HKS MPP Worth the Sticker Price & Loans?

[graduate2020]

Hi All, 

Deadlines are approaching fast, and I'm still torn between two options. Classic brain vs heart scenario, perhaps? I'm between HKS MPP (with no funding) and SAIS IDEV (full funding), and my heart is telling me HKS, even though I have a low appetite for student loans. My brain says run with SAIS, but I may regret turning down HKS 5 years down the line? 

I'm a domestic student, and quite unsure of what I want to do future career wise. I'm exploring intl development, foreign policy, and private sector consulting. Unsure where I'd like to be location-wise tbh; pretty flexible but might want to get some international experience in the near-future. 

Anyone else considering taking on full student loans for HKS MPP? Am I the only one? Is it worth it? (esp considering the uncertainty rendered by COVID-19). Thank you in advance!!! 

[Graduate of "Elite" School]

100% go to SAIS. The sticker price of a so-called "elite" international affairs program is not worth it.

[fshopeful]

100% go to SAIS — it’s not even close. The IDEV track + full funding is incredible, congrats!

[Yass]

4 hours ago, pillow said:

Sure! I was offered full funding from HKS (MPP),  and I made my decision after comparing the curriculum at both schools. My area of focus in international development is very specific, and even though I love so many things about WWS, HKS offered more electives that are directly related to my future career.

WWS offers all of its students full funding (plus additional funding for networking, internships, and language learning), a stronger core curriculum, and a more intimate and tight knit community/learning environment. Its students come in with years of work experience, and its graduates overwhelmingly go into the public sector. I consider all of these strengths. But because it’s a smaller school, it doesn’t offer as many electives as HKS. IMO, that’s the only downside of WWS. WWS staff are so responsive and have been so transparent during this challenging time. If I wasn’t interested in this narrow area of international development, I would’ve gone to WWS in a heartbeat.

I don’t know much about the MPA/ID program at HKS, but I’ve heard that it’s a very quant heavy program and comparable to the quant skills you would gain at WWS. You probably know this already but HKS is thinking about how classes will proceed in the fall. Because it’s waitlisting students who it initially rejected, I think it is expecting many students—especially students who did not receive funding and international students—to defer. The bigger question is, if classes are online, will HKS still charge full tuition? Would you be okay with taking these classes online?

Before taking out loans to pay for HKS, seriously consider what career you want after graduation. Harvard is a bigger brand abroad, but six figure debt will make it harder for you to take a job at an NGO or in the public sector. What are you specifically looking to gain from your graduate program? For me, it was strengthening my quant skills, studying the specific topics I’m interested in, and leaving with the least amount of debt possible.

Follow the funding, if you can. If you can’t, look at employment statistics, think about your future career, your projected future earnings, and how much debt you would personally be okay with. If you are taking out loans, go into your grad program with a game plan and make the most of your time.

Apologize for rambling but I hope that helped! 

This might be helpful to you as well. Someone was deciding between full funding at WWS and no funding at HKS.

[HelloItsMe]

Think about it this way: when you account for cost of living, HKS will mean over $150,000 in loans. In five years you would look back and wonder why you didn’t take the full funding offer at an equally impressive program just for the brand name of Harvard.