional Econ (A)

Econmetrics I-II (A, A) Econ Forecasting (A) Econ Theory and Policy (A-) Seminar in Econ Research I-II (A, A) [ Completed all MA coursework with just thesis left ]

 

Econ Courses (undergrad-level? Intermediate Micro and Macro (A, A) Principles of Statistics II (A) Issues in Public Economics ( Issues in Industrial Organizations (B-)

Other Courses: Currently taking two grad courses in my schools Public Policy department, Origins and Development of Policy, Solar and Renewable Energy Utilization. Along with intro to Spanish.

 

Letters of Recommendation: Presumably all strong. I wasn't a star in the program but did well and had good relations with my professors from my MA program. None of the professors are famous or anything but they are well established and connected in their respective fields.

 

Research Experience: MA level Thesis. Title of thesis is Solidarity Lending in Microfinance. Focus is on asymmetric information.

 

Teaching Experience: None

 

Research Interests: Energy Policy and Environmental, particularly Marine/Coastal Policy, and Social/Development/Poverty Policy

 

SOP: Will highlight my research interests and what has led to my interest in Public Policy.

 

Other: Work experience includes 4 years in the Marine Corps Infantry before undergrad. 2 years at a Fortune 500 in the sales and marketing dept after undergrad. Maybe my military experience will be a plus, not sure about my corporate experience. Also I'm well traveled, I've been to 5 different continents and 17 different countries.

 

 

Applying to: Oregon State School of PP, University of Washington, Portland State, and not sure where else. I'm from the Northwest so would love to get back there, but I don't know how competitive I'll be. Should I apply to higher ranking schools other than UW? I figure UW would be my reach and since Oregon State has a brand new program thats not even accredited, which would be my safety.

 

 

Can you suggest some other schools for me? In other words, is a school like Oregon State about right for me or am I selling myself short?

1. I think you should apply to the entire suit of West Coast schools high repute - USC-Price, UCLA, and UC-Berkeley Goldman (if you can stomach the quantness of the program) on top of UW. At the very least try one of them in the city that most appeals to you.

2. Sign up for Service 2 School (non-profit to help veterans get into grad school) too seek a mentor

3. Think about crafting a story about why you are passionate about policy + proven yourself as a high performer in the USMC and business world. Corporate success further validates military success in showing your ability to transition and manage relationships. 

4. Your GPA is lower, but not devastatingly low. I would just go for broke given how you have a pretty good story. As a veteran you are more likely to get matching scholarships to any GI Bill stuff (or just scholarship flat out without GI).

5. I recommend applying for next year's application cycle since it is expected to be much less competitive. 
 

[Thanapoomped]

8 hours ago, EC1225 said:

Well, NYU is a higher ranked school but it is MUCH more expensive. I’m not sure about the transportation aspect specifically, but I’m sure that there will be aspects at both, since public transportation is a big deal in LA and NYC. Do you have any other deciding factors? Lol I’m also looking at both! 

Thank you for your answer. The school's cost is not really my concern, though, since I already got the scholarship from my government (the more expensive, might be the better in my case LOL). Anyway, what is in my mind right now is that, although Wagner has a higher ranking in this field based on USNews, UCLA has a better academic reputation internationally (might sound pretty immature on this). So, it is really hard to decide for me right now. I might need more time to research faculties, internship opportunities, student resources, coursework, student lives, and class size (since Wagner has like 2xx per cohort while it seems like Luskin has less than a hundred.) I am also trying to seek the reviews and comparison of these two schools of public service. But it kinda hard to find, though.

What about you? Do you have any other factors to consider and which school you are leaning toward?

[ThatSwampYankee]

Hey guys, new member so thanks in advance for your insight. The application process would feel so overwhelming without forums like this:)

 

Applying to: [Applying Fall 2022] SAIS (Europe or DC, preference for Europe) MAIR for Security, Statecraft, etc - Europe and Eurasia focus - Russian language focus; Georgetown SFS MA in Security Studies; open to other programs like GWU or American, but these are my dream schools

Degree: B.A. in Government with International Relations Focus

Undergrad Institution: Top 40 regional school, strong in Business and Government, very strong in Law; New England

GPA: 3.78 with Departmental Honors and College Honors Program (Does Honors even make a difference?)

Languages: Intermediate Spanish (yeah, I know), independently working on Russian now but only at an elementary level.

Work Experiences: By the time of application, I’ll have a year working as a Global Security Analyst in the Biotech industry (2 years by the start of the program), 1.5 years interning at a locally-based international affairs non-profit (implemented State Dept. IVLP program among other things), and a semester interning with a defense lobbying firm.

GRE: No scores now, but plan on taking GRE for Georgetown. It’s optional for SAIS but I have no idea how “optional” it really is. I’d definitely appreciate your takes on this!:) I also wonder how schools will look at GREs next year given the impact of COVID

SOP: I plan to write about my current work and how it has realized my interest in the intelligence field. I’d like to speak about how growing up under my father – a Boston narcotics officer – and my brother – an army veteran who served in Germany during the Cold War – sparked a curiosity in not only the hard security issues which my brother experienced but also the more subtle ones, such as how crops grown thousands of miles away became problems my father dealt with every day in his job. My interest in the latter is what drove me to write a research paper on how the struggle with organized crime in Mexico compares to the experiences of Colombia and Italy; I was fortunate enough to win an award for the paper when presenting it at my school’s research conference. I’ve also taken the opportunity to travel and see more of the world, myself. I spent a month and a half in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, as well as some time in Helsinki.

LOR: 3 recommendations: Our non-profit CEO is a SAIS grad herself, and I was very happy to devote a lot of extra time to aiding with projects, I helped train one of the new managers, have continued to help out with events and remained involved since the internship ended. I worked closely on an extracurricular research project with my international security professor, a graduate of the University of Miami. I have a good relationship with my current manager, as well.

Other: I’m already in JHU’s AAP M.S. in Intelligence Analysis program. I’ve enjoyed it quite a bit, this being my first semester. However, now being several months removed from the panic of COVID and trying to steer my career in the right direction, I’m finding my time and money would be far better spent at SAIS, where I can study full-time, hone my language skills, and gain more expertise on actual issues rather than just the government processes which handle them. I'm probably going to withdraw after the Spring and take the time to save my money before going to an in-person program next fall.

Quant Experience: I took courses in Research Design (got an A), Data Analysis (B), Applied Statistics (A), and Principles of Macro (A). Learned how to use R in the Data Analysis course, but haven't had to use it since. I'm not exactly a chemical engineer, but I hope this isn't in the extreme low end of Quant experience if that's really a neccessity for SAIS MAIR

Other questions: funding. If these schools are a tough sell, any idea where I might get a better deal? My concern is getting a good deal on a degree and missing out on 2 years of pay from my current job only to get outcompeted by the SAIS and HKS grads.

Edited March 18, 2021 by ThatSwampYankee
Added my undergrad school, Quant experience, Languages, a note on GREs, and a grammar fix

[ThatSwampYankee]

6 hours ago, ThatSwampYankee said:

Hey guys, new member so thanks in advance for your insight. The application process would feel so overwhelming without forums like this:)

 

Applying to: [Applying Fall 2022] SAIS (Europe or DC, preference for Europe) MAIR for Security, Statecraft, etc - Europe and Eurasia focus - Russian language focus; Georgetown SFS MA in Security Studies; open to other programs like GWU or American, but these are my dream schools

Degree: B.A. in Government with International Relations Focus

Undergrad Institution: Top 40 regional school, strong in Business and Government, very strong in Law; New England

GPA: 3.78 with Departmental Honors and College Honors Program (Does Honors even make a difference?)

Languages: Intermediate Spanish (yeah, I know), independently working on Russian now but only at an elementary level.

Work Experiences: By the time of application, I’ll have a year working as a Global Security Analyst in the Biotech industry (2 years by the start of the program), 1.5 years interning at a locally-based international affairs non-profit (implemented State Dept. IVLP program among other things), and a semester interning with a defense lobbying firm.

GRE: No scores now, but plan on taking GRE for Georgetown. It’s optional for SAIS but I have no idea how “optional” it really is. I’d definitely appreciate your takes on this!:) I also wonder how schools will look at GREs next year given the impact of COVID

SOP: I plan to write about my current work and how it has realized my interest in the intelligence field. I’d like to speak about how growing up under my father – a Boston narcotics officer – and my brother – an army veteran who served in Germany during the Cold War – sparked a curiosity in not only the hard security issues which my brother experienced but also the more subtle ones, such as how crops grown thousands of miles away became problems my father dealt with every day in his job. My interest in the latter is what drove me to write a research paper on how the struggle with organized crime in Mexico compares to the experiences of Colombia and Italy; I was fortunate enough to win an award for the paper when presenting it at my school’s research conference. I’ve also taken the opportunity to travel and see more of the world, myself. I spent a month and a half in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, as well as some time in Helsinki.

LOR: 3 recommendations: Our non-profit CEO is a SAIS grad herself, and I was very happy to devote a lot of extra time to aiding with projects, I helped train one of the new managers, have continued to help out with events and remained involved since the internship ended. I worked closely on an extracurricular research project with my international security professor, a graduate of the University of Miami. I have a good relationship with my current manager, as well.

Other: I’m already in JHU’s AAP M.S. in Intelligence Analysis program. I’ve enjoyed it quite a bit, this being my first semester. However, now being several months removed from the panic of COVID and trying to steer my career in the right direction, I’m finding my time and money would be far better spent at SAIS, where I can study full-time, hone my language skills, and gain more expertise on actual issues rather than just the government processes which handle them. I'm probably going to withdraw after the Spring and take the time to save my money before going to an in-person program next fall.

Quant Experience: I took courses in Research Design (got an A), Data Analysis (B), Applied Statistics (A), and Principles of Macro (A). Learned how to use R in the Data Analysis course, but haven't had to use it since. I'm not exactly a chemical engineer, but I hope this isn't in the extreme low end of Quant experience if that's really a neccessity for SAIS MAIR

Other questions: funding. If these schools are a tough sell, any idea where I might get a better deal? My concern is getting a good deal on a degree and missing out on 2 years of pay from my current job only to get outcompeted by the SAIS and HKS grads.

I'll add that I've taken GPE as well (not sure how I forgot about that, earned an A there too). I haven't touched calculus since High School, and even that was pre-calc. Part of my current work required me to track COVID rt numbers and deal with a powerbi every day, but I'm not sure that's what they're looking for.  I have no problem trying to improve on the quant front, but I don't really know what they're expecting. To be perfectly honest, I'm shocked to see it's such a huge factor for an IR program, especially as I am specifically interested in international security, rather than econ. I understand it plays a role and I see the course requirements, but I'm still no less surprised to see it be such a deciding factor it appears to glancing through this forum.

I have other extracurricular experience, including working as a Project leader for 9 months for a volunteering program at a major veterans shelter, Model UN, college political clubs, etc. I had to do a lot of extra coursework on top of the required assignments every semester as part of being in the Honors program, including that paper I mentioned on the Drug War in Mexico. If I had the opportunity to do more work or internships abroad I would have taken it, but that really wasn't in the cards for me financially so I've made do the best I could.

Regarding GREs, I've taken the practice test on Kaplan haphazardly while on shift and I'm pretty confident that I could hit well within the middle 50% range for scores from the MAIR website. Will definitely be taking GREs this summer. I have the study book and will be grinding for the highest scores I can get.

I'll also add that I was invited to interview with an alumni (I assume they just send that to everyone at AAP MSIA but I have no idea). It went very well, but I have no idea if that means anything for actually applying. I also did an informational interview with the SSP at Georgetown and was in touch with their admissions for some time even after I settled on the MSIA.

Edited March 18, 2021 by ThatSwampYankee

[MinusLinus]

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!
 

[Maverick 23]

On 8/29/2020 at 7:14 PM, Maverick 23 said:

 

 

 

[ptrfr]

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

Edited April 15, 2021 by ptrfr

[GradSchoolGrad]

You should be golden assuming your essays and recommendations are solid (that could be the deciding factor for you)

[Francis Dunn Miami Florida]

ptrfr: Your stats look amazing. Good luck!

[ptrfr]

1 hour ago, Francis Dunn Miami Florida said:

ptrfr: Your stats look amazing. Good luck!

Thank you, I appreciate it!

[ThatSwampYankee]

Am I way off the mark or is it just way too tldr?

[Babygoestogradschool]

Hi, all! Hoping you'd take a look at my stats and let me know what you think are my chances for the programs I'm considering. Thanks!

[GradSchoolGrad]

17 hours ago, Babygoestogradschool said:

Hi, all! Hoping you'd take a look at my stats and let me know what you think are my chances for the programs I'm considering. Thanks!

I strongly advise you to get some work experience rather than go straight to grad school. Also, a lot of the schools you highlight (like Wagner) are famous for having a weak community. 

[Babygoestogradschool]

Thanks for the feedback. What makes having a few years of full-time work experience better in your opinion (aside from increasing admissions chances)? Some schools I’m looking at say they’ll take undergrads with strong backgrounds; others say a few years experience. While lack of community won’t be a deal breaker, Wagner is actually one at the bottom of my list. 

[Babygoestogradschool]

1 hour ago, GradSchoolGrad said:

I strongly advise you to get some work experience rather than go straight to grad school. Also, a lot of the schools you highlight (like Wagner) are famous for having a weak community. 

Thanks for the feedback. What makes having a few years of full-time work experience better in your opinion (aside from increasing admissions chances)? Some schools I’m looking at say they’ll take undergrads with strong backgrounds; others say a few years experience. While lack of community won’t be a deal breaker, Wagner is actually one at the bottom of my list. 

[GradSchoolGrad]

5 hours ago, Babygoestogradschool said:

Thanks for the feedback. What makes having a few years of full-time work experience better in your opinion (aside from increasing admissions chances)? Some schools I’m looking at say they’ll take undergrads with strong backgrounds; others say a few years experience. While lack of community won’t be a deal breaker, Wagner is actually one at the bottom of my list. 

So you have two groups of schools on your radar.

a. Focused study MA programs (i.e. Georgetown American government) - I think that is fine for immediately after undergrad

b. Professional Terminal degree programs (MPP/MPA) - that I strongly recommend you get more work experience. 
 

For the remainder of this, I'll speak specifically to MPA/MPP programs

1. Yes - not only will you be a bit more competitive, but you would be a lot more competitive. It is one thing if you had a 4.0 GPA in something more math oriented like Economics. However, since you have Bs, no matter how great your humanities stuff is, you bring to doubt the ability of you to graduate at some of the more academically rigorous programs. You tamper those doubts by doing one of these things (or a combination of such). A. Solid work experience with strong performance B. Taking some quant classes online at a reputable institution and getting an A (I did it at Colorado State University online). 

2. Yes, some policy schools are taking in more straight from undergrads to make money (grad schools are generally profit centers  while undergrad are loss centers for Universities). However, for the better grad schools that I have seen people with you stats + solid work experience + solid GRE been able to go to (like Duke Terry Sanford, U. Chicago Harris, Goldman MPP), the fast majority of people enter between 2 to 6 years of work experience. For those coming straight from undergrad it is a comparatively more lonely experience because you can't relate to most of your cohort and vice versa. Just 1 year of work experience as an out of home adult really changes everyone. So if you care about community, you won't really get its benefits being straight from undergrad.

3. From a career perspective, you get the smallest advantage doing MPP/MPA straight out of undergrad. In fact, in many instances, straight from undergrad graduates take jobs with people who just finished their senior year. Most recruiters won't even take you seriously (AKA: put your resume in the junk pile) because they don't want to risk someone who doesn't have work experience. 

I am not completely against MPP/MPAs straight from undergrad. My sister was one of them. However if you don't stand out as someone competitive with those with 2 years work experience plus gone through similar challenges of someone with a few years work experience (examples are finding a non-profit, having run a small business on the side, managed a multi-million dollar budget. Also, graduating early also doesn't help your case.

[Babygoestogradschool]

9 minutes ago, GradSchoolGrad said:

So you have two groups of schools on your radar.

a. Focused study MA programs (i.e. Georgetown American government) - I think that is fine for immediately after undergrad

b. Professional Terminal degree programs (MPP/MPA) - that I strongly recommend you get more work experience. 
 

For the remainder of this, I'll speak specifically to MPA/MPP programs

1. Yes - not only will you be a bit more competitive, but you would be a lot more competitive. It is one thing if you had a 4.0 GPA in something more math oriented like Economics. However, since you have Bs, no matter how great your humanities stuff is, you bring to doubt the ability of you to graduate at some of the more academically rigorous programs. You tamper those doubts by doing one of these things (or a combination of such). A. Solid work experience with strong performance B. Taking some quant classes online at a reputable institution and getting an A (I did it at Colorado State University online). 

2. Yes, some policy schools are taking in more straight from undergrads to make money (grad schools are generally profit centers  while undergrad are loss centers for Universities). However, for the better grad schools that I have seen people with you stats + solid work experience + solid GRE been able to go to (like Duke Terry Sanford, U. Chicago Harris, Goldman MPP), the fast majority of people enter between 2 to 6 years of work experience. For those coming straight from undergrad it is a comparatively more lonely experience because you can't relate to most of your cohort and vice versa. Just 1 year of work experience as an out of home adult really changes everyone. So if you care about community, you won't really get its benefits being straight from undergrad.

3. From a career perspective, you get the smallest advantage doing MPP/MPA straight out of undergrad. In fact, in many instances, straight from undergrad graduates take jobs with people who just finished their senior year. Most recruiters won't even take you seriously (AKA: put your resume in the junk pile) because they don't want to risk someone who doesn't have work experience. 

I am not completely against MPP/MPAs straight from undergrad. My sister was one of them. However if you don't stand out as someone competitive with those with 2 years work experience plus gone through similar challenges of someone with a few years work experience (examples are finding a non-profit, having run a small business on the side, managed a multi-million dollar budget. Also, graduating early also doesn't help your case.

This is really thoughtful and greatly appreciated, thanks. 

[ThatSwampYankee]

On 4/22/2021 at 2:14 AM, ThatSwampYankee said:

Am I way off the mark or is it just way too tldr?

Alternatively, are there other programs that may be a better fit?