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I've met people this year who weren't accepted to HGSE and were accepted to HKS. It really is all about being a good fit.

I'm sorry to hear that. If it's any consolation, Higher Ed is the most competitive of all HGSE masters to get into, mostly due to them being such a small cohort (as compared to, for example, TIE or IEP which are relatively larger in size). I just wanted to leave a tip for any future forum reader applying to Higher Ed. You might want to consider applying to Special Studies, which is relatively easier to get into, and then you can take all Higher Ed courses.

Fact.

Hi guys! I'm sorry I can't write a longer post but you should know at around 5! Good luck!

Haha, sorry for that guys! I just thought a little humor might help you relax... I don't think calls will go out today, but that really depends on the program. Each program organizes how they reach out to admitted students (after they get the acceptance email) individually. Some programs don't even do phoneathons and the program director calls you instead.

Hi everyone, just to give you an insider tip that all admitted students have already been notified this morning... Just kidding, sorry, I couldn't resist! Ok, so this is for real: I can confirm that admissions decisions will go out today. Each individual program is preparing by asking students to make phone calls, upload videos, etc. depending on the program. Once again, good luck to you all!

Good luck everyone!

They say that every year (last year they didn't even add the "but possibly earlier" part), but as HBDXB pointed out, for the past 6 years they have always sent decisions out between March 6th and 9th. Last year, the emails went out on Friday, March 6th at 4.20pm ET. Just a heads up: you will get an email telling you to check the application page so make sure you know your password!

I agree with Gvh. I know at least one student in this year's cohort (I'm sure there are more) who got in a few years ago, said no, and applied and got in again this year. I also know another one who didn't get in a few years ago and got in this year.

Oh yes, definitely. But to me it was more about the learning experience than the connections or the brand name. Coming to HGSE completely (positively) changed my view on education, and I am surprised at how much I have learned in so little time. I don't think I would have been able to do this anywhere else. HGSE has its flaws, but it's a great education school.

I don't want to sound negative but since you seem to be based in Amsterdam, you should know that when you move here from Europe you will basically be paying much more for much less. We (married couple) live in Harvard Housing. We have a roommate (who we love and get along with great, we were very lucky!) in a 2-bedroom, 55m2 apartment. Rent for the apartment is $2,600, including utilities, our of which we pay $1,600 and our roommate pays $1,000. If we were to rent the whole apartment, we would be paying the same as we would pay to live in a similarly sized apartment in downtown Paris. Except, well, Cambridge is not Paris... Also, groceries are MUCH more expensive than in Europe and the quality is MUCH worse. Even if you shop at the Whole Foods, in general everything has a lot more sugar and a bunch of chemicals. You can find an up-to-date comparison with all the numbers on Numbeo. This is also helpful for anyone who doesn't know Numbeo and wants to compare the cost of living of their current city with that of Boston or the Boston area. Unfortunately, these double standards are ubiquitous at HGSE. They advocate for collaboration versus competition in education, but they make their own students apply (i.e. compete) for spots at courses. Many professors will seem super friendly and supportive but they will not be genuinely interested in what you are doing. A professor once told me she was "super excited" about my project and after talking to her for 2 more minutes I realized that she didn't know what my project was. Again, I am not trying to be negative; no institution is perfect (not even Harvard) and I just think it's important to provide a balanced perspective of the pros and cons, as I have focused more on the pros in my previous posts. I have learned an awful lot at HGSE, my overall experience has been extremely positive and I would do this program again in a heartbeat. But I also wish someone had told me this kind of things before I came here; I would have still come, but I would have been more "mentally prepared"

This is 100% not true. There are no quotas.

You can definitely take a language class for credit by cross-registering at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. I know at least one IEP student who was doing this last semester. Also, although you are supposed to take 8 courses throughout the year, nothing stops you from taking 10 or 11 at no extra cost. So if you're already taking 4 courses and the language course is your fifth, it's basically a free language course.

I just checked and last year we got an email on January 16, so you should be hearing from the Financial Aid office anytime soon.

Wow, there is an Ed.M. student this year with a profile almost identical as yours (business background, in her 40s, international, no previous experience in education but an amazing mission and great reasons for pursuing this master's). So if you were able to convey all of this in your SoP, I think your chances are pretty good, if not better than more "traditional" candidates'. HGSE tries really hard to have a well-rounded cohort with students from many different backgrounds.