Need advice: grad school and career options

[MikeMcDaniel]

Hello, I have a 4 year degree from FSU, and tried getting into the planning program at FSU but apparently my GRE scores were to low and I got denied last year.

I have thought and thought and thought and I keep coming back to planning, as its a natural interest to me.

Now, I have to decide whether I should study and re-take the GRE, then re-apply to school...


I can't think of a better option... because i have no job living here.... I feel like a ball of unrealized potential as I have the skills necessary to jump in and work.


But lets hear opinions from other planners... Is there another field thats similar that I could try?

I seem to be really interested in Parks, or Park Planning or Transportation Planning.

[Ryoohki17]

Have you considered applying to other planning schools in Florida? Have you been looking into interships with either a local government or a private planning firm? Also I would consider speaking with an advisor in the Planning Department at FSU to get some advise. Also consider looking into the Florida Association of Counties or the League of Cities as both may have interships that could help you get your foot in the door. Also check out the State government while DCA (Departemnt of Community Affairs) has been decimated in the last few years you may be able to find a legislative aide position or an intership with a State Representative or State Senator which would give you a wider exposure to Planning and related disciplines. Best of luck to you.

[OfficialPlanner]

The state is constantly hiring due to excessive staff turnover. The salaries are very low, but there are some benefits. It's a paycheck for one. Obviously DOT would be a good choice for transportation planning, and DEM also seems to attract many planners. One big benefit is that state employees are eligible for tuition waivers at public universities (or was this another state employee benefit that Rick Scott has recently cut? ). Anyway, I've known a couple people personally that have taken advantage of tuition waivers for most of their time in grad school. Because they were also working, they did not need to take out any loans.

There should be ample GRE study materials at any library in Tallahassee. Good luck OP!

[MikeMcDaniel]

i have worked for state government before here and had an internship with.a county planning department both things didnt seem to help my application. i applied to usf and fsu last year.

[Blide]

You mentioned you have an interest in parks but what in particular about them interests you? There are a number of natural resource planning and management type degrees out there that could probably cover that interest better than planning. Then of course there's landscape architecture but that's obviously more design focused.

[Raf]

You can say the exact same thing about transportation planning. What interest you in TP? A dual civil engineer/planning master degree will set you in the sweet spot versus just a plain jane planning master's degree. What is your underlying focus?

[OfficialPlanner]

i have worked for state government before here and had an internship with.a county planning department both things didnt seem to help my application. i applied to usf and fsu last year.

Just realized there is a manager named Mike McDaniel on DCA's planning staff. That can't be one in the same.. is it? I thought your forum handle looked familiar.

[Richmond Jake]

Just realized there is a manager named Mike McDaniel on DCA's planning staff. That can't be one in the same.. is it? I thought your forum handle looked familiar.

I'm certain they are not the same person. Only a coincidence.

BTW, the DCA was abolished last summer and what's left of it's remaining functions absorbed by the new Department of Economic Opportunity.

[MikeMcDaniel]

i like visiting parks.. i go to city parks and county parks almost everyday.. i really like the greenways and dream of enhancing them adding facilities to the parks and making them better. i really like disc golf and would be interested in adding more baskets and courses in the city or planning new holes..

i want to also get involved in the master plan for blueprint2000 our local interageny tax option for enhancing transportation projects in the area.

i would love to work to improve the greenways and involved with the master plan

I also want to work with the local mpo the crpta and work towards significant improvments to infrastructure...

[MikeMcDaniel]

I think i decided to study for the GRE again....