Linden

Hello. I will be applying to public policy programs this fall. One of my recommenders, my current supervisor, is a non-native English speaker; she is the director of a non-profit overseas. I am familiar with her level of English. Although I am confident that the letter will be clear and mostly free of grammatical and spelling mistakes, I anticipate the letter will be peppered with non-idiomatic expressions. Should I ask a native English speaker to proofread the letter for the recommender? Or I should not be concerned about her level of English expression? Thank you for your feedback. Linden

I will be applying to public policy programs for Fall 2009 entrance. My undergraduate GPA was 3.9, while my graduate GPA was 3.6. I went to graduate school straight from undergrad, and shortly after starting graduate school, I realized I had chosen the wrong profession. I quickly lost interest in my studies, and I ended up with a 3.6 GPA. (All grades are As and Bs.) I know this is an acceptable GPA. Nevertheless, I am concerned because it is much lower than my undergraduate GPA, and I am applying to top public policy programs. (My GRE scores are 760Q/720V/6 AW.) Do you think this lower graduate school GPA will be a problem? Should I try to explain it on my statement of purpose? Thanks for any advice. Linden

I was wondering if anyone out there had any opinions or advice on essay editing services. I am currently working on the 20th draft of my essays, and I am wondering about the value/ethics of using an essay editing service. Some of my friends and family members tell me that I would be a fool not to use an essay editing service, as they think I should use all the tools at my disposal. They also argue that since I have already written and rewritten my essays that it would not be cheating, that it is no different than having a friend critique my essay. Moreover, they remind me, many other students competing against me will be making use of these services. I am not comfortable with their arguments. First, I feel that using an essay editing service is cheating, but I cannot find a clear answer to this. (Schools use language that can be fairly described as ambiguous when stating that applicants must turn in only original work. Is it still original work if your best friend proofreads and offers suggestions?) Second, I understand that some of the essay editors are undergraduates at top-ranked universities. Frankly, I am not sure some of them are qualified to critique my essay. I would love some feedback from others who are soon applying or have recently applied to graduate schools. Are you using/have you used essay editing services? Do you think they are worth the expense?

All of the programs in which I am interested claim they do not use the GRE and/or GPA as a cutoff. In other words, they will consider and read each and every application, regardless of how low the GRE score or GPA is. How true is this? If it is, how do especially popular programs get through the hundreds of applications (including letters of recommendation and statements of purpose) they receive? I have read comments from professors, administrators and students claiming that schools really and honestly read all files carefully and thoroughly. I have also read that schools fulfill the promise to consider every application by immediately putting all files below a certain GRE-GPA combination in a pile that is then given less thorough consideration. Any comments? Linden

First, thank you for taking the time to read my post. I am planning to obtain a master's degree in public policy. However, I feel I am not able to accurately assess what my chances are to gain admission to top programs in this field. Currently, I am considering the following universities. * Georgetown * American * Columbia * Princeton * Harvard My GRE scores are 720V / 760 Q / 6 AW. I already have another graduate degree, and my GPA for that program is 3.6. My undergraduate GPA is 3.9. However, one of my concerns is about my GPA. I was international student as an undergraduate, and my parents did not want to let me leave my country to study in the US. Thus, I had to attend a small, mediocre university that provided me a full scholarship. I eventually graduated from a large state university. It is better known, but not particularly prestigious—it is ranked as tier 3. My graduate degree is from a niche program that is well-regarded, but which is housed in a tier 2 university. Will my GPA be worth anything? Should I explain why I was forced to attend a second-rate institution out of college? In terms of my work experience, I have worked in private industry (three years) and the public sector (non-profits and government - six years). However, there is also a special consideration in this area. I have moved overseas several times because of my wife's job. As a consequence, my professional qualifications will be less than impressive for the past three years. I have been forced to hold clerical jobs, at times; other times, I simply have not been able to find a job. (I am currently volunteering at a non-profit.) Do I have a realistic chance at any of the schools I mentioned above? Again, thank you for your input.