Lgibbons07

So, update for you all. I went to GW and worked with admissions to see if, in light of AU's offer, they might offer me any additonal funding. And they DID! It's about half of what was offered at AU, but it would allow me to continue working at my current job full time and attend school part time for as long as I chose to do so. So I'd offset part of the difference. And the offer is renewable for another year. Therefore, my question now becomes: do I take less money from a program I feel better about, or more money (almost a full ride) from a program that is similar, but not as highly regarded? I will likely accumulate more debt, but not an impossible amount more.

Hello All! I a late twenty-something finally heading back to Grad School. I've lived in the DC area for about 5 years, and want to start moving my career back into the realm of public service. In that light, I've applied to MPP program in the DC area and am now deciding between the AU SPA MPP or the GW Trachtenberg MPP. I had decided on GW based on faculty and students I had spoken to, and the general impression I got of the strenghths of the program. Professors are friendly and knowledgable professionals, many of whom still work in outside roles within their fields. They have a very strong career center and a strong alumni network. And the student body seems close knit. I did get a favorable impression of the AU program at their Accepted Student's Day. The faculty in particualr seems to be wonderful. But their career center didn't seem to be as strong, and honestly, I didn't find many students to speak with. I received a considerable merit award from AU, but nothing from GW. In terms of decisions, I feel both schools have strong programs, but my initial inclination towards GW has been offset by the amount of funding offered by AU. Would it be worth accepting at AU to defer some of the cost? Does anyone have any opinions of GW vs AU in terms of quality of the program and the employment potential after graduation? Thank you!