brown queer

Let me say something for those not yet accepted, or waiting on a list, or for future applicants, because I've been on Gradcafe for a while now.
I have talked myself out of applying to Harvard for many years now. I never thought I'd make it there. It took sitting down with someone who is currently attending HKS and their basically cursing me out for not applying to actually muster up the courage to finally do so. 
So when I began applying last year, I approached it with no holds barred. I went from not applying because I was scared, to not only envisioning myself at the school but also having the audacity to try and figure out where to live. I embraced the process fully. I made myself vulnerable. I reached deep within myself and, with the help of many friends, wrote essays that I guess were compelling. I made the process personal. I talked about PEOPLE and had these experiences guide me in crafting my narrative.
I HAD A REALLY BAD GRE SCORE. I can't stress enough how holistic this process is. I've been out of school for a while, but even by that standard I think it was too low. Had a decent GPA. Graduated from a community college and a state school. What undoubtedly helped was my work experience. I've worked with data and quantitative stuff for a while now. I've managed campaigns. I've done heavy quant research. I'm just horrible at standardized tests haha. I think I made a good enough case along those lines. I also have multiple years of international experience. 
I had really good recommendations. You want to ensure you find someone that will fight for you within their recommendations. Essentially, you want folks who would call and curse admissions out for not accepting you.
I owe a lot of my admission to this forum. For that, I'll check in every now and then to look at any PMs or responses. I'd love to be the person that gives you the encouraging word I received from a friend not too long ago to apply. YOU CAN DO THIS! Whether you're in now or will be applying later. BELIEVE THAT! 

Hey guys. Just updating. HKS offered me Public Service Fellowship (100,000. I guess it takes care of tuition). The mail came out of the blue. But declined in favour of WWS. They replied saying it will be offered to someone else. Maybe someone has already got a mail in that regard!

Alright it’s official, I’m going yolo and paying full tuition to HKS. Believe me, I understand the financial implications. Harris still says they’re willing to negotiate further, and I’ll hear them out, but it feels official at this point.
I hope to be the counterpoint to the doom and gloom “think long and hard...” type posts. But feel free to check in on me (email notifications should be turned on) in a couple years to see if I regret it! I’ll be honest.

There are so many wrinkles to all of this. I won't tell you what to do, but I will say that Columbia has a stellar brand as well. I personally wouldn't turn down $70k at one institution in order to pursue studies at another where I would bear full cost. 
That you're asking this question though makes me think that the Harvard brand seems to dwarf Columbia's in India? If that's the case, you'd also need to ask yourself whether or not that really matters in your overall career trajectory. Are you going to get a higher level job solely because Harvard is on your resume? Are you going to get extra pay because you went to HKS? Will you be more attractive to potential clients? Those are the questions I'd say need to be answered at the very least before you decide one way or another. 

This isn’t a salty post at all but I don’t know how they cannot do a rational analysis of the relevance of financial aid to offer acceptance. Someone on the forum earlier said every year HKS loses bright students to WWS because of releasing financial aid late, and they don’t want that. But how does preponing financial aid timeline make a difference if they are not serious about how no funding delegitimises the feeling of admission altogether? Even a simple cognitive perspective on this would reveal the same.
For a school as meticulous as HKS, they really do fall behind on correlating aid with the class quality. If I attend the school, I’m going to raise this (humbly) with the admissions office. 
No funding for me either. Applying for external ones though.
PS: I am browsing through the forum reading news of all those who received fellowships, and frantically liking all your posts because I’m super super happy for you all! Congrats @tropisk_winter @2018Hopeful and others I cant recall of the top of my memory as I type this. Will see you all shining there if I attend this year. ❤️

This isn’t a salty post at all but I don’t know how they cannot do a rational analysis of the relevance of financial aid to offer acceptance. Someone on the forum earlier said every year HKS loses bright students to WWS because of releasing financial aid late, and they don’t want that. But how does preponing financial aid timeline make a difference if they are not serious about how no funding delegitimises the feeling of admission altogether? Even a simple cognitive perspective on this would reveal the same.
For a school as meticulous as HKS, they really do fall behind on correlating aid with the class quality. If I attend the school, I’m going to raise this (humbly) with the admissions office. 
No funding for me either. Applying for external ones though.
PS: I am browsing through the forum reading news of all those who received fellowships, and frantically liking all your posts because I’m super super happy for you all! Congrats @tropisk_winter @2018Hopeful and others I cant recall of the top of my memory as I type this. Will see you all shining there if I attend this year. ❤️

This isn’t a salty post at all but I don’t know how they cannot do a rational analysis of the relevance of financial aid to offer acceptance. Someone on the forum earlier said every year HKS loses bright students to WWS because of releasing financial aid late, and they don’t want that. But how does preponing financial aid timeline make a difference if they are not serious about how no funding delegitimises the feeling of admission altogether? Even a simple cognitive perspective on this would reveal the same.
For a school as meticulous as HKS, they really do fall behind on correlating aid with the class quality. If I attend the school, I’m going to raise this (humbly) with the admissions office. 
No funding for me either. Applying for external ones though.
PS: I am browsing through the forum reading news of all those who received fellowships, and frantically liking all your posts because I’m super super happy for you all! Congrats @tropisk_winter @2018Hopeful and others I cant recall of the top of my memory as I type this. Will see you all shining there if I attend this year. ❤️

This isn’t a salty post at all but I don’t know how they cannot do a rational analysis of the relevance of financial aid to offer acceptance. Someone on the forum earlier said every year HKS loses bright students to WWS because of releasing financial aid late, and they don’t want that. But how does preponing financial aid timeline make a difference if they are not serious about how no funding delegitimises the feeling of admission altogether? Even a simple cognitive perspective on this would reveal the same.
For a school as meticulous as HKS, they really do fall behind on correlating aid with the class quality. If I attend the school, I’m going to raise this (humbly) with the admissions office. 
No funding for me either. Applying for external ones though.
PS: I am browsing through the forum reading news of all those who received fellowships, and frantically liking all your posts because I’m super super happy for you all! Congrats @tropisk_winter @2018Hopeful and others I cant recall of the top of my memory as I type this. Will see you all shining there if I attend this year. ❤️

I got the JJ/WBGSP to the MPA/ID!!! 

I feel speechless--I got the CPL fellowship I'd been hoping for! I'm so sorry to hear funding didn't come through for everyone. Good luck no matter where you end up! And see some of you at HKS in the fall!  

I thought that was really odd as well.   I assumed it was for a reason and probably won't push it.
I know they are up front about not giving out aid - but I have always struggled to reconcile how a school with a $1.2 billion endowment and barely more than 1,000 students struggles to give out aid.  If they can manage 5% on the endowment, that will cover $60 million of expenses.  I'm sure I come across as bitter, but I had these questions before being 'awarded' nothing.

Is anyone aware of the procedure involved/who to write to for a deferral of the MPP? 

Accepted to the MPP program. I am so honored and surprised. I’ve been putting off grad school for a few years, and have endured hundreds of conversations with my parents asking me what I was doing with my life when I went into AmeriCorps and chose to work in nonprofits. I went through this application process quietly and didn’t tell anyone in my life other than my SO and recommenders. Guess I have big news to share...

Your financial advisor will contact you tomorrow

I was rejected from the MPP program last year,
 
and I've been accepted for the MPA/ID this year! I am so mesmerized and amazed and in awe

Gaaah... Why is the hks admissions twitter page basically a personal account of someone who loves his bike?

Maybe Matt’s the troll who keeps posting in the results list. ?

Waiting in Indian Standard Time sucks more. You’d understand.

There are a lot of national scholarships for masters which have their deadlines in March. I understand the due process, but releasing results so late actually costs the candidates (especially rejected and waitlisted ones) many opportunities. Sorry for the rant. They should just feel accountable to this.

Why can't they just simply give one date and follow it. Is it too much to ask for? 
 

Come on HKS, come on! 

Although emotionally preparing for decisions tomorrow, a sliver of me is hoping HKS mimics MIT undergrad admissions results and reports decisions today at 1:59pm in honor of pi day (3.14(1:59))

Also maybe we shouldnt correlate posting of blog to conduction of process? My point being may be names have been read already & this was just for information. 

Everyone, this has been a crazy process. It's had its ups and downs but I love how Gradcafe is the only real online community for us public policy people. We are all determined to serve in one way or another, and with that kind of fire, we will accomplish our goals, linearly or not. Best of luck!

Before the results guys, whatever the final outcome, it was nice to talk to everybody here and I wish each one of you the best of success going ahead. Thanks and good luck.