How likely are schools to accept people straight from undergrad. Slightly unique case as I am a data science and political science double major so I have decent quantitative background.

Specific programs i’m referring to:

Georgetown - MS In Data Science for Public Policy

Berkeley - MPP

HKS - MPP

Harris - MS in Computational Analysis and Public Policy

USC - MS in Public Policy Data Science

Umich - MPP

hi all, i am a freshman in college currently majoring in sociology. i’m not sure which route i want to take, but i do know that i want to end up in the policy sphere (probably local or state).

my main concern is job prospects. if i am unable to afford grad school, i’d be able to find something in the legal sector as a paralegal with either degree. however, i feel like the paralegal program offers more career exposure due to its experiential curriculum.. but my heart is with sociology.

is it worth it to consider a double major?

i will take any advice! thank you

Hi guys! I’m an American studying law in the UK, and I am planning to do an MPP in either Canada or the US upon graduation. What jobs in the Us do you think would align with my expertise in European Law?

And would be down to share notes/insights?

I have no idea what I'm doing right now. I'm working on my sociology degree and I want to get my PPA so I can get into government and engage in educational policies. I have no idea how to get around the people I need to be successful. Any advice?

Hi All,

I have recently moved back from London after living there for 4 years. I am having trouble trying to find a job in policy and would appreciate any advice on how you landed your jobs or how I should move forward. Currently I am in Stamford, CT but am willing to commute to NYC or move to Washington DC for a job. Below are highlights of my resume and education.

Education:

• MSc in Public Policy-----London
• Diploma in Applied Social Worker---London
  • I briefly went for MSW but decided it was not for me and got a certificate in Social work. I completed an internship during the program that I have highlighted.
• BA in History-----USA

Work Experience (from most recent):

• Recovery worker at nonprofit---London
  • Here I learned about health policy and managed a case load of clients. It really showed me how policies from the government can affect people in negative and positive ways.
• Social work intern----London
• community and engagement intern-----USA
• Public Policy Intern-----USA

Thank you so much!

i have very recently been thinking about making a big career change and trying to get into the field of policy/politics. i got a bachelor of music degree from a small liberal arts college and don’t regret doing that, but i’m realizing i don’t know how far i want to follow that career path fully. i took a few humanities courses while getting my undergraduate degree, including a social work class on social policy, and absolutely loved it. i find myself getting bored with jobs after about 6-7 months, because i have already learned everything i need to for the position i am in and don’t feel challenged.

over the summer, i had a temporary job that got a bit dramatic because all of a sudden new restrictive “rules” were being imposed on us as employees. they kept citing the “school policy” over and over, and i took it upon myself to do a deep dive and researched everything i could find, including neighboring school’s policies, and ended up creating an entire document/paper showing inconsistencies, examples from other institutions, refuting their “sources”, etc. that was shared with the school at the end of the employment period. i know this is not quite the same at all, but that kind of research lit a fire in me that i constantly feel like i am missing.

with the recent news, i know that i want to do more to help make change in my country. my sister got her degree in social work, and my mom is applying to get a masters degree in social work. since i have very little experience in this field, i’m wondering what the best course of action is. i’ve been looking into different masters programs, but wonder if there is anything that anybody would recommend in order to gain experience or even just learn more before diving in headfirst. maybe some community college courses i should look into?

i’d appreciate any advice. even if this sounds like im better suited for a different type of career. i’ve been looking into this field HEAVILY for a bit now, and it feels like a good fit but i don’t know for sure. thanks!!!!

Hi All,

I know these "chance me" things get old fast and I've seen a few profiles similar to mine, but they do offer great value to the OP (even if it is just an ego boost) - so I greatly appreciate any responses that come from those who have been in admissions or been through the process themselves.

I am a U.S. Army Aviator preparing to transition out of the military, I am currently attending a top 25 MBA program (part-time) and maintain a very high GPA (3.9). I have been in the U.S. Army for 8 years and have a combat deployment, along with many unique rotational assignments.

Additionally, I have been deeply involved in several start-up businesses in parallel to my time in the Army, one of which I successfully grew, franchised, and exited (with a moderate degree of success), and a second that I have joined that focuses on AI applications for small businesses (we'll see where it goes).

I am also a volunteer with a well known organization that focuses on supporting small businesses through mentorship internationally.

My most recent rolls in the U.S. Army have been administrative and policy related and letters of recommendation from senior officers and DA civilians could be acquired.

My undergrad GPA is perhaps concerning, I have a 3.2 from a relatively unknown university. I have grown quite a bit academically since then and it is my hope that my MBA GPA will represent that to Adcoms, although any input on this would be appreciated. I do not plan on submitting a GRE/GMAT score. I am certain I can create a compelling and powerful essay/personal statement laying out my reasons for attendance- I have strong feelings towards government policies surrounding small businesses.

With the benefit of the GI Bill I am able to attend any additional schooling (I'll have 12 months of eligibility remaining after the MBA) completely free. Therefore, this isn't a matter of cash ROI or investment on my part - I am seeking to network, truly learn about and engage with government management, continue my service to my country in a civilian/government capacity, and leverage my free education to the greatest possible extent.

I fully understand the mixed feelings many people have towards Harvard's MC-MPA, and the oft repeated comments about it being a cash-cow, etc, etc.. but, when the education is free and the time in life is right, there's almost no reason not to give it a go.

Hi! I’m a 23-year old currently in advisory at a Big4 firm (coming up on my 1-year anniversary.) Work primarily in technology/analytics, but am passionate about the ways that policy can influence people’s lives - have worked on firm initiatives looking at policy in sustainable ag space, and financial services. Want to apply for an MPP or an MPA but not sure if my current background will make a strong case considering I don’t have direct experience with NGOs. Advice on how to best build my skills to apply to a program like Princeton SPIA or HKS? Suggest leaving Big4 to gain experience with NGOs before applying? Not sure what route would be best to take. End goal would be to work at a firm focused on social impact like Dalberg/FSG, etc.

Thank you so much.

A bachelors from a CC vs a University. How big of a difference does it make when looking for entry level positions.

They are so similar! Both are stem-designated, with a similar set of courses. For an international student, who wants to come back and work in their country, after perhaps 4-5 years abroad, what would be the best? I have eight year of experience in the development sector in my own country (India). I found professors in both courses who have done sizeable research in India/ South Asia. Both seem to have a small cohort size. I don't have much of quant background though, and thus want to take up policy to understand more of economics etc.

Any recommendations?

I just made a massive blunder on my GRE today. Even though I knew clicking next on the last question would eject me out of the section, I still did it on my first quant section when I was just going over the questions. So obviously that mistake and my stress really affected the performance and I ended up with a 145Q. Despite the stress I was okay on the verbal with a 164. I needed 160 in the quant to be competitive where I was applying.

With the three week wait, it will be too late to send to my top school. I'm so upset even though I know it's my own fault. Should I reach out to the AdComs?

hello! i’m an english major in my upcoming junior year and as i move into my bachelors, it’s required i take a minor to fulfill my BA credits. sooo my school offers public policy and i’ve been thinking of doing that because i think paired with english it would be a good idea (and i love politics/advocacy work). i want to see if the minor is a right fit.

however, i want to take an economics course. i did great in high school principles of economics (i understand college econ is a different ballgame though lol), but im not the best at math. i did take statistics my freshman year of college, and even though i cried a lot i still understood and even enjoyed some of the concepts. idk. im willing to brush up on my math before i have to make the decision, also just because i want to brush up on more quant skills. should i do the minor in public policy or economics? just the math that im worried about, but since minors are only 15 credits it wont be that much, i think. I'll still talk to my advisor, just want more opinions from people with experience.

some classes in the public policy minor require a prerequisite in econ, which is why im thinking of just doing economics instead. (GSU offers a policy analysis class that requires macroeconomics to be taken first).

i’m not sure if I would want to go to grad school immediately after. i want work experience after i graduate, whether that’s more so dealing with english (like technical writing/legal field) or public policy (creating/assisting with legislation, analysis, etc). if i get my masters in PP i would need that quant edge anyway.

Hi all,

I recently graduated with a Bachelors in Polisci and desire to work in policy for a couple of years before applying to law school. After much research, it seems that Masters' programs with a quantitative edge seem to be the most desired, however, a lot of MPP programs in Canada - aside from perhaps Carleton and kiiinda Queens - don't really have many courses related to statistics, calc, etc.

Perhaps I'm misinformed, but I was wondering if anyone who is currently in an MPP program (or has graduated from one) could comment if their Masters program had courses related to that - or allowed them to add on math-related electives from other departments to complement their degree. It seems as though my top choices are missing courses that I would otherwise deem integral. I would like to do my MPP/MPA in Canada - it seems that American programs mostly have that focus on the quant side of things compared to programs here.

Sorry if this is the wrong sub to post something like this ;-;

What are some examples of findings from the social sciences (aside from economics) that influenced a policy or government-administered program? I'm especially interested in qualitative research focused on homelessness and housing, but would be interested in any papers that you see as having impacted government decision-makers in some manner. Thank you!

Currently UK based but would love to move over to the States, even with the recent result. I see quite a lot of UK think tankers doing the rounds with the US ones (typically more free-market think tanks). How does one go about this? Is it purely networking? Is it something else?

I am involving with a minor US political party, and we will be starting a think tank in the next couple of months. The initial purpose of the think tank would be to provide a clearinghouse for our academic and public policy folks for meetings, publications, etc. Does anyone here have any suggestions or thoughts that they'd be willing to share.

Hey guys,

I’m applying to a couple of MPP programs this year, Ford and UChicago. Each of these programs accept some type of quantitative coursework instead of the GRE. I have lots of quant coursework from undergrad (Stats, intermediate micro/macro, programming with R/SAS, Calculus) and a research methods class that I took for my first masters. Does anyone have any experience submitting coursework in lieu of the GRE? I know they SAY they’ll consider it equally, but I’m curious about your perspectives in this sub. Thanks!

if you have a bachelor’s in public policy, what do you do for work? what does a career look like with just a bachelor’s in this field and what jobs/internships did you do before your current one?

Almost a year after graduating with my BA in journalism and poli sci, I have decided that I want to be a policy analyst. I’m 26 and plan on going to grad school for my MA in international relations or MPP depending on what school I pick. In particular I want to be a foreign affairs analyst. I do have some ideas lined up that will gain me some experience. I’ve studied abroad twice and hope to get my Masters abroad next fall. Early next year I plan on taking some time to teach English in Spain and I’ve already started the FSO application.

In January, I plan on moving to Houston for a fresh start (personal reasons) and now that I figured out what I want to do, I want to get a job there that will help me eventually become a foreign affairs analyst. The English job in Spain will only last 3 months in the spring and I heard that becoming an FSO is competitive so I do want a backup plan for what to do once I move. Every time I look this up on Google I get mixed results on where I should start for entry level jobs. Any pointers?

Hi all, I am preparing for my applications for HKS. I am finding it really difficult to retain the word limit in the SOP (it is 500 and mine is coming upto 650).

I would love to hear from the admitted students at HKS, their advice on it.

Hi everyone,

I am seeking a study opportunity (MPP generally or environmental policy especially), and really needs you guys’ kind help.

My ideal job would be multilateral development banks, so that I can contribute to the climate change issue in an economic way and also balance my life (my sexual orientation was not allowed in my country, while those seem don’t care about it). I’ve had the situation people in least developed countries suffered, so I want to help them by the power of development banks.

But since I came from an undeveloped small town, I really knew nothing about the target school of those banks. Could you guys kindly give some advice? I have a list here that the MPP schools I know, are they target schools? What else? It would be great if you can leave any comments.

1. LSE 2. Bocconi 3. Hertie 4. SIPA

P.S. Also wants to know somewhere cheap and good at the same time.

Thanksssss

I graduated from a prestigious undergrad college in India this May. I did my undergrad in BA (Hons) Economics with a gpa of 3.9/4. I am currently working in finance and recently took GRE (162V, 170Q). My current job isn’t very relevant for a masters in public policy. I am thinking of switching once I complete a year here. I’ll apply for MPP schools in 2026 most probably. What kind of sectors should I focus on? I am looking at think tanks, public sector jobs, impact consulting roles. Any other tips to improve my profile? It’s academically strong but I don’t have very relevant experience and I’d like to make up for that to get into the best schools.

Hi Folks! New to this sub and learning a lot about your experiences in public policy :)

I wanted to ask if anyone on this sub is from an accounting/finance background and currently works in the policy scope? How have you integrated your accounting/finance background into the work and has it been useful? I've recently applied to become a Canadian CPA and have been working in the federal government and state-owned enterprises for almost six years now, and have always wanted to do something more policy geared so would love some more insight on anyone that's made the shift.

So, about a day has passed since the election. I have noticed a major difference among my MPP alum friends (Americans) from a career prospective.

Those in US domestic policy, national security, and US foreign relations seem to be the least concerned about their career prospects. They are aware there may be some shifting in terms of jobs they want to pursue or are available.

Those in International Development seem to be the most terrified. The general concept is that funding will drastically decrease for the organizations that fund such projects.

This is just what I see/hear. Anyone else have any insights?