kitsims

And I meant to add - biscuit your point is excellent and I will try to keep it in perspective. Flyingjellyfish it sounds like there are some similarities between your friend and me, as the opportunity to take a break from work, do some serious learning, and be inspired by other classmates are as important to me as any possible career boost.

Thanks all for taking the trouble to reply. As I said, I won't be getting into huge debt as my savings will cover almost the full amount I need. I also don't expect it to give me a sudden huge boost in earnings. Currently I work in a private sector organisation making a healthy $85,000, but longer term I see myself in the NGO / advocacy sector or possible returning to government - I don't expect to get a great deal more than I'm already on in those sectors. I'm more concerned about the value of HKS outside the US as I have heard others make the same point that Pete does. That said, I have never lived or studied in the US and I was very aware of HKS, which says something (if I was recruiting and someone had it on their CV, for instance, I would be interested). Plus significant numbers of successful HKS alumni have come from overseas, and the Harvard brand is very international. But if any Brits are reading this and have a perspective I'd really appreciate it. The point is not really to earn masses more money, but to expand and develop my skills, knowledge and networks, and to get my foot in the door of interesting positions that might otherwise not give me a shot. And to have a year living, studying and socialising with a diverse range of inspirational people. I think it will give me those things, but I'm still wavering!

Hi all I've just been offered a place on the MC-MPA at HKS. At first I was ecstatic; now I've gone down a huge rollercoaster plummet and am having major doubts about the whole thing. Would really appreciate your thoughts. I'm from the UK and am coming up to 35. I've worked mostly internationally - for government for 8 years in East Asia and continental Europe, and currently in India where I am working in education policy (which has been my focus for the last 5 years) for a private sector organisation (actually officially we are a charity in the UK, but our public image is more that of a business). I lead a team, am a regular public speaker, and have a few publications to my name that I've produced with my current employers. My undergrad was 14 years ago, in Political Science, and for a long time I've wanted to have the experience of studying again. I don't see myself going on to a PhD, I'm happier in advocacy and communications than I am in research. What I expect to get from HKS is a year of great intellectual stimulation; the chance to meet and be inspired by some brilliant people and develop some great networks; new skills (especially the tools to work with / understand quantitative analysis) and new knowledge in areas like communications and the sustainability agenda (an area of particular interest). I'm also keen to develop my media skills by working on the student paper etc. I feel like, at this point in my career, I need something special to make my CV stand out and make me a candidate for more exciting positions than I might otherwise be considered for. I have savings that will cover nearly the full cost (and also have a small flat in London that I wouldn't need to sell, so I wouldn't be left totally without assets), but I'm just not 100% sure that this is the right way to spend them. I'll be going back to the UK afterwards - how well will the Harvard MPA serve me there? Would I be better off focusing on improving my skills (e.g. studying for a diploma in public affairs and communication) in a more cost-effective way while continuing to build my career? Is it worth spending the extra money for the experience of being at Harvard for a year (this is undoubtedly part of the appeal)? And are my expectations of the experience realistic? Sorry to throw all this out there but if anyone can share any thoughts I'd really appreciate it, especially from anyone who's actually completed the course!

Hi all, I'm planning to apply for Master's of Public Administration programs next year and just sat my GRE. I got 170 on the verbal and 156 on the quant. Obviously delighted with my verbal score but I'm worried that the quant isn't quite strong enough to access the best programs. I have over a decade's work experience including with my country's diplomatic service, and I currently head up the policy team for a skills and education organisation in India. I did my undergraduate study at Cambridge, which doesn't do GPAs or detailed transcripts. I came out with a 2:1 which is good, but not exceptional. My first choice is Harvard's mid-career MPA, and am also applying to Syracuse, Princeton, NYU and Columbia. Any views on my chances, and on what elements are most likely to be seen as important by the admissions teams? Thanks!