Johns Hopkins (IPS/MPP)

[traveler06]

I was also at at the JHU Open House yesterday and am VERY impressed with the program. I'm in a big debate right now trying to figure out my favorite U.S. school and then decide whether to go there or bite the bullet and go to LSE. I think an international experience would be really interesting and open my mind to other possibilities that I'm not considering. That being said, when I told the director of IPS about my thinking, she said that she would work very hard to make sure that I had an international experience through an internship if that was important to me. As was mentioned before, they are very invested in the students success.

The small cohort is something that is appealing. From my undergraduate experience and also in my work place, I enjoyed the collaborative learning and effort. At IPS, it seems you really can get to know your professors and the other students very well. I am considering continuing on to a PhD, so the research opportunities at IPS also seemed abundant and easy to get involved with.

The current students that I met were wonderful! They had such diverse interests and seemed to really be enjoying their experience. They wanted to be clear that they work extremely hard (The Policy Analysis for the Real World kicks off the program and is essentially a capstone in the first semester), but that it is rewarding and they support each other. They've had great internships (mostly in the DC area), and many of them continued summer internship work into their second year.

Overall, I'm extremely impressed.

[skz]

No problem East_of_Eden. Glad you found it useful!

I don't know if JHU has more research opportunities than Cornell since I don't know anything about Cornell, but it seems like it would be really, really, really easy to get one at JHU.

I'm really leaning towards JHU right now. I almost certainly ruling out UCLA because I'm not getting funding, and probably ruling out USC because even with the funding they're offering they're going to be very expensive. Maryland didn't impress me as I thought it would last night (bear in mind, I'm a current undergraduate there, so I may have had heightened expectations...). It doesn't appear like I'm getting funding from American, but regardless I'm not too keen on going there for some reason...I'm going to try and visit them soon, but may cancel my visit if I make my mind up before that. I'm visiting GPPI today for their Open House, but it doesn't look like they're giving me funding either (and I still haven't gotten my admissions letter!). I'll post my thoughts after I get back.

[Dreams]

No problem East_of_Eden. Glad you found it useful!

I don't know if JHU has more research opportunities than Cornell since I don't know anything about Cornell, but it seems like it would be really, really, really easy to get one at JHU.

I would say that it would be pretty easy to get one. Especially if you want to do something policy related with the many organizations in the city. There are a lot of things you will be able to tap into once you are able to access JHU's internal network.

[skz]

Sure seems so, and I really like that.

Following up on my previous post, I just posted my experience from the GPPI Open House in the "Georgetown Strengths/Weaknesses" thread.

[skz]

Just curious - did anyone who visited send thank you letters/e-mails to anyone at JHU?

Also would like to hear if more people went!

[Norton]

Can someone please let me know what my chances are for MPP grad program admission? Johns Hopkins is my dream school, but I am also looking at GWU, Georgetown, American, and George Mason, and I am open to considering others as well.

I went to an "off-brand" liberal arts school for my B.A., graduated with a 3.2 gpa.

Post-grad, I have had 6 months of substantive work experience, including a 3 month internship at one of the largest international N.G.O.s in Public Policy as well as a 3 month internship on the Hill in the office of a senior U.S. Senator.

I did well on my GREs, having received a 760 on my quantitative and a 620 on my verbal.

...I feel like I am probably leaving out a lot of important info, but all other considerations aside, what do you think my chances are for admission into any of the above programs?? I feel like I am shooting way high, but I really just don't know.

[stines]

Skz, thanks so much for taking the time to post this. I'm trying to make a final decision between SIPA and JHU IPS and I can't help looking wistfully to Columbia. JHU offered me funding (26,000) while SIPA is offering nothing in terms of money but JHU seems so much more focused on domestic issues whereas I'm looking to work more intensely with international policy, specifically in the Middle East. I know there is the whole SAIS certificate thing but SIPA just seems so much more geared to exploring international policy, and in much more detail. Can you speak to this at all? Can anyone? Ack!

[disintegrate]

Skz, thanks so much for taking the time to post this. I'm trying to make a final decision between SIPA and JHU IPS and I can't help looking wistfully to Columbia. JHU offered me funding (26,000) while SIPA is offering nothing in terms of money but JHU seems so much more focused on domestic issues whereas I'm looking to work more intensely with international policy, specifically in the Middle East. I know there is the whole SAIS certificate thing but SIPA just seems so much more geared to exploring international policy, and in much more detail. Can you speak to this at all? Can anyone? Ack!

seems like a no-brainer to me. sipa, of course