Many graduate schools will tell you why their school is the best place for you, but today I thought I’d do something a little differently. This is a little unorthodox, but bear with me: today I’ve put together how to know if Heller might not be the best place for you.
Heller might not be the right fit for you if…
- You’re comfortable with the status quo. At Heller, the students, faculty, and staff are all committed to promoting social justice and creating a better world. This passion and drive can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if you’re content with the way things are now. Our commitment to making the world a better place is reflected in everything we do at Heller: from our motto to the curriculum, from the research being done in our institutes to the student organizations and events. We strive to create an atmosphere at Heller that inspires and challenges our students, and if you’re not open to that type of environment, it might not be the right fit for you.
- You’re already completely satisfied in your career. Although many of our students come to us having already accomplished great things, if you’re entirely satisfied in your job right now, you might not find the opportunities at Heller to be particularly appealing. At Heller, we work hard to make sure that our students go on to do great things. Our curricula are designed to equip students with both the theoretical knowledge and the hands on tools that will allow them grow and develop professionally, and to enable them to pursue careers that make a positive impact. Our Career Development Center also provides resources, workshops, and one-on-one coaching appointments to help students reach their personal and professional goals. In other words, at Heller, we don’t just care about your success while you’re in school: we’re looking further, to the next five, ten and twenty years after you graduate. If you’re already in a job that you love, and you’re not looking for new opportunities or challenges, the opportunities that Heller offers to grow your career might not be up your alley.
- You’re not comfortable being a part of a dynamic community. Heller students come from all walks of life: the person sitting next to you in class might be a optometrist from Nigeria in the United States for the first time, an active duty National Guard service member who will be getting on a helicopter later that day to help put out wildfires, or a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who was evacuated from their post during the COVID epidemic. These experiences make for a diverse classroom atmosphere, and students come to Heller because they’re passionate about the causes they care about. That combination often means that classroom discussions are full of healthy, respectful debate, and if you’re not comfortable in a dynamic environment, you might find that you feel out of place. Additionally, the focus on social justice at Heller means that there are many discussions aimed at creating a more inclusive and supportive community, and if you’re not comfortable with this type of atmosphere, you might find it difficult to thrive at Heller.
Like I said– a little unorthodox, but as I hope I’ve made clear, Heller is all about doing things a little bit differently. If any of the things I’ve listed above apply to you, then the Heller School for Social Policy and Management might not be the best fit for you. But if you’re excited about growing your career while challenging the status quo in a collaborative community working towards a common goal of making the world a better place, Heller is the place to be.