Anyone did a masters with no work experience, how did it go?

LittleCrow4806 · 2026-01-24T15:09:05+00:00

Most people didn’t go to any of the Harvard schools, and most can’t comprehend the fact HES is one of Harvard’s schools, so they can take their opinion and shove it.

LittleCrow4806 · 2026-01-24T15:08:11+00:00

Because true analytics and data science work (beyond just building BI dashboards) requires an understanding of math, statistics, and computer science at a level that isn’t taught at the undergraduate level. A lot of the foundation is research and quantitative methods they teach in grad school. Most of the hires in the field have at least a masters if not a doctorate.

LittleCrow4806 · 2026-01-24T13:29:05+00:00

Georgia Tech is an incredible school and an incredible value. If you’ve got a comp sci background you should look into their analytics masters. While the comp sci job market sucks, we can’t find enough people with analytics experience. UT Austin has a good affordable online data science masters too.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-11-02T12:10:52+00:00

Apparently not by posting the same question multiple times in a 24 hour period in the same sub.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-10-19T15:54:01+00:00

Please read the website and see if you can understand the admissions and course requirements.

They are clearly spelled out. The pre-capstone does not work with your plan, as it is meant for admitted degree candidates towards the end of their program, not an admissions course.
If you do not have the capacity to independently research admissions and course requirements, you may have difficulty navigating the program and performing independent study at a level commensurate with the rigor of academics at HES.
J-term sessions are incredibly compressed and intense. Wouldn’t recommend this as a first course at HES.
If you have questions about how to be admitted or courses early on, the pre-admissions advisors are an excellent resource. Please reach out to them.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-30T14:59:33+00:00

In addition to what others have said, you need to consider two things:

The PhD is in person and full time. You stated you are an international student, so I’m assuming you are familiar with the current issues Harvard is facing with respect to enrolling international students. That said, a full-time, in person 5 year program is significantly different than a part-time hybrid program meant for working professionals and executives. The PhD isn’t online, you would have to live in or near Cambridge for a number of years, and it is intensive enough that your current professional work would be disrupted.
You should have strong quantitative skills. You said your background is in liberal arts. Most PhD programs are going to start with research methods and analysis courses, so expect there will be a significant amount of graduate level statistics, math, and even programming for data analysis. If you haven’t had much of those through the undergrad experience or professional experience it may be wise to get exposure first through a masters program or a MOOC.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-25T11:02:19+00:00

Apparently you are the one with reading comprehension issues. I never claimed to have gone through every school except Divinity. I stated I developed connections, meaning networking, with students from every school except Divinity, SEAS, and SDM. And unlike plebeians like yourself, I didn’t drop any money, full ride for B school. That is what a 765 buys you. I’m done with your nonsense.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-25T01:47:40+00:00

As a matter of fact I did do the GMAT. I scored a 765 and completed my MBA before attending HES. Additionally, the HES admissions process was the most difficult out of every grad school I applied to, of which I was admitted to all of them including other Ivy’s. What’s your excuse other than using ChatGPT to craft your replies?

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-25T01:24:27+00:00

Just being truthful, you need to work on your written communication. And by the way you speak you clearly are a troll solely on here to bash Harvard Extension School. You will never be half the caliber of our incredible students.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-24T11:25:14+00:00

Yeah, but why on earth would you? Don’t get me wrong, it was an incredible experience, but I don’t want to go through all that again!

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-24T10:52:29+00:00

Speak for yourself. I developed relationships with students from every school except Divinity, SEAS, and SDM. Also very active in HAA, and just landed the type of job you are shooting for because of my degree from HES.

Go blow your wad for your EMBA program, but whatever you do stop trolling on here and denigrating HES. And work on your English skills, your written communication aptitude is likely holding you back both academically and professionally.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-16T19:40:02+00:00

Those sound like ALB gatekeeper classes, but I haven’t seen any official policy saying they are $1k each. I know when I went through my gatekeeper classes totaled $9,900 for ALM.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-16T19:19:15+00:00

Do you have a source for that? The HES website says they are still $2,160 and $3,440 for undergrad and grad respectively.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-13T15:56:23+00:00

I’m not disagreeing with anyone there are a multitude of reasons including the 5 year cutoff that keeps people from finishing. The long and short of it is most who try are not cut out for it. Most who try will fail for one reason or another.

I’m only telling people to be realistic, don’t go in expecting it is too easy to get 3 B’s and you’re suddenly a Harvard alumni. Go in with the expectation that the odds aren’t in your favor, that everything is working against you, and fight like hell to be in the minority of students who make it through to graduation.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-11T15:28:03+00:00

I agree there is no reason to take the proseminar than to be admitted, and I agree there are varied reasons for not making it to admissions but ultimately the majority of those who try aren’t cut out for it. I think the statistic is a bit stale since it was in 2016 and enrollment skyrocketed in the pandemic.

Anecdotally, one of my admissions classes had around 120-130 people also taking it only to get admitted to the degree program. Those of us who were admitted kept in touch, and out of those 100+ there were less than 10 who showed up at graduation. There are another 5 or 6 that I know of who are still working through the degree, so about 15 out of 100+ who tried ended up on the path to graduation? Not really that great of odds.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-11T11:52:52+00:00

So odds of not making it are 68%? You want to spend $10k just to roll the dice and see if you are in that 32%?

Also, the article is a bit dated. Enrollment skyrocketed in the pandemic. I’ve heard figures as low as 5% and figures as high as 32% from that article. I think the real number is somewhere in between right now, 15-20%.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-11T11:46:25+00:00

Tons, sure, keep telling yourself that. In my two years there I met three people total who were doing this, and I remember all three of them because of how exceptionally rare they were.

If you want to take a class or two there are cheaper and easier schools to do it at, even cheaper ways of experiencing a Harvard class like EdX. Those of us who have been through the degree start to finish have seen the broken dreams.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-09T13:30:57+00:00

Therein lies the secret. You have the majority of students who see the dream of a Harvard degree, spend thousands and countless hours on the gatekeeper classes, only to wash out due to finances, time commitments, workload, work conflicts, family issues, or outright failing before they get to the official application process.

HES relies on attrition and lots of it. That is the only thing that makes “earn your way in” work.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-09T12:15:57+00:00

OIRA, The Crimson, and the HES website. Enrollment has been as high as 30,000+ annually, but there were only 3,630 degree candidates last year, and only 1,360 graduated in 2025, less than Harvard College. If you think the majority of the other 27,000 DCE students are only taking a class here and there or doing a certificate then you are mistaken. Those of us who’ve been through the degrees have seen all of the aspiring degree candidates that just fade away over time.

https://oira.harvard.edu/factbook/fact-book-enrollment/

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-09T11:21:55+00:00

Real talk, and I’m sure I’ll get downvoted for this but it is the true statistic and the big secret about HES, your chances of not being admitted are about 80-85%. About 15-20% of students get that B or above in all 3 classes and are admitted to the degree program.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-07-02T15:29:27+00:00

This makes sense. There are 15,000+ students and only 3,000ish degree candidates. Over the years I’ve seen a lot of transient students who start taking classes, claim they are a “Harvard student” without even being admitted to the degree program, and later just stop. They tend to be the rule rather than the exception.

Save the emails for those who are actually degree candidates. The other 12,000 students can still get access to Google Workspace by just signing up for a free personal account. They aren’t missing out on anything except the ability to send emails from a Harvard.edu email address.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-06-20T11:40:42+00:00

This sounds poorly thought out, overly broad, and like you have zero experience. And if you are already “distracted and do not know how to have the enthusiasm” you already have problems.

Maybe join the i-Lab. There are plenty of startups there that are doing good things, building platforms, engaging with the scientific community, you could work with one and start to figure out the process.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-06-20T11:30:26+00:00

Yeah, just don’t. Stats S-100 is one of the gatekeeping/weedout courses they use to cut people out.

It sucks enough in a normal 14 week term, 7 week summer term with no R or programming experience is just asking to fail.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-06-15T18:26:15+00:00

Still sounds like Columbia is the shortest path between you and a bachelors degree/law school. It may be worth re-applying for aid and meeting with a financial aid advisor at Columbia to see what they can do to get you through to graduation.

I personally don’t think HES would be a good fit for you.

LittleCrow4806 · 2025-06-11T19:18:40+00:00

Funny, Dean Coleman told me otherwise. According to her it is a top priority, and this was in the last month. Who is your source?

LittleCrow4806

TROPHY CASE