Serena2018

Hey Guys! I am having a hard time deciding between both of my top choices, any advice would be appreciated. I am going for my MSW but will be taking the Public Policy and Administration route, so not direct practice. My area of interest is human trafficking. Univ of Washington- Ranks #3 in the nation for Social Work specifically. Seattle is a great city and I rather live there than in Berkeley, also it is more affordable. However, I may get depressed and die from grey skies lol. Berkeley- Ranks #5 or #6 for social work BUT is #3 in the nation and has the stellar Berkeley reputation. Rent is ridiculously expensive and though the city of Berkeley is cute, it is not very cosmopolitan. However SF is just across the bridge, Financially, they kind of even out because I am in-state for Berkeley so the program is way less but cost of living is really high. For Univ of Wash. my program is 20k more with out of state tuition but cost of living is less. I suppose my main concern is the professional network/contacts after graduating. Also, a lot of people have told me that I need to attend a school in a city I am planning to live in otherwise it is harder to establish yourself after graduating. How true is this? Would this be easier to do with a more prestigious name on your resume like Berkeley? Do both schools have a similar network? Thank you for the input and I do wish everyone luck in 2015!