HKS 2017

[MLB87]

Hey Guys, is anyone else still working on these HKS fellowship application essays? The panic-laden email reminders they send out on a daily basis aren't really helping much

[d4r56]

Yep, still working on this. Does anyone know if this has any bearing on your admissions decision?

I assume that if they see that you did not at least attempt to apply for a fellowship, they will look at your application less favorably(?) It seems as though they are concerned (to some degree) that you are able to secure some outside funding, if not at least from your own savings.

From the Harvard Financial Aid application: "It is expected that students seeking funding are researching external funding opportunities so as not to rely solely on HKS for providing the full cost of attendance."

Also their "HKS Financial Aid Philosophy": https://www.hks.harvard.edu/degrees/sfs/prospective-students/hks-financial-aid-philosophy

Edited February 24, 2017 by d4r56

[carpe_diem_0618]

3 hours ago, d4r56 said:

Yep, still working on this. Does anyone know if this has any bearing on your admissions decision?

I assume that if they see that you did not at least attempt to apply for a fellowship, they will look at your application less favorably(?) It seems as though they are concerned (to some degree) that you are able to secure some outside funding, if not at least from your own savings.

From the Harvard Financial Aid application: "It is expected that students seeking funding are researching external funding opportunities so as not to rely solely on HKS for providing the full cost of attendance."

Also their "HKS Financial Aid Philosophy": https://www.hks.harvard.edu/degrees/sfs/prospective-students/hks-financial-aid-philosophy

1

 

Whether you apply for fellowships has no effect on the admissions decision, because the evaluation process is need-blind. Admissions director Matt Clemons noted on one of the HKS blog posts that because the ad com evaluates on the candidate's "fit" to the program, they don't necessarily factor in the financial capability, and often end up declining students whose tuition might have been fully funded by respective government/external scholarships. 

I think they just really want the students to at least apply for funding, as this is the only chance that they could during the two years at HKS, should they be accepted. This being said, I'm off to finishing my app! 

 

Edited February 24, 2017 by carpe_diem_0618

[Pacey17]

Hi HKS applicants community!

Looking for some advice on the application. I am looking to apply for next year to HKS, WWS, SIPA.

My question relates to the CV/Resume and listing your salary. Where I am from (UK) - this is somewhat of an uncommon practice but I know in the US it is common (especially for B school).

I can understand the rationale for listing salary as a steadily increasing salary is a very rough proxy for the "value" you create in an organisation and shows movement up, promotions etc. Also conversely a taking a big pay cut to move to the public service shows commitment for a cause and personal sacrifice. 

In my situation I worked in the investment banking industry and moved up very quickly to MD level and by 28-29 was running a full team with considerable responsibilities and the compensations levels were extremely high, which may be seen as somewhat unusual - for a policy school applicant. 

But would such a high salary be seen as a bad thing? On the positive side it shows how quickly I moved up in my career and the leadership track, but then on the negative side this a policy school! However I am not a pure-capitalist by any stretch - I have a lot of non-profit/charity experience and a track record in fund-raising large amounts for non-profits showing impact. Also does it show I am dedicated to public service by walking-away from such a salary? The opportunity cost is high

But I feel a bit odd putting these numbers on the CV given it's a policy school versus a B-School - any thoughts much appreciated.

 

 

[dancingshoulders]

Anyone else having trouble accessing the Financial Aid portal?? I simply cannot load the page....it is as if the server is done.

I am a bit panicked since the deadline is in a few hours...what should I do?

[HKS hopeful]

21 hours ago, Theo20 said:

Hi, guys! Applying MPP here.

Do you guys think it hurts my chance that I submit GMAT score, instead of GRE, in my application?

If HKS accepts both, then you're okay. Besides, nothing you can do now so don't worry about it. Best wishes with your application. :-)

[HKS hopeful]

1 hour ago, dancingshoulders said:

Anyone else having trouble accessing the Financial Aid portal?? I simply cannot load the page....it is as if the server is done.

I am a bit panicked since the deadline is in a few hours...what should I do?

Issue resolved? If not, contact (call or email) financial aid letting them know. Best wishes! 

[dancingshoulders]

38 minutes ago, HKS hopeful said:

Issue resolved? If not, contact (call or email) financial aid letting them know. Best wishes! 

Resolved!! Thank you!

[BosNole1636]

13 hours ago, Vgpmc said:

did anyone get an email from HKS that their financial aid application was submitted?  The financial aid page says everything was submitted but  I am not sure if they were supposed to email you a confirmation. 

I did not. I believe I read in an HKS blog post at some point that we would NOT receive a confirmation email regarding the submission of our financial aid application. 

[d4r56]

5 hours ago, BosNole1636 said:

I did not. I believe I read in an HKS blog post at some point that we would NOT receive a confirmation email regarding the submission of our financial aid application. 

This is correct. I read somewhere that we wouldn't receive a confirmation email. It does, however, say "submitted" (with a green checkmark) on the application page.

[Nozistin]

8 hours ago, Pacey17 said:

HI everyone - does anyone you have any idea on the rough admissions rate among the programs?

i heard the mc/mpa is around 50% or is that not right? i heard the MPP is the most difficult with the lowest admissions rate?

is there any published information by HKS on this? 

 

No, I think the MPA/IA is the most competitive program. HKS doesn't have any admission statistics bus GSPP does and I would think they are somewhat similar. WWS has some as well I believe but they are harder to find. It's a downloadable PDF book I think.

[HKS hopeful]

9 hours ago, Pacey17 said:

HI everyone - does anyone you have any idea on the rough admissions rate among the programs?

i heard the mc/mpa is around 50% or is that not right? i heard the MPP is the most difficult with the lowest admissions rate?

is there any published information by HKS on this? 

A post from a 2015 thread by David King (Chair of the MPA admission committee):

"A few other comments, responding to the thread.  Yes, admission rates for the MCMPA are higher than for the MPPs, but they're nowhere near what people have speculated.  We don't publicize our admission rates, largely because we don't think they're very meaningful.  For this year's class of Mason Fellows (MCMPAs) for example, we will offer admission to less than a third of the applicants.  We would love to admit a far higher percentage, but we just don't have the capacity, and our applicant pool is so strong.  It takes a tremendous amount of focus and attention for us to read mid-career files, because test scores don't tell us very much about applicants who are in their 30s or above.  And as many of you know, a lot of what we end up doing when folks look at HKS is to *discourage* people from applying if they're not a fit for the school.  I think it's crazy that other schools work to encourage applications from folks who won't get in - just to boost their selectivity ratings.  We're not playing that game, and we'd love to have a higher admission rate from a terrific pool than a lower admission rate from a less terrific pool.  

 

Please also notice, as Matt has discussed so well on the admissions blog, that we have different criteria and expectations for the different programs. Of course, test scores matter for the MPP and MPA/ID programs.  The average test scores for MPA2 applicants are virtually the same as for MPP applicants, but the MPA2 committee is looking for substantially more graduate-level experience that's consistent with our MPP and MPA/ID "core requirements."  That's why we tend to think of the MPP and MPA/ID programs as places to "tool up" for a life in public policy, and we tend to think of the MPA2 program as a place to "integrate across professions."   That said, test scores are *not* the be-all-and-end-all.  We routinely turn down applicants with perfect test scores, and we routinely take applicants with far from perfect test scores.  Not everybody tests well.  We understand that, and we view files more holistically than you may expect.  Letters and essays really *do* matter."

[HKS hopeful]

One of the sad realities of the process-- not every outstanding person can be admitted. :-( Best wishes to all of you.

From its admission blog:

"HKS has three admission decision categories:

• Not Admitted
• Waitlisted
• Admitted

I will break these three categories down in upcoming posts in this series, starting with the toughest - not admitted. Admission to HKS is competitive. We receive applications from all over the world (148 countries this year - shown in red below) from individuals with impressive academic, personal, and professional backgrounds who posses a strong commitment to public service.

The admission application review process is very thorough and we put a lot of thought and energy into selecting an incoming class. Many candidates have the qualifications and background to be an excellent HKS student; however we have a limited number of spaces available.

Please note that the vast number of applications we receive prohibits us from providing personalized feedback to applicants who are not admitted to our programs. We do welcome applicants who are not admitted to reapply in the future. Additional experience, the completion of additional coursework and improved test scores are a few of the things that may bode well for a future application cycle. 

I have had to sign off on thousands of rejection letters during my long history in admissions and it is never easy. The solace I take is that I too have received many rejections in my lifetime, but each rejection opened another door of opportunity.

Perhaps the best example of this is when I was rejected by the Peace Corps over two decades ago. I remember holding the decision envelop in my hand (there was no Internet or email then), slowly opening it, and upon reading the first line of the letter my heart sank. I had my heart set on the Peace Corps and the rejection was tough to take. However, that rejection opened a door to teach English in South Korea, and it was there that I met my wife. Looking back, I now am quite thankful the Peace Corps door closed so another could open.

I am confident that those not admitted to our programs will walk through other doors and make tremendous contributions to the world and achieve great success.

One final note, we do put a lot of thought into our waiting list as well (the topic of the next entry in this series) and unfortunately, we cannot place applicants who are not admitted on our waiting list. The Admissions Committee also does not consider appeals from candidates not admitted to our programs."

[pinku]

For those wanting to follow the blog: http://hksadmissionblog.tumblr.com

[Pacey17]

this blog is a lot quieter than last year!!!??

where is everyone!

[devx]

Anybody up for taking guesses when exactly would the results be out? I'd go with March 7th.

[PublicServant]

Generally it is on a Wednesday, so if it's not today ( 1 March) then maybe next Wednesday (8 March)

Edited March 1, 2017 by PublicServant

[drumroll]

Come on, PublicServant. Don't kill us. In everything I read, and considering past years, I'd think the results won't be out until the 15th.

[carpe_diem_0618]

I second PublicServant - I was being neurotic and checked past HKS blog posts and gradcafe results, and it's likely that the decisions will be released on Wed, the 8th around 1pm. This year's blog post series align exactly with last year's, like uploading one about decision categories the end of February. The anticipation is killing me! 

1 hour ago, PublicServant said:

Generally it is on a Wednesday, so if it's not today ( 1 March) then maybe next Wednesday (8 March)

 

 

 

[gradschoolkid]

48 minutes ago, carpe_diem_0618 said:

I second PublicServant - I was being neurotic and checked past HKS blog posts and gradcafe results, and it's likely that the decisions will be released on Wed, the 8th around 1pm. This year's blog post series align exactly with last year's, like uploading one about decision categories the end of February. The anticipation is killing me! 

 

Agreed! Based on last year's forum, financial aid was due Feb 25th and decisions came out Wednesday, March 9th. This year, aid was due the 24th... so decisions on Wednesday, March 8th makes sense.

[HKS hopeful]

For those of you wanting something to read..again...rather than refreshing your email.. . :-) 

Best wishes to all of you next week (8th or 9th-- likely release dates.)

From the blog:

"I wrote about the not admitted category of admission decision in a recent post, and the second category I will cover is waitlisted. Each year we place some candidates on a waitlist. There are a number of qualified candidates each year who we would admit if more seats were available. Candidates placed on the waitlist will receive digital notification, but no paper letter will be mailed out. We will only mail a paper letter to a waitlist candidate if s/he is admitted from the waitlist.

I understand that candidates placed on the waitlist may feel a certain level of anxiety and this is completely understandable. I would like to do whatever I can as the Director of Admissions to reduce the anxiety; however the nature of the waitlist makes specific information hard to provide. I will try to provide as much insight as possible with these few points. 

First, we have no control over how many admitted applicants will accept our offer of admission. This makes it impossible to provide any information on if we will be able to admit candidates who are placed on the waitlist. Those placed on the waitlist can let us know if they wish to remain on the waitlist, but we can provide no specific information on the probability of being admitted. Yes we have admitted candidates from the waitlist in previous years, but each year is different and predictions are not possible. 

Second, as far as timing is concerned, we generally are unable to determine if we will be able to make waitlist offers until late April or early May. We will provide updates as we make progress, however prior to this time period we will not be able to provide specific details. The timeline is a bit more advanced for our MC/MPA Mason program because of the early start date for the MC/MPA Mason Program. MC/MPA Mason waitlist decisions will likely be made in mid-April.

Third, we do not rank the waitlist and the Admissions Committee will not accept any additional documents from those placed on the waitlist. The Admissions Committee does not conduct interviews or take appointments with those on the waitlist. Waitlist candidates are reviewed based upon the information provided by the admission deadline. Thus we cannot provide information on one’s “place” or “rank” on the waitlist as there is no ranking system. The list is reviewed as a whole if and when we have seats available."

 

 

[HKSApplicant]

Hello everyone! This forum is very quiet this time if compared with previous years.

Quick question... I have just checked my application and the format has changed (basically, it has lost the majority of text and now there is only a short paragraph in the left -before there were email addresses and other ways of contacting HKS- and the application checklist in the right - no more instructions-). Did this happen to everyone?

Thank you and good luck! I think we are quite close (my bet, maximum: Wednesday the 8th or even earlier). 

Edited March 3, 2017 by HKSApplicant

[BosNole1636]

3 hours ago, HKSApplicant said:

Hello everyone! This forum is very quiet this time if compared with previous years.

Quick question... I have just checked my application and the format has changed (basically, it has lost the majority of text and now there is only a short paragraph in the left -before there were email addresses and other ways of contacting HKS- and the application checklist in the right - no more instructions-). Did this happen to everyone?

Thank you and good luck! I think we are quite close (my bet, maximum: Wednesday the 8th or even earlier). 

Just checked - my format changed as you described too. 

[HKSApplicant]

10 minutes ago, BosNole1636 said:

Just checked - my format changed as you described too. 

Thank you, probably it is the same for all of us... any of the forum members has yet the old format?

Edited March 4, 2017 by HKSApplicant

[carpe_diem_0618]

Changed for me also! 

I was wondering if anyone could give two cents on HKS admissions statistics for international students. 

On their class profile webpage, it says roughly 25% of 225 MPP students have been international students the past few years, which translates to admitting about 60 per class. This year they received applications from 148 countries. Do you guys think that the Ad Com would evaluate decisions by comparing profiles against other candidates from same country/region? And does 148 nations include students who applied to MPP, MC/MPA, and MPA/ID?