As the main admission processor here at SPP I receive many questions from applicants about the admissions process. The question that pops up consistently is whether all required application materials--goals statement, resume, transcripts, and two letters of recommendation--need to arrive at our office all at once, or whether each can be mailed separately. Indeed, having all your material arrive together will make processing your application easier, but it is not necessary. We will hold and update your application file as your credentials arrive to our office, as well as hold onto any that arrive before you fill out an online application or mail in a paper one.

If you do decide to send your materials separately please include your name on all of the documents, and notify us of any former names. This is important because the occasional transcript will come to our office under a previous name. In order to match this transcript to the correct application, we need the student to inform us of name changes. In the end we will do everything we can to make sure that all of your materials are kept together, but if you have any concerns you are always more than welcome to contact us.

Tyler Sanders
Graduate Admissions Assistant

Labels: Application

Hi there! My name is Brian Jacob and I'm a first year graduate student at the School of Public Policy (SPP). About a year ago, while contemplating my future, I stumbled upon the Transportation Policy, Operations and Logistics (TPOL) program website. After thorough research, I decided that this was something I wanted to pursue. My only hesitation was dealing with a dreaded application process.

It was already getting late in the year and I was worried that it would take time to get all the required documents together (transcripts, letters of recommendation, personal statement and resume). I had been out of college and had not kept in touch with old professors so getting my academic letters of recommendations was going to be my biggest challenge. Luckily the application process for GMU was not hard at all. I was able to track down two professors that actually remembered me and were willing to help me out. Soon enough, I assembled all the necessary paperwork and mailed it to GMU. Dropping that package into the mail was terrifying because I knew my part was all done and the rest was out of my hands.

The best advice I could give to future applicants would be to start early! While the application process is not that painful, it can be time consuming. Though finding professors to write letters of recommendations may be easy, it could take them a while to actually write and send the recommendation given the number of requests they receive every year. The same goes for transcripts and test scores.

The personal statement and resume are pretty straight forward, though I would always recommend having someone edit them before submission. If you do run into problems, the SPP staff is always here to assist you and is the best source for all of your questions.

Once you mail everything in, you'll realize that the worst part of it all is waiting for a decision! Good luck!

Labels: Application, Recommendation Letters, Students, Transportation (TPOL)