Advice - where to apply

[mchester6028]

Hello! First time poster here, but I frequently read others' posts and have found this forum to be very helpful. I would like some advice on where to apply. I am looking at MPP programs, with an emphasis on policy analysis and/or political strategy. First, my "stats":

-Bachelor's degree at New York University, double major in journalism and metropolitan studies. GPA was 3.93 and I completed an honor's thesis on landmark preservation in New York City. I transferred into NYU as a sophomore from a community college (not sure if that matters).

-I have taken both the GMAT (760; 80th percentile in Quant, 99th percentile in Verbal) and the LSAT (172). I had planned to attend law school after graduating from NYU but have worked in the legal sector for the past two years and have subsequently decided not to pursue a JD. Thankfully, I've learned that a few top schools accept the GMAT in lieu of the GRE (I would like to avoid taking another college entrance exam!)

-Work experience: this is where I feel my application might be deficient. I have worked as a paralegal for 2.5 years at a small law firm in Albany, New York. I have volunteer and "internship" type opportunities as well. I am currently managing the campaign of a candidate for Albany County District Attorney and am heavily involved with several political advocacy groups. I also volunteer as a refugee mentor. However, I have become fairly nervous about these "credentials" after reading a lot of the posts on this forum from people who have started up their own NGO, or worked for major international organizations. I don't plan on studying international relations or anything, but I know that having some sort of international background looks good on an application.

I am looking to apply to some of the top MPP programs in the country (probably not HKS or Woodrow Wilson, but I am looking at Ford, Maxwell, and GPPI), but am obviously worried about how competitive my application will look. Does anyone have any thoughts/feedback? Thank you so much in advance.

[egerth0013]

I think you're competitive for any of those programs -- even including HKS or WWS. Plenty of students do not have major international experience and have held the kind of jobs you have. Obviously admissions processes are always a little random (you can never predict all the outcomes), but I see no reason why you wouldn't be a competitive applicant at any public service program as long as you write a strong SOP that explains how that school's program can meet your career goals. This forum tends to attract a lot of people interested in international public service, but that is by no means the only route to policy grad school or it's only use.