Poli92

Just checked with the financial aid office and they confirmed that the funding is extended to the second year pending full-time status and 3.4 GPA. Wondering why they wouldn't include that in the funding letter; that could affect someone's decision to accept.

Guys. We don’t have a dedicated thread for WWS this year. There are 2 threads that had raised specific queues which are being used for general discussion. Hence starting this...

I don't know that the funding level is guaranteed, but anecdotally I think that if the student is in good standing the offer is renewed for the second year. 

Also was admitted. My funding email only referred to 2018/2019 funding. No mention of year 2. Presumably it is not renewable? How bout you guys, any thoughts?

I got an offer from MA.

Thus the additional factors I referenced. 
This sort of peer group feedback is another one of the reasons I brought this up. Many of my colleagues (analysts at a rigorously apolitical federal entity) who may have otherwise sought out advanced degrees in public policy or admin are now either dodging grad school altogether or leaning towards much more quantitative, data science-y types of degrees with a higher ROI. 

Hey all - Agree that this forum has been very quiet this year. I can only speak for my peer group here in D.C., but many of the policy-minded or former Obama politicals are strongly leaning MBA, rather than MPP. There's a real pressing sense of ROI for the degree and with our current administration, it seems like Tech Companies are the new hot place to work. 
I think the reticence is due to a larger trend that's starting to emerge: 
Applications to Foreign Service are down 50%,  Latest Tax Bill directly targets grad students and ivy league foundations, and  Aside from Business Schools and select engineering, admission to professional schools (Law school esp) is down significantly as the economy is doing well Honestly, I think this means good fortune for our applications to competitive programs and scholarships, but I think the lack of crowding should make us pause, if only for a moment, to think about why we're taking the offers. 

I've been lurking and posting on here for four years or so, and as the title suggests, I've noticed that the Government Affairs forum seems way quieter than previous years around this time. 
Has anyone else noticed this? 
Is there some other forum where all the cool kids are talking about grad school now? 
If not... If we think of GradCafe types as being somewhat representative of the more proactive applicants, does this mean that there are fewer proactive applicants this cycle? This could mean good things for everyone applying this year, as the pool may be a bit thinner than recent years. Moreover, this would jive with a number of current conditions, namely:
As the labor market has strengthened, those who would have previously applied to grad school may instead be working.  The growth rate in grad school enrollments has been slowing over recent years, we could be entering the first year in which we might see outright declines.  Particularly for those interested in government affairs, concern about Trump's policies (massive proposed State & USAID cuts, PSLF maybe going away) or working in the administration may be convincing people not to apply.  Or is it possible that everything worth saying on here has already been said? 
At any rate, I'm curious whether others may have noticed this. 
Cheers! 
 

I've been lurking and posting on here for four years or so, and as the title suggests, I've noticed that the Government Affairs forum seems way quieter than previous years around this time. 
Has anyone else noticed this? 
Is there some other forum where all the cool kids are talking about grad school now? 
If not... If we think of GradCafe types as being somewhat representative of the more proactive applicants, does this mean that there are fewer proactive applicants this cycle? This could mean good things for everyone applying this year, as the pool may be a bit thinner than recent years. Moreover, this would jive with a number of current conditions, namely:
As the labor market has strengthened, those who would have previously applied to grad school may instead be working.  The growth rate in grad school enrollments has been slowing over recent years, we could be entering the first year in which we might see outright declines.  Particularly for those interested in government affairs, concern about Trump's policies (massive proposed State & USAID cuts, PSLF maybe going away) or working in the administration may be convincing people not to apply.  Or is it possible that everything worth saying on here has already been said? 
At any rate, I'm curious whether others may have noticed this. 
Cheers! 
 

To split the hair again, the benefit of one's academic pedigree will vary based upon the division and regional office in a company that's doing the hiring. The boss who hired me had an academic background and was more comfortable than other bosses hiring people who didn't have a background or experience in our division's core practices. She's since transferred to another part of the company and the sensibility has shifted considerably. 
As I work in the division of a consultancy that does a fair amount of policy work (municipal, county, state, federal, and international) and we've been doing a lot of hiring, I will add the following IME/YMMV-based observations.
Work ethic. If you want to get hired, you need to demonstrate a willingness to work long hours, to work smart, and to work hard. Be very tactful when you talk about work/life balance and ask questions about work schedule, vacation time, and so forth. If you're applying for a salaried exempt position,  you can be tasked to work more than forty hours a week for weeks at a time.If you start asking questions or make comments that give those doing the hiring to question your intensity, they will start looking elsewhere. At the same time, do not make the mistake of saying enthusiastically "I'll do what ever it takes." At best, the remark will be taken as an indication of your maturity. At worst, you will be taken up on the offer.
Quick learner. It is unlikely that you will receive as much training as you'd like. You may not receive any training at all. You will get more training than mentoring. To get the job and to keep the job you will need to demonstrate that you're an independent motivated, self-starting quick learning type. At the same time, you will also need to show that you're wise enough and have the humility to ask for help. Otherwise, you're going to make avoidable mistakes that blow budgets and deadlines, and antagonize the experienced hands who have to go back and clean up your mess.
Relationships. Demonstrate that you understand how relationships with external and internal clients are at least as important as the project work that you do. If you're not a "people person," or are generally shy and/or reserved, or if you prefer written communication over phone calls and face to face conversations, you have to figure out how to expand your comfort zone and your communication took kit. If you're exceptionally skilled, you will be cut a lot of slack but eventually, it will catch up to you. And remember, no matter how well you get along with a prospective boss, he or she is not your friend.
Situational awareness. If you belong to the Millennial generation (broadly defined) and are seeking employment at a firm run by a combination of Boomers and X-ers (also broadly defined), you're going to encounter different types of sensibilities and expectations. It is likely that many elements of your vision of The Way Things Should Be are technically correct. However, it's imperative that you pick your spots when it comes to cutting against the grain. Understand that employers want what you have to offer and that time is on your side. Find ways to demonstrate that you are persistent and determined but know how to drink a cup of STFU and ask for a refill.
Experience/Expertise. As noted in the OP, experience and expertise are valued. An applicant with 4-10 years experience will have an advantage over an applicant with <4 years. However, experience is a knife that cuts both ways if a prospective employer regularly makes "strategic hires" (BTDTs with 10-20+ years experience). Do what you can to determine if the company you want to join makes strategic hires and how you will fit into the mix. Find a way to strike a balance among expressing your preferences for the kind of work you want to do, your personal professional ambition, your desire to learn, and your willingness to be a team player. 
Transparency. Do not lie, fib, embellish, or exaggerate any information you deliver as part of the application process. When you apply for a job or accept an offer, you will authorize an open-ended background check. In the present, information will be vetted to the fourth decimal place. In the future, additional background checks will make sure that you've not screwed up in your personal life since you accepted the job. If there's something in your past that falls into the grey area, you need to figure out how you're going to describe/talk about it so that you fulfill your disclosure obligation without torpedoing your chances to get hired.
Parking. Make sure you have an acceptable method of payment for parking when you go to hand off application materials or attend an interview.
Typos. Some employers won't mind one or two too much; perfect work isn't necessarily great, or even good, work. For others, a single error is a deal breaker. Assume that every employer falls into the latter category.
Expect an examination. As much experience as you have in taking tests and exams in the Ivory Tower, the test you take as part of a job application will be different. Understand that your objective goes beyond figuring out the correct answer. The exam will also be about producing and delivering a product both on time and within the budget. It's likely that you will screw up on the exam (in the history of my division, only one or two people have nailed it). If you find yourself struggling, what choices will you make? (A hint. Which would you prefer? A perfect cup of coffee in an aesthetically pleasing mug that's not going to be ready when you absolutely need it, or a cup of instant coffee in a paper cup that's put into your hand, ready to drink, right on time? A second hint.  If you're going to work for a consultancy, the answer is "It depends.")

HKS is definitely one of the three "super-easy graduate school under big names"!
The other two are Johns Hopkins University (Carey Business School) and Columbia University- Teacher's College!!!!

This is pure evil to say! It is not super-easy graduate school!! I know many highly qualified people who did not get in.

In case you haven't seen this on your own or through Chris Blattman's blog post last week, Seeing Theory is a really neat learning resource for introductory statistical concepts.
The site attempts to make statistical concepts more accessible through creating a visual learning format, allowing users to interact with visualization tools to get a better understanding.   
For some of the stats- and quant-averse folks in the IR/PP crowd, this could be super helpful. I know that in my own experience, getting a firm grasp of the geometric intuition underlying mathematical and statistical principles has been immensely beneficial in getting to the 'Aha!' moment where something really clicks. 

According to the verbiage of the financial aid website, I've been "awarded" 81k in loans per year hahahahaha

In! Got the 'YES! Email'

In!

I was rejected!  I felt very down this entire day, but I re-read one of the entries on the HKS blog and it gave me a lot of strength. I really do hope another door opens up for me. I thought HKS would be the school I would attend. Thanks to all who kept this thread positive and uplifting. Whether you got accepted or not, may the journey be one filled with happiness.
 

I feel like I'm going crazy waiting for SSP results to be released! Is anyone else holding their breath for SSP? Last I heard from Admissions, the target time frame is mid-March!

Before day breaks, I wish to share my reflection:
If it's positive, I'll be overjoyed. Hugs and kisses to everyone. After some time, when Financial applications are out, the reality of funding requirements will seep in.
If its negative, terribly sad. Hugs and kisses to everyone. After some time, will get by and content with the thought there's no more need for extra financial requirements.
But HKS or not, I'm just as determined to bring out the best in what I do. I am humbled by this experience and I shall keep it to remind me that the question Ask what you can do is not simply for those who got accepted, but for everyone who accepts it.
Happy to have shared the experience of waiting for Harvard with you guys.
Cheers!
 

Which makes sense, doesn't it, in terms of falling in line with the greater admissions rate at HKS? I would guess the admissions rate across all programs at HKS, in general, is somewhere between 1 in 5 or 1 in 6 gets admitted. Thankfully we will know tomorrow or Wednesday, but I have enjoyed all the wild speculation on this board over the last few days. 

I think our sample size is too small to prove anything, especially since within that small group there is already an outlier. I'm guessing there is another reason for the change that has nothing to do with admissions decisions.

Federal workers I know are all worried about losing their jobs and/or the prospect of being forced to undo all of the work their agencies have done for the past eight years.  Many of my friends in nonprofits that rely on federal funds are worried about getting defunded.  Definitely look at state and local government (there are actually tens of thousands of counties and municipalities in the US) and private sector (they might benefit from the federal hiring freeze if agencies are forced to outsource).  If you are looking to work internationally, seek out an internship at the UN and take the YPP exam.  But I suspect everyone working in the public policy arena will be impacted in some way, if not immediately than within a year or two.

Along with the rest of us - that's what I'm concerned about. Competition for nonprofits is going to go way up, and if these groups lose any government funding they were getting (especially since, as @Nasty Woman noted, many nonprofits are federal contractors), they're also going to be hiring fewer people. 
 
To 1) yes, but for those of us interested in IR/international development, there aren't many opportunities at the state and local levels. And to 2) for sure - I'm not denying the degree is useful. But I am in an MPP program now, and I know many of my classmates and I are considering private sector which we wouldn't have if the election had gone differently. Anecdotal, yes, but it's not unreasonable to say simply that competition for nonprofits and policy-related private sector jobs will go up as a result of the hiring freeze.

To add to what @Poli92 is saying, working with large datasets in an analytical manner doesn't mean knowing how to code them in Stata. Learning the software is trivial, and since which one of the many interchangeable suites you use is heavily organization or even client-dependent, being able to pick the coding up on the job is one of the realities of this type of work. Being able to analyze datasets means knowing the math. I would say that the amount of math in an MPA program is insufficient for a masters-level statistician job. Your strength would be your ability to couch whatever numbers you produce and the methodologies you use in your research context (e.g. agriculture, 4th industrial revolution, sub-Saharan Africa). Also, learn to write well.

The level of coding intensity will vary depending on the courses you choose to take, but frankly you shouldn't be going into an MPP program to learn how to code. You can learn to code in Python, R, SQL, and pretty much every other language (besides maybe SAS or some other high-end suites that keep a tight lock on training) online for free or cheap. Codeacademy, Udacity, Coursera, Udemy, O'Reilly Media, etc. offer a ton of great coding resources that will have broader offerings and deeper content than anything you will get from an MPP.  
In your courses you should focus on developing your expertise in your substantive area and developing your quantitative methodological competencies. In the summer or something try to get some sort of internship that will give you the opportunity to professionally demonstrate the coding chops you've developed on your own time. You'll also be amazed how quickly you'll pick up programming once you have the immersion experience of applying it in a professional environment. 
I guess all-in-all I wouldn't plan on shooting for a highly sophisticated data analyst role immediately after graduation. In all likelihood you'll be competing against people with CS or Stats backgrounds and they will be way more qualified than you. I would try to enter your substantive domain and then establish yourself as someone who demonstrates savvy with statistical programming, machine learning, data viz or whatever it is that floats your boat. 
(For the sake of disclosure, I work as an economist within a federal agency where I use a combination of SAS, SQL, and R for statistical research and application development)