<p>I am attending a no-name state college and I am 1.5 courses away from finishing a master's degree in math. It is difficult for me to find a job with a math major; I went to career fairs but no luck. I applied to Harvard's XXX (not stating for privacy) master's program as a backup. I was thrilled to have been accepted.</p>
<p>However, I was accepted to start in the Fall07 and I am not allowed to defer my admission. I was planning on finishing my master's in math by taking a 1.5 credit class in the Fall07 at the state college while starting my master's in XXX at Harvard at the same time.</p>
<p>But on the Harvard website, it states "No student registered in GSAS shall, at the same time, be registered in any school or college either of Harvard University or of any other institution."</p>
<p>I put a lot of hard work into my state college master's degree and I really want to finish it (just have one class left), but I also don't want to lose my chance at Harvard. If I enroll at Harvard and the state college at the same time, how will Harvard find out? And if Harvard does find out, will I get kicked out of both Harvard and the state school, and be left with no degree in the end?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the 1.5 credit that I need to graduate is a high level course which isn't offered anywhere over the summer. I feel like I should take a chance and enroll in both schools in the Fall. What is the worst that can happen?</p>
<p>Do not break clearly stated, flat policies. </p>
<p>Colleges tend to be loyal to each other, and it is very possible that you would end up without either degree. Then a lot of money and time is down the drain. Harvard could find out very easily in any number of different ways. Getting a master's isn't private information; it's bound to come out at some point. Remember, Harvard can revoke your degree any time they want to after you have it. </p>
<p>If it's a small program, try to explain your situation and see whether they would consider offering it during the summer if enough interest is shown (of course, you would have to find interested people). If it's a course you could do independently or with minimal professor involvement, your chances are even greater. See if you can take the course at Harvard and transfer the credit, though I would suggest asking Harvard whether that would violate their policy. Otherwise search around; some institution should offer it during the summer. Ask everywhere you can.</p>
<p>Your options are 1) Forget the state school degree, 2) Forget Harvard, 3) Try to re-apply to Harvard next year, 4) Forget the state school degree for now and explore your options for finishing it up, and 5) Breaking school policy--I don't see this as an acceptable option, by the way.</p>
<p>If being in the other degree program wasn't helping you meet your personal goals, you may as well let it go until after you are done with the Harvard degree.</p>
<p>Talk to someone at Harvard about this!!!! Try the advisors in your department. They should be able to help you figure out some way to solve this issue. We can't really help because we don't know all the ins-and-outs of the policies. (And you couldn't find a job as a math major??? I know of a school district that today posted an ad in the paper for math majors who are willing to teach secondary school; 40,000 to start, plus $7000 stipend, plus $2000 prof development, plus $3000 relocation, plus ten extra days of paid work, plus signing bonus of $2-3,000. And this, in a city where you could buy a lot of house for $185,000. )</p>
<p>If it isn't Ok with H, then just delay taking the one class until you finish at H. Lots of people take more time to complete their graduate degrees.</p>
<p>Since it would be a nice advantage to H to have their new Phd (?) candidate with a MA behind his (?) name, I cannot imagine they will not find a way to make this happen.</p>
<p>It's funny you ask "will they find out? how?" and hope to go to Harvard. Have you been reading lately the Harvard will soon be (or maybe just has) reinstated a required ethics class? The university had been disappointed in some of its grads lately, and other college grads misbehaving in business, and they feel some students need more guidance in right and wrong. You ask "what's the worst that can happen?" I think the answer to that would be your loss of pride and integrity, if you deliberately try to deceive Harvard. You might get away with it, and trick Harvard into believing you are keeping your word. But to risk this at a time when Harvard is trying to "improve its ethics image" and that of college grads in general, that would be a risky course of action. Sure, Harvard might kick you out if they catch you, but personally, I don't see that as bad as the loss of one's integrity.
I hope you don't make that choice. Please take the high road, even if its not the easiest path. You'll sleep better at night even if you make a wrong choice- but had the best of intentions, than you would knowing you got away with cheating a learning institution that was trying to help you.
I strongly urge you to be up front with Harvard, thoroughly explain you lack only 1 class, and that it isn't offered in the Summer. I think it likely they will offer a class that is transferable, or may permit you to take the one remaining class at the previous school. Perhaps if your current school has thorough info on your dilemma, they could help you with other alternatives.</p>
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And if Harvard does find out, will I get kicked out of both Harvard and the state school, and be left with no degree in the end?
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</p>
<p>The net-net is unless you are in some type of joint degree programs you can not be maticulted at two simultaneously (your state school is not going to allow it and Harvard is definitely not going to allow it).</p>
<p>What is the worse that can happen? Both schools can rescind your degree leaving you with 2 worthless pieces of paper. (Keep in mind this does not have to happen immediately as some where you are going to enter the work force and when your employer verifies your information, they will see the overlap in dates and a flag will be raised).</p>
<p>Here are some suggestions:</p>
<p>If your school does not give the math course over the summer, find out if another school locally does. I would find it rare that your school is the only place in the country giving this course.</p>
<p>Find out if you can take the course as an independent study over the summer.</p>
<p>Find out if your state school will give you a permit to take the one math couse a Harvard. This is not an unusual request as a number of studnets get permission to take courses at other schools.</p>
<p>I do not see the problem. Your admission to HU is not contingent on finishing your current degree program. Enroll this fall and make up the single class for the current MS degree at HU.</p>