linden

Hello, all. I am reviving this thread with a question about funding decisions. It just occurred to me that I might be foolishly holding out hope that I will receive a scholarship/fellowship next week. Does anyone know if HKS has already reached out to or interviewed candidates it is seriously considering for scholarships/fellowships? (And, this question does not apply to Reynolds or Zuckerman fellowships; I am asking about the other fellowships/scholarships, the ones that required only a one-page essay.) I was just curious if the fact that I have not heard a peep from financial aid all this time means that I am not in the running for any of these funding offers.

scotty: If it is in any way financially possible (i.e., if you can secure loans in your home country), I would say go for HKS. I imagine that the education you could obtain at Syracuse would prepare you for your future professional challenges. But, the difference in reputation (and resources) between the two schools makes HKS almost impossible to turn down in your case, I feel. Regardless of how well-ranked the Syracuse MPA is, the university's name does not travel as well as Harvard's does. And, as someone who has lived in both Western and Eastern Europe, I don't anticipate that many individuals will know about Syracuse. Have you tried going back to the U.S. embassy to see if they will consider you for an additional year of funding? I would think they would be terribly impressed to hear you were admitted to HKS. I believe that the Fulbright requires you to return and to work in your home country for a period of time. After that period has passed, having a degree from HKS will allow you more flexibility to work wherever you chose to work. And, indeed, what you do after graduation is as important as where your degree is from. But, with Harvard, you won't be prying open doors. They will open for you. I feel your pain, however; I too am trying to find a way to make HKS financially viable. Good luck!

charleyj: I sent you a PM. Linden

jmoney: Thanks. These figures give me a reason to remain hopeful.

chellie99: You should be more concerned about what happens if you get married and your income increases. Run the calculator. The forgiveness program won't forgive that much debt if your spouse is making a moderate salary and does not have a significant level of debt. In that circumstance, you can basically kiss the forgiveness incentive good-bye because your income-based repayment amount increases. (Therunaround, maybe I selecting the wrong options, but I ran several scenarios. Only in one of them did I end up getting forgiven some money, about $13K.) :cry:

That I am really torn. Like you, I feel like I cannot pass up HKS. Not only are the school's academic offerings unmatched by most schools. In addition, the education I will receive, the degree name, and the networking opportunities and alumni connections could help me accomplish my personal and professional objectives. Yet, the debt could also undermine my ability to attain those goals. I wish I had your certainty, therunaround.

Does anyone know what percentage of HKS students receive a fellowship or scholarship award? (I posted this in the Hearing from HKS thread, but it was buried by other messages.) I have nothing to contribute to this thread other than doubt.

fes_alum: Congrats as well. Thanks for providing this info. It sounds as if though you are leaning towards taking on the debt. I am still completely lost and undecided. Good luck with your decision-making!

Does anyone happen to know what percentage of the MPP class receives some form of scholarship/fellowship?

Splic: If you're going by name recognition, I think Duke is as well-known as Georgetown. And, considering that Duke is giving you a bigger funding offer, I would be tempted to go with them. I was also going to add, even though Maryland is giving you a full-tuition scholarship, housing costs will be much higher in the DC area. So, some of the difference in tuition will be eaten up by higher housing costs. You should also factor in the cost of buying and owning a car. I have only spent short periods of time in both of these university towns. I get the sense that you can get by without on at Maryland, whereas at Duke that would be difficult. But, someone who has spent more time at these schools can give you a better idea. I was going to add, nevertheless, as someone who was born and raised in another country, I know in my country attending any U.S. university gives you leg up on your peers. You are considered more mature and your the authenticity of your grades is not questioned. If it works this way in your country, as well, then Maryland might not be a bad choice either. But, if you have plans to apply for optional practical training, I do think the Duke name will help you more. Good luck with your choices!

In!!!!! I am so excited. And, I still can't believe it. I can't afford to go there. But, like younglions (I think) once wrote, I will keep this letter forever, frame it, pull it out when I lose at Trivial Pursuit. (And, no, younglions did not include the part about Trivial Pursuit. That's all me.) This is an extremely super happy day!!! I guess we will know on April 3 what the financial implication of attending HKS will be. But, in the meantime, can we move on to the discussion of whether it is worth it to go into debt to attend HKS? All along I kept saying that getting in HKS would radically change the equation, that I would go into debt for HKS. But, it was easy to make that statement when I did not believe it could happen. Now, I really have to address that question. For those who have been admitted, is HKS worth the debt to you?

So, anyone feeling positive about tomorrow/this week? Anyone have any gut feelings? And, here's a new question ponder: Do you think HKS will break the mold and send out admits and rejections on the same day? Or, will they do stick to tradition and send out admits, followed by rejections within a few days? At this point, I am sort of enjoying the wait, I must say.

Despite the eight ball's claims, I'm with you, younglions and sisepuede. I think we're going to hear today because Spring Break is next week, which means decisions won't go out until March 29, at the earliest, if they don't go out tonight because student workers won't be around next week to do data entry. Then, we won't hear about funding until the first few days of April, which means very few of us will be at the Open House. And, if they want to woo WWS admits (so that I can attend WWS), they should probably hold an Open House. I say 3:48 p.m. EST. And, I am going with 16 admits, 4 wait lists, and 36 rejections.

charleyj and invictus: Thanks for the info. I was just looking at this document (http://gradschool.princeton.edu/about/d ... able_A.pdf), and it seems that last year they admitted almost 20 students more than the amount admitted this year. There might be hope for some of us. I would certainly be more pessimistic if we were on a wait list for business school. The public sector is the only one that is not bleeding jobs and funding. Some of the same factors that encourage students to defer or go elsewhere are probably still at play this year. Still, I don't want to keep hope alive. What was really awful was that last year they sent out only admits the first day. Thus, when I received the email, naturally, I assumed I was in. That memory still makes me wince. :roll:

I have not yet received this FAQ, since I am overseas. Does it mention if the wait list is ranked?

Aaarggh. Invictus. So, we have between a 0 percent chance and a 40 percent chance. This is killing me. I can't make it till May. I am just going to attend GPPI.

I know many of you missed the virtual eight ball, which has provided guidance for and comfort to many of us. (Okay, just me.) I have asked it if MPP people will hear from HKS tomorrow. According to the eight ball: "My sources say no way." Please keep in mind that virtual eight ball has had a 75 percent success rate this season.

dagger: I nominate you as a representative to HKS' adcom. Too bad I won't get the same love from the real adcom.

Does anyone know what class size they are aiming for?

Ha, ha. Tell me about it policy_applicant. I feel I hit my peak in early February, and it has all been waiting (and being wait-listed) since then.

Ahhh, but you can also argue that a better school also buys you a different type of freedom. Maybe you won't be able to afford to take off the semester to volunteer in Brazil. But, if you want to work in Brazil the name Harvard will make it easier to find a job than some of the schools some of us are considering. I know, I know. It's an endless debate. I just wish I had your certainty, cerise. I feel really lost. I have less than a month to make a choice, and I still don't have all the info I need to make this choice.

I heard that they are hoping to have decisions out the week before school starts in September. Scholarship/fellowship decisions will be made sometime in October. Ha, ha. Seriously, though, I've been a lot calmer about HKS ever since it dawned on me that this is not over for me until my top choice closes out its wait list in May.

This is the question I keep revisiting. I know I am not supposed to go into debt for a degree. I know I should jump on the opportunity I have to get out of school debt-free. But, I also feel this funding offer is clouding my judgment. I feel my decision is no longer based on the merits of the program and what it can help me accomplish, but on the bottom line. And although I only applied to programs I would attend, there is a quality difference between the programs. The matter is a simple one for those who have full or generous funding from schools such as WWS and HKS. But, it is harder to decide if you have full funding from a second-tier school or one you are concerned about attending for legitimate reasons. For example, the school that has given me the most generous funding package has a large number of part-time students, and I have heard from full-time students that the part-timers sometimes affect the quality of the class and the discussion. They are simply too overwhelmed and tired after 40 hours of work each week to participate in a class that starts at 6:30 p.m. or to work on a group project on a Thursday evening. Also, it will be harder to establish meaningful relationships with these individuals, relationships that could potentially help me out as a professional later on. Yet, if I attend this school, I get out debt-free. And, yes, I do feel that prestige counts and will help. What you do with your degree is important, but so is where that degree is from. I have been pilloried before for writing that, but people will judge us on where we go to school. The question is, how much is that prestige worth. We have heard from many who would attend a school that would allow them to leave debt-free. I would love to hear from individuals who have decided to pay for that prestige. What is your line of logic? How will you deal with the debt?

stigMPA: Thanks for sharing!

stigMPA: I was writing to follow up on your comments on GW. Did your advisor make this comment specifically about its graduate public policy/administration program? If so, why did your advisor feel it was an "awful value for the money"? Your insight would be helpful. Thanks!