Undergrad Soph--What can I do?

[tpottebaum]

Hey everyone,

I am a going into my second year at DePaul University, and I've (quite enthusiastically) decided that I want to get my masters in public policy. Now I am left wondering what I can do in order to give myself the best chances of getting into a good program.

I am majoring in economics and minoring in political science. I have a 4.0 GPA after my first year, got a position as an Undergraduate Writing Fellow, and am the membership director of the school's largest Democratic Party organization. I'm also expecting to have a leadership position in a community service organization I was involved in last year.

So, other than keeping a high GPA and studying for the GRE, what else can I do? Would it be wise to pursue some kind of congressional internship? That's something I'm really hoping to do.

[joro]

I'm not sure if this can apply to you as well, but participate in research, get papers published, attend conferences (volunteer also), etc. It's good to know that you thought this far ahead.

[RedPotato]

Take as many writing and reading intensive courses as you can. I mainly limited my whole UG career to my discipline, and the GRE vocab in other subjects is kicking my butt. I wish I took a wider range.

[natofone]

You're doing exactly what you need to do by majoring in political science and economics with high grades. Make sure to take plenty of statistics, linear regression, and calculus. The more the better. Picking up a relevant second (or third) language is always helpful.

I wouldn't worry as much about academic conferences and publications and what-not, because MPP programs are generally less interested in that type of thing than they are real-world policy experience. A congressional internship sounds great to help you in that process. I believe (look this up to confirm it) that MPP programs want real-world, policy-oriented recommendations, so always consider who might write you letters when you apply.

(keep in mind that I'm not in an MPP program so I might not be the best person to answer this question - I've just taken some classes from a policy school as part of an interdisciplinary MA)

[expressionista]

I think the best thing you can do at this point is work on building relationships with professors in your major so that you'll have some awesome letters of recommendation when the time to apply comes.

[tpottebaum]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

I wouldn't worry as much about academic conferences and publications and what-not, because MPP programs are generally less interested in that type of thing than they are real-world policy experience. A congressional internship sounds great to help you in that process. I believe (look this up to confirm it) that MPP programs want real-world, policy-oriented recommendations, so always consider who might write you letters when you apply.

What type of real-world experience, other than a congressional internship, do you have in mind? Community service? Getting involved with non-profits (even though I'm looking toward policy analyst, not non-profit management)?

[natofone]

Policy schools are like business schools in that real-world experience is quite beneficial and only a minority of students enter without any. I would guess that most applicants at the top schools have several years of experience working in policy before applying. If you're planning to enter right out of undergrad then you won't be able get much real-world experience, so be strategic with where you end up and think about who could write your letters of recommendation at your internship.

[tpottebaum]

Thanks, natafone.

[JerryLandis]

Seek out opportunities that are directly related to your topic of study. It may sound horrible and cynical, but being the president of a charity club won't necessarily be mentioned in applications, whereas working as a research intern will. I'm not saying not to continue doing extra curricular activities, just make sure you're doing them because you want to and not because you think it will look good (ah, the good old days of high school apps, when joining a million clubs could help you out..)

Getting some kind of a research internship or serving as a student representative within your department, basically any extra or volunteer position within your department is a great thing to do. Not least this is because it will give your professors something interesting to write about in your recommendations. Get to know your professors well. This is a good thing to do in general, but also because when it comes time for them to write you a recommendation they will have more personal things to say than "so and so got an okay grade in my class."

My biggest piece of advice is TAKE THE GRE NOW. I'm serious. I wish someone had told me to take it during the summer after my high school graduation. Your scores are valid for 5 years so it's not too early. Believe me, that math knowledge will fly right out of your head as soon as you stop taking math classes. Also, taking the GRE is really really stressful, and if you wait to take it during the first semester of your final year you will wish you had done it sooner.

Good luck with everything. The fact that you're together enough to be researching this stuff at this early stage suggests that you'll probably be fine when it comes to writing your applications.