Coffeetea

My topic was "Tell us about the last book you read." and even though I had prepared something ahead of time, I was totally flustered. Another commenter said to expect being flustered, and remembering that helped me recover quickly. 60 seconds to prepare (I started jotting notes around the 30 second mark), 90 seconds to speak. I did a good job of maintaining composure, speaking with confidence, etc. Even though I didn't think I said anything groundbreaking in my response, I got into my program!

Got my email at 5:17pm this evening - accepted to the EMPA program. Got into several programs last year (did not apply to SIPA at the time), and had to decline due to COVID. Good luck to everyone waiting!! One question for this group: what are your thoughts on EMPA vs. MPA? Is there any difference in prestige/reputation? At the end of the day it is the same degree, slight differences in core curriculum (i.e. no Professional Development course). Thanks for your thoughts & good luck again!

lol no worries, I'm an ex-consultant and would be the first one to say that if you want to do consulting post-MPP/MPA then definitely go to HKS. Without a doubt.

@EspressoDoble I hope the economy bounces back in time so we are all employed by a May 2022 graduation! I have a bunch of friends in finance whose consensus is that the recovery will jumpstart once China reopens their economy. When exactly that happens is a huge unknown, though. General economic indicators like the stock market could bounce back completely by 2022, but it will take longer for the money to trickle back to places like non-profits, NGOs/dev orgs, and also governments whose non-covid budgets are tanking at the moment. Depends on what you want to do and where you are geographically imo

Re: flexibility - great point, didn't consider that since I'm personally looking for programs more tailored to my interests. And that's really awesome for your friend.

@GradSchoolGrad I don't know much about SAIS since I didn't apply, so I can't comment on those points. I was using what OP/Kyle said as an indicator that they might already know which school is better for them based on their articulated job aspirations. If you want to go into fringe policy or start-ups then definitely consider HKS, but if not, your points sound like general anecdotes that doesn't help with OP/Kyle and their specific situations from a purely academic/curriculum/program perspective - money is a whole other consideration. Re: people running for office, those are people who ran decades ago and not people who are running now.

If classes are online at HKS, then they are going to be online everywhere else. So I think there are a few questions to consider: 1) What would I do if grad school was online for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021? Ideally it would be great if all schools push back Fall 2020 start dates to Spring 2021, but that probably won't happen ? 2) How are the deferral policies being adjusted to consider COVID-19? HKS and WWS official policies make it seem difficult to get a deferral, but I would hope they change it given the circumstances. 3) What are the career upsides for getting my degree sooner, even if there are uncertainties with my particular job market? (Again, not any old job market, but the job market specific to me.) 4) How will my student experience change? This would be a bummer at HKS/NYU where Boston/NYC are cities that I would love to explore, but hey, we are all going through this together and zoom cocktail hour becomes fun after 3 weeks in isolation. (For the sake of staying relevant to OP's post) At Princeton, it wouldn't make much of a difference - it's a sleepy town and lots of students commute anyway. I'm personally conflicted on this, but leaning towards forging through with my degree. I have a job that should be secure for at least the next 2 years, so can defer for a year to keep income and personal stability. That being said, I do not want to put my career on hold. We are in a public health crisis and this is exactly the time for public servants in my specialty to step up, take risks (but not health risks lol), and lead. If you are looking to go into consulting and need the private sector economy to bounce back, then definitely defer because they won't be hiring. But if you are looking to do work related to government/policy, there are always opportunities to get hired. Technically, the governments of both NYC and NYS have been on a hiring freeze on-and-off the past few years, but guess what....you still get a job if you know someone. That's never going to change, and that's why I'm so insistent that you should go to school in an institution that has the network for career advancement. I think there's even an incredibly strong case to make to employers that, yes school was remote, but I saw a need for someone like me to do XYZ, so I went through with my degree and am not sitting out on the sidelines, etc. etc. It's also a great pitch when connecting with school alumni, and let's be honest, those conversations usually happen via phone anyway EDIT: For OP @Catam and other international students, I would definitely want to see how the economies of your country are doing...it could be very different where you are after graduating vs. the US. A deferral given the circumstances would make more sense, especially since humanitarian and international development/NGO efforts are going to feel a huge pinch. Health orgs are going to be in demand, so I'm in a different situation.

What are people's thoughts re: deferring for a year? There will be a vaccine available by then, classes won't be remote, and by graduation we will be hopefully closer to the end of any recession that occurs. That being said, what are the chances of funding being worse next year? I'm thinking quite likely ?

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?

Is the HKS network one that will help you get the job that you want? From what you are saying, it doesn't sound like it. Also what does "better student profile" even mean? Higher GMAT/GRE scores?? Also @GradSchoolGrad I agree with almost everything you wrote. Spot on analysis, particularly re: consulting.

Go where it makes most sense for your career opportunities! Yes, we are about to go into a recession, but I don't think a blind "follow the money" trumps thinking long-term about which school best sets you up for success. Having a network specific to your career aspirations, tailored curriculum to build up critical and marketable skills, and cohort/mentorship to aid you in making right career decisions are also equally, if not more, important! Kyle - I think you know it already, but are letting the glimmer of Harvard get in the way

There's another post I just responded to that reminded me of this one so I'm back . OP I'm in a similar situation. No official money from HKS, but I have an outside mini-scholarship, and decent money from NYU. I only applied to those two places because I knew the programs were the best for what I wanted to study (health policy). I had lots of mentors saying apply to XYZ schools, but I knew that even if I got in with full scholarship or funding that I wouldn't want to go to those schools because their curriculum wasn't what I wanted to study, the network wasn't one that would be helpful, and I would generally not be happy with cohorts who weren't in-sync with my interests (you spend a lot of time with each other!). Yes it would stink to have $200k down the drain. It also would stink to have two years with limited opportunities for networking, connecting to people with similar interests, mentorship, research, job opportunities, etc. I'm leaning towards HKS because, ultimately, even though it is uber expensive, it's the best long-term decision for my career. While I love your username (powerhouse of the cell ), the network opportunity is a moot point if the network isn't filled with alumni with similar job or careers! I am new to Grad Cafe and am seeing way too many posts on these forums with the blanket statement of: oh great school, you'll have a network. It really only helps to have a network if it is filled with alumni who are in your target career area.

Hi! First, congrats on two awesome offers! I posted something similar on someone choosing between HKS and WWS. Basically you want to answer one question: What school will help me get the job I want and not just any job? We are likely going to be in a recession after graduating and the connections, reputation, and skills/courses you take will help determine what job you get - again, not just any job, but the job you want after graduating. I was an undergrad at Princeton and majored in WWS. I also studied abroad, and I've always been struck with how few people internationally know about Princeton or WWS (blank stares). HKS/Harvard is a different story, and everyone outside of the US recognizes their name and prestige. I think Yale falls somewhere in-between Harvard and Princeton on the international recognition level, but certainly fares much better than Princeton. If you want to go into international policy, international recognition of a school I think is super important for job search purposes. The low name recognition for WWS is expected since Princeton doesn't have a business/law/professional school and the grad school consists of a bunch of sad PhD students, which is a running joke - and also sort of true - among the student body. As a side note, I can also talk more about grad school life if you are curious. I had some WWS grad student friends and we graduated just a few years ago. WWS is specifically for domestic policy wonks looking to go into government, and does better in terms of domestic-focused speakers/alumni vs. international. I can't speak about the management/leadership classes, but check-out the course offerings and ratings to compare/contrast the two schools. Hopefully this helps!

I'm going to be alone on this...but as someone who went to Princeton and majored in WWS for undergrad...go to HKS. I studied abroad through WWS and very, very few people know what Princeton was whereas everyone knew what Harvard was - even the program names "Woody Woo / Woodrow Wilson" vs. "JFK / John F. Kennedy" are received by people differently. As an international student, I would do HKS without a question. Yes, it is a significant amount of loans, but I sincerely believe that the network and brand recognition at the international level will pay you more dividends than WWS. We are likely about to go into a global recession. Will it be over by the time you graduate? Maybe. In a hyper-competitive job market, which school will access more doors for you? On an international level, it's HKS without a question. Also, the WWS curriculum has more of a domestic bent more focused for government policy wonks, whereas HKS is equally strong internationally and domestically *plus* it has a curriculum you want to major in and learn more about. Why would you go to a school, and have two years of opportunity-cost, to study something that isn't applicable to your career? Again, think about competitive job market - they will ask you what you studied, what will you say in return? If the schools were more or less teaching what you wanted to study and had more or less the same name recognition *where you will be applying for jobs*, then go WWS without a question. But that's not the case here. I think HKS is the better fit and will get you further long-term.