berriez

What a great idea! I wish I had seen these threads when I was applying ... Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): top-5 for undergrad, large state school for grad Previous Degrees and GPAs: interdisciplinary Bachelor's with heavy computer science/psychology slant, ~3.4; Master's in elementary education, ~3.8 GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 164/168/5.5; submitted GMAT, too, since the total score was higher Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): almost 2 years as a teacher at a Title I school via Teach For America; previous internships in product management and software engineering at tech companies of all sizes, including a year as the product lead at an ed-tech start-up I co-founded Math/Econ Background: lots of computer science and applied math/statistics courses in that field, some linear algebra and multivariable calculus, introductory micro/macro Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): basically fluent in one non-native language, elementary in two more Intended Field of Study in Grad School: MPP/MBA Long Term Professional Goals: domestic social policy, particularly with regards to education and labor policy Schools Applied to & Results: HKS (funding pending), GSPP (tuition + stipend), Harris (half), Ford ($20k); somehow got lucky and got in everywhere I applied Ultimate Decision & Why: The choice is coming down to HKS and GSPP, and it will depend somewhat on funding. But regardless of funding outcomes, I'm leaning toward HKS for the diversity of its network and an opportunity to be somewhere new. (I've been a West Coast kid my whole life!) The decision is far from solidified, however. I'll be using the upcoming admit days to help nudge me one way or the other. Advice for Future Applicants: Start writing those SOPs early! I started in the summer, and even then, I found my mission statement wavering up until pretty much the last available moment. Also, be careful in choosing your recommendation providers. I won't get into the details, but let's just say that I lost out on an MBA program I really liked because one of my providers didn't deliver until considerably after the deadline despite a bunch of reminders ...

First, dizzle, congratulations! I'm in basically the same boat despite waiting to hear back from a few other places and, of course, HKS about their aid situation. But GSPP has offered me a fellowship that covers tuition, in addition to a stipend for living expenses. I know there was a thread on this forum awhile back that discussed a similar concern, albeit more generalized, but I was likewise wondering whether any current students at either school (or anyone, really) would able to provide some more insight for our situation. Long story short, bump! Thanks, everyone!

Holy cow, accepted! Congrats to everyone!

Admitted with a fellowship, too! It's not as much money as I would have liked, though, so I am unlikely to attend. Best of luck with your decisions, everyone!

Admitted, too, with some money luckily! Good luck to everyone!

Admitted, with a fellowship to cover enrollment plus stipend! I'll be honest ... I wasn't actually expecting to get in, so this news was quite the shock. (By the way, this is my first post but I've been reading around the forum for a while. Thanks to everyone for all the great discussion; this place is awesome! Best of luck to the rest of you guys, and perhaps we'll meet in class someday.)