LadyinWaiting

Personally, I'm excited to move, but I've lived on 3 continents in the past 4 years so I don't have much in the way of furniture/housewares. Certain parts of moving are definitely a pain in the ass (or costly), but I'd try to think of the hassle as part of the big investment you're making in your future by furthering your education. Do you have a friend who can accompany you at least part of the way? Long distance trips can be a lot more fun and manageable when you have company.

I would definitely choose Chicago as well. Oxford is a wonderful place, but you can always go there for a Dphil or work. Also, the fact that CIR was so generous with you lets you know that they really want you there!

I appreciate your input; however, I don't think it's necessary to imply that I'm incapable of leveraging resources or that I "lack perspective." If I'm just misreading your tone and you didn't mean that personally, no worries.

Many thanks, everyone, for your thoughts. As a last ditch, what-the-hell effort, I sent a polite email to my Harvard finaid counselor explaining my situation and mentioning that I had some very generous offers from other top programs. I've never heard of them matching bids, however, so... At this point I'm leaning towards Duke. While being able to drop the H-bomb would undoubtedly open some doors for me, the Sanford School certainly won't close any. Although I would like to work in DC or overseas, I don't know what opportunities will come up in the future, and having comparatively little debt will give me more freedom to pursue work for NGOs or in developing countries where the pay is lower but the work is rewarding, if I so choose. I also have to be more confident, and trust that the strength of my work experience to date and my course work in grad school will speak for me, and not just the name on my diploma or alumni connections. I'm sure that I would have had an AMAZING time at Harvard, but I know that when I get to Durham and start taking classes and having fun, I won't be able to imagine being anywhere else (this would probably be true of anywhere I pick).

Thanks, guys, for your responses. If it were Harvard Law, Business, or Medical, it would be a no-brainer for me--however, even with an HKS degree I can't count on making that much money right after I graduate. According to their Career Center's latest figures, median salaries for new MPPs range from around $60K (NGOs/federal government) to $100K (private sector), which is great, but at the lower end not enough to alleviate my debt anxiety. I don't think that an HKS degree will necessarily give me enough of an income boost to economically justify the huge loans; however, the network there might be able to fast-track me into the type of career or org that would be truly great for me--these are benefits that are less tangible. On the other hand, it is a scary, scary amount of debt for someone who's not going into business, law or medicine. So I'm trying to weigh it all out. Again, thanks.

[Also posted over in the govt affairs forum] I was accepted to the Harvard Kennedy School for a Masters of Public Policy, but discounted it as a serious option almost immediately after receiving no financial aid. However, since then I've been talking to a number of older relatives, mentors and supervisors--really intelligent, accomplished, educated and non-crazy people--whose judgment I respect tremendously. And they've all urged me to consider going the Harvard route--particularly a few HKS alums who've told me that they still benefit a lot from their connections/experiences 15+ years after receiving their degrees, and that there's "no substitute" for the name recognition (though of course they'd say this, wouldn't they?) Thing is, I also have two fairly great packages lined up--Duke has offered me about 70% tuition both years, and my state school (a well respected regional program) has given me more or less a full ride. When I've given the numbers to my mentors, the response has been, "These are all great options, BUT if you choose HKS it'll be SO worth it and you'll figure out how to make the money work even if you're not making bank right after your graduation." The fam is willing to help out but I would feel pretty bad taking a lot of their money since they already supported me through undergrad and aren't, you know, wealthy. HKS would almost certainly mean a six-figure loan and fairly substantial payments even if I take advantage of IBR/PSLF (Income Based Repayment/Public Service Loan Forgiveness), and yet my thoughts are drifting more and more towards Cambridge again as I've gotten all this assurance/encouragement. Am I completely batsh*t insane for even considering HKS at this point? Anyone else thinking of biting a similar bullet? (If it helps, my intended field is international economic development policy) Thanks!

Thanks guys, you've definitely given me more points to consider. Also I don't feel quite as batsh*t insane. Always a plus!

Hey all, So I thought I had bowed out of this whole HKS thing after receiving nothing but loans (thanks! ) However, since then I've been talking to a number of older relatives, mentors and supervisors--really intelligent, accomplished, educated and non-crazy people--whose judgment I respect tremendously. And they've all urged me to consider going the Harvard route--particularly a few HKS alums who've told me that they still benefit a lot from their connections/experiences 15+ years after receiving their degrees, and that there's "no substitute" for the name recognition (though of course they'd say this, wouldn't they?) Thing is, I also have two fairly great packages lined up--Duke has offered me about 70% tuition both years, and my state school (a well respected regional program) has given me more or less a full ride. When I've given the numbers to my mentors, the response has been, "These are all great options, BUT if you choose HKS it'll be SO worth it and you'll figure out how to make the money work even if you're not making bank right after your graduation." The fam is willing to help out but I would feel pretty bad taking a lot of their money since they already supported me through undergrad and aren't, you know, wealthy. HKS would almost certainly mean a six-figure loan and fairly substantial payments even if I take advantage of IBR/PSLF, and yet my thoughts are drifting more and more towards Cambridge again as I've gotten all this assurance/encouragement. Am I completely batsh*t insane for even considering HKS at this point? Anyone else thinking of biting a similar bullet? (If it helps, my intended field is international economic development policy) Thanks!

I would think that any leadership/organizational skills would be helpful on your SoP, provided you can clearly link them to your career goals and/or if these experiences influenced your decision to pursue an MPA in the first place. If you graduated less than one year ago, you could probably stress them heavily; if you have over one year of relevant work experience, probably not as much. Just my 0.02--hope it helps!

Previous posters have already given great advice. Without knowing anything else I would definitely recommend doing at least one year of work experience. That said, it might also depends on your financial situation. If your schools have offered you amazing aid packages that you can't defer for the following year, I would consider going right to the MA. Chances are, you'll be an even greater asset to these programs with added work experience, and you might even get more aid. However, you never know what admissions will look like year to year and you might also risk losing some or all of your money. Definitely worth a chat with a finaid officer to see what s/he recommends and if there are many students in your situation. Best of luck!

YAY!! Way to go!!

Yeah, really! Rangel's was a lot more gracious, with info on applying to the foreign service and other stuff. Not that it matters since in the end I'm still not a finalist for either...

Congrats!! Guess if I haven't heard anything by now I can assume I wasn't picked...

Thanks, mppm. I know that the delays are in no way a reflection of Harris's profs, curriculum or students--or even the good intentions of the admissions staff. I think most admits realize this too, but I do wonder if they lost some potential students due to the lateness of their decisions. For what it's worth, Chicago is off my list not because of the admissions process but because of financial reasons; if I could afford them they'd still be in the running.

Awesome! Congrats!! I just got a bunch of loans. Meh--time to let go of this particular dream. Best of luck to everyone!

Argh, can't believe some people are still waiting, either. I agree--this is seriously silly/unprofessional. Wonder how it will affect their yield this year?

I'll be 26 when I start, 28 when I finish. I haven't decided where I'll attend yet but I hope there'll be diversity in ages and experiences among my classmates as I can really benefit from that. I wouldn't let average age be a factor in my decision if I were you.

I have no idea how the process works, but if it's any help to you guys, I will be declining my HKS offer if I have to borrow, let's say, more than 30K/yr in order to go there. I expect that at least a few people will be let in off the waitlist after April 1st rolls around and accepted students begin to weigh whether they can foot the bill. Good luck, I'm sure we'll all end up going to great places.

Thanks, this is really helpful! My main concern with public service IBR is still that it could go away at any time. Also, does anyone know if you have to work for the same employer for the 10 years, or if you can move around in the public sector?

Accepted WWS and rejected HKS? That IS pretty **** random--just goes to show you what a crapshoot it all is! On that note, I got accepted and was really pretty shocked. If you'd talked to me in undergrad, never would I have imagined that I'd apply, much less get in, to this program. (I'm 3.71, 730V, 770Q, about 4 years public service/international exp.)

I'm going to disagree that going to a DC school is essential to landing a job there. This is just anecdotal, but I do know several people from non-DC schools (and some quite removed!) who've successfully landed great DC jobs post-graduation. Sure, it might take more legwork/effort/networking on your part, but it's nowhere close to impossible. Talk to the career service office as well as current students and alums at UGA and see where they've sought/found work. Ask them about summer internships in DC that will help you get your foot in the door before you graduate. Who knows, a UGA background might even make you stand out to district firms saturated with DC schools grads. Since you have heavy UG debt, I would seriously consider following the money. DC is an amazing place to live/work/be young, but if you go into public admin, take the right classes, and work hard, you'll have a good shot at getting to be there regardless of where you go to school. Just my 0.02, feel free to disagree. Good luck and congrats!

Midwest + Deep South + sparsely populated western states for the win! Yes? Yes? Maybe?

Thanks, D-Lux! Somehow I neglected to search outside the govt affairs forum. Whoa, way to go, Ashlett! Have a great interview and I hope you get it!!

Anybody here apply to these? I've already been passed over for the Rangel. If anything, I'd assume that the Pickering is even more competitive, given that it offers more financial support. The email they sent said finalists will be announced in April--I'm assuming early April? Also... 1) Anyone happen to know how many Pickering applicants there were last year? 2) Since the programs duplicate the same benefits I assume there'd be a significant overlap in their applicant pool. I'm assuming that there's ample communication between the two programs to ensure that no one gets picked for both (hence the well-spaced announcements/interview dates), but can anyone confirm this? 3) Any previous winners/finalists want to weigh in with stats/observations?

Seems like the writer's main complaints were not about cohort size and limited resources, but rather about the admin's perceived unresponsiveness to student comments about having to take core courses that they deemed unnecessary or irrelevant to their areas of focus. Agree that both issues are matters of personal preference and what you want to get out of your program, though it does seem that HKS indeed has one of the more rigidly defined core sequences out there.