Harvard Extensions School Master's (a Curse or Neutral)? Applying to PhD programs.

[yessir911]

Hey,

I am a graduate student at Harvard University's Extension School, ALM: International Relations.

I have good grades (3.91 GPA), some great recommendations and high GRE scores (700 v, 700 Q), some great internships, many articles and 1 peer reviewed article.

Sadly, I was told many schools look down on the Harvard Extension School. I enrolled here as it was the best program I felt at the time for what I was looking for, a mix of online classes and on campus as I am working to save up living expenses for my PhD years. All my classes have been with Harvard College faculty, some of the world's best. I am a full-time student here and work full-time. The full time job will drop off when I am accepted to a PhD program.

I would like to apply to some top programs. I have heard a rumor that many graduate schools look down on Harvard Extension. I am not trying to pass it off on applications as Harvard College or GSAS in anyway. I was curious if anyone out there could shed some light on this topic.

In order to get into a top 10 International Relations program would I need to get a Master's from another school? I guess I am asking if I am in for any discrimination based on where I got my masters? Does such a thing exist? Do I need to "explain" the program on my SOP?

[balderdash]

Though I'm no expert on Harvard Extension School, I think what happened was the idea that "no one is going to view this as you went to Harvard Harvard" got so internalized that it became exaggerated to the "no one cares that you went to HES" and "people look down on HES" lines you frequently hear.

Again, I'm no expert. But my inclination is that they'll view it as a worthwhile demonstration of your intent to be a scholar and your dedication to the field, the same as if you had studied elsewhere. I think the journal article will help, and your stats won't get you thrown out of any admissions offices. At this point, it really comes down to your personal statement/writing sample/recommendations. Just do your best on those.

Edited September 16, 2011 by balderdash

[Penelope Higgins]

If you have letters from people on the Arts and Sciences faculty from Harvard, the HES thing won't hurt you. Otherwise, this will count against you. With your test scores and a peer-reviewed publication (if it is in a standard journal and not a student journal) you should have an otherwise strong file, but HES is not often seen to be adequate preparation for graduate work. This is because of the open admissions policy to individual courses, because of the online classes (fine for undergrad, not evidence of experience in graduate seminars) and because of the fact that a good number of the courses are not taught by tenure track faculty. I'm not defending this perception of HES, just describing how faculty elsewhere view it. There is, of course, nothing you can do at this point except to write the strongest personal statement you can, think carefully about letter-writers, and apply to a range of schools rather than just top 10 programs.

[balderdash]

Well, I stand corrected by a much more informed mind.

[yessir911]

Penelope,

Should I consider maybe going to get another master's to bolster my file? A graduate certificate?

[Penelope Higgins]

What a perfect application has that HES may not offer are two things: connections with faculty who can write you strong letters, and an opportunity to demonstrate your aptitude for the kind of coursework and research papers that graduate school requires. There is no reason to pay for another program of any kind unless it can improve these two aspects of your file. It may be better to be strategic about enrolling in courses at HES, and to choose (if possible) those that are taught in person by regular Harvard faculty in a seminar setting, in which the workload in terms of reading and writing resembles that of GSAS graduate courses.

[yessir911]

Hi Penelope,

Well I feel a littler better. I will have letters of recommendation from 2 faculty at the US Naval War College who teach at HES, I am going to be an IR focused PhD candidate. I will also have 2 rec's from Harvard tenured faculty who teach at Harvard college. I am assuming that will make the difference. Should I specifically point this out in my SOP?

[Penelope Higgins]

This makes me feel better about your applications as well.

No need to point out anything about your letter writers in the statement. We will recognize the names and affiliations when we see the file.

[yessir911]

Thanks for your help!

I have been told very mixed things about HES. I was told by one top ten school (the faculty member who told me this is a friend) to not even bother applying no matter what I had done because of the low level of HES. The person told me I should actually quit.

At HES I have to do a Master's and work one on one with a GSAS faculty member. I can't imagine people would think that was a bad thing?

I picked HES because I figured I would have a shot of taking classes at Harvard College through a program called "Special Student Status". HES students with a 3.5 or better can take 2 GSAS classes which I have done and did very well. I thought HES would show a committee at a good school I was more then capable of doing the work. The journal article was peer reviewed and not student based. I could have went to my local state university for a free MA however they have only 1 IR faculty member and is more theory based. I would have had zero options for good recommendations and zero internship options. I guess one can say HES is a mixed bag. I think though I have leveraged it for what I could.