SPEA Admitted Thread

[awex]

That's great! I got the email about setting up my IU account earlier this week, but still have yet to do it. I'll have to do it this afternoon so I can take a look at that. That should be helpful in finding some places!

 

I actually received a call from a SPEA student last night to follow up with me and see if I had any last minute questions to help make my final decision (I had committed a few hours before, but they must have still had me on the list of people that had not committed/denied). I asked her about housing and she said that there were a few complexes right near SPEA that were nice and pretty cheap with roommates. I think she said her rent was about $400 with a roommate and utilities. The places were Fountain Park, Woodbridge, and The Crest. Just wanted to share since it sounds like we are all looking.  I haven't looked in to them, but made note of them to research!

Edited April 10, 2014 by awex

[Etownenviro]

When I was there for visit day I ended up taking the bus and I believe the bus that comes from SPEA and the business school stops at all of those apartment complexes so that may be why they are super popular with SPEA people. Also I don't want to live that far away from the school but there are some complexes with swimming pools and all kinds of other amenities if your willing to be like a 10-15 minute bus ride away or probably the same amount of time biking so if those are important to you they can also be found in Bloomington. 

 

I also spoke with a SPEA student the other night and they said basically as long as you have a place by the end of July you should be totally fine and that right now a lot of the housing will still be for summer sublets as their school year is just wrapping up. So it seems like it might be a week or two before the fall listings are really up. 

[RicardoBello]

Better late than never! Deposit paid

[MPAallday]

Better late than never! Deposit paid

Awesome news! I'm still debating between A&M, Virginia, Indiana, and UT. Hopefully SPEA comes through with some funding for me, or else it looks like I might take another offer.

[Etownenviro]

Just submitted me deposit as well! I'm excited to get set up with everything and start looking for housing. 

[husky4ever]

Not admitted but applying next year, with SPEA as my top choice.

Anybody willing to tell me how they did on the GREs? I took it yesterday, 154 on both sections, and I'm really afraid that's not good enough!

[uncgrad2009]

Not admitted but applying next year, with SPEA as my top choice.

Anybody willing to tell me how they did on the GREs? I took it yesterday, 154 on both sections, and I'm really afraid that's not good enough!

 

 

I would definitely retake the GRE if I were you.  I retook the test and was able to improve my score somewhat.  The GRE doesn't factor into admissions considerations that much (except at Berkeley) but it factors into merit aid awards considerably.  

[uncgrad2009]

Not admitted but applying next year, with SPEA as my top choice.

Anybody willing to tell me how they did on the GREs? I took it yesterday, 154 on both sections, and I'm really afraid that's not good enough!

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that program representatives told me that GRE scores were considered when extending merit aid offers at SPEA. 

[husky4ever]

So do you think bumping up to something like 160 on each section would make a difference in aid? A few more points would put me above their average for incoming students this past year, and I'm currently a couple beneath it. I didn't have much time to study, almost nothing for verbal and two full days for math, due to a major shift in my schedule mid-semester, so I think with some studying by September I could get that boost. Thank you for your response uncgrad2009!

My main concern is that I want to apply for the Service Corps, which is a form of aid with a community service element. I'm not so much looking for a grant on its own as I am for that. My resume is full of wonderful internship and volunteer experiences, with a decent GPA (esp in my major and policy classes) but factoring in that SC is an aid decision changes it a lot, I'm sure.

[Etownenviro]

Hey husky4ever I got a 159/160/4.5 in the GRE and have above a 3.6 and received a very large (nearly full ride) scholarship to SPEA. I don't know how much essays and other things like work experience are tired into the scholarship decision but it's possible that a few points could have a big impact if my experience is normal.

That being said I found the admissions staff very transparent so you could always ask them how they consider the GRE in with everything else.

Good luck!

[uncgrad2009]

So do you think bumping up to something like 160 on each section would make a difference in aid? A few more points would put me above their average for incoming students this past year, and I'm currently a couple beneath it. I didn't have much time to study, almost nothing for verbal and two full days for math, due to a major shift in my schedule mid-semester, so I think with some studying by September I could get that boost. Thank you for your response uncgrad2009!

My main concern is that I want to apply for the Service Corps, which is a form of aid with a community service element. I'm not so much looking for a grant on its own as I am for that. My resume is full of wonderful internship and volunteer experiences, with a decent GPA (esp in my major and policy classes) but factoring in that SC is an aid decision changes it a lot, I'm sure.

 

 

Although I didn't choose SPEA in the end, one of the things that I really appreciate about this school is that they don't pretend to be something they are not.  This extends throughout all phases of the admissions process.  I was extended a Service Corps award with partial tuition remission after most of the initial awards were extended.  

 

Merit aid awards at SPEA have two components: 1) tuition remission (3-8 credits a semester depending upon your credentials) and; 2) a hourly stipend in exchange for 12 hours of work a week. My understanding is that after the priority admissions deadline passes, they rank all admitted students in order on criteria  such as GPA, work experience, GRE scores, SoP, etc.  If you have any specific questions about the Service Corps program, you could always contact the SPEA admissions folks. They are very friendly and helpful in answering any questions that you may have about the program or the merit aid allocation process.

[awex]

Husky--

I second everyone else's advice on this topic, but wanted to chime in, as well.

I received a Service Corps fellowship from SPEA and will be attending this fall. Being awarded this was one of the main reasons I decided on SPEA because I like that I will have real world experience throughout my entire graduate program and not just internships during the summer. None of my other schools gave me an option like that.

Anyway, I'm not sure exactly how these were rewarded, but I'd be happy to share my stats to give you an idea -- 161/154/5.0. My undergrad GPA was 3.9 and I have 2.5 years FT work experience in a related field.

As you can see, my math score wasn't stellar, but I was still accepted to all schools I applied to. I had math/econ classes in college that I received A's in. Not sure if they looked at that to see that I could actually do math, but maybe. It had been a while since I had taken a math class, but I did use some ETS prep guides to practice. I'm also going for nonprofit management and not the environmental side of SPEA. I would think my math score would not be so hot if I was going for that track.

Good luck with your applications!

Edited May 1, 2014 by awex