intldvpt123

I'd say go with the program that would offer you the best curriculum for what you want to do and the best connections. I am in a somewhat similar situation. However in my case, it turns out that the lesser known program is also a better fit for what I want to do. If you want to work for the government, your connections and how well you perform on the entry tests matter a lot. I think a prestigious degree does help a little, especially in international security.

Good idea, I think it'd be helpful for future applicants. Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): UT Austin Previous Degrees and GPAs: Bachelor of Journalism, 3.5 GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 152/150/5.0 Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 2.5 yrs of work experience after college in a variety of fields (non-profits/governmental organization in public health, international development, plus did some campaign work) + worked at college newspaper and on a variety of projects while in undergrad. Math/Econ Background: no math/econ background in undergrad, but I took micro, macro, and stats online at my local community college to meet the requirements after graduating and while working full-time. Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): French native speaker, bilingual in English (that was considered my foreign language on my applications since I am not native), some Dutch. I have got a pretty extensive international background, did some development work in West Africa, etc. Intended Field of Study in Grad School: international development/global policy/global health Long Term Professional Goals: I'd like to work for the UN, or EU, doing development work, preferably with women and children, or maybe becoming a spokesperson since I have a background in journalism. Schools Applied to & Results: Accepted at American University SIS, George Washington University Elliott w/ 20K scholarship, United Nations University in the Netherlands, University of Texas School of Public Health. Waitlisted UT Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs (MGPS). Rejected Georgetown University and London School of Economics. Ultimate Decision & Why: I am going to attend the United Nations University in the Netherlands. Since I also have EU citizenship, the tuition is only $2,000, whereas I would still have to pay $45K at GWU (including the scholarship). The program and the mentality better correspond to what I want to do and who I am. They also pretty much guarantee funding for your research. Their network seems very strong + quantitative skills-based, which is important for this field. Plus, it's in an awesome city and I'll re-learn the Dutch I forgot (courses are in English though). Even though GWU is highly ranked and I am sure I'll get a great experience out of it, it's not guaranteed to have a job upon graduation and I don't want to have to take a random job just to pay back my loans. I looked at the career data from GWU and I was surprised (sort of negatively). Being debt-free will offer me the freedom to take a low-paying but more interesting job, or even travel for a bit if I wanted to. Advice for Future Applicants: Take your time. Seriously, there is no rush! I have seen some people here going to grad school straight from undergrad, which is something I wanted to do too until I started working. Get that experience, even if it's not in the field you want to study, you'll learn something and meet people. Save up some money if you can. Travel, volunteer, go teach English somewhere! I have been out of school for almost three years and I am pumped to go back. I like my current job, but I want to get into a different field (I do work in a somewhat related field). I had the chance to work in very different places and I learned a ton. Now I am going back to grad school with more maturity and a clearer vision on what I want to do. Also, as you can see my GRE scores weren't the greatest, I took the test twice over a year, took a prep course and all that, I just don't really do well on this stuff. I still got into the schools I wanted and even got a scholarship (though if I had scored higher, I would have probably gotten more funding). If your grades/scores are low, but you have a stellar essay, great experience and good letter of rec., you'll be fine. I think it's very wise to wait and re-apply with a stronger application to get more funding. I'll be declining my acceptance and scholarship at GWU, so hopefully it will be useful to someone else!

I am in that situation. I have to pick between a $45+K loan from a prestigious school (George Washington U) or a $2K tuition cost from a lesser renowned school (United Nations Maastricht University). I am debt-free, but I had a $5,500 loan in undergrad. I know the loan was small compared to most people (and I am very thankful for that). However, I am know the burden. By the time I started repaying my loan, I had almost $1,000 in JUST interests... Even if people say interest rate on student loans is low, 5 or 6% accrues faster than you think. I can't imagine what having a 100K loan would be like... I also try to think longterm. My coworker is 27, she has several thousands dollars of debt from undergrad and she had a baby recently. It was unexpected, but life happens. She had a complicated pregnancy and now, she has not only student loans to pay off, but medical bills too... I know this might seem a bit extreme, but have this type of stuff in mind. I am happy I am in a position that no matter what school I choose, I will not regret it. I am definitely feeling like not having any debt after graduating will give me more freedom. What if I want to travel for a while before getting back into work? I don't want to be the slave of my loans and feel like I have to work for ten years to pay them off, even with a good job (because you always have other expenses like housing, car, kids, healthcare, etc.).

Yeah sorry, I didn't want to provide too much personal info. The schools are the United Nations/Maastricht University v. George Washington U, where I got $20,000 over two years. Cost would be $45,000 (that I would still need to pay after scholarship money) v. $2,000. Really huge difference. The cost of living would also be cheaper in he European town than in D.C. surprisingly. My career plan is to work for the UN/EU in Europe. I have got my undergraduate degree in the US and I have been living here for several years, but I am ready to move back. However, GWU is 7th in the world in my field, which is very competitive. UN Maastricht University is not ranked internationally, not a bad school, but very new. They've got some visiting professors from Oxford and NYU. It looks like the European school will set me up for more of a European path, which is what I want, but I have the impression GWU can do that too. I am really concerned about taking so much loans and I don't want to have this weight on my shoulders, BUT lots of people here see education as an investment. So I am just really unsure...

That's a good idea, I didn't think about that! I did get my undergrad in the US, so I have experience in both environment already.

Thanks! Yeah, I am not interested in academia and it makes me feel better what you said about the school being recognized in Europe. I like that school and the city (and the cost!), I just know the field I want to pursue is really competitive and lots of candidates are from LSE, NYU, Columbia, etc. Thanks again!

United Nations/Maastricht University in the Netherlands v. George Washington U

Hi everyone, I am facing a pretty tough decision as many of you around here do too I am sure. Here is my situation: I have to pick between a highly ranked school in the US that offered me some funding, but not enough to cover all the cost. OR a newer, much, much smaller school in Europe but that seems promising and would be pretty much free to attend... I have the opportunity to live with family while in the US, but I don't know if I want to do that. Even in that case, I'll have to come up with the remaining 40K to pay for my tuition (I don't have undergrad loans anymore and it kinda scares me to get loans again). On the other hand, I really miss living in Europe (I am a dual EU/US citizen). I want to work for an international governmental organization (like UN) and be based in Europe. So long story short: prestigious expensive school in the US that will lead to debt, or little school without much credentials in Europe with no debt.

Hi everyone, I am facing a pretty tough decision as many of you around here do too I am sure. Here is my situation: I have to pick between a highly ranked school in the US that offered me some funding, but not enough to cover all the cost. OR a newer, much, much smaller school in Europe but that seems promising and would be pretty much free to attend... I have the opportunity to live with family while in the US, but I don't know if I want to do that. Even in that case, I'll have to come up with the remaining 40K to pay for my tuition (I don't have undergrad loans anymore and it kinda scares me to get loans again). On the other hand, I really miss living in Europe (I am a dual EU/US citizen). I want to work for an international governmental organization (like UN) and be based in Europe. So long story short: prestigious expensive school in the US that will lead to debt, or little school without much credentials in Europe with no debt.