ridofme

I believe I saw somewhere that HKS's admissions are need-blind, which is why there's a separate application. I don't think this is unique to HKS. Of all the schools where I checked how many students receive funding, the highest percentage I saw was the Harris School, which said up to 40%, I believe. And of course the majority of those people are receiving the trivial amounts you mentioned.

In an attempt to retain a little anonymity, I'll send you a PM!

This is something I struggled with as well. School A was a free ride, School B was discounted tuition at a slightly more prestigious institution in a more exciting location. Ultimately, when I started to really think about what making an extra $500/month loan payment for 10 years would mean for my life, I realized I can take all the money I'm saving and go on vacation to School B's city or wherever else I choose.

Oh, and even if you do get them expunged, I would be careful about saying 'no' to any questions that ask about your criminal history. Some may want to know about expunged offenses.

I think that you will be fine with the drinking tickets. Those pretty much just show that you were a normal college student who was unlucky enough to get caught. The fact that you got drunk a couple of times in undergrad does not suggest that you are depraved, immoral, or potentially violent, which is what they are screening for, I think. I personally know three people who got into grad school with DUIs, a much more serious offense (one got into a number of top 50 law schools, another is currently attending an Ivy that is a top 5 program in her field, and the third is attending a solid regional program after applying to local schools due to family constraints).

I think we all need to take a deep breath. If Revolution is, indeed, trolling us, then he has clearly won if he can get other gradcafe-ers to totally derail a thread in order to attack each other.

Thank you for that link! Something I was looking at previously showed commencement around May 25 or 26th if I'm not mistaken. That extra 10 days will be helpful for sure.

For Americans considering going to SAIS-Bologna - any intel on how to manage the transition from Bologna to summer internships to DC? It seems that the Bologna year ends rather late - the very end of May - so how could we get to DC (or wherever) in time to find adequate housing before starting an internship (which we would have to procure long-distance)? I'm no longer a 19-year-old undergrad, so the idea of moving into some group situation found on craiglist sight-unseen with none of my furniture (which would theoretically be sitting in my parents' basement hundreds of miles away) is very unappealing.

Thank you for starting this topic. I realize that I helped encourage the derailment of the other SAIS thread, but I have trouble not responding when I feel that people are spewing untruths! Anyhow, here's to hoping that we can keep this thread clean.

I've noticed that a lot of people who go to SAIS have private sector backgrounds. Even looking at LinkedIn profiles, a lot of SAIS students/grads were in some kind of analyst position prior to enrolling. HKS students are much more likely to have done the Peace Corps or TFA, or worked at an NGO. While maybe jobs at the WB or Treasury don't pay a lot initially, they probably better facilitate lateral moves to more lucrative private sector gigs a few years down the road. That's harder to do if you're working for the Sierra Club, a charter school, or the State Department (as HKS grads might be more inclined to do). Maybe that's where the SAIS reputation comes from. Or maybe it's just some GradCafe old wives tale.

I agree with most of your points. SIPA definitely gets an undeserved bum rap on GradCafe. I do want to clarify two things, however. When considering the median salaries, you should note that neither HKS nor SIPA separate dual-degree students from their employment data, while SAIS explicitly does. So some of those people making $80k in banking might be joint MBA students, not to mention that NYC salaries tend to be higher to match the cost of living. Also, it is a pretty big gamble to construct your financial plan for grad school based on the potential for second-year funding. What if it doesn't work out?

I think we are all making a lot of assumptions about how far the brand name of any school will take us. Alumni networks and a school's career services may certainly help us get that first job, which is indeed important for all subsequent jobs. But after that, it's going to be about the experience you gain at each position. I can tell you that my dad graduated from a top 5 business school (not HBS, but another one of the programs that Revolution seems to drool over) about 30 years ago, and he recently told me that he has never once gotten a job because of an alumni connection. Most of his networking success stories have come from contacts he made at different companies by actually working there. A lot of those contacts went to regional business schools, or no business school at all. Certainly when people have looked at his resume, they have probably been impressed by the pedigree. But it's not like he can just walk his finger down the alumni directory and get any position he wants. That is a myth that a lot of these schools propogate - including the top MBA programs. It can never hurt to have a degree from a school that is perceived to be elite. If we were debating between HKS and South Central Oklahoma State (I just made that up, btw), I would get it. However, I think we're deluding ourselves when we try to parse out the varying degrees of prestige between SAIS and SFS, or when we start to believe that attending HKS would put us on a totally different career trajectory than Fletcher. For those who are using the MA-IR or MPP as an ersatz MBA, then the calculus might be different (i.e. overall recognition of the institution becomes more important than strength of the program in the public sector field). But for those of us who are actually pursuing these degress for their intended purpose - to work in the public sector, or in public/private intersections - any of these top tier institutions will likely do us just fine. At the end of the day, our talent, hard work, and hussle will mean more than a line on our resumes (assuming that line is there in some form, and from a reasonably reputable institution).

I don't know much about your field, but I was also a few years out of undergrad (at a school that had larger class sizes, no less), and I was surprised to find that a few professors remembered me better than I had imagined. I sent along old papers, my CV, and my statement of purpose for grad school to refresh their memories and show them where I was hoping to go now. While I never saw the letters, they were at least good enough to get me into several top programs! I would also recommend taking a class or two, even if only at a community college. If you're switching fields, it could help show commitment, and that you know what you're getting yourself into.

They do separate that group for salary information, at the very least. again: http://www.jhubc.it/ADMISSIONSBLOGDOCUMENTS/SAIS_EOR_ClassOf2012%20%281%29.pdf

From page 11 of the 2012 employment report (linked to by lomsaku): Am I missing something here? http://www.jhubc.it/ADMISSIONSBLOGDOCUMENTS/SAIS_EOR_ClassOf2012%20%281%29.pdf

I have certainly had my suspicions that we are being trolled, but at this point I'm finding it more entertaining to take his comments at face value. @Revolution: if you are a troll - then, bravo! While many of your posts are absurd, you inject them with layers of earnestness and naivete that make them quite compelling.

What kind of job do you want?

I hate to derail this thread, but Revolution: I would love to hear you describe what is so amazing about these parties. Lots of hot, scantily-clad, "well-educated" women fawning over the HBS gods? Lots of coke? Entrance to secret nightclubs? Private jets to Miami? I'm not being entirely facetious. I really am curious about what kinds of parties exist out there that are so mind-blowing that they cause people to pursue graduate educations primarily to increase their chances of being invited. And if you're attending these parties already, why the need to go through the whole song and dance (not to mention the tens of thousands of dollars)? Finally, are you looking just for hook-ups, or for a partner? Because if it's the former, I don't know why you'd care if they're well-educated or not. If it's the latter, then maybe you might consider pursuing a mate who is not so shallow as to "humiliate" any man who is not in finance or connected to HBS. Just a thought.

How awful. I remember reading a thread from a couple of years ago in which someone had the same thing happen to him with WWS. It's hard to imagine what calculus would lead the admissions committees to believe it would be better to retroactively renege an offer of admission than to absorb a few more students.

I think that this is perhaps the most reasonable thing that you've said on this forum, Revolution.

As to why SAIS private sector salaries are lower: (emphasis mine) I wouldn't be surprised if other schools include those getting JDs/MBAs in their data to pad the numbers. Certainly SAIS is the only school that I've noticed explicitly state that they exclude dual degree students from their employment statistics.

It is almost impossible to get in-state residency in Michigan for the purposes of tuition. You need to establish "permanent domicile", and attending school there, having a short-term job like a summer internship, or even owning property do not count. http://www.ro.umich.edu/resreg.php

Out of curiosity, what would you consider to be "mid-tier" vs. elite? I know that the rankings are deeply flawed, but would you consider elite to be top 20, or basically just the heavy hitters like HKS, WWS, SAIS, etc.?

Any general advice you want to share on what to avoid? Especially in DC, where so many people are playing the same game? I, too, have a good position with just a BA due to a right place/right time networking lead, but unfortunately I cannot move up here without an advanced degree. The idea of having to start at the bottom two years from now after obtaining a master's degree is terrifying. (It's worth mentioning that I don't want to return to my current employer.) This is another reason that I want to minimize debt.

@MollyB - I'm glad you started this thread. When I first started preparing my applications, my biggest fear (other than getting rejected across the board), was being offered a big scholarship at one of my less-preferred schools, and no funding at one of my top choices. Having heard back from half of the schools to which I applied, that is exactly the situation I am in. But my emotional response is far different than I had imagined: I am enthusiastic about taking the fully-funded offer, and will not give another moment's consideration to the school that offered me zero aid. Using those loan calculators is sobering. Taking out 100k in loans means payments of almost $1200/month for ten years. The best case scenario with an MPP is making about 70k. Most of us will be making closer to 55k. If I deduct 14k of loan payments from a 55k federal goverment job, I would actually be making less than I am in my current position with just a BA. IBR/PSLF seem promising, but that's a lot of pressure to make one specific path work out. And I'm not sure that I want my Plan A to be having the government forgive my debt after a decade of reduced payments. Moreover, while I am currently content to live with roommates, take the bus, etc., I will be graduating in my late 20s. How could I ever buy a house, take a vacation, or support a family making those kinds of loan payments? What if I wanted to join a start-up, or work in a developing country, or take a year off to have a kid? What if I get laid off (very common in the non-profit world, where funding is never guaranteed)? Setting myself up to live paycheck-to-paycheck after obtaining a professional master's degree from an elite institution seems foolish at best. It gives you absolutely no room for error, and no freedom to change paths. I realize that I am in a lucky position to have a fully-funded offer, and for some people, taking on debt might be their only shot at getting and advanced degree. However, it's one thing to take out 40k as an investment in your future (that's still $460/month, by the way), and another to pay sticker price and take out 100k+. Very, very few people will ever be able to pay back the latter amount comfortably, barring a major career change, marrying rich, or a stroke of great luck. @rdt425 - I am not very familiar with Cornell CIPA, but my guess is that you would be able to get where you want with that degree. Think of the freedom you will have career-wise, not having to consider an extra 56k in debt. I think the most important thing to do would be to check out CIPA's career services, and the career paths of recent graduates. My guess is that a lot of them end up in federal agencies. And while those who obsessively read gradcafe might know that CIPA is lower-ranked than your other options, everyone else will assume that Cornell is a better school, anyhow (including those people making hiring decisions who have JDs, M.Eds, MBAs, etc.).