Damis

Finishing up my MPP now! Been a crazy experience, but so glad I did it! Best of luck to ya'll! I sat where you were two years ago. :) Based on prior years, those sequential blog posts are pretty indicative of decisions! Please don't take my word for it though...don't need Matt trying to find out who I am. ? Btw, COVID may shut down classes after Spring Break (which starts next week for us), but I highly doubt it has an impact on the campus functions. The fact that Spring Break starts at the end of this week coupled with the Corona challenge though seems to indicate that ya'll should be hearing by the end of the week for sure. But once again, I'm just a friendly student who doesn't represent admissions in any which way!

Good luck to you all! I remember being in this position last year. Right now I'm in the throes of my first semester finals and figured I'd stop by to remind myself why I decided to come here.

Yup! I'll be applying to business school over the next few months...putting myself through another round of pain and suffering. Glutton for punishment! You basically have it correct. If accepted (Gods be good) I would more than likely start my MBA during the Fall semester of 2019. It also depends on the school, too. For instance, I called Wharton today and they have a rather interesting situation with HKS. They would probably require me to do my first year and first half of my third year there. I'd then finish my last semester at HKS. That's generally how it flows with all schools from what I'm seeing. I would encourage you to think it through rather carefully. You'll find the process can be a bit overwhelming...especially if you haven't yet tested. I only applied to HKS and it was still a whirlwind. I also had a Fellowship past that allowed me to apply to a bunch of MPP/MPA programs for free, but I ultimately only applied for one anyway haha. It worked out rather well on my end though and I'm hoping the best for you too!

You may already know this, but you have to apply to the MPA/MBA program at the same time to do joint at Harvard. So now that I'm in at HKS, I can't apply to HBS this year. I could apply next year, but then I'd have to do the normal 2 year route. I didn't apply to HBS because I wanted to attend an MBA program at another institution (essentially I wanted another network), but I sorta regret it now that I know a bit more about the combination of schools. With the other MBA programs, that's the tactic I'll be using for sure. My standardized test scores weren't so great, but I have a demonstrated background with data and, come to find out, a bit more experience than a bunch of my fellow classmates. HKS does have a bit of quant, so I'm hoping to rock all of that and combine it with the school's name overall to help me make my case. I'll hopefully be applying Round 1, however, so I don't know if I'll have much of an academic impression to make by the time deadlines are around. I've heard that a lot of folks actually do apply to business school once they're in at HKS, so I'm not freaking out about it much. If you're like me, the idea of applying to both schools with my life at the moment, let alone back in October-December would have been impossible. I barely got the HKS application in haha! I imagine many are in that position and want to utilize the extra year to apply. You do have to be mindful of the deadline dates, however, with many of the R1 deadlines coming up right after class starts (my top choice has a deadline of September 18...class starts on September 6th). Many of the MBA programs are also only just opening up their applications as well, so there's not a huge window to put together an application. Just be as strategic managing the process as you'll be in applying to Public Policy programs and you'll be fine!

Hi! I agree with buff_hamster on everything. I'll just add my perspective in regards to the first point. I'm about to enter HKS as an MPP student and frankly couldn't believe the amount of dualies (MPP(A)/MBA) there were. Half of the folks I met during the visit days were also pursuing their MBA...and a quarter of folks who weren't yet in that cohort were thinking about applying to pursue their MBA (like me!).

Thank you, Yellina! Congratulations to you, by the way!

Oops. That's right. $83k per year. Now, I have no idea how they disperse funds, as I'm just starting. I'll ask around though, because that'd be useful to know. :P

Congratulations! Love seeing good things happen for great people.

I'll jump in here, because I interviewed for a CPL Fellowship as well. It depends with CPL. Most offer a stipend, but not all. The levels of stipend also vary. HKS can add on top of that to give you a full ride (so a total of $83k instead of $65ishk) at their discretion, but after talking to many CPL Fellows they typically don't do that. I didn't receive CPL, but I did receive extra scholarship funds from the Presidential Scholarship pot. I have no idea how that system works other than it appears someone liked either my essays or interview well enough that they decided to forward me on to her desk. I had external scholarship funds too (which, if you have, you should report. They are serious about reducing awards.) No catch neither. I'm mentioning this in order to implore folks to apply for the CPL Fellowships. There's funding not necessarily tied to anything you may fall into. .

I don't know enough of your background to speak too authoritatively. I had a 144 Quant score and got into HKS with a very generous offer to boot. I have a pretty strong professional background though (with pretty extensive international experience as well) and it appears I was able to rock the essays and my admissions letter noted my strong recommendations too. It's possible to get in for sure and receive funding, but if you're not under pressure and have time to properly do the studying and can retake the test, I definitely would. I would have redone it on my end, but i just didn't have the time to do so.

That's my story. I finished my Fulbright and decided to come back home and try to make an impact in my state. About 8 years of policy work later (with some international experience in between) I'm towards the upper end of the $70 - $100k range...in the U.S. South...doing the work I've always wanted to do. I've been able to do some really high level stuff and really put myself out there in ways I would never be able to do so in a D.C. or New York, but I'm definitely not some savant or anything. Just really went after what I wanted. The most important of advice to anyone though is work. You'd be surprised how you can have any job be exactly what you need it to be in the long run. The stuff isn't rocket science, yet some of the most brilliant people I know struggle with all of this. Folks who are much smarter than myself, yet I've been able to get through all levels of education without having to take out a single loan. Ever. I'll be able to go to HKS without having to take out a cent in loans. In fact, I didn't even have to pay the dang deposit nor application fee. It's not to big myself up at all. I don't have some secret formula. I just have good experiences and the right background, which I crafted over time and very strategically. I guess I put all that stuff together in a cohesive enough manner with my application. You can too, though! Probably better than I can. Just trust the process. So to more directly answer the original question. No, taking out all that money to pursue this particular type of education is not worth it and never will be. I believe you can always find the right school who will give you the right money. I encourage you to reevaluate your approach to this process, whether it be the testing (I didn't study much for the GRE and was going to really concentrate on retaking if I didn't get in), essays (I told stories that wrapped around both my work and what I envision being able to do), and coaching up my recommenders (make sure you don't duplicate your resume and help them dig deep). I encourage you all to simply not rush any of this. It will work out to your benefit if you don't.

Matt posted that he'd just finished the last of them a few days ago. I received mine on Friday. I think it takes a while for him because I believe he personalizes each individual letter in ink with a little note.

I did, thankfully! I'm in the States though. Wasn't a lot, but enough. I'm grateful!

I think your GRE score more than makes up for the GPA and C in stats. I've also seen folks with lower GPAs get into some of the schools you listed. Given you've already taken stats, you're more so asking whether or not you should retake the class? A normal 101 stats course? No. I'd try to take a more difficult course...such as Econometrics 101 or a higher level stats course. If you have the time to study and are wanting to show the various AdComms that you have the ability, that would be more effective. Given it'd be just the one course, I think you can do it! I'd advise taking a gander at what you'd be studying, however, because it may be too broad a leap. Check out this MIT Econometrics course. If it looks feasible, do it. If not, then maybe a higher level macro would do the trick.

You're right. Thanks for this comment. Gradcafe has been there for me throughout the years. It's helped me receive the Fulbright and get into my dream school on a full ride. I'll add to the thread now. Program Applied To: (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.) MPP Schools Applied To: Harvard Kennedy School Schools Admitted To: Harvard Kennedy School Undergraduate Institution: State School in the South Undergraduate GPA: 3.78 Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): 3.9 Undergraduate Major: International Studies GRE Quantitative Score: 144 (more on this in other) GRE Verbal Score: 158 GRE AW Score: 4.0 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 7 Years of Work Experience: I graduated in 2011, but I've often held down multiple roles at one time. From running political campaigns while doing private sector work to working on a ballot initiative while serving as a policy analyst...I've often leveraged positions I'm in to get additional experiences outside of work. Sometimes it's of the paid variety, but often I did the work for free. Ultimately, it's all invaluable on your resume. So if you count those experiences separately, about 10 years. I did count them separately with my HKS application and obviously they seemed to have sided with me lol. It's not frou frou stuff neither. You have to demonstrate that you're doing more than just showing up or it's pointless to list the experiences imho. Describe Relevant Work Experience: I've done some stuff...within the U.S., I was a policy analyst, ran multiple campaigns, and had some private sector experience. Internationally, I've been a Fulbright, German Chancellor Fellow, and worked for the State Department. I was on track to become a diplomat, but during my Fulbright year I noticed some troubling things. So I had an about face and came back to my home state to do some work. Through luck and a strong network, I was able to get involved in public policy. I pushed and passed legislation, but wasn't moving the needle fast enough...so I ventured back abroad as a GCF. Now I'm back implementing my research within my home state at a pretty high level. Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I'm going to be pretty descriptive here so that I hopefully convey the elements that went into what I think was the main reason I got into HKS. I also realize that a lot of this profile could easily give me away haha. Oh well, I want ya'll to get in, so I'm going to just be real. In looking back on everything now, I've lived a crazy life. I talked about it a little, but immediately contextualized it around what I care about and how the recalibration of my career focus has allowed that former pathway to enhance my work. I specifically focused the essay around a lady I once worked with and her plight. How I saw first hand that the system can gobble you up and spit you back out with nothing to show for it. I didn't hold back at all. I then talked about what I need from HKS to prevent that situation from ever happening again. The other essay I talked about a person who was able to benefit from some legislation I helped pass. I talked about the process of getting it done. The data analysis. The lobbying. Winning and what it meant for thousands of kids in my state. Big stuff! Then I talked about the unexpected consequences that followed as a result. How I could never have envisioned them occurring back then, but that now I could see why I needed more training to mitigate this moving forward. With the diversity essay, I talked about the decision to work in my home state instead of becoming a diplomat. I framed it around coming back to my community and the reaction that caused. I finished with the perspective I would bring to the school as a result. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I had 3 Professional LORs. I'd simply been out of school too long to even think about getting an academic one. However, I took part in the Maryland Leadership Institute (I think it's now defunct, but HKS recruited from there) which is a high-level Summer quant/leadership program that a bunch of fellowship programs used to send their participants. You're required to upload that transcript and, thankfully, I did really well and the organizers wrote a very positive letter...so even though it's from years ago, I'd say it was a proxy academic LOR. One of my LORs wrote a really powerful letter for me. He also mentioned how he'd supervised someone who had just graduated from HKS and that he could attest to my quantitative abilities because we essentially had the same job. I'm sure that was clutch as well. The other two I didn't read. Other: So those scores! I remember folks saying "Oh, if you don't score X and Y they won't even review your application. BULLSHIT. I hope folks who read this moving forward can see that while those scores are important...they definitely aren't decisive. Now, I did have all of the quant coursework (micro, macro, stats, calculus, quantitative seminar, thesis) in college and completed them with honors credit. My quantitative resume was like 4 pages long if I remember correctly. Further, I work with data often at work and in multi-faceted ways too. I've done that both within the U.S. and as a Research Fellow internationally. I can do the stuff, but I am not a good test taker at all. Couple all of that with the fact I'd been out of school for awhile, and there's probably no chance in Hell I'd have a shot at doing well with that test unless I could study for it full-time which, as I've indicated, is damn near impossible given everything else I do. I think the AdCom saw that as well. I obviously DON'T recommend you take the path I did lol. Please score as high as you can! I just want to be forthright in all of this to show that HKS really does look at your entire application. They won't trash you because of a damn random score on a high-stakes test. Hell, I was abroad for my test and was sick. I noted all of this in my additional info section and let it go. I also received a full ride, so they obviously value everything in spite of! I'm passionate about this particular part because I'm convinced many high quality candidates won't apply because they'll believe this idea that you have to score at a certain level. Matt says they'd like to see you score within a certain range, true, but he also says they'll look throughout your application for evidence you can handle the quant in spite of your score. Believe that and make your case. A piece of advice. I think I stood out because I was vulnerable and made my essays personal. Don't make your narrative mechanistic. Don't just check boxes. Let your story shine through. I'm saying this because I highly doubt you could read my essays and know exactly what I want to do. That said, you will know WHY I do what I do WHO the people are I work to uplift and HOW I could do many things if I had the tools needed to do my work at a higher level. You will know from my words that I'm committed to what I do every single fiber of my being. Just saying "I want to be X in Y years" would never encapsulate what I'm trying to accomplish. No random title job at fancy institute would be indicative of this journey I'm on, ya know? I think my profile shows a life time of service on paper, but I think my essays also show what motivates me and drives me to do the work that I do. No single element of my resume has a frivolous aspect to it. I've been lucky to do some really cool stuff, yet everything I've done has been strategically aligned with my heart. Let your friends and family help craft your narrative too. Let them look over crappy drafts and give advice. Let them learn things they may not have known about you, which could make you uncomfortable. Use every resource possible. Let the process consume you. Don't take every piece of advice, however. Your message won't resonate with everyone. That's okay! Ignore that part of their criticism and instead make sure your subject-verb agreement is on point. Do a much better job of managing the process than I did though. I've always wanted to go to HKS, but you wouldn't know that by how close I was to the dang deadline. Frantically typing with a minute to go close. Start early! The only school I applied to in the end was Harvard because I just didn't have time with everything else I had going on, but all of this was because I didn't start the process early enough. I didn't think I'd ultimately get in at all, so this was going to be a trial run. I was already planning how to rewrite my essays even! Lo and behold...I'm going to my dream school next year on a full-ride Presidential Scholarship!