Admitted Student Week Admitted Student Programming Schedule Past Events 2025 | March 31–April 4 2024 | March 18–22 2023 | March 27–31 2023 | February 20–24 2022 | April 4–9 2022 | February 28–March 4 Join us for Admitted Student Programming and discover why Harris is the best place to study public policy!In-person programming will kick off with class visits and community activities on Thursday, March 26. The main, in-person Admitted Student Day is Friday, March 27.We will offer virtual content Monday, March 30–Friday, April 10. Register for events below. (Skip to virtual content on this page)We're also offering $300.00 travel reimbursement—learn more.Admitted Student Programming is only available for students admitted to the class starting in Fall 2026. Admitted Student Day KickoffThursday, March 26Admitted Student Day Kickoff Programming (in-person)Thursday, March 26 | 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m.Central Daylight Time Register: Admitted Student Day Kickoff Programming (in-person) Join us for a kickoff to our day of activities including: morning/afternoon class visits, lunch, and evening community building activity with Harris Student Organizations and Centers and Institutes.Lunch with Current StudentsLunch with Current Students (in-person)Thursday, March 26 | 12:30–2 p.m. Central Daylight Time (Sky Suite)Join current students for lunch in the Sky Suite, followed by optional tours of the Keller Center, home to the Harris School of Public Policy. Class visitsClass Visits (in-person)Thursday, March 26 | 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Central Daylight TimeA limited number of class visits will be available. Admitted students will have the opportunity to register for one class visit via email or explore the campus (or Chicago) until dinner with Harris Student Organizations and Centers & Institutes. Dinner with Student Organizations and Centers & InstitutesThursday, March 26 | 5–7 p.m. Central Daylight TimeJoin us for a dinner with Harris Student Organizations and Center & Institute leadership.Dinner with Student Organizations and Centers & InstitutesRoom 0007: Behavioral Insights & Parenting Lab, Education Policy Students Association Room 1002: Center for Municipal Finance, Harris Finance GroupRoom 1010: Chicago Policy Review, Institute of PoliticsRoom 2082: The African Perspective, Latin American Matters4th floor boardroom: Data, Ethics, and Policy, Harris Energy and Environmental Association4th floor sky suite: Minorities in Public Policy Studies, OUTPolitik, Urban Labs, Women in Public PolicyIn-Person Admitted Student DayFriday, March 27Admitted Student Day (in-person)Friday, March 27 | 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Central Daylight TimeRegister: Admitted Student Day (in-person)Join us for this day of activities including: faculty discussions, lunch with current students, and break-out sessions with staff and peers. Spouses and partners are also welcome to join this day of events.Check-in and BreakfastCheck-in and Breakfast (in-person)Friday, March 27 | 8:30–9:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time | Keller Lobby/CommonsCheck in with Admissions the Keller Center Lobby and enjoy breakfast with other admitted students in the Keller Center Commons. Check in any luggage you brought to the Admissions Suite.WelcomeWelcome Remarks (in-person)Friday, March 27 | 9:30–9:50 a.m. Central Daylight Time | Keller Center ForumThe Harris Admissions team will provide an overview of the day, followed by welcome remarks.Harris In Action PanelHarris In Action Panel (in-person)Friday, March 27 | 10–10:45 a.m. Central Daylight Time | Keller Center ForumHarris students are connected by a shared commitment to making a social impact. Join us for a panel on the various ways Harris students start making an impact while completing their degrees. We are pleased to be joined by representatives from: Chicago Policy Review, our student-run publication, which strives to be an access point to the most pressing public policy debates happening in the world today. We will be joined by Gina Washington, MPP Class of 2026, Editor-in-Chief of Chicago Policy Review. The Core Project, in which first-year MPP students complete a team-based policy memo that applies Core training to a real-world policy challenge. Teams draw on statistical analysis, economic reasoning, and political strategy to craft practical recommendations for public sector clients, including elected officials, government agencies, and nonprofit leaders. We will be joined by David Chrisinger, Executive Director of the Harris Writing Workshop.Harris Community Action, which connects Harris graduate students to the South Side community through a unique fellowship program that utilizes student expertise in data and policy analysis for the benefit of local non-profit organizations. We will be joined by Nikitha Reddy, MPP Class of 2026, Chair of Harris Community Action. Harris Policy Innovation Challenge, in which students apply research and analysis to pressing local policy issues, developing evidence-based proposals evaluated by expert judges for a $10,000 award. We will be joined by Research Professor Justin Marlowe and Syed Ahmad, MPP/MBA Class of 2026, whose team won a previous Policy Innovation Challenge. Harris Policy Labs, elective courses that put rigorous policy training into practice. Students work with external clients, including government agencies, nonprofits, multilateral institutions, and University of Chicago partners, to tackle real public policy challenges. We will be joined by Senior Lecturer Rebecca Wolfe.This panel will be moderated by Deqa Aden, MPP'23, Obama Scholar, Manager of the Development Innovation Lab led by Nobel laureate Professor Michael Kremer. Alumni PanelAlumni Panel (in-person)Friday, March 27 | 11–noon Central Daylight Time | Keller Center ForumJoin a panel of Harris alumni to learn about the ways in which the Harris experience prepares alumni for their next steps.We are pleased to be joined by: Krisinda Doherty (moderator), Associate Dean, Professional and Career DevelopmentRan Cheng, MPP'22, Analyst at the University of Chicago Urban LabsRandi Hall, AM/MPP'19, Senior Analyst at US Government Accountability OfficeMichaela Johnke, MPP'22, Senior Consultant, State and Local Government at GuidehouseKyra Sturgill, MPP'20, Director of Data Analytics, Cook County Assessor's OfficeLunch (in-person)Friday, March 27 | noon–1 p.m. Central Daylight Time | Forum/Commons LunchJoin your fellow admitted students, as well as current students, for lunch.Separate lunches will be hosted for the following admits:MSCAPP (Sky Suite)MACRM (4th floor Board Room)Military affiliated (1010)MSCEP (3008)Emerging Leaders (2082)Breakout Sessions (in-person)Choose one of the following breakout session options per time slot:Breakout Session IFriday, March 27 | 1–1:45 p.m.Central Daylight TimeMaster of Public Policy (MPP)/Master of Arts (MA) in Public Policy—Overview of the Core Curriculum (0007)MS in Computational Analysis and Public Policy (MSCAPP) Session (Sky Suite)MA in Public Policy with Certificate in Research Methods (MACRM) Session (Boardroom)MS in Climate and Energy Policy (MSCEP) Session (3008)Breakout Session IIFriday, March 27 | 2–2:45 p.m. Central Daylight TimeCareer Development Office Coaching Workshop (0007)—Join Chelsie Noble, Director of Career Development for a session on the coaching offered by the Career Development Office."Careers In" Course Overview (0021)—Join Krisinda Doherty, Associate Dean of Professional and Career Development, and Justin Marlowe, Research Professor, for an overview of an overview of our "Careers In" course initiative, which offers no-credit, no-cost courses designed to support your professional growth with industry-specific career exploration and skill enhancement. Professor Marlowe ran the Careers in Municipal Finance Course last fall. Harris Writing Workshop (Sky Suite)—Join Isabeau Dasho, Associate Director of the Writing Program, for a hands-on experience introducing incoming students to the nuance of writing for policy, impactful ways to tell compelling stories, and how to communicate effectively to stakeholders.International Policy and Development (4th floor Boardroom)—Join Rebecca Wolfe, Senior Lecturer and Executive Director of International Policy & Development, for an overview of International Policy and Development at Harris, and her insights as a leading expert on political violence, conflict and development.The Bike Shop @UChicagoThe Bike Shop @UChicago (in-person)Friday, March 27 | 3–4 p.m. Central Daylight TimeWith an extraordinary gift from University of Chicago Trustee Thomas Francis Dunn, AB’81, MBA’86, and Susan Knapp Dunn, AB’82, Harris is establishing the Bike Shop @UChicago, a new lab dedicated to building and leading the emerging field of algorithmic public policy. Rather than focusing on algorithms that replace people, the Bike Shop will design tools that extend human decision-making—helping governments improve outcomes and scale evidence-based approaches more effectively. Join Harris Dean and Sydney Stein Professor Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, along with Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor Jens Ludwig and Professor Oendrila Dube and for a discussion of this new lab.Reception with Harris Student Organizations (in-person)Reception with Harris Student OrganizationsFriday, March 27 | 4–5 p.m. Central Daylight Time | Keller Center ForumJoin your future classmates and current students including representatives from Harris Student Organizations for a final reception. Drinks and refreshments will be served.We hope you enjoy your Admitted Student Day. Be sure to collect any luggage you have brought from the front desk of the Admissions Suite by 5 p.m.Life as a Graduate student in ChicagoMonday, March 30Life as a Graduate Student in Chicago (virtual)Monday, March 30 | 8:30–9:30 a.m. Central Daylight TimeRegister: Life as a Graduate Student in Chicago (virtual)Join us for a panel discussion about life as a current Harris student. You'll learn about the wraparound support services available to students through the Dean of Students and Career Development Offices, how students create a school/life balance, and insider tips about making the most of your time at UChicago as well as its namesake city.Financial Aid WebinarTuesday, March 31Financial Aid Webinar: Investment, Cost of Attendance, Student Employment (virtual)Tuesday, March 31 | 8:30–9:30 a.m. Central Daylight TimeRegister: Financial Aid Webinar: Investment, Cost of Attendance, Student Employment (virtual)Please join our team for a webinar about scholarships, on campus employment including research assistantships and teaching assistantships, financial aid (FAFSA), tuition, total cost of attendance, and next steps. We will go over frequently asked questions, as well as answer any remaining questions you may have.CDO Overview: Harris Career Gateway LaunchWednesday, April 1Career Development Office Overview: Harris Career Gateway & September Career Accelerators (virtual)Wednesday, April 1 | 9:30–10:30 a.m. Central Daylight TimeRegister: Career Development Office Overview: Harris Career Gateway & September Career AcceleratorsJoin the Career Development Office to learn more about our unique career offerings as well as two programs designed to accelerate your career: Harris Career Gateway, our asynchronous career course that will launch in AprilSeptember Career Accelerator programs, designed to get students career-ready by day one of fall quarter with intensive coach-led career development sessions, expert-led interviewing skill preparation and industry networking We will be joined by Krisinda Doherty, Associate Dean, Professional and Career Development, Chelsie Noble, Director of Career Development, and Paige Azuma, Senior Director of Employer Partnerships.Roundtable with Current Students from South AsiaThursday, April 2Admitted Student Roundtable with Current Students from South Asia (virtual)Thursday, April 2 | 9–9:10 a.m. Central Daylight TimeRegister: Admitted Student Roundtable with Current Students from South AsiaJoin a casual mingling event on Zoom with current students from the region to learn more about the Harris and UChicago experience and get to know your classmates!Roundtable with Current Students from Latin AmericaAdmitted Student Roundtable with Current Students from Latin America (virtual)Thursday, April 2 | 1–2 p.m. Central Daylight TimeRegister: Admitted Student Roundtable with Current Students from Latin AmericaJoin a casual mingling event on Zoom with current students from the region to learn more about the Harris and UChicago experience and get to know your classmates!Roundtable with Current Students from AfricaFriday, April 3Admitted Student Roundtable with Current Students from Africa (virtual)Friday, April 3 | noon–1 p.m. Central Daylight TimeRegister: Admitted Student Roundtable with Current Students from AfricaJoin a casual mingling event on Zoom with current students from the region to learn more about the Harris and UChicago experience and get to know your classmatesTuesday, April 7Masterclass with Moon DuchinHow (and How Not) to Write Rules About Gerrymandering: A Masterclass with Moon DuchinTuesday, April 7 | 9–10 a.m. Central Daylight TimeRegister: Masterclass with Moon DuchinFor this Masterclass, we are thrilled to present Professor of Computer Science and Data Science Moon Duchin, whose research explores mechanisms of representative democracy, from redistricting to "alternative" electoral systems like ranked choice voting.Professor Duchin’s Masterclass topic, “How (and how not) to write rules about gerrymandering” will detail algorithmic approaches that illuminate the properties of "neutral" redistricting. Duchin’s use of math modeling to analyze redistricting has led to her serving as an expert in numerous voting rights court cases throughout the United States, as well as advising legislatures and independent commissions.Municipal Finance Overview with Krisinda DohertyMunicipal Finance OverviewTuesday, April 7 | noon–1 p.m. Central Daylight TimeRegister: Municipal Finance OverviewPlease join Krisinda Doherty, Associate Dean, Professional and Career Development, for information about the Careers in Municipal Finance course and an overview of Municipal Finance opportunities at the Harris School of Public Policy.Current Student Roundtable for MSCAPP AdmitsWednesday, April 8Current Student Roundtable for MSCAPP AdmitsWednesday, April 8 | 8:30–9:30 a.m. Central Daylight TimeRegister: Current Student Roundtable for MSCAPP AdmitsJoin us as we welcome newly admitted students to the MS in Computational Analysis and Public Policy (MSCAPP) program! We will have faculty, students, and staff on hand to discuss next steps and answer your questions.Please note, this session is for MSCAPP admits only. Next Steps for International StudentsFriday, April 10Next Steps for International Students with the Office of International AffairsFriday, April 10 | 8–9 a.m. Central Daylight TimeRegister: Next Steps for International Students with the Office of International AffairsPlease join Colleen Keefe Poungsiri, International Student Advisor in the Office of International Affairs, for a virtual session focused on next steps for incoming Harris international students. This webinar will provide detailed, step-by-step guidance on requesting visa documents, understanding the visa application process, and preparing for your transition to the University of Chicago. The information shared will be specific and practical, and highly relevant to students beginning the visa process.