TheWoodsman

not yet! Still struggling with the cost

haha olgs7 I remember you... Just go to SAIS already you know you want to!

no it's your dream school, go for it!

I really don't know too much about Elliott as of now, but everything I hear seems really positive. I'm trying to get in touch with current and former students and will definitely be attending their open house on the 11th. As far as SIPA goes, I have several friends there currently, and the reviews are mixed. One person (MIA) complains about feeling overwhelmed by the number of people in the program and doesn't feel like there's enough attention or guidance from professors. Then I have another friend who's just finishing up the one year MPA-ESP and he loves it, so I think it really depends on the individual and the specific program. I was accepted to the MIA as well as MPA-DP, and am leaning strongly towards MPA-DP because of the smaller class size. But then of course there's the cost, which is several thousand more than any other IR program out there. These forums seem to have an obsession with SAIS in general, which really made me hesitate about GW initially, but I think everything you read here should be taken with a grain of salt. Of course SAIS is a great program, but GW is right up there as well. I don't believe that GW grads have a serious disadvantage compared to SAIS graduates when looking for jobs. They're both excellent programs and I think the decision should come down to whether you want the rigorous academic quant focus from SAIS or the professional skills focus at GW. As of now though I still haven't made any decisions. Still driving myself crazy going back and forth btw. GW and SIPA. Aaagh!

Hey I'm in a similar situation as you! I didn't apply to SAIS but I'm going back and forth between Elliott and SIPA for a lot of the same reasons. I like Elliott for the more affordable price and I think having the opportunity to work during the day is a huge advantage. However, the Columbia name does pull more weight and I'm a little concerned about the extreme professional focus at GW (I also want to keep the door to PhD open). I'd love to hear more thoughts on this

Thanks gradytripp, it definitely is difficult to turn down a full tuition offer. It's A Mystery!, why SIPA?

Hi all, I posted this in the decision thread as well but nobody seems to be replying over there. Maybe you guys can give me some advice Hi everyone, Just received admissions decisions for all the Fall 2014 MA programs I applied to, and I'm having a really tough time deciding between Columbia SIPA (I got into the MIA and MPA in Development Practice), and University of Denver's Korbel School (MA in International Development). SIPA offered me $20,000 for the first year (is it safe to assume I'd be offered the same amount or more for the second year?), while Korbel is offering the full tuition Sie fellowship. Assuming I receive the same $20,000 for my second year at SIPA, the difference in total cost between the two programs would be $60-70,000 over two years. Columbia is my first choice, and its ranked higher than UD (not to mention the fact that my girlfriend and I currently live in NYC), but is it worth spending that much more money on a degree from SIPA when I have a full tuition offer on the table at another very strong program? Help! I need advice

Hi everyone, Just received admissions decisions for all the Fall 2014 MA programs I applied to, and I'm having a really tough time deciding between Columbia SIPA (I got into the MIA and MPA in Development Practice), and University of Denver's Korbel School (MA in International Development). SIPA offered me $20,000 for the first year (is it safe to assume I'd be offered the same amount or more for the second year?), while Korbel is offering the full tuition sie fellowship. Assuming I receive the same $20,000 for my second year at SIPA, the difference in total cost between the two programs would be $60-70,000 over two years. Columbia is my first choice, and its ranked higher than UD (not to mention the fact that my girlfriend and I currently live in NYC), but is it worth spending that much more money on a degree from SIPA when I have a full tuition offer on the table at another very strong program? Help! I need advice