Rangel & Pickering Fellowship

[ZebraFinch]

On 7/8/2016 at 11:56 AM, kbui said:

Hey ZebraFinch, were you at the Black Ambassador's event??? If you were, I totally missed you!

And yes, as the summer is winding down I would love to meet up!

Nah I didn't go. Would love to meet up.

[mrs12]

@ZebraFinch, @kbui

That sounds fantastic! I'm so glad you two are still here, even if you're busy. This whole thing would be impossible without the both of you!

If you'd ever have any time to talk about the essay part of the Rangel, I'd be forever in your debt. (Also, ZebraFinch, I've started narrowing down my grad school choices and your current program is my #1 choice right now. I'm starting to look almost exclusively at Russian/Eurasian programs now.)

I think I just took the totally wrong tack with my essay last time, not that it wasn't genuine or I didn't work on it, but I didn't know what the committee was looking for and so it wasn't targeted correctly. I'm pretty nervous this time around, because of the short amount of time I have to do everything now. 

Edit: Also it's so hard to English right now because I'm doing an intensive Turkish program where we literally aren't even allowed to read in English or hear English for two months so I apologize for my wonky wording.

Edited July 10, 2016 by mrs12

[spicysalmonroll]

Hey everyone,

 I'm writing here because I don't know where else to ask. My goal is to one day contribute to US policy in East Asia and the two pathways I see are either to get a PhD in Political Science, become a Professor / work for a think tank, and eventually find a non-linear path into government or 2. get an MPP, join the foreign service, work for State or DoD. 

Knowing how competitive it is to join the foreign service or find government work in my field, I do not want to pursue an MPP/MPA unless I have the guarantee of post-graduate foreign service work through fellowships like Rangel and Pickering. But given the competition for these fellowships, it would be ill-advised to apply for an MPA/MPP, only to, then, not get the support of these fellowships and the guarantee of foreign service work afterwards. So I'm tempted to apply for a PhD in Political Science concurrently so that if the Rangel/Pickering were to fall through, I could still pursue a PhD and try to find my niche in that way through research and eventually contribute to policy.

On that note, I want to know if I would even allowed to apply for an MPP and PhD at the same school? For instance, would it undermine my application if I applied to both the Kennedy School  (MPP) AND the PhD in Political Science (Government) at Harvard? 

For background, I graduated from Princeton,  summa cum laude / Phi Beta Kappa from the Woodrow Wilson School

[pubpol101]

On 7/16/2016 at 7:18 AM, spicysalmonroll said:

On that note, I want to know if I would even allowed to apply for an MPP and PhD at the same school? For instance, would it undermine my application if I applied to both the Kennedy School  (MPP) AND the PhD in Political Science (Government) at Harvard? 

 

I remember that Duke Sanford said that they highly discourage applications to two programs (MPP & PhD) at the same time. It demonstrates that you don't know exactly what you want since the goals for each program are very different from one another--policy-making vs. academia.

[mrs12]

Hey! So, for people who've applied to the Rangel before, with the financial need essay, did you end up discussing more than one graduate school or just your top choice when it came to how you'd pay for it?

[nsnotable]

Hey everybody! Because this forum helped me so much with my Fulbright journey I figured I would stop by and say hello. We're getting down to the wire (I both like but am dreading the earlier due date), so good luck. Look forward to meeting and waiting with all of you folks!

Also, alas mrs12 I'm not sure I can help with your questions specifically but I'm going to try to keep it more 'general' and based on my top three schools. 

[mrs12]

I really don't like that there's no way to tell if your application went through for the Rangel... I've known enough websites to have issues that this is kind of unnerving.

[nsnotable]

33 minutes ago, mrs12 said:

I really don't like that there's no way to tell if your application went through for the Rangel... I've known enough websites to have issues that this is kind of unnerving.

Yeah it's a little weird how they do it. Guess we'll find out in October! The early application date was so difficult/crazy - I wonder how many people they had apply for it this year because of that....

[mrs12]

I actually asked them and they said they imagined 400 or so would apply. Which... is the same number as last year as far as I remember, so that might have just been an automatic answer? Honestly I'm kind of hoping less people realized because it was so much earlier than normal! (Though I admit that's rather petty.)

I wonder though if it would be a bad thing to email them just to clarify that they received my application? I wish they had at least sent out some sort of notification, even if the website itself didn't. Otherwise I'll just fret endlessly about technical complications!

[Bandi]

Hey all! I'm glad to have found this forum! 

Mrs12, it wouldn't be a bad thing at all to confirm your application submission. I emailed them to ask if they received my letters of recommendation and only one of them went through! If I hadn't asked, I would've never known that the second letter wasn't fully processed. And this was on September 19th, the day everything was due. 

Wishing everyone the best of luck!

[nsnotable]

Wow crazy! Guess we'll find out in October. (I'm secretly hoping it was less than that too though.. Haha.)

Hi Bandi~ Looks like we're the loud ones for the moment here - looking forward to sharing our experiences as we go forward with this thing.

Also just got a confirmation email this evening that my application is "moving to our first round of application review." I figured this is their way of saying that I had all the application components and not much else (lol). At least it confirms that everything went through though so I'm happy about that. Hopefully you guys have heard something too!

 

 

Edited September 29, 2016 by nsnotable

[mrs12]

@nsnotable Would you mind me asking what the email was listed under? They seem to have several email accounts and I want to make sure I'm looking in the right place before I panic about said emails absence. :3

Also! Last year there were several of us who kept up a pretty rapid commentary, so if you guys want to do so it can be really helpful. Just sort of posting concerns, new information you found, exciting things that happened to you, or thoughts as we wait this out and imagine our futures. 

I like to obsess so I recently made an online countdown to the day when the finalist results should be out if anyone else wants to watch the seconds tick down...:

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?iso=20161026T00&p0=179&msg=Rangel+Fellowship+Finals&ud=1&font=cursive&csz=1

[Bandi]

Hi nsnotable. yeah, feeling many emotions right now. Waiting in limbo is... fun lol ? 

mrs12, the email should be under the program manager's howard.edu address. Check your spam mail, it's probably hiding in there ?

So, how have you guys been this past week?? I'm trying not to think of the fellowship but it crosses my mind daily. 

[mrs12]

I'm trying to just focus on school right now, and get started on all my grad school applications... It's a little difficult because everything is going off in opposite directions. My senior research is very different from the sorts of things I'm writing about in potential grad school SOP's and I can't help but worry over the fellowships this year.

Are either of you undergrads still, or did you already graduate?

[Bandi]

Post-grad here. I found out about the Rangel graduate fellowship just a few weeks before the application deadline. Listened to the webinars on YouTube, read Rangel fellow backstories, glazed over a few fso blogs... this would be the perfect opportunity towards becoming a diplomat. 

I saw in this thread that you've applied last year. Aside from the earlier selection dates, was the application process the same?

[nsnotable]

@mrs12 Of course! Looks like Bandi answered it too but I'll include the email address: lily.lopezmcgee@howard.edu. it looks like it was CC'd to a Cynthia so that might have been a possibility too. I sure hope you found that email!!! 

I'm all about keeping in touch, sharing knowledge, and keeping our minds off waiting with other stuff. Also of course making new pals.  Especially with the whole graduate school ride. It's such a stressful thing that it's nice to have people to talk to going through the same process. 

Oh man that time and date... Gonna try my best NOT to look at it. Hahah.

Focusing on school is tough! I'm kind of glad I waited to deal with all the fellowships/scholarships and graduate school until after I did undergrad. What's your undergrad research on? And where are you interested in applying to graduate school?

As for me, I'm post-grad 3 years. Went to work for a bit, did a Fulbright, now it's onto graduate school. I've known about the Rangel & Pickering since undergrad so they've both always been on my radar; it feels weird that I'm finally applying to them after having them in the back of my mind for the last 4 years.

 

@Bandi: I've been working mostly. I'm an English Writing tutor at a local community college at the present moment as well as a weekend caregiver for one set of my grandparents. Thankfully it's all kept me busy enough to not think too much about the fellowship. Though as time's gone by I've gotten a lot better at just 'letting it go' once the application has been sent in. It took me years to get there though! How about you? What are you doing in your post-grad life? And what graduate schools are you thinking about?

Edited September 29, 2016 by nsnotable

[mrs12]

@Bandi Yes, I applied last year! However, last year I was only eligible for the Pickering, since they have a very small undergraduate fellowship which is exactly like the graduate fellowship for the Rangel/Pickering normally. So I don't have any advice about the Rangel really, as this is my first year applying. Last year I was not selected as a finalist for the Pickering, but I feel like I got a lot of experience and good advice out of the attempt so hopefully this year will be better. :3

@nsnotable I primarily study Turkish Studies and other random things. My senior research is a computational text analysis of Turkish language newspaper articles before and after the recent coup attempt. I'm mostly focusing on narratives of nationalism. 

I want to do a grad program in Eurasian/Central Asian Studies. (My area of interest is the Turkic speaking world.) My number one choice in Georgetown's MAERES, and all my other options fall way below that. I really want to find a program where I can keep studying languages but also take more professional skills based courses like I've done in undergrad. 

Was your Fulbright an ETA or research? How did you like it? Did you have a past history with Indonesia before you went?

[nsnotable]

@mrs12 Oh wow, that sounds AWESOME. It's been both interesting and slightly horrifying to hear about what's going on in Turkey right now and I would be so interested in reading/hearing more about your thesis work.

And cool!!! Georgetown is my top choice too though I'd be trying for MSFS; how cool would it be if we both ended up there and as Rangel Fellows?? (Though I need to figure out what to do about my GRE - I feel like it's not good enough for Georgetown right now so...UGH.) Anyway - Tufts (MALD) is a close second but we'll see. What I want to do for my thesis work is a little bit odd so I'm still researching other places that would have what I'm looking for. 

As for Fulbright, I was an ETA! There were some definite hard times and learning curves but mostly it was amazing. I had no history with Indonesia prior, which was part of the point of going. I wanted to learn about a place I'd never been or thought about before and it most definitely delivered. I've learned to love it as much as I do Japan, which was my main focus of study for most of my undergraduate work (and a place I also love dearly).

[mrs12]

@nsnotable Ahh, you sound so awesome! Haha. It would be perfect for both of us to end up with a Fellowship and at Georgetown. I think that the MSFS is really popular with the Rangel and Pickering students. You're also applying to the Pickering right, if this doesn't work out? I know from last year that often people who weren't picked for the Rangel were selected for the Pickering, etc. The one really good thing about the Rangel this year is that you know if you're selected before grad school applications and since schools really want fellows if your GRE is even remotely close to the target I'd think you'd be fine. That said I'm worried about the GRE too, I still need to take it! It's just been super busy for me the last few weeks.

Man, I had the most hilarious dream last night about this whole thing. We were all in the finals, and they took us outside to this parking lot all secretively, and handed us fake weapons, and were like, "Okay, whoever wins gets to join the Foreign Service." And I remember thinking to myself, why would a diplomat need to know how to fight? But the whole dream was super silly. For the interview portion no one knew what time they had and we had to guess and run around trying to figure it out so we weren't late. 

My subconscious is certainly obsessed with this right now. 

[mrs12]

How many grad schools are you guys applying to? I'm thinking about 4-5, but I'm not sure if I should force myself to apply to more just to keep my options broader...

[kbui]

I personally wouldn't/didn't apply to that many programs because if there's a very low chance that you'll pick it if you get in, it's not worth the time investment. And chances are if you can get into a competitive school like WWS/HKS, you'll most likely get into a large majority of other programs like SAIS/America/Georgetown/SIPA, and so unless you're equally divided up amongst those schools I would save the time and money and divert attention to something else (e.g. writing a better argument for your Rangel/Pickering/Payne personal statements; applying to more external/internal fellowships in your top three graduate school choices; applying to a completely different program like an MPH/MBA/Master in Urban Planning; working in a professional job that will get you hands-on experience in whichever field you want to enter; volunteering with the many "marginalized and vulnerable communities" who Millennials are always talking and writing about).

Time is valuable, and I wouldn't spend more than 10+ hours on applications to similar programs at schools I'm likely to not be committed to.

[mrs12]

@kbui, Hey! Thanks for dropping by again!

I think that's really useful advice. I'm worrying, as usual, that I won't give myself enough options. But applying to other programs just to have more options that I'm not likely to take anyway isn't really the best use of my time right now. Thanks for reminding me. Sometimes you just need someone else to point it out!

How are you doing, anyway? 

[mrs12]

Ahhhhhhhhhh. I'm dying, I'm dying. I seriously cannot stop obsessing over the last few days. Someone else please let me know you're also consumed with this agony. 

I feel like I'm waiting to hear back about my whole life -- even knowing that I'm not and that I have many options if I'm not accepted, it feels like a turning point. 

Is anyone else struggling with this last week?

[Olgraves]

Hi All! I too am excitedly waiting to hear back about Rangel. Luckily I have the GRE this Friday, so I am pretty distracted with studying.

Does anyone have a guess as to when the Pickering application will open? I thought it might be today, but it looks like it's still closed.

[nsnotable]

@mrs12 Awww thanks for saying so!  We'll see soon I guess. And yes I plan to apply for the Pickering if I don't get the Rangel. Yeah - I think it'll be nice to know beforehand if we got selected or not. I've heard from past Rangel folk that it was a big complaint because the acceptances didn't go out right with the "need to say 'yes/no' to a school" deadlined that is UGH if you don't know whether you'll have funding or not.
We'll see with the GRE. I'm going to try to scrape the money together to give it another go but it's so expensive and there's application fees to start thinking about too. Hopefully you're right but my quant score definitely needs some help still haha.

Also that is an adorable dream!!! Hahah. Thankfully though not at all like what the interview is... I hope. LOL. 

As for schools, I'm thinking around 6. A lot but I do want to keep my options open and give myself a chance of success. We'll see though - it might depend on if I can retake the GRE.

Breathe!!! Hehe. I wish I could say I was but thankfully I've got so much other stuff it's been a bit easy to put it to the back of my mind. I find that keeping myself occupied outside of all this helps.

Hello Olgraves!! Welcome to the thread.  I would think soon for the Pickering. If you're worried you can sign-up to be on their mailing list to get a notification when the application opens. 

Edited October 19, 2016 by nsnotable