Still Waiting? What is Your Top Choice?(Fall 2015)

[Guest]

To all my peers who are still anxiously waiting and have not heard back from 'any' of their programs yet.............

 

What is the number one choice on your list that you would like to get into? If necessary, you can list up to three. This is just to tone down some of that tension that some of us might be enduring as of now.

 

1. GWU Elliott School 

2. University of Denver Korbel School

3. American University in Cairo (Overseas in Egypt.)

 

I'm really starting to bump GWU as an 'implied' rejection/waitlist for myself due to my horrendous GREs. But, I can dream haha. I have high faith in the my last two listed choices since they take on more 'holistic' approaches for each component of the application.  I don't care for prestige by the way nor does my intended future career.

Edited February 8, 2015 by Guest

[ZebraFinch]

Tufts Fletcher is my dream school. I've heard nothing at all so I assume I've been rejected across the board.

[MJA87]

Goldman is definitely my top choice. UChicago Harris used to be very close behind them, but I've heard some concerning things about that program recently and I think it's slipping down my list.

[maweni]

Korbel is my dream,I have okay GRE and I am anxiously waiting.

[Wozezeka]

IU - Bloomington is my top choice based on program

 

UT - Austin is my top choice based on location.

 

I currently live in Austin and... I can't imagine a better place to love (edit... Fruedian Slip - "Better place to live". I've heard great things about SPEA and it is probably the best program for my interests, but I will be heart broken to leave Austin!

 

Zebra Finch - Most decisions for masters admission aren't sent out until March. I know it's hard to wait, but it's too soon to be defeatist.

Edited February 8, 2015 by Wozezeka

[Guest]

^ Yes. Aside from the program criteria, location has a lot to do with my top choices as well. D.C is obviously convenient and presents many opportunities for International Affairs graduate students. Denver is just a beautiful city with lots to do. And Egypt (Cairo) is a cool city, cheap to live, and will benefit my Arabic skills/Middle Eastern Affairs interests. Language skills are extremely important for my dream career.

Edited February 8, 2015 by Guest

[ajak568]

WAITING!

 

Top Choices

 

1. Princeton WWS MPA - Long shot, to say the least. Would be a dream.

2. U Michigan FSPP MPP - I stand a good shot here. Really hoping for some funding. (I hear they like RPCVs. Fingers crossed!)

 

I also applied to Duke Sanford school, and if I get funding there, I would go, happily. At this point (before admissions decisions), those are the schools I'm really paying attention to. I also applied Harvard HKS MPP, UC Berkeley GSPP MPP and Syracuse Maxwell MPA, but I doubt I would realistically end up at any of those schools (C.R.E.A.M.).

 

I have NO IDEA how these admissions decisions are going to turn out. All I can do is sit back and troll the internet for the next month while admissions officers are reading my personal statements and recommendations. . .

 

Good luck to all you beautiful people. I hope you all get offered loads of fellowships and get into the school of your dreams.

 

Aja

[johnchristian]

AH, THE WAITING GAME!

 

The Dream Choices

 

1. Harvard Kennedy School MPP -- crossing fingers and toes. I honestly don't know how this one will end up. Funding is also another concern if I do get in. The dream would be getting in and scoring a nice fellowship.

 

2. Goldman MPP -- I have a better feeling about Berkeley. 

 

I surprisingly heard back early from UCLA earlier this week. So now I have a good viable back-up with a generous funding offer. 

 

Good luck to all waiting it out! Sending positive vibes all over for good news!

[dudeinspace]

For me, the dream would be:

1. Berkeley GSPP (MPP)

2. HKS (MPA/ID)

3. Princeton WWS (MPA)

[JohnJ88]

I went big and applied to some great schools, but all different programs. The only MPP I applied to is HKS and that is my #1 choice.

 

Other programs were Georgetown's MA in American Government and GWU's MPS in Legislative Affairs.

[deletethisname]

Top Choices:

 

1) Georgetown University Security Studies Program

2) George Washington University Elliot School of International Affairs

3) American SIS

 

Have not heard a word from any of them.

[Poli92]

My top choice is Yale Jackson's MA in Global Affairs. I'm not 100% sure what I want to do with the degree, so the extreme flexibility is nice. It's also a much cheaper area than DC, so whatever funding I do get will go much further. Finally, if I were to get my PhD, this would be my top choice school, so this could be a good opportunity to network with POI's. 

[gradjm]

Applied to HKS mpp. My main concern in the unlikely event i am admitted is that the financial support. The more i read the more i think HKS doesn't award much aid compared to other schools. The fellowship chances and process is very demanding and difficult.

[ssr1989]

Looking to do largely MPP/MPA. Applied to MPA at Princeton, MPP at Georgetown and MPA-ID at Harvard. I am from India, so applied to an Asian school as well... LKY at NUS.

Was wondering if all the results of Georgetown are out. Apparently, their results stated from the first week of Feb.

[paradox28]

I only applied to Harvard MPA.  I am now wondering if I should have applied to the MPP since I really want to go there.  I am already enrolled at a partner business school so we are basically told to do the MPA instead of the MPP.  And I definitelly want/need the flexibility of the MPA since I would only have 3 semesters there.  It seems like the MPA program is much smaller and that it is mainly comprised of students from Wharton/Stanford/Sloan/Tuck, with just a handful of non-business school students who choose to do the MPA over the MPP because they have some other Masters degree already.

[InternationalHopeful]

Did I only apply to schools that have late notifications? I feel like I'm being tortured. I'm still waiting on funding information from SAIS and have not heard back from any of the four other schools I've applied to (GWU, SFS, WWS and LBJ). This has been the longest two months of my life and I'm going crazy not knowing at least some information. 

 

As for my top choice, my overall goal is to go to a top notch program for the lowest cost. If I get accepted into WWS, then that's the dream.

 

Outside of that unlikely scenario I would be happiest to attend SAIS or UT LBJ. I feel like they are very dissimilar, but fulfill very different things that I'm looking for in my education. SAIS has more students then I prefer, but the sophistication of the program outweighs the lack of attention that I expect. Being located in DC also is a huge plus for me. LBJ is much more reasonable in cost and has the small size I so desire. I think the DC opportunities are there, but I'll just have to be more insistent and focused on that goal from the onset If I attend.

 

Let's hope that a decision or two will come through this week so I don't go crazy!

[Gov2School]

The waiting is hard, but hang in there! WWS will be out at the end of next week, and HKS probably around the same time, with others following either closely before or closely after.  Almost all the schools have admitted students weekends at the end of March, so they have to get their notices out before then, so you're nearly there! 

[deletethisname]

Is it me or as you go more East geographically in USA the more pretentious these schools get with regards to their admissions decisions? I received updates and admissions decisions from Denver and Chicago this week. Not a peep from the DC schools.

[MJA87]

Is it me or as you go more East geographically in USA the more pretentious these schools get with regards to their admissions decisions? I received updates and admissions decisions from Denver and Chicago this week. Not a peep from the DC schools.

 

I don't know that the breakdown is as simple as east vs. west, but I do think schools in certain markets think very highly of themselves for geographic reasons. I'll call out GWU, who admitted me with no funding at all even though I got into three higher ranked and (in my opinion) much better schools with ~half funding. I got into UW Evans without any funding any everyone I spoke to there was extremely polite and helpful. I literally got laughed at when I called GWU to get some information related to funding.

 

I'm sure it's a fine program, but I get the impression that if they weren't in DC, most people wouldn't have even heard of them. 

[ZebraFinch]

Is it me or as you go more East geographically in USA the more pretentious these schools get with regards to their admissions decisions? I received updates and admissions decisions from Denver and Chicago this week. Not a peep from the DC schools.

 

Well, they likely assume that admitted students want to be in DC regardless of costs, so no need to be considerate or anything... but didn't the MPP results already come from many of these schools?

Edited March 6, 2015 by ZebraFinch

[handiya]

Well, they likely assume that admitted students want to be in DC regardless of costs, so no need to be considerate or anything... but didn't the MPP results already come from many of these schools?

[handiya]

Hi kingthearab,

Did you get the mail from Harris at University of Chicago about the decision or some other school in Chicago?

[jxmp]

I don't know that the breakdown is as simple as east vs. west, but I do think schools in certain markets think very highly of themselves for geographic reasons. I'll call out GWU, who admitted me with no funding at all even though I got into three higher ranked and (in my opinion) much better schools with ~half funding. I got into UW Evans without any funding any everyone I spoke to there was extremely polite and helpful. I literally got laughed at when I called GWU to get some information related to funding.

 

I'm sure it's a fine program, but I get the impression that if they weren't in DC, most people wouldn't have even heard of them. 

 

I spoke with a really snide faculty member at GWU when I was first looking at grad programs a few years ago. It really tainted the whole experience for me. He kept insinuating that I didn't go to a good enough university to be considered for GW (?) 

 

I went to an SEC school for undergrad and no, it wasn't an Ivy, but it didn't seem to stop UW Evans, Georgetown, and USC from offering me admission to their programs. Thanks GW!

Edited March 6, 2015 by jxmp

[Gov2School]

Is it me or as you go more East geographically in USA the more pretentious these schools get with regards to their admissions decisions? I received updates and admissions decisions from Denver and Chicago this week. Not a peep from the DC schools.

 

It's worth remembering that some of these decision release dates are strategic.  You have a lot of programs competing for a relatively small slice of top students, and many of those top students want to go to an Ivy League or similarly high-ranked, big name program if they can, and if they want to go into federal or international policy after graduation they'll likely be drawn to the industry centers for those activities (New York and DC), because of the networking and internship opportunities they provide, or just because they think -- rightly or wrongly -- that's where they need to be.  

 

So if you're a non-Ivy League program or a program outside of DC or New York,  or if you're a great program like Tufts competing with an Ivy League program in your backyard, it's in your interest to get your admission decisions (and your funding decisions) out as soon as possible.  That gives you weeks to sell yourself to applicants and get them excited about the special qualities of your program, so they'll be more likely to remember you once decisions start coming in from Ivy League programs.   It doesn't mean your program is less pretentious it just means you have to work a little harder to attract the same eyeballs. 

[WinterSolstice]

I spoke with a really snide faculty member at GWU when I was first looking at grad programs a few years ago. It really tainted the whole experience for me. He kept insinuating that I didn't go to a good enough university to be considered for GW (?) 

 

I went to an SEC school for undergrad and no, it wasn't an Ivy, but it didn't seem to stop UW Evans, Georgetown, and USC from offering me admission to their programs. Thanks GW!

 

You're definitely not alone. I also had really negative experiences with GW. They did offer me money, but they offered it well after most program response deadlines, and I had accepted a spot at another program. They proceeded to email and call me non-stop even after I explained to them very thoroughly I was choosing a different program. To this day, I actually still get random emails from them. Very bizarre.

 

My whole experience with GW was very negative, which was so disappointing because I wanted to like them so much. They had a specific gender and development program, which is something I really wanted, and it was in DC, plus I would be able to work/intern while studying. But my accepted student's day experience with them was awful. Really quite a shame because it started as my top choice, but every interaction I had with the school turned me away.