As many of you prospective students are aware, we are quickly heading towards the application deadline for many programs here at the Maxwell School. That being said, we don’t have any questions at all on our blog. Do you have any concerns? The weather, classes, financials, lifestyle, assistantships, or the application itself? You should let us know! Post a comment or send us e-mails. All of us writing for the PAIA Insider would love to help you out and answer some of your burning questions. I can’t wait to get some of your questions and answer them.
To whom may concerned,
During my applying to your MPA program online, the website provides three choices as Spring2013, Summer2013, and Fall2013 for applicants. I chose the Fall semester, and was told that such applying semester was invalid. So questions came out here. Do you provide a fall2013 MPA program? If you do provide, why can’t I select it? And when will a fall semester start? If you don’t, then would you please introduce the summer semester to me? I would like to know when will the summer semester start, and if I were to achieve my Bachelor degree in June2013, will this condition interfere with my application?
Thank you!
Zhang,
Thanks for your question. I will answer what I can. If you are appying to the MPA program most people will be starting in Summer 2013. Via the Maxwell website, “July is the only time of entrance into the MPA program and non-matriculated students are not allowed to take public administration graduate courses.” Please contact Christine Omolino if you have more questions. The summer semester for MPAs begins the first week of July. Your undergraduate degree will not interfere with your application.
This 2012-2013 Maxwell School calendar might also be helpful to you. I hope this helps, and if you have more questions feel free to posted another comment or e-mail me.
Nat,
Thank you so much for your answer!
I think I get it that I can only choose the summer semester.
But I still get a problem that because I’m an international applicant from China, I have to consider about by what exact requested time should a new graduate arrive at SU, so as to get registered and do some necessary preparation before the new semester starts. If I just finish my undergraduate degree in the end of June in China, and am to begin my graduate course the first week of July in US, I find it hard to arrange my schedule. Do you know how to fix that out?
Besides, I have another question about applying to the assistantship. Do you know what kind of duties usually a teaching assistant should take?
Zhang,
Glad I can help, and I appreciate the follow-up. I am not very sure of the international student processes. Again, I would contact Christine Omolino for your more in depth questions. I don’t think you can bypass the first week colloquium and begin there after, as it must be the first class you take before you can take any additional classes in the MPA program. I would send Christine an e-mail for the 100% correct answer!
As far as assistantships they vary widely depending on who you TA for. One professor might have you do research and find pertinent articles for a book they are writing, while a budgeting and economics professor could have you do lots of work with spreadsheets and making figures. The PAIA office tries to match people up the best they can with their interests so if you have an interest in the environment, they will try to give you a professor matching that preference foremost.
Here is an important bit of additional information. Even if you do not get a TAship with your acceptance materials, there are many options that present themselves during the semester so you can definitely still find a good gig.
Nat
I’m just starting my application for the 2014 school year. I don’t have any specific questions yet but would you have any tips or best advice?
I’m just starting my application for the 2014 school year so I don’t have any specific questions yet. Would you happen to have any tips or best advice?
Start early! The sooner you take the GRE’s the better off you will be and don’t neglect your essay. Personal statements mean a lot to schools like Maxwell, so getting a strong, clear, and focused statement sent off will help to push your application ahead. My main advice is to get the best application that you can out there, putting your best self forward. And please, come and visit the campus. You will meet our incredible cohort and see what makes Maxwell exceptional. Sorry this is scattered, but I hope that it helps!
Thank you for your advice! I’ve taken them all and I hope for the best. I stopped by the campus and I fell in love. Everyone was so nice!!!
I have one more question. I’m freshening up my resume and I’ve already tried to condense it down to two pages. Do you think this would a problem, since one-pagers are more common?
Hi Linda!
I’m sorry that I didn’t reply to this sooner. No I don’t think you’d have a problem with a two page resumé. All of the admissions staff are nice people and I would be shocked if having a two page resumé would prove detrimental for your application. Best of luck!