intlrlns

Thanks for the info! yeah, I didn't receive any financial aid which is a bummer. Congratulations to you! Eager to know where people are going to end up eventually..

That's really funny I didn't get an email either and my acceptance letter is online. haha.. where did you find the financial aid? Was it mentioned in the letter?

yeah somehow SIPA vs HKS is an easy decision to make. Both WWS and HKS are great names regardless so I don't think it would be a huge compromise at all despite the location problem. I'll be giving WWS serious thought if they accept me. It's a great brand name and I'll be at ease with $$. My main concern would be where I can use the alumni network/career services better to actually get a job. You see, I'm worried about the first 2-3 years at this point because I'm going to be one of the youngest at these schools. But you're right on many points and I have a lot to think about.

Well let me start by saying that I did not expect to get into HKS, SIPA or WWS. In which case I had set my heart and soul on SAIS. My time in DC made me really like the place, people etc. It's a great school if you want to transition to public/private sector depending on where you've been before. However, I applied to the MPP/MPA/MIA degrees at HKS, WWS and SIPA because I didn't want a grad school degree that would add little to my past experiences in IR. I'm leaning more toward these degrees now because I didn't get enough funding from the other IR schools (Fletcher gave me the best package of $20k). If I have to take a ton of loan out I'd rather make an investment that will afford me the opportunity to pay it back and love my job. Make sense? Now, I would be reconsidering my goals, priorities etc. I would say it would be a tough call between HKS and WWS (if I got accepted). They're both going to be on the opposite ends of my affordability scale but I like the MPP structure and it's a great fit for me. Plus being in Boston offers great networking opportunities.

Let's not compare an IR degree to an MBA. I am willing to take a substantial loan out at SAIS or HKS and pay it back over the years by compromising on savings. Grad school is not a mad scramble like undergrad. I think we can all get into any grad program we want if we think it out and put our heart in it. If you want to use a cheaper or well funded IR degree to avoid an MBA then you're not in for the same reasons that everyone else is...simple. And I don't feel the need to address the IR vs. MBA debate any further.

I didn't have stellar GRE scores and got into HKS as well..158 for both Q and V...but that's jsut because I hate standardized testing (do not mean to sound like a whiny kid who hates tests. I'm just not cut out for these types of exams and probably didn't put in as much effort as I could have given my stressful job). I had solid quant and writing in college and at work and I proved that in my application. Do not let other people's stats put you off. Trust me, I didn't think I would get in after looking at all the stats of students admitted in the past. Or their website of current students. Don't let your confidence take a hit.In the end we all have individual stories and you cannot replicate someone else's success by becoming that person.

Just sent you a PM. I don't want the Harvard brand name to sway me though.

yes, no questions asked I would So nervous though!

Sure. I'm on the younger side of the applicant pool--graduated from a top liberal arts school in 2011 with major in economics, minor in Russian.. worked with a foreign policy think tank in Washington DC for nearly two years where I published in a book and wrote several articles, helped some publications while in college as well..blogged for the WSJ for a year and held several leadership positions in college and after... now I'm working with the government. Didn't do well on GRE--158 Q+V 5.0AW but I absolutely detest standardized testing and provided an explanation...my grades were great though and lots of quant so that may have helped. Plus I've published quite a bit for my age. I think my recs and essays really did the job. Honestly, I'm shocked I got accepted though and didn't even bother applying for all fin aid options thinking HKS application fee was going to be a donation to the school from my sad bank account. Now, I'm regretting not applying to all HKS funding options (got really tied up at work and couldn't get my act together) and have been offered no aid at SAIS (which was my top choice)...Fletcher offered me 20k/year but I may not even be able to afford that...WWS is my last hope now.. I have a lot of decisions to make about loans and such. But I'm an international student so if I can't pay back in $$ my life will be hell. That's my dilemma. I was fortunate to have a fully funded undergraduate education but just can't think of 100 k loans...

Got offered $10,000 for each year but that's just not good enough.

no aid for me. That's too bad so now HKS is on my priority list.

No funding so I'd rather go to HKS. What a bummer.

Accepted to MPP at HKS. Doubt I'll get any aid though so let's see...

I didn't receive any email from GW yet...hmm...

Right on all points. I feel like we share very similar professional work experience I quit my DC job to really pursue my passion for making policy in the government. Have some regrets but learnt some lessons about where my life should head now. Or at least where I'd like to experiment next.

I wish I could be more eloquent on this forum but my insane job has been holding me back. I agree with all of the points made above. Work experience really gives you a good idea of the market and how students are evaluated based on their institutional affiliation. A lot of young think tank researchers opt for JD/MBA because they realize there just isn't enough room for everyone to keep moving up the ladder. That or their passion for IR dies a bit every time they look at their paycheck. In the end no amount of cautious advice is going to help make individual decisions though because you really have to learn from your own experience to map your career path. I would have ideally wanted to apply for a dual degree (MBA) but I had some constrains that prevented me from doing so. Which is why I'm leaning towards SAIS because of its quant heavy curriculum. I want to add value to my IR experience at this point and SAIS comes the closest to offering that.

Fletcher's blog is way better than HKS' in my opinion.

SFS is def. up there. Even within the elite schools I've seen some bias in favor of SAIS, SFS, HKS, and WWS over AU and GWU. Well, to be honest, I havent seen many HKS and WWS applicants around as interns in the think tank i was at. It's mostly the DC schools plus Fletcher...sometimes Yale, Syracuse and others..but they're definitely a minority where I work. Probably because a think tank is not the kind of place HKS or WWS students want to be at. They've probably done these gigs after undergrad and are now targeting other organizations based on their preferences. I'll be doing the same.

In my experience, the latter group is considered elite--HKS, WWS, SAIS. I am speaking purely from my own experience at a DC foreign policy think-tank. Of course other schools make their name but it's through contacts or exceptional standing. In sum, it would take them more effort to get a foot in.

Well that is late compared to others..in the same latecomers league as HKS then I suppose...I can't wait to decide so they better get their act together!

well if I have to take a loan out I'd rather go to SAIS. They told me to email my fin aid request to them but I havent heard back so SIS is def. not on my list of potentials right now.

haha, I'm in India as well and it was quite a nice start to this hot morning in Delhi congratulations!

Congrats all! SAIS is my top choice so it feels great to get in..hopefully the fin aid info wont be too disappointing..

I had an unfortunate typo so really glad they saw beyond that! Congratulations all.

I've hired several MA+ candidates in DC for internships. I have a BA and just happened to be in the right place at the right time to be permanent staff. But now I know what to avoid, how to build up contacts etc. because I had an early start. I still think that depending on where you want to end up we may have to start at the bottom again. Scary.