a.khalid

Thank you for that answer, SenNoodle. I have heard great things about SAIS, and going through these pages and other threads, I have not come across too many negative comments about SAIS. But, I am thinking of getting swayed by HKS prestige and all, esp since I plan to return to my home country after getting working for a few years in the US post graduation.

Thank you for that incredibly insightful answer. I am an international student so I think SAIS will suit my needs better, even though judging by my interaction with current McCourt students, significant quant rigor can be inculcated into the program. But please, tell me this: I am torn between SAIS and HKS (MPP) currently. The MA (Intl Dev concentration) from SAIS (with a 30k annual waiver) will cost me $70k over two years (incl living), while the MPP from HKS will cost me $145k over two years (with 0-30k in loans, I am yet to figure this bit out). Do you think investing the additional for the HKS MPP would be worth it? To give you some context, I am broadly interested in the research side of international development policy. Therefore, ideally, I would like to work in one of the multilateral agencies (World Bank, UNDP, ILO etc.) or in think tanks. But i would also like to keep the option of pursuing a PhD or joining the private sector open as well.

I have been accepted for the MPP, but am tilting towards SAIS. How does the McCourt school's MPP compare with the MA program at SAIS in terms of quant rigor, placements, reputation?

Kb6, just read all the posts on this thread. this was incredibly helpful. i am hoping you will be able to answer my questions too. I am (luckily) faced with making a decision amongst a few top schools, the gist of which is as follows: Harvard MPP - no funding - will cost $75k/year (incl living) Tufts MALD - 32k annual waiver - will cost 30k/year (incl living) Carnegie Mellon MSPPM - 29k annual waiver - will cost 28k/year (incl living) Duke MPP - 10k annual waiver - will cost 49k/year (incl living) - i am yet to hear from them regarding a revised funding offer SAIS MA (IDEV) - 30k annual waiver - will cost 33k/ year (incl living) I would be utterly grateful if you (and others on this forum) could please: 1. tell me which one out of my offers you guys would advise me to go to, keeping in mind the prestige of the school and job prospects. 2. tell me if you feel whether my chances of employment and earnings for entry level jobs in multilateral development organizations or research institutes would be significantly higher if I were to graduate from Harvard. Essentially, would this income differential justify the additional initial investment for Harvard (assuming i can foot the entire bill for HKS)? 3. Is SAIS the top school in the DC area? How does the MPP offered by the McCourt School at Georgetown compare this program with the MA program offered by SAIS, in terms of placements of graduates, quantitative rigor of coursework and research opportunities available to students. 4. I am told that SAIS isa feeder for the World Bank (which is where I would like to end up after graduating). Could you tell me what percentage of students at SAIS end up with jobs at the WB, and how many of t hem land consultancies while studying at SAIS?

Hi all, I was hoping to learn from all of your collective insight. I am (luckily) faced with making a decision amongst a few top schools, the gist of which is as follows: Harvard MPP - no funding - will cost $75k/year (incl living) Tufts MALD - 32k annual waiver - will cost 30k/year (incl living) Carnegie Mellon MSPPM - 29k annual waiver - will cost 28k/year (incl living) Duke MPP - 10k annual waiver - will cost 49k/year (incl living) - i am yet to hear from them regarding a revised funding offer SAIS MA (IDEV) - 30k annual waiver - will cost 33k/ year (incl living) I would be utterly grateful if you could please: 1. tell me which one out of my offers you guys would advise me to go to, keeping in mind the prestige of the school and job prospects. 2. tell me if you feel whether my chances of employment and earnings for entry level jobs in multilateral development organizations or research institutes would be significantly higher if I were to graduate from Harvard. Essentially, would this income differential justify the additional initial investment for Harvard (assuming i can foot the entire bill for HKS)? 3. Is SAIS the top school in the DC area? How does the MPP offered by the McCourt School at Georgetown compare this program with the MA program offered by SAIS, in terms of placements of graduates, quantitative rigor of coursework and research opportunities available to students.