In this blog post, I write about my personal experience as a PPIA Fellow and provide some application tips!
My PPIA JSI Experience
The Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute (PPIA JSI or just JSI) is a seven-week academic summer program for college juniors interested in becoming public service leaders. The program is designed to prepare students for graduate school in public policy and international affairs. JSI's curriculum is centered on economics, statistics, domestic policy, and leadership. Some PPIA JSI schools also have a specialized track for students interested in law or data analytics.
I learned about the PPIA JSI program at the Harvard Public Policy and Leadership Conference. It piqued my interest immediately because of the program's emphasis on preparing low-income students to succeed in graduate school. I also loved that the JSI provided scholarships for alumni who went on to gain admission to the PPIA Consortium Schools. Apart from providing students with a stipend, the JSI covers tuition, housing, transportation, and food costs, making the program financially feasible! You can read more about the full benefits and the eligibility requirements for the PPIA JSI on their official website.
Although all of these benefits sound great, after I got into the program, I realized that my favorite thing about the JSI was the people I met there. My JSI cohort consisted of many people with different personalities, backgrounds, majors, and goals. I thoroughly enjoyed working with and learning from diverse individuals committed to public service and creating change. These are the people I am talking about:
Our student coordinators, staff, and professors (not pictured) were also very friendly and welcoming. They all worked very hard, morning and night, to ensure that we excelled in our classes and had a great time at the JSI. Furthermore, everyone at JSI was so open, honest, and ready to share, listen and support. It was a fantastic environment; I cannot rave about it enough!
Speaking about professors, JSI is an academic program at its core, so I spent most of my day taking classes while I was there. At my JSI (Princeton), we had three classes: a micro-economics class, a statistics class, and a policy analysis/writing class.
The coursework was rigorous (aka difficult); I won't even lie; statistics was especially challenging because most of the concepts covered were new to me. However, we had a lot of support. Specifically, at my JSI, we had tutoring, office hours, and the amazing cohort I discussed earlier. Thus, there were many t people I could ask for clarification on concepts or homework questions I did not understand. So, do not let the academic work scare you; I promise you can do it, and you will succeed.
Outside of class, we did a couple of different social activities. At my JSI, we had games at the end of class almost every day of the week. We also had some meetings where we would just share our journeys and aspirations with each other.
These informal conversations were my favorite memories at my JSI because they were so moving, powerful, and inspiring (just like a good Ted Talk).
We also had some fun social outings, including trips to New York, Philly, and Washington, DC; we even went to Broadway! Many of us in the cohort also visited restaurants and organized activities among ourselves; those were also fun! In summary, while at the Princeton JSI, my analytical skills improved, I was freshly inspired to pursue a career in public service, and my social network increased tremendously. It was very, very worth it. I will strongly encourage you to apply!
I hope I have successfully convinced you to apply. But, if for any reason you are unsure...
Check out these perspectives from other JSI-ers, in their own words:
Abiodun Adeoye (attended JSI at the University of Minnesota in 2019)
"I really enjoyed my JSI experience at the University of Minnesota. It was great because, though the program was rigorous, it was not neck-breaking. Personally, the two classes that stood out to me the most were the class on public policy analysis and the seminar on race and policy. I loved those classes because we did a lot of reading and discussions with guest lectures. Also, I loved the balance between work and fun within my JSI program. Between attending class, completing assignments, and preparing for presentations, my cohort still had time to get to know each other, do fun activities, and go on trips! It was great!"
Abdul Sharif (attended JSI at Princeton University in 2019)
"The highlight of the program for me was the relationships I could develop with my peers. It was affirming to be in the presence of a talented group of individuals from across the country who are passionate about making change in their communities and globally." Abdul also graciously wrote a detailed post about his JSI experience; you can access that post here.
Jasmine King (attended JSI at the University of California, Berkeley in 2019)
"I chose UC Berkeley as my top JSI pick due to the opportunity to participate in the weekly legal seminar. Each of these seminars proved amazing as they hosted guest speakers and lecturers who discussed an array of concepts as they relate to law. Alongside this opportunity, the overall Junior Summer Institute at UC Berkeley provided me with great insight into developing policy memos, statistical inference, and the importance of evaluating the economic effects of policy decisions. Having previously hosted experiences in public service and engagement, I gained more insight into what careers and academic programs are available within public administration and law. My experience as a JSI fellow further encouraged me to pursue academia in the field of public service through a Master of Public Administration at Syracuse University."
Max Hill (attended PPIA JSI at the University of Michigan in 2019)
"I participated in the Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute (JSI) at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan (UMICH). I am currently enrolled in the MPP program at UMICH. Coincidence? I think not! This summer was delightful because I spent it with several compassionate, intelligent, and aspirational people with varied experiences. I used my peers as mirrors to help define my own professional trajectory. During the summer, we had hard conversations concerning the policy arena and more personal ones outside. Academically, it prepared me for the courses I am taking now. Economics and Statistics are manageable because of my foundation in PPIA. Overall, it was a great experience. Put it this way: I currently live with one of my JSI fellows, and our group chat is still active. This is a testament to the kind of support and resources you have when participating in PPIA."
Advice for the PPIA JSI Application Process
First, to make sure that you actually qualify to apply for the program, please click here to view the eligibility requirements.
For the application process, the PPIA JSI requires applicants to fill out an online application, submit personal statements and email addresses for recommenders, and provide their financial aid information. Here are some tips for the application:
Remember, while the program prepares students for graduate school, the JSI is looking for people interested in public service. So, before applying, ensure you are interested in public service (broadly defined) and graduate school. You also qualify if your interests lie in both public service and non-public service sectors (e.g., you are still eligible if you are interested in public policy and business). Once you are certain you want to apply, ensure you clearly communicate your future plans and career goals in your essay.
For the essays, I advise you to go straight to the point. Avoid flowery language and make sure every word, sentence/ paragraph contributes to the larger narrative. Also, it is important you show that you value traits like empathy, respect, humility, and leadership in your entire application (especially within your resume and essays) because, after all, this program is looking for leaders who serve.
Also, you may have noticed that I used "my PPA JSI campus" a lot when describing my experience because there are several of them! On the PPIA website, you can learn more about each school's unique benefits and coursework. Note that at the core, all PPIA JSI campuses offer a similar curriculum, but some may have additional benefits or specialized coursework.
For the application, you must rank the schools according to your preference. Your application will be sent to the school you select first. Then it will go to the second one if you are rejected at your first choice, and so on. Abiodun Adeoye (University of Minnesota JSI 2019) generously provided this insight for ranking the JSI campuses:
When choosing your JSI campus, prioritize schools that match with your experience rather than schools that are famous. You may be attracted to the top schools like UC Berkeley or Princeton, but the JSI programs at these campuses tend to be math heavy. So, if you have not completed college math classes, I will not advise you to apply there. Fortunately, the courses you will take at each JSI campus are listed on the official website. So, go on there and do your research before ranking your schools. The bottom line is this: rather than selecting schools based on hype, make sure you rank schools based on prior coursework, interests and experience.
Why you should apply even if...
You are strongly considering pursuing an internship instead because, after all, this is your last summer in college, or You really do not want to spend the summer in school:
I still suggest that you apply for the JSI, especially if you are interested in attending graduate school and you are eligible. I promise you that the experience you will gain is very rich, and you only qualify for this opportunity once. Also, the program usually runs from early or mid-June to late July or early August, so you may be able to complete a short internship before or after your program ends. Please apply!
You are strongly considering working to save some money for your final year/semester in college:
You may probably make more money from working during the summer than participating in the JSI, although all costs are covered, and you receive a stipend from the program. However, as a PPIA JSI Fellow, you are guaranteed a one-time $5,000 scholarship after matriculating into any PPIA Graduate School Consortium school. However, many Consortium Schools provide more grant aid above and beyond the $5,000. In fact, many of my JSI friends went on to receive full rides at prestigious schools within and even outside the PPIA Consortium. Thus, I will still encourage you to apply and view the loss of income now as a trade-off for, hopefully, a really good graduate school financial aid package. So please apply!
You are interested in some niche subsector of law, foreign service, or public policy (e.g., tech policy):
I will still encourage you to apply, especially if you meet the eligibility requirements and you are interested in attending graduate school in any of the schools listed in the PPIA Consortium. Attending the PPIA JSI really allows you to be noticed by many graduate schools, especially those in the Consortium. So apply!
You feel incapable of successfully completing complete graduate school courses:
First of all, I understand. But trust me when I say you will have abundant resources, including your cohort, to guide you. Because most cohorts are made of people from different schools with different majors, you will definitely find someone who understands the topic/concept better and will be able to explain it to you. Also, your professors will be available to you; you may even have tutoring offered at your campus (mine did!). You will definitely not fail in JSI. So, please apply!
I hope this helps; if you have any questions, shoot me a message!
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