Harvard Kennedy School Essay Advice: MPP, MPA, MPA/MC, MPA-ID for 2022
Don’t make these mistakes in your Harvard Kennedy School application.
Optional Statement Essay Advice
Joint or Concurrent Degree Essay Advice
IntroductionHey there! I’m Kaneisha Grayson, the author of this article and the founder of The Art of Applying®.
I started The Art of Applying® in 2010 while a joint degree student at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School. Since then, my team and I have helped hundreds of applicants successfully apply to Harvard Kennedy School through our paid services, blog posts, and Youtube videos.
This blog post has the most up to date advice for your Harvard Kennedy School essays based on what my team and I have seen work for our clients.
Please be sure to return to this blog post daily as you write your Harvard Kennedy School essays as I add specific, actionable advice for each essay.
If you find a mistake or a needed update in this article, let us know so we can correct it. Our 7000+ loyal email newsletter subscribers and visitors to our website help us keep our advice up to date and helpful for everyone.
If you’d like my team to help you with your Harvard Kennedy School application, contact us for more information.
Time is running out for us to help with your Harvard Kennedy School application!
The deadline for HKS applicants to sign up for our Editing Services is
Monday, November 21 at 5 pm Central Time.
Materials will be returned by Tue, Nov 29 at 5 pm Central Time.
Learn more about our Editing Services.Don’t make these mistakes in your Harvard Kennedy School applicationSometimes, it’s easier to know what NOT to do. Use this checklist to make sure you don’t make these common mistakes in your Harvard Kennedy School application essays.
Do not wait several sentences or paragraphs to clearly answer the question the prompt is asking.I know it feels creative and whimsical to start your essay with a story. Or to take the reader on a journey with a big reveal at the end of your essay. And I’m not saying you can’t do that. However, if you are not a strong creative writer, I would advise you to be as straightforward with answering the essay prompts as possible.
Imagine that your essays are policy memos that the U.S. President needs to read before an important meeting.
Do not start your personal statements or application essays with a quote.The one exception would be if your quote is from one of the “characters” in the story you are telling. Then, a quote could be a compelling way to start the essay. However, what my team of consultants and I see most often are essays that start with quotes from a famous person or public figure. Don’t do that.
You have limited words with which to express yourself. Don’t waste even one sentence on a trite, overused phrase as a shortcut for seeming profound, heartfelt or unique.
Do not write essays that are simply your resume accomplishments in prose format.Your resume is the place where you can succinctly summarize the accomplishments and results you have achieved, using numbers as often as possible to quantify the results of your efforts. Your essays are the place where you tell your story, make your case, and communicate your fit with the school and degree program by directly addressing the prompt(s) you’ve been given.
Do not use trite phrases like “I want to change the world.”Vague phrases like the one above don’t actually tell the reader anything specific about you as an individual, leader, and team member.
If you think about it, every human that has ever lived changed the world just by having lived here, right? They made their impact on the world, even if it was a teeny tiny impact. Rather than relying on empty platitudes, be as specific as possible about the type of impact you hope to have.
Do not accidentally mention the wrong school name.Nearly every season, we receive materials for editing, where the applicant mentions the wrong school name. It doesn’t mean that your application will automatically be thrown in the trash if you use the wrong school name. However, it shows a lack of proofreading one’s materials. It can also make you look insincere about your commitment to attending that particular school.
Do not submit materials that are over the word limit.I know you have a lot you want to share with the HKS admissions committee, but word limits are in place for a reason. When you submit materials that are over the word limit, you annoy the AdCom and make it clear that you disregard directions. By submitting essays that are within the required word limit, you are forced to express yourself in a clear, concise way. This is a skill that you will need as a student at Harvard Kennedy School as well as in your post-HKS career, whether in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors.
But, Kaneisha, can I submit an essay that is just a few words over the word limit? Like…just give me 20 words extra. Pretty please? Nein! You are applying alongside hundreds of other highly qualified applicants. Do not frustrate, annoy, or disrespect the AdCom’s time by not taking the time to edit your essay down to the word count.
Do not wait until the last minute to write and revise your essays.HKS takes a holistic view of your entire application. I know that sounds like marketing speak from the Admissions Office, but it’s true. It’s not just about your grades or your test score.
In 2021, I had a client who we helped get into Harvard Kennedy School with a GPA below 2.5. He worked with our team on strengthening his applicant profile and his essays for ten months: from January 2021 until November 2021.
Your essays are the most important part of your application. The earlier you can start on them, the better. Use the previous year’s prompts as your jumping off point.
How likely is it that the Harvard Kennedy School essay prompts from last year will be different this year?It is highly unlikely that the the prompts you see on the Harvard Kennedy School website for the prior application season will change substantially in this upcoming application season. In the 12+ years I’ve been in business, I’ve only seen the essays change twice. So the essay prompts change about every 4 years or so.
Optional Do Not’s for your Harvard Kennedy School Essays & ResumeThe don’ts below are based on my personal preference and aren’t as important as the “do not”s above.
Do not use “justified alignment” for your essays.It creates strange spacing within your sentences. While it may look more polished to you that all of your lines take up the full line, it is a less pleasant reading experience forr the reader.
Do not include your photo on your resume or CV.While this is a common practice in some nations outside of the US, it is not common practice in the US.
Do not use “interesting” design elements on your CV.I prefer a black and white CV with no color, no “interesting” bullet point shapes like diamonds, starts, etc.—just plain filled-in bullets or open bullets. I don’t even really like those horizontal separating lines on CV. I like just words and bullet points on resumes with a good amount of white space, so my eyes can rest and I’m not looking at a wall of text.
Time is running out for us to help with your Harvard Kennedy School application!The deadline for HKS applicants to sign up for our Editing Services is
Monday, November 21 at 5 pm Central Time.
Materials will be returned by Tue, Nov 29 at 5 pm Central Time.
Learn more about our Editing Services.Harvard Kennedy School Personal History Essay AdviceDiversity 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 experience that has shaped your perspectives and how that would contribute to the classroom and community at HKS. (250 word limit)
This essay may feel overwhelming, especially if you feel like you aren’t “different,” “special,” or “diverse” enough. The key with this essay is to remember that everyone adds diversity to the class—not just people you think of as traditionally underrepresented.
The key here is to not worry about if what makes you “you” is special or different enough. It’s to become aware of the intersecting identities that make up your particular identity, and then to choose which of those aspects would benefit your classmates through the sharing of your experiences and perspectives with your classmates.
One area of diversity that may apply to you is being a member of an underrepresented group within a well-represented racial or ethnic group. For example, while Asian-American students are well represented among top universities, southeast Asians, Pacific Islanders, and low-income Asian-American students are very underrepresented. Similarly, white students are well represented, but low-income white students or white students from rural areas are underrepresented.
Another area gaining traction in the cultural zeitgeist is neurodivergence and/or neurodiversity. In fact, after a decade-plus of suspecting I might have ADHD (and being told by my friends that I have ADHD), I (Kaneisha, the founder of The Art of Applying®), got evaluated and diagnosed with ADHD-Combined Type in April 2022.
Imagine my shock—after getting two Masters from Harvard, paying off $150,000 in student loans in seven years as a writer and entrepreneur, growing a business from scratch to a million dollars in revenue, and starting a podcast—learning that I have a brain condition that is considered a disability!
I’m learning more each day how much my life has been affected by having undiagnosed and untreated ADHD: the challenges I have overcome as well as the benefits of having a brain that works quite differently than most people’s.
If you fall into the category of being neurodivergent (some examples are ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and OCD), you could write about the ways in which navigating your personal, professional, and academic life have been affected by having a “different” kind of brain.
If I were writing this essay, I would write about these areas of diversity that apply to me:
Growing up in a low-income high crime neighborhood with a high teen pregnancy rateHaving undiagnosed ADHD for most of my life, and my experiences being “twice exceptional” (both gifted and challenged)Being one of few Black students in my college graduating classComing from an extended family that is heavily affected by the prison-industrial complexDon’t let my list intimidate you; just use it as a list to help you reflect on what makes you different and/or special.
Here are examples of areas of diversity and/or adversity you could write about in your diversity statement and/or personal history statement:Being physically challenged or disabledBeing a queer personBeing trans or having a non-conforming gender identityBeing a person of colorHaving experienced homelessness or food insecurity during your lifetimeGrowing up low-incomeGrowing up very wealthyGrowing up closely related to a person of prominence, fame, or a public figureHaving served in public officeHaving achieved outstanding business accomplishmentsHaving competed in athletics, chess, or related activities on a national or global levelHaving a neurodivergence such as ADHD, autism, epilepsy, Tourette Syndrome (TS), or OCD—whether diagnosed in childhood, adolescence, or adulthoodGrowing up in a single-parent householdGrowing up as an adopted child or foster childGrowing up with adopted siblings or foster siblingsGrowing up with siblings with special needsGrowing up with a parent who is an addict Growing up with a parent who has serious mental health issuesAcknowledging and overcoming addictionDiscovering and navigating mental health issuesGrowing up across different states and/or countriesBeing a conservative person who plans to attend a liberal- and progressive-leaning school—or vice versaNavigating grief after the loss of a loved oneBeing a survivor of trauma (you don’t have to share in detail about your trauma unless you feel comfortable doing so. Be sure to include a content warning.)Table of ContentsTime is running out for us to help with your Harvard Kennedy School application!
The deadline for HKS applicants to sign up for our Editing Services is
Monday, November 21 at 5 pm Central Time.
Materials will be returned by Tue, Nov 29 at 5 pm Central Time.
Learn more about our Editing Services.Optional Statement Essay AdviceIf you have any concerns about your prior academic, professional, or personal background that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee, please provide an explanation. (250 word limit)
Who should write the Harvard Kennedy School Optional Statement?Even though this essay is titled as an optional statement, I recommend that most applicants to Harvard Kennedy School write the optional essay. The optional statement is your opportunity to raise your hand and say, “Well, actually…” when one of the readers is raising doubts about the strength of your applicant profile and whether you should be given one of the seats in the class.
Since HKS doesn’t have interviews, you don’t have a chance to clarify anything that may be confusing or concerning to the AdCom. The optional statement is your opportunity to stand up for yourself, clarify anything that looks confusing, and reassure the admissions committee that any challenges that held you back in the past won’t keep you from being successful at HKS.
You should write the Harvard Kennedy School Optional Statement if:You have C’s, D’s, F’s, W’s, or I’s on your transcript that you want to explain to the AdCom.You are applying to the Harvard Kennedy School MC/MPA with 7-9 years of work experience.You are applying to the MPP, MPA-ID, or MPA2 with fewer than two years of work experience.You are applying to Harvard Kennedy School without a traditional undergraduate degree.You are applying to Harvard Kennedy School with a GPA below 3.4.You have a gap on your resume of longer than six months.You don’t show a clear demonstrated interest in public service from your work experiences and/or volunteer work.What should your Harvard Kennedy School Optional Statement include?Your HKS optional essay should answer the following questions:
What areas of your profile might the admissions committee be concerned about?Why did those issues occur?How have you since resolved those issues?What did you learn about yourself as a result of navigating those issues?What will you do if those issues arise while you are at Harvard Kennedy School?Since you only have 250 words, you can aim to answer each of the above questions in one sentence. That will give your optional essay structure and communicate the essential information the HKS admissions committee members need.
Time is running out for us to help with your Harvard Kennedy School application!The deadline for HKS applicants to sign up for our Editing Services is
Monday, November 21 at 5 pm Central Time.
Materials will be returned by Tue, Nov 29 at 5 pm Central Time.
Learn more about our Editing Services.Joint or Concurrent Degree Essay AdviceJoint or Concurrent Degree Program EssayHarvard Kennedy School’s mission is to improve public policy and leadership across the United States and around the world, so people can lead safer, freer, and more prosperous lives. How will a joint/concurrent degree enhance your pursuit of this mission? (400 word limit)
Here is the catch with this essay. According to my understanding, this essay will only be read by Harvard Kennedy School admissions committee—not the other school to which you are applying. (Someone contact me and correct me with written proof or a screenshot if I’m mistaken. I want to make sure I’m providing the most accurate information.) So the key to this essay is to focus on how your Harvard Kennedy School degree will complement your other degree.
What do I mean by that? Well, contrary to what you may think, this essay is not supposed to be where you gush about HBS, HLS, Tuck, or Sloan. Don’t spend a lot of time talking about how amazing the non-HKS school is. The joint/concurrent degree essay is where you talk about how you won’t get everything you need from just a degree from Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, Dartmouth Tuck, or MIT Sloan for your personal and professional goals.
The most effective joint/concurrent degree essays will be written the opposite of how most people will write this essay. Most people will write this essay focusing on how amazing the resources, classes, and clubs are at the other school. But you want to focus on, say, 4-6 specific things you will get from your non-HKS school, and then write in just as much detail how your HKS degree will complement and supplement those 4-6 specific things.
Questions to help you write your Harvard Kennedy School joint / current degree essay:What will you learn in the classroom at HKS that you won’t learn at all or as much in the other classroom?What clubs are specific to HKS that you are eager to join that don’t exist at the other school?What will the HKS alumni network provide you that you can’t get if you only do just the one degree at the other school?What personal experiences might you have, and what kinds of people might you meet as a joint / concurrent degree student that you wouldn’t meet if you only did the other school’s degree?Make sure to not write this essay as if going to HKS alone is not enough of an education. This essay is about showing how going to the other school alone would not be enough of an education for your personal, professional, and academic goals.
Time is running out for us to help with your Harvard Kennedy School application!The deadline for HKS applicants to sign up for our Editing Services is
Monday, November 21 at 5 pm Central Time.
Materials will be returned by Tue, Nov 29 at 5 pm Central Time.
Learn more about our Editing Services.JFK Essay AdviceJFK EssayThe 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. (500 word limit)
Okay, y’all for this essay, I’m just going to dump a list of the biggest mistakes I see with this essay, and then give you a bunch of questions that you should make sure your JFK essay essay answers as specifically as possible.
In general, this is a “career goals” essay. The HKS AdCom wants to know what your ultimate career goal is, and the career journey you could imagine yourself embarking upon to get there.
The biggest mistakes I see with the Harvard Kennedy School JFK essay are:Do not bury your career goal several paragraphs in or wait until the last paragraph to clearly answer the question. Do not make the AdCom guess what your plans are. Answer the question upfront in the first 1-2 sentences.Do not state a career goal that is too vague.Do not state a career goal that is too ambitious with no clear plan to get there. It is not too ambitious to say you want to be the Head of State, but you need to clearly map out the short-term, medium term, and long-term career path to get there.Do not state a career goal with no explanation of why that career is driven by your values.Do not overly use words like “hope” when discussing your plans: “I hope to take on a career in management consulting at a firm like BCG, Bain, or McKinsey.” No. Use clear, confident words like “plan,” “will,” and “intend to.” Because you totally got this! You don’t have to hope.If you answer all of the following questions, you’ll be well on your way to writing this essay better than half of the people applying to HKS (who aren’t our clients or didn’t find this blog post in time).
Make sure you answer these questions in your Harvard Kennedy School JFK essay:Opening sentence: What is your ultimate long-term career goal? Be as specific as possible and state this upfront. Do not make your essay a scavenger hunt where the AdCom has to sift through several paragraphs to figure out the answer to the question they have posed to you.When it comes to your career goal, what specific 1-3 issues will you work to have a positive impact? On what specific geographic area and/or specific population do you plan to have a positive impact? Access to water in South Asia, equity in education in the Southern US, trans rights in Latin America, voting rights and access in sub-Saharan Africa, the US childcare epidemic, etc. Notice how I’m not just saying vague things like “sustainability,” “microenterprise,” “venture philanthropy,” or “impact investing.” I am listing specific issues, geographies, and populations. This makes your goal realistic, measurable, and ambitious at the same time rather than wishy-washy wishful thinking.What is your immediate career goal after HKS? What role do you want to have? What will you learn in that role? What will you contribute to the organization in that role?What is your mid-term career goal after HKS, such as 10 years after graduation? What will you learn in that role? What will you contribute to the organization in that role?Concluding sentence: Reiterate your enthusiasm to attend HKS and contribute your particular public service and leadership to the world.Time is running out for us to help with your Harvard Kennedy School application!The deadline for HKS applicants to sign up for our Editing Services is
Monday, November 21 at 5 pm Central Time.
Materials will be returned by Tue, Nov 29 at 5 pm Central Time.
Learn more about our Editing Services.The post Harvard Kennedy School Essay Advice: MPP, MPA, MPA/MC, MPA-ID for 2022 appeared first on The Art of Applying®.
