<p>How hard is it to get into the Woodrow Wilson School for undergraduate study? As I understand it, only sophomores can apply.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wws.princeton.edu/ugrad/admission.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.wws.princeton.edu/ugrad/admission.html</a> = WWS admission information
<a href="http://www.wws.princeton.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.wws.princeton.edu/</a> = general information on the school</p>
<p>MSMDad, you’re correct that sophomores apply to the Wilson School. It’s the same as any other major at Princeton except that admission is competitive. The competition is not too tough, however, as about half of sophomore applicants are accepted. It’s really only necessary to show that you’ve achieved a solid academic record in your first three semesters and then demonstrate a serious interest in public policy.</p>
<p>I was in the Wilson School as an undergraduate and then went to Harvard for law school (as did many of my classmates). WWS is a public policy school that requires its students to study in a variety of different areas (history, politics, economics, etc.) to provide them with a basis for analyzing public policy issues that might arise in a domestic or international governmental career. </p>
<p>The Woodrow Wilson School’s primary distinguishing characteristic is its policy conference and its task force work group exercises. These classes are organized on a ‘think-tank’ model. An important and difficult public policy question is identified and presented to a small group of students. The students, with the guidance of the professor leading the class, identify the salient issues, decide on organizational hierarchies, divide responsibility for researching the separate issues and then go to work. Individual researchers conduct interviews, dig into public data repositories and sometimes perform field research in preparation for writing papers analyzing their portion of the public policy problem. (Task forces and policy conferences have often traveled overseas at Princeton’s expense to research these issues.) </p>
<p>When the papers have been completed, they are individually presented to the group and then distributed for discussion. The next step involves hours of group debate. Now that each of the students has become knowledgeable about the details of the issues, intelligent and lengthy discussions are carried on as the group tries to arrive at consensus (or at least a majority opinion) regarding the primary public policy question. </p>
<p>Finally, a group paper or statement is drafted expressing the findings and providing public policy recommendations. These papers often have real world implications. On numerous occasions, Woodrow Wilson School papers have been distributed to members of Congress, representatives at the United Nations and other policymaking bodies and these papers and their recommendations have shown up in debates (and sometimes even decisions) made by these bodies. </p>
<p>The exercise is exciting and collaborative. The prestige of the Wilson School opens doors in Washington D.C. and elsewhere allowing access to government officials at the highest levels. Even former U.S. Presidents have made private presentations to Wilson School undergraduates in these exercises. Other undergraduate public affairs programs may have something similar to this but, if so, I’m not aware of them.</p>
<p>I hope this helps. If you check the archives of the Daily Princetonian and Princeton’s website, you should find a great deal of information about the undergraduate program.</p>
<p>Last year the admission rate was 58%.<a href="http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2006/03/10/news/14824.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2006/03/10/news/14824.shtml</a></p>
<p>PG2000, many thanks for a very informative reply. A quick question: If a student decides on going abroad for her Junior year, can she still have a concentration/certificate from the Wilson School?</p>
<p>I’m glad it was helpful. I should have pointed out that, currently, only the policy task forces exist, though the policy conference exercise in the senior year is expected to be reintroduced next year or the year after with the availability of additional funding. As for travel abroad during the junior year, I don’t believe it’s permitted since the task force exercises are such an important part of the education. Summer travel and a semester abroad during the senior year are still possible. You should check directly with the school to get a definitive answer. The Wilson school regularly produces a good share of Princeton’s Rhodes and Marshall Scholars and its graduates frequently attend law school or enter MPA programs following graduation.</p>
<p>travel abroad is actually encouraged-- you just have to go with a woodrow wilson school sponsored program. They run task forces at the universities abroad (thus one of your classes would be taken with 9-13 other princeton students) on a topic relevant to the country where you are. A couple of my friends went to oxford for the fall semester of their junior year. There should be a list of programs somewhere on the wws website</p>
<p>What about the certificate program offered by the Woodrow Wilson School? Does it provide good grounding for a law degree later on?</p>
<p>ec1234, thank you. Of course, you're absolutely correct about overseas travel associated with a task force. I was assuming the question was about a typical junior year or semester abroad outside of the Wilson School's programs. Thank you for clarifying the issue.</p>
<p>Thanks for the helpful info, PtonGrad. Are there many Woody Woo graduates who attend business school afterwards?</p>
<p>Career Services report indicates that of those WWS undergraduates who choose to work right after graduation, there are a decent number of I-Bankers and Consultants. Though I'd say that this isn't exactly a WWS phenomenon; the same holds true with almost every major at Princeton, and the usual suspects (Econ and ORFE) send even more to Wall Street.</p>
<p>In other words, if you're interested in going into business, the WWS won't either seriously hamper or bolster your chances. Pursue what you love.</p>
<p>I am interested in WWS, although I am worried that I wont make it becuase I am under the impression you have to have a lot of impressive stuff related to public policy in your resume, like internships, papers, etc. I am also interested in Mol Bio, so I have a great resume for Biology (I have had three internships so far, and a fourth coming this summer between college and high school) but nothing for international relations, etc. </p>
<p>Another question for your guys: do you not only have to have great grades, but also take specific public policy courses?</p>
<p>EDIT: I meant during the first two years in Pton before you apply</p>
<p>Guppy, relax! You're stressing out far, far too much. </p>
<p>First of all, my understanding is that they don't even look at what you did pre-Princeton (other than you could maybe talk about it when discussing why you're interested in the WWS). Everyone gets a brand new slate.</p>
<p>Second, it's competitive, but not nearly that much. Show passion, work hard, and you'll be in fine shape.</p>
<p>Again, you got into Princeton (congratulations!). This is time to relax, not stress about what happens when you get here. If you have any questions, feel free to send a PM to me or someone else (PtonGrad2000 may be better able to answer your specific WWS questions).</p>
<p>if you are interested in mol bio you can also get a certificate in wws and major in the mol bio department, if youre interested in it</p>
<p>what would be the workload like, if you combine a WWS certificate with engineering.</p>
<p>I have no idea, but that doesn't sound like a good idea to me.</p>
<p>This year's sophomores just found out, and the acceptance rate was 47%.</p>
<p>Bentley, If you are still on CC three years later: did you manage to do the engineering/WWS - if so, you’re a badass.</p>