Kaneisha Grayson's Blog, page 11
June 9, 2021
Client Case Study: Christine
Christine knew from her days as an undergraduate that she wanted to go to graduate school, and originally thought of applying to a business and public policy dual degree program. After working with attorneys at her non-profit organization who encouraged her, and some deep reflection, Christine realized she really wanted to get a law degree in addition to an MBA.
When asked what specifically helped her figure out why law school was a better choice for her than policy school, Christine said, “I wanted to be a lawyer. I met a lot of lawyers through my work and majored in a very ‘pre-law’ undergraduate major. People were always like, ‘Oh, you should go to law school!’ But I was like, ‘You just haven’t seen my numbers!’”
Once Christine found clarity in the degrees she wanted to pursue, she began working on her applications. However, she found it difficult to sort through all the information she needed, deciding which schools to apply to, and not knowing others who were going through this experience. “It was very all over the place,” she said about her application process before reaching out to us.
After watching a number of our client case study videos, she made a bet on herself and reached out to The Art of Applying® to enroll in the Application Accelerator® program. Christine said this about her decision to enroll in the Application Accelerator®, “It was an investment in myself. I had proactively decided to find people who are going to help me get what I want and I’m going to put myself in position for me to get what I want.”
Here’s what Christine said her favorite part of working with The Art of Applying® was, “So many parts of it! First of all, the team you assembled I really appreciate. Given the kinds of clients that you’re working with, it’s great to see that reflected in the consultants as well. Just getting to know them was so eye-opening. I feel like I grew as a person getting to know some of the consultants.”
All of Christine’s hard work and dedication paid off! Not only did she get into University of Virginia Darden School of Business, but she became a Consortium Fellow and received a full ride fellowship to go there.
What does it mean for Christine to be able to attend business school with a full scholarship? “I think just going back to school and considering my own growth, learning about different parts of business, and even more about different career paths that I’ve started to explore through the process of applying and will continue to do so by meeting my classmates… Those opportunities are open to me and in a way that the additional financial burden is not a part of the calculation of like, ‘I have to work in a certain sector after I graduate because of this debt.’ That’s not a part of the calculation.”
Congratulations, Chrstine! We are so proud of your success and happy to have been part of your journey to business school, and we know it won’t be long before you get accepted to law school too!
Start Date: September 2020 | End Date: May 2021
Applicant Information
GPA: 3.5GRE: 161 Quantitative, 165 VerbalMajor: Political PhilosophyAcceptances
University of Virginia Darden School of BusinessWaitlists
Northwestern Kellogg & Northwestern Pritzker School of LawNYU SternDartmouth TuckGeorgetown Law & McDonough School of BusinessScholarships
University of Virginia Darden School of Business – The Consortium Fellowship Full ScholarshipNotable Quotes
On how Christine decided to reach out to The Art of Applying® for a Quick Call :
“I watched a lot of the testimonial videos. I remember reading blogs and getting emails for a while because I had thought about going to graduate school for a number of years… To me, The Art of Applying® has really stood out because it was founded by you [Kaneisha Grayson], and I loved your personality and your general philosophy. I also thought the other clients were really interesting. The people who were getting into these programs who were the “wild cards.” So, that was a big part of it.
Why did Christine choose to work with us over any other admissions consultancy?
“Some consultants are like, ‘Before we work together, you need this number [for a test score],’ or like ‘I need you to decide how many programs you’re going to apply to upfront.’ There were certain things about working with other people that felt restrictive. A lot of them aren’t very community-oriented.”
On Christine’s initial concerns on working with a consultant:
“This was the biggest risk I’ve taken on since graduating college. I did all the work and knew I was going to get the outcome, but the worst case scenario was I could have gotten nothing. I could have paid all the tuition and been like, ‘I guess I got in nowhere.’”
That’s why we offer a Green Light Guarantee
for those who enroll in our Application Accelerator® and do all the work in the program! Yes, this does mean if you don’t get in, we’ll work with you again for your next application cycle for free so it doesn’t have to feel like you aren’t getting your money’s worth. Your success is our success.
On why you should work with The Art of Applying®:
“At the end of the day, it’s a very personal decision to use a consultant or not. For me, it was very much worth it. I could not have foreseen how wild an application cycle this was going to be with the pandemic and a lot of people deciding to go back to graduate school. It’s made for a really competitive year. I would not have felt as secure about where I’m about to head as well. I absolutely know that I did the most that I possibly could at this juncture in my life to look into where I wanted to go and who I wanted to go with. This is obviously biased, but I do think if you are going to work with any consultant, you should work with The Art of Applying®.”
Ready to get amazing results, too?
If you’re tired of putting your dreams on hold, not knowing where to start, or feeling like you might not be able to get into your top choice programs, we’re here to help. Book a Quick Call with our team today to get started!
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June 2, 2021
What is the difference between the HKS MPP and MPA?
Author: Carrie
Have you been wondering what the difference is between Harvard Kennedy School’s Master in Public Policy (MPP) and the Master in Public Administration (MPA)? Both graduate degrees offer students the opportunity to learn from brilliant professors, network with distinguished guest speakers, and build connections with like-minded classmates. In both programs, students learn to manage strategies and policies that impact people and populations. As part of the MPP degree, students focus on one of five Policy Areas of Concentration (PAC): Business and Government Policy, Democracy Policy and Institutions, International and Global Affairs, Political and Economic Development, and Social and Urban Policy. The MPA is an interdisciplinary degree at HKS, offering students more flexibility to build their own curriculum. The MPA requirement includes two required electives in a PAC in addition to four credits in Economics and Quantitative Analysis, Management and Leadership, and Public Ethics and Political Institutions.
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the MPP and MPA programs in two key areas: program structure, and courses.
The most noticeable difference is that the MPA is more flexible and can be more easily customized based on personal and professional interests. The MPP, on the other hand, requires students to choose an area of concentration and is less interdisciplinary. The intent of the MPA is often to provide a macro-level view, whereas the MPP is intended to be more technical.
If you want to talk through the pros and cons of either program for you, or get any of your application questions answered, book a Quick Call with our team. We can help!
The post What is the difference between the HKS MPP and MPA? appeared first on The Art of Applying.
May 26, 2021
Client Case Study: Cynthia
Our client Cynthia immigrated to the US from Mexico, knowing that she wanted to eventually obtain an advanced degree. She worried that she wasn’t the typical business school applicant.
Cynthia shared, “My background is in Human Resources. That’s what I do for work right now. I felt like I wasn’t necessarily the most attractive candidate for school because I had this idea in my head that business school was for people who come from consulting, finance, or banking and that type of thing. That’s just not me.”
However, she decided to pursue an MBA anyway to build her network in the US. Cynthia was researching how to ask a supervisor for a letter of recommendation when she came across a blog post from The Art of Applying®. That’s when Cynthia decided she needed help. As the first person in her family to go to college, and with the rest of her network attending graduate school in Mexico, Cynthia signed up for the Application Accelerator®.
When Cynthia signed on, she had already been preparing for the GRE and was not happy with her scores. She took the GRE and the GMAT three times each. When applicants work with The Art of Applying®, their consultant helps them set a target test score. While Cynthia worked hard preparing for her test, she never reached the target score. After taking multiple tests, she landed a score not much better than her first one.
Distraught, Cynthia decided to postpone her application because she feared that her test score would hurt her chances. However, she signed on to work with us for the next application cycle and tried again. It was well worth it! Even with a less-than-stellar GRE score, Cynthia was admitted to multiple business schools. She even received a full Consortium scholarship to the University of Washington – Michael G. Foster School of Business!
Looking back on it now, Cynthia wishes she had submitted her application in the first cycle and not let a test score hold her back. She shared, “I regret [waiting] because I feel like I wasted a lot of time, energy, money, and effort on these tests. They are important, but it’s only a component of your whole application…I [thought], I have to get a perfect score or I’m not going to get a scholarship, or I’m not going to be admitted.” Fortunately, that was not the case. We are thrilled to see where Cynthia goes!
For other applicants who may be doubting themselves, Cynthia had some words of advice, “Even when you have those thoughts [of doubt], keep going. Keep working on your essay…. Don’t let an exam or a test or a GPA stop you…If you want this to be a reality, you can make it happen.“
Start Date: May 2019 | End Date: May 2021
Applicant Information
GPA: 3.7 (equivalent)GRE: 307 GMAT: 550Work experience: 5 years in Human ResourcesMajor: BusinessAcceptances
Georgetown University McDonough School of BusinessUniversity of Washington Michael G. Foster School of BusinessDuke’s Fuqua School of BusinessScholarships
Duke’s Fuqua School of Business – $90,000 scholarship University of Washington Michael G. Foster School of Business – full scholarshipNotable Quotes
Cynthia shares how she worked through her apprehension about investing in The Art of Applying®:
“It was scary, especially because I didn’t have that amount of money, but I knew that I needed help. I knew that if I didn’t get the help I was just not going to get into any US schools… [And] you don’t know if something is a real company or if people are just going to take your money. So that was another fear that I had but after talking with [Kaneisha, the founder and CEO], talking with members of the team, and watching some interviews and videos, that just made me feel like, ‘Okay, I need help, and I’m going to get it.'”
Cynthia weighs in on how joining The Art of Applying® gave her the support and community that she needed to feel confident in her application:
“The fact that The Art of Applying® has a community of people going through the same process is really helpful. In my family, no one really has that experience. Most of my network is in Mexico so the process is not the same. I didn’t really have that support system, so I think that is one thing that is really important, going through the same process with people and not feeling like you’re alone.”
Cynthia’s advice for people who want to wait until they receive a perfect score to apply to graduate school:
“I would say it’s only a part of your application. Don’t spend too much time on that piece, because then you’re wasting valuable time in other parts of your application, where you can actually inspire the admissions committee. You can not necessarily inspire with a test score… [a good score is] impressive but that’s not inspiring. If you focus on your essays you can tell your story, you can inspire a reader. I think that’s what you should be doing instead of focusing too much on the test score…Give yourself a couple of months to really focus on other things because… I wasted a lot of time and the test scores didn’t really make a difference. If I could have submitted my first try, it would have been the same as my sixth.”
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May 19, 2021
Admitted and Attending: What to Expect in Grad School
No matter what program you choose or degree you obtain, there’s no getting around the fact that graduate school will consist of many firsts. You’ll have to figure out everything from housing to the job search. If you’re thinking about going to graduate school, there is no getting around the potential discomfort that comes with a new experience.
However, if you know what to expect, you’re more likely to go in with the right mindset. That’s why our consultants put together a list of what you can expect in graduate school. These items range from advice about how to care for yourself during graduate school, to answering frequently asked questions. Whatever stage you are at in your process, you can likely find something in this list to help you make the most of your experience.
If you’re ever given a choice between a one-year or two-year program, always select the longer duration program. For some degrees, you might find programs that vary in length. A longer program gives you more time to network, learn, and generally get as much out of the program as possible. Of course, you’ll also want to consider the logistics and cost of a lengthier program.
You cannot do everything. Be mindful in selecting your priorities. When you enter a graduate program, you might experience some sensory overload. With so much to do and so many people to meet, the options can be overwhelming. Remember that even though you may want to, you can’t do everything. You can think of focus areas during graduate school as your career, academics, extracurriculars, and social life. We recommend focusing on 2 of the 4 to help you decide how you spend your time.
Learn to accept the fear of missing out. Outside of prioritizing your focuses, you’ll need to remember that you’re going to have to miss out on some things. There’s way too much to do and experience, so, unfortunately, you can’t have it all. But that’s okay. If you prioritize what’s most important to you, you can better choose where to focus your energy.
Prioritize your list of classes outside of your program’s requirements. Prioritizing what’s important to you also applies to your class schedule: choose your classes based on the criteria that are most important to you. Of course, you’ll also want to take things like class schedules and professor availability into account.
Keep in mind that what you do outside the classroom also matters. In particular, seek mentors in faculty or nurture relationships with mentees. Work to make connections and never eat lunch alone.
Give yourself time and space to transition. Starting graduate school might require a move to a new city for some. Even if that’s not the case for you, you’ll need to adjust to a new schedule. Make sure you give yourself time to adjust to these changes. Consider this when you plan a move or leave a job to start graduate school.
Be open about the city you’ll move to. If your graduate program involves moving to a new city, know that there will be a lot to adjust to, like weather, traffic, and public transportation. Adjusting could take time, but an open mind will certainly help.
American graduate schools are very different from graduate schools around the world. If you are an international graduate student, keep in mind that you may have a cultural learning curve. Forming friendships or joining student clubs could help ease this transition.
Don’t follow the herd mentality. In graduate school, you might find that specific paths are prevalent. Try not to let that deter you from what you want to accomplish. Just because everyone is going into consulting or corporate law doesn’t mean that’s the right path for you.
Be organized. When you’re first getting started, work hard to get organized. The sooner you find your rhythm, the easier it will be to stay organized, so put in the work upfront and try not to cut corners.
Will grades matter? A common concern for new graduate students is whether or not grades will be a big deal. The truth is, how important grades are depends on the school, program, and degree. Keep in mind that if you plan to get another degree, grades definitely matter.
Prepare for distance learning. As remote work and learning will seemingly be the norm for the foreseeable future, you’ll want to prepare for distance learning if you are getting ready to attend graduate school soon.
Think about your brand for graduate school. Will it be different from your brand today? In graduate school, you’ll have to introduce yourself a lot, whether it’s to peers or faculty. Think about how you want to be perceived as a graduate student, and reflect on how that might be different from your pre-graduate school self. Turn this into a pitch that you can use to make introducing and branding yourself easier each time.
Be kind to yourself by giving yourself the gift of self-care. Graduate school is stressful, so go easy on yourself. Know that it’s okay to make a mistake. No matter what school or program you go to, you’re going to make essential connections. Make smart choices about who you spend time with and know that you are investing in long-term relationships. Make sure to make time for yourself, whether it’s every day or every week. One way you can do so is to “unschool” purposefully or spend some time learning about something outside of your degree program. Whatever works for you, our consultants recommend finding ways to care for yourself regularly.
Overall, graduate school will contain many firsts, and that may lead to some uncomfortable moments. However, going in with the right mindset and expectations can make all the difference. While you can’t anticipate everything graduate school will throw your way, we hope these tips can help you make the most of your experience.
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May 12, 2021
What to Consider Before Accepting a Graduate School Offer
It is that time of the year. Eager applicants are receiving word from university programs: admitted, waitlisted, or denied. This phase—preceded by the exhausting battery of applications and seemingly-endless waiting—will have thousands of applicants evaluating their options and deciding where, or whether, they will be heading to graduate school. Here’s what to consider when you are choosing between graduate school program offers.
Before we begin, I’ve been there, too.For future students who are evaluating their admission choices—as well as the many students planning to pursue an advanced degree as we begin to turn the page on COVID-19—I thought to share my perspective, born from my own experiences and those of my peers. While this commentary might be applicable to various advanced-degrees, I focus my reflections on full-time, in-person graduate business and policy programs.
As a relatively recent graduate of the Michigan Ross MBA program and an earlier recipient of a Harvard Kennedy School MPP, I have run this gauntlet a few times. Over the preceding decade, I have been fortunate to counsel dozens of would-be business, policy, and other advanced-degree candidates on application strategy and the key factors they should be considering as they reflect on the next phase of their careers.
The three most important factors you should consider are: The network,the location, and your checkbook.Of course, there are additional factors that come into the picture: partner or familial considerations, overall ranking and reputation, dual-degree goals, program areas of thematic strength, the teaching method and cohort size, among many others. General academic rigor is another one, though particularly difficult to objectively assess; amongst the top-tier programs, I do not believe the quality of your classroom experience will differ dramatically, as institutions use similar methods and topics. Even applied learning opportunities—historically a differentiating factor that remains a keystone strength for programs such as Michigan Ross—have become commoditized as universities strive to help students burnish their resume for competitive job markets by learning hands-on skills.
This is not an argument to completely discount these criteria. Ultimately, however, enrolling in a graduate program is a binary decision—you can only attend one institution—and so a difficult decision must be made. I believe the strength of the program’s network, its physical environment, and the financial impact of attendance should be the components weighed most heavily for your final decision.
#1 The Network: Relationships above allThe single most valuable component of your investment in a policy or business degree is the value of its network. This is potentially critical in the short-term to facilitate that internship or first role post-graduation. Like compounding interest, however, you are betting that your brand’s community and network will be ever-growing and nurturing. Look beyond the narrow job search effort by considering leadership and service opportunities or even unearthing a potential mentor (or mentee), and the impact of a strong network can be a life-changing proposition. Some dimensions you should be considering include:
size (smaller programs may have fewer alumni, but those individuals may be fierce and ready advocates); geography (some programs may have a dense presence in one or a few regions, while others may disperse graduates widely); and industry niches.Once upon a time, assessing the strength and reach of a network would have been hard to do, with the program’s overall brand perception considered an adequate analog to the value of its network.
Though that proposition may still hold water, a far more valuable tool exists today that will help you objectively assess a program’s network: LinkedIn. Set your program of interest (and its affiliated university) as a filter while searching organizations, geographies, and keywords of interest. Do you see the type of individuals that might help you achieve your short- and long-term goals? Serve as potential career advocates? What type of LinkedIn group activity do you see?
Certainly, seek out the counsel of mentors, peers, and others—but do not neglect the objective, quantitative perspective that LinkedIn can offer.
#2 The Location: Concrete, bricks, or underbrushClose your eyes. Envision your future self: deposit paid, moving boxes unloaded, and clinking glasses with your new classmates. What type of campus do you see? Where will you be most inspired, engaged, and productive for your sojourn from the workforce?
Reflect on whether you are glimpsing a fast-paced, urban campus; you are hopping on a train to meet an alum or drop-in on a part-time gig. Perhaps your mind’s eye draws you to something more bucolic, a tight-knit community nestled among nature where you can unplug and truly immerse yourself in the subject material. Perhaps it is something more in the middle, resembling that quintessential, suburban American university campus.
Each format has distinct advantages and drawbacks that will define your experience to a foundational extent. The trade-offs are also not in stasis; while urban programs offer the richest array of opportunities for in-person engagement, COVID-19 has transformed how work gets done. Of course, as we all thrive to be close to one another again, cities and in-person exchange could well experience a renaissance in the coming years. It is your conclusion to make.
Where and how you will spend this time is both extraordinarily important and, in my experience, often overlooked by applicants. Spend time examining what type of experience will truly be right for you.
#3 Your Checkbook: An analysis based on economics, not emotionA graduate degree is as much a financial transaction as it is anything else. Whether your ambition is a promotion, a professional pivot, or to learn new skills, your decision should be girded on the basis of a dispassionate assessment on the likely return of your investment.
As the sole proprietor of the business that is your career, I encourage you to evaluate your options with the same logic which any organization faces in forecasting its operations: quantify the inflows (i.e. post-graduate earnings, both in the short- and long-term) and outflows (i.e. cost of attendance and the cost of capital). Consider your financial reserves, comfort with debt, and—most importantly—your short-term career objective: the calculus should differ whether your goals have you managing a nonprofit or working the ranks at an investment bank.
Scrutinize your school’s career reports to understand median compensation outcomes, tinted by the conservative view that nothing in life is certain. Economic downturns—or once-in-a-century pandemics—can alter your planning in ways that the graduates of 2000, 2008, and 2020 can intimately appreciate.
Ultimately, you may determine that the higher-ranked program’s piddling financial aid represents a better proposition than a less-sterling university’s generous grant. If you are a young professional reading this, I hope you will be blessed with several decades of superior career outcomes and personal growth over which this higher initial expense is comfortably amortized.
Admire the beautifully-assembled ‘new admit’ packets, express gratitude for the outreach, and pat yourself on the back for traversing the taxing process that is applying to graduate school. But when it is time to decide, set it aside; do the math and trust your gut.
Once you have made a decision, it is important to keep in mind that this is only one step in your journey. Despite the stress over this choice, you truly have the ability to thrive and achieve your goals—at any institution—as long as you continue to invest in yourself and remain willing to work hard.
Ready to rake in all of the graduate school acceptances you can handle?Whether you’ve already started or are just beginning to apply to business, policy, or other graduate programs, we can help you accelerate your process and start living your dreams faster. Just like we have for thousands of other applicants who have gotten into top programs and earned money to pay for them. Sign up for a free, 15-minute Quick Call with our team to learn how we can help you!
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May 5, 2021
Client Case Study: Lily
Our client Lily spent nine years of her career in healthcare, where she worked her way up from an entry-level role to senior management. Having always dreamed of going to graduate school, Lily developed an interest in public health through her life and work experiences.
However, Lily put off applying to graduate school for years because testing anxiety held her back from taking the GRE. Lily shared, “I had a lot of testing anxiety and…I thought that it was insurmountable to get through the testing anxiety.”
Not knowing many people who had studied public health, Lily started searching for help with her application and test preparation. Lily knew that more time would help her application and test scores, so she started working with The Art of Applying® in early 2019 and continued working with us for two years. Lily’s hard work more than paid off. After working with us, she received acceptances from nearly all the schools she applied to and was awarded over $131,000 in scholarships!
Lily attributed part of her success to the fact that being part of the Application Accelerator® helped her move from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. She said, “Once you’re in the program, the consultants are really sold on your vision of what you want to accomplish. And even when you don’t feel very great about it, they say, ‘No, but this is what you said you would do…and you’re going to accomplish it.’ You need that sounding board when you are doubting yourself.”
Now that she’s on the other side, Lily shared that she wouldn’t advise others to wait quite as long as she did to start working with The Art of Applying®. In particular, she advised against waiting to apply until you’ve achieved a perfect test score.
She shared, “I waited for many, many years to start working with The Art of Applying®, but there are so many ways to get around [not having a perfect test score]…You can still have a great application even if your GRE score isn’t perfect. Mine wasn’t and it was fine. The Art of Applying® actually helped me a lot in that.”
We couldn’t be more excited to see where Lily goes!
Are you inspired by Lily’s story?
Take Lily’s advice, and don’t let the GRE hold you back from working on your applications! You don’t need a perfect GRE to get into your dream school. Keep reading for more details on how the Application Accelerator® helped Lily on her journey. We are here to help you take the next step. Book a Quick Call with our team today to get started.
Start Date: January 2019 | End Date: May 2021
Applicant Information
GPA: 3.59GRE: 317Work experience: 9 years in healthcareAcceptances
NYU School of Global Public HealthUniversity of Chicago Harris School of Public PolicyCarnegie Mellon Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy Columbia University School of International and Public AffairsColumbia University Mailman School of Public Health Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthScholarships
NYU School of Global Public Health – $24,000 scholarship University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy – $30,000 scholarship Carnegie Mellon Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy – $35,700 scholarship Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health – $42,000 scholarshipNotable Quotes
Lily’s advice for moms or moms-to-be who are considering applying to graduate school:
“It’s important to be as proactive as possible… I used to be able to work whenever I wanted to or procrastinate whenever I wanted to. But when I became pregnant, I had to really change my mindset and be as proactive as possible, because sometimes I’d be nauseous and things like that… Don’t give up on what you want to accomplish, pace yourself through the entire process. As I got more and more tired near the end of my pregnancy, I felt like I had started to work so early and upfront that it was manageable because of that, and because I was consistent in keeping myself paced.”
How the support of The Art of Applying® team helped her through some rough patches in her application process:
“Everybody is super positive about what you’ll accomplish and I came in very pessimistic about where I would be and what I could accomplish. And every single person around me was like, ‘Yeah, you’re going to get this. You’re going to get really great results.’ I was so skeptical. But, because I heard it so many times, I actually believed it and it changed my mindset…My favorite part was just being surrounded by a group of super positive people who just say yes to your dreams and…want to help you get there.”
Lily reflects on what she would change about her approach to the application process:
“I wouldn’t worry so much about everything… The statement, ‘Perfect is the enemy of good,’ really applies here because you go through so many iterations [of your application] with your consultant if you put in the work, and if you go through the calls. My essays changed so much, even in both years, that it was incredible and it turned out well. Every time that I’ve sat and worried whether it was going to get done on time, in hindsight, it was a waste of energy. It got done. It was fine.”
How she overcame test anxiety with The Art of Applying®’s help:
“The Art of Applying® has GRE coaches to help you…There are ways to manage your testing anxiety. I had never worked with somebody who was able to be so effective at helping me manage my testing [anxiety]…The first time [I took the GRE] I did okay, but then after being very disciplined about studying constantly I was able to…make a huge breakthrough.”
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April 28, 2021
What GRE exam score do I need to get into Harvard Kennedy School?
Do you dream of getting your policy degree from Harvard Kennedy School, but worry about your GRE score and test anxiety? Are you asking yourself, “What GRE score do I need to get into HKS?” We are here to tell you that you are not alone, and remind you that you are more than your test score.
A great GRE score is important, but it is not the most important thing.Yes, a great GRE score is important for getting in, but even Harvard Kennedy School says it isn’t the most important aspect of your application.
“Standardized tests are just one component of our holistic evaluation process, but we have found GRE or GMAT scores to be an effective way for applicants to document their preparation for the quantitative elements of the MPP core curriculum.” – Harvard Kennedy School
It helps to have a competitive GRE score, but there’s more to you and your application than one number. HKS is open about what they’re looking for in future policy students. Your holistic, compelling story tied together by your essays, recommendations, test scores, resume, and GPA is what will separate you from every other applicant.
How The Art of Applying® can help you get into HKS.Do you think of yourself as a wild card applicant with a lower score but a great work ethic and powerful, unique story? So was our Founder and CEO Kaneisha Grayson! She earned both an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School and an MBA from Harvard Business School despite a lower test score. We’ve helped countless other wild card applicants through our Application Accelerator® program take the next steps in their journeys by helping them get into policy school.
In the Application Accelerator® program, we don’t just help you overcome testing anxiety and get the test scores you need. From start to finish, we provide the coaching, curriculum, and community to help you get into your dream schools and get money to pay for them in the forms of scholarships and fellowships.
Here are our clients’ real GRE scores, and what they have to say about working with us to get into Harvard Kennedy School. Harman – GRE: 328 (161 Quant, 157 Verbal)“We all have our stories. The crux lies in presenting them in the right ways to these schools… So, that’s something I needed help with from The Art of Applying®.”
Gina – GRE: 320 (165 Quant, 155 Verbal)“I wasn’t really expecting too much from HKS to begin with because I am a younger applicant and I didn’t have much confidence in my application… and my GRE score… At first, I didn’t feel much because I didn’t expect much, and then I told my parents and they were super excited. It was my last day in Japan when I saw my email. So, I called my parents right away and they were overjoyed. They couldn’t believe that I was going to Harvard! Harvard means a lot to them.”
Henry – GRE: 318 (163 Quant, 155 Verbal)“One of the first feelings I had was, ‘Am I good enough? Is my story good enough? Am I a good fit for the program?’ I would say investigate the program. Read about the program, read about the professors, and think about your own story. What do you bring to the program? What does the program bring to you? [The answer] is a match between what you want and what they want to get out of it. ”
Boris – GRE: 315 (158 Quant, 157 Verbal)“ Scores are great. But they don’t represent the whole story. You’re more than numbers and that’s really something that The Art of Applying® will help you showcase wherever you are applying.”
Nina – GRE: 327“To women out there who sometimes might have Imposter Syndrome about whether they should apply to a certain school, I think that you should never feel like you can’t apply to a certain degree program if you don’t have certain experiences or backgrounds. ”
Client NameQuantVerbalGPABackground2018-2019Boris1581573.75International2019-2020Harman161167~3.5InternationalGina1651553.69InternationalHenry1631553.6InternationalAdriana1591643.35InternationalGopal170167Above 3.8International2020-2021Ashley1691643.7InternationalMaleek1601603.6Domestic (U.S.)Christian1581633.5Domestic (U.S.)We’ve got even more amazing testimonials of our clients getting into Harvard Kennedy School, but if you’re ready to get started in our Application Accelerator® program and get amazing results too, don’t lose any more time reading and let’s get started. Remember, it’s the full application that gets you in — not just the GRE score!
Ready to start the next chapter of your journey to Harvard Kennedy School and beyond?Whether you’ve just decided to apply or are further along in your application process, the time to ask for help and accelerate your application is now, not later when you’re stressed out by quickly-approaching deadlines.
Let’s help you get into Harvard Kennedy School, or any other degree we work with. Sign up for a 15-minute, no-strings-attached Quick Call with our team so we can get you sorted!
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April 22, 2021
Ask The Art of Applying®: What if I Get Rejected From an MBA Program, but Accepted to The Consortium? Work With Us Again for Free!
You worked hard over months perfecting your essays, getting great letters of recommendation, taking the tests, and finally hitting the submit button for the MBA programs you want to go to. But, you didn’t get accepted. What should you do? We’re here to help.
In this Ask The Art of Applying® series, we give you a peek into what it’s like to be a client asking a question in our Q&A Vault. We bring you answers to your questions about getting into graduate school. Our consultant, Adam, a Consortium fellow and a graduate of University of Virginia Darden School of Business, is answering a question about what happens if you work with us in the Application Accelerator® program and you don’t get accepted to any of the graduate schools you applied to.
So, what if I don’t get in?Our client asked: I was accepted as a Consortium for Graduate Study in Management member, but the submission deadlines have passed and I was rejected from all the schools I applied to. So, what should I do with the Consortium acceptance? Should I see how much of the work I’ve done so far can be considered for re-applying next year, keep the membership and apply to the schools separately, or ignore this and do everything over again next year?
Here’s how our Founder & CEO, Kaneisha Grayson, answered the question, “Congrats on getting acceptance to The Consortium! That’s a positive sign, but don’t get your hopes up too high about not having to resubmit those materials next year. You should reach out to the folks at the consortium to explain the situation and see what they can do.”
What if you didn’t get into any program, including The Consortium?This happens. Unfortunately, there’s only so much admissions consultants can do to help you get in and there is some level of luck involved when it comes to admissions committees granting acceptances. Not everyone who applies to a top school gets in.
Maybe you’re seeing a red light now, but we’re still here to help you turn it into a green light.Something we’re proud to offer in these situations is our Green Light guarantee. If you signed up for our Application Accelerator® program and put in the hard work to get into your dream schools during your application process, we’ll work with you for free on your next round of applications with the same consultant. Lots of people have to apply multiple times. It’s not uncommon. Just know that it is possible to get in after getting rejected the first time around. Keep your head up and keep focused on the things in your control.
Can you help me?
Definitely! We’ll be with you to celebrate the good news and work through the bad news. Reach out to us for a Quick Call with our team at The Art of Applying® if you’re re-applying for your dream programs or doing it for the first time!
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April 14, 2021
Ask The Art of Applying®: Waiting on Your Dream School, Decision Extensions and Deferrals
Getting accepted to graduate school is exciting. If you’re still waiting to hear back from other schools, it can also add a lot of pressure to an already stressful situation. Should you take the acceptance and run, even if it’s not from your top choice school, or should you hold out for your dream school? Can you request a deferral? If you already got a deferral, can you request a time extension while you wait for other responses?
Are you thinking of requesting a deferral?
Check out our blog post about how to request a deferral.
If you need some one-on-one help on your specific situation, book a Quick Call with our team!
You may need to respond to schools before receiving all of your admissions decisions, which can quickly become complicated. You will need to proceed with caution to avoid burning a bridge. This is particularly true if a school has already given you a deferral.
In this edition of our Ask The Art of Applying® series, we answer a question from our client-only Q&A Vault that explores what to do in this situation. The client who submitted the question was looking for advice about asking for an extension from a school that had already granted him a deferral.
Should I ask for an extension after already getting a deferral? Here is the client’s question in full along with some more context about their situation:“Should I answer yes to [The University of Chicago] Harris [School of Public Policy] and then if I get admitted to the Harvard Kennedy School or Princeton, tell Harris that I’m not going to actually go? Or should I ask for an extension of the deadline for April or a different date? My situation is the following: I was admitted last year to enroll this fall in the MPP program at Harris…I was also waitlisted at the Harvard Kennedy School and told that I needed more work experience. I asked Harris for the deferral and they granted it [for one year]. Now [Harris] contacted me and gave me until the middle of February [to decide]…This creates a problem for me because I’m going to reapply to the Harvard Kennedy School and to Princeton and both give admissions results in mid-March.”
Needless to say, this client’s situation is tricky. Unfortunately, the decision timelines for their top-choice schools clash with their deadline to respond to Harris. While Harris might not be their top choice, the client still needs to protect their relationship with the admissions department in case things don’t work out with Harvard or Princeton.
Ask for an extension of the deferral.Virginia, one of our consultants who attended Harris chimed in with some advice. She said, “My advice is to ask Harris for an extension of the deferral deadline. No matter how you do it, you should definitely start there, be upfront. If you get this [deferral], then that may solve all of your problems. It wouldn’t hurt to give them a call and just ask if a deferral extension deadline is feasible. Usually, we say it’s best to email, but in your case, you’ve probably actually spoken on the phone with some people from admissions over the last year. If you built up that relationship or any kind of rapport, it’s best to just jump on the phone here. Once you get [an answer] from them, you could reevaluate your situation.”
Virginia raises a good point because this client already has an existing relationship with Harris. Remember that schools are not required to grant deferrals, so, in this case Harris has done the client a favor by granting the deferral and giving them one year to decide. Picking up the phone and talking with admissions directly honors the dynamic and rapport the client already has.
Don’t commit to attend, if you are not planning on attending.To answer the client’s question about what reason to give, our consultant weighed in with the following advice, “As far as reasons go, you would need to brainstorm what other reasons besides waiting for other admissions decisions you have…Committing to attend Harris, and then not going is not professional.”
Think through your options.Our other consultant, Adam, acknowledged that this is a challenging situation. Letting go of an acceptance while holding out for a decision that might not go your way is nerve-wracking. However, our consultant suggested that it’s also important to weigh what you might gain by choosing a school that isn’t necessarily your top choice.
Virginia said, “I was in a similar situation when I was going through the MPP application process. I didn’t get into my top choice program and I considered doing what you’re describing, I ultimately came to Harris and I checked a few things off my list that I could not check off had I held off to retry at my top choice schools. For example, I became a homeowner!”
Our consultant raises an important point: choosing the school you attend is rarely a straightforward choice. While one school might be your top choice, it will likely have benefits that your top choice does not. When making a final decision, it is essential to consider all of your options. Our team is here to help when you are ready for an expert to weigh in on this decision.
Closing ThoughtsFiguring out where to attend grad school is always complicated. Juggling communications and deadlines with multiple schools, like this client, adds another layer of complexity. If you are in a similar situation, remember to be respectful and forthright, especially if a school has already granted you a deferral.
Of course, as our consultant pointed out, it’s also worth considering every aspect of the school that you choose. Even if a school might seem perfect on paper, it still has pros and cons like any other decision. Be sure to consider your choice in its entirety.
If you are thinking about going to graduate school or, like this client, you need some help thinking through your admissions decisions—we can help! Book a Quick Call with our team, and we can talk through your questions.
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April 8, 2021
Client Case Study: Nysha
After earning her Economics undergraduate degree in New York, Nysha dreamed for years of going to graduate school at the prestigious Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Being thirty-two, her job as a technology executive and her imposter syndrome kept her from beginning her application process until late in the cycle.
On what the graduate school application process was like before working with The Art of Applying®, Nysha said, “Nepal is underrepresented in Ivy Leagues, so I didn’t know if I had any chance of getting in. I knew that I could write well and could write a good essay, but I wasn’t sure where to begin from. I was a collective mess of nerves and that was the biggest factor because I was really close to not applying at all.”
With advice from her family, Nysha searched on Google for stories of people like her who had gotten into Columbia SIPA. She booked a Quick Call after being inspired by our client Harman’s success story.
In Nysha’s words, “So, I was frantically Google searching “SIPA” when I came across The Art of Applying®. I think you had recently just posted a success interview with one of your clients. She was from India and a woman so I felt, “Well, she’s Asian, she’s a woman, and she got in. Then I thought, ‘I’ll just take the call and see how it goes.’”
Nysha shared that she was nervous about how close the application deadlines were and whether or not The Art of Applying® would be able to help. Nysha shared about her Quick Call experience with her Breakthrough Coach, “After [the Breakthrough Coach] heard my story, she said, ‘You have a great story. We do not simply take any client, we only take clients that we feel like we can support and we can take as close to your goal as possible. So, if you’re okay to move forward, let’s do a full one hour Breakthrough Call.’”
When she decided to work with The Art of Applying®, Nysha said this, “I came into the cycle pretty late, around the end of September. Even though it was during the pandemic and I was traveling somewhere, I took that one hour Breakthrough Call sitting in the airport lounge because I didn’t want to miss a single day in the process. By the fifteen minute mark, I was sure that was an extremely productive conversation and I was already sold to work with The Art of Applying®.”
Nysha was nervous about whether her investment would pay off, but she valued the honest feedback from her consultant and the community of fellow applicants who encouraged her to work hard on her application. In her words, “My favorite part of working with The Art of Applying® without a doubt was working with my consultant. She was available every time I needed her and she was really transparent and honest, but equally supportive and comforting.”
Even though she joined us later in her application process, all of Nysha’s hard work paid off! Nysha was accepted to Columbia SIPA Harris with a $60,000 scholarship! What’s Nysha’s advice for applicants struggling to decide to get help with their applications from The Art of Applying®?
“The application process is such a personal process. You’re putting yourself out there, writing your own essays, etc. And I was like, ‘If I’m writing the essays, what am I getting from The Art of Applying® if I have to do the application on my own?’ Getting that guidance was something I was missing. And also just the cohort, not only the consultant. I made friends in The Art of Applying®. We communicate in chat, we support each other, and we celebrate each other, so that was invaluable.” Nysha shared.
Congratulations Nysha! We are so proud of you and happy to have been part of your journey to policy school.
Start Date: September 2020 | End Date: May 2021
Applicant Information
GPA: 3.97GRE: 157 Quantitative, 155 VerbalGMAT: 740Major: EconomicsWork Experience: 7 years in technologyAcceptances
Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) – $60,000 scholarship ($30,000/year)Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy – $54,000 scholarship ($27,000/year)Scholarships
Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) – $60,000 scholarshipGeorgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy – $54,000 scholarshipNotable Quotes
On deciding when to work with The Art of Applying®:
“Make use of the entire cohort [application process with The Art of Applying®]. April and May is the best time because you can work with your consultant more. I was very prepared in a sense. I took a lot of quant courses in undergrad and that really helped, but if you’re someone that doesn’t have that or aren’t sure, at least have that first call. Figure out where you’re at. There are multiple times where I wished I had applied earlier [to join the Application Accelerator®] to have the information I needed and would have made the best use of the program. With my job, there was so much I missed out on through The Art of Applying®.”
On what Nysha thought about the Application Accelerator®’s tuition cost:
“I saw in one of your videos that whatever tuition fees you pay, you’ll likely get them back in scholarships. I didn’t believe that video. Now having gotten a scholarship of $60,000 over two years, I guess it’s more show vs. tell.”
On taking the plunge of enrolling in the Application Accelerator® program and staying committed to it:
“I don’t know if this is common, but I paid right after the Breakthrough Call. [The Art of Applying®] had so many testimonials about getting into universities that are my dream universities that I thought, ‘Even if somebody is exaggerating, there has to be some level of truth.’ I was really coming to a black box. There was this huge fear of the unknown, but you have been in this business for a long time. So when I say I gambled [on paying the tuition and enrolling in the program], I really say I gambled because there was a sense of trust I felt I could give to The Art of Applying®.”
Want to have a success story like Nysha’s?
If you’re tired of putting your dreams on hold, not knowing where to start, or feeling like you might not be able to get into your top choice school, we’re here to help. Book a Quick Call with our team today to get started!
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