HGSE Admissions Blog

Lida Asilyan, originally from Armenia, is currently pursuing an M.Ed in the Education Policy and Analysis Program at Harvard Graduate School of Education. She spent the past three years working part-time at American Councils for International Education and EducationUSA while also earning a BA in English and Communications from the American University of Armenia. Her professional interests include international educational development, education in emergencies, and refugee education. Lida is also passionate about journalism, oral history, and writing.

For those of us who arrived at Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) directly from undergrad, the transition can feel like stepping into an entirely different world.

In many countries, including my home country, Armenia, higher education often follows a linear path from bachelor’s degree directly to a master’s, and sometimes a PhD. When applying to graduate programs, I expected to follow this familiar trajectory. But once I arrived at HGSE, surrounded by peers with years of professional experience, I found myself questioning where I fit in.

Imposter Syndrome? Never heard of it.

Oh, that one? Yes…kind of!

Doubts crept in quickly. My classmates had spent years in classrooms, research institutions, or policymaking spaces, while I had come straight from college with some years of professional experience in international education. At first, it was easy to focus on what I lacked, starting from industry-specific experience to a clearer career trajectory. But over time, I realized that coming directly from undergrad also had its advantages: I was adaptable, comfortable with academic rigor, and eager to engage with new ideas without the constraints of established professional habits.

Harvard as a Learning Ecosystem

Initially, I thought the best way to keep up was to focus intensely on my specialization, Education Policy and Analysis. I believed narrowing my scope would help me establish expertise. However, I soon recognized that HGSE offers a much broader opportunity: exposure to interdisciplinary perspectives that reshape the way we think about education. This one-year program moves fast, and the only way to truly gain from it is to take a holistic approach.

One of the most valuable aspects of HGSE is the diversity of its students. My classmates – former teachers, policymakers, nonprofit leaders, researchers – brought perspectives I hadn’t encountered before. Engaging in conversations with them, I was reminded that learning doesn’t only come from coursework. The informal discussions, the debates over coffee, and the shared reflections on education systems around the world provided just as much insight as formal study.

Some of my most valuable learning has happened outside the classroom – in study groups, student-led discussions, office hours and casual conversations with faculty and peers. My HGSE experience also pushed me to engage with disciplines beyond education policy. I found myself drawn to discussions on entrepreneurship, economics, artificial intelligence in education, refugee education and much more.

Attending public lectures from all Harvard schools, participating in interdisciplinary events, and taking advantage of the broader university network helped me contextualize my studies within real-world applications. This broader focus helped me think more critically and holistically about education policy design and implementation.

Moving Forward

The transition from undergrad to HGSE can be challenging, but it also presents unique opportunities. Instead of viewing my experience (or maybe lack of it) as a limitation, I started seeing it as a foundation to build on. The key is to engage fully, ask questions, seek diverse perspectives, and take advantage of every resource available.

For those making this transition, we need to remember that there is no single path to success here. We should find what works for us, and more importantly, allow ourselves to grow in ways we hadn’t anticipated.