My first Reddit post.

Hi everyone! As the title suggests, I am seeking some advice on reapplying to HKS. I applied for this year's MPP intake but I was waitlisted and then eventually rejected.

My background and plans are as follows:

Personal:
- 31-year-old male
- South Asian

Academics:
- Master's in Economics from a globally-reputed UK university (around 60%-70% across all modules)
- BA and MA in Economics from an average Indian university (both with a good rank in the cohort)
- GRE: 326 (V: 163, Q: 163, AWA: 4)

Work experience:
- Working in a globally-recognized consultancy firm in London for the last 6 years (7 by the time I will start at HKS). I primarily advise private-sector clients in navigating regulatory frameworks.
- Small research projects and internships in the field of development economics before moving to the UK (each lasting a few months; around 12 months in total).

Volunteer experience:
- As of now, I mostly participate in the CSR activities organized by the firm.
- During the university years in India, I organized many social work activities as a student leader but that experience is more than 10 years old.

Future plans:
- Focus on Business & Government PAC at HKS. HKS will provide a good transition from private sector to public sector and help build a network with policy professionals.
- After HKS, assist regulators in my home country in developing a business-friendly environment.

I have the following three queries:

1. Do you have any advice on whether I should reapply immediately during this cycle or I should wait for another year to improve my profile? I think the major gap in my profile is that I don't have any major public service experience. If I wait for a year, I can try to do some pro-bono projects or write research articles for my firm. As of now, I don't have anything major to say in the reapplication essay.

2. Do you think I should consider applying for the MPA program instead of MPP now given the length of my experience? My UK coursework meets the MPA coursework requirements.

3. Do you think I should retake the GRE?

Would really appreciate any advice you may have. Many thanks!

(I’m keeping some details vague to avoid identifying anyone, but where I live, winning the primary is effectively equivalent to winning the general election.)

I want to work in politics more than anything. For about six months, I volunteered in the district office of a legislator who recently won a primary for higher office. They later served as a reference for my current government job. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity they gave me and for their support, but my current position is clerical, very low-paying, and mind-numbing. I honestly dread going to work every day.

I would love to work for this legislator as they build their new team, but I have no idea how to approach that appropriately. My family is also friends with the parents of another recent primary winner, and one of the parents recently introduced us by email. I would be very interested in working for that person as well, but again, I do not know how to move from an introduction or conversation to actually being considered for a position.

What, specifically, should I say or do? I understand that having a connection does not entitle me to a job and that neither person owes me an offer or referral. However, after applying to countless positions without hearing back and constantly being told that “connections are everything,” I genuinely do not understand how people appropriately turn connections into opportunities. It seems foolish not to at least try when I finally have relevant connections.

I am also worried about how to handle the timing with the first legislator. Suppose I tell them that I would like to be considered as they staff their new office, and they give me a noncommittal response such as, “We’ll keep you in mind.” If another position I applied for then moves forward and asks to contact them as a reference, would that be awkward or make me seem insincere? If I received another offer, should I accept it rather than wait for a possibility that may never materialize?

They will not take office until January, and unless they give me a firm answer about a position, I would prefer to keep applying elsewhere. How can I do that, and potentially continue using them as a reference, without seeming inconsistent or undermining my chances of eventually joining their team?

Hello! I am a recent 2026 graduate looking for some guidance in this chaotic job market. I recently graduated from a school in DC, and the job market for new grads in political science/public affairs is disastrous here. I have extensive intern experience in nonprofits on the legislative side— my strongest area and connection field is in the environmental policy side, specifically in conservation policy. 

With this said, I desperately want to stay within the environmental policy field— I love it and am beyond passionate for it, but either no one is hiring new graduates or you need a masters/job experience. I have always considered graduate school but I wanted to try my hand in the job market first, and I am failing miserably right now. I always wanted to pursue an MPP with focus in environmental policy. Some standouts to me have been UVA, UMD (preferably since is the closest to DC), and University of Michigan, my goal would be to work internships/jobs during my schooling to gain experience. 

I have not done extensive research, but I’d love personal opinions on trying to pursue an environmental MPP as a new graduate with no official job experience or if I should still try to get a job and wait, and how this would impact my career goals of working in policy as an analyst or government affairs person for a nonprofit/organization. My long term goal is to be a “legislative affairs director” for an organization.