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

[Gradu8]

Hi everyone. I am applying to MPP/MEM programs for Fall 2022. My interests are at the intersection of environmental and health policy. I just graduated in June 2021, so my work experiences are all internship-based. 

Schools Applying To: Harris MPP, UCB-Goldman MPP, UMichigan MPP, UWashington MPP, Duke Sanford MPP, USC MPP, UCLA MPP, Duke Nicholas MEM, Yale MEM, USC MEM 

Undergraduate institution: University of Chicago

Undergraduate GPA: 3.4 (Junior and Senior year-3.7)

Undergraduate Majors: Biology and Public Policy

GRE- not submitting

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): <1

Years of Work Experience: 4 summer internships

Describe Relevant Work Experience: My first two summer internships were in environmental microbiology research (Rutgers and Marine Biological Laboratory). I worked with an international health NGO in evaluating their Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) department. I also worked with an economic consultant on environmental and transportation policy for all summers. For 2.5 years, I led a campus organization that raised awareness of health and social disparities and their connection to environmental conditions. My undergraduate public policy thesis on the impact of location and jobs on transport-based emissions received departmental honors.

Quant: Calc 1 and 2. Quantitative methods for Biology, Economics for Public Policy, Statistical methods, and Quantitative methods for Public Policy, Biological modeling with ODEs in R and Python. UChicago DSEER bootcamps in Computing with Python and Statistical Methods with R. 

Strength of SOP: It focuses on my interest in bringing together my two undergraduate majors, biology and public policy, especially environmental and health policy. I am interested in looking at integrating environmental health factors in economic frameworks. 

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): Two strong recommendations from two professors, one possibly strong recommendation letter from my thesis preceptor, and one strong recommendation from a former supervisor. 

Language skills: English, German (intermediate) and Spanish (elementary)

Questions/concerns: My GPA is not great, but by UChicago standards it is pretty good. I had an upward trajectory with my GPA, with my last 2 years having a 3.7 average. My Public Policy major GPA was 3.7. My work is limited to internships, though I feel like I did substantial work in them.

How much will these factors hurt my chances in these programs? Also are there programs that I am applying to that may be too much of a reach, or programs that I am overlooking?

[acacia27]

Hi guys. Have been using this thread to estimate my chances of getting admits (and funding) this year.

Schools Applying To: Harris MPP, UCB-Goldman MPP, Duke Sanford MPP, Yale Jackson MPP, HKS MPP, Princeton MPA, Georgetown McCourt MPP

Undergraduate institution: University of Delhi

Undergraduate GPA: 3.58

Undergraduate Majors: BSc in Statistics, MA (Economics)

GRE- 167 (v), 156 (q), 4.5 (underperformed in quant but a very strong quant resume)

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): >7

Years of Work Experience: 5 years + 1 yr volunteering

Describe Relevant Work Experience: almost 6 years in central Govt. (agriculture sector) in a statistical role, same department but different responsibilities- all involving quantitative research and analysis.

Quant: Very quant heavy background both in undergrad and masters, 4 courses on mathematics, 8 on statistics, micro, macro, econometrics, SPSS, SAS, R.

Strength of SOP: brings together my experience in the policy sector, academic interest and career aspirations- data analysis and program evaluation for public/ international organizations. 

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): Two strong recommendations from senior govt officers, one from my undergrad professor. 

Questions/concerns: Now that I am done with my applications I still have time to add a program or two if there are high chances of funding. Wagner and Munk on the radar. Should I apply to some more? Also what are the overall chances of getting any admits and financial aid?

P.S. I am a female international applicant.

[GradSchoolGrad]

On 11/1/2021 at 7:41 PM, Gradu8 said:

Hi everyone. I am applying to MPP/MEM programs for Fall 2022. My interests are at the intersection of environmental and health policy. I just graduated in June 2021, so my work experiences are all internship-based. 

Schools Applying To: Harris MPP, UCB-Goldman MPP, UMichigan MPP, UWashington MPP, Duke Sanford MPP, USC MPP, UCLA MPP, Duke Nicholas MEM, Yale MEM, USC MEM 

Undergraduate institution: University of Chicago

Undergraduate GPA: 3.4 (Junior and Senior year-3.7)

Undergraduate Majors: Biology and Public Policy

GRE- not submitting

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): <1

Years of Work Experience: 4 summer internships

Describe Relevant Work Experience: My first two summer internships were in environmental microbiology research (Rutgers and Marine Biological Laboratory). I worked with an international health NGO in evaluating their Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) department. I also worked with an economic consultant on environmental and transportation policy for all summers. For 2.5 years, I led a campus organization that raised awareness of health and social disparities and their connection to environmental conditions. My undergraduate public policy thesis on the impact of location and jobs on transport-based emissions received departmental honors.

Quant: Calc 1 and 2. Quantitative methods for Biology, Economics for Public Policy, Statistical methods, and Quantitative methods for Public Policy, Biological modeling with ODEs in R and Python. UChicago DSEER bootcamps in Computing with Python and Statistical Methods with R. 

Strength of SOP: It focuses on my interest in bringing together my two undergraduate majors, biology and public policy, especially environmental and health policy. I am interested in looking at integrating environmental health factors in economic frameworks. 

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): Two strong recommendations from two professors, one possibly strong recommendation letter from my thesis preceptor, and one strong recommendation from a former supervisor. 

Language skills: English, German (intermediate) and Spanish (elementary)

Questions/concerns: My GPA is not great, but by UChicago standards it is pretty good. I had an upward trajectory with my GPA, with my last 2 years having a 3.7 average. My Public Policy major GPA was 3.7. My work is limited to internships, though I feel like I did substantial work in them.

How much will these factors hurt my chances in these programs? Also are there programs that I am applying to that may be too much of a reach, or programs that I am overlooking?

Do you currently have a job? and what is it?

[GradSchoolGrad]

9 hours ago, acacia27 said:

Hi guys. Have been using this thread to estimate my chances of getting admits (and funding) this year.

Schools Applying To: Harris MPP, UCB-Goldman MPP, Duke Sanford MPP, Yale Jackson MPP, HKS MPP, Princeton MPA, Georgetown McCourt MPP

Undergraduate institution: University of Delhi

Undergraduate GPA: 3.58

Undergraduate Majors: BSc in Statistics, MA (Economics)

GRE- 167 (v), 156 (q), 4.5 (underperformed in quant but a very strong quant resume)

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): >7

Years of Work Experience: 5 years + 1 yr volunteering

Describe Relevant Work Experience: almost 6 years in central Govt. (agriculture sector) in a statistical role, same department but different responsibilities- all involving quantitative research and analysis.

Quant: Very quant heavy background both in undergrad and masters, 4 courses on mathematics, 8 on statistics, micro, macro, econometrics, SPSS, SAS, R.

Strength of SOP: brings together my experience in the policy sector, academic interest and career aspirations- data analysis and program evaluation for public/ international organizations. 

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): Two strong recommendations from senior govt officers, one from my undergrad professor. 

Questions/concerns: Now that I am done with my applications I still have time to add a program or two if there are high chances of funding. Wagner and Munk on the radar. Should I apply to some more? Also what are the overall chances of getting any admits and financial aid?

P.S. I am a female international applicant.

I think you should have no problem getting in. The issue is funding. That is all tied to how diverse/unique you are given other people like you. 

[acacia27]

Thanks for replying. What's your take on U Toronto? As in how competitive is it and what are my chances? I am unsure because I was told they need very high undergrad GPA.

[XIII_Gemina]

Posting again to see if there's any additional feedback or advice from anyone, I've applied to, or have applied to a number of programs for Fall 2022, mostly in the security studies field. My primary career goal is working the DoD Office of Net Assessment or somewhere similar in the US security field.

Schools Applying To: Georgetown Walsh Security Studies Program (Top Choice); JHU SAIS MAIR (Security, Strategy, Statecraft Concentration); GWU ESIA Security Policy Studies; AU SIS MA Int Affairs (US FP and Nat Sec Concentration); U Chicago MAIR; Tufts Fletcher MGA; Columbia SIPA MIA; UT Austin GPS

Undergraduate Institution:  Indiana University

Undergraduate GPA: 3.77, planning on graduating with academic honors, as well as honors undergraduate thesis. Dean's list last 5 semesters of current institution. 
My only concern here is I am a nontraditional student (27 and about to graduate) and have a very poor semester and a half back in 2012-2013 dragging me down (think bad, really bad, I stopped showing up to classes and didn't withdraw) although I think I've overcome this through recent coursework and my personal statement.

Undergraduate Major: International Studies, Political Science Minor

GRE/GMAT: Did not take

Languages: English, Chinese (fluent), German (fluent), French (some)

Years out of Undergrad: 0, planning on graduating in May 22
Quant Background: Research Design course (A); Political Quant Analysis (A-); Microeconomics (Currently in, expected B+); Macroeconomics (Planned Spring 22)

Years of Work Experience: 7-8 counting time between first go at undergrad in 2012 and now including my internship experiences

Relevant Work/Internship Experience: 

- 2 Years in the mid 2010s living and working in Hong Kong as a corporate sales rep for a major Australian-based hospitality firm

-Political Internship during 2020 presidential campaign cycle

-Campaign organizing position for congressional candidate during 2018 campaign cycle

-Internship for local political party (approx 1 year)
-Political Internship during 2016 presidential campaign  cycle

Leadership/Extracurriculars:

-Leadership role in university's model UN team, have received distinction awards at last 6 conferences over past 2 years and highest distinction award at 1.

-Leadership role in my department's honor society

Letter of Recs:

3.

-One extremely strong from my undergrad thesis advisor, tenured professor and dept chair, and have taken 3 coures with them previously.

-One strong from tenured professor I have taken 2 courses with  and is a non-resident fellow at Brookings

-One strong but probably less personalized lor from professor and former representative of Iraq at the UN.

SOP: 
I'm not sure about the strength of it as I'm having second doubts but it's been reviewed by my thesis advisor professor as well as several colleagues who have expressed enthusiasm with it. I write about my experiences living in NYC during 9/11 as a child as well as my experiences overseas coming together to influence my interest and personal commitment to service to the US and why I'm pursuing security studies particularly. Also briefly discussed my first attempt at udnergrad in 2012 and how it has shaped my career and academic goals to be much more particular and specific.

600 word policy papers for GWU, SAIS, and Gtown are broadly the same covering strategic realignment in the Indo-Pacific and arguing that the US must further entrench itself via deep engagement to project US power against a rising China and prevent a Thucydides Trap.



Overall I guess I'd just like some feedback on the strength of my application. I have pretty severe anxiety and self-doubt over how my horrid performance at my first try at undergrad will be seen by application committee and am worried about my lack of quant although my transcript does reflect I'm trying to reflect that.

Thanks for your time all.

[Sigaba]

@XIII_Gemina, please make sure that you proof read your application materials thoroughly. In the post you've pasted several times, you have the same typo ("udnergrad").

I would be wary of using the term "Thucydides Trap" <<LINK>>.

(Will you be able to get the necessary clearance to work at ONA?)

[XIII_Gemina]

11 hours ago, Sigaba said:

@XIII_Gemina, please make sure that you proof read your application materials thoroughly. In the post you've pasted several times, you have the same typo ("udnergrad").

I would be wary of using the term "Thucydides Trap" <<LINK>>.

(Will you be able to get the necessary clearance to work at ONA?)

Hey @Sigabayes, the misspelling on here is just an oversight on a forum post, my materials have been proofread and appropriately edited.

To be clear, I don't actually specifically mentioned Thucydides Trap but in essence, the rising power attempting to displace current hegemon thread is there so, I think it's appropriate shorthand. And yes I should be able to obtain clearance, I don't have any red flags or associations that would preclude me.

Do you think my profile is competitive for my programs?

[willeml]

Would love help. I'm pretty late to the process and am not too sure about my chances. 

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

Schools Applying To: Georgetown (McCourt + Walsh), George Mason (Schar), UCLA (MPP), Minnesota (MPP), Duke (MPP), Berkley (MPP)

Undergraduate institution: George Mason University (Honors College) (T1 Research, Top 150 National University) (NCAA D1 Scholarship All-Conference Athlete)

Undergraduate GPA: 3.86

Undergraduate Majors: Government and International Politics (Minors: Data Analysis, Intelligence Analysis)

GRE: Did Not Take

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): Direct from Undergrad (Graduating, Spring '22)

Years of Work Experience: Internships 

Describe Relevant Work Experience: Interned on a National Senate Campaign (2020 Election Cycle), Research with Professor one Semester, Interned with my local political party one summer, Statistics Tutor for Student-Athletes,Part-Time Jobs to support Living Expenses 

Quant: Minor in Statistics. Five Statistics Courses. Experience with R and SAS Software 

Strength of SOP: Good - Strong narrative about why public service. Not a ton of adversity but strong narrative of hard work and balancing many aspects of life. 

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): Two Prof (I did well in classes, no insane relationship), One professional from tutor coordinator who should speak to how well I balanced my life as a student-athlete, with high GPA and part-time job. 

 

Chance Me? Would also take advice about similar programs or schools I would be a stronger applicant at. Thank you all! 

 

Edited November 4, 2021 by willeml

[Gradu8]

On 11/2/2021 at 12:15 PM, GradSchoolGrad said:

Do you currently have a job? and what is it?

Sorry for the late response. 

I graduated in June from undergrad, and I am still job hunting. In fact, I had a big interview today. 

[GradSchoolGrad]

7 hours ago, Gradu8 said:

Sorry for the late response. 

I graduated in June from undergrad, and I am still job hunting. In fact, I had a big interview today. 

Ya even though you went to an awesome school and all, not having a job for 6 months is not a good look. I recommend you do well on a full time job for a year (pref 2) and then apply to max your chances of admissions plus funding.

Even if you do get in, not being able to get hired is not a good look to career services and I am afraid you might get pigeon holed.

[Gradu8]

On 11/4/2021 at 7:29 AM, GradSchoolGrad said:

Ya even though you went to an awesome school and all, not having a job for 6 months is not a good look. I recommend you do well on a full time job for a year (pref 2) and then apply to max your chances of admissions plus funding.

Even if you do get in, not being able to get hired is not a good look to career services and I am afraid you might get pigeon holed.

Thanks for your response. Could you please explain what you mean when you say "pigeon holed" by admissions?

[GradSchoolGrad]

10 hours ago, Gradu8 said:

Thanks for your response. Could you please explain what you mean when you say "pigeon holed" by admissions?

Its being pigeon holed by career services I was speaking to. If you come into MPP/MPA with no (or less than 1 year) full time work experience, you get bucketed as the same as a straight from undergrad. Then you would be pigeon holed for straight from undergrad career opportunities (can apply for research or graduate school support job opportunities as well).

You do not want to pigeon-holed with the straight from undergrads, because for the most part, they are targeted for jobs that don't require a masters (although there might be master's pay bump or bonus, but that is increasingly going away). Simply put, if you get pigeon holed with that group, your return on investment for grad school is not going to be great. It is essentially paying for 2 years of grad school for a job with others from undergrad. 

If you really want your master's to be a career booster, it helps to have 2 years experience (at least 1), so then career services can guide you to much better opportunities (in terms of pay and level of responsibility). 

It is true that you can hypothetically network your way into jobs outside of what career services guide you for. However, the less work experience you have, the more dependent people generally are on career services (obviously, many exceptions are abound). 

 

Edited November 8, 2021 by GradSchoolGrad

[mpp_app2021]

On 1/5/2021 at 4:00 PM, mpp_app2021 said:

Considering applying to: 
Applied to the MPP at HKS

Undergrad Institution: Top university in Canada - graduated in 2018 

Undergrad Major: Political Science with a Minor in International Development Studies

Undergrad GPA: 3.15/4.0

Graduate Institution: American University abroad and I also completed a certificate in Human Rights Law at the University of Oxford (received an A) - graduated in 2019

Graduate Program: Diplomacy and International Law 

Graduate GPA: 3.85/4.0 

Didn’t submit GRE scores - I provided an explanation in the optional statement

Quant Background: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Quantitative Methods, International Economic Relations, Intro to Quantitative Political Science 
Programming Background: Undergrad course requiring the learning of R

Relevant Work Experience:  

Two internships in Government - one in the Prime Minister’s office and one in a Cabinet minister’s office

Currently the press secretary of a high profile cabinet minister, previously legislative advisor in that office 

I worked on the 2019 Federal Election in issues management

Extracurricular: I was a sports coach for young girls and got involved in many clubs during undergrad (led an academic delegation to a multi-university events, Vice-President of a major club on campus, reporter for both the French and English newspaper and participated in youth parliaments).

Languages: French and English, intermediate Spanish

International experience: Semester abroad in Sweden during my undergrad, journalism internship in Paris, language program in Spain, graduate program in France and the UK, study trip to the Middle East, Graduate practicum in the Hague 

Strength of LOR: Very strong letters from my graduate program director, one from the Chief of Staff of a Minister and a letter from a Cabinet Minister.

Essays: My essays are very much focused on HKS and commitment to public service. My essays show that while I already have a Masters, the MPP would be useful because my goal is to focus on social justice and issues in Canada and not elsewhere (my other Masters is very internationally focuses).

I put the emphasis on Indigenous issues, women’s rights and minority rights. I also highlighted my experience as a linguistic minority in Canada. Through HKS' Political and Economic Development concentration, I want to gain valuable knowledge about the policies that are most likely to cultivate progress toward inclusive development and to examine the approaches taken by different states to alleviate structural inequalities.

 

My main concern is my low undergrad GPA - but I am wondering if my grad school GPA would compensate. 

@GradSchoolGrad Hi! You were so helpful last time and I was wondering if you had any advice this time around. 

I was rejected from HKS last year (only school I applied to) and what changed since then is that I have one more year of experience working for a Cabinet Minister and was also director of communications for a candidate in the Canadian federal election. 

I was wondering if you thought this year was going to be as tough as last year and if re-applying this year makes sense in my case. 

I am also thinking of applying to Blavatnik for their MPP.

Thanks!

[GradSchoolGrad]

9 minutes ago, mpp_app2021 said:

@GradSchoolGrad Hi! You were so helpful last time and I was wondering if you had any advice this time around. 

I was rejected from HKS last year (only school I applied to) and what changed since then is that I have one more year of experience working for a Cabinet Minister and was also director of communications for a candidate in the Canadian federal election. 

I was wondering if you thought this year was going to be as tough as last year and if re-applying this year makes sense in my case. 

I am also thinking of applying to Blavatnik for their MPP.

Thanks!

Generally speaking - yes this is expected to be an easier year for policy school applications for US students. 

However, there is an expectation of the mass return of the international students. I don't know how they would bucket you coming from Canada. If you they count you as an international student, the odds are against you because most international students have academic marks better than that of the average American. If you they bucket you with the Americans, you would be going uphill, but it would be as challenging.

Your low GPA could have been a reason why you were not accepted. Your quant is okay, but I don't see any advanced quant classes which would compensate for a way below average GPA. Had you had a strong grade for a more advanced quant class, that could be a reason to overlook your undergrad GPA, but it doesn't sound like it for you.

For Blavatnik school, they have GPA minimum requirement for US students (I think it is around 3.7). You might want to check if you even qualify.

Another thing that hurts your application is your lack of diversity in interests. Yes your interests sound super niche specific to Canada. However, they fit under the general bucket of gender and identify. Policy grad programs are already vastly over-represented in the people interested in that area, so basically by being interested in an identify focus, it ironically hurts you in terms of diversity in social policy interest. If you have a more niche policy focus area (like housing, transportation, labor economics), it helps with your diversity in policy focus area.

 

[mpp_app2021]

6 minutes ago, GradSchoolGrad said:

Generally speaking - yes this is expected to be an easier year for policy school applications for US students. 

However, there is an expectation of the mass return of the international students. I don't know how they would bucket you coming from Canada. If you they count you as an international student, the odds are against you because most international students have academic marks better than that of the average American. If you they bucket you with the Americans, you would be going uphill, but it would be as challenging.

Your low GPA could have been a reason why you were not accepted. Your quant is okay, but I don't see any advanced quant classes which would compensate for a way below average GPA. Had you had a strong grade for a more advanced quant class, that could be a reason to overlook your undergrad GPA, but it doesn't sound like it for you.

For Blavatnik school, they have GPA minimum requirement for US students (I think it is around 3.7). You might want to check if you even qualify.

Another thing that hurts your application is your lack of diversity in interests. Yes your interests sound super niche specific to Canada. However, they fit under the general bucket of gender and identify. Policy grad programs are already vastly over-represented in the people interested in that area, so basically by being interested in an identify focus, it ironically hurts you in terms of diversity in social policy interest. If you have a more niche policy focus area (like housing, transportation, labor economics), it helps with your diversity in policy focus area.

 

Thanks for the reply. 

For Blavatnik, they require a minimum GPA of 3.1 for Canadian students so I qualify but barely.

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/international-applicants/international-qualifications?source=coursepage 

My main question is if I don't apply this year and wait to have another year of experience and hopefully a management position in government, do you see this a a major improvement on my overall application? Or is my low GPA always going to be a dealbreaker for HKS?

Do you think a high score in the GRE is the only way for me to overcome the weaknesses in my application? 

Thanks!

[GradSchoolGrad]

24 minutes ago, mpp_app2021 said:

Thanks for the reply. 

For Blavatnik, they require a minimum GPA of 3.1 for Canadian students so I qualify but barely.

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/international-applicants/international-qualifications?source=coursepage 

My main question is if I don't apply this year and wait to have another year of experience and hopefully a management position in government, do you see this a a major improvement on my overall application? Or is my low GPA always going to be a dealbreaker for HKS?

Do you think a high score in the GRE is the only way for me to overcome the weaknesses in my application? 

Thanks!

So one big deciding factor that neither I nor anyone can know is how competitive the next cycle will be. It is way to early to project that. I am saying that right now, in a less competitive cycle, even as a US student, you should struggle (although not be precluded) to get acceptance - even if you get a promotion to management.

I think you have to appreciate the 3 core issues to your HKS application.

1. You need satisfy doubts about your ability to graduate. Your grad school program sounds non-quanty, and given the number of diploma mill grad programs out there (even among name brands), HKS will use that as validating factor, but not a key contributing factor. You main issue isn't exactly your GPA per se. If you had a 3.15 GPA but As in all those first level quant classes, you are probably fine. If you have had a 3.15 GPA and As in those quant classes + advanced quant + rock star GRE score, then your problem may essentially be solved. I have family members that went to HKS and the quant classes at HKS are not a joke. Even people who took advanced microeconomics in undergrad and could be exempt from them at HKS are strongly recommended to retake it. 

2. Your diversity in terms of career. Being a government employee actually makes you non-diverse - especially if you are coming as an international student. You would then have to compete against all the international students who are government employees

3. Your diversity in terms of policy focus area - we already covered this.

Now if you are ethnically diverse (by American standards) + fix your quant/GPA/GRE problem, you might have a shot now actually. Otherwise, you need to fix your quant/GPA/GRE problem and then come up with a better story that at least makes you more unique in terms of policy focus area. 

[anotherwitch]

Hi, I’m hoping to get some insight into what I can expect. 

Intro: I’m applying to MPA programs after 12 years in the work force, with limited relevant experience. I am currently serving a year in AmeriCorps, working in a supportive housing agency. I worked for five years as a journalist. I worked for four years in marketing. Then I had a home organizing sole proprietorship. 

My goal is to work on policy related to poverty and inequality, hopefully in government. I would love to work on housing issues, perhaps at the local or state level. My hope is to do policy analysis. 

My motivation is not my work experience, but the intellectual journey I’ve gone on as an adult trying to understand the world I’m living in. I read deeply and broadly from an incredible variety of disciplines, and I am more intellectually curious than anyone I know. 

Also, I am motivated by my personal experiences. I’ve experienced poverty myself, despite having a college degree and jobs that look good on paper. 

I am a white woman with a cognitive disability (ADHD). 

Applying to: LBJ School at UT; University of Colorado Denver 

Undergrad Institution: Top-ranked regional university

Undergrad Majors: Journalism and English 

Years out of undergrad:  12 years (33 years old now, 34 when I hope to begin) 

GPA: 3.77

GRE: Verbal-170, Quant-162

Quant Background: None. 

Relevant Work Experience: 5 years in municipal journalism, 1 year (currently) in AmeriCorps 

Research: None 

Honors/Awards: I had about 30% tuition scholarship for undergrad all four years, from the university. 

Extracurriculars or Community Involvement: Political campaign volunteering, volunteering at a homeless navigation center 

Strength of SOP: I’m a good writer, but I don’t have a ton of actually relevant experience to draw on, so we will see. 

Strength of LORs: All three of my letter writers believe in me intensely and write well. None of them are well-known. One is my undergraduate student newspaper adviser, one is my boss from when I worked in marketing, and one is the volunteer coordinator at the homeless navigation center where I volunteered prior to entering AmeriCorps (I also wrote white papers for her organization, as a paid freelancer). 

Concerns: I know I'm not a real candidate. I am just a middle-aged adult who found her purpose too late. I’m hoping it counts for something that I found it at all. I’m doing the best I can. I’d love any ideas on what I can do, if anything, to become a real candidate. 

Thank you for your insight.

[housing.ed]

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

Schools Applying To: NYU Wagner, Columbia SIPA, CUNY - Baruch, Princeton SPIA, USC Sol Price, UCLA Luskin, and Cal Goldman

Undergraduate institution: Jesuit liberal arts college

Undergraduate GPA: 3.80

Undergraduate Majors: Finance; Minors: Economics and Environmental Science 

Grad institution: Teaching degree factory

GRE Quantitative Score: 164

GRE Verbal Score: 170

GRE AW Score: 5.5

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 8

Years of Work Experience: 8

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 3 years in retail supply chain analytics; 5 years teaching in charter schools

Quant: Economics, statistics, and finance course in undergrad. I currently teach a college-level microeconomics course.

Strength of SOP: Proposing a career change to focus on housing, which is not ideal, but I frame it within my experience teaching in chronically underserved communities.

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): One prof from my teaching degree with whom I have a close relationship, Dean of Curriculum and Instruction with whom I'm also close, and VP from retail supply chain analytics job. I expect the first two to be strong. VP from retail supply chain analytics sent me what he wrote, and it does a good job of filling in any perceived gaps in my technical background

Other: I have demonstrated results w/r/t my students' academic success (students scoring near the top district wide/citywide/etc.). I've written curricula, and I lead a five-teacher team. 

[GradSchoolGrad]

On 11/13/2021 at 11:20 AM, housing.ed said:

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

Schools Applying To: NYU Wagner, Columbia SIPA, CUNY - Baruch, Princeton SPIA, USC Sol Price, UCLA Luskin, and Cal Goldman

Undergraduate institution: Jesuit liberal arts college

Undergraduate GPA: 3.80

Undergraduate Majors: Finance; Minors: Economics and Environmental Science 

Grad institution: Teaching degree factory

GRE Quantitative Score: 164

GRE Verbal Score: 170

GRE AW Score: 5.5

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 8

Years of Work Experience: 8

Describe Relevant Work Experience: 3 years in retail supply chain analytics; 5 years teaching in charter schools

Quant: Economics, statistics, and finance course in undergrad. I currently teach a college-level microeconomics course.

Strength of SOP: Proposing a career change to focus on housing, which is not ideal, but I frame it within my experience teaching in chronically underserved communities.

Strength of LOR (be honest, describe the process, etc): One prof from my teaching degree with whom I have a close relationship, Dean of Curriculum and Instruction with whom I'm also close, and VP from retail supply chain analytics job. I expect the first two to be strong. VP from retail supply chain analytics sent me what he wrote, and it does a good job of filling in any perceived gaps in my technical background

Other: I have demonstrated results w/r/t my students' academic success (students scoring near the top district wide/citywide/etc.). I've written curricula, and I lead a five-teacher team. 

I think you are super competitive, and I recommend for you to shoot higher as well (like throw in HKS in there). This is due to:

A. Your diversity of experience

B. Your interest in less academically popular policy focus area (believe or not housing policy, is not that popular in policy schools because of the amount of intersection with real estate business understanding that is required to fully understand everything)

C. You got quant down (I'm assuming you went to Boston College).

One thing I recommend you think about is if you want to go to a California school or not.

Yes, the California schools you mentions are good schools, and they won't exactly limit your opportunities outside of California, but they are optimized for California. California in many ways is a country within the US with decently different politics and processes for policy. If you want to go to California from a non-California policy school, its possible, just harder.

That being said, in the area of housing policy, the most creative solutions IMO are not from California. If anything California is playing catch up, and you might be best served to go to a school that specializes in housing policy at large + has decent international student population (this means a diverse one, and not all from one country). The most innovative housing policies being experimented upon are actually from Europe + Japan.

[river1216]

On 10/28/2021 at 10:54 AM, GradSchoolGrad said:

Georgetown Security Studies is essential the top Security Studies program in the country, and GWU's is probably #1. Security Programs are super fickle. The reality is that they are essentially money makers for Universities. It is really hard to predict the chances of anyone getting in.

As for going to a traditional IR program (like SAIS MAIR and SIPA MIA) - yes it can be a pathway to security, but that school's bread and butter isn't security. I'm not sure how much you'll really enjoy it. Also it makes no sense to go to New York only to try to shoot for a jobs in DC (where most Security jobs are).

In terms of jobs. There is a huge demand for security jobs. I would look up the biographies of the McCain Fellows. They are the benchmark of the top notch grads. 

An interesting issue for you is that you already have spent time working on a political campaign. I'm not sure how that will be viewed. It might be seen as a handicap in some circles. Its more like I am raising an open question and don't now the answer to it. Career wise, it can be an issue depending on administration. 

 

For Security Studies, Georgetown, George Washington, John Hopkins are the schools you should consider. If you are looking abroad Kings College and University of Edinburgh in the UK are worthwhile programs. 

The War Studies program at Kings College is the UK version of Georgetown Security Studies 

Edited November 23, 2021 by dchang11

[SappyStudent007]

First time poster here! I read through a bunch of posts but I think my background is a little different than most people and I wanted to get your take. I am curious whether my status as a  licensed Professional Engineer and holding dual citizenship between US and HKG would give me any brownie points in the diversity realm. How much would NOT having a policysci or economic background hurt me? Thanks for any comments!
 

Schools and Programs:  Princeton SPIA MPA (first choice), Penn Fels MPA, Georgetown McCourt MIDP, Columbia SIPA MPA-DP, JHU SAIS, Syracuse Maxwell 

Undergrad / Grad Institution: Top 40 US institution

Degrees: Bachelors Civil Engineering ‘16 / Masters Structural Engineering ‘17

GPA: 3.53 (undergrad) / 3.11 (grad)

Minors in Undergrad: Asian Studies, Global Citizenship

GRE: 163Q, 157V, 4.5AW 

Work Experience: 4 years

Policy Area of Interest: international development with infrastructure and engineering solutions

Relevant Experience: 2 years Full-time engineer (civilian) at US Army Corps of Engineers, 2 years volunteer English teacher at refugee center, volunteered at United Nations to represent an NGO in grad school

Quant experience: Engineering background - numerous math classes in school, programming skills learned independently 

Strength of SOP: I framed my SOP around my long term career plan of developing a technical skill set to address international development issues and that a degree will help me develop nontechnical skills. Looking to work in governmental agencies addressing development programs  

LOR: Two LOR from current mid-level chiefs at my agency and one from an old professor in Global Studies

International and Expeditionary Experience: Deployed to construct  temporary field hospitals during COVID pandemic, study abroad in India, internship in Abu Dhabi, study abroad in Italy, shadowed missionaries with development projects in Thailand, one week surveying trip in Panama for bridge construction (undergrad)

Leadership roles: 
Student president for Bridges to Prosperity (engineering club to build bridges in developing communities), UN Youth Representative for NGO, Volunteer English teacher at refugee center, STEM instructor for kids, discipline lead for a $100m contract 

[GradSchoolGrad]

On 11/29/2021 at 11:55 PM, SappyStudent007 said:

First time poster here! I read through a bunch of posts but I think my background is a little different than most people and I wanted to get your take. I am curious whether my status as a  licensed Professional Engineer and holding dual citizenship between US and HKG would give me any brownie points in the diversity realm. How much would NOT having a policysci or economic background hurt me? Thanks for any comments!
 

Schools and Programs:  Princeton SPIA MPA (first choice), Penn Fels MPA, Georgetown McCourt MIDP, Columbia SIPA MPA-DP, JHU SAIS, Syracuse Maxwell 

Undergrad / Grad Institution: Top 40 US institution

Degrees: Bachelors Civil Engineering ‘16 / Masters Structural Engineering ‘17

GPA: 3.53 (undergrad) / 3.11 (grad)

Minors in Undergrad: Asian Studies, Global Citizenship

GRE: 163Q, 157V, 4.5AW 

Work Experience: 4 years

Policy Area of Interest: international development with infrastructure and engineering solutions

Relevant Experience: 2 years Full-time engineer (civilian) at US Army Corps of Engineers, 2 years volunteer English teacher at refugee center, volunteered at United Nations to represent an NGO in grad school

Quant experience: Engineering background - numerous math classes in school, programming skills learned independently 

Strength of SOP: I framed my SOP around my long term career plan of developing a technical skill set to address international development issues and that a degree will help me develop nontechnical skills. Looking to work in governmental agencies addressing development programs  

LOR: Two LOR from current mid-level chiefs at my agency and one from an old professor in Global Studies

International and Expeditionary Experience: Deployed to construct  temporary field hospitals during COVID pandemic, study abroad in India, internship in Abu Dhabi, study abroad in Italy, shadowed missionaries with development projects in Thailand, one week surveying trip in Panama for bridge construction (undergrad)

Leadership roles: 
Student president for Bridges to Prosperity (engineering club to build bridges in developing communities), UN Youth Representative for NGO, Volunteer English teacher at refugee center, STEM instructor for kids, discipline lead for a $100m contract 

A few things.

1. Look, I think you are generally competitive, checking the quant box and being diverse. However, for Princeton purposes, I am a bit concerned your verbal is on the lower side. I hope you have something to counter balance that (maybe being published or so). 

2. What I hope you really have is a really good story on what you want to go to policy school. If you have that, you are doing okay.

3. Your school choices really confuse me. 

Bottom line is that you might want to really figure our what flavor of IDEV you want to get involved in. It feels like you just reached for basket for schools you thought are good without diving deep into what they are good at and not so good at.

a. Princeton SPIA MPA - I get it - top program for basically everything

b. Penn Fels MPA - I am really lost by this. Its really a lower tier program despite the Penn brand. It also tends to be better for domestic US policy not IDEV.

c. McCourt MIDP - very program evaluation based program. If you want to focused to being really good at one lane of IDEV, that works for you, but I hope you are comfortable with it.

d. Columbia SPA-DP - strong program, but angles more towards the non-profit/IGO/NGO side of the house in terms of opportunity.

e. JHU - SAIS - also strong program overall, but I wouldn't exactly say it is the best for IDEV unless you want to approach it at super analytical angle

d. Syracuse Maxwell - great overall policy program, but IDEV is not their strength. Its good for very process/research oriented domestic policy stuff. 

[sbga96]

Hello! First time poster here as well - I am planning on applying for an MBA (HBS, Stanford GSB, or Wharton) + HKS MPA concurrently and was hoping to hear people's thoughts on my competitiveness given that my profile is geared much more towards the MBA but my goals align with the MPA as well. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Schools / Programs: HKS MPA or MPA/ID (any other school recommendations that allow for a joint MBA +MPA also much appreciated)

Undergrad: Top 20 US

Degrees: B.Sc. in Business Administration w/ Concentrations in Finance & Statistics

GPA: 3.812 (Magna Cum Laude)

GMAT: 750 (Q50, V42) - 98% Percentile

Language Skills: 2 fluent and 2 conversational in addition to English 

Work Experience: 4 years by the time of matriculation, all in New York

• 1.5 years in Investment Banking focused on industrials and technology companies
• 2.5 years in Private Equity focused on software, telecom infrastructure and education investments in developed and developing regions (particularly Latin America and Africa

Policy Area of Interest: International Development / Social Innovation

LOR: Mid and senior level supervisors that I worked for on my international infrastructure projects

International Experience: 

• Originally from Eastern Europe (EU citizen)
• Studied abroad in the UK and China
• Interned abroad in software venture capital in China and infrastructure investment banking in Bulgaria
• Completed 1-week consulting project in Hong Kong & Macau in college

Quant Experience: Covered through work, undergrad major and GMAT score

Leadership / Extracurricular Roles:

• Undergrad's LGBTQ+ Alumni Network Board of Directors
• LGBTQ+ Immigration non profit - Co-Chair of Junior Board
• Education-focused non profit - Online Fundraising & Marketing Committee on Junior Board
• Venture Philanthropy Fund (a non-profit grants fund)- Partner
• Established first LGBTQ+ employee resource group at my first employer and started first LGBTQ+ undergrad recruiting campaign
• Entrepreneurship competition judge for current employer's entrepreneurship grant program
• Grant grader for current employer's charitable foundation 

SOP: I want to ultimately work in venture capital focused on international development / social innovation. While the MBA and my prior experience in IB / PE will help be a good investor, I envision getting the MPA or MPA/ID to gear me towards being an investor abroad in often fragile markets. As a gay immigrant from Eastern Europe, I've had the academic and economic opportunities a lot of people back home haven't and have seen what impact a lack of economic opportunities has on society, and I see investing in social innovation in developing markets as my long-term purpose.

Thanks again in advance!!

[nobobaaddiction]

Hello! First time poster and I really appreciate the mutual support in this community I am applying to political science and sociology PhD programs in the U.S. (I chose the programs based on the faculty of interest) and would love to hear your advice on my school choices. Thank you! 

Schools / Programs: Top 20 programs (PoliSci: Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Georgetown, UCSD, Cornell, Yale, UCLA; Sociology: Stanford, Berkeley, JHU, UCSB, UCLA, NYU, Emory, NW...) 

Undergrad: Top 3 in Asia 

Degrees: B.A. in Sociology 

GPA: 3.85 

GRE: Q169, V169, A 5.0 

Research Experience: I have worked as a RA remotely for professors at top U.S. schools, but my work was quite elementary and my contact with the profs was quite limited. 

Policy Area of Interest: Authoritarianism 

LOR: 3 U.S. professors I worked for, with 1 strong letter and 3 med 

International Experience: 

• Exchange program in the UK and the US
• Research experience in Hong Kong, the UK, and the US 

Quant Experience: 1 quantitative course, working on R and basic statistics through self-study 

Now I have finished a batch of applications, I was wondering if I should apply to schools on the lower tiers (e.g. CUNY-Albany, Penn State, etc.)? This is my second time applying and I don't want to face all rejections again  

Thank you and I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! <3  

Edited December 20, 2021 by nobobaaddiction