The application deadline is quickly approaching! If you are interested

in applying to one of the Kennedy School’s master’s degree programs this application

cycle, you must submit your application and required materials by Thursday,

December 1, 2022 at 3 p.m. ET.

We know many prospective applicants still have lingering

questions about the application process. We’re here to address some of the most

frequently asked questions we’ve received from prospective applicants.

Do all three of my letters of recommendation need to be received by the

deadline?

We will accept letters after the December 1 deadline, but we

strongly encourage you to urge your recommenders to complete their

recommendations as soon as possible. If we do not receive your letters of

recommendation in a timely manner, we will be unable to proceed with your application

review. If you are concerned about a recommender’s ability to meet the

deadline, we recommend that you solicit a substitute recommendation from

someone will be able to submit a recommendation by the deadline.

Can I request a GRE/GMAT/TOEFL waiver?

We do not offer waivers for standardized tests. For this application cycle,

our standardized test policy is as follows:

• Applicants to our two-year master’s degree

  programs (MPP, MPA, MPA/ID) must submit GRE or GMAT scores.

• Applicants to our one-year master’s degree program

  (MC/MPA) may choose to submit GRE or GMAT scores for consideration, but this is

  optional.

• If you do not speak English as your native language

  and did not earn an undergraduate degree conducted entirely in English, you

  must submit Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English

  Language Testing System (IELTS academic test only), or Cambridge English test

  scores with your application.

You can view

our full standardized test policy on our website.

Do I need official test scores when I submit the application?

You must take all required tests by the application

deadline. You may self-report your test scores for the purposes of submitting

your application; however, the Admissions Committee will not review an

application until we receive official test reports for the required exams. If

official scores are not available at the time of the application deadline, you

should enter your unofficial test registration and score information on the

application and arrange to have the official results sent to us as soon as possible.

Do you offer application fee waivers?

We waive our application fee for participants in a select few

programs, including: Kennedy Trust Fellows, Public Policy and International

Affairs (PPIA) Fellows, Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellows, Payne International

Development Fellows, Public Policy Leadership Conference (PPLC) alumni, current

Teach for America Teachers, current Peace Corps volunteers, current AmeriCorps

volunteers, U.S. Coast Guard Officers, Wexner Fellows, Charles B. Rangel

Foreign Affairs Fellows, U.S. Air Force Officers, and Crown Prince Frederick

Fellows.

If you are not affiliated with one of these programs, we are

unfortunately unable to waiver your application fee.

Please note: The HKS Office of Admissions & Financial

U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. We will re-open Monday, November 28, 2022 at 9 a.m. ET.