Admissions Blog

Written by:SPP Blogger
11/21/2008 12:00 AM

Applying to graduate school is an important decision. There are many factors that can play into your decision such as curriculum needs, course schedule, location of classes, etc. Along with those decisions, one also needs to consider how strong of an applicant he/she is and this can be both nerve-racking and exciting at the same time.

Admission into our school has become increasingly competitive. While we generally want to see a minimum 3.0 GPA for admission, our Fall 2008 entering class had a mean GPA of 3.25. However, that being said, we do take a holistic approach when reviewing applications. As a degree seeking applicant at George Mason's School of Public Policy, we require that you submit not only academic transcripts but also a resume, personal goals statement, and two letters of recommendation. These added materials should be viewed as an opportunity to make your case to the admissions committee that you are a compelling applicant even if your GPA is not as strong as you would like.

Some tips to presenting a compelling application include submitting a complete resume, showing not only professional experience but also volunteer opportunities, study abroad travel and/or student activities you took part in as an undergraduate, etc. Your goals statement should be both well-structured and clearly written and include reasons why you chose to apply to not only our school but also the particular Master's program. The goals statement is also a good place to go into more detail about professional or other experience that you feel are related to your pursuit of the particular degree. When thinking about recommenders, you should people who can attest to your academic quality. They do not necessarily need to be a former professor, however you should choose a recommender who knows the quality of your work as it would translate into graduate study.

If you have any doubts that you may not be a competitive applicant, it may be worthwhile to augment your academic profile by taking additional undergraduate classes. Many public policy courses at our school assume a solid foundation in subjects such as economics, statistics, and political science. If you have not taken courses in these subjects, did not perform as well in them as you would have liked to, or just need a refresher, we suggest taking them at the undergraduate level before applying. And when you have completed this additional coursework, please be sure to send us your transcript from this coursework, so we have the entire picture of your academic performance.

Tennille Haegele
Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions

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