How old are you?

[mpp2015!]

After being rejected from my dream school and not receiving funding from any of the schools that I have been admitted to, I feel motivated to continue working for one to two more years, maybe retake the GRE, and take some math and programming classes at a CC to boost my GPA for when I reapply. 

 

That being said, I am currently 27 and think I might be less motivated to pursue an MPP the closer I get to 30. 

 

So, how old are you? 

[deletethisname]

I turn 25 in the summer. Accepted to 2 top programs in IR, awaiting 2 more. I suggest you apply again. I had mediocre GPA and GRE and still got funding. I think what helped me most was my SOP and language skills. Anyways, good luck!

Edited March 13, 2015 by kingthearab

[MattCanFly]

I am turning 24 in April. So far, accepted to American University SIS and rejected from Colombia SIPA. Straight out of undergrad, but no word yet on funding.

[outofspace]

I'm 32 and have found my motivation has only increased over time--though the thought of going back to school gets scarier as time passes as well. Even at my age though, I am, like you, contemplating waiting and applying again next year after taking a couple of quant classes, as that was one weak spot in my profile and I think having a good grade in a quant course or two might really improve my chances of getting into a good program with significant funding. It really depends on how the rest of my cycle turns out, of course, but funding is incredibly important in the grand scheme of things and there's just no way I can go $150k or so in debt for an IR degree. In any case, this is all just to say that there's no harm in waiting at the age of 27, especially if you're going to use the extra time wisely and are confident that it will put you in a significantly stronger position next year.

Edited March 13, 2015 by outofspace

[MsFutureDiplomat]

I am 24, but I have been out of undergrad since 21. So I feel ready to go back to school with this amount of work experience. A little nervous about re-adjusting, but ready.

[Guest]

22. It all depends on my last two schools on list, man...which are both in my Top 3. Elliott is my number one choice, and the program in Egypt will be beneficial for international/travel experience for whenever I start a Middle-East based career. It is also a cheap and area to live in with a rich history and lots to do.  At the moment, I have acceptances. But, I am in the  'no aid' boat or 'waiting to hear about aid' boat.

 

My Plan B is to take this paid job position in Spain for a year to get some international and work experience, which I lacked for this application session. Then, perhaps re-take the GRE and shoot again for Fall 2016.My GPA and language skills are point at least. But, I'm not giving in yet. Like I said, I have 2 more schools left. I would just hate to have to go through this stressful process again. But, it happens to some of us.

Edited March 13, 2015 by Guest

[ayir]

I am 32 as well. I agree with Outspace, with age I have only become more determined, focused and confident. I did my MBA right out of undergrad at 21. Though I had the opportunity to work in some awesome roles, compared to then, this time around I have a much more practical and clear expectation out of the programs and on my career trajectory. 

[beefmaster]

27 and will be applying for fall 2016! Not too worried about age, especially in the field I work in. Taking time out between undergrad and graduate school has allowed me to really define my career interests and thus what programmes I want to apply for. 

[ZebraFinch]

25, but I graduated  from my undergrad this last June because I took over a year off to study abroad in Russia, double-majored in econ and poli sci, and medical issues had me withdraw from some classes.  I got accepted into Korbel with funding, still waiting on Georgetown, waitlisted at Fletcher... honestly, if I don't get off Fletcher's waitlist I might just take a year to work, as I'm not nearly interested enough in Korbel. Fletcher (okay, let's say the MALD program) has been my dream school forever and if that means taking some time before I can make a better application and get in, I'll do that. I just got offered a job in the federal government so it's not that bad.

[UWC_Diplomat]

Just turned 22, will finish my BA in May at top tier Midwestern private college. I guess I am very lucky, I got into five top tier IR programs (LSE and four US schools) straight out of undergrad. I think that PPIA fellowship helped immensely. Looking at all these average ages, now I am afraid that my future classmates and professors might think of me as a kid because I am only 22 (and look even younger). 

[it's an IR world]

28 -- you guys are making me feel old. I've worked some awesome jobs since undergrad though, so wouldn't do it differently

[ZebraFinch]

28 -- you guys are making me feel old. I've worked some awesome jobs since undergrad though, so wouldn't do it differently

 

Hey if I had any luck finding awesome jobs I'd wait for the whole grad school thing

[MJA87]

Currently 27 and I was beginning to feel like it was now or never for grad school (for me, I know it's different strokes for different folks). Though I feel old, I think I'll probably be a year or two older than the average student at most programs, so I take some comfort in that.

[it's an IR world]

Hey if I had any luck finding awesome jobs I'd wait for the whole grad school thing

 

Okay fine! Old fogies still enjoy flattery, after all. 

[RCtheSS]

Just turned 22, will finish my BA in May at top tier Midwestern private college. I guess I am very lucky, I got into five top tier IR programs (LSE and four US schools) straight out of undergrad. I think that PPIA fellowship helped immensely. Looking at all these average ages, now I am afraid that my future classmates and professors might think of me as a kid because I am only 22 (and look even younger). 

Fellow PPIAer here!

 

I'll be turning 23 next month. I finished undergrad last May and am currently working before applying for the Fall 2016 cycle later this year. By the time I hope to enroll, I should have 2 years of relevant policy experience.

[zadigblue]

I'm 23 and just finishing up my BA now. It feels like my undergrad has dragged on forever (worked for two years between academic semesters - took me six years from start to finish) so I'm eager to hop right into my masters.

[manutdftw]

26. Gonna be 27 by the time I enroll in Fall 2016. Would have 4 years of relevant U.S. and international work experience. As excited as I am to start grad school, the 4 years have allowed me to refine my career interests and goals while saving much-needed $. Can't wait for this whole applying and waiting experience later this year/early next year.

[WinterSolstice]

Currently 24, graduated undergrad at 21 and have been working for the last 2.5 years. My quant. GRE wasn't the best, but I think work experience and GPA made up for it, thankfully!

[ReinventOneself]

Older than everyone in this thread Lots of interesting work experience, including overseas, both private and non-profit, and completely fluent in a foreign language. I've just been accepted to the first two grad schools I've ever applied to. Humbled and happy.

[mpp2015!]

I'm guess I'm also trying to figure out at what point a full time MPP no longer makes sense, particularly in the context of using that time to work, get promoted, and actually receive a pay check. The MPP seems so hard to quantify in terms of career benefits. It's quite clear that an attorney or a doctor needs to go to grad school to get their job, but there really are no positions where the lack of an MPP precludes you from qualifying for the job. And I guess the older I get, the more comfortable I get with paychecks and benefits, the less likely I will want to take 2 years off to study. That being said, I know that I would love the experience, the curriculum at certain schools looks amazing, and it probably will be a positive thing in the long run. 

Anyways, thanks for listening and for your responses! 

[pluckyduck123]

I'm 28 and will be 29 in November. Will be graduating at age 30. Going to Princeton's WWS is not a bad way to close out my 20s! I'm grateful for my experience - I'll have much more to contribute in the classroom.

[ThatGuy22]

I'm 24. I'm applying to MPA programs ( Syracuse, Baruch, John Jay)since I'm interested in city management with a focus on education. I took a gap year and volunteered with Americorps. Now I'm working at a school. I feel that an extra year at times will prepare me more for school.

[WhatAmIDoingNow]

After being rejected from my dream school and not receiving funding from any of the schools that I have been admitted to, I feel motivated to continue working for one to two more years, maybe retake the GRE, and take some math and programming classes at a CC to boost my GPA for when I reapply. 

 

That being said, I am currently 27 and think I might be less motivated to pursue an MPP the closer I get to 30. 

 

So, how old are you?

I wouldn't worry about age. I would alter my strategy. Many students in my MPA program were in their 30s and 40s. If you hold out a couple years, make sure your job will pay for it and stay instate. You will be pretty close to fully vested.

[PeterQuince]

I just turned 30 and will be 30 when I matriculate. I've worked for the past eight years with public K-12 education-focused initiatives in urban centers from both higher ed and nonprofit settings.

 

My age definitely played a factor in what programs I considered, especially as I'm just a bit too young for most of the mid-career programs but older than most of the students at the more competitive "first degree" programs. My wife is a teacher and went back to school semi-locally for a one-year master's degree, so I decided to apply only to schools in metro areas where (a) she thought she might want to teach and ( I thought I could find meaningful work upon graduating, because it would interrupt her career to much to keep moving around. I think we'd both have been more willing to serially uproot our lives or live apart from each other earlier in our relationship, but we've been married for several years and deeply connected with our community where I work, where she teaches, and where some of her students live on the same block as us, so packing up and moving isn't as easy as it might have been.

 

I never intended to wait this long to go back to school, but I wasn't ready and knew I shouldn't apply until I really knew why I wanted to go. So I waited, and it worked out pretty well. That said, everyone on this board may have different stories and circumstances that may make graduate school more or less enticing at different points in time in their lives.

[Glitter1nTheAir]

I am currently 24 and will turn 25 within a couple months of starting my program.

 

I took an extra semester of undergrad to study abroad (so worth it), took another year to figure out what I wanted to do with my life (initially wanted to go into physical therapy, then event planning, and now I'm here!), then started serving in AmeriCorps VISTA - my service year ends in August a few weeks before my program starts.