Anonymous wrote:Also a KSG grad and TOTALLY agree with the pp. It was the most disappointing educational experience I've had (and I went to a mediocre public school system until I went to college). I also graduated with a ton of debt and wasn't notified about changes in the public service repayment program that I would have been eligible for immediately after graduating. I don't bother going to alum event and would NEVER give any money to KSG.

Also I roll my eyes whenever I hear people refer to it as HKS or Harvard Kennedy School. That rebranding happened towards the end of my time there and it just makes it reek even more of desperation to be associated with the Harvard name. Barf.

Anonymous wrote:I went HKS. I have always been committed to public service and am happy with my role (apolitical GS-15 fed focused on a subject I enjoy) but its definitely not grand enough for most HKS graduates.

When I attended HKS I felt like two things were going on:

1) classmates arrived thinking a Harvard degree would provide keys to some elusive kingdom that would allow them to skip through the ranks to elite status. But the sheer numbers of students prevent that and its disheartening.

2) a HKS masters is not that elite a degree that leads to financial security. You can be admitted to HKS from many college backgrounds as long as you write a decent essay, do well on admissions test, and can stomach the student loans.

The school is not nearly as competitive as Harvard Business school, law school or medical school. Its also not a terminal degree (Phd) and its definitely not not the rarefied air of a Harvard ab.

I think the disillusionment of those realities gives HKS graduates a combination of arrogance and insecurity that comes off as particularly annoying.

Anonymous wrote:I went HKS. I have always been committed to public service and am happy with my role (apolitical GS-15 fed focused on a subject I enjoy) but its definitely not grand enough for most HKS graduates.

When I attended HKS I felt like two things were going on:

1) classmates arrived thinking a Harvard degree would provide keys to some elusive kingdom that would allow them to skip through the ranks to elite status. But the sheer numbers of students prevent that and its disheartening.

2) a HKS masters is not that elite a degree that leads to financial security. You can be admitted to HKS from many college backgrounds as long as you write a decent essay, do well on admissions test, and can stomach the student loans.

The school is not nearly as competitive as Harvard Business school, law school or medical school. Its also not a terminal degree (Phd) and its definitely not not the rarefied air of a Harvard ab.

I think the disillusionment of those realities gives HKS graduates a combination of arrogance and insecurity that comes off as particularly annoying.

Anonymous wrote:It can vary greatly, OP. There are people who go to HKS because they are smart and competent and interested in policy work and want to attend the best school they can get into. The faculty and program is top notch.

But every class also has a TON of people who are there due to money and connections (often both). Much more true for HKS than for any Ivy League undergrad program, including Harvard. Senators' kids, lots of people from wealthy/prominent foreign families. And a lot of them are horrible, plus this horribleness can rub off on some of the more normal people there.

Anyway, some of the smartest, most thoughtful, and genuinely public-interest-minded people I know went to HKS. But also a lot of complete a$$holes who think they are god's gift.

You just have to judge each on the merits. I do think if you write of HKS grads as all terrible, you risk missing out on some truly exceptional people.

(I didn't go to HKS, but my spouse did)

Anonymous wrote:I went HKS. I have always been committed to public service and am happy with my role (apolitical GS-15 fed focused on a subject I enjoy) but its definitely not grand enough for most HKS graduates.

When I attended HKS I felt like two things were going on:

1) classmates arrived thinking a Harvard degree would provide keys to some elusive kingdom that would allow them to skip through the ranks to elite status. But the sheer numbers of students prevent that and its disheartening.

2) a HKS masters is not that elite a degree that leads to financial security. You can be admitted to HKS from many college backgrounds as long as you write a decent essay, do well on admissions test, and can stomach the student loans.

The school is not nearly as competitive as Harvard Business school, law school or medical school. Its also not a terminal degree (Phd) and its definitely not not the rarefied air of a Harvard ab.

I think the disillusionment of those realities gives HKS graduates a combination of arrogance and insecurity that comes off as particularly annoying.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It can vary greatly, OP. There are people who go to HKS because they are smart and competent and interested in policy work and want to attend the best school they can get into. The faculty and program is top notch.

But every class also has a TON of people who are there due to money and connections (often both). Much more true for HKS than for any Ivy League undergrad program, including Harvard. Senators' kids, lots of people from wealthy/prominent foreign families. And a lot of them are horrible, plus this horribleness can rub off on some of the more normal people there.

Anyway, some of the smartest, most thoughtful, and genuinely public-interest-minded people I know went to HKS. But also a lot of complete a$$holes who think they are god's gift.

You just have to judge each on the merits. I do think if you write of HKS grads as all terrible, you risk missing out on some truly exceptional people.

(I didn't go to HKS, but my spouse did)

I haven't written anyone off. It just so happens that every HKS grad I've encountered at work is horrible.

Maybe The best students are getting better offers and yiur company is getting the leftovers at the bottom of the barrel. You’d prob do better to aim for top students at “lesser” schools.