SUNY Admissions and the Economic Situation

One thing I have noticed in many major and local newspapers is that they have been reporting about how SUNYs have been forced to become more selective because of the current economic situation. So many students of many different academic backgrounds are applying to SUNYs, and respectively, the schools will accept the best of the best. I know for a fact that if I was to apply to Oneonta now with my high school grades...I don't even know if I would have got in. Of course, this is great for our school system, we have many talented people coming over to our schools...

however, it's scary when you don't know if you're the one who will make the cut. Applying to grad school isn't that far away for me. You may recall in an earlier post of mine that I was planning to go to law school...I still don't know if I want to or not. So I'm looking at MPA (Master of Public Administration) programs, and for a long time, I have been eyeing SUNY Albany's program because it is one of the best programs in the country and last year when I called up the Admissions office, they assured me that as long as I had 3.2 and a good score on the GREs, I should be fine...

When I went to the graduate fair this year and visited their table, they told me that their median GPA for the program is a 3.6. My jaw dropped when I heard that, how could they increase their selectivity so fast? And then I remembered the phrase "it's the economy, stupid."

Now even though I do consider myself to be a good student, what worries me is that I'm going to be competing against people who are applying with 4.0s and of course they'll take those people over me. To me, there isn't a better situation that studying for my MPA in Albany. It's the state capital, one really can't ask for more connections and exciting internships in that city. I know that so far, it looks like I should be good for Binghamton because they accept 3.2 as a median GPA but still...I know that the MPA experience in Binghamton would never amount to the experience I would have if I was accepted at Albany.

Ohh you have to love these little dilemmas.