Kaneisha Grayson's Blog, page 22

Team Member Spotlight: Kyle

Team Member Full Name: Kyle Schattner

Preferred Name: Kyle

Job Title: Customer Service Associate

How would you best describe your role on the team at The Art of Applying?

Essentially from start to finish, as soon as we have a new customer enroll into the program until the day their engagement ends with us, I’m here to make everything run smoothly. I make sure that our customers understand how everything works, know where to find everything they need, and ensure that they’re able to make the most of their time working with us.

What is your favorite aspect of your job?

Beyond just being a member of this amazing team, I personally get a lot out of helping our customers. I can really appreciate how stressful this process can be so anytime I’m able to quell any fears, concerns or confusion by providing them with assistance, it makes me happy!

If you were to go to grad school, what would you study and why?

If I were to go to grad school, I think I’d be drawn towards policy school; probably an MPA/ID program. I’ve always had a deep interest in the world beyond the borders of my own home and as I’ve grown older I’ve also become more engaged in politics. I think working in government or for an organization like the United Nations would definitely pique these interests.

What do you do for fun?

I am a bonafide football (soccer) nut! I basically eat, sleep, and breathe it. So when I’m not playing football, I’m watching it, and if I’m not watching it, I’m reading about it, and if I’m not reading about it, I’m at least thinking about it!

If you could have coffee with any public figure (alive or dead), who would it be and why?

In relation to my obsession with football, I think I would have to go with David Beckham. He was the first footballer I ever knew growing up as a child in Canada where the professional level of the game was grossly underappreciated. I followed his entire career closely but beyond just being able to chat about his experiences on the field, given his status and the opportunities that come along with that, I’m sure he’d have plenty of amazing stories about the things he’s done off the field as well (i.e. his work with UNICEF or his recently successful endeavor bringing a new professional club to Miami).

What would you describe as your culture and/or heritage? What’s something you can teach us from or about your culture?

I have a German background through both sides of my family. (I even managed to learn the language as an adult, which I’m quite proud of!) Something I can ‘teach’ you is actually more of a tip (this one’s for the sweet-toothed out here). If you’re fortunate enough to have some sort of delicatessen or European bakery located in your city or near you, try to hunt down some ‘Bienenstich’ (literally translated means ‘bee sting’). It is a vanilla custard cake baked using sweet yeast dough topped in caramelized almonds and is one of my all-time favorite desserts!

What’s your favorite place you’ve traveled to and why?

I’m obviously biased (see previous answer lol) but Germany was definitely my favorite place that I’ve traveled to thus far. After first year of undergrad, I had the opportunity to take a summer semester in Germany at the University of Mannheim and it turned out to be the time of my life! A major part in that was the fact that while I was there, the FIFA World Cup was going on and Germany just so happened to win it that year. I will take the memories I have from that trip with me for the rest of my life, no doubt.

What’s the most surprising fact about you?

Despite being an athletic individual interested in many sports and being raised in a Canadian household with a father and brother that both played the sport, I have never once played organized ice hockey in my entire life.

The post Team Member Spotlight: Kyle appeared first on The Art of Applying.

Enrollment Specialists: Gatekeepers of The Art of Applying® Community

Written by Dylan DaCosta, Head of Enrollment for The Art of Applying ®

This has been a big week for me. After 15 months of working as an Enrollment Specialist (the role was formerly referred to as a Breakthrough Coach), I’m very honoured (I’m Canadian so I spell it the Canadian way) to have just been promoted to the Head of Enrollment here at The Art of Applying®.

As Head of Enrollment, my job comes with many new responsibilities, including the hiring and training of Enrollment Specialists as well as mentoring and managing our existing Enrollment Specialists. As the greatest Enrollment Specialist of all time (modesty is not one of my qualities), I know a thing or two about what makes somebody successful in the role. I decided to write about that today since every single person who ends up working with us as a client must first have a call with one of our Enrollment Specialists and be invited to work with The Art of Applying®.

What An Enrollment Specialist Does

First, it’s important to understand exactly what an Enrollment Specialist actually does. Put simply, our Enrollment Specialists act as the front line of the business: they speak to potential clients and, if there is a strong fit between the applicant’s problems and our solution, help them get started on working on their applications with our team. From email correspondence before the call, to an in-depth 90-minute personal (and sometimes emotional) discussion, to celebrating when applicants hear back from their schools, the Enrollment Specialists have the privilege of sharing in the success of our clients nearly every step of the way.

The job of an Enrollment Specialist is incredibly simple, while being extremely challenging. At The Art of Applying®, we are selective about who we work with because we want to focus our resources on the people we can most help and will most enjoying working with. Thus, rather than simply letting people purchase services directly from our website, every single person who eventually becomes a client first has a call with our team.

During the call, the applicant and the Enrollment Specialist will talk about their goals, dreams, challenges and fears. After hearing about all of those things, the Enrollment Specialist will make an honest assessment of whether we can help or not. If The Art of Applying® can help solve the problems that the applicant has, the Enrollment Specialist will invite the person to work with us on their applications.

This process is easier said than done, though, as humans are often scared of making transformative change or investing in themselves when compelling so-called shortcuts or cheaper options exist. Often our Specialists take time to ease a multitude of applicants’ fears (“Will this actually work for me?” is a big one), listen to applicants discuss extremely personal challenges, and powerfully hold space to encourage people to seize their dreams.

Dylan in Kiev, Ukraine for the 2018 Champions League Final between Liverpool F.C. and Real Madrid C.F.

What It Takes To Be A Successful Enrollment Specialist

The job, in essence, is easy, but it requires some key ingredients in order for someone to be the right fit for the role. First and foremost, it requires incredible resilience. While we aren’t run of the mill “salespeople,” we are still in the position of offering Ivy League hopefuls the chance to work with us. It’s possible that some of those people will decline the offer, whether it be due to financial constraints, uncertainty over the timing of their applications, or some other factor holding them back from taking the leap.

On the other hand, the Specialists have to have the integrity and honesty to tell potential clients “no” and not invite the person to work with us when telling the applicant no is the right thing to do. For example, some people don’t embody the personal qualities we’re looking for in a successful applicant (specifically, we require that our clients to be coachable, decisive and resourceful) or just simply aren’t a fit for us and our team.

To be a successful Enrollment Specialist, you have to be capable of saying and hearing the word “no”—sometimes all day long. Having the mental fortitude to cope with frequently hearing no in its many forms (“not yet,” “maybe,” and “I’ll think about it and get back to you” are all different ways we hear no.) as well as witness the emotions of other human beings while maintaining your own internal balance is integral to being able to handle the job. Someone who has poor boundaries, expects the job to be easy, or doesn’t know how to shake off rejection will not last long in this role.

 

The second quality an Enrollment Specialist needs is a well-tuned mindset. With anything in life, mindset is extremely important. The people with clarity of their goals, and the commitment to achieve them, are always the ones who get the things they want. An Enrollment Specialist has to maintain a positive, future-oriented mindset. Human beings are attracted to others who are heading in the same direction, and in order to bring the best clients (the ones with the drive, desire and passion that we are looking for) to The Art of Applying® community, we need our Enrollment Specialists to be a mirror of those desired traits.

In order to cultivate a rock solid mindset, our Specialists read (or listen to) self-development books (a recent one was You Are a Badass), listen to podcasts (Your Wish is Your Command is one I like), create detailed personalized mission statements, loudly chant affirmations in the mirror (maybe I’m just speaking for myself on that one) or do whatever else it takes to keep their minds sharp and their energy positive. As Head of Enrollment, I must make sure I am consistently working on my mindset, and it is also my job to keep the Enrollment Specialists accountable to maintaining a strong mindset.

 

But above all else, an Enrollment Specialist needs to have integrity. Again, we are not salespeople in the strictest sense of the word. We are not trying to sell something that someone else may or may not want or need. We are here to offer a life-changing opportunity to the people who are the right fit for working with us—and nothing else. We do not convince, beg, plead or desperately need any one individual to work with us, because working with the right people is more important to us than working with the most people.

Because of this, an Enrollment Specialist will only succeed if they have a high degree of integrity. A successful Enrollment Specialist will occasionally need to be blunt, painfully honest and willing to tell people a hard truth that they need to hear. A hard truth could be telling someone we can’t help them or that they’ve already made a significant mistake in their application process. One story that comes to mind is when I had to turn away someone who had assumed they could apply to the joint MBA and MPP at Harvard in subsequent years—when you can only apply to the Harvard MBA/MPP joint degree in the same application year, thus disqualifying herself from being a joint degree applicant—all because she had received and followed erroneous advice.

Our Head of Enrollment enjoying some R & R in beautiful Muskoka, Ontario.

Sometimes, the job entails powerfully holding space to help a scared client figure out if working with us really is the right fit or not. Our Enrollment Specialists will not offer you something you don’t need, but neither will they quickly let you give up on your dreams or delude yourself into thinking everything is fine if you don’t get the help you need. Our Specialists need to embody integrity and consistently demonstrate the willingness to encourage the applicants who come to us for help to take the necessary steps to transform their lives.

For 15 months, I’ve lived and breathed The Art of Applying®. Transitioning from a career in the newsroom to serving as an Enrollment Specialist with The Art of Applying® was the best thing I’ve done in my entire career. Despite how much I love my job, I’m still human, and I’ve experienced the highs and lows that come with any role.  Early in my time with the company, I enrolled someone in our program on a three-hour long Breakthrough Call to accommodate her Spanish-speaking parents with a translator. I was delighted to have helped another person, and felt very proud at being able to include her parents in the discuss and come to a mutual understanding that The Art of Applying® was the best fit for their daughter’s application. Just a day later, though, that same client had a change of heart and requested a refund and the termination of their contract. It was heartbreaking for me to see her shift so quickly from excited about her future to being scared about the commitment.

 

However, helping some of the world’s most ambitious people claim their dreams is the most rewarding thing I can imagine myself doing. I get it to do it every day as I help The Art of Applying® grow as a business, and I get to do it every day as my team of Enrollment Specialists and I help people transition from being grad school hopefuls to Ivy League alumni.

And so that’s what I’ll be looking to hire for as our team continues to grow: the people with the positivity, resilience and integrity needed to attract the ideal people to work with us. It’s not an easy job, and at times it can be downright exhausting. But it’s one that is worth it. As a member of The Art of Applying® team, Enrollment Specialists have the chance to help the world’s future business owners, thought leaders and politicians by doing our jobs as best as we can. That’s an incredibly exciting thing to say.

The post Enrollment Specialists: Gatekeepers of The Art of Applying® Community appeared first on The Art of Applying.

Team Member Spotlight: Jordan

Team Member Full Name: Jordan Veiga

Preferred Name: Jordan

Job Title: Enrollment Specialist

How would you best describe your role on the team at The Art of Applying?

As of right now my role on the team is an Enrollment Specialist. An Enrollment Specialist is someone who spends time with applicants going over their grad schools applications and picking through what’s working and what’s not. The goal is to find applicants who are a good fit for our program and invite them to work with our team to better their application process. The main goal of my position is to enroll individuals into achieving their dreams.

What is your favorite aspect of your job?

My favorite aspect of my job is simply the gratitude of changing people’s lives. Every time I enroll someone to work with our team, I can confidently say that we are making a massive impact in their life, and there’s no greater feeling than positively changing someone’s life.

If you were to go to grad school, what would you study and why?

If I were to go to grad school now, I would choose an MBA because of my Bachelor’s. I did my undergrad in Marketing and I find that an MBA would ultimately give me the credentials to open up my own marketing business or even just build up my resume.

What do you do for fun?

For fun I like to play soccer; I received a full-ride scholarship back in undergrad and it has always been a passion of mine to play soccer. I have played my whole life and have every intent to keep playing in the future.

If you could have coffee with any public figure (alive or dead), who would it be and why?

If I could have a coffee with any public figure it would be Elon Musk. To me, he is one of the most fascinating innovators of our time. Tesla itself is incredible, but not only that, his other projects such as Space-X are great to read and learn about. I would love to have a chat with him and just pick his brain for ideas and views he has on our world.

What would you describe as your culture and/or heritage? What’s something you can teach us from or about your culture?

For me, my culture growing us was very European, as both my parents are from Portugal. That being said, I am a first generation Canadian and proud to be one. I am grateful to be raised in a European household and to learn my family’s culture and beliefs. One thing I express a lot to my friends that I learned from my culture, is the demand for respect. I learned from a young age that respect is earned as long as you are willing to earn it.

What’s your favorite place you’ve traveled to and why?

My favorite place I’ve traveled is definitely Portugal, and I say that completely unbiased! The never ending beaches and unique cafes offer a wide variety of culture and a sense of the Portuguese cuisine. Being in Portugal was absolutely mesmerizing and I will never forget the time I was there. To go along with that, I have had several friends who have also visited the small European country and have all told me it was their favorite place to visit.

What’s the most surprising fact about you?

The most surprising fact about me would have to be my tattoos. A lot of people don’t know I have any, but they are very unique in their own way and have their own personal meanings. The ink I have on my arm is a sense of art and design, which to me, is great to have.

The post Team Member Spotlight: Jordan appeared first on The Art of Applying.

Alumni Reflection: HKS Reunion 2018

Welcome back to another week with The Art of Applying, we’re happy to have you here! This week, we’re sharing the story of a Harvard Kennedy School alumna – who happens to be a part of our consultant team – and their experience at this year’s HKS 10-Year Reunion.

Read on as Karina walks you through what it meant to her to be involved in such a special moment. Enjoy!

Karina’s Reflection on the HKS Reunion 2018

As I listened to my fellow alumni share their journeys ten years since graduating from the Harvard Kennedy School, I was struck by the thoughtful and purposeful approaches to their professional endeavors. Whether promoting mindfulness among students to decrease the risk of suicide, spurring innovation in city government, fostering financial security for vulnerable Americans, providing access to affordable health care or enabling the workforce to adapt to the rapid pace of technological change, their work revolved around tackling complex and messy issues. Of course, life did not stay still in the past ten years as my friends had overcome life-threatening illnesses, welcomed children, and encountered new and unexpected personal challenges. At the reunion, regardless of one’s path, we shared a common denominator: the need to pause, reflect, and refresh.

I used the 10th year reunion as a moment to reflect on my professional journey and realized that my needs and expectations have evolved. Even though I felt fulfilled with my work in international development, I craved new experiences, specifically ones that would enable me to delve into complex issues, unleash my creativity, and engage with diverse constituencies. In spite of having a mortgage and two young children, I made the decision to change course and requested a reduced role at my full-time job. This allowed me to take on a teaching role at an institution serving first generation college students, contribute to a vanguard study on the impact that immigration status has on quality of life, help plan a premier Global Social Enterprise Conference, and advise graduate school applicants during the admissions process. In parallel, I reached out to many people within my professional network to learn about their professional trajectories and worked with a career coach to refine my pitch and value proposition. I am still in the early stages of this intentional professional pivot, but I have already learned that the most fulfilling professional paths are non-linear and that I thrive in environments that are dynamic, entrepreneurial and collaborative.

In spite of initial trepidation about embracing new but uncertain professional opportunities, I feel confident that I will succeed due to my sense of purpose, proactive nature, and strong support network of HKS alumni. In this process, I have reached out to my HKS friends for guidance, feedback, and support as I have discovered that many of us are sharing similar challenges in our professional lives: trying to find a balance between the need for professional recognition and visibility, demands of children and family, all while staying true to the versions of ourselves when we walked through the door on the first day of class at HKS. We even formed an informal network of HKS women who share professional opportunities with one another as well as provide advice and guidance on job applications, networking, and salary negotiations.

When I applied to graduate school, I viewed it exclusively as a pathway to a better job. What I learned, ten years out from HKS, is that my notion of a “better job” changed overtime as my priorities shifted. I’m grateful that my Harvard network serves as a pillar to navigate the process of reflection and exploration of what meaningful work looks like within the context of my family’s needs. I did not expect that ten years since earning my degree, my HKS network would get me through this uncertain yet exciting moment in my professional life.

We are officially opening our doors to 2019-2020 applicants! If you are looking to apply to graduate school for this upcoming season, it’s never too early to get the best start possible. Click here to schedule your 90-minute Breakthrough Call with our Enrollment Team while spots are still available!

The post Alumni Reflection: HKS Reunion 2018 appeared first on The Art of Applying.

TAOA Meets Clients: Raven and Tehran

We have a special blog this week that highlights a unique experience. Here at The Art of Applying, it’s rare that our wonderful team actually gets to meet with our lovely clients. But as rare as it is, it can happen!

This post was written by one of our consultants, Raven, on her shared experience with one of her clients from our roster, Tehran! Sit back and relax, as Raven walks you through her story.

Meeting in China

The best part about working as a Consultant for The Art of Applying is getting to work with motivated and accomplished clients who truly want to make a difference in their communities, and our world. Through an intensive accelerator program, I get to see my clients evolve as people, and define their passions in ways that are empowering and compelling. Most times, I will never get to meet my clients in person, as all of our work is remote. However, this changed a few months ago, in a country approximately 7,300 miles away from the United States.

My client and I finally got to meet—in Beijing, China. That’s right. We met in China–as in the country with almost 1.4 billion people, now the #1 most populated country in the world.  How, you ask? I’d be happy to tell you the story.

As I mentioned, the best part about working with TAOA clients is seeing them undergo a process in which they are fine-tuning their passions and are actively taking steps to accomplish their goals. For my client, wanting to become a global real estate investor and developer was his goal. So, he applied for and was awarded a scholarship to study in China for one year. For the first time, he arrived this past September—and it just so happens at the same time, I was traveling throughout the country for work! Having lived and traveled throughout China for the past 4-5 years, it was only right that we would meet up, hang out, and I would show him the ropes of Beijing. Oh, and of course we had to take a few TAOA selfies!

What started out as his first day in China was a bit frightening, to say the least. Beijing in particular is fast-paced and can be difficult to navigate, culturally and linguistically. It only takes stepping off of your plane to immediately know that your travel experience will be different from any one that you’ve ever experienced before. Although Beijing is often considered a global city, Chinese culture is still ever-present, unlike some countries that have become westernized.  Locals will not speak English and it can be very difficult navigating your way around—or even completing the most basic tasks—without some command of Chinese. Beijing is like an outer-body experience for first-timers like my client—almost like a twilight zone–which is the best way I can describe the experience. Hearing that my client was experiencing some difficulties upon his arrival—I left work to be by his side and help him adjust, in hopes of establishing some sense of normalcy and familiarity for him,  in this otherwise, very foreign city. Although we’d never met before, in that moment, I would then become his closest resemblance to home.

Given my familiarity with the region, I took my client to meet my Chinese host parents who I’d lived with during study abroad in college. To them, I am like their daughter (I have been visiting them once or twice a year since 2012), and they love when I bring my American friends home to meet them! My host mom, one of Beijing’s top attorneys, and my father, who is an environmental engineer, welcomed my client with open arms! My mother had her assistant take my client to get all of his essentials, while also arranging a family dinner for him at home. After 24 hours of grueling travel, and other mishaps along the way, let’s just say we were all relieved to get him a home-cooked meal, some fast WiFi, and a Chinese bank account, all thanks to my host parents! We even added him to our family We-chat, so that he could stay in touch with them throughout his year in China. They even invited him over each weekend for some family fun.

After my client got settled in, I was relieved, and ready to return to the States. I knew he would be in good hands with my host parents there to support him. It was such an awesome experience to not only meet the client I’d been working with, but to also personally witness him evolve during a period of transformation and growth for him, as he studied abroad for the first time, in a country completely different from anything he had ever known. He is already able to speak about this experience in his application essays—and I could not be more proud as his consultant. At The Art of Applying, I’d like to think that we are more than consultants to our clients; we are our clients’ mentors, coaches, and more importantly friends, who want to see them win and put their best selves out into the world.

How amazing is that!? We’d like to thank both Raven and Tehran for allowing us to share their experience, and we look forward to hearing plenty more unique “TAOA Meets Client” stories in the future.

If you are thinking about applying to graduate school this application season or next, we would love to hear from you! Click here to get the head start you’re looking for by booking a call and submitting your Breakthrough Application!

The post TAOA Meets Clients: Raven and Tehran appeared first on The Art of Applying.

Team Member Spotlight: Sonia

Team Member Full Name: Sonia Montoya

Preferred Name: Sonia

Job Title: Associate Director of Consulting

How would you best describe your role on the team at The Art of Applying?

I would describe my role as mentor and strategic thought partner to our clients. I also love partnering with TAOA’s fabulous consultants; I’m constantly inspired by their accomplishments and dedication to their clients.

What is your favorite aspect of your job?

It’s hard to choose just one, so I’ll offer two. The first is witnessing clients’ “aha!” moments, such as when we introduce them to a great new program they didn’t know existed or help them determine the career trajectory they’re passionate about pursuing.

My other favorite aspect is hearing about all their successes. I love it when clients reach out to let us know about their admissions and scholarship offers!

If you were to go to grad school, what would you study and why?

Ha! This brings to mind walking out of my final exam at Harvard. It was for American Economic Policy, a class that was then co-taught by Larry Summers (former president of Harvard College and Chief Economist at the World Bank), Marty Feldstein (former economic advisor to Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Obama) and Jeff Liebman (former economic advisor to Presidents Obama and Clinton). So challenging! My Kennedy School friends and I spent many long nights preparing for that exam. The test took place in the Harvard Science Center: brutalist architecture at its most gray and foreboding.  The test began at 8:00 a.m. sharp in an enormous auditorium with dim lighting and seats like stone. When we emerged into the sunlight three hours later, I felt a sense of euphoria and liberation that I was forever done with exams.

That being said, I would love to study archaeology and documentary film-making!

What do you do for fun?

I play with my dog, enjoy leisurely meals with loved ones, and travel to historically significant places around the globe.

If you could have coffee with any public figure (alive or dead), who would it be and why?

The Buddha. But he’d probably chide me for wanting to speak to him in person instead of just reading the Dharma.

What would you describe as your culture and/or heritage? What’s something you can teach us from or about your culture?

¡Soy pura mexicana! One thing I love about Mexican culture is the strong bond families enjoy. The love is unconditional. Every time I visit my family in Mexico, I meet new cousins who welcome me as if I were their long lost best friend!

What’s your favorite place you’ve traveled to and why?

Granada, Spain. I felt such a tremendous sense of history and fusion of cultures and languages.

What’s the most surprising fact about you?

I’ve heard from others it’s how geeky I am, but I don’t find it at all surprising considering that I was raised by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

Anything else you want to add?

Since I’m from Houston, I’ll give you my top 5 places to visit if you’re ever in H-town:

NASA: you can touch moon rocks and tour Mission Control
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: best collection of Latin American Art in the U.S.
Buffalo Bayou Park: have a picnic on these lovely rolling hills of green
The Heights: vintage shopping and tasty ice cream
Minute Maid Park: where you can cheer on the Astros, 2017 World Series Champions!

The post Team Member Spotlight: Sonia appeared first on The Art of Applying.

Harvard Kennedy School 2018-2019 Essay Prompts

Hello, Policy Wonks and Public Service Aficionados!

We know you’re pondering your applications to all those top tier policy programs, so without further ado, here are the 2018-2019 application season essay prompts for the Harvard Kennedy School.

Source: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/admissions-aid/masters-program-admissions/how-apply

All Programs
Personal History Essay (optional)

Diversity of all kinds (race and ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, physical abilities, political philosophy, intellectual focus, socioeconomic status, geographic and many others) is important to enriching the educational experience at the Kennedy School. Please share with us anything in your background or life experiences that has shaped your perspectives and how that would contribute to the classroom and community at HKS.

Word Limit: 400 words

Optional Statement

If you have any concerns about your prior academic, professional or personal background you would like to share with the Admissions Committee, please provide an explanation. (250 word limit)

MPP Essays (mandatory)

Essay 1 (JFK Essay): The Harvard Kennedy School motto, echoing the President for whom the School is named, is “Ask what you can do.” Please share with the Admissions Committee your plans to create positive change through your public leadership and service.

Word Limit: 600 words

Essay 2 (MPP Essay): Describe a professional or academic episode that gave you a chance to use your personal strengths, revealed your personal weaknesses, or both. Then explain specifically how the MPP curriculum at HKS would leverage your distinctive abilities and/or fill gaps in your skill set as you equip yourself for your career goals.

Word Limit: 600 words

Quantitative Resume: Submit a resume that summarizes relevant study and experience with analytic or quantitative material.

Two Year MPA2 Essays (mandatory)

Essay 1 (JFK Essay): The Harvard Kennedy School motto, echoing the President for whom the School is named, is “Ask what you can do.” Please share with the Admissions Committee your plans to create positive change through your public leadership and service.

Word Limit: 600 words

Essay 2 (Two Year MPA Essay): There are many pathways one can pursue in order to make a difference in the world. Why is the MPA Program at HKS an appropriate pathway to achieving your goals?

Word Limit: 600 words

Quantitative Statement: HKS students must complete coursework involving applied economics and quantitative analysis. In no more than one page, please share with the committee how you feel your academic and professional experience has prepared you for the required coursework at HKS.

Mid-Career MPA and Mid-Career Mason Essays (mandatory)

Essay 1 (Career Goals Essay): Submit a statement that discusses your career goals, as well as the factors that led you to select the Mid-Career MPA program as a means of furthering your personal and professional goals. Be as specific as possible in describing how your expected course of study will enable you to build on your prior professional experience and achieve these goals.

Word Limit: 750 words

Essay 2 (Professional Contribution Essay): Describe your most substantial professional and/or public service contribution in which you exercised a significant leadership role in furthering the public good.

Word Limit: 750 words

Quantitative Statement: HKS students must complete coursework involving applied economics and quantitative analysis. In no more than one page, please share with the committee how you feel your academic and professional experience has prepared you for the required coursework at HKS.

MPA/ID Essays (mandatory)

Essay 1 (International Development Essay): Discuss your decision to choose international development as your professional career. Also, explain how developing your analytic skills relates to your career in development.

Word Limit: 750 words

Essay 2 (Leadership Experience Essay): Describe an event or experience in which you exercised a significant decision-making, management, or leadership role.

Word Limit: 750 words

Essay 3 (Public Policy Essay): Describe a public policy or public management problem related to international development and analyze a range of solutions.

Word Limit: 750 words

Joint Degree with HBS or HLS Essay

(complete only if you are applying for a joint degree program)

Joint Degree Essay: How do you expect the joint degree experience to benefit you on both a professional and a personal level?

Word Limit: 400 words

Concurrent Degree Essay

(complete only if you are applying for a concurrent degree program with an approved partner institution)

Concurrent Degree Essay: How do you expect the concurrent pursuit of another professional Master’s degree to benefit you on both a professional and a personal level? (250 word limit)

 

If you’re wondering how to put your best foot forward on all of these prompts, then we want to help! Click here to schedule your free 90-minute Breakthrough Call with our team!

The post Harvard Kennedy School 2018-2019 Essay Prompts appeared first on The Art of Applying.

2018-2019 Policy School Application Deadlines for Top MPP / MPA Programs

The schools included:
American University (SPA), Carnegie Mellon (Heinz), Columbia (SIPA), Cornell (CIPA), Duke (Sanford), George Washington University (Trachtenberg), Georgetown (McCourt), Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), Indiana Bloomington (SPEA), Johns Hopkins (SAIS), NYU (Wagner), Princeton (Woodrow Wilson), Syracuse (Maxwell), UC Berkeley (Goldman), University of Chicago (Harris), Michigan Ann Arbor (Ford), USC (Price), UT Austin (LBJ School), U. Washington (Evans), U. Wisconsin (La Follette)

This list covers admissions deadlines for U.S. public policy programs. Admissions decisions should be received within 1 to 3 months, depending on the school (this varies widely). If the schools provide a priority date (or early deadline), we’ve put it in the chart. Spring deadlines are included for the schools that offer programs beginning in the spring.

Note: Be sure to verify dates on school websites as dates sometimes change (we are human and so are the administrators.)

University (School Name) - LocationEarly Action Deadline

(Entering Fall 2019)Regular Deadline

(Entering Fall 2019)Spring Deadline

(Entering Spring 2019)




American University (SPA) - Washington D.C.February 15, 2019May 1, 2019September 15, 2018


Carnegie Mellon (Heinz) - Pittsburgh, PAJanuary 10, 2019


Columbia University (SIPA) - New York, NYNovember 1, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. ESTFebruary 5, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. ESTOctober 15, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST


Cornell University (CIPA) - Ithaca, NY*


Duke University (Sanford) - Durham, NCJanuary 5, 2019


George Washington University (Trachtenberg) - Washington D.C.January 15, 2019February 1, 2019


Georgetown University (McCourt) - Washington D.C.January 15, 2019April 1, 2019


Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) - Cambridge, MADecember 3, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. EST


Indiana University - Bloomington (SPEA) - Bloomington, INFebruary 1, 2019May 1, 2019December 1, 2018


Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) - Washington, D.C.November 1, 2018January 7, 2019


New York University (Wagner) - New York, NYDecember 1, 2018May 1, 2019


Princeton University (Woodrow Wilson) - Princeton, NJDecember 1, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST


Syracuse University (Maxwell) - Syracuse, NYFebruary 1, 2019**


University of California - Berkeley (Goldman) - Berkeley, CADecember 3, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST


University of Chicago (Harris) - Chicago ILNovember 26, 2018R1: January 18, 2019

R2: March 25, 2019


University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (Ford) - Ann Arbor, MIJanuary 15, 2019


University of Southern California (Price) - Los Angeles, CADecember 15, 2018May 1, 2019 (International)

July 1, 2019 (Domestic)


University of Texas (LBJ) - Austin, TXDecember 1, 2018March 15, 2019


University of Washington (Evans) - Seattle, WADecember 15, 2018 (International)January 15, 2019


University of Wisconsin - Madison (La Follette) - Madison, WI***

Occasionally schools will adjust deadlines, so here are a few notes to clarify:

*Cornell University (CIPA) Offers rolling admissions. They will consider all applications received through the middle of May. If you would like to be considered for funding, please submit your application as soon as possible.

**Syracuse University (Maxwell) Students must apply by the February 1 priority deadline for full consideration. They review late applications through April 30 of each year, but they do not guarantee that late applications will be considered for university financial aid.

***University of Wisconsin – Madison (La Follette) All applications that are received by January 1, 2019 will be given priority consideration for admission and funding. Applications will be considered after that date on a rolling admissions basis.

A top-tier graduate degree offers students an incredible opportunity to advance their careers and be an integral part of both the public and nonprofit sectors. If you’re ready to be a part of it all, then we want to help! Click here to schedule your free 90-minute Breakthrough Call with our team!

The post 2018-2019 Policy School Application Deadlines for Top MPP / MPA Programs appeared first on The Art of Applying.

Team Member Spotlight: Elisa

Team Member Full Name: Elisa Sepulveda

Preferred Name: Elisa

Job Title: Consultant

Where did you go to graduate school and what did you study?

I graduated from the Johnson School of Business with an MBA and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations with an MILR (Masters of Industrial and Labor Relations) in 2010. While at the Johnson School, I studied marketing and while at ILR, I focused on organizational psychology. I spent two and a half cold years in Ithaca, NY for my dual degree.

What are your top 3 takeaways (academic or otherwise) from your time in graduate school?

Building your network with your classmates, professors, and alumni is just as important as getting good grades.
It’s important to learn frameworks, it’s more important to apply them to real business situations.
Always assume you are problem solving with  limited to no resources. This is often the reality once you get into a job after school and it leads to more creative problem solving.

Tell us about your current full-time job.

I currently work at a company called Galvanize as their evangelist for Texas. Galvanize is a learning community for technology that is a home to entrepreneurs and fortune 500s  in co-working spaces and technical training. The company was founded in 2012 in and I live in Austin, which was our 5th location. I create a strong community for entrepreneurs, fortune 500s, venture capitalists, and technologists through programming and partnerships. I love my job!

How did you start working with The Art of Applying?

I met Kaneisha through, what else, my MBA network! She got my name from some connections at Cornell and asked me to be on an MBA panel for women. I was inspired by Kaneisha’s founder story and excited to give back to other aspiring MBAs.

What’s your favorite thing about The Art of Applying’s clients?

My clients are very driven people that inspire me in my own work. I love learning about their goals and seeing them come to fruition throughout the application process.

What’s a fun fact about yourself you’d like to share with The Art of Applying’s readers?

I spend my days working with new technologies and entrepreneurs in Downtown Austin and my free time with my pets in the Texas Hill Country. I am an avid equestrian and I love to ride and love on my horse Watson. He gets along well with my miniature schnauzer, Lola, who loves to run around the pastures when we visit Watson at the barn.

The post Team Member Spotlight: Elisa appeared first on The Art of Applying.

Team Member Spotlight: Tyler

Team Member Full Name: Tyler Bartley

Preferred Name: Tyler

Job Title: Business Development Associate

How would you best describe your role on the team at The Art of Applying?

I more-or-less handle all things that involve reaching potential clients and getting them to book a Breakthrough Call. This means I conduct outreach activities, marketing and advertising, manage prospective client inquiries, and make sure that the journey from potential client to actual client is as seamless as possible.

What is your favorite aspect of your job?

My favorite aspect is helping the potential clients get prepared for their Breakthrough Calls. People reach out to us via email, our contact form, and via Facebook with questions before booking their Breakthrough Call and often a few days before their Breakthrough Call happens. It’s not always a new question to answer that I haven’t seen before, but they appreciate the help.

If you were to go to grad school, what would you study and why?

I would go for a Masters in Fashion Design, somewhere in the Big Three (Paris, London, and Milan). Fashion and design has always been a passion of mine, and I would rather walk down a path that very few end up completing due to the vigor and dedication, as opposed to find comfort. I can be comfortable once I’ve achieved my dream—for a few minutes maybe.

What do you do for fun?

I’m not one to sit still—even though I work from a laptop—so “fun” to me usually always involves physical activity. I exercise regularly, play a variety of sports, etc., but I also love to create. I explore markets and thrift for clothes to alter, I take photos, style outfits, and enjoy diving deep into a wide range of musical archives.

If you could have coffee with any public figure (alive or dead), who would it be and why?

Emma Watson. I very much so respect her continuous work ethic to bring her beliefs to life. She is an example and inspiration for humans as a whole, advocating for not only our entire race, but for the balance between the environments and resources that we interact with. And hopefully one coffee leads to another coffee the following week.

What would you describe as your culture and/or heritage? What’s something you can teach us from or about your culture?

I’m Canadian, born in Kitchener, Ontario. I have a very mixed racial background, and was raised in more of a Caribbean household. I think culture plays a strange role current day, both teaching and invading. I believe to let humans be humans, with all the flaws that come with it… but in a perfect world, understanding and respect for all humans, with culture as a means of education and inclusivity, would be nice.

What’s your favorite place you’ve traveled to and why?

India was by far the best place. The stark differences from province to province, both environmental and societal, was insane. Bombay was so busy that it put me in a numbing state of relaxation. The Ganges and temples in Varanasi shorten your breath with the magnitude of spiritual significance. The South is like a topical oasis. So much beauty in one country.

What’s the most surprising fact about you?

Nothing about me is a surprise to me, because I am myself and live with myself everyday. If you ever meet me, I’m sure you will be able to best answer this question.

Anything else you want to add?

There’s a lot of good in the world, but it just doesn’t scream as loud as the bad. Be careful where you focus your time and energy, because humans naturally tend to over-complicate things, especially for themselves. Being internally aware goes a long way, for everyone.

The post Team Member Spotlight: Tyler appeared first on The Art of Applying.