PerfectSummerDay

NoChance, I am looking at Stanford ICE and Harvard IEP, as you did. I see you chose Harvard. Would you mind sharing your reasons for choosing Harvard's program? I think it would greatly help those of us still deciding! Thanks!

SoCalGuy- Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the visit days, as that week is crazy for me at work. I have not completely eliminated the Harvard program as a choice, but there are a few progam characteristics that do not fit what I am looking for in my ideal grad program. Firstly, Harvard's program is only a year (32 credits). Stanford's is also a year, but it is the entire calendar year at least (4 quarters, 48 credits), so they pack in more courses. I love school and learning, and would rather have more time to take courses, even if it means taking out more in loans. Secondly, I have talked to friends who say that, despite the shorter length of the program, Harvard does not skimp on quality or content. While this is wonderful, I have heard that people spend their year there extremely busy and stressed. Many take on an internship because of the pressure to do so, but can't quite handle that experience on top of their work load, and therefore don't get as much out of it. I am someone who is willing to work hard, and stay up late many nights working on papers or projects, but I have a mental limit. Personally, I think the structure of Harvard's program would be too much for me, especially given the fact that I would like to explore areas that may lie outside of the designated curriculum. Lastly-- and this is totally personal preference-- I would have a very hard time spending a winter in Boston. Call me a wimp, but I would get too damn depressed. All this being said, it is obviously a highly regarded program, with distinguished faculty who could connect you to lots of cool projects and people around the world. I applied because I wanted options, and I appreciate the courses and rigor of the program. In the end though, it just isn't a good fit for me personally. Hope this helps answer your question.

I was lucky enough to be accepted into IEPM at Vandy, International Education Policy at Harvard, and ICE at Stanford. Since then I have been doing a lot of research into the different programs and faculty. I also attended Vandy's visit days at the end of February. If I am being honest, I was pretty blown away by Vandy's program when I visited. They REALLY support their students on a personal level, and they seem to stress career support more than the other universities. I had several in depth conversations with Vandy's IEPM faculty, and their backgrounds are very strong-- they are definitely as well regarded in the field as Harvard's and Stanford's faculty, if not more so. I felt that they really prioritized conversing with potential masters students, and did so in a genuine way. What is really making the decision for me is the length of Vandy's program-- 2 years with a built-in internship. In the past, many masters students took their internship aborad, which is huge if you are studying international ed policy. Another thing I loved about Vandy is that you can audit any class for $10. Harvard and Stanford may offer a similar deal, but with all your education crammed into one year, would you have time to audit, say, a language class? Probably not. I am visiting Stanford at the end of March, and I am really hoping they will sell their program to me as well as Vandy did. Until that happens, Vandy is my #1.

I am trying to decide between Stanford, Harvard, and Vandy for International Ed Policy. It's a really tough choice! I am leaning toward Vandy because of the program length (2 years, whereas Harvard and Stanford are 1 and 1.5 years), and the importance placed on the internship and research paper. Also, I was totally blown away by our meet and greet session with the faculty when I was there. Additionally, Nasvhille is a way cheaper city to live in than Boston and especially Palo Alto. Good luck with the decision!

Thank you for the reply rbamattre! Your advice on program length was very helpful!

I am also considering Stanford and Harvard, but for International Ed Policy. From what I have read and heard, Harvard's program is a little more theoretical than Stanford's-- classes involve a lot of student discussion of articles, theories, and cases. Stanford approaches the degree from a slightly more real life problem-solving perspective. The lengths of the program are slightly different: Harvard requires 32 credits over two semesters, while Stanford requires 48 credits over 4 quarters (for my program at least). In my opinion, you can do a lot with 16 extra credits. I have read that Harvard students will frequently intern during their Master's program, while Stanford grad students do not. For my degree at Stanford, a research methodology class is recommended, but not required. At Harvard, you must take one research methods class, in addition to a microeconomics course. This leads me to belileve that Harvard's program may be more quantitiate in nature, or at least emphasize the importance of familiarity with statistical tools in research. I would definitely recommend checking out the course offerings/requirements for your program at both schools, and see which combination of classes most closely aligns with what you want to study/accomplish. In terms of prestige and competitiveness, both schools are top notch. They are both internationally recognized names in the field, with distinguished faculty. I would imagine that depending on the year, either program could be more competitive than the other. Lastly, location may or may not be important to you. They are both fairly short programs after all. However, Harvard, being on the east coast is closer to the more international cities of New York and DC, both great centers for policy work. Would you see yourself wanting to stay on the east coast after graduating? Stanford is in Silicon Valley, in the middle of tech country. If you are interested in technology in education, you couldn't pick a better place. Hopefully this gave you a couple new ideas to consider!! Best of luck with your decision!

I am very fortunate, and was accepted to my top choices for International Education Policy. I am genuinely torn, as all of these are amazing schools, with a great faculty. That being said, I am leaning more toward Vanderbilt and Stanford. For others in a similar position, what are your thoughts on these schools (Ed, or Ed Policy, not necessarily just International Ed Policy)? What program characteristics are you factoring into your decision? Here are the main points I am considering: 1. Length of program: Harvard and Stanford are 1 year programs. While most Harvard students in this program do an internship, Stanford students do not. Vanderbilt is a 2 year program, with a required summer internship (I'm thinking I'd go abroad for this!). Given the length of the Vandy program, they are able to focus more on research methods and statistic/analytic training without sacrificing the other topics relevant to this degree. I feel like this would be beneficial when applying to jobs later. Also, I am thinking that the extra year may be worth the cost, if I am able to learn more and explore topics that I may not otherwise have the chance to. 2. Faculty: Well, faculty is pretty much amazing at all these schools, so I am stuck here. I guess if I had to pick faculty research that most closely aligns with what I want to do, I would choose Brian Heuser and this colleagues at Vandy. 3. Cost/quality of living in Palo Alto/Boston/Nashville: It is waaaay cheaper to live in Nashville, but I am from the Bay Area and love it here. That being said, Nashville is pretty cool too. I would be a little worried about finding decent housing close to campus though, as there are so many students living in the city. Palo Alto is really freaking expensive, but Stanford offers a lottery for subsidized graduate housing (even for couples and students with kids). Boston is super cold-- lovely at certain times of the year-- but freaking cold in the winter. So, basically I love Vandy. But.... I hate to say it, I can't get the reputations of Stanford and Harvard out of my head (although I know Vandy is also very well regarded in this field). I will probably learn more after visiting Stanford at the end of the month. While cost of tuition is important to me, I was lucky to receive some scholarships, and I am of the mindset that I don't mind taking out more loans to invest in my education. As a result, this is not really part of my decision, but that is just me. Thanks for letting me think out loud. I would love to hear what others are thinking regarding this decision! Trust me, if feels good to type it all out! Best of luck to all!

Thank you so much! I think you are right-- I have all but decided on Vanderbilt. I would just love to see the types of program details others are looking at too, see if there are other details I am missing

I am very fortunate, and was accepted to my top choices for International Education Policy. I am genuinely torn, as all of these are amazing schools, with a great faculty. That being said, I am leaning more toward Vanderbilt and Stanford. For others in a similar position, what are your thoughts on these schools (Ed, or Ed Policy, not necessarily just International Ed Policy)? What program characteristics are you factoring into your decision? Here are the main points I am considering: 1. Length of program: Harvard and Stanford are 1 year programs. While most Harvard students in this program do an internship, Stanford students do not. Vanderbilt is a 2 year program, with a required summer internship (I'm thinking I'd go abroad for this!). Given the length of the Vandy program, they are able to focus more on research methods and statistic/analytic training without sacrificing the other topics relevant to this degree. I feel like this would be beneficial when applying to jobs later. Also, I am thinking that the extra year may be worth the cost, if I am able to learn more and explore topics that I may not otherwise have the chance to. 2. Faculty: Well, faculty is pretty much amazing at all these schools, so I am stuck here. I guess if I had to pick faculty research that most closely aligns with what I want to do, I would choose Brian Heuser and this colleagues at Vandy. 3. Cost/quality of living in Palo Alto/Boston/Nashville: It is waaaay cheaper to live in Nashville, but I am from the Bay Area and love it here. That being said, Nashville is pretty cool too. I would be a little worried about finding decent housing close to campus though, as there are so many students living in the city. Palo Alto is really freaking expensive, but Stanford offers a lottery for subsidized graduate housing (even for couples and students with kids). Boston is super cold-- lovely at certain times of the year-- but freaking cold in the winter. So, basically I love Vandy. But.... I hate to say it, I can't get the reputations of Stanford and Harvard out of my head (although I know Vandy is also very well regarded in this field). I will probably learn more after visiting Stanford at the end of the month. While cost of tuition is important to me, I was lucky to receive some scholarships, and I am of the mindset that I don't mind taking out more loans to invest in my education. As a result, this is not really part of my decision, but that is just me. Thanks for letting me think out loud. I would love to hear what others are thinking regarding this decision! Trust me, if feels good to type it all out! Best of luck to all!