BlackKitty Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I wish there was a separate forum for PhD in Public Policy! Anyone applied to any PhD public policy programs for 2014? Have you heard any news yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTemp Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Maybe try the econ forum. I believe some of those folks are applying to policy programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hailmary Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I applied to a mix of Public Policy + Business PhDs. There's a thread in Government Affairs (which is mostly MAs) on TheGradCafe but it's pretty inactive. Guess there's not very many of us! Oh and haven't heard anything yet. But I only applied to 2 policy schools (3 business) and I saw on thegradcafe that one of them is at least interviewing because someone listed an interview, and the other is planning making decisions by the end of the month (doesn't do interviews). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackKitty Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 I applied to a mix of Public Policy + Business PhDs. There's a thread in Government Affairs (which is mostly MAs) on TheGradCafe but it's pretty inactive. Guess there's not very many of us! Oh and haven't heard anything yet. But I only applied to 2 policy schools (3 business) and I saw on thegradcafe that one of them is at least interviewing because someone listed an interview, and the other is planning making decisions by the end of the month (doesn't do interviews). It's great to hear that someone is in the same boat! I also applied to only two policy schools (there aren't many out there that offer a Ph.D in policy), and a bunch of business schools. There aren't many of us, but at the same time there aren't many policy schools either. So overall I don't know how my odds would be, compared to other more main stream and popular programs. Is the one listed on GC a policy or business school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackKitty Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 It's great to hear that someone is in the same boat! I also applied to only two policy schools (there aren't many out there that offer a Ph.D in policy), and a bunch of business schools. There aren't many of us, but at the same time there aren't many policy schools either. So overall I don't know how my odds would be, compared to other more main stream and popular programs. Is the one listed on GC a policy or business school? Oh actually I just found it on GC. It's Duke. (I didn't apply there). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hailmary Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Yes, it's challenging to find the right programs to apply to! I'm not sure what you're planning on studying, but my interests lie at the intersection of international development and business. And, unfortunately, only the top business schools are progressive enough to have anyone doing this type of research, and only a small amount of public policy programs have integrated business related sub-concentrations. There were really only a handful of schools I could apply to and of course they're all top programs. It's quite possible - and I've mentally prepared myself - that I might not get into any schools. :sorrow: But oh well, just have to try, and if not work on my application and apply again next year! And, yes, Duke is the public policy program who appears to have sent out interview requests this past week. And Wharton (applied to management there) also seems to have sent out interview requests last week. (Didn't get one at either! But also the 2 programs with the "least fit") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackKitty Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 Yes, it's challenging to find the right programs to apply to! I'm not sure what you're planning on studying, but my interests lie at the intersection of international development and business. And, unfortunately, only the top business schools are progressive enough to have anyone doing this type of research, and only a small amount of public policy programs have integrated business related sub-concentrations. There were really only a handful of schools I could apply to and of course they're all top programs. It's quite possible - and I've mentally prepared myself - that I might not get into any schools. :sorrow: But oh well, just have to try, and if not work on my application and apply again next year! And, yes, Duke is the public policy program who appears to have sent out interview requests this past week. And Wharton (applied to management there) also seems to have sent out interview requests last week. (Didn't get one at either! But also the 2 programs with the "least fit") I have no idea which policy area I really want to focus on (I didn't pick one when I filled out the application nor did I explicitly mention it in my SOP). That probably sends a bad signal. Do you mind sharing what other schools you applied to? In terms of policy programs I applied to Harvard Kennedy and Chicago Harris. For Harvard, I indicated on the application that I would also like to be considered for the MPP program. And if only they'd send me an offer, even if unfunded, for the MPP, I'd be elated. [w00t] Would you attend if you were accepted into the MPP program instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hailmary Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Do you mind sharing what other schools you applied to? Would you attend if you were accepted into the MPP program instead? Sure! Policy Programs: Duke and UNC. Business Programs: Wharton (management), HBS (strategy), and MIT (Behavioral & Policy Sciences / IWER) I'd say the odds are slightly stacked against me, ha! Oh well, guess we'll see in the next couple of weeks! I would possibly consider attending an MPP program instead if and only if I had full funding and it was clear I would be able to move into the PhD program afterwards. Ultimately, I want to be a professor - I'm not using this as a professional degree. For me, if the PhD/academia isn't the clear end goal, I have a lot of other great things going for me now that I would most likely prefer to focus on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackKitty Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 (edited) Sure! I would possibly consider attending an MPP program instead if and only if I had full funding and it was clear I would be able to move into the PhD program afterwards. For me, if the PhD/academia isn't the clear end goal, I have a lot of other great things going for me now that I would most likely prefer to focus on An MPP would definitely be a stepping stone for getting into DPP program (for example, UC Berkeley's PhD program prefers applicants with an MPP, especially those who did their MPP at Berkeley) A fully funded MPP is very, very rare, the only one I know of is Princeton's, but only mid-career public servants, physicians, PhD scientists, and lawyers are eligible to apply to their program. (If you are one of those types of professionals maybe it is something you could consider?) For others, it seems that at best people get partial funding that covers most of the tuition, but there will be no stipend. P S : It's awesome that you have a lot of great things going for you other than school! That is really great. I pretty much have nothing else going for me so I'd take any chance I come across. :P Edited January 19, 2014 by BlackKitty "PS" turned in to "personal statement" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hailmary Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 True. That's why I would most likely not do an MPP. I'm sure that's not true! If someone doesn't give you the opportunity to do what you want, you just need to go out there and create it! There are ways to keep working towards your goal and make big things happen even if what you were hoping for doesn't work out. I'd like to think I always land on my feet, and I'm sure you will too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
namah Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Hi ! I have applied to 10 public policy schools . Not heard from any of them. I am particularly anxious about the Dec 1 deadline schools , as it is high time to get to hear from them.Any suggestions hailmary and blackkitty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTemp Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Hi all - I'm also interested in a PhD in Public Policy though I haven't applied this year. I'm interested to in your backgrounds, and how you came to the decision to apply to policy programs (instead of a core social science, for example). Could you post your profile and maybe a little about your decision? I thought for a while that I wanted to go the Econ route, but since graduating undergrad a couple years ago I realized I may not have either the skill or patience to deal with the proof-theorem style coursework that Econ is known for. After working in industry for about 18 months doing health economics research and program evaluation, I was recently hired as a Research Assistant at a very well-known think tank and my experience so far has opened my eyes to policy research and working on highly interdisciplinary teams. My research interests are quite varied and applied in nature (behavioral econ and applications to health policy, causal inference/program evaluation, health services research, predictive modeling) so it seems that I may have a good fit in policy programs. But I'm new to even considering these programs so I still don't know a whole lot of the qualities they look for in applicants, job placements, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackKitty Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Hi ! I have applied to 10 public policy schools . Not heard from any of them. I am particularly anxious about the Dec 1 deadline schools , as it is high time to get to hear from them.Any suggestions hailmary and blackkitty? Hi namah, Did you apply to the Phd or master's program, or both? Yeah, the only two programs I applied to also had Dec 1 deadlines. I usually check out results on the grad cafe: public policy • thegradcafe.com Which schools did you apply to? It seems that things have already started moving at Georgetown, UT Austin, UC Irvine, Minnesota, and Duke. I didn't apply to any of those schools though. For the ones I applied to, historically people would start hearing back in March. It seems that no there were no interviews before decisions were made. Although not everyone who's been contacted would actually upload their result on the grad cafe, it is still a good, and probably the only, source of info I could get, given that there isn't a distinct forum for Public Policy with lots of active users who keep each other posted. But hey, let's keep each other posted! :tup::idea: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackKitty Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 I thought for a while that I wanted to go the Econ route, but since graduating undergrad a couple years ago I realized I may not have either the skill or patience to deal with the proof-theorem style coursework that Econ is known for. I am currently being brutally tortured by the theorems and proofs of the typical graduate econ program, and this is when I decided the econ route is not for me. :P If you have high undergrad GPA, solid quant preparation, good GRE scores, strong recommendation (either from your profs or researchers at the well-known think tank you work for), plus your very relecant work experience, you are a much stronger applicant than I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackKitty Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Instead of waiting and getting desperate, why not just send the admission admins an email and ask how things are going? Most likely they will either ignore me or resent me for asking stupid questions. But there's a slim chance that I might get a response. It's worth a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTemp Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I am currently being brutally tortured by the theorems and proofs of the typical graduate econ program, and this is when I decided the econ route is not for me. :P If you have high undergrad GPA, solid quant preparation, good GRE scores, strong recommendation (either from your profs or researchers at the well-known think tank you work for), plus your very relecant work experience, you are a much stronger applicant than I am. I don't envy you going through the pain at all. Fortunately I didn't get to the point where I actually suffered through it. Once I started working on applied, real-world, policy-relevant problems it was as if I'd seen the light :D . And I think I have (or will have) most of the preparation you mention... Although I don't have a very high undergrad GPA (~3.4) so we'll see what kind of boost I get from working at the think tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeea Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I am currently being brutally tortured by the theorems and proofs of the typical graduate econ program, and this is when I decided the econ route is not for me. :P If you have high undergrad GPA, solid quant preparation, good GRE scores, strong recommendation (either from your profs or researchers at the well-known think tank you work for), plus your very relecant work experience, you are a much stronger applicant than I am. Hi BlackKitty, I can see how those interested in applied policy issues do not want to be bothered with esoteric theory and proofs. However, virtually all the Public Policy PhD programs I am aware of do require doctorate level microeconomics in the first year. Were you aware of that? Are you in a masters or doctorate economics program? In the US or UK or elsewhere? Thanks for starting this thread. Wishing you the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackKitty Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 Hi BlackKitty, I can see how those interested in applied policy issues do not want to be bothered with esoteric theory and proofs. However, virtually all the Public Policy PhD programs I am aware of do require doctorate level microeconomics in the first year. Were you aware of that? Are you in a masters or doctorate economics program? In the US or UK or elsewhere? Thanks for starting this thread. Wishing you the best! Hey aeea, of course I was/am aware of that. I am actually doing first year Phd micro theory now. :( But given my econ background, I do need to apply to some field that's more or less related. It would be hard for me to try to get into a field, say in the humanities, that has absolutely nothing to do with quant analysis and econ. But still, compared to an actual econ phd, the coursework for a public policy phd might be less daunting and more applied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeea Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Hey aeea, of course I was/am aware of that. I am actually doing first year Phd micro theory now. :( But given my econ background, I do need to apply to some field that's more or less related. It would be hard for me to try to get into a field, say in the humanities, that has absolutely nothing to do with quant analysis and econ. But still, compared to an actual econ phd, the coursework for a public policy phd might be less daunting and more applied. Yes, I belive that after the mandatory doctoral level micro, the rest of the Public Plcy program should be more applied. Why is PhD micro so difficult for everyone?! Can you relate any of the micro theory you learn to the real world? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackKitty Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 If anyone applied to Chicago Harris, I got a response from the PhD admissions director: they do require interviews and there will be a visit day for admitted students. Decisions usually go out in early March. But for a school with a Dec 1st deadline, you'd expect the decisions to go out in Feb, right? Even schools with Jan 1st deadlines send out decisions in Feb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeea Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Thanks for the info. Did you email them to ask the status? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackKitty Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Correction: interviews are NOT required (the director meant to say they do "NOT" require interviews). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackKitty Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Thanks for the info. Did you email them to ask the status? Yup, I didn't actually expect such a quick response. The program director seems nice. But too bad they don't do interviews so basically we won't hear back from them until the first week of March. :( You applied to Harris too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodriguez Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Another PhD Public Policy applicant here! It'd be interesting to hear what kind of profiles do you guys have and where are you applying? GRE? Previous studies? Grades? Work experience? I applied to Princeton (STEP concentration), Berkeley, Duke, Harris and Michigan. Profile GRE: 168Q, 162V, 4.5AW Studies: Bachelor in engineering & graduate studies in economics, policy and the environment (also a Master's degree) Grades: mostly top 10-20% of the class in grad and undergrad level Work/research experience: mostly alongside with studies, 1.5-2 years of pretty relevant stuff overall Princeton would be a dream... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackKitty Posted January 29, 2014 Author Share Posted January 29, 2014 Another PhD Public Policy applicant here! It'd be interesting to hear what kind of profiles do you guys have and where are you applying? GRE? Previous studies? Grades? Work experience?[\QUOTE] Princeton would be a dream... My profile isn't very strong but I thought I'd try anyway. I applied to Harris and Kennedy only, and a bunch of business programs. Only after I filled out the app form for Princeton did I realize that its MPP program was really not for students but for mid-career professionals in the public sector (min. 7 years work experience, unless you were already a lawyer). Undergrad: Economics (3.85) Grad: MA Economics (in progress, no GPA yet) GRE: 166Q, 167V, 4.0AW Work: 5 different paid internships (20 months in total), but only 1 internship is related to public policy I'd be super happy with just an unfunded offer from Harvard. I'd go, even if I had to take out a loan. But these programs usually send out decisions in March. I don't think I will be able to wait until them. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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