GSPP vs. HKS 2016

[NekoAtsume]

This forum topic seems to come up every year and it is very lucky to be having this conversation. Would love to hear other people's thought processes as they compare the two programs and also from any current or former students who might have made this choice or have insider information about either GSPP or HKS.

[kbui]

Where you able to visit both campuses to get a feel of the programs? When I visited GSPP, the program was very small within a very large university, which wasn't really what I wanted. Also, GSPP is very, very quantitative heavy--is that something you prioritize? From my research, I found that HKS has a large number of high profile speakers due to its proximity to Washington D.C. and New York versus all the way out in California. Though I've seen that GSPP is much more intentional in trying to recruit and retain students of color.

However, being in the Bay Area would be much better for opportunities (especially if it deals with tech or start-ups) versus in Cambridge.

This is a great dilemma to have! Tell us what you decide.

[NekoAtsume]

I am going to get to visit both in April. Harvard doesn't release any funding decisions until then, which might ultimately be the deciding factor between the two since HKS is 50K more and seems to have less opportunities (GSI, research, etc.) to off-set costs.

Actually does anyone have any insight on opportunities to work with faculty at Harvard to off-set tuition costs? When I was reading up on HKS it sounds like working in your first year is frowned upon, and during the second year students might expect to make a maximum of 16K.

[kbui]

What did you end up choosing?

[NekoAtsume]

I'm like 99% sure it has to be Goldman - I got $0 funding from Harvard. I just can't rationally justify the debt it will take to go there. And I shouldn't complain since Goldman's MPP is an equally top program, but with a smaller network. I went to Berkeley for undergrad so I think I was feeling a lot of pressure to go somewhere else for graduate school.

What about you?

[kbui]

You'll do great there, for sure.

I ended up choosing HKS because of my fellowship. HKS would do a tuition match and it gives us a small stipend, versus GSPP where that wasn't the case--that was one of the reasons I didn't end up applying at all, even after going through the entire application process. Columbia SIPA is also a great program, but I think I will want a smaller and more intimate cohort since a lot of what we will do in the future will depend on the people that we meet throughout life.

We'll be colleagues for the next two years! Maybe we'll see each other at a conference somewhere.