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HKS with no funding

Is HKS MPP worth $120K in debt?
Lime violent twinkling uncleanness
  04/04/09
No, it's not. Not for gov't, NGO, etc. type jobs. Otherwise ...
Disrespectful bawdyhouse
  04/05/09
depends on where you want to work. if abroad, yes, if at ho...
Emerald dopamine patrolman
  04/05/09
What kind of career options are you interested in after HKS ...
mischievous multi-billionaire
  04/05/09
some of these posters are total noobs, i don't even think th...
Carmine Juggernaut
  08/10/09
Out of curiosity as I'll be applying to HKS for 2010, what w...
stimulating hell
  09/04/09
You are big time now. Do it.
silver big-titted clown
  04/05/09
HKS with no funding
Lime violent twinkling uncleanness
  04/05/09
If the funding at Columbia is generous, go that route. Imagi...
Twinkling Milk
  04/05/09
agreed
glassy irradiated market organic girlfriend
  04/10/09
why contracting scum?
Emerald dopamine patrolman
  04/10/09
Although I think it's a nice and noble thing you're contempl...
beady-eyed toilet seat dog poop
  08/29/09
Similar Boat
brindle telephone
  04/09/09
My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to visit thi...
Pink sick nursing home
  06/03/09
Not so subtle HKS trolling... MPAs and MPPs are a waste o...
Charcoal faggot firefighter
  06/18/09
what do you do? how much do you make at that level? approxi...
slippery ape athletic conference
  08/14/09
So you're already a GS 15? I call bullshit on that
Disgusting immigrant
  08/13/09
That is what I wanted to hear! Finally made the call to go ...
Lime violent twinkling uncleanness
  06/18/09
How much does the GI Bill cover?
Well-lubricated talented newt codepig
  08/17/09


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Date: April 4th, 2009 9:45 PM
Author: Lime violent twinkling uncleanness
Subject: Is HKS MPP worth $120K in debt?

Admitted to HKS (MPP) but with no funding. Is the Harvard name,alumni network etc. worth going $120K+ in debt?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#11334995)



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Date: April 5th, 2009 6:22 AM
Author: Disrespectful bawdyhouse

No, it's not. Not for gov't, NGO, etc. type jobs. Otherwise the MBA is far better, and then it is worth it. But $120k+ for a public policy master's is insanity.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#11337790)



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Date: April 5th, 2009 1:53 PM
Author: Emerald dopamine patrolman

depends on where you want to work. if abroad, yes, if at home, probably not.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#11338924)



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Date: April 5th, 2009 2:29 PM
Author: mischievous multi-billionaire

What kind of career options are you interested in after HKS and why? What is your work experience so far and your undergraduate majors/institution?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#11339237)



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Date: August 10th, 2009 8:08 PM
Author: Carmine Juggernaut

some of these posters are total noobs, i don't even think they're truly in the govt with jobs. The federal government, for the most part, go to the OPM website,

http://www.opm.gov/oca/pay/studentloan/index.asp

will repay student loans up to 10k/yr for up to 60k.

so yeah, if you're going to get a govt job for sure, that is certainly something to consider. You commit in 3 year

increments, at least that's what they have us do at the DoD. So you'd have to commit for 6 years to get the 60k. You'd do 3 years, then re-signup and do it all again. So your debt would be cut in half. I've heard rumors of that 60k getting significantly upped as well, but who knows if that'll happen. So really, if you spend less than 60k and intend to go to the government to work, then you could've spent more.



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#12472746)



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Date: September 4th, 2009 8:25 AM
Author: stimulating hell

Out of curiosity as I'll be applying to HKS for 2010, what was your undergrad gpa, institution, and gres?

I know I know...I'm a nosy sob...

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#12666781)



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Date: April 5th, 2009 12:27 PM
Author: silver big-titted clown

You are big time now. Do it.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#11338325)



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Date: April 5th, 2009 3:55 PM
Author: Lime violent twinkling uncleanness
Subject: HKS with no funding

Thanks for your input y'all (as they say down here in TX). I'm older than the typical MPP student--I'll be 33 in August. I graduated from the Naval Academy in '98 and spent a decade as a Navy helicopter pilot. Out of the service now, and hoping that my military experience will translate into a career in international security policy. My HOPE is that the massive check in the "work experience" box I have will mean better (and more gainful) employment right after graduation than the typical grad in their mid-twenties. So, do I take the risk and go for Harvard? The flip is that I have two kids (3 and 1) who need a college fund too... Columbia with funding, or Harvard without?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#11339834)



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Date: April 5th, 2009 6:05 PM
Author: Twinkling Milk

If the funding at Columbia is generous, go that route. Imagine. Say you graduate from HKS and hit up private sector defense shops (the only ones that will pay you above the 60's – the federal government certainly won’t save for the DIA). You might get lucky and get something at Northrop Grumman, Booz Allen Hamilton, Raytheon or whatever for 70-90 K, but then again, you may not. Even if you did hit 90 K, 120 K is a hell of a lot to pay down with kids, especially given that you are not early in your career.

Also, have you tried getting a loan for that amount? The federal government is not going to give you the full cost, and the private sector loan market without a *very* creditworthy borrower (who cannot be your spouse) is dead.



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#11340873)



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Date: April 10th, 2009 9:18 AM
Author: glassy irradiated market organic girlfriend
Subject: agreed

I went to one of these schools, and work in the field. You have good experience so I'd expect you can find a federal job to also pay you in the 70-90 range, moving to the 90-110 range in about 3 years. I dont think the contracting scum pays much better in the long run. They tend to throw you an extra 15K than the gov at the beginning, and then increase your salary marginally, whereas with the gov you move up quicker.

Also, if you go to any one of the policy schools, you'll get a "look"/interview from the same employers. Whether you get the job or not depends on you and your quals. So it does make sense to choose the cheaper school. And secondly, SIPA tends to give money in greater amounts to second year students, which gives you the potential of getting more $ in year 2.

FYI-you've already got the best alumni network in DC: USNA

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#11388101)



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Date: April 10th, 2009 10:51 AM
Author: Emerald dopamine patrolman

why contracting scum?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#11388367)



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Date: August 29th, 2009 9:06 AM
Author: beady-eyed toilet seat dog poop

Although I think it's a nice and noble thing you're contemplating, I did just fine without a "college fund" from my parents. If anything, I've seen that people whose parents pay the cost of their college have a greater tendency to be the ones who dick around and get drunk all the time.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#12621899)



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Date: April 9th, 2009 4:10 PM
Author: brindle telephone
Subject: Similar Boat

In at HKS no funding...in at SIPA with $20K renewable... Advice??

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#11380334)



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Date: June 3rd, 2009 9:02 PM
Author: Pink sick nursing home

My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to visit this board just to see what people applying to grad schools are chatting about in this very competitive year. Most of the people here giving advice really don't have much of a clue. HKS grads are entering the federal government at the GS-12 and up level whereas most MPP/MPAs come in as GS-9s. That is about a 25k difference. I graduated a couple years ago from HKS (it will always be KSG to me)and lucked into a GS-13, and I am hardly impressive and had only a couple of years experience prior to grad school. Since then I have been promoted up a grade on the dot yearly.

I agonized over the debt issue myself when deciding whether or not to go (no one gets funded) but the Harvard name opened doors that I never even knew existed.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#11888655)



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Date: June 18th, 2009 1:52 PM
Author: Charcoal faggot firefighter

Not so subtle HKS trolling...

MPAs and MPPs are a waste of time and money. Go for experaince instead and save yourself the debt.

I’m a GS13 with nothing more than a BA degree. It is easy to climb the ladder in the fed, just takes time (the same amount of time you’d spend on that 120k degree.)



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#12026500)



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Date: August 14th, 2009 4:57 PM
Author: slippery ape athletic conference

what do you do?

how much do you make at that level? approximations welcome!

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#12504416)



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Date: August 13th, 2009 10:05 PM
Author: Disgusting immigrant

So you're already a GS 15? I call bullshit on that

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#12498122)



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Date: June 18th, 2009 12:30 PM
Author: Lime violent twinkling uncleanness

That is what I wanted to hear! Finally made the call to go for KSG! Luckily, I'll be using the GI Bill and an external scholarship to ease the debt burden a bit. Can't wait!

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#12026031)



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Date: August 17th, 2009 9:59 PM
Author: Well-lubricated talented newt codepig

How much does the GI Bill cover?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=968181&forum_id=3#12527829)