Acceptances are in with generous funding all around, and it's decision time. I'm leaning very heavily towards an MA in IR at Yale versus SIPA or SAIS. I would like to hear anyone's thoughts for or against this decision.
The way I see it...
Pros:
- I plan to focus on International Security Studies and SE Asia. Yale seems to do ISS well, SE Asia only so-so, but the flexibility in the curriculum lets me spend time studying classes relevant to my field.
- Yale's academic focus is a plus. I still entertain the (fantasy?) of getting a PhD one day and Yale will open the most doors. I would also genuinely like to understand the theory. 11 years in government service have given me great OJT in applied IR, but I couldn't tell you the why if you stuck a gun to my head.
- The Yale name. SAIS and SIPA have great recognition among the American foreign policy community, but Yale is known by all the folks I deal with, all over the world.
- The faculty and staff seem very friendly and personal. I visited both Yale and SIPA (no time for SAIS), and was really struck by the reception I got at Yale versus the impersonal SIPA.
- Yale's IR program seems like its on the up, with new attention, facilities, and professors.
- Location. OK, New Haven's not great, but the suburbs are close. Moving from a large Asian city, I would like to give my wife and daughter a taste of suburbia before I stick them back in a crowded metropolis.
Cons:
- Maybe too much theory? Some of the classes offered seem a little too ivory tower for me.
- Small size = small alumni network. I don't know if Yale's larger alumni network makes time for us mere MA in IR folks?
- Like I said earlier, SE Asian studies okay, on par with SIPA, but not as good as SAIS.
- Location again. As much as I hate downtown NYC and DC, they do open the door to a lot of unique seminars and study opportunities.
Feel free to shoot gaping holes in my logic. My mind is by no means made up, and feedback, positive or negative, would be greatly appreciated.