InternationalStudent

I think all the other programs usually just take over the MPP thread. I applied to the MPA/ID

Almost had a heart attack when I got an email from HKS, but it was just instructions on how to login to the Financial Aid portal. I wonder if this is a sign that decisions are coming soon?

Click on where it says Net Partner Financial Aid System in blue. That'll open up the pdf with instructions.

Had to wait like an hour but finally got in. Also got some funding

What's the error message people are getting with the SIS sign in? I get This username may be incorrect. Make sure you typed it correctly. Otherwise, contact your admin.

Still waiting for 2 very important results but I guess I'll just update later. Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MPA/ID, MPA, MIEF, IDE, MA in Econ, MA in Development, Trade, and Finance Schools Applied To: HKS (MPA/ID), LSE (MPA), SAIS (MIEF), Yale (IDE), IHEID/Bocconi/Barcelona GSE/Central European University (MA in Econ), Barcelona GSE (Dev, Trade, Finance) Schools Admitted To: LSE, SAIS, IHEID, Barcelona GSE (Dev). Invited for CEU interview but turned it down. Schools Rejected From: Bocconi (said they didn't like I was more than 2 years out of college), Barcelona GSE (Econ) Still Waiting: HKS and Yale Undergraduate Institution: Top 10 IR school Undergraduate GPA: 3.5 Undergraduate Major: IR GRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 168/169/5.0 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 3 at time of application, 4 at time of enrollment Years of Work Experience: same as above Describe Relevant Work Experience: Internships in DC think tanks, 1 year in political risk consulting, 2 years in financial policy Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Varied a ton between applications, some were fairly cookie cutter others took their time to write (especially HKS that made me write 6 different essays (4 for app 2 for financial aid) that were all fairly specific) Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): 1 from current employer that (I think) really likes my work, 1 from past employer that's also a fairly well known Political Science phd, 1 from a professor that I wasn't too close to who taught me way back in 2016. Honestly getting an academic reference 3 years out of college was fairly tough. I didn't get the chance to read any of them so idk how strong they were. Other: I didn't meet the prerequisites for the SAIS MIEF and still got in so I'd suggest everyone talk to admissions to see how flexible they are with these and shoot your shot.

Got into the MIEF! (despite not meeting multiple prerequisites, reminder to shoot your shot people) No info on financial aid though: If you have applied for institutional aid, you will receive communication from the Office of Financial Aid regarding a possible institutional aid award.

They said next week? ? I thought we would all get results today. I'm waiting for MIEF

Haven't received anything yet and the application portal won't load.

Shouldn't impact you. They're separate.

They sent multiple emails stating this.

Wait what? Is this just for the MPP? I didn't see these instructions for the MPA/ID essays...

Thought I might make a thread for HKS here. Only a little over a month to go!

Thanks! I already accepted it so I don't lose my spot, but I won't hear back from my first choice until March. Then again, my first choice is a huge reach (Harvard lol) and IHEID was my second choice so this is probably where I'll end up and that's a pretty solid result in my book.

Admitted to the Master in International Economics Very happy with this result.

I think it's far too late to issue corrections or add documents to your application. But I wouldn't worry too much. HKS has said in multiple emails that if something in your application is missing or wrong they will contact you. If your portal has a green check next to "All documents have been checked and verified by Office of Admissions", then you're fine. Otherwise contact HKS.

Weird, I never got an application complete email but I've had everything with a green check in my Status Portal since mid December.

A friend recently told me I should be using letterheads in the SOPs for my masters' applications. I hadn't even thought about doing that and frankly haven't seen any SOPs that do it. Is it the standard thing to do?

Today's HKS Admissions Blog: "We received a record number of applications this year." Expected but still disappointing to hear.

Honestly, SIS has a pretty solid career center. Not sure if you got the job through them but they really put in the effort for students. Yeah I can't think of a university where grad programs are more prestigious than undergrad. Maybe business schools? I'd be more interested if you went to Stern than NYU undergrad. Same with Wharton and UPenn unless your undergrad was in something really hard like pure math.

Might as well apply to the DEDP if you already did half of it. It's too recent a program for us to know whether its placements are any good but it's MIT's only development program, they're clearly interested in getting people from developing countries, and given the fact that J-PAL is based in MIT the connections are almost definitely there. The top development programs seems to be HKS's MPA/ID but funding for its students seems to be close to 0 and like GradSchoolGrad said, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to go over $100k in debt when job prospects aren't great (unless you are doing the joint degree with HBS, but that'll probably take you closer to $200k in debt). Princeton will give you a full ride if you get in, and the econ track is pretty fantastic for development, but the issue there is getting in. You asked for a "very good shot of getting in" and while I wouldn't rule you out for Princeton it's definitely not a "very good shot" (you could be a Harvard College valedictorian and it still wouldn't be a very good shot). Harris seems to have decent funding, maybe check out their MPP?

Harvard Extension offers multivariable calculus for credit, but it's pretty expensive. They also offer Linear Algebra/Real Analysis.

I will agree that GSG does kinda sell himself as a jack of all trades when it comes to government affairs/IR grad school. But at the same time he does indicate that what he says is from his own experience and you should really take anything you see in this forum (or any others with anonymous posters) with a massive scoop of salt. Also he provides much needed content to this pretty dead forum, so I'd say he should continue to offer his advice if he wants to. I went to SIS for undergrad and I can tell you that our alumni (or at least the former classmates that I still see on LinkedIn) are pretty active in Congress, the Executive Branch (mostly State Dept, used to know people working in Obama White House), DC think tanks, multilateral development institutions, international orgs, law firms, and large IDEV firms. SIS has a very strong focus on development and public service so it's understandable that you wouldn't run into many grads at an International Trade Office for a Fortune 50, a Major Defense Research Organization, or a Major Silicon Valley Tech Company (although I've got one SIS connection in FAANG and one in Twitter)

What am I supposed to do here? I don't want them to know that I'm applying to other programs, but at the same time if it comes to the point where I need to ask for a decision extension it's gonna look bad if I tell them that and I answered no...