fall09

It is stunning how many people opt out of either applying to or attending SIPA because of their negative experiences when interacting with their (admissions) staff. Of all the threads I have been following (SAIS, WWS, HKS, Yale, LSE, Fletcher) none voices dissatisfaction with the interaction between the school and the student as explicitly as this one does. I have an offer for the MIA and am myself very unsure whether to take it, also, but not exclusively, because I am less than impressed with the lack and manner of communication with students. I tend to translate this attitude into the kind of working relationship we can expect with the academic staff as well. Though I may be wrong, my guess is I am not the only one with this line of thought. The admissions blog is a step in the right direction but if they want to get the best students and thereby ensure academic excellence in the future, they will have to do a whole lot more than blogging. One would hope that they read this thread and take people

I think this may be one of the fun cases in which you receive an answer depending on the first letter of your surname? Mine is "j" hope that helps.

Same here. I'm an international student and got an acceptance for the MFS by email. This is only slightly related but I am way more impressed with the SFS welcome note than SIPA which I am not at all impressed with.

I heard from an unreliable source that they are color-coding every individual decision and you have to figure out what the color means by way of solving a quiz on the history of Boston in French. It is the coloring of the emails (with colored pencils, clearly) that is causing the delay.

Indeed, congrats to all those who got offers! Ok, back to hitting the refresh button...

Sroek: Thanks for sharing this with us. Personally I think you have the kind of background that is often lacking in policy development, especially (and you mentioned the UN) in the international field. So I hope HKS will recognise the value of the kind of in-depth knowledge you have acquired growing up and provide you with the training to tackle related policy challenges.

Yes, WWS and HKS were definitely more focused on personal commitment. Interesting point actually, Cornell07. I am an international student and as such not used to the American way of selling oneself. I tend to think in collective rather than individual terms. When you say that, with WWS and HKS, you needed to be "more forward", what do you mean exactly?

There is no requirement for a "commitment to public service" essay, only (!"only"!) a policy memo, statement of purpose, CV, leadership essay and, if you are so inclined, an essay on a factor that may have affected your academic performance in the past. However, I've had a number of admissions officers tell me that additional material rarely gets read.

Yes, I did. It's a new concentration that was introduced in autumn 2008. I spoke to them about my concentration choice beacause my interest is quite interdisciplinary (economic development and democratisation). I read this at some point: http://harvardcitizen.com/2008/09/17/hk ... entration/

I wonder what the odds are of getting a WWS rejection and an HKS acceptance. So far I only know people who got into WWS (and all other shcools they applied to) but not HKS - never the other way around.

Uff, that is harsh news. Though they never claimed otherswise.

I'm glad you bring up this point. I will go for my top choice no matter the financial cost (provided I get the loans) because my academic career matters to me a great deal. But it does mean that, after having always worked in the public sector, I will hardly have a choice but to take up employment in the private sector for at least 3 to 5 years. Whether I will be in a situation to then switch back into the public sector (by then, there may be other factors to consider) remains to be seen. I am sure many imagine a similar scenario and it is lamentable, if not a little hypocritical, that commitment to the public sector figuring so prominently among public policy school requirements, has to be abandoned in favor of a top education.

I understand your concern of course. I'm sitting in Peru and don't have the chance to visit a single one of the schools I've applied/been admitted to. It is a concern to me as well but then again it's HKS and my guess is that either it is ones the top choice anyway, or for academic/concentration/personal reasons, there is one alternative to it and minds are already made up. Oh, and if you get an offer and are undecided, talk to current students or alumni. I did so when I was considering whether to apply and found it really helpful. It is the closest getting an "on site" impression.

I'll have to side with jmoney - quality over sanity. Good luck everyone!

Here's a fun fact. A friend of mine got their HKS application response last year on a Monday at 7.08am

That is a great comment. You have just made sure that some 300 gradcafeans keep hyperventilating throughout the weekend.

Could be. I also applied to the MPA programme.

I know of someone from India who got in. That should answer your question about admitted international students. Everyone was mailed their reply yesterday. If you haven't gotton it yet you should call them.

I have, rejection I'm afraid. It'll be SIPA for me. Good luck to everyone!

Thanks, Linden, for taking off the edge. I'm sitting in Peru (five languages, four continents, no musicals or breastfeeding for the betterment of humanity) continuously hitting the refresh button on my email account. In times like these I try to remember noteworthy personalities that have not attended any of the top three Ivy League schools...Ghandi, Muhammed Yunus, Neil Armstrong.