Social service work experience - relevant? No grades an issue??

[oshea_eastbay]

Hi all,

I'm considering applying to dual MSW/MPP programs next fall, and I was wondering if anyone had advice on what I should do to make myself more competitive.

I studied International Studies and Economics as an undergrad, and I have a fairly strong statistics background. My undergrad institution is a small, public liberal arts school that doesn't assign grades, but rather all students receive a narrative evaluation for each course completed. Most of my narrative evaluations of are quite good, but I'm not sure that admissions committees will read them. I figure I'll have to do very well on the GREs to make up for not having a GPA.

Additionally, I don't have any full-time work experience in policy. I graduated in May 2015; for my first year out of undergrad I was an AmeriCorps volunteer doing direct service in a housing program for immigrant families. I now work in a prenatal program at a clinic that serves immigrant families, doing psychosocial/health assessments, resource referrals and pregnancy options counseling. I really enjoy working directly with people, which is why I took another direct service position after AmeriCorps, but now I'm not sure if it's what I want to do for the rest of my career. Plus I'd like to not waste my education in political science and economics that I got in undergrad.

So, I feel like my lack of grades and full-time policy work experience are two huge marks against me - is it even worth it to apply to an MPP program? I know that my experience working directly with people would influence how I approach studying/working in policy, but would admissions committees buy it? I've heard of people getting into MPP programs who previously worked in non-policy-related jobs in the private sector, and honestly I feel like my direct social service experience gives me a better understanding of social policy than many people who have exclusively been in the private sector.

In terms of qualities that may help in MPP applications: I'm fluent in Spanish, have lived abroad for one year, have had internships in non-profits doing grant writing and program development, and I have part-time work experience as a statistics tutor and research assistant.

 

I'm sorry for the long post - I'm just feeling a little lost and I'm not sure what to do! Any advice on any part of this post would be much appreciated

 

(also happy Thanksgiving to everyone!)

[Connie @ TheArtofApplying]

On 11/24/2016 at 6:29 AM, oshea_eastbay said:

Hi all,

I'm considering applying to dual MSW/MPP programs next fall, and I was wondering if anyone had advice on what I should do to make myself more competitive.

I studied International Studies and Economics as an undergrad, and I have a fairly strong statistics background. My undergrad institution is a small, public liberal arts school that doesn't assign grades, but rather all students receive a narrative evaluation for each course completed. Most of my narrative evaluations of are quite good, but I'm not sure that admissions committees will read them. I figure I'll have to do very well on the GREs to make up for not having a GPA.

Additionally, I don't have any full-time work experience in policy. I graduated in May 2015; for my first year out of undergrad I was an AmeriCorps volunteer doing direct service in a housing program for immigrant families. I now work in a prenatal program at a clinic that serves immigrant families, doing psychosocial/health assessments, resource referrals and pregnancy options counseling. I really enjoy working directly with people, which is why I took another direct service position after AmeriCorps, but now I'm not sure if it's what I want to do for the rest of my career. Plus I'd like to not waste my education in political science and economics that I got in undergrad.

So, I feel like my lack of grades and full-time policy work experience are two huge marks against me - is it even worth it to apply to an MPP program? I know that my experience working directly with people would influence how I approach studying/working in policy, but would admissions committees buy it? I've heard of people getting into MPP programs who previously worked in non-policy-related jobs in the private sector, and honestly I feel like my direct social service experience gives me a better understanding of social policy than many people who have exclusively been in the private sector.

In terms of qualities that may help in MPP applications: I'm fluent in Spanish, have lived abroad for one year, have had internships in non-profits doing grant writing and program development, and I have part-time work experience as a statistics tutor and research assistant.

 

I'm sorry for the long post - I'm just feeling a little lost and I'm not sure what to do! Any advice on any part of this post would be much appreciated

 

(also happy Thanksgiving to everyone!)

@oshea_eastbay: you’re raising a lot of questions that we’ve all struggled with before. They’re quite common! First, regarding not having a GPA, I don’t think you should be worried. As long as your school is an accredited institution, the fact that they don’t evaluate you using numbers shouldn’t be a stumbling block for your candidacy. If you have a strong quant background with some high-level stats courses, all the better. Leave it to the admissions committee to dissect your transcript. I personally think they’ll like the fact that you had an unconventional undergrad education, because adcoms are always looking for ways to create a diverse cohort. 

Secondly, very few of us have deep policy experience by the time we get to policy school. If we had it, we wouldn’t need to actually go to policy school. It’s a common misconception that lack of specific policy experience will disqualify us for school. Your experience with direct service should do very well, as long as you can tell a compelling story about it in your SOP.

You would be a great candidate for MPP/MPA programs, but I suggest you give it at least two more years, instead of applying next fall. You’ve just graduated, and it’s a positive sign that you already are interested in policy, but there’s a lot more you can learn from direct service or other such jobs. 

You’re also interested in MSW, which is great. While some do the dual degree path, they typically prepare you for very different roles and responsibilities. More work experience and a closer acquaintance with career trajectories from those two degrees will help you make a sound decision. Good luck!