CreamTea

Got the news last night at 9:30pm Singapore time
 
I got full tuition plus stipend but I can't figure out exactly how  much the stipend is because it doesn't say. I called Dr. lee because I cannot open any of the attachments (my computer's fault) and he says it is SGD 1,000 plus housing allowance. 

I've had this situation but with another school. I had a nice conversation with the admissions director and she was the one who recommended I decline their offer instead of defering (because I wasn't sure if I would go the next year and she did not want me to lose the deposit). Two years later, I was admitted again with the same scholarship 

Well, it was just in the constituency in a small midwestern city in the middle of nowhere. I don't know if the rules would be different in DC. The senator is quite prominent though. 
 
The odd thing is that I get the feeling that i didn't have to compete with a lot of people for that spot. 

Oh, I'm not saying anything about Heller. I'm just saying that I am not factoring it into my comment since the post was just about HKS or SIPA.
 
MIA

Two points:

1. What you want to study would make a big difference. I want to do Intl Development, but didn't apply for MPA-ID due to a lack of math. The reviews of MPP people going into Intl Dev are largely underwhelming. But for domestic policy and government, my sense is that HKS is definitely worth paying extra for. BUT...

2. I would advice all to think at the margin. It's one thing to ask yourself "Would I pay $150k for HKS?" But the better question is "Would I pay an additional $50k to attend Harvard over SAIS?" I'm giving SAIS as an example here because that's looking like it'll be my choice, and the numbers reflect the relative financial aid situations (SAIS offered me money and it costs a bit less, summing a lesser cost of $25k/year). For me, the answer to this question was a pretty emphatic NO, because the SAIS programme already looked better.

ADollarninetynine,

I don't think it makes sense for you to come to the MPA/MPP forum to feel the pulse of people here regarding jobs prospects after graduation. Some of us just got into schools and the last thing we need is someone telling us ahead of time that some law school smucks believe that MPP/MPA degrees are worthless. If you have heard from folks in law school that MPA/MPP are worthless, then you need to be the one to make up your mind regarding why you are going for an MPA/MPP degree in the first place. I am sure there are a lot of people who will say going to law school is a waste of time as well because of the high price tag of attending law schools, without any idea whether you will get a job or not once you graduate.

I am sure you can say that about any degree. Getting an MBA or a JD does not lead to jobs just like that particularly in this economy. It is all about what you bring to the table, your experience and sometimes, knowing one or two people in the job arena you want to work in at the end of the day could also be useful. So, like others rightly said, how about apply first, go for your MPA/MPP and then decide if in fact it is really worthless. Pheewwwww......I just got pissed off with that line "'MPAs are pretty much worthless' line." I guess you need to ask Ban Ki-Moon, Klaus Schwab, David Petraeus, Paul Volcker and Eliott Spitzer if their MPA/MPP degrees are worthless