Applying To Colleges

[Speed of Sound]

Anyone applying early action/decision? I've been working through the wee hours of the morning for the last two weeks, only to completely throw out a supplemental essay and change the topic...with a day to go! haha

Four years ago when I was applying to undergrad I applied ED to Franklin and Marshall College and got accepted despite having slightly lower GPA than they normally accept (I did have slightly above SATs). The odds are certainly better, but you have to know that one school is your preference over others.

[Speed of Sound]

While this topic is up here, I'll take the time to fret about my own current applications to Classics grad school. Has anyone on here applied to a PhD program before that might be able to hint at what worked and what didn't? It's such a guessing game with what these places want sometimes...

[ilikeverin]

While this topic is up here, I'll take the time to fret about my own current applications to Classics grad school. Has anyone on here applied to a PhD program before that might be able to hint at what worked and what didn't? It's such a guessing game with what these places want sometimes...

Frame your personal statement around an experience, preferably sometime you've shown leadership.

Your letters of reference are of the utmost importance—make sure your professors are talking about what you want them to talk about.

And apply to the University of Maryland

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Come to UVA, Speed.  We've got an exceptional Classics Department.

[CountryRoads]

Are any of you applying to WVU?


If you are planning to go here, fair warning, you are in for a very good time

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Are any of you applying to WVU?


If you are planning to go here, fair warning, you are in for a very good time

WVU is tied with FSU for my top choice. If I go for Political Science (99% chance of that), then I will go to FSU. But I do want to go to WVU out of family tradition. Hell, singing County Roads at Mountaineer Field will be good enough for me

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

Anyone applying early action/decision? I've been working through the wee hours of the morning for the last two weeks, only to completely throw out a supplemental essay and change the topic...with a day to go! haha

I submitted mine's just yesterday, you're EAing to Yale too, right?

[CountryRoads]

Are any of you applying to WVU?


If you are planning to go here, fair warning, you are in for a very good time

WVU is tied with FSU for my top choice. If I go for Political Science (99% chance of that), then I will go to FSU. But I do want to go to WVU out of family tradition. Hell, singing County Roads at Mountaineer Field will be good enough for me

I'm majoring in Poli Sci, the program here is good, but FSU's is definitely better.

[California8429]

Anyone applying early action/decision? I've been working through the wee hours of the morning for the last two weeks, only to completely throw out a supplemental essay and change the topic...with a day to go! haha

I submitted mine's just yesterday, you're EAing to Yale too, right?

Yeah! I'm completely surprised how this past week turned out. A few days ago I was seriously doubting the idea of EA, since I didn't think my essays would be at par, but by yesterday they were right where I wanted them! We had our opening night for our fall play too, so I had to be done by 5ish. Was on the phone with my sister in Colombia for half an hour discussing my last two sentences/last thought concluding my common app essay, rewriting, reworking. Finally it turned out I just had to change "our" to "the" and everything would worked out perfectly haha. Then I saw it was 5:30, asked my friend what time we are called he said 5:30 and book it to school. What a night

[California8429]

Ben, you'll be happy to know a friend of mine and fellow cast member applied early action to UVA! Apparently 7 have applied from my school, only one was accepted, but I saw their stats on naviance and these were people who clearly thought mediocre scores and GPA could get them into a good OOS school (Except for the accepted guy).

[Speed of Sound]

Come to UVA, Speed.  We've got an exceptional Classics Department.

I am applying to UVA's PhD, and if I don't get into one of the ivies, it's probably next on my list.

[California8429]

Bumping this for some more discussion. Less than two weeks until Dec 14 EA decisions (: Though I don't expect to be accepted

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

Bumping this for some more discussion. Less than two weeks until Dec 14 EA decisions (: Though I don't expect to be accepted

I don't think any of us do, to be honest.: /

[RI]

I've submitted four grad school applications so far: UCLA, Stanford, UCSD, and UW.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Come to UVA, Speed.  We've got an exceptional Classics Department.

I am applying to UVA's PhD, and if I don't get into one of the ivies, it's probably next on my list.

Excellent!  What part of the Classics are you focused on?

[freefair]

I've sent my UCAS, for Economics major with Politics minor.
I am holding all 5 offers. I am determined to get a Masters degree in Economics or a related subject after finishing my BSc, perhaps at my undergraduate Uni, perhaps at Durham, Oxford, Manchester, Warwick.
5 Choices (all wonderful, respected, world class institutions)
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
University of London, Royal Holloway
Loughborough University
University or East Anglia (in Norwich)  
University of Essex (THE HOME OF UK PSEPHOLOGY)
Any questions you have about UK Uni's or my application experience so far or reasons for choosing Uni's, I'm willing to answer as I researched them all to find the ones right for me and know loads now!!

[California8429]

Can the UK members explain the process of getting accepted outside of test taking, I know it's fairly centralized (especially compared to the US system)

[freefair]

Can the UK members explain the process of getting accepted outside of test taking, I know it's fairly centralized (especially compared to the US system)

Could you rephrase that, I'm not sure what you mean.
Do you want to know about our Pre Univeristy qualification system? Our UCAS? Our applications process for those without formal qualifications?

[ilikeverin]

University of Maryland (Maryland School of Public Policy)

SPOILER ALERT: THE BEST SCHOOL

[Simfan34]

I've know we sent out decisions today, so anyone have any good news?

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

I've know we sent out decisions today, so anyone have any good news?

A couple friends of mine got in, it was really cool to see. The rest of us get our news over the next week or so.

[Kushahontas]

I'm applying to MPP and MPA programs at five schools:

SUNY Albany (Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy)
University of Minnesota (Humphrey School of Public Affairs)
University of Wisconsin-Madison (La Follette School of Public Affairs)
George Washington University (Trachtenberg School of Public Policy & Public Administration)
University of Maryland (Maryland School of Public Policy)

I've been working on my statement of purpose for days. It's killing me! For two years I expected that I would be applying to geography programs now; it was only a month ago that I changed my mind. I've been more excited about starting grad schools since I did, but re-working my career goals and approach to further studies has required a total paradigm shift.

I am only applying to one program in this discipline this year (University of Texas' LBJ School), but if I don't make it (which I suspect I may very well not as GRE scores were AWFUL), this looks like a nice list off schools to consider next Autumn if I can improve my stats a bit.

[Kushahontas]

I am only applying to one program in this discipline this year (University of Texas' LBJ School), but if I don't make it (which I suspect I may very well not as GRE scores were AWFUL), this looks like a nice list off schools to consider next Autumn if I can improve my stats a bit.

Are you applying straight out of college? I get the impression that GRE scores matter very little if you have a non-academic record to brag about.

I'm somewhat confident in my chances at these schools. I'm working with a 3.7 GPA and solid GRE scores (170V, 159Q, 5.0 AW), and I'm sure that I'll have great letters of recommendation. What I don't have is a strong record of community service and involvement in extracurricular projects that demonstrates the kind of interest and passion that so many of these programs seem keen on. I spent most of my time as an undergrad expecting that my future was in academia, so I was a lot more focused on building relationships with professors, completing research projects, and being active within my department (geography). That's why writing my statement of interest has been stressful; I have the sense that I have a lot to prove.

What kind of focus interests you? For the moment, I'm torn between local government management and policy research.

I, on the other hand, don't have the best academic stats, but I (hopefully) make up for that with strong community involvement and volunteer work. I definitely concur wrt the statement of purpose, but for better or worse...it is finished now.

I originally was planning an environmental policy sort of specialization when I first considered applying years ago, but I find that now I am much more intent to pursue something along the lines of public management/finance and leadership.

[California8429]

Well I was deferred, so now for all those other supplements...

ArchangelZero, how did you fare?

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

Well I was deferred, so now for all those other supplements...

ArchangelZero, how did you fare?

Same. We have a long four months ahead of us lol.