<p>I'm wondering if it's worth it for me to retake the GRE in my situation.
My scores thus far: 550v/650q/4.5</p>
<p>I'm planning to apply to MPA programs at the following schools:
American Univ.
George Washington Univ.
Syracuse</p>
<p>My undergrad GPA was 3.6, but that was in ancient times (1992 to be exact)</p>
<p>Work experience so far is pretty solid: 4 years as a State Dept. contractor, 6 years at an NGO (7 out of those 10 years were spent working in overseas offices, and am currently working in Moscow), plus 3 years of semi-relevant experience working at an economic development publication. </p>
<p>I certainly plan to continue along the same track (international NGO or gov't) once I get my MPA.</p>
<p>I'm interested in funding, but know that the funding that's available for these types of programs usually goes to international students. </p>
<p>But I have heard annecdotal accounts of U.S. citizens with significant work experience and good grades/scores who do manage to get funding.</p>
<p>Do you think, with my background, that I have a chance for some grants/scholarships? I've checked the web pages at my chosen schools and know that it's offered to a select few, but can't really determine what my chances are. </p>
<p>My GRE is pretty weak, I know. Would it be worth it to retake to increase my chances for funding, or would my many years of work experience overshadow the GRE? </p>
<p>Any advice or even annecdotal stories of others who did/didn't receive funding would be very helpful. Thanks!</p>
<p>You have many years (10+) of work experience where the MPA curriculum sounds more geared towards your background than the MPP. I would definitely recommend re-taking the GRE to increase your chances of better financial aid (assistantships, scholarships, fellowships, if available) besides all loans. </p>
<p>Have you made a list of schools you are considering?</p>
<p>American Univ.
George Washington Univ.
Syracuse</p>
<p>All the schools I listed offer an MPA with a concentration in international development management or management of international orgs. So they all have exactly what I'm looking for.</p>
<p>I was planning to take the GRE a 2nd time, but the cost @ $170 makes me hesitate. How high do you think I need to aim for my scores to be funding-worthy?</p>
<p>I would invest in a GRE Practice CD-ROM or textbook to see where you may score if you took it today. If you make substantial progress (100+ point increase), the $170 to retake it will be worth it. The cost of grad school is much more than $170 for the test. You want to minimize how much you have to spend for tuition at all costs. Some scholarships and fellowships are GRE-based.</p>
<p>The bad news: MPA/MPP programs are, like most terminal masters, stingy with funding.</p>
<p>The good news is: You're perhaps the most overqualified applicant I've ever seen in terms of work experience. 10+ years is a HUGE amount of experience and one of the schools you listed may very well toss you some cash to get you on board simply because students with as much relevant work experience as you are quite rare at the masters level.</p>
<p>"You're perhaps the most overqualified applicant I've ever seen in terms of work experience. 10+ years is a HUGE amount of experience and one of the schools you listed may very well toss you some cash to get you on board simply"</p>
<p>-- are you suggesting that 10+ years of experience is a plus?! Won't MPP programs see this as a minus, as placements are tougher to make happen for older candidates?</p>
<p>In short, no, work experience is never a negative when applying to MPP/MPA programs. The more work experience you have, the more interested programs will be in you just because you balance out the large number of students with 2-3 years of experience coming in. There are also programs specifically for midcareer individuals such as the MIPP at SAIS or the executive MPA (if I recall correctly) at Harvard, though some people would aruge these degrees are only valuable as self marketing tools.</p>
<p>I spoke with a couple of MPP programs and while they don't mind <em>relevant</em> experience (in the public sector or some government office or some NPO) any experience in the private sector is indeed seen as a detriment to one's application. I guess we need to cook up stories to justify our interest. The more truthful and natural desire "I have a calling to be in the public sector" does not cut it.</p>
<p>First, I disagree with stratosphere on the private sector experience. There are a lot of govt. position that require private sector experience. If you know how our government works you understand why. I know adcoms understand this. For example, if you want to work for the IRS, ten years at the one of the big four is a good resume notch. </p>
<p>If you want funding re-take the GRE. Higher GRE=better chance, no matter how you look at it. </p>
<p>Lastly, if I were you I would be applying to SAIS, Kennedy, and maybe Berkely as well as the schools you mentioned.</p>
<p>Also, MBA programs look at "too much" work experience as a bad thing (which really just means your age). They want people that will eventually become CEOs; if someone is fifty and just then getting an MBA they aren't going to go as far as a 25 year old. From my understanding, MPA adcoms aren't as worried.</p>
<p>mv0027, thanks for sharing your view. You made the older MBAs sound like losers which they seldom are! :) </p>
<p>But about the MPA, your suggestion of Kennedy and SAIS seems to indicate that these are prestigious places? How would you rank Kennedy, SAIS, Columbia, Berkeley, and Princeton for public policy? </p>
<p>Some of these schools are better endowed than others and I will be looking for a full ride if possible, but of course I'd like to be at a school that's the very best possible. (I know Kennedy may be no.1 but curious about your take on others). </p>