Official Admitted Thread

[MYRNIST]

Just got my acceptance letter from Pitt GSPIA, waiting to hear fin-aid results.

[GradSchoolAlibi]

So far:

Harris $10k.

Syracuse MPA (funding not yet disclosed)

UCLA $22k (in-state full ride)

Goldman - rejected.

Heinz DC Track - $28k

Barring very generous aid offers from Michigan or Duke, or acceptance to Harvard/Princeton, it looks like I'm headed to CMU and then off to DC.

U Chicago is very prestigious, and recently added on David Axelrod to faculty (adding to Paulson, Richard Daley, 2 Nobel Laureates, and more), but I've been told the program is more "orthodox" than ideal. CMU strikes me as its opposite -- less prestigious, but eminently practical.

I'm struggling to put a value on 9 months of work and living experience in Washington, DC, but it seems substantial (not to mention the average $20k salary students earn at their internships the 2nd year). Either way, I don't think I can justify spending an additional $17k annual to go to Chicago rather than CMU. However, I do think CMU is worth an additional annual $12k over attending UCLA.

Does anyone take issue with my math, or see other factors at hand? It seems like there are quite a few people making this decision.

[12WardP]

Looks like we applied to some similar schools getting similar aid packages. I think I'm considering my options with the same mind. The 20K salary you make with the DC track, in addition to their generous scholarship packages, makes the program perfect for someone looking to work without worrying about life-alterning debt. Great aid from HKS, Duke, or Michigan could change my thinking though.

So far:

Harris $10k.

Syracuse MPA (funding not yet disclosed)

UCLA $22k (in-state full ride)

Goldman - rejected.

Heinz DC Track - $28k

Barring very generous aid offers from Michigan or Duke, or acceptance to Harvard/Princeton, it looks like I'm headed to CMU and then off to DC.

U Chicago is very prestigious, and recently added on David Axelrod to faculty (adding to Paulson, Richard Daley, 2 Nobel Laureates, and more), but I've been told the program is more "orthodox" than ideal. CMU strikes me as its opposite -- less prestigious, but eminently practical.

I'm struggling to put a value on 9 months of work and living experience in Washington, DC, but it seems substantial (not to mention the average $20k salary students earn at their internships the 2nd year). Either way, I don't think I can justify spending an additional $17k annual to go to Chicago rather than CMU. However, I do think CMU is worth an additional annual $12k over attending UCLA.

Does anyone take issue with my math, or see other factors at hand? It seems like there are quite a few people making this decision.

Edited March 9, 2012 by 12WardP

[GradSchoolAlibi]

Admitted to Harris today with $10k scholarship, mentioned in 2nd paragraph of email. My UCLA letter did not mention funding, so I am assuming I did not receive any. I would pay in-state tuition at 19k/year. I wonder if Chicago knocking $10k off tuition would make it close enough to the cost of UCLA w/o funding to be worth it...

In other words, how much is a fair price to pay for a few extra prestige points?

Both great schools, US N&W Report ranks UCLA#14 vs. U-Chicago #10 for general public affairs and specifically for policy analysis UCLA #20 vs. Chicago #7. I know a new set of rankings comes out in a few days, but I'm not expecting huge changes.

Anyone have a strong opinion on the subject? Thanks!

I have no special expertise, but the public policy N&W Report rankings are a joke. They haven't been updated since 2008 -- they don't differentiate between an MPP and an MPA, and none of their specializations seem meaningful. It is my impressions that policy schools run a spectrum from theoretic to skill-based, or academic to professional, that the rankings completely fail to capture.

The list seems to me to be useful as a general guide, but I imagine it breaks down very quickly in the specialties, save for perhaps the more broad categories of public policy analysis and nonprofit management, which seem to get to the core of the MPA/MPP distinction.

I have heard that the conservative connotations that come with a U of C Economics diploma do not carry over to their public policy department -- although they do of course stress quantitative methods.

[readyornot]

So far:

Harris $10k.

Syracuse MPA (funding not yet disclosed)

UCLA $22k (in-state full ride)

Goldman - rejected.

Heinz DC Track - $28k

Barring very generous aid offers from Michigan or Duke, or acceptance to Harvard/Princeton, it looks like I'm headed to CMU and then off to DC.

U Chicago is very prestigious, and recently added on David Axelrod to faculty (adding to Paulson, Richard Daley, 2 Nobel Laureates, and more), but I've been told the program is more "orthodox" than ideal. CMU strikes me as its opposite -- less prestigious, but eminently practical.

I'm struggling to put a value on 9 months of work and living experience in Washington, DC, but it seems substantial (not to mention the average $20k salary students earn at their internships the 2nd year). Either way, I don't think I can justify spending an additional $17k annual to go to Chicago rather than CMU. However, I do think CMU is worth an additional annual $12k over attending UCLA.

Does anyone take issue with my math, or see other factors at hand? It seems like there are quite a few people making this decision.

I am heavily weighing the CMU DC track too thanks to the funding. Re: the 2nd year apprenticeship, I know what their site says about average income of their students, but I'm hoping to speak to a few current/past students to make sure that is a reality. Have you had a chance to speak with any students yet?

[GradSchoolAlibi]

I am heavily weighing the CMU DC track too thanks to the funding. Re: the 2nd year apprenticeship, I know what their site says about average income of their students, but I'm hoping to speak to a few current/past students to make sure that is a reality. Have you had a chance to speak with any students yet?

I haven't. But I'm anxious to. There have been a few students who have posted on thes forums, however. Since the program just started in 2008, there can't be any more than 100 alumni from the whole program, but I would assume that those four years are enough time for them to iron out the bugs and get a decent reputation going for Heinz interns, if it didn't exist already. IIRC last year, 22 students secured internships, and only one was unpaid. And this average, of all 22, comes to $20k, and the top wage was $40k. So that statistic seems very real -- and not terribly surprising, considering that the organization benefits from 30 hours per week of work.

All math and rankings aside, I have to believe that, especially for someone with thin work experience like myself, coming out of CMU with nearly a year of near-full time work in DC will be in a professional position more immediately valuable and versatile than a similar graduate from a slightly more prestigious university.

[eigenvector]

Accepted at Harris (MPP). No funding though, wasn't expecting anyway. Good to have an acceptance after 2 b2b rejections from MIT TPP and Goldman MPP.

[msal]

congrats to all admitted fellas. although I am a bit surprised to hear that people choose some less prestigious schools over Chicago, when I think DC factor I can understand. Then I would like to ask a similar question; would you prefer SAIS or Georgetown over HKS? I haven't been admitted to any of them though...

[cannotdecide]

accepted to harris (MPP)! super excited, and especially given my lower than average GRE score and lower than average GPA...

[enkayem]

Just got a full tuition scholarship from U Chicago. Haven't heard from the other schools as yet. It's not my number one option so waiting out to hear from the rest - SIPA, HKS, WWS, GPPI, SAIS. But whoopdeedoo!! My third world salary could not have supported my behind through school!!

[state_school'12]

Congrats you guys. Enkayem, it sounds like you can really use that support. As for me, I'm going to be doing some serious weighing of the possibilites... I'm getting ready for a nerve wracking month or so.

[Burnt Orange]

Anyone think Duke will be sending letters out today?

[bgreenster]

Anyone think Duke will be sending letters out today?

If I think it, can I make it true? I'm certainly hoping so, but not going to count on it. I kind of feel like it will be Monday...

[sleepingcaffein]

I hope for today too!!

[state_school'12]

I think a few of us might hear from both Michigan and Duke today. Fingers crossed...

[Burnt Orange]

@state_school'12, it looks like you have several solid offers and I would venture to guess are sure to get admits from both Sanford and Ford. All things being equal, what's your gut telling you? And of course, things being as unequal as they are, what will you do?

[state_school'12]

Going into the cycle, I thought Ford was the best school I had a shot at getting into. Berkeley and Chicago were my long shots - instead of the usual Princeton/Harvard. I have a pretty quant heavy background, and my SOP talked a lot about how I want to get even more quant under my belt. I think that probably resonated well at Chicago. I think Duke is more competitive than Ford, but I liked some of the folks in the econ/business department doing behavioral economics. Then there's the the obvious strength of the environmental management/natural resources courses, brand etc. At this point, I just want to see where all of my chips fall, and then plug in everything I know into a spreadsheet to compare costs and opportunities. I think I'll go to two fly outs. Which ones TBD. If Berkeley had given me some money, I'm pretty sure I would have already accepted. I may beg them for something, and I'll also explore the possibility of getting a GSI gig the first year. Sounds difficult though.

How about you? Is Duke your first choice? I don't know about you, but I wouldn't worry about GW. I'd go to LBJ over GW any day. Anyway my gut says yes to Ford, maybe with some money. Duke I think is 50/50, and funding unlikely.

[bubblegun]

In at Korbel with $25k.

I'm still in a bit of a shock seeing as the e-mail was both very personal and came in about two hours after my application has been forwarded for review. I'm an international applicant and after all the time my papers spent at the international credentials evaluation office I was positive I'm not going anywhere.

Oh my.

Edited March 9, 2012 by bubblegun

[bgreenster]

Got the Duke email - on the wait list. I'm almost relieved not to have that competing in my head for Georgetown.

[inquisitive87]

In at Sanford MPP with $15,000 fellowship and $4,000 assistantship

[method]

Whaaaaat. I was accepted to Sanford with $$. I'm in utter disbelief, I thought I was going to get dinged.

[Burnt Orange]

In at Duke too! $25k fellowship plus a $4k assistantship. Eat shit GW!

[KJ90]

GWU decision out. I got into the MA in Security Policy Studies.

[senatorsmith85]

in at duke w 18k fellowship and 4k assistantship

[babybaby]

in at Duke MPP, with $$