"Double Ivy Hero"

[fighter_2008]

Anyone here from a ugrad/grad Ivy, and got accepted into another Ivy for Govt. Affairs/Public Policy? I'm wondering how much of a factor your previous school is in terms of getting into a top Govt. Affairs programme. Double Ivy Heroes/Heroines, make yrselves known!

[therunaround]

wow

[Cornell07]

Oy vey.

I suppose my undergraduate school and the grad school to which I have been accepted are, in fact, within the same college sports conference. Goooooo Big Red, 2009 Men's Ivy B-Ball champs! :twisted:

[jnelson07]

Hey! I graduated Cornell 07 as well! I only applied to CIPA and was accepted w/ a decent fellowship so I'll probably attend.

[fighter_2008]

Nice! Congrats! I guess I was just trying to see how much of a factor your ugrad school is in Adcoms' decision making process. Judging from the length of this thread, doesn't really matter even if you come from an Ivy, most impt factors are still your essays and your WE.

[fes_alum]

doesn't really matter even if you come from an Ivy, most impt factors are still your essays and your WE.

Hey Fighter- I completed my undergrad at a state college and applied to several graduate programs including the MPP at Harvard. To my surprise, not only was admitted into Kennedy School but I was admitted into all the other graduate programs I applied to as well. In the end I choose to attend Yale for funding reasons (full tuition). Now, I've only applied to two programs (Harvard and NYU) and it's hard to say if I'll be admitted into the Kennedy School this time around.

After talking with the admissions staff and faculty on the admissions committee at Yale, what I can tell you is that 'adcoms' are looking for depth and experience. I know some very talented students (4.0 GPA, 1500+ GRE scores) who were turned away from Yale because they lacked "depth." Professional schools at places like Yale and Harvard are looking to train "the leaders of tomorrow" and as such, weigh heavily on your accomplishments and experience. It is my personal opinion that "book smart" people often lack the basic social skills needed in public service or similar careers and this is often reflected in their C.V.'s or essays. The better the package you present to an admissions committee, the better your chances of getting into an Ivy professional school (different scenario for PhD programs).

Good luck!

[fighter_2008]

I know some very talented students (4.0 GPA, 1500+ GRE scores) who were turned away from Yale because they lacked "depth."

Fes_alum, thanks! That's a very insightful post. I wish I'd met you when I was in the thick of things sending out my applications last year! Just one point of clairification though: how wld you define 'depth'? Is that measured solely by your past achievements as stated in your CV, and as alluded to in one's essays? I'm curious to know how Adcoms assess the depth of a candidate, objectively speaking, that is. My own sense is that CVs can be doctored, essays vetted and proof-read by others, and we all know referees always give gleaming reports of their proteges. Such sources of info therefore lack objectivity, and, taking a more cynical yet realistic point of view, would lead people to believe that 'depth' can actually be 'engineered'. Any views on this?

[traveler06]

Fes_alum, thanks! That's a very insightful post. I wish I'd met you when I was in the thick of things sending out my applications last year! Just one point of clairification though: how wld you define 'depth'? Is that measured solely by your past achievements as stated in your CV, and as alluded to in one's essays? I'm curious to know how Adcoms assess the depth of a candidate, objectively speaking, that is. My own sense is that CVs can be doctored, essays vetted and proof-read by others, and we all know referees always give gleaming reports of their proteges. Such sources of info therefore lack objectivity, and, taking a more cynical yet realistic point of view, would lead people to believe that 'depth' can actually be 'engineered'. Any views on this?

I am curretly an admissions officer at a selective undergraduate institution, and I can tell you that it is very clear when a student has had essays "doctored" as you say. You can always sense when a student is genuine because it rings true throughout the entire application. Admissions officers become very good at distinguishing this when they have an entire applicant pool to review.

It was also incredibly nerve wracking being back on the other side of this as I applied to programs... lol.