What Is the Harvard Kennedy School Looking for in Applicants?

[@airplanemode8]

hi, thank you for this video, I am thinking of applying for a Master in Public policy, how essential is work experience? I have done internships in the past but not full professional experience as I am finishing my undergraduate soon

[@AcceptedAdmissions]

it depends on the school, but many do no require full-time work experience. Internships are highly valued for those that don't require full-time work experience. Check with the programs you are most interested in.

[@airplanemode8]

Thank you for the reply! Is this the case for the Harvard Kennedy School for the MPA as they said they rarely admit students straight out of undergraduate school? I’ll be applying a year after graduation, what fields will they consider valuable work experience in?

[@AcceptedAdmissions]

You're welcome, airplanemode. The MPA really wants "real world experience" and prefers either another graduate degree or enrollment in a partner school for graduate education. It is not for someone straight out of college. The MPP is a tad more open to someone without full-time work experience, but clearly for most applicants, including for the MPP, full-time work experience will enhance your chances of acceptance at HKS. Depending on what you do, a year of work experience may suffice. They want to see leadership and service and take people from a broad array of background, functions, and industries. But if you go through the site and listen to this podcast as well as the one that Matt did a few years ago, which you can find at blog.accepted.com/harvard-kennedy-school-where-the-bottom-line-is-making-a-difference-to-society-episode-167/, you'll see that that service orientation is critical. Good luck!