hazelground

Hi I'm a candidate myself, so maybe it wont be too useful for you what i have to say, but here is my opinion. if i were you, i would work hard and re-take GRE so that you get over 740 in Q...as you graduated long time ago, your GPA may be less important, though I am not so sure.... GRE may serve as a yardstick in your case by which the committee will estimate your chances of success in the course. And your GRE could be improved a lot. You've got a great work experience, so it's up to you to build a strong, relevant SOP to show the school how you will put to use a degree from HSK. good luck

@zourah thanks. I see that you are attending HKS and seem to be quite happy with your choice. What program did you apply for? Would you mind sharing your background or else, your views on the admission process at HKS. HKS would be my top choice for MPA/ID but when I looked at the profiles on their website, I felt my background was way too modest, to be frank cheers

yes, both are PhD students, one taught me intermediate micro and the other intermediate macro, hence, i believe their references could be relevant. Apart from this, I will be able to get a reference from my professor of macro who now happens to be the head of the economics department. out of 3 references, any ideas how many need to be from academics?

Thanks a lot for your insight. I am aware that I will need to produce a strong statement of purpose for my admission, and it can be tricky because I dont have direct experience in the public sector. Not sure if this makes candidates stand out from the others... Do the academic references need to come from professors or they can also be given by former tutors? In my school at the undergraduate level it was hard to maintain close interaction with professors - I fear that references from some of these personalities will fail to be convincing enough...the tutors were quite familiar with my performance and essay writing skills. thanks!

Hi, I would be glad if someone can rate my chances honestly and fairly for the top masters programmes in the US, particularly JFK Harvard, SIPA, SAIS or Yale. My stats are below;;; BSc Hons Economics - GPA 3.9 (~ First Class Honours at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK) GRE - V/720, Q/790 - over a year working with development NGOs (human rights, HIV/AIDS, child labour, publishing) in India - a Chinese language semester in Beijing - London-based 4-month experience in economic consulting - over one year working with an emerging markets bank (but based in London) - can speak 3 European languages as well as Hindi and Chinese at a basic/conversational level... - able to get quite good recommendations from lecturers and employers I am aware that I lack work experience with the central bank/government, however, being of foreign origin implies that I am not eligible to apply for such roles in the UK. sorry for the lengthy info, would appreciate if someone can advise on my chances, or perhaps some advice on how to improve my application... Would I need more work experience than this? How many references from professors are needed? any inputs would be great! thanks!

Thanks a lot for your insight...i know that i will need a strong statement of purpose will post my question on gvt affairs too... cheers

anyone? any inputs would be very much appreciated... thanks!

Hi, I would be glad if someone can rate my chances honestly and fairly for the top masters programmes in the US, particularly JFK Harvard, SIPA, SAIS or Yale. My stats are below;;; BSc Hons Economics - GPA 3.9 (~ First Class Honours at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK) GRE - V/720, Q/790 - over a year working with development NGOs (human rights, HIV/AIDS, child labour, publishing) in India - a Chinese language semester in Beijing - London-based 4-month experience in economic consulting - over one year working with an emerging markets bank (but based in London) - can speak 3 European languages as well as Hindi and Chinese at a basic/conversational level... - able to get quite good recommendations from lecturers and employers I am aware that I lack work experience with the central bank/government, however, being of foreign origin implies that I am not eligible to apply for such roles in the UK. sorry for the lengthy info, would appreciate if someone can advise on my chances, or perhaps some advice on how to improve my app.... I still have a year to go, trying to work and save some money at the moment in order to reduce future debt thank you very much! cheers