azuljen88

I decided going to HKS was worth the $35k more than what Fletcher was offering me because I think the program will work better for me (more focus on skills-building, less strictly IR-focused...and yes, the "brand" was a factor as well). I eliminated SAIS from my options almost immediately because I preferred Fletcher anyway and Fletcher was much cheaper. It was definitely a hard decision, and the amount of loans I'll take out (around $88k) is scary, but I am confident it is the right choice for me. I am incredibly lucky that my parents are willing to help me pay for some living expenses and can help me with loans if I really need it down the road. HKS also has an awesome loan repayment/forgiveness plan for people who work in public service and make less than $60k. They have an endowment set up for this and help cover monthly payments. Now, I wish they'd just given me the $$ in the first place, but it makes working abroad for an NGO in a developing country (as I do now) a much more feasible and attractive option.

I think it depends on what your interest rate is and how much you are taking out in loans. If you invest the money you make from fellowships/work-study and get 10% on the returns, while your loans are at 5% interest, it would make sense to invest the money and take out loans for living expenses while in school, as you are growing your money faster than the interest is gathering on your loans. The trade-off is that you'll be paying loans for a longer amount of time. It's definitely a balance!

Anyone else definitely going for MPP? I'm pretty much set on going unless somebody makes a really strong argument otherwise in the next few days. I think the course offerings, plus ability to attend courses at the Ed and Public Health schools, plus ability to take classes at Fletcher, plus community of international students, world-class speakers and professors, alumni network, and job opportunities post-graduation, will be well worth the cost (and therefore loans!) of attendance.

Does it make any sense to turn down $12k/year at Fletcher to go to HKS (MPP) with no aid? I'm really torn about which school to attend. I feel like they both have strengths and weaknesses. Though Fletcher seems like a better fit for me now since I want to work in international development, I think an MPP from HKS might be more versatile and benefit me more long-term, when I may want to work domestically (US). I could also take up to four classes at Fletcher. I don't want to base this decision solely on funding because the $35k difference isn't so significant over the long term, and there is a possibility of getting research assistantships, etc at HKS. Any insights welcome!

I was accepted to the MIA program and received a Dean's Leadership Scholarship (this was all in the acceptance letter): "In recognition of your outstanding application and achievements, you have been awarded the Dean’s Leadership Scholarship. As a recipient of the Dean’s Leadership Scholarship, you will receive $10,000 to be used toward your 2014-2015 cost of attendance at SIPA; the total amount will be divided equally between the fall and spring semesters. This is a one year non-renewable award. In addition, you will be guaranteed a coveted SIPA assistantship (service that is valued at a minimum of $10,500) for one semester in your second year of study at SIPA if you maintain a GPA of 3.4 and full-time enrollment at SIPA. In order to secure the assistantship, you would be required to apply and accept the assistantship offer in April 2015. Further information on the assistantship will be provided to you in your fall semester." So I think if there is $$ involved for scholarships, the admissions letter would state so explicitly, but hopefully I'm wrong!

Thanks for your offer to answer questions! I really appreciate it. Can I ask - what other schools were you deciding between? Why did you choose SAIS Europe, and are you happy with your choice?

Hi all, I took the GRE a few months ago and received: V- 168 Q - 162 AW - 4.0 I'm looking at top-tier MPA and potentially IR programs. I'm American and I attended a top-10 liberal arts college in the US and had a 3.79 GPA. Since graduating 2 years ago, I've been living in a developing country in Asia and have held increasingly higher-level positions in NGOs. Do you think I should retake the GRE to raise my AW score? I'm concerned it will prevent me from getting into the best programs, but I'm also concerned that my other scores will go down since I haven't studied for the test in a long time! Advice please?