HOW can I become more competitive?

[dear_valentine07]

Hi everyone!

 

I hope everyone's summers are going well! I'm writing in this thread, not so much to discuss what schools I could be competitive for, but to get any advice from ya'll about how to strengthen some of the credentials in my application. I would like to be accepted into a school for a MPP to study Education Policy in fall 2016. My dream school is HKS (although, I recognize that my GPA makes that problematic). 

 

Here are some general statistics:

 

School: University of Connecticut 

 

Major: Accounting

 

Minor: Political Science 

 

GPA: 3.2/4.0 

 

GMAT: Not taken yet

 

Undergraduate Work Experience: 4 Accounting-focused internships in a Fortune 50 corporation

 

Postgraduate Work Experience: 

 

- 2 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a financial auditor (Big 4 public accounting firm)

 

- Current Teach for America Houston Corps Member (1 year remaining): was forward-promoted within my position (next year, instead of being considered a second year teacher, I will be considered a third year teacher). 

 

- Been accepted into the Education Pioneers Fellowship-Chicago for fall of 2015

 

LOR: 

 

1. Dean of Instruction

2. Instructional Coach

3. Former Senior at PwC

4. Accounting Professor 

 

 

Naturally, as you read through the above, I'm sure you noted a red flag when you saw my GPA. I am hoping to get advice on how to compensate for that. In addition, if you see any other areas of concern and any advice on how I can make my application much stronger, PLEASE let me know. 

 

As everyone else here, I'm really passionate about Ed Pol, and I want to put my best foot forward, so I genuinely really appreciate all of the advice ya'll will offer me in advance. Thank you!

 

 

 

[hj2012]

Have you considered the Education Policy & Management program in HGSE? It's less competitive than HKS, but still offers the opportunities to network and work with some of the best professors in the field. There's nothing you can do about your GPA at this point, and it's not abysmally low considering your major, so I would recommend just doing as well as you can on the GRE (preferably 160+ on both sections). 

 

Good luck!

[dear_valentine07]

Have you considered the Education Policy & Management program in HGSE? It's less competitive than HKS, but still offers the opportunities to network and work with some of the best professors in the field. There's nothing you can do about your GPA at this point, and it's not abysmally low considering your major, so I would recommend just doing as well as you can on the GRE (preferably 160+ on both sections). 

 

Good luck!

 

This is really wonderful advice. I hadn't considered the Education Policy & Management program in HGSE, the program looks very, very interesting and relatively aligned to my future goals. Since I have time, I will be taking the GMAT first and then the GRE, and then I'll be applying to my schools. Thank you so much for this insight, I really appreciate it!

[hj2012]

This is really wonderful advice. I hadn't considered the Education Policy & Management program in HGSE, the program looks very, very interesting and relatively aligned to my future goals. Since I have time, I will be taking the GMAT first and then the GRE, and then I'll be applying to my schools. Thank you so much for this insight, I really appreciate it!

 

No problem! I did a Fulbright ETA grant year, and a number of folks in my cohort ended up at HGSE. They're all out in the "real world" now and doing very well for themselves. I've only heard positive things about the Ed Policy program at HGSE. You might also look at Stanford (Policy, Organization and Leadership Studies or the joint MA/MBA program) and U Penn. Penn has pretty good funding packages, too, if that is important to you. 

[Kaneisha]

Hi Dear Valentine,

 

I would also recommend that you take some supplementary coursework. It looks like you definitely have Accounting covered, but if you haven't taken the other following courses, I would recommend you take them at a community college or some other place online:

• Microeconomics
• Statistics
• Calculus
• Finance

These will help mitigate your low GPA. If you are still planning on applying to HKS, I also suggest that you use your optional essay to briefly do the following:

• explain why you have a low GPA
• tell the AdCom what you learned about yourself from that experience
• tell the AdCom what you have done since then to mitigate your low GPA
• tell the AdCom what resources at Harvard / HKS you will draw upon to make sure you are academically successful

I also didn't see any community service outside of work. That would definitely help as well!

 

Best of luck!

Kaneisha

[dear_valentine07]

Hi Dear Valentine,

 

I would also recommend that you take some supplementary coursework. It looks like you definitely have Accounting covered, but if you haven't taken the other following courses, I would recommend you take them at a community college or some other place online:

• Microeconomics
• Statistics
• Calculus
• Finance

These will help mitigate your low GPA. If you are still planning on applying to HKS, I also suggest that you use your optional essay to briefly do the following:

• explain why you have a low GPA
• tell the AdCom what you learned about yourself from that experience
• tell the AdCom what you have done since then to mitigate your low GPA
• tell the AdCom what resources at Harvard / HKS you will draw upon to make sure you are academically successful

I also didn't see any community service outside of work. That would definitely help as well!

 

Best of luck!

Kaneisha

 

I'm so sorry that I didn't see this before! I'm not sure what happened, but I'd really like your advice, since there are a few updates in my resume. I also have a couple more questions for you, if it's possible for you to help. 

 

School: University of Connecticut 

 

Major: Accounting

 

Minor: Political Science 

 

GPA: 3.2/4.0 

 

Undergrad Involvement: Multiple leadership roles, national ranking in debate, tutor

 

GRE: Not taken yet, but hoping for 165+ on both verbal and quant. 

 

Undergraduate Work Experience: 4 Accounting-focused internships in a Fortune 50 corporation

 

Postgraduate Work Experience: 

 

- 2 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a financial auditor (Big 4 public accounting firm)

 

-Teach for America Houston Corps Member: Forward promoted both years, considered a "Practiced Teacher".

 

- Current Education Pioneers Fellowship-Chicago for an Education Consulting firm conducing analytical research on student test scores. 

 

LOR: 

 

1. School Director

2. Dean of Instruction

3. Dean of Students

 

Volunteer Work:

1. Literacy coach at a tutoring center

2. Motivational speaker and math tutor with an organization working with African American youth

 

How do you feel that I can continue to strengthen this application? I'm considering applying to Education programs in addition to MPPs, but right now I'm feeling genuinely disheartened about my low GPA, even though there isn't much I can do about it right now. What are your genuine thoughts? Thank you!!!

[leon32]

My undergrad GPA is 3.11 and I got into every school I applied to, including a top 5 program. I had a bit more work experience, but not tons more. I studied a lot for the GRE and had high scores, I had very good LORs (I wrote one myself after the recommender asked me too and was able to make it fit the program perfectly) and took a lot of time and care with the essays. Also, while I did not get into HKS, I took two classes there. They were very nice, but rest assured that if you do not end up going to HKS you will be fine, it is not really going to be that different than another top program.

Edited July 18, 2015 by leon32