[Princeton WWS Fall 2020]

I also got the same email. Good luck to everyone!

[Princeton WWS Fall 2020]

It is a possibility..but I would expect that the admissions committee decided its incoming class size at the time of admissions, taking impending financial uncertainty into account. Nothing drastically different has happened since then to make them suddenly rethink holding on to their money and limiting class size.

Also, remember WWS admits thinking of deferring face very different incentives compared to other schools. If I know I can join WWS next year with full funding, I would almost certainly not want to take the risk of an online Fall semester/ full year. Everywhere else, one gives up any aid for the current year by deferring. So there's a cost involved. If WWS's deferral policy is relatively lenient, which I suspect it would be since they are a generous school in most respects, the class size could end up being really small if they don't go into the waitlist. But this is mostly hopeful conjecture  

[Princeton WWS Fall 2020]

Also a waitlisted candidate. Have not heard anything yet. The HKS deadline is 30th April so hoping I hear back from them either way before that. Btw 2 people on Gradcafe alone have declined their WWS offers to join HKS and Yale Jackson respectively, so there is some hope..

[Columbia SIPA MPA 2020]

I am not a SIPA-admit but curious to understand this policy, as I think other universities may be considering it too. Have a few doubts. From the wording of this letter, it appears that students would have a choice whether to enrol in Fall and take classes possibly remotely, or defer to Jan 2021. Suppose in-person classes do not resume in the Fall due to covid-

• Does that mean that some people in the batch would start the degree over Zoom and others would start in Spring?
• How would that even work, as people within the same batch would have done different amounts of coursework in the first year.
• Would spring starts in a 2-year program get 2 summer breaks?

Basically, i would think that either the course itself starts in Jan 2021 for everyone or that people defer to the next academic year. Managing two groups of Fall and Spring students within the same batch seems quite strange. Or maybe I'm missing something here. 

 

 

[Harvard Kennedy MPP 2020]

It's also possible and increasingly likely in my opinion, that the Fall semester gets pushed online. If that happens, the value of the degree will go down everywhere. And tuition is not likely to decrease because master's programs are cash cows and university endowments are crashing. I seriously doubt that the HKS brand is worth that kind of money. Infact, if you are planning to spend the full amount, it makes much more sense to defer by a year and try for external funding and reconsideration for aid next year. You have nothing to lose. 

[Princeton WWS Fall 2020]

16 hours ago, pillow said:

Sure! I was offered full funding from HKS (MPP),  and I made my decision after comparing the curriculum at both schools. My area of focus in international development is very specific, and even though I love so many things about WWS, HKS offered more electives that are directly related to my future career.

WWS offers all of its students full funding (plus additional funding for networking, internships, and language learning), a stronger core curriculum, and a more intimate and tight knit community/learning environment. Its students come in with years of work experience, and its graduates overwhelmingly go into the public sector. I consider all of these strengths. But because it’s a smaller school, it doesn’t offer as many electives as HKS. IMO, that’s the only downside of WWS. WWS staff are so responsive and have been so transparent during this challenging time. If I wasn’t interested in this narrow area of international development, I would’ve gone to WWS in a heartbeat.

I don’t know much about the MPA/ID program at HKS, but I’ve heard that it’s a very quant heavy program and comparable to the quant skills you would gain at WWS. You probably know this already but HKS is thinking about how classes will proceed in the fall. Because it’s waitlisting students who it initially rejected, I think it is expecting many students—especially students who did not receive funding and international students—to defer. The bigger question is, if classes are online, will HKS still charge full tuition? Would you be okay with taking these classes online?

Before taking out loans to pay for HKS, seriously consider what career you want after graduation. Harvard is a bigger brand abroad, but six figure debt will make it harder for you to take a job at an NGO or in the public sector. What are you specifically looking to gain from your graduate program? For me, it was strengthening my quant skills, studying the specific topics I’m interested in, and leaving with the least amount of debt possible.

Follow the funding, if you can. If you can’t, look at employment statistics, think about your future career, your projected future earnings, and how much debt you would personally be okay with. If you are taking out loans, go into your grad program with a game plan and make the most of your time.

Apologize for rambling but I hope that helped! 

Thanks @pillow. Your arguments are very compelling and I wish you the very best! Of course it helps that you had the no-debt option at both places  If I had to make the same choice, I would probably choose similarly. The main advantage of the MPA/ID to my mind is its quantitative focus - as that's what I am looking to do, options of taking classes not just across Harvard departments but at MIT too, and its international focus (this is my perception honestly - compared to WWS which seems to be a bit US focused). But having said that, WWS is a fabulous school and the community is absolutely great. My career plan is to work in the public sector, so debt is a major factor. And therefore if one considers the significant debt at Harvard vs no debt at Princeton, then I think I would choose WWS. Which is why I am here  Thanks and good luck to you!

[Princeton WWS Fall 2020]

On 4/10/2020 at 11:20 PM, pillow said:

I turned down my offer at WWS for HKS. I really hope you get in! It's an amazing program with amazing people.

many congratulations @pillow! You'll do great! Would you mind talking through your decision for my (and others) benefit? Btw I have also been admitted to the MPA/ID at HKS but facing substantial debt there so its a very tough (hypothetical) decision. 

[Joint Japan/World Bank Scholarship 2020]

Unbelievable! Shocking! Not a single US MPA/MPP degree on the list of preferred programs. Time to close this thread ?

[Joint Japan/World Bank Scholarship 2020]

9 hours ago, Haber said:

I have been suspecting this possibility for so long but did not speak so as not to freak others out.

Country run funds like JJ, full bright, Erasmus or commonwealth etc will get stingy for few years now, since they might channel it to fighting Covid. Moreover, economy will be hit badly, possibly an overall recession and country specific depressions. Funding education through loans don't sound good in such a dismal scenario. If this outbreak lingers on and US put stringent conditions on Visas then, on campus classes seem difficult for next 6-9 months. Many US embassies have been shut for Visa appointments. It has become increasingly difficult to keep focus and really enjoy the feeling of selection at such prestigious colleges amidst financial issues and this health crisis. Countries are under lockdowns and arranging finances will be next to impossible by the deposit deadlines. I wish universities give a positive consideration to scholarship appeals or extend the deadline or reduce the tution cost. Otherwise scenarios look bleak as far as I'm concerned.

Sorry for this long post, wanted to vent it out.

@Haber it won't be that bad, we need to be more optimistic! My understanding is that the established funds usually work through a dedicated corpus which cannot be easily diverted. The JJ/WBGSP had begun a re-evaluation of their entire list of partner and preferred programs around September 2019 and put out a fresh Request-for-proposal. My guess is they were delayed because of that and covid was a knockout blow. Agree with your point about remote classes being a distinct possibility, but tuition definitely needs to be reduced if that happens. At HKS, deferment allows you to be reconsidered for financial aid the next year. May not be a bad option. Even the JJ/WBGSP uncertainty would be sorted out by then.

 

[Harvard Kennedy MPP 2020]

16 hours ago, Coffeetea said:

I have no official money from HKS (small external scholarship) and some money from NYU. Debating between the two but trying to think beyond money and consider which program will open more doors to better careers, networks, jobs specific to what I want to do...all of which will help have higher earning prospects in the future. Decisions, decisions!

Is anyone thinking about deferring a year due to COVID-19 and then reapplying for aid next year?

My guess is that many people will be thinking along the same lines and will defer. So the competition next year would be much tougher. Some other thoughts – we can't even be sure that the Fall semester will start on time this year; it may get delayed or pushed online. Pretty sure that no one would want to spend a bomb and then take classes online for a semester (or more). I think universities may respond by reducing tuition in that case, and one also saves on living costs by being off-campus. Difficult decisions exacerbated by the uncertainty. But on the bright side, I think we're in a somewhat better position than current students, who don't really have a choice and are faced with a lot of uncertainty.  

[Joint Japan/World Bank Scholarship 2020]

 

On 3/26/2020 at 12:37 AM, AnoIchi said:

Thanks! I got accepted for the MPP program at Harvard Kennedy School and am anxiously waiting for the scholarship application. May I ask where are you from?

Congratulations on your acceptance  I am from a South Asian World Bank scholarship eligible country. Last year, the deadline for the JJ/WBGSP was in the first week of April, so my guess is that the notification should come out. soon.

[Princeton WWS Fall 2020]

22 hours ago, heidi91 said:

From a current Princeton MPA - your chances are good! There are at least 10 people in our program who were from the waitlist.

Thanks @heidi91 that's very encouraging  . Fingers crossed! 

[Princeton WWS Fall 2020]

On 3/17/2020 at 9:57 PM, misterrpiketty said:

Waitlisted for the MPA. Any thoughts on what the chances of getting admitted off the waitlist are? My hunch is that it'll be pretty negligible. The only people who I imagine might decline WWS could be HKS admits with substantial funding. Stressful! 

bump, now that HKS results are out. Any lucky people here having an acceptance from WWS and a funded offer from HKS? 

[Joint Japan/World Bank Scholarship 2020]

I applied to the MPA/ID program at Harvard Kennedy School, which has traditionally been a partner program under the World Bank scholarship. Was informed that this year MPA/ID is not on the list of partner programs. However, no news from World Bank on what is the list of partner programs and preferred programs this year. They seem to be really delayed this year, even before COVID-19 struck.

[Princeton WWS Fall 2020]

Waitlisted for the MPA. Any thoughts on what the chances of getting admitted off the waitlist are? My hunch is that it'll be pretty negligible. The only people who I imagine might decline WWS could be HKS admits with substantial funding. Stressful! 

[Harvard Kennedy MPP 2020]

MPA/ID applicant here. Did you guys get the email from Carol Finney saying MPA/ID is not on the list of JJ/World Bank scholarship partner programs this year? What a bummer. Does that mean it might be a preferred program instead?