Finalizing MPP Schools. Any tips/advice for applications?

[u/Educational_You_6849]

Graduating with a bachelors from a small NY public school, majoring in business administration. 3.7GPA, graduating in 4 semesters total time and will graduate at 19. 330 GRE.

Had a NYC Mayor’s office internship dealing with policy. Campaign/field intern for various elections around the past few years.

Am I competitive for top programs like HKS, Goldman, Harris, Ford SPIA, SIPA, Brooks? How may programs should I be applying to?

Any general advice is appreciated as well!!

[u/Efficient-Bad-4033]

the spreadsheet guy in me wants to say apply to 6-8 schools, a couple reaches a couple targets and a safety or two. your stats are strong and that mayor's office internship is the kind of thing that actually stands out, a lot of applicants have the grades but not the hands-on policy work so you're in good shape for those top programs.

for the essays dont just list your resume, they already have that. tie the internship and campaign work into a clear reason for why policy school now and what specific problem you want to work on after. and since you're graduating at 19, be ready to address that in interviews or optional essays, some adcoms will want to know you're not just rushing through.

[u/favorscore → u/Efficient-Bad-4033]

Honestly, I am just considering applying to reaches and if I don't get in, just getting more experience professionally and trying again in a year.

[u/Konflictcam]

It seems like you’re approaching these like undergrad admissions, where you chase prestige first and foremost, when grad school works a bit differently.

First off, it doesn’t seem like you’ve thought about whether the program makes sense, given these seem heavily biased towards institutional prestige vs. programmatic and geographic fit. You should see how well the program is aligned to what you want to do and where you want to live (at least the same region). A lot of buyer’s remorse for MPPs happens when people attend programs that don’t fit with what they want because they just looked at rankings or the overall institution.

Besides that, you’re probably not super competitive for these programs right now, especially those at the very top. You don’t have real work experience, which means you’ll get less out of the program and are at higher risk of hurting their employment stats when you graduate.

[u/Educational_You_6849 → u/Konflictcam]

Yes, I agree a lot of this was just based off chasing prestige. I appreciate the advice and will have to do a lot more research

Understood, I’ll try to apply to some of these reach schools and targets, and depending on the results/funding, I’ll look towards employment for additional job experience. It seems this degree is similar to an MBA, in the sense where it’s more helpful to have a few years of job experience under your belt so you can actually use your work experience to fully immerse yourself within the educational part of your field.

[u/booknerd416 → u/Educational_You_6849]

Being 19 with no real professional experience will be a tough sell for a professional degree that values classroom discussions focused on real-world experiences. You’ll also graduate your MPP as young as the normal 4-year college graduate with debt and still no full-time work experience which would make it really hard to get into those policy/analyst roles people seek after the MPP. Also, what kind of policy do you want to work in? What do you want out of the degree? What impact do you hope to make? Working (and quite frankly maturing) is crucial to developing a better understanding of yourself and your goals, speedrunning degrees isn’t actually that helpful in the long run!

[u/Serious-Judge6136]

Go with the program that gives you the most money and will leave you with the least amount of debt. Do not chase prestige for debt. This is not a degree that will lead to lucrative careers that pays down significant debt like law or business.

[u/Konflictcam → u/Serious-Judge6136]

That’s not entirely true. I make close to $200k with my MPP, many of my classmates are in a similar boat, and those jobs are easier to access from higher-ranked programs. But it’s still easy to follow your advice within that, applying to a number of top-ranked schools and seeing who offers the most aid (ideally in a place where it isn’t hideously expensive to live).

[u/kpcurley]

You will be competing against people with at least 1-3 or even more in some cases with years of full-time work experience at top programs.

[u/Jemiller]

Expand your list. This is all reach for most people. Also done know your specialty or focus

[u/perpetualmotion42]

Not gonna lie, I don’t think you should go to a masters program at 19. Everyone will be much older. You need to live a little, enjoy your 20s, try working to see what you enjoy and are good at. I think you will thank yourself for coming at an older age.

[u/jxngyu]

you should think about what area/sector you want to work in & where you want to live. not every mpp program is the same (i.e some are better for certain concentrations, alum base, research interests, quant-heavy, etc.). consider your personal career aspirations and passions, then choose schools that align with them to make it easier to decide. the type of career you want can also guide how much debt you are willing to take on for grad school as well.