USC MPP Acceptances 2014

[chocolatecheesecake]

I think it's time to break the acceptance threads out...

 

I'm overseas but my mom just emailed me with some pics of my admittance letter to USC for the MPP! Really exciting! Any other people hear from them yet? I also got a nice scholarship, which is the part that really makes me happy. 

 

FYI, the letters I got are dated February 6 and 7. Kind of expected I'd hear by email first, but it hardly matters when it's good news. =)

 

Hope to hear from others!

[MMM2015]

I also got my acceptance/scholarship letter from USC, and I'm thrilled.  I'm looking forward to the Dean's Merit event and might even try to sit in on some classes before that since I live in L.A.  

[dazed]

I got mine as well along with solid financial support.  I was expecting a response in March, so it was a nice surprise!  Is USC the top choice for either for you?

[jz19]

I got my acceptance packet yesterday!  I'll be going to the Dean's Merit event on Thursday and Friday as well =).  Can't wait!

[albuhhh]

In with full tuition Dean's Merit! A week earlier than I expected, even considering that they told us a couple weeks ago that decisions would be made in mid February. Also did not get an email notification before receiving the packet in the mail.

 

A bit frustrating that we have to wait another month for everyone else to release their decisions. KSG told me that they might not have their decisions ready until the end of March or the first week of April.

[chocolatecheesecake]

I got mine as well along with solid financial support.  I was expecting a response in March, so it was a nice surprise!  Is USC the top choice for either for you?

 

For me, USC is 3rd out of the four schools I applied to. I feel like it's not as good a fit for me as Michigan or Berkeley. USC however did give me more money than I expect either public university will be able to give, and I know the alumni network is first rate. I won't be able to go to any of the events, so report back, anyone who's going! I'd also love to hear other people's impressions of the cohort culture here. 

 

Congrats to all!

[MMM2015]

I got mine as well along with solid financial support.  I was expecting a response in March, so it was a nice surprise!  Is USC the top choice for either for you?

 

I only applied to three schools - Princeton's WWS, USC, and the PhD program at RAND.  (I haven't heard back from the other two schools yet.)  I'd like to stay in LA, since my husband really enjoys his job here.  Also, I got a full tuition scholarship from USC.  In other words, USC is a very appealing option for me.

[Ana Pascal]

Joining the thread! I was also accepted, and received the full tuition Dean's Merit scholarship. USC is not my top choice, but getting a grad degree without debt is a pretty incredible opportunity, so there's a great chance that I will wind up here. 

 

I booked my plane ticket and a hotel room yesterday for the March 28 event, so I will see some of you there! 

 

As a side note - I'd be happy to share a room and split the hotel cost with any other out-of-town female attendees. I'll be at the Vagabond Inn for both Thursday and Friday night because it seemed cheap and convenient. 

[jz19]

USC was/is my top choice.  I'm from LA and would like to stay here after getting the MPP, and since they're giving me a full tuition scholarship and assigned me to an amazing advisor (Raphael Bostic), I really don't have a reason to reject the offer.  Maybe if at the Dean's Merit even they tell us that drowning puppies is a part of the capstone project or something.  

 

@chocolatecheesecake will let you know how the event goes!

 

Who did you guys get assigned to for your advisor?

 

[Ana Pascal]

 

Who did you guys get assigned to for your advisor?

 

I've been assigned to Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, likely because my background is in communication and media relations.

 

Since most of you are LA locals, could you speak to why it's a good place to live? I know that's a broad question. For background, I'm from the Midwest, did my undergrad in Kansas, lived in Chicago for about four years (loved it there), and am currently freezing to death in Minnesota.

 

Clearly some warmth and sunshine sounds good, but I feel nervous about both the sprawl/traffic and the general culture, because it's so different than anything I've experienced before. 

[MMM2015]

I've been assigned to Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, likely because my background is in communication and media relations.

 

Since most of you are LA locals, could you speak to why it's a good place to live? I know that's a broad question. For background, I'm from the Midwest, did my undergrad in Kansas, lived in Chicago for about four years (loved it there), and am currently freezing to death in Minnesota.

 

Clearly some warmth and sunshine sounds good, but I feel nervous about both the sprawl/traffic and the general culture, because it's so different than anything I've experienced before. 

 

I love LA.  I lived in Chicago for 6 years before moving here, and I prefer LA.  However, I've been lucky because I live and work in Santa Monica, which means no traffic and 70 degree sunny weather year-round.  Its a great place if you enjoy hiking, surfing, and/or other outdoor activities.  There are also a lot of nice art museums and galleries, restaurants, places to see live comedy and music, etc.  Chicago has LA beat on transportation and book stores, but I'm really glad to be here.

[jz19]

I grew up in LA, went to undergrad in Chicago, and worked in SF for 4 years before moving back to LA.  I also prefer LA, by a lot.  Though, having grown up here, I'm clearly biased.  Still, re: some of your concerns:

 

Sprawl: LA covers more landmass, but the attractions of each neighborhood are fairly compact.  The "city-centers" of Santa Monica and Pasadena, for example, are very walkable, and although I've never taken public transportation in LA, I have friends who commute via Metrolink (train) and they seem to like it.  

 

Traffic:  Terrible.  Soul-crushing in west LA.

 

General culture:  Here I think the sprawl works in LA's favor.  There are so many really different neighborhoods, it's pretty easy to find somewhere that fits your interests (except for theater.  There are some nice playhouses but the theater scene here doesn't compare to Chicago/New York).  And, aside from the traffic in Santa Monica, I agree with everything MAB1980 said =).

 

P.S. That said, I've visited SC a bunch of times (both for the MPP program and to see friends who went there), and I'm not keen on that area.

Edited February 13, 2014 by jzhu

[MMM2015]

I grew up in LA, went to undergrad in Chicago, and worked in SF for 4 years before moving back to LA.  I also prefer LA, by a lot.  Though, having grown up here, I'm clearly biased.  Still, re: some of your concerns:

 

Sprawl: LA covers more landmass, but the attractions of each neighborhood are fairly compact.  The "city-centers" of Santa Monica and Pasadena, for example, are very walkable, and although I've never taken public transportation in LA, I have friends who commute via Metrolink (train) and they seem to like it.  

 

Traffic:  Terrible.  Soul-crushing in west LA.

 

General culture:  Here I think the sprawl works in LA's favor.  There are so many really different neighborhoods, it's pretty easy to find somewhere that fits your interests (except for theater.  There are some nice playhouses but the theater scene here doesn't compare to Chicago/New York).  And, aside from the traffic in Santa Monica, I agree with everything MAB1980 said =).

 

P.S. That said, I've visited SC a bunch of times (both for the MPP program and to see friends who went there), and I'm not keen on that area.

 

I commute via bike and walking shoes rather than car, so I defer to you on traffic in Santa Monica : )

[dazed]

I'll echo other Los Angelenos' assessment of LA.  I live in Downtown LA, a few miles from USC.

 

For me, LA is defined by its weather and urban scrawl.  LA has unbeatable weather (it's high 70s in my area today). I think we've had maybe a week's worth of rain all season, but I will also say that we're going through a serious drought and a state of emergency has been called -- depending on how much rain we get in 2014, this may become an issue.  

 

The urban scrawl lends itself to a a few positive things: 1) Numerous developed/developing neighborhoods with their own unique cultures; 2) Possibly the best food in the US due to the diversity and size of ethnic/racial communities and neighborhoods; and 3) You can also find SO many things to do every single weekend if not day -- from music festivals in parks, outdoor movie screenings, art exhibits/art walks, film festivals, museums, camping, hiking, shopping, etc. 

 

On the other hand, urban scrawl also has made it difficult for LA to develop a sensible public transportation system and avoid heavy bumper-to-bumper traffic.  I have never liked driving, so I tried to rely on our public transportation system my first year in LA and was exhausted by it.  We have multiple expansive bus systems as well as an underground/above ground metro system.  For the former, they're often off schedule due to the traffic and are consequently slow.  The metro system is great, but services few neighborhoods.  Like jhzu said, specific neighborhoods in LA are very walkable (downtown, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Koreatown, Culver City, to name a few).  It just becomes nightmarish when you have to venture outside of your neighborhood, especially during traffic hour.

 

If you do decide to come, I'd be happy to offer you some advice on which areas to check out!  I like moving, so have researched/looked at housing all over LA and have lived in multiple neighborhoods.  

Edited February 13, 2014 by nbriant

[chocolatecheesecake]

So many people who have done their time in Chicago! I'm no exception. Maybe that's a pre-requisite for seeking to live in warmer climes. I've heard things about air pollution too from visiting friends in Santa Monica. The coast where they live is quite nice, but if you get out a bit, the air quality can get bad. 

 

And I've also been assigned Raphael Bostic. My main interest is in education, employment, and general urban development, so he sounds great.

[Ana Pascal]

Thank you all for the insight! It's nice to read a list of why people love it there. I'm looking forward to visiting and seeing it for myself. 

[jz19]

So many people who have done their time in Chicago! I'm no exception. Maybe that's a pre-requisite for seeking to live in warmer climes. 

"Give me your tired, your poor,/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,/The wretched refuse of your teeming shore./Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,/ I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" ? 

 

My area of interest is how public and private programs can work together to address inequality in access to social resources.  I hope we'll get a chance to talk with our advisors at the event in March....

[jz19]

Has anyone else registered for the optional events on 3/27?

[Ana Pascal]

I haven't officially registered yet for the events on the 27th, but I'm planning to attend the tour and the "living in LA" session (obviously, ha). I'm also considering the multivariate stats analysis class, as it's the only class I can attend that also meets my availability, but I'm mildly concerned that attending an intense quant class will do more harm than good. 

 

You?

[ZacharyObama]

Congrats all!

 

I'm a first-year MPA student at USC Price. If you haven't received notification yet, don't worry. I waited like almost a month longer than other applicants last year for my letter. If people have questions, I can try to answer them as best as possible, although being an MPA I can't quite attest to the joy of the MPP experience (they really do seem to love the multivariate statistics). 

 

Fight On! 

[jz19]

I haven't officially registered yet for the events on the 27th, but I'm planning to attend the tour and the "living in LA" session (obviously, ha). I'm also considering the multivariate stats analysis class, as it's the only class I can attend that also meets my availability, but I'm mildly concerned that attending an intense quant class will do more harm than good. 

 

You?

 

I only signed up for the campus tour and Living in LA session....As for the multivariate stats class....I love math and all but I can't imagine spending 3.5 hours in a stats class on Thursday night unless I have to!

[chocolatecheesecake]

A few weeks after looking at my acceptances (USC and Duke) and comparing money (full ride at USC, about half at Duke), I'm circling back to USC and becoming very torn between USC and Duke. 

 

The thing is, I'm really concerned about the fit of my interests and what the school is strong in. I spent a few hours going over faculty profiles and looking at practicums from the past year or two, and I'm finding very little that has to do with education, employment, social policy, and poverty or welfare related initiatives. The same goes for the professors -- USC seems to be very strong in real estate, transportation, housing, planning, health policy, and a bunch of other fields that I can't help but classify as the fields of public policy where there's a lot of money in play. There are some professors in the social work school and the education school that I may end up working with if the pickings among Price professors is as slim as I think it is.

 

I would like to hear more from current students and admitted students. My biggest fear is that I'm going to lose out on something if there's not a critical mass of my cohort who are interested or passionate about the same subjects, or have a social justice bent to their future careers. It'd be cool to learn about housing and health and other equity-related issues, but it's not what I want to do after I graduate. What are other people who are thinking about USC looking to work in? Do you guys have the same concerns?

 

In comparison, I've been able to talk on Facebook and meet other students who are thinking about Duke, and many of them are education-policy minded, which at least makes me feel that I will have supportive people who are like-minded. I've also identified and emailed several faculty I know I would like to work with there. Maybe a bit of debt ($20-30K) is worth getting the right experience out of the MPP?

[Ana Pascal]

Personally, I'm really looking forward to visiting, and hoping I get a good sense of things from that. I'm trying not to think in too many circles until I've had the in-person experience. Overall, I'm still really impressed with USC's prompt admission and regular communication with applicants, not to mention the generous scholarship offer. 

 

That said, my interests are more international in focus, and I'm concerned that USC's strength is greatest for people who want to stay in California. I'm trying to decide between USC and Tufts, and also wondering if $30k+ of debt is worth it.

[dazed]

I would like to hear more from current students and admitted students. My biggest fear is that I'm going to lose out on something if there's not a critical mass of my cohort who are interested or passionate about the same subjects, or have a social justice bent to their future careers. It'd be cool to learn about housing and health and other equity-related issues, but it's not what I want to do after I graduate. What are other people who are thinking about USC looking to work in? Do you guys have the same concerns?

 

 

Hi Chocolate,

I, too, share the same concerns. I live a few miles from USC and work in Los Angeles-based local nonprofit.  As such, some of my friends are current students, and I've had the opportunity to meet other grads of the Price school (including an adjunct professor).  My background /interests are extremely social justice-oriented (especially around race, gender and sexuality, economics, and education).  I can say that, from my very limited experience, I've been pretty unimpressed by two staff I've met there.  Maybe because I'm too "lefty" or "radical," but I would assume that phrases such as the "nonprofit industrial complex" wouldn't be met with complete confusion from those who work at a school that trains students to work in the nonprofit field.  As for my friends who are current students, they've said that while they have been able to find space and create a group of students passionate about social justice issues, they definitely had to make an effort to do so.

 

That said, I'm extremely torn between a few programs as well, especially those with clearer social justice bents.  However, I do agree with Ana's thinking -- maybe the USC admit day event on the 27th will give us all some clarity.  

[chocolatecheesecake]

Hi Chocolate,

I, too, share the same concerns. I live a few miles from USC and work in Los Angeles-based local nonprofit.  As such, some of my friends are current students, and I've had the opportunity to meet other grads of the Price school (including an adjunct professor).  My background /interests are extremely social justice-oriented (especially around race, gender and sexuality, economics, and education).  I can say that, from my very limited experience, I've been pretty unimpressed by two staff I've met there.  Maybe because I'm too "lefty" or "radical," but I would assume that phrases such as the "nonprofit industrial complex" wouldn't be met with complete confusion from those who work at a school that trains students to work in the nonprofit field.  As for my friends who are current students, they've said that while they have been able to find space and create a group of students passionate about social justice issues, they definitely had to make an effort to do so.

 

That said, I'm extremely torn between a few programs as well, especially those with clearer social justice bents.  However, I do agree with Ana's thinking -- maybe the USC admit day event on the 27th will give us all some clarity.  

 

Great point. I think that's what I was trying to say when I was concerned about lacking that critical mass of peers who were passionate about the same thing -- I think we'll still be able to find a space for that and do what we like to do, but I really want to learn something from others who have been doing the same thing for longer or in different places around the world and be challenged to take what I've done to a higher level. 

 

I already visited last fall and am currently overseas, so I won't be able to attend the admit day. Ana and dazed, please both have lots of conversations with current students and professors and let me know how it goes! Who did they assign to you guys as your advisor? I got Raphael Bostic who sounds like he could definitely be great. However, he and many other faculty at USC seem to have their bonafides with the current administration and federal level stuff or large corporations and committees. I'd also like to think I can learn a lot from someone more local who have been practitioners slogging out their non-glorious work, if that makes any sense, about the actual implementation and development of local and regional policy.