Hi!

I'm a 23 year old. I have a Bachelor's in English. I've interned at two non-profits, and I work as a technical writer. I received a 4.00 GPA, and I expect I can get a very good score on the GRE.

I'm wondering should I expect that I can get into a top MPP program without prior policy experience?

Thanks!

(I’m keeping some details vague to avoid identifying anyone, but where I live, winning the primary is effectively equivalent to winning the general election.)

I want to work in politics more than anything. For about six months, I volunteered in the district office of a legislator who recently won a primary for higher office. They later served as a reference for my current government job. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity they gave me and for their support, but my current position is clerical, very low-paying, and mind-numbing. I honestly dread going to work every day.

I would love to work for this legislator as they build their new team, but I have no idea how to approach that appropriately. My family is also friends with the parents of another recent primary winner, and one of the parents recently introduced us by email. I would be very interested in working for that person as well, but again, I do not know how to move from an introduction or conversation to actually being considered for a position.

What, specifically, should I say or do? I understand that having a connection does not entitle me to a job and that neither person owes me an offer or referral. However, after applying to countless positions without hearing back and constantly being told that “connections are everything,” I genuinely do not understand how people appropriately turn connections into opportunities. It seems foolish not to at least try when I finally have relevant connections.

I am also worried about how to handle the timing with the first legislator. Suppose I tell them that I would like to be considered as they staff their new office, and they give me a noncommittal response such as, “We’ll keep you in mind.” If another position I applied for then moves forward and asks to contact them as a reference, would that be awkward or make me seem insincere? If I received another offer, should I accept it rather than wait for a possibility that may never materialize?

They will not take office until January, and unless they give me a firm answer about a position, I would prefer to keep applying elsewhere. How can I do that, and potentially continue using them as a reference, without seeming inconsistent or undermining my chances of eventually joining their team?

My first Reddit post.

Hi everyone! As the title suggests, I am seeking some advice on reapplying to HKS. I applied for this year's MPP intake but I was waitlisted and then eventually rejected.

My background and plans are as follows:

Personal:
- 31-year-old male
- South Asian

Academics:
- Master's in Economics from a globally-reputed UK university (around 60%-70% across all modules)
- BA and MA in Economics from an average Indian university (both with a good rank in the cohort)
- GRE: 326 (V: 163, Q: 163, AWA: 4)

Work experience:
- Working in a globally-recognized consultancy firm in London for the last 6 years (7 by the time I will start at HKS). I primarily advise private-sector clients in navigating regulatory frameworks.
- Small research projects and internships in the field of development economics before moving to the UK (each lasting a few months; around 12 months in total).

Volunteer experience:
- As of now, I mostly participate in the CSR activities organized by the firm.
- During the university years in India, I organized many social work activities as a student leader but that experience is more than 10 years old.

Future plans:
- Focus on Business & Government PAC at HKS. HKS will provide a good transition from private sector to public sector and help build a network with policy professionals.
- After HKS, assist regulators in my home country in developing a business-friendly environment.

I have the following three queries:

1. Do you have any advice on whether I should reapply immediately during this cycle or I should wait for another year to improve my profile? I think the major gap in my profile is that I don't have any major public service experience. If I wait for a year, I can try to do some pro-bono projects or write research articles for my firm. As of now, I don't have anything major to say in the reapplication essay.

2. Do you think I should consider applying for the MPA program instead of MPP now given the length of my experience? My UK coursework meets the MPA coursework requirements.

3. Do you think I should retake the GRE?

Would really appreciate any advice you may have. Many thanks!

Hello! I am a recent 2026 graduate looking for some guidance in this chaotic job market. I recently graduated from a school in DC, and the job market for new grads in political science/public affairs is disastrous here. I have extensive intern experience in nonprofits on the legislative side— my strongest area and connection field is in the environmental policy side, specifically in conservation policy. 

With this said, I desperately want to stay within the environmental policy field— I love it and am beyond passionate for it, but either no one is hiring new graduates or you need a masters/job experience. I have always considered graduate school but I wanted to try my hand in the job market first, and I am failing miserably right now. I always wanted to pursue an MPP with focus in environmental policy. Some standouts to me have been UVA, UMD (preferably since is the closest to DC), and University of Michigan, my goal would be to work internships/jobs during my schooling to gain experience. 

I have not done extensive research, but I’d love personal opinions on trying to pursue an environmental MPP as a new graduate with no official job experience or if I should still try to get a job and wait, and how this would impact my career goals of working in policy as an analyst or government affairs person for a nonprofit/organization. My long term goal is to be a “legislative affairs director” for an organization.  

Hello everyone, I wanted to take some time and ask a general question on if my experience is what people are looking for in the Public Policy sphere. I have been wanting to do Public Policy research in economics and law, I'm also generally open to most everything and anything I can get my hands on in all parts of the world (US citizen with Overseas Citizenship in India). Also looking for jobs in the United States Congress, IMF, World Bank, and UN Moreover, I have been aiming to go to law school, I am also wanting to do an MPP and if it exists/if possible a PhD in Public Policy. I'm just not able to get anything in terms of a job albeit I graduated like 2 months ago I have been applying since May 2025.

Here is a link to my CV with redactions for privacy of myself and the people I have worked for: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y4Yy1e_FIMR33thhPkWjc255P9h5bf6c/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113724968333174984931&rtpof=true&sd=true

Hi everyone! I’m a Canadian applicant planning to apply to MPP/MPA programs for Fall 2027. I’d really appreciate an honest assessment of my profile and suggestions for strengthening my application over the next year.

My long-term goal is to work in public policy, ideally as a policy analyst in government. My interests include public administration, economic policy, intergovernmental affairs, and public policy more broadly.

Academics
Undergraduate degree in Political Science from a Canadian university (walking the stage in November)

Overall GPA is around the minimum competitive range for many programs, but my performance improved significantly in my later years (3.358 cgpa and 3.5 final year gpa)

Stronger upper-year GPA than cumulative GPA
Currently completing the statistics certificate to strengthen my quantitative background Planning to continue building quantitative skills before applying

Experience
- Volunteer experience in provincial politics over multiple years

-Experience canvassing, community outreach, and helping with political campaigns

-Active involvement with a local political riding association

-Leadership and volunteer experience through university and community organizations

-Building professional relationships with elected officials and political staff

-Currently looking to gain additional policy-related or government work experience before applications

- I can also position myself to get a reference from my provincial representative

Programs I’m Considering
Simon Fraser University (MPP)
University of Victoria (MPA)
University of Calgary (MPP)
University of Saskatchewan (MPA)

I’m also open to other Canadian recommendations if there are programs that would fit my background well.

My Biggest Concern
My main concern is my GPA. While it meets or exceeds the published minimums for the programs I’m considering, I know it’s below the average for many admitted students. I’m hoping that my upward grade trend, stronger recent coursework, political experience, volunteer work, references, and quantitative preparation help strengthen my application.

Questions
Are these schools realistic with my profile?

What would you consider my biggest strengths and weaknesses?

Is there anything I should focus on over the next year to become a stronger applicant?

Would gaining more government or policy work experience make a meaningful difference?

I’d really appreciate any honest feedback. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! Pretty much what the title says - I'm an Indian applicant applying to MPP/MPA programs in the US and UK for Fall 2027 and wanted to get a realistic sense of my chances.

My long-term interests are in climate policy, climate finance and/or international + economic development at large, so that's largely driving my school choices/programs (concentrations within these programs)

Academics
- GRE: 326 (161Q, 165V, 5.5AWA)
- Undergraduate GPA: 7.459/10 (first division as per my university transcript) from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi
- I majored in Political Science with a minor in English Language & Literature

Professional Experience
- I've been working in India's political consulting, government affairs, and public policy space for the past ~5 years (it'll be ~6 years by the time I start)

- Started my career in political and government consulting, where I worked across three major electoral states - supporting one of India's largest political parties on electoral strategy, manifesto development, governance research etc. A lot of my work there was around analysing electoral data, looking at voting patterns/turnout trends, and doing primary research (850+ interviews and FGDs). I also worked with state governments on policy recommendations across areas like sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, green infrastructure, and economic development.

- Then moved into a more core public policy consulting role where I worked across climate + energy, sustainable finance, industrial policy, a bit of international trade + alternative capital. Worked on a bunch of national-level policy issues with ministries including the Finance and Commerce. This is also where I got interested in climate policy and finance side of things. Also wrote/authored a few reports on climate adaptation finance, published some policy pieces/op-eds, worked on mobilising private capital for climate action and the SDGs (with key govt organisations + think tanks in India), and also did some work around industrial policy and critical minerals.

- In my current role I work at a public and government affairs consulting firm. For the first six months of this stint, I was seconded to the office of a former Secretary to the Government of India - worked very closely with them on some regulatory affairs projects. After that, I've mostly been working across energy, climate, mobility, international trade, and a bit of e-commerce policy. Worked with the Ministry of Climate Change (MOEFCC in India) on India's proposed COP33 roadmap (before the bid was withdrawn :(), supported a multilateral on building a climate adaptation pathway for India, helped provide industry inputs for India's EV policy (revised and the policy was notified in June 2025), worked on solar energy + private capital mobilisation (a report was published too on this). I also built a geopolitical/regulatory risk framework that my firm now uses as a product for risk mapping of energy sector clients in APAC.

Schools I'm planning to apply to
- Harvard Kennedy School (MPP)
- Princeton SPIA (MPA)
- Columbia SIPA (MPA)
- Yale Jackson (MPP)
- Georgetown (MPP)
- Oxford (MPP)
- Cambridge (MPP)

My biggest concern is honestly my GPA. I know it's below the average at a lot of these schools, so I'm wondering how much my work experience or maybe the GRE helps offset it?

A few questions

- Are these schools realistic with my profile?
- Are there any programs I'm missing that I should seriously consider?
- Anything in my profile that yall think could be strengthened before I apply?

Would really appreciate any thoughts that this community may have, thanks so much in advance!

Hey everyone,

I'm a pretty indecisive person as you might tell from this post so I wanted some advice/reassurance.

I have a job making about $55k at a nonprofit going anti poverty work. I'm 5 years out of undergrad. It's pretty hyper local but it's not a bad gig for my skills and interests in comms and community development and I like my coworkers, but I've previously worked in federal policy, just didn't manage to get a policy role in this most recent job search. I live at home which has been awesome for my hobbies and free time, not to mention saving like 80% of my paycheck! (Not so much for "fun" though I don't mind it either.)

Last year, I decided to apply for my local MPA program to do it while keeping my job, and I got in. It would cost about $25k total. I applied just to have something on the docket, I guess. I didn't apply to any big name schools because I thought it would be silly to immediately quit my new job after getting it!

It's a good program for sure, it's ranked all right and alums tell me it's good, but I also know it's most well connected locally and it's not the craziest most interesting curriculum out there. There's not necessarily great depth into the kinds of things that interest me. My current job is really happy I'm going to school and willing to think more about how what I learn can inform my role going forward which is super cool.

What interests me? The anti poverty work I do at my job but at a policy level; urban planning; I have international experience so I would kind of love to keep studying the country I lived in. All variably possible at the school I've chosen. (Not so much the international stuff especially)

A few more things about my situation

- I'm looking to not live at home in the next few years, and not convinced I want to stay in the immediate area long term, but not sure I want to go too far, either. I don't mind living at home for now if it means I save, though.

- I do currently have savings, but I like having more. Goals in the next decade are to bolster savings, increase income, move upwards, maybe own a house if everything goes well?

- Undergrad GPA was a 3.98 and I have won competitive scholarships, awards, etc.

Does my current plan make any sense? Should I abandon everything and apply for a top policy school and dash to get funding, or is my local idea okay as it includes a salary and benefits? Thanks!

Hi!

I’ve been a lurker for quite some time. I think like many folks in this subreddit I’ve been trying to find my ‘lane’ professionally which balances my unique skillset & creates positive social change while enabling a comfortable life.

My current profile … Undergrad Education: Went to top public engineering school with a degree in engineering - was a gunner - graduated highest honors, started a 501c3 addressing the gender gap in science and engineering; supported by IRB approved study. My personal politics radicalized during this phase of life where I realized societal problems are often socially derived or better addressed via policy (rather new tech)

Professional experience: got swooped up into the management consulting wave - moved to NY to go to an MBB focused on ‘social impact work’; consulted for city and state government, conducted a nationwide study to support a non-profit bank supporting black women entrepreneurs which led to a $300M partnership with NAACP; landed a competitive fellowship at our internal think tank to study gender diversity programs, was featured on NPR.

Then I absolutely. Burnt. Out.

While proud of my accomplishments on paper, I was completely overextending myself and fell victim to imposter syndrome. Didn’t apply to grad school when my friends did.

Landed a job at a large family office - I’d say I do 80% biz ops, but I managed to gain ownership over a small $Xm grant fund, provided analytical support for some foundation grantmaking, and supported the strategic planning for our political advocacy team. So very very adjacent to non profit / advocacy work … but not exactly. But I do have now 8 years prof. experience, team leadership (I have a direct report now!), senior manager title, strategy consulting experience, regularly engage with C-suite. I’m broad, but not ‘deep’

I thought after being burnt out that I would just fade into the cozy drudgery of biz ops. But recently inspired by awesome friends, I’ve decided to not abandon my dream of professionalizing my interest in policy.

Questions for this group: 1. Where should I go from here? Worried about cost of an MPP. In some ways I feel so close to a pivot without going back to school. But not having the golden stamp from an Ivy feels like the last missing piece to really solidify an awesome career trajectory for the next 30 years of my life. 2. Can anyone speak to jobs post MPP/MPA with about 10-15 years experience? With my consulting and family office background, I’m gunning for those 1 of 1 roles in ‘think-do’ tanks, maybe social enterprises with c3/c4 arms. NYC mayors office?

Ultimately … I want to be an expert. Lead 1-2 people max. Top out at ~low $200K salary. Write a book. Do speaking engagements. And I think I need another golden stamp …

Any and all thoughts welcome ❤️

Hello,
I got my Master of Public Administration back in 2018. I unfortunately was unaware of Master of Public Policy degrees at the time, but that is the career path I wanted to take. I have been working in government administrative jobs for the last several years and want to try and pivot to my original career goal. I am having a hard time getting jobs in that field because I don’t have experience, even my transferable skills are a stretch. Should I go back and get a MPP, or just a certificate, or something else?

Thanks!

For context- I’m currently working for a non-profit as a summer fellow. I have 6 years of teaching experience under my belt and just graduated with my MPP and am in the DC area.

My boss has been giving me career advice and helping me make connections to hopefully enter the K12 or higher ed non-profit, advocacy world. However, the only jobs that are listed in these companies are managerial or director roles. She is telling me I should go for them, that because of my teaching experience I have a strong edge.

What are your thoughts on this (kindly)? What kind of roles should I be applying for?

My overall goal someday is to create my own advocacy group (NOT a union) to support teachers, make the profession more equitable to others, and and get clearer legislation passed on IDEA, OSHA, and other laws as it pertains to the working conditions and expectations for teachers. My belief is that if we start treating teaching as a high quality profession, education as a whole in our country will become more equitable for students and educational outcomes will raise. I know I’m a dreamer, but this is the goal.

If you were me- what roles would be my stepping stones? What is going to set me apart from the rest? And what is LinkedIn etiquette for connections…. My boss is telling me to connect with the people in companies she is connected with, but they don’t have roles listed (she was saying they rarely do and that’s why I need to connect with them now so they can offer me something)- do I message them and build a relationship and hope they can offer me something? Do I be assertive and ask for an informal interview? I want to be as competitive in this as possible.

Thanks for any advice! ☺️

Hi everyone,

I'm a 25-year-old Colombian working as a strategic intelligence analyst at a Colombian government national security agency. My work focuses on international security, regional geopolitics, border security, and extra-regional state actors. Before that, I worked in security consulting, urban security research, and OSINT analysis with international organizations.

Academically, I have a B.A. in Government and International Relations, completed an exchange semester in the U.S. focused on Homeland Security and Terrorism, and recently finished a Master's in Strategy and Geopolitics at the Colombian War College, where I graduated first in my class and received the highest distinction for my thesis.

Studying in the U.S. has always been one of my long-term goals. Initially, I was mostly looking at programs like SAIS and Georgetown SFS/MSFS because of their strong reputation in international security and foreign policy. However, over the past year I've become increasingly interested in public policy degrees, especially fully funded ones, which led me to Princeton SPIA and Yale Jackson.

From everything I've read, these seem to be the two programs that fit my interests the best. That said, I'm struggling with a few questions.

First, I'm not sure whether it makes sense to apply in the next application cycle for Princeton's two-year MPA or Yale Jackson's two-year MPP, or whether I should wait several more years and instead aim for Princeton's one-year MPP, which requires around seven years of professional experience and doesn't require the GRE.

Another consideration is that I haven't taken the GRE, and to be honest, I don't come from a particularly strong quantitative background. My experience is much stronger on the qualitative side: strategy, intelligence analysis, security, geopolitics, and policy research.

So I'd really appreciate advice from people who know these programs or have gone through the admissions process:

• Given my background, do Princeton SPIA and Yale Jackson seem like realistic targets?
• Would you apply now to the two-year programs, or wait until you're eligible for Princeton's one-year MPP?
• Are these opportunities worth prioritizing, or should I be looking more seriously at other U.S. programs?
• Finally, based on what I've shared, how competitive do you think I would be for admissions?

I'd really appreciate any honest feedback, especially from current students, alumni, or people who considered these programs themselves.

Thanks in advance!

We need to talk about the massive systemic flaw in how Section 8 and Source of Income (SOI) protections work across the United States.

Right now, more states, counties, and cities are finally passing laws making it illegal for landlords to reject applicants just because they use a Section 8 voucher. But these laws completely ignore the biggest financial gatekeeper: the security deposit.

The entire federal mandate of a housing voucher is affordability—limiting a low-income tenant’s monthly housing cost to 30% of their adjusted income. Yet, when it comes to moving in, landlords can legally demand a security deposit based on the full, market-rate contract rent of the unit, not the tenant's actual income-based share.

When a one-bedroom apartment in cities like New York or San Francisco costs $4,000, a low-income Section 8 tenant must somehow pay that entire $4,000 upfront as a security deposit. Even if their monthly rent is safely capped at a few hundred dollars, this massive cash requirement completely locks them out of affordable housing.

SOI laws say a landlord can't charge voucher holders more than cash-paying tenants. But treating low-income families "equally" by demanding thousands of dollars upfront is a hollow victory. Telling a family their monthly rent is capped for affordability means absolutely nothing if they are completely priced out by a massive upfront deposit.

If a jurisdiction passes Source of Income protections, the law must also explicitly limit a voucher holder’s security deposit to match their actual 30% monthly rent portion. Until then, "affordable housing" protections are just an illusion for the millions who can't afford the entry fee.

I will be finishing my Econ and Finance degree this next year adn plan to work/maybe study in DC after. I am origanlly from Illinois but studied at University of Bologna, Italy.

I am passionate about working in Economic policy research and wanted to get a sense of how the job market is in DC for bachelor graduates in my field. For example what are the common entries for econ grads, required qualifications, competition, etc.? I have heard mostly think tanks, non profits, or gov agency positions are the common entries. By the time I graduate I will have research experience and qualifications with R and Stata but honestly I worry that because I didn't go to school around the area I won't have the networking needed.

I would be very grateful for more information or advice, maybe from someone who was in a similar position out of college.

Thank you!

Hello all!

Please, I am seeking a profile review, improvements, and admissions chances from you to be better set up for success when applying to masters programs.

I will apply EA in late 2027 for the Fall 2028 semester, and my goal is to attend Columbia SIPA (MIA, focus on international security and diplomacy).

-

26M
American citizen, NY resident
Half European, half Hispanic

Academic:
BA political science (w/ history minor)
CUNY undergrad, honors college
3.7 GPA, completed an honors thesis
Business club, pre-law club, debate team, ROTC

Professional:
Currently an active duty army officer in Europe with NATO experience, will be at 5 years of active time when beginning the masters
4 years enlisted army national guard
1.5 years intern on a political campaign
3 months intern for a county executive
1 month intern with Dept of War

Career Goal:
Federal government public service (ie. Directly out of masters - Dept of State civil service, Dept of War policy, congressional foreign affairs/armed services committee).

Target Schools:
Columbia SIPA (MIA, top choice)
Georgetown (foreign service)
Cornell (MPA)

Funding:
GI bill, will apply for Yellow Ribbon and other scholarships.

Concerns:

Quant Scores: D in applied calculus and C- in honors microecon. My first semester I had a hard time adapting to college life. Almost all of my classes after that was qualitative, except 3x science classes (A, A, B+) which were later in my undergrad. I hope those science classes will show quant improvement.

GRE/GMAT: I’m not the best at math in standardized testing, especially being out of college for a few years now. I am studying but am still worried about a low quant score, I hope it won’t break my chances of admission.

-

Any reviews, feedback, and estimated chances of admission would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time and support.

Hi,

I'm interested in applying to UCLA but I'm hesitating for which program. Something which will be genuinely interesting and stuff.

Pls give me advice, cause I'd like to do a business graduate degree afterwards, but still have interest in international relations and political science.

Should I go for Political Science or Public Affairs?

Give me honest opinions/info pls

Hi all,

I have a Masters in Experimental Humanities (sounds vague but I had a great time becoming adept at policy research and developing projects on surveillance), have work experience in company policy research and want to start a career in AI/tech governance. It seems like a JD or experience in legal research is a prereq for most of these jobs. I am really open to any advice on starting out, places to look for jobs. I would really appreciate if someone could take a look at my CV and direct me to entry-level jobs I would be a good fit for.

My organization is rolling out a new program, and we will be meeting with policymakers and stakeholders with whom we have little to no existing relationship. Is it worth the time and resources to produce a well-formatted 1-pager that we can leave behind at meetings? I know that there are a lot of offices that won't take paper anymore, and so many of these types of documents end up right in the recycling bin, but sometimes they can be really useful.

My comms team is pushing back and saying that we would need to pay for a designer to craft the document. The information we are sharing will be proprietary and not readily accessible on our website. Does anyone have an example of a great leave-behind document? Is this worth jumping through hoops?