KyleR

Edit: I mistakenly attributed some of the statements made by other posters to you, Coffeetea. Sorry about that. I'm going to leave the information below for people to consider in the future. -This is a BCG webpage solely for the purpose of recruiting directly at HKS: https://www.bcg.com/careers/join/on-campus/harvard-kennedy-school.aspx. Why would this exist if they only wanted dual degree candidates? -Here is a McKinsey Networking event held at HKS: https://www.mckinsey.com/careers/students/advanced-professional-degree-candidates/harvard-university This one is for MPA-IDs, but I have seen similar events for other programs in the past. -Here is the most recent HKS career report, which segregates between dual-degree and solely HKS candidates. On page 5, note that MPP-only candidates placed in numerous consulting roles including MBB: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/OCA/files/OCA_17_employment_snapshot_facingpages.pdf . The same goes for each of the reports available going back to 2014. What you said about HKS students not being able to get through the interviews is an overgeneralization at best. Any consultant at these firms will tell you that candidates are on equal ground once they have secured an interview, regardless of background. Anecdotally, the current global managing partner at McKinsey came from a non-target law school.

Random thought, but does anyone else here think that the $2 Billion gift from Mike Bloomberg to JHU has dramatically improved SAIS' financial aid? It seems that professional programs usually don't vary their fee structure too much based on endowment, but I sure wasn't expecting to receive anything close to what I was offered.

They are not just dual degree candidates. Many of HKS older career reports segregate between the results of dual degree and strictly-MPP grads. A large number of the latter place at MBB each year. Check them out for yourself if you don't believe me. Moreover, you can go on the McKinsey website right now and find scheduled networking events at HKS. Not to pile on, but I strongly disagree with the sentiment you expressed about consulting and policy degrees. Aiming first and foremost for a public sector career is fine (I sure am), but it is borderline irresponsible to count on one while ruling out private sector options. Particularly since consulting and other private sector jobs often overlap directly with the world of public policy, and utilize many of the same skills. Harvard knows this, which is why they offer it is as one of MANY career options for MPPs. Have you ever worked in a full-time government role? I have. And I can tell you that there are a long list of unforeseeable variables that can make that job you've always wanted disappear. The work just isn't redundant in the way that private sector jobs are, because in many cases, a single agency has a complete monopoly. Went to grad school to become a diplomat? Oops, we're not hiring for the next 2 years. Want to get a security clearance? Hmm, we're not so sure about that distant uncle of yours in China. Want to serve as a career military officer? Sorry about your unexpected health problems, and good luck with the VA (my personal sob story). Same more or less goes for non-profits and multilaterals, which are inherently reliant on capricious external players for their funding. Bottom line, there is nothing wrong with considering ALL of your options.

Hi Jonathan, I'm also in at HKS with $20k and SAIS with $45, and struggling with the decision. I think we talked on another thread a few months ago, funny that we're back into this. I was leaning very heavily towards SAIS, but I did some research on career outcomes today, and found that Harvard MPP is actually much stronger in the private sector than I expected. An old career report listed median salaries for graduating MPPs in the private sector at $120,000, and apparently they place many more in consulting than I had expected (40-50 per year). The list of private sector employers was generally a little bit broader and more impressive than SAIS'. Bear in mind, the average HKS MPP candidate also has slightly more experience. On the other hand, my first choice would still be a public sector job in defense policy, and SAIS is probably better for that. I recently spoke with a internship recruiter who immediately recognized the school, and indicated that they get a lot of people from there. Can't beat that!

Just got one seconds ago.

I'm in for the MPP!

I've got to say, all this speculation is really unhelpful. Computer errors happen, they don't always mean something. Blog posts sometimes go unwritten when staffs are busy. The blog said it would likely be later this week, but it could just as easily be pushed back again. Just relax and go on with your lives.

Thanks for your perspective. I will add that the "rankings" which Georgetown normally cites (Foreign Policy, TRIPs) don't refer to any specific program at Georgetown SFS. Whether the MSFS is better funded or staffed internally than SSP, I can't speculate. Anecdotally, when I asked my IR professor about master's programs in International Security, he indicated that Georgetown SSP was the most highly regarded. Interesting what you said about the social / community dynamics. I would personally prefer a more integrated master's experience, but everyone has different needs.

Do not accept the aid if you want to try and renegotiate.

Yep! Just barely

I applied regular decision. Got my offer (30k / year) with the admissions letter just now. Sorry if that is bad news guys, they did mention assistantship options however. Keep your heads up.

Nothing here...

Congrats to you as well! I was basing my statement on previous threads here, and on what I have heard from some current DC grad students I reached out to. But I should clarify that when I say "focused cohort", I mean relative to most of the other programs discussed on this forum. For instance, I'm also considering Johns Hopkins SAIS, which has 18 or 19 concentrations outside of strategic studies.

So I just got my quasi-formal offer from Georgetown's SSP program! SSP would be a stretch for me at this point, since another DC program offered me strong funding, but I still would like to talk about the pros and cons to weigh everything out. Here's what I'm seeing: Pros: -Absolute strongest security studies reputation, and probably the broadest SS curriculum -Strong language / cultural faculty in Walsh, particularly with regards to Eurasia and Middle East -Highly focused cohort with similar backgrounds (can be a con to some, but it's a plus to me) -Flexible hours for those who want to work, as well as the ability to switch to part-time Cons: -Little available funding (and no mention in my letter today, though will wait until the formal package gets here) -Isn't as versatile for private sector placement. I'm sure most want to go public sector security roles, and so do I, but it's good to have a fallback. -Little available funding (hitting it twice) -No on campus housing Thoughts?

My situation was pretty unique so I'm going to post in the results page when all of my schools get back to me, but for now: 3.75 double major - economics, international studies GRE: 170V 168Q 5.5 AW 1 year (full-time post grad) work experience - US military. Hope that helps.