Originally posted by MBrendanawicz
thanks for the words of encouragement. Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and put USC ahead of Berkeley on my application to-do list. Hopefully, they'll be able to offer some aid/stipends that'll equalize their costs with UC/Poly programs...
I guess I underestimated my likely GRE score. Took the GRE the other day. The preliminary estimates for my scores are 750-800 Quantitative and 740-800 Verbal (old scoring scale). Definitely have to wait on the writing, but I'm hoping for a score between 5 and 6.
Very relieved and both shocked and ecstatic (I only got about a 1300 on the old SAT).
If you still have to take the test, take solace in the fact that you can prepare (if you have time) and it's possible to up your scores.
Schools
Rutgers
Tufts
USC
U Maryland- College Park
UMass- Amherst
UNC- Chapel Hill
Desired concentration: transportation
Stats
GRE: 650 Verbal, 690 Quant, 5.0 Writing
Undergrad GPA: 3.76
Major: Government (Major GPA: 3.85)
Experience
Graduated Magna Cum Laude from top liberal arts school in 2009
Senior Project (no thesis) on eminent domain policy
2+ years work in federal government as paralegal, though most of my work involves investigations, policy analysis, and recruiting
Wow this is actually happening. I'm no longer looking at this topic trying to gain useful information, I'm contributing...
I'm most likely applying to
University of British Columbia
McGill
University of Michigan
University of Texas
University of Waterloo
University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne
I'm a fourth year at the University of Chicago
GPA: 3.52, 3.7 in my major
GRE: unknown, will find out in November
Work Experience:
Two years with a work-study job in a local state politician's office
summer internship using GIS at the Smithsonian
Overall my experience is more academic than practical, which I think is my greatest problem.
Good luck everyone!
For grad school, that's a benefit not a problem.
My biggest problem applying for a PhD program is that all my 10 years experience is practical, not academic. I only wish I had your "problem" at this point
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move. (Douglas Adams)
Update-I'll do mine too. I'm applying for graduate school-
Gunning to start in Jan '12
Education-
Rutgers University, Newark January 2010
Major: Political Science
Minor: History
GPA: 3.071, ~3.4 last 4 semesters and 4.0 for final semester (hopefully that push helps)
GRE June 2011
Total: 1230
Q:650
V:580
Writing 4
Experience:
2 years interning with Statewide Non-Profit on Textbook issues and Energy Conservation issues
6 months as a part time employee for same Non-Profit doing strictly Energy Issues (contract)
9 months as a full-time employee doing strictly Energy Issues (contract)
Where I applied to (result)
SUNY-Albany (accepted)
SUNY-Buffalo (accepted)
Temple (accepted)
Rutgers (still waiting to hear back)
Hopefully I get in Rutgers to stay local, but I worry because I had a relatively weak undergraduate showing until the last two years. I sent them a supplementary essay explaining my short-comings in college and hop that helps too.
I got into Rutgers, I will be attending come January.
Congrats!!!
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move. (Douglas Adams)
That's great ddomin! Congrats. The first acceptance for our thread and hopefully the first of a great many.
We also now have a person on the inside at Rutgers
Again, congrats. You must feel like a great weight is off your shoulders.
Schools:
UPenn (top choice)
UI-Chicago
Rutgers
MIT (might as well apply)
Concentration interest: Land Use
GRE: 1280, 4.5
University of Alabama for undergrad.
I'll graduate in May 2012 with majors in public relations and political science.
GPA: 3.92, I also have a lot of campus involvement and such.
I'm low on planning work experience, but I've had two political internships and a volunteer internship with a non-profit.
Just got my GRE scores...
Verbal: 96% (165)
Math: 86% (161)
Writing: 5.5 (96%)
Super super stoked on the writing... I thought I did a horrible job on the first writing task (though I somehow managed to get 9 paragraphs with decent arguments on the second one).
Sweet! Now if I can just get my professor to actually submit his letter of recommendation, I might have a snowballs chance in hell of getting into a PhD program...
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move. (Douglas Adams)
overachiever
Brotip #2418 - know when it's time to switch from being "the little engine that could" to the "little engine that said, 'f*ck it'"
Boy you just left 4% in the verbal and 14% on the math just on the table... not to mention .5 in the writing.... when are you going to take it again?....
Just kidding... congrats
A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. -Douglas Adams
Thank you both, I can't believe I missed these posts. I'll definitely post up what I figure out throughout this process. Also it is a great weight lifted off my shoulders. Since I don't have to immediately move out I'm going to be able to visit my girl friend in Italy in a week or so and I also know where I'll be come January so I can start looking for a better job, so that I can move out as soon as finances allow me to.That's great ddomin! Congrats. The first acceptance for our thread and hopefully the first of a great many.
We also now have a person on the inside at Rutgers
Again, congrats. You must feel like a great weight is off your shoulders.
Is anyone else going to the Open House at MIT Monday?
I finally received my GRE scores as well. I am really satisfied, but the verbal one is a bit worse than the bands which were given at the test site.
Q: 170 (99%)
V: 161 (89%)
AW: 4.5 (72%)
Not much happening in this thead although deadlines are looming... dudes!
I got notice of a stipend of my homecountry which will pay for tuition at selected universities and some for the living. Huge relief for me, since without financial aid I would not have been able to come to America. Now I have to narrow down schools according amongst those my stipend is good for.
Right now it seems I will apply to:
Cornell
Illinois
North Carolina
Rutgers
Georgia Tech
Plus some more. I feel really good about those, just would have loved to test my luck at MIT, Harvard or Penn. So we will wait and see...
Nice to see there are a fair number of folks interested in applying to USC. I'm a first year MPL student and was in the same position last year that you are currently in. Don't let the reputed high price tag of SC scare you out of applying, the school is extremely generous with merit based financial aid packages. I received a hefty scholarship that drove down the cost of attendance to around what I would have paid to go to one of the UCs. I'm extremely happy with my decision to study at SC and am happy to answer any questions you may have about the university/school/program/LA.
This article may be of interest to anyone considering to applying to ol' SC - http://uscnews.usc.edu/university/us...lion_gift.html
Fight On!
Just submitted my application to Georgia Tech last week. So far no news, but it does specify rolling admissions. Anyone have any experience with the admissions process/know how long it takes to hear back? All of my materials are submitted.
I'm so hoping you're right... My application for USC's PhD program is in, today is the deadline, so I'm hoping to hear back soon that I'm accepted and fully fundedIf I hear back from USC soon enough, then I may not have to prepare applications for the other schools I'm applying to (please please USC review quickly ;-p).
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move. (Douglas Adams)
Ok, here goes...
Applying to:
Berkeley
MIT
UNC
Portland State
U. of British Columbia
..and still pondering with UCLA and UIUC (for about one more day I guess since they are both due 12/15). Maybe also UOregon since I'm not sure any of the others are "safe" and I don't want to wait another year to start school. (Partly because this is the last year my GRE scores are good.)
Focused on economic development and sustainability, and also want to make sure I get a good grounding in negotiation, strategy, etc.
GRE: 800 V / 790 Q / 5.0
GPA: 3.82 at Ivy (history major, urban studies minor)
3+ years work in comparative (US & European) urban policy, mostly supporting practitioners with policy adaptation/transfer
3 month internship in Berlin department of transportation
3 month internship in San Francisco city council
I know my numbers are good but I am stressing over my statement right now!
Last edited by taboulie; 01 Dec 2011 at 12:31 PM. Reason: working on statement = compulsive editing mode!!!
Well After years of stalking this forum it's finally time for my graduate adventure to begin lol
Applying for a Urban and Regional Planning program coupled with a Peace Corps International degree
Economic, Community, and International Development Focus
Schools
University of Illinois Chicago
University of Wisconsin-Madison (Top)
GPA: 3.2
University of Georgia undergrad.
I'll graduate in May 2012 with Sociology degree Spanish Minor
GRE: TBT
2 Paid Internships
Transportation Planner- For Regional Transit Agency
County Economic Development
Biggest Accomplishment
Initiated and maintains an international organization which specializes in Economic Development, Education Attainment, and Community Development in a third world country.
You should definitely apply to MIT, H and UP (and whatever you fancy: Berkeley, etc.). You will one of the very few non-American, non-Asian applying for MUP/MCP... that will definitely be a BIG advantage in your favor. Think about an American trying to get in a Master degree in your University back in Germany... probably they will "love" him more than you with the same stats.
If you have a decent GPA, TOEFL, recommendations, etc. (and I am sure you have since you got that nice scholarship), I am pretty sure you will be in in some or all of them (probably MIT is harder, that's true). Do not compare to American students in this forum... you have a different background... the selection committee will have 100 American students with pretty similar backgrounds, 100 Indian/Chinese with stellar qualifications and... an odd German guy with a full-stipend scholarship from his country. You guess who they will prefer to add "diversity" (you should know American unis. love "diversity")? Yes, you!
And prestigious universities like students with prestigious scholarships (I am sure getting that scholarship is harder than getting acceptance in any MUP in the US). Do not understimate yourself. Apply now!
And you know that back in Germany nobody has ever heard about Rutgers or North Carolina... but that's a very different story when you are talking about Harvard or MIT.
Seriously, you are doing a big mistake by not applying to those programs... if you are not accepted... you just lose some application fees.
Btw, Geograph, European GPAs are not translated directly into American GPAs. So a 2 in "X" course in Germany is not the same as a 2 in the US for undergrad. Have u made the WES translation? My Euro GPA almost doubled (officially) when converted to American GPA, because standards are very different. As you see here, everybody seems to have a 3.5, but in Europe you know that's pretty harder. So do not worry about it... you are more than OK. Maybe you have a 2.5 in Germany and that will be translated into a 3.75 in the US (just an example
By your previous post, I see that you have been a TA (I am sure you were a good student then), you have been exchange student (Erasmus?) at UCL (which is very hard Uni. to get exchange, so you probably again were in the top of your school in Germany)... you have worked for German government... they will definitely love that (TA + Government stuff) to establish connections... any school will probably rather have you that an American student from Middleofnowhere State Uni. with a 4.0 GPA. That's the reality
Maybe you are not used to American students, but, contrary to people in Europe, they tend to "over" show-off their achievements. So again do not underestimate yourself and apply EVERY WHERE you want. Now you have the money!
And forget about rankings and get the best name you can get... that will be important when you come back to Europe... again, nobody will care in Berlin or London whether Rutgers or Georgia Tech is better ranked than Columbia or Harvard.
And your GRE is stellar... English is not your native language, so your AW and V (89% is very good anyway) have a very good excuse to be lower... and 99% at Q. Wow.
I intend to do a transportation focus. I'm really putting a lot of hopes on the New York schools, but a lot will depend on financial aid.
Schools
Columbia
Hunter College
Pratt Institute
Harvard
University of Pennsylvania
University of Maryland
University of Illinois Chicago
University of North Carolina (in-state)
Georgia Institute of Technology (alma mater)
GPA: 4.0
Georgia Institute of Technology, BS International Affairs
GRE:
Verbal: 720
Quantitative: 770
Writing: 5.5
Experience
2.5 years of work as an Army logistician
0.5 year fellowship for Georgia Office of the Governor
Several other internships in college
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