Fall 2015 Wrap-up (Profiles, Results, and Decisions)

[Kalaba]

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Large state school, not known for anything.
Previous Degrees and GPAs: B.A. Political Science, 3.75
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 164/158/5.0
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): Admin work for over 1 year, 3 years Peace Corps, and 2 years (by the time I start) in a field directly related to what I would like to do long term.
Math/Econ Background: Nothing in college, advanced math in high school, took Micro and Macro before applying to strengthen my app.
Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): Intermediate French, taking classes to brush up before school starts
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: International Development, Humanitarian Assistance
Long Term Professional Goals: Emergency Response
Schools Applied to & Results: Denver, Korbel (Accepted, $20k a year); Fletcher MALD (Acccepted, $18k a year), American SIS (Accepted, 6 credit tuition remission a year); GWU Elliott (Accepted, $24k a year).
Ultimate Decision & Why: GWU! It has the concentration I want, I can keep working, it's convenient to where I already work, and I can graduate debt-free. What more could you want? I thought it would be a hard decision, but honestly, the fellowship made it pretty easy.
Advice for Future Applicants:

1. As everyone else says, start early! I started researching schools really early and had them picked out by summer. Wrote my essays over the summer and had time to sit on them and come back later to review. I took the GRE later than I would have liked, but it worked out. I had a goal of submitting everything around Thanksgiving but vacation through me off, so I had everything in between Christmas and New Years. At that point I specifically turned it off and pretended I hadn't applied at all.

 

2. Once you've applied, forget this forum exists. I had to stop coming because everytime I saw someone post, "I got an e-mail from so and so at Fletcher!" I freaked out that I wasn't getting in because I didn't receive anything from Fletcher. And once admits start coming out, you see the forums updating with people getting responses and freak out if you didn't get your result at the same time. Seriously, just run away.

 

3. Take this website with a grain of salt, as others have said. I was convinced I wouldn't get in anywhere, because of the profiles I saw from other students. My results were pretty good, and I almost wish I had applied to other schools (this forum convinced me Georgetown, JSU, etc were all out of reach). However, I am glad I had a targeted search, it saved me time and money only sending out a certain number of applications.

 

4. Know that you don't really know anything. I applied to American mostly because it was free and I thought they'd give me the largest amount of aid that I could use for leverage (I do like that it's a practical program, but they don't have my concentration). They gave me the smallest amount. It was not the outcome I was expecting. I also wondered if I'd be rejected, mainly because it's not a great fit for me. I NEVER expected that sort of money from GWU. I expected a few dollars. Just go along for the ride, and know that you do have choices (even if it's applying again next year).

 

Good luck!

[thx4558]

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Research University
Previous Degrees and GPAs: B.A., Economics and Romance Languages with a minor in Arabic
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 166/160/5.0
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 4, project/vendor management in translation industry
Math/Econ Background: Econ major - but not math heavy.
Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): Spanish/French - full academic proficiency, Arabic - intermediate, Hebrew and German, elementary
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: Int'l Econ, Conflict Management, Arabic
Long Term Professional Goals: Promoting investment in post-conflict states
Schools Applied to & Results: 

             Accepted: SAIS, SIPA, SIS, IHEID, PSIA

            Rejected: WWS, Yale Jackson

           Waitlisted: SFS
Ultimate Decision & Why: My ultimate decision is SAIS - while I'm heavily indebted from undergrad, I have one shot to pick the best school I could get into. While SIPA gave me more money, SAIS' integrated language approach as well as the 'double major' of econ and something else drew me. Plus I am so ready to leave New York.
Advice for Future Applicants: Do not overestimate what kind of funding you expect. Base your plans off of getting nothing, and then be pleasantly surprised if something comes through. Also, do research before applying on what the programs are like from current students, rather than marketing materials. I would have saved myself the money on some schools.

 

Most importantly, go somewhere where you'll be happy with your decision!

[acm14]

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Top tier private university known for its foreign policy and government programs 

Previous Degrees and GPAs: BS in International Politics, 3.71

GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 168/ 157/ 6
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 1.5 federal consulting in the international affairs / defense space. 1.5 years as a fellow at a university in Pakistan working for the university president and a university-affiliated development org
Math/Econ Background: Micro/Macro/ITrade/IFinance (non required calcus).  No for-credit math, but did take a Coursera calculus course for my grad school resume

Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): Modern Standard Arabic (2 study abroad stints in the MidEast, passed undergraduate proficiency exam). Beginning level Urdu
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: International Affairs with a security studies focus

Long Term Professional Goals: Public sector foreign affairs/national security policy....State Dept, esp Conflict & Stabilization Ops or something like that, NSC staff, intelligence community. Haven't ruled out foreign service. 
Schools Applied to & Results: Accepted: Fletcher ($50k over 2 years); SAIS ($15k first year funding, potentially renewable); Georgetown SSP (no money). Rejected: HKS, WWS
Ultimate Decision & Why: SAIS. Honestly, I'm not suuuuuper excited about SAIS because I feel like it's big and impersonal and the quality of the student body is very uneven --  but I recognize that it's a fantastic stepping stone to get where I need to go. I love so much about Fletcher, but at the end of the day, it feels irresponsible not to be in DC for the networking / internship opportunities when what I want is a public sector job, and I want to build my public sector resume. Plus, I'll need to brush up on my language skills, and it seems easier to do that at SAIS.  Moreover, while Tufts offers better flexibility to tailor your own academic interests, the STRAT concentration at SAIS seems to be really strong and to deliver a strong sense of community at SAIS, even if the broader SAIS program lacks it. I'm going in with the attitude that I'll have to really focus on networking / classes to get what I want out of SAIS. Gtown SSP was always my least favorite program (I think there's value to having two networks, which you may have realized from the above information wouldn't be the case if I went to SSP. Plus, I felt like it was designed more for people with day jobs going to school at night on the side, and I generally get the sense that the student body there isn't as intellectual)....so when they didn't give me money, it was a very, very easy decision to say no. 
Advice for Future Applicants:

Talk to as many alums as you can about their experiences with the program BEFORE starting your apps, both to get a better feel for how to write an SOP for that school, and to weed out any schools you wouldn't actually want to attend if you got in (for me and my professional/personal goals, this was SIPA). Start your SoP's early and have many people read them. I completely messed up my first round of essays, but luckily it was ok because I had over a month to rework all of them. 

 

Also, this has been said so many times, but DON"T GO STRAIGHT FROM UNDERGRAD. I cannot fathom what the advantage is to going straight from undergrad, when all of these schools tell you that they strongly discourage it. Even if you get in (with funding, which is practically a pipe dream from undergrad), you'll be applying for a job in a notoriously competitive field/crappy funding environment, but with less work experience than all of your classmates -- i.e. your fellow job competition. I guess if what you want is to go into academia and you want to get an MA in advance of a PhD, then maybe go straight from undergrad. But otherwise, just get some work experience!

Edited April 3, 2015 by acm14

[Rap Game Harry Kane]

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Syracuse 
Previous Degrees and GPAs: BA Political Science, Sociology, Marketing minor - 3.9
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 164/158/4.5
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 3 years in derivative operations at a major investment bank
Math/Econ Background: basic training in the following - micro/macro, stats, qual/quant research methods, finance/accounting
Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): nil
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: MPP, economic policy
Long Term Professional Goals: institutional analysis and regulation of financial firms, impact investing (social impact bonds, green bonds, infrastructure investment)
Schools Applied to & Results: Accepted 7/7: Georgetown McCourt, LSE MPA, Maryland MPP, American MPP, Syracuse MPA, UMass Amherst MBA/MPA, Albany MPA

Ultimate Decision & Why: Maryland MPP - school's vision aligns well with career goals, it's accessible to DC and I was offered a great aid/assistantship package
Advice for Future Applicants: Spend time defining and articulating your competitive advantage vs. other applicants and ensure it's delivered clearly in your resume and personal statement.  Make an effort to visit where you are accepted.  Use this forum for brainstorming but do not take direct advice from anyone or be intimidated, you control your own career.

[Kosmosis707]

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Public University in California

Previous Degrees and GPAs: B.A. in Political Science, 3.60 GPA

 

GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 155/147/4.5 - yuck

 

Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 13-14 years of experience.  4 years in the Navy Submarine Force.  Around 9 years working mid-level positions in Human Resources for Homeland Security and county governments.

 

Math/Econ Background: Well below the average!  In high school, I only completed up to Geometry.  No economics.  Took Stats and Quant Methods during undergrad and received an “A” in both. This is the part that probably killed any funding outside of my VA benefits.

 

Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): First year Chinese.  One semester of Thai. No longer proficient in either.

 

Intended Field of Study in Grad School: International Affairs or Asian Studies

 

Long Term Professional Goals: Foreign Service with State Dept or USAid.  Or any position that will put me overseas often and utilize my skills.

 

Schools Applied to & Results:  I applied to a very strange mix:  Cornell Asian Studies, GWU Elliott, American SIS, UCSD IRPS, LSE in London, ANU (Australian National University), and SOAS in London

 

Ultimate Decision & Why: UCSD IRPS.  However, due to a recent family crisis, I may have to defer.  I chose IRPS because I can pay in-state tuition, have a strong support system in the area, their academic reputation in addition to the professional reputation, and the strong focus on Asia.  After researching a bit, I felt IRPS has more focus in skills that I am very weak with (quantitative methods).  I received no additional funding for any program I applied to, probably due to my quant GRE and background, and that made my decision for IRPS easier as well.

 

Advice for Future Applicants:  DO NOT underestimate yourself.  I thought I was “reaching” with GWU, American, Cornell (which was true), LSE, and UCSD. I ended up being admitted to every program except Cornell Asian Studies.  As you can see, my quant was HORRID, my professional experience had no real international focus, and my language skills are no longer.  But I think programs saw my success in undergrad, my focus in coursework relating to the international arena, and strong academic letters of reference as positive signs.  My only regret now is not taking more of a reach towards a program like SAIS. Yep…I was actually HOPING for a rejection at one point! In the end, I probably would have ended up with the same result but I really encourage you to reach HARD for at least one program.

 

Also, try to obtain a laser focus on a career path and find the best fit.  I only knew that wanted to work in the international arena or academia, so my program choices were all over the place.  

[mrmojorisin]

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier):  Midwestern satellite public school

 

Previous Degrees and GPAs:  Sociology (3.8/4.0) & Psychology (3.8/4.0)

 

GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing):  162V / 154Q / 4.5W

 

Previous Work Experience (Years, Type):  Marine Corps - 5 years, telecommunications - 10 years
 

Math/Econ Background:  Trigonometry, Stats/Micro and Macro
 

Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program):  Intermediate Spanish
 

Intended Field of Study in Grad School:  Foreign Affairs, International Economy
 

Long Term Professional Goals:  FSO, Congress

 

Schools applied to and results: Georgetown SFS - Rejected, American SIS - Accepted, Denver Korbel - Accepted ($30k total), Harvard KSG - Rejected, Pittsburgh GSPIA - Accepted, Kentucky Patterson - Accepted ($7.5k total), Michigan Ford - Accepted ($20k total), Penn State SIA - Accepted ($10.5k total), Marquette GS - Accepted (25k total)
 

Ultimate Decision & Why:  University of Denver.  If AU had offered some amount of merit aid, I might be DC-bound, but I couldn’t turn down the chance to live in Denver for two years.  Luckily they offered a scholarship, because the GI bill does not quite cover DU's tuition (and I don't want to be loaded with student debt).  I have been juggling work, school, and parenthood for the past eight years, so it will be a great experience to live in the mountains and have only school to demand my time.  Since I’m striving for the Foreign Service, I’m not too concerned with not being inside the beltway.  Besides, Korbel offers a quarter in DC and the dean of the Korbel School is a legend in the field I want to enter.  All signs point west
 

Advice for Future Applicants:  Don’t apply to so many schools if you have a strong record.  I could have spent less time researching schools and filling out application materials, and more time working on the GRE if I had only applied to three or four schools.  Everybody told me I should apply to at least eight schools to make sure I had a good chance of being accepted somewhere.  I guess my friends don’t know anything about grad school admissions.  Unfortunately, I didn't find this forum until after the application process.         

Edited April 4, 2015 by mrmojorisin

[crisisdiplomacy]

 

Ultimate Decision & Why: SAIS. Honestly, I'm not suuuuuper excited about SAIS because I feel like it's big and impersonal and the quality of the student body is very uneven --  but I recognize that it's a fantastic stepping stone to get where I need to go. I love so much about Fletcher, but at the end of the day, it feels irresponsible not to be in DC for the networking / internship opportunities when what I want is a public sector job, and I want to build my public sector resume. Plus, I'll need to brush up on my language skills, and it seems easier to do that at SAIS.  Moreover, while Tufts offers better flexibility to tailor your own academic interests, the STRAT concentration at SAIS seems to be really strong and to deliver a strong sense of community at SAIS, even if the broader SAIS program lacks it. I'm going in with the attitude that I'll have to really focus on networking / classes to get what I want out of SAIS. 

 

What do you mean by SAIS's student body "is very uneven?" 

Edited April 6, 2015 by crisisdiplomacy

[acm14]

 

 

 

What do you mean by SAIS's student body "is very uneven?" 

 

I"m probably going to get flak for this but here goes.... I quote directly from a current SAIS friend I skyped last week, with whom I studied foreign affairs as an undergrad: "It's way easier to do well here than undergrad, and some of the students here just aren't that smart. I had to try a lot harder in undergrad to stand out against the other students. But really, that ends up being kind of an advantage in the end when it comes to the job market"

 

Clearly there are many, many bright, ambitious, intellectual, and heavy hitting SAIS students. I also think it's a big class, and when you have a massive class size, you get some people who....aren't. Obviously though, I think the program is worth spending a lot of money on, I think there's incredibly high quality faculty / professional opportunities at SAIS, and I'm excited to be a part of the program next year. 

[intlmktng]

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier):  UNC

 

Previous Degrees and GPAs:  International Business (3.8/4.0)

 

GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing):  162V / 165Q / 4.0W

 

Previous Work Experience (Years, Type):  Financial Services- 2 years
 

Math/Econ Background:  Stats, Micro and Macro, Multivariate Calculus
 

Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program):  Intermediate Spanish
 

Intended Field of Study in Grad School:  Development Policy Analysis
 

Long Term Professional Goals:  World Bank, J-PAL, Academia

 

Schools applied to and results: Georgetown MPP - Accepted, Georgetown MIDP - Accepted, Duke MPP- Accepted, Duke MIDP- Accepted
 

Ultimate Decision & Why: Georgetown MIDP for the analytic rigor, DC community, and small cohort model.

[treegirl109]

Previous Schools Poorly ranked state school

Previous Degrees and GPAs: BA in Political Science and International Affairs 3.51
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 154/154/4.5
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): Fulbright Scholar 1 year (also internships at U.S. embassy abroad, with a U.S. Senator, and at the U.S. Peace Corps). I also have extensive work with a nonprofit.
Math/Econ Background: Very little. Just macro and micro econ classes.
Foreign Language Background elementary French and Turkish
Long Term Professional Goals: concentrating in European Studies
Schools Applied to & Results: See signature
Ultimate Decision & Why: SAIS. SAIS was actually my dream program after reading about the various classes and programs. I like the idea of living in Washington, DC in order to intern while attending graduate school. I feel I'll be better connected to future employers and alumni. Furthermore, I have a friend who currently attends Tufts who was having trouble finding an international paid internship for the summer. She also complained about being overshadowed by Harvard and MIT in the area. Neither seem to be a problem for SAIS students. SAIS seems to be better for European Studies as well. Finally, I recently attended a conference, and upon mentioning both schools I got far better feedback for SAIS than Tufts. For instance, I was told, "Oh! Both are excellent schools, but honestly, SAIS graduates are the most prepared students for the real world." I didn't give much consideration to American. I felt Tufts and SAIS were better programs. Although Tufts gave me more money than SAIS, I see graduate school as an investment. I'd rather make the right investment than the cheaper investment. 
Advice for Future Applicants: My current Fulbright roommate was accepted to Princeton's WWS with a lower GRE scores than myself. Don't write yourself off from a program due to your GRE scores. Schools are looking more for your experience AND a comprehensive narrative (I mean, do you have a clear vision of where you are going?). Cast a wide net. I didn't get into a program I thought I was going to for sure be accepted to (Notre Dame), but I had so many other fantastic options that it didn't end up mattering too much. 

Edited April 7, 2015 by treegirl109

[Atlas445]

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Top 50 Public School
Previous Degrees and GPAs: BA – International Relations, 3.33
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 157/154/5.0
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 1 year as Researcher for Lobbying Firm, 2.5 years Research Analyst for a federal government agency (in the IR field), and leader of Model United Nations student club during undergraduate study
Math/Econ Background: Probability and Statistics, Micro/Macro Econ, Quantitative Analysis for Political Science, Work Experience with R Statistics program
Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): 2 years of Modern Standard Arabic while in undergrad
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: International Affairs/Security Studies
Long Term Professional Goals: Diplomatic/Security related position with a federal government agency (State Department, FBI, DoD, etc.)
Schools Applied to & Results: Princeton WWS (rejected), Harvard HKS (rejected), Columbia SIPA (waitlisted), Georgetown SSP (accepted), GWU Elliott School SPS (accepted w/ $20k merit scholarship), American University SIS USFP (accepted)
Ultimate Decision & Why: Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service - SSP. I was really torn between the Elliott School’s Security Policy Studies program and Georgetown’s Security Studies Program at the Walsh School of Foreign Service, especially with the offer for a $20k scholarship to attend GWU. Some would say I’m crazy for turning it down, and maybe I am! However, after evaluating the course curriculum and the professors teaching the courses at these two programs I found Georgetown’s program to be of far greater interest to me because of the larger offerings in subjects that were absolutely fascinating, and many of them being taught by current practitioners actively working in the field. The chance to experience a program like this with guaranteed small class sizes, aggressive on-campus recruiting from government agencies, and boundless networking opportunities offers an education simply unparalleled in the International Affairs/Security Studies realm. Many on here are particularly risk averse in terms of the cost of graduate study, but for me I couldn't allow $20k to be the deciding factor. In my heart I’ve always wanted to go to Georgetown, and now I will be!
Advice for Future Applicants: My first piece of advice would be to start this process early!  It’s easy to lose focus when something is seemingly off in the distant future, but the earlier you begin this process the better off you’ll be. My applications definitely improved as I continued through the process, and it's not surprising that I was rejected at the schools whose deadlines were sooner (Harvard and Princeton - early December). I got better at writing statements of purpose as I continued through the process, so definitely get an early jump on writing those SOPs!

 

My second piece of advice would be to apply to as many school as you can, and don’t rule out programs because you think you won’t be accepted. You never know unless you try. I figured Georgetown was a big reach for me, but I got in! However, it is important to remember that this process is competitive so think about the things that strengthen or weaken a school's consideration of you as a candidate. If you weren't the Michael Jordan of academics in undergrad (which I certainly wasn't), then it might be worth your while to try and get some work experience in your desired field to boost your resume and demonstrate that you're on an upward trajectory career-wise.

 

 

My final piece of advice is to trust your instincts. There are generally three camps of individuals on these forums; those that preach the virtues of taking on as little debt as possible even if it means studying at a program you’re not excited about, those that would spend untold fortunes for the benefit of attending the most prestigious school they can, and those that fall somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. These different ideologies all have their own merits and detractors, which is why it’s important to trust your gut and do what you feel is right for you. No one else knows you better than you know yourself, and no one else knows what is best for you.

Edited April 12, 2015 by Atlas445

[Guest]

My final piece of advice is to trust your instincts. There are generally three camps of individuals on these forums; those that preach the virtues of taking on as little debt as possible even if it means studying at a program you’re not excited about, those that would spend untold fortunes for the benefit of attending the most prestigious school they can, and those that fall somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. These different ideologies all have their own merits and detractors, which is why it’s important to trust your gut and do what you feel is right for you. No one else knows you better than you know yourself, and no one else knows what is best for you.

Lol at the 3 camps.Best advice on this thread yet. It's true. The 'Am I Competitive' threads and constant stress on GRE scores on this site (not just on this section of the site) were reasons for why I was hesitant to apply to Georgetown. But, I'm happy for my acceptance and decision @ GWU regardless. Fit is important too. I knew that I did not want to attend a school that would give a curriculum 'mostly filled' with courses or criteria not related to my career or interests.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Guest

[--jawn--]

Previous Schools : Temple University, Honors Program
Previous Degrees and GPAs: B.A. Linguistics, 3.63 
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 160/153/4.5
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 2 years AmeriCorps VISTA and VISTA Leader for the same project, interned with a low-power radio advocacy group and with a fair trade organization during undergrad.
Math/Econ Background: Intro to Micro and Intro to Stat
Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): Passable Spanish
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: MPA, focusing on Urban/Social Policy. I'm interested in economic development, housing policy, labor markets, and how they all (and others) affect education.
Long Term Professional Goals: I don't have a preference w/r/t public or private. I only have experience at the non-profit and city level and am interested to see if I'd enjoy working on a state or federal level. 
Schools Applied to & Results: Cornell CIPA - $16k/yr, Pitt GSPIA - $15k/yr (+ I am in-state), Syracuse Maxwell - $10k, Penn Fels - $8k

Ultimate Decision & Why: Syracuse Maxwell. I didn't think I was going to be accepted, so when I got the e-mail, I was thrilled. All of the programs I applied to had their positives -- Fels is in my hometown, Pitt gave me a very generous award, and CIPA... well, you can look on these boards and learn quickly how truly personalized and inclusive their program is. However, I went to a middling undergrad institution and I wanted to do it right for my graduate studies. My fiance is looking to go into IA or International Law, so I was looking for a highly mobile degree. And finally, CIPA has a highly individualized structure which I felt might overwhelm me (the choice in courses is positively staggering), whereas Maxwell's program is rigid. I am glad that I applied to a range of programs and had time to think critically about what would be best for me as a student and for my future career.
Advice for Future Applicants: Put the effort in to make your SOP shine. I worked my butt off on my SOPs and I credit them with the acceptances and award packages I received. Write them early and do not be afraid to have a LOT of people look at them. I probably spent upwards of 50 hours on them. Think about your life as professional narrative and how grad school will help to shape that narrative. For me, I wound up studying collective impact in a thesis I wrote in undergrad, and it led me to the VISTA work that I have been doing the past two years. Grad school will allow me the tools to study this in a much more thorough manner. There is always an interesting way to frame your experiences. Finally, tailor your essays!! Each program is different and has a different personality/culture. Play into that. Honestly, getting into the mindset of the school as you write may help you come April when you have to make a decision.

[DecisionsDecisions..]

Previous Schools: Denison University (top 50 liberal arts college)

Previous Degrees: BA in Philosophy, 3.61

GRE Scores: 165/165/4.5

Previous Work Experience: 3 years in community organizing, campaign, nonprofit policy work.

Math/Econ Background: Studied Calculus through Calc 2 and took a math proofs class as an undergraduate. Studied statistics in high school and took a refresher course at a community college the summer before grad application season. Econ experienced limited to introductory macroeconomics.

Intended Field of Study in Grad School: Public Policy

Long Term Professional Goals: Lead policy advocacy campaigns at the state level.

Schools Applied to and Results: GSPP - Accepted, HKS - Accepted, Duke Sanford - Accepted, UT-Johnson - Accepted, Glenn - Accepted
Ultimate Decision & Why: When I first got news from schools, I leaned strongly towards HKS. The prestige of Harvard is incredible and the opportunity to study there is an unreal thing to process. As I talked to more and more people, though, it just seemed that GSPP was the better choice. The real turning point for me came when I spoke to a current student in the HKS MPP program who, while he thought the program was good, encouraged me to go to GSPP. The class size and intimacy of the program are very attractive and the quality of interactions I had with faculty, students, and alumni before making my decision were just hard to beat. Also, at the end, GSPP made a financial offer that sealed the deal for me. While finances weren't my number one factor, when you have two schools that are so equal in reputation and quality, the offer of financial help can make a decision a lot easier.

Advice for Future Applicants: Have a plan and prepare hard. I can't tell you why exactly I got the offers I got, but I know that I worked hard to make myself the most attractive candidate possible by spending a lot of time honing my vision, gaining a variety of experiences in my three years out of undergraduate, and fostering my relationship with my references. I saw that quantitative skills may be a weakness of mine, so I took a refresher stats class at a community college. I served on nonprofit boards. I did things I cared about and then showed how this graduate degree would be the next step in helping me meet my career goals. If you get involved with things you care about and show that you're passionate and competent, it's hard not to do well. And, of course, it also helps to test well.

[Franopan]

Previous Schools Top European University
Previous Degrees and GPAs: Double Major in Philosophy and Economics. GPA about 3.6
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 168/160/4
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 2 years teaching English in Japan. Some good student politics experience too. 
Math/Econ Background: Strong
Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): Intermediate French, beginner Japanese. 
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: International/Public Policy
Schools Applied to & Results: The Fletcher School, Tufts MALD (Accepted, $14k a year), Georgetown MPP (Accepted, $10k a year), George Washington University (Accepted, $12k a year)
Ultimate Decision & Why: The Fletcher School. Was a tough enough choice between Fletcher and Georgetown because I've always wanted to go to the latter, but Fletcher just seems like such an impressive and great school. The admissions team were amazing, I was getting emails from them and from professors urging me to enroll and everything I read about the school was extremely positive. The number of courses you can choose from is staggering, and the overall support and facilities from Fletcher seems better than anything I've come across. 
Advice for Future Applicants: In your application, try to come across as well rounded as possible. But also, if you properly read about the programs on their websites, you'll get a strong idea of what their priorities were. Fletcher really care about international experience, so I made sure to show that off as much as possible in my application . Georgetown, on the other hand, really care about quantitative skills, and also and appreciating for the need for strong quantitative reasoning, so I focused on that instead. 

 

Don't get too worried about 1 weakness. I have basically no professional experience, and even though all schools said it's strongly recommended, the other parts of my application made up for it. Just concentrate on what you have, and don't be afraid to apply to schools that may seem "out of your league". 

Edited April 16, 2015 by Franopan

[hamster88]

Edited:

 

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Well-known small liberal arts college

Previous Degrees and GPAs: Media Studies 3.65
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 170 V / 161 Q / 3.5 AW (that hurt since I consider writing to be one of my strengths!)
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 3 years at a national nonprofit related to my policy interests
Math/Econ Background: Limited. Took a few intro/intermediate econ and CS classes during undergrad. Got a C+ in my first econ class (lowest grade ever) but went on to get As in others which I explained in a supplementary letter.
Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): Some Spanish & French, not relevant to my field
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: MPP - Urban informatics
Long Term Professional Goals: local government leadership role using data and technology to improve service delivery (possibly CIO, CDO, similar)
Schools Applied to & Results: UC Berkeley GSPP (Accepted, no $ but in-state tuition), U Chicago Harris MPP (Accepted $$), NYU Wagner (Accepted, $$), HKS (Rejected), U Chicago Harris MSCAPP (Accepted last minute, $$)
Ultimate Decision & Why: U Chicago Harris MSCAPP. I was feeling really indecisive between GSPP and Harris MPP programs, and kind of not excited by either of them. I finally realized it's because I felt like those programs wouldn't open up substantially new career opportunities from what I could get with my current experience and network. I really wanted to build technical/quantitative expertise to complement my existing skillset so I decided last minute (April 10!) to request that Harris consider transferring my MPP admission to the MSCAPP program. They miraculously agreed, and it felt like too good of an opportunity to pass up. 

 

Earlier answer: I am currently deciding between GSPP and Harris. Very tough decision. Both are well-reputed and strong on quantitative curriculum which is important to me. I have strong relationships with faculty in my area at Harris which would be very valuable, but I have heard a few concerning things from current students about the lack of support from administration and not enough opportunities for applied learning.  But, having connections with faculty might help me get around those issues. GSPP is appealing because it is more affordable, smaller program, better location, and perhaps slightly more prestigious. But, I am a little concerned that most alumni seem to stay in the Bay Area -- not sure if that is self-selection or if graduates aren't competitive nationally? I also know two recent grads who are struggling to find jobs right now. GSPP also has slightly less of a focus on modern data science and technology than Harris, but I think I could make up for that by taking elective courses. Obviously I haven't made up my mind yet -- advice welcome!!!

Advice for Future Applicants: Start your essays early. The hardest (but very valuable) part for me was thinking through why I wanted to go back to school and coming up with a clear articulation of my goals. I did about 12 drafts. Give yourself enough time to proofread, I found a couple of typos during a last review right before I submitted an application that had somehow slipped past me and multiple other readers before. And do your research on schools and funding opportunities early. I mainly picked programs to apply to where I already knew people on a bit of a whim. Post-application while waiting for decisions, I discovered this forum and found other great programs I wish I had applied to, but by then it was too late to get recommendations and everything together.

 

Also, this was probably obvious to everyone but me, but study for ALL the sections of the GRE. I focused almost exclusively on practicing for the math section, since that's a weakness but I consider my verbal/writing skills strong. I did a ton of quantitative practice tests, and a little vocab review, but barely even looked at the writing section of my prep book, assuming it would be a breeze. Big mistake! I got to the writing section on test day and was really unprepared for the structure and time constraints -- and got a 3.5 to show for it. Don't get me wrong, I think I am a good writer, but writing for a standardized test is a really different skill set. I scored perfect on the verbal and good (for me) on the quantitative, and I think those sections count for more than writing -- but I really wish I had taken even just a few hours to familiarize myself with the standard types of questions to expect in the writing section!

[thoughtprovoking]

Previous Schools: Washington University in St. Louis
Previous GPA: 3.8
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 167 V / 160 Q / 5.0 W
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 4 years -- 2 years direct ground-level work experience, 2 years policy work experience (both prestigious placements in my immediate policy interest area)
Math/Econ Background: Moderate. Took several courses in both econ and stat in undergrad.
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: Domestic policy
Long Term Professional Goals: State/regional/local government

Schools Applied to & Results: Chicago Harris (accepted), Duke Sanford (accepted), Georgetown McCourt (accepted), Harvard Kennedy (accepted), Princeton Woodrow Wilson (rejected), Syracuse Maxwell (accepted)

Ultimate Decision & Why: Harvard Kennedy School. The overall strength and breadth of Kennedy and of Harvard as a whole appealed to me. Some people may prefer the intimacy of a small cohort, but for me HKS' larger size was a plus -- in looking at the course catalog, faculty listings, student groups, and events on campus, I was able to find a lot more people interested in my specific policy interest areas than I was at any other school. Financially, this was a tough decision because I received full funding offers from Duke and Syracuse, and Harvard will be substantially more expensive. 

Advice for Future Applicants: The Atlas of Public Policy and Management MPP/MPA Program Comparison is a useful site for comparing course offerings and requirements. For what it's worth, I'm also personally in favor of having at least two years of work experience prior to starting a public policy graduate program. This is not just because it strengthens your application, but because it may refocus what you want to do with your career and what you want to get out of grad school. With four years of experience under my belt, I'm going into grad school with a specific understanding of the skills and content I want to get out of HKS -- and at least for me personally, that would not be true if I had enrolled even a year or two ago.

[Turab]

Ultimate Decision & Why: U Chicago Harris MSCAPP. I was feeling really indecisive between GSPP and Harris MPP programs, and kind of not excited by either of them. I finally realized it's because I felt like those programs wouldn't open up substantially new career opportunities from what I could get with my current experience and network. I really wanted to build technical/quantitative expertise to complement my existing skillset so I decided last minute (April 10!) to request that Harris consider transferring my MPP admission to the MSCAPP program. They miraculously agreed, and it felt like too good of an opportunity to pass up. 

 

 

 

Hi Hamster88,

 

I am Fulbright Scholar from Pakistan and I got accepted to the Chicago Harris MPP program even though i had applied to the MSCAPP program. I called them up and they said the decision cannot be changed. I have been running after Chicago admin people for the past month to at least reconsider my decision but to no avail. Can you please tell me who you talked to get your program changed and what procedure you followed? I really want to do the MSCAPP program. 

Edited April 25, 2015 by Turab

[notsosure]

Previous Schools: Public University in Austria, semester abroad at top tier US-university
Previous GPA: not applicable
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 155 V / 151 Q / 4.0 W
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): five years as a journalist (foreign affairs)
Math/Econ Background: Limited. No math at university, some stat courses, a few econ
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: Security Politics
Long Term Professional Goals: change from media industry to internat. organisation/foreign service/think tanks

Schools Applied to & Results: Columbia SIPA (accepted), Johns Hopkins SAIS (accepted), Georgetown MSFS (accepted), Fletcher MALD (accepted), GWU Elliott (accepted), Yale Jackson (rejected)

Ultimate Decision & Why: Georgetown MSFS. In the beginning I was overwhelmed by the fact that I got accepted at so many schools. I thought it would only be one or two. Based on the information about financial aid in the beginning I thought I would either go to Fletcher (10k p year) or GWU (24k p year). Became pretty clear early on that I wasn't going to Columbia without funding. The more I talked to alumnis, read about courses and curriculum, the more obvious it got that I wanted to go to Georgetown (bc of small class, curriculum, concentrations, faculty, campus). But since I was only waitlisted for funding I did have to wait to make a decision. It was the right thing to be patient because in the end I got a full-tuition scholarship from them. Something I never believed was possible.

Advice for Future Applicants: Do start early on with your applications (I did start very late and wasn't even sure that I could submit everything in time). Didn't have much time to study for the GRE next to work, so plan ahead. The most important advice if you are an international students: ask a native speaker to revise your essays! This helped a lot!

[it's an IR world]

Previous Schools: Public University in Austria, semester abroad at top tier US-university

Previous GPA: not applicable

GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 155 V / 151 Q / 4.0 W

Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): five years as a journalist (foreign affairs)

Math/Econ Background: Limited. No math at university, some stat courses, a few econ

Intended Field of Study in Grad School: Security Politics

Long Term Professional Goals: change from media industry to internat. organisation/foreign service/think tanks

Schools Applied to & Results: Columbia SIPA (accepted), Johns Hopkins SAIS (accepted), Georgetown MSFS (accepted), Fletcher MALD (accepted), GWU Elliott (accepted), Yale Jackson (rejected)

Ultimate Decision & Why: Georgetown MSFS. In the beginning I was overwhelmed by the fact that I got accepted at so many schools. I thought it would only be one or two. Based on the information about financial aid in the beginning I thought I would either go to Fletcher (10k p year) or GWU (24k p year). Became pretty clear early on that I wasn't going to Columbia without funding. The more I talked to alumnis, read about courses and curriculum, the more obvious it got that I wanted to go to Georgetown (bc of small class, curriculum, concentrations, faculty, campus). But since I was only waitlisted for funding I did have to wait to make a decision. It was the right thing to be patient because in the end I got a full-tuition scholarship from them. Something I never believed was possible.

Advice for Future Applicants: Do start early on with your applications (I did start very late and wasn't even sure that I could submit everything in time). Didn't have much time to study for the GRE next to work, so plan ahead. The most important advice if you are an international students: ask a native speaker to revise your essays! This helped a lot!

 

Congrats on MSFS and the scholarship! Isn't tuition closer to 45k a year though? I think they max the aid out at 1/2 tuition. 

[ZebraFinch]

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): No name school in US territory

Previous Degrees and GPAs: Poli sci, 3.69
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 159V/135Q(I know)/5.5AW
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type) State department internships
Math/Econ Background: Extensive. All coursework of math-heavy econ major
Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): Spanish and Russian
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: MA
Long Term Professional Goals: Foreign Service
Schools Applied to & Results: Georgetown MSFS (rejected), Korbel (accepted + funding), Fletcher MALD (waitlist)
Ultimate Decision & Why: Defer! I made it as a Pickering alternate this year, so, I'm going to defer in the hopes of getting it next year.

Advice for Future Applicants: Believe in yourself. Low GRE's are not a death sentence for fellowships and grad school. I thought I sucked as a candidate so I only applied to three schools, two of which I wasn't really interested in. Next year, I'm going to apply to a wider range of schools that I actually want to attend. Don't apply to a "safe" school if you know you actually won't attend that school.

Edited April 27, 2015 by ZebraFinch

[outofspace]

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Top 20 U.S. university, distance program through a state university in the U.S.
Previous Degrees and GPAs: B.A. in English (3.4x), M.A. in Humanities (4.00)
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 170/163/5.0
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): ~10 years of overseas' work experience
Math/Econ Background: Limited - calculus and economics (macro- and micro-) with B-level grades
Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): Professional proficiency in Korean; some knowledge of Japanese and Spanish
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: International Relations
Long Term Professional Goals: Overseas work dealing with security, human rights, and/or diplomacy
Schools Applied to & Results: MSFS, Yale Jackson, SIPA, HKS, GWU, USCD IRPS, SAIS - accepted to all except HKS and Yale
Ultimate Decision & Why: I decided to wait and re-apply next year, both because I didn't get the funding I needed from the school(s) I wanted and because I have some personal projects I want to pursue before committing to graduate school.
Advice for Future Applicants:

- Start early. Like one of the above posters, I started preparing in summer and still felt overwhelmed with all I had to do to get my applications in on time.

- Have a back-up recommender. One of my recommenders basically vanished into thin air a couple of weeks before the application deadline.

- Apply for outside fellowships and scholarships. Many of these schools do not have a lot of funding to give out, even if you try to negotiate.

- Only apply to schools you would attend. I spent precious time applying to schools that I knew I probably wouldn't attend and it just made everything that much more complicated.

- Don't give the admissions committees a reason to reject you. I read this in a book, but it's good advice. In my case, I think I would have had a better chance at HKS and Yale if I had taken a couple of quant classes before applying.

- If possible, gain experience with various kinds of IR-related work before applying.

Edited April 28, 2015 by outofspace

[MsFutureDiplomat]

Hi Everyone - I'm happy to add my input as it was very helpful for me while I was applying last year.

 

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Top 25 National University (Private research university in the USA)
Previous Degrees and GPAs: BA (3.75) in History
GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 169/162/6.0
Previous Work Experience (Years, Type):3 years as a research assistant (law and history) in undergrad. 1 year in private sector after graduation (HR). 1.5 years working abroad in the country of Georgia (teaching English, college counseling, volunteering for political and humanitarian causes - i did not go with Peace Corps or any other organization, just went independently, which I think helped my application stand out)

Math/Econ Background: Nothing. I knew this was the weak point in my application, so I studied hard for the Quantitative section on the GRE and got a good score. I'll have to take an online econ class before starting at SAIS. 

Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): Russian, intermediate to advanced (took 3 years of Russian in college and studied abroad in Moscow, also it's a major language in Georgia)
Intended Field of Study in Grad School: International Affairs and Finance

Long Term Professional Goals: World Bank or Private Sector (credit risk analysis in ibank) - would like to live in Europe. 

Schools Applied to & Results: Accepted at SAIS (MA-IR), Yale Jackson, Georgetown MA-russian, GWU, Columbia, and Fletcher. I had about half tuition funding at all of these except Jackson, where I got 0$ even after appealing. 
Ultimate Decision & Why: SAIS!!!! I like the quantitative focus, it's very well respected in Area Studies, and the opportunity to study in both Europe and DC is important to me for networking reasons. I might have gone to Jackson had they offered a comparable financial aid package; really loved the program. 
Advice for Future Applicants: Come up with a "theme" that unifies your application, rather than trying to tell your whole life story and throw in anything that might not be totally relevant to your degree. Grad schools want to see FOCUS in applicants, not necessarily the most "well-rounded" applicant. My theme was my love of the former USSR - I had taken a bunch of classes on this area as an undergrad (although my ugrad years were anything but laser-focused!) I had founded a Russian club on campus, studied abroad, etc. So my decision to move to Georgia seemed random to many people, but made sense in this context. Georgia was where I got very politically active after meeting a certain politician during a major transitional period, and this was the focus of my personal statement. I asked him to write me a recommendation (even though I never formally worked for him) and to my surprise, he agreed and asked what he should emphasize! So I spoke to all 3 of my recommenders (Politician, Professor, and Current Boss) in depth and made sure they knew what to emphasize in their letters (basically the fact that I have this passion for the area, I'm driven by my curiosity, and I'm very independent in my work and my decision to move abroad). I'm sure they added other stuff; I never saw the letters, but you definitely should give as much guidance to your recommenders as you possibly can - don't just email them with a quick request!!!!! The letters are an important part of your application's "theme." 

 

I was thrilled with my acceptances, and would like future students to feel the same, so I can recommend the following: Don't apply straight out of undergrad unless you have amazing internship/work experience, especially if it is international. Dedicate at least 3 months to the GRE, it means a lot when funding is allocated....maybe even more than UG GPA! I didn't take classes or anything, but I did get the Powerscore books and Manhattan Prep online tests, which were very challenging and prepared me really well. Other than that I just memorized a crazy amount of vocab. For Analytical Writing I approached the essays as I did on the SAT (Look up Shaan Patel's SAT 2400 for an essay template) and I just wrote as much as possible with a lot of big vocab words. My essays were far from perfect but somehow received a perfect score! Then, I decided to apply very early - I wrote my personal statements in June-July 2014 and spent the whole month of August perfecting them. I showed them to my dad, who is a professor at the graduate level, and he gave me good suggestions.....BUT I will caution you against showing them to too many people for editing, because you don't want the letter to lose your own voice and unique character! I sent all my apps off in September-mid October, which I think helped me? In December, I received acceptances from Fletcher and SAIS, then I visited all the campuses in January (you guys should really try to do this, not only to judge which ones will be a good fit for you, but also to show your interest to the admissions/financial aid folks!). 

 

For Prospective SAIS-ers - don't worry if you lack an econ background, just nail the Quant on the GRE and they will consider you. I also wrote a little note after my personal statement indicating that I understand my lack of econ background is the weak point of my candidacy, I explained why I didn't take econ in undergrad, and I promised that I would take it before starting if admitted. Maybe this helped me too. Also, the analytical essay for SAIS is really open  - which made it difficult for me! I ended up writing about a broad topic related to Russian Area Studies, and my own personal experiences with it (feel free to PM me if you want more details.)

 

Hope this helps!        

[pluckyduck123]

Previous School Top 5 public university

Previous Degrees and GPAs BA Political Science /GPA 3.97

GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing) 166/158/5.0

Previous Work Experience (Years, Type)

4.5 years – Working on legislation and policy for a state legislature

0.5 years - International travel (some volunteer work)

Studied Abroad in Argentina during undergrad
Math/Econ Background College level precalculus, calculus (just one semester), lower division econ (micro & macro)

Foreign Language Background Spanish

Intended Field of Study in Grad School MPA, International development, advanced analytical skills

Long Term Professional Goals  International elections monitoring, democratization, development policy, etc.

Schools Applied to & Results JHU SAIS (accepted $), Georgetown MPP (accepted $$), Duke MPP (accepted $$$$), USC MPA (accepted $$$$), Brown MPA ($$$), Harvard Kennedy School (accepted $0), Princeton WWS ($$$$+$).

Ultimate Decision & Why

Princeton WWS. The funding and the program. I like the small and mighty cohort, and it was my favorite program all along. I like the intimacy - and they have a great program for my specific specialization/area of interest.

Advice for Future Applicants:

For the GRE - I recommend Magoosh + Manhattan series. I took my quant score from low 140s to upper 150s using those resources (all self-study). For the SOPs, have a trusted source give you feedback, and don't have too many people look at it, as it could get watered down or off-message. Be direct about what you want to do with the degree and why it's necessary for where you want to go professionally. Consider getting professional feedback on your essays. I have a recommendation if you're interested (pm me). Don't be ruled by fear - I almost didn't apply to graduate school because I didn't think I could afford it - then I got a full ride to my dream program!

[maplesyrup88]

Advice for future applicants:

Apologies for breaking the rules, but I simply want to share one nugget of wisdom for future applicants that I never saw here and would have made my decision process a little bit simpler had I realized it earlier: It may be obvious to some, but it took me a while to realize that we should NOT take the programs' cost of attendance at face value. I applied to the same DC schools as many others here, and when I was doing my debt calculations I originally went by their published cost of living, but it turns out these numbers are pretty inflated. That is to say: GW assumes you will live alone in Foggy Bottom, SAIS assumes you'll live alone in Dupont Circle, and Georgetown assumes you'll live alone in Georgetown, AKA 3 of the most expensive areas of DC. I eventually figured out that with wise living choices (splitting rent with roommates; choosing a cheaper zip code) I could probably pay 10k less PER YEAR than their cost of living calculations. This helps even out the playing field against schools in cheaper areas (Fletcher being prime among them). Of course, there's nothing you can do about the tuition being higher at these schools, but just keep in mind that living expenses can be more malleable.

 

Why do the DC programs and others inflate living costs? It's well intentioned: by doing so they increase the amount of Grad PLUS loans you can take out to help fill in any shortfall, since federal law dictates that you cannot borrow more than the cost of attendance. So they are giving you the flexibility to take out more loans in case you need them. But it should be made clear that they are using the upper limit of their range for living fees, not the average or typical living fees borne by students.

 

Good luck everyone!