dear nepali friends...

i'm not joking this time...it's time for me to be serious...i'm interested to apply at the harvard design school for my masters in urban planning. my g.p.a stands around 3.5 with a b.a degree in geogrpahy from a university in kansas...

please i humbly request anyone with admission experience at harvard to give me some hints and tips about how to apply effectively and lets hope successfully.
what are the criteria's and and if there are any easy accesses for foreign students..

any one from harvard...your suggestions will be highly valued. please i want any sort of constructive suggestions at this critical juncture of my career.
thanks

Sorry, I am not from Harvard, but still I would like to give u my unsolicitated advice, my dear

Babu ko General GRE score kati cha kunni? Subject Test dinu parcha ki? GRE score ekdum important ho -(Quanti) 99 percentile, (verbal) 95 percentile ma hanyau bhane harvard jana paulau babu. GPA 3.5 pani tyati ramro ta hoina ni. Tara GRE is the great leveller - ekdum GRE ma hai score lyaunu paryo.

ani harvard nai kinara aru univ. chainan ki kya ho yo sansar ma? Just becos its harvard it doesn't mean that all its departments are the best.

Ani babu ko Statement of purpose, teachers ko reco pani kaam aucha tara most important is GRE

If you apply saying that Harvard is Harvard, you will probably NOT get in.
They admit students, not tourists.

But, if you clearly and concretely show -- on your applications -- what you really,
really want to do as an urban planner (both as a grad student and as a professional later on)

AND

then how them how Harvard can help you achieve your goals -- then you
have a stronger case for admission.

The goal then is to:

a) First, figure out what it is that YOU really want to do as a student and as a professional (have courses, portfolios, work experiences, grades and ETS scores
all back up the path to your goals)

b) Then, after doing some research (perhaps by visiting GSD in Cambridge), tell the committee how Harvard can help you achieve your goals.

Best of luck!!

oohi
ashu

ashu dai,
what would be a MINIMUM GRE score one would say that would help his application.
Like
700 VERBAL
750 ANALYTIC
5.5 WRITING?
may be this would give him better perspective? right? what say u??

I might not be any help but in future i wanna go to harvard as well: harvard medical.... and I don't go to college yet.... as far as my counselors had told me if ur not a citizen here and ur an international student... u have to have an outstanding score on your entrance exam or which ever exam you are required to take..... and you have to have a very strong resume in order to get a scholarship....unless you can afford your tuition and don't wanna get a scholarship. YOUR EXAM SCORES ARE YOUR 1ST PRIORITY...
and i know you already know this....

Thapap,

I cannot answer your question.

Personally, I know people who got into Cal Berkeley and MIT with lower GRE scores
and grades; while others with higher numbers were rejected by Columbia and Stanford.

On some level, the admission game appears to be all art and little science :-)

My advice?

1) Get the highest possible scores that you can get, knowing fully that higher scores
do NOT mean anything to admissions people used to seeing high scores all the time.

2) Focus on yourself; on what you really, really want to study based on your verifiably true strengths.

3) If you want to go to Harvard just for the prestige, your applications will make that clear to seasoned admissions people (you can't fool them!), and they'll surely reject you.

4) Make your reasons for attending believably cystal clear to admissions people who want to know you better.

5) Explain, with reasons, how the school is a strong fit for you -- academically and professionally.

6) Give them reasons to admit you. Rememer, these people work in an Office of Admission, and NOT in an Office of Rejection!! As such, they are looking for reasons to
admit you, and ONLY you can supply your own reasons for your admission.

Best wishes,

oohi
ashu

OK ashu:
What about Phd in Harvard. I am doing my grad school in not very prestigious uni here in US but would like to get my phd from Harvard in small business development/entrepreneurship or similar field. How is the application process and how do they select the candidates?
Thanks,

What about doing some research about the faculty and zeroing on profs who are doing the same type of research u want to persue, contacting them and letting them know that u want to work with them. because when u apply some univs ask if u have established contact with any prof. If the prof. wants to take u then the graduate admissions office will process your application. if u find no prof. ready to advise u then no matter what your scores are u will be rejected. at least, in phd it works like this. When the prof. will like u then he/she will ask u to compete for thousands of scolarships/fellowships that these univs have - ford foudnation, kerry's wife foundation award etc., etc. so establishing personal rapport with a potential prof/profs is paramount. once the prof recommends your name to the graduate selection committee and if u have all the required scores to get into that univ., , then u are in. I am sure in harvard too it works like this

Ashu is correct about the GRE scores and grades. I know few people who have attended and will be attending Harvard University with verbal scores less than 600 (in GRE). Their grades were not that impressive either. I think its a combination of good references and what the universities are looking for at that time. Again, if I can get into Harvard, I don't see why anyone can't. (no arrogance intended)
The prospect of getting into these high profile schools based on grades and scores are greater as an undergraduate than as a graduate student. Graduate school is like a marriage, per say, where the challenge is to find the best fit between the students and the faculties. I have noticed that schools like Harvard, U Cal. (Berkeley), Yale, Columbia, Johns Hopkins...etc etc fosters education in professional fields (doctors, lawyers). The technology part is a strong point at schools like Cal Tech, MIT, Scripps...
What I am trying to say is, don't go with the rankings and what you have heard. Learn to look past the front page of a university. Look at the faculties that make these schools "great." Be able to identify what fits you. Make that marriage work! Don't get sucked in by the name. Be able to leave a good image of yourself whereever you decide to go.
I get really frustrated at students who "subtly" manage to let me know that they are attending/ have attended schools like Harvard, Yale or MIT and when asked about what they are working on, can't even seem to frame one sensible sentence explaining their own work. Thats lame and disgusting!!!
Goodluck,

could not agree with you more, vincent!
Graduate school is all about finding the best fit between you as a researcher and research faculty of the school. Of course big names of the universities does reflect lots of good things about the schools but you have to be really careful in finding out the amount of research works going on in your particular field.

In my view, once you are into one of the Top 50 schools, it all depends upon the quality of faculty and the research work in the lab you are involved into. Not all big schools have quality research work going on in all fields. So try to find out the best quality fit. All the best!!

Manab,

Thanks for your question.

Quite honestly, I don't know the answer. I would, however, say that based on what little I know, Harvard is not all that interested in "small business management" and that
it's only recently that it's taking "entrepreneurship" a bit more seriously than it used to.

But I could be wrong; please visit the HBS Web site for further details.

You already know this, I 'm sure, but I'd suggest that you seek advice from your present professors. They are likely to know more about your fit with particular academic programs.

My (general) advice is this:

Decide what you want to do in crystal clear terms,
show what you want to do is what you are AND can be good at with further education,
then explain how thiis particular school will help you do what you want to do,
and then pray hard [with all else being equal, keep in mind that chance also plays
some role in these more-art-than-science type of admissions processes.]

Best wishes,

oohi
ashu

VB jyu,

"Yale, Columbia, Johns Hopkins...etc etc fosters education in professional fields (doctors, lawyers). The technology part is a strong point at schools like Cal Tech, MIT, Scripps... "


Scripps is a all woman liberal arts college of the Claremont Colleges Consortium. As far as I know, it doesn't have any graduate program. If you are into Latin, European Languages, Arts, Art History and easy econ. classes, and if you are one of the Claremont Colleges students, you can take classes there.

Did you mean Mudd (Harvey Mudd)? If yes, Mudd is one of the best technology schools and the only Claremont College that offer graduate degrees.

Did you mean Mudd (Harvey Mudd)? If yes, Mudd is one of the best technology schools and the only Claremont College that offers graduate degrees.

"
and then pray hard [with all else being equal, keep in mind that chance also plays
some role in these more-art-than-science type of admissions processes.] "


I totally agree with you. Sometimes its sheer luck and nothing else to get into good grad programs. But before applying to any particular school, it doesn't harm to see what classes are offered there, who are the profs. andhow the program/school will help you achieve your academic and professional goals.

Good Luck!

Freak jyu,

I think I know what I am talking about here. Scripps = Scripps Research Institute. Thanks for trying to correct me, with the emphasis on trying... :)

check out scripps.edu
Contrary to what you said, Scripps offers only graduate degrees: no undergrads. If you are around La Jolla, I would be happy to show you around the area. :)

When I am at it, I think I should point something out. Harvard or any other schools don't advertise, what they want their students to excel in. Its a shame if Harvard doesn't show interest in "small business management." A good student in a gem no matter where one goes. "Entrepreneurship" is NOT a "small business." The thing is Harvard lacks the technology backing from its sciences, except in the medical science, to make it a big player in this kinda business.

I feel as if I was a bit negative on my last posting. That was not my intention. I think everyone should apply to all of their dream schools. Its a chance one seldom gets and who are we to say if you are capable or not. As someone pointed out, admission process is often "more-art-than-science."

Best,
--BV

My mistake.. I didn't know there was a Scripps grad institute too. I only knew of one Scripps college.

Sorry 'bout my earlier reply.

I feel as if I was a bit negative on my last posting. That was not my intention. I think everyone should apply to all of their dream schools. Its a chance one seldom gets and who are we to say if you are capable or not. As someone pointed out, admission process is often "more-art-than-science."


Admissions process is complex. It also depends in the mood of registrar/admissioncommittee members. If one of them is having a bad day, well... its not a good sign.

La sathi haroo, wish me luck too! I need some extra good luck-wishes my way these days.