Harvard KS MPP; Tufts Fletcher MALD; Princeton WWS MPA; Yale Jackson MA

Graduate School
1

Hi!

I am wondering how competitive people think I could potentially be for the aforementioned programs (I have not seriously studied for the GRE at this point, so I am omitting my rough scores… I am asking for comments primarily based on my applicant profile):

Sex: Male (LGBTQ)
Ethnicity: White
Age: 21 (entering senior year)
Major: Global Studies (concentration in Rights, Justice, and Governance)
Minor: Journailsm + Design
GPA: 3.8

Experience:

Host Country Affairs Intern at the Untied States Mission to the United Nations (current)

Research Assistant at the Darnal Award for Social Justice
• Conducted comparative effectiveness research
• Assisted in research on social justice issues occurring in Nepal in regard to Dalit rights
• Participated in think tanks with the goal of improving dialogue and inspiring discourse on topics concerning social justice for Dalits via a web-based platform

Public Policy Intern at GMHC (formerly known as Gay Men’s Health Crisis)
• Wrote an article titled “From Churches to Mosques: We Need to Include Every Faith Community in the Fight Against HIV”, which focuses on the need to expand faith-based HIV prevention and treatment efforts to include Muslim communities due to current North African immigration flows. (this three-page single-spaced article is due to be published on June 25, 2015 in POZ Magazine)
• Interviewed GMHC clients
• Drafted call-to-action letters addressed to New York State government leaders
• Drafted public comments on GMHC’s response to New York State’s Compassionate Care Act

Research Associate at the India China Institute
The Sacred Himalaya Initiative: Sacred Landscapes and Sustainable Futures, is a new Luce Foundation funded initiative which builds on the successes of the Everyday Religion and Sustainable Environments in the Himalaya (ERSEH) initiative. For the next three years (2014-2017), ICI will be working with a team of researchers from India, China, Nepal and the United States to study and document relationships between religion and ecology, sacred landscapes, pilgrimage routes and ecological, economic and cultural sustainability and resilience in the Himalaya.

Paralegal Intern at Children’s Rights
• Executed data and factual research on child welfare systems
• Created memorandums of senate hearings that dealt with policy developments in the child welfare system
• Proofed and cite-checked legal documents
• Worked on creating an exhibit list and other trial preparatory materials

Policy Intern at the Midtown Community Court
• Drafted Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for programs mandated by the Midtown Community Court through the Center for Court Innovation
• Co-Facilitated workshops for non-custodial fathers with the UPNEXT program for workforce development and fatherhood engagement
• Updated and maintained Midtown Community Court Website
• Designed one-page materials to advertise programs offered by the Midtown Community Court
• Managed and maintained the Midtown Community Court Facebook page

Legal Intern at the New York City Criminal Court under Judge Felicia A. Mennin, A.J.S.C.
• Sat bench with Judge Felicia A. Mennin, A.J.S.C.
• Attended workshops on the New York Criminal Justice System
• Visited and attended trials at multiple courts throughout the five boroughs of New York City

  • New York Criminal Court
  • Kings County Criminal Court
  • Red Hook Community Court
  • Midtown Community Court

Academic Involvement:
Chair of University Student Government
*successfully negotiated with the Board of Trustees to create two Student Trustee positions with full voting power
Member of the Disciplinary Review Panel at University
Member of the Security Advisory Committee at University

Honors:
Point Foundation Semifinalist (Point Foundation empowers promising LGBTQ students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential – despite the obstacles often put before them – to make a significant impact on society.)
University Student Leader of the Year for 2014-2015 Academic Year
Dean’s List
College Scholarship

Volunteer Work:
2015 NYC AIDS Walk

Relevant Coursework (including first semester of senior year):
International Human Rights Law (graduate-level)
Critical Security Studies (graduate-level)
Displacement, Asylum, Migration (graduate-level)
Human Rights Research & Advocacy Methods (graduate-level)
Rights of the Accused
Spatial Thinking with GIS
Settler Colonialism, Indigenous Resurgence, and the Politics of Climate Justice
Statistics with SPSS
Seeking Refuge- Cambodia
Stealth Journalism
Web Coding for Interactive Design
News, Narrative, and Design 1 & 2
Global Economics
Microeconomics
Modern Political Theory
Encountering Religious Pluralism
French 1-3
French Grammar/Composition 1
Arts & Neuroscience

Thanks!

2

Your gender and race don’t matter.

We can’t comment on your chances. They depend on who you are competing with that year and some intangible factors like your statement of purpose. I will say that as a senior in college, you are at a distinct disadvantage for Kennedy, Fletcher, and Woodrow Wilson (and possibly Jackson too) because of your lack of post-college work experience. The average age of admission in those programs is usually in the mid-20s becuse they encourage and expect that the vast majority of students will have had some work experience.

However, you do have a lot of great internship experience, and so that may help make up that deficiency a bit. Your GPA is great and if you have decent GRE scores (~155+, maybe - check out the averages on these schools’ pages and aim higher) you’d probably be a qualified/competitive applicant. That is, you have the ability to be admitted; whether or not you are depends on factors outside of your control that make it impossible to predict your chances.

3

Juillet, thank you for your comments. I apologize for my not clearly stating that I am, as of now, not intentending to be admitted for the Fall 2016 academic year. During the upcoming year I plan on applying to jobs, but also to fellowships and scholarships.

More specifically:
-I want to re-apply for the Point Foundation since I now have experience in LGBTQ/HIV advocacy
-I am considernig applying for the Pickering Graduate Fellowship and, if I decide to do so, I will submit applications to these schools with the understanding that I am at a great disadvantage due to my lack of full-time work experience
-The only graduate program that I am committed to applying to with the hopes of acceptance is Fletcher’s Map Your Future MALD program, where you apply as a senior in undergrad (only seniors can apply) to be accepted to start 2 academic years later

Do you think I would be competitive for Fletcher’s Map Your Future program? Were I to get in, I’d definitely put in a deposit, but would potentially consider applying to the other programs I mentioned an academic year prior to my starting at Fletcher, should I not be set on going to Fletcher.

Are there any specific jobs or fields that you suggest I gain more experience in through course work, internships or my post-undergraduate job(s)? Any comments on what I have replied with?

I appreciate your suggestions.