<p>I'm interested in applying for a Master's in Public Policy this fall and want to make sure that I have the proper work experience that is desirable for most programs. By the time I apply, the last year and half I have been working with a Non Profit organization designed to put Sudanese refugees living in Kenya under scholarship and move them to better secondary schools in and around Kenya. At first my work consisted of mainly "leg work" type of projects. But now, I'll be President of Operations for the Pakistan Division of the organization, which will also look to provide scholarships to displaced students in war torn areas of Pakistan where the Taliban and Pakistani army has been fighting. </p>
<p>Is this something that would be desirable for schools like Michigan, Berkeley, etc?</p>
<p>Your work experience will only count a lot if you’re going for a mid-career MPP program, which tend to be shorter than the MPP for people coming right out of undergrad. Which one are you doing? Bear in mind that mid-career programs usually only look at people with 4+ years of experience.</p>
<p>That’s not entirely true. Selection varies from school to school. For instance, it would be significantly easier to be accepted to Goldman at Berkeley directly out of undergrad (or with minimal professional work experience) than it would to be accepted to KSG at Harvard for similar programs. </p>
<p>Some schools have “preferences” (more or less requirements) that you have X years of work experience. I think KSG “prefers” you have 2-3 years of experience before applying to their MPP program, and actually requires 3 years for their MPA program, and at least 7 years for their mid-career MPA program.</p>
<p>I am most likely applying for the program designed more for people just getting started rather than mid-career, thus I will not be applying to Harvard. </p>
<p>In regards to my other academic credentials, my GPA aligns well with Michigan’s average GPA (3.4) but I have yet to take the GRE. However I feel extremely confident I can score above the 75th percentile - a range listed as the average on the Ford School of Public Policy’s website.</p>
<p>Harvard has mid-career and regular, so don’t cross it off your list! Your experience is average in terms of experience, which is why I say everything else is going to matter more for you.</p>
<p>^ I just wonder how old that information is. KSG doesn’t publish that information, or at least they haven’t in a while to my knowledge. It also says that it is a public school, which certainly is not true. In addition the application deadline is different than the one on the KSG site. </p>
<p>According to that, though, the OP is not out of range GPA-wise.</p>
<p>Interesting. I didn’t notice any of that. I suppose I’ll apply to KSG as well, but it seems like more of a long shot. Michigan has always been my dream school though, so I’m trying to do whatever it takes to make me a stronger candidate in their eyes.</p>