dani13.9

Hey everyone! I came across this interesting post that was active about 2 years ago. I was hoping to revive it as I could certainly use your advice! I was accepted at Columbia's MPA-DP program ($30k scholarship over the two years) and Emory's MDP Program ($40k scholarship over the two years). I am pursuing an external scholarship to be able to afford the rest of the tuition/living expenses, etc. This external scholarship requires that I choose the Master's Program right off the bat. My heart is telling me Emory because I feel the program is a better fit for me. I have been out of college for about 8 years and have been working in the not-for-profit, NGO sector for almost 6. It is what I love doing, and I think I would be far happier going down a socially-oriented path than, say, international finance/banking. I have also perceived more interest from Emory (I'm guessing because it's a smaller program, they are able to give more personalized attention to their accepted students) than from Columbia (After I got my acceptance letter, I wrote them to ask if I could speak with current students, alumni, or a program manager and I have yet to receive a reply). At the same time, I realize Columbia is...well, Columbia. I'm wondering if their whole package (University name, quality of academics, networking opportunities, field experience) is a "smarter" choice than Emory. Financially speaking, I'm practically in the same boat with either Universities... I need another form of scholarship to be able to afford the cost of either program, the only difference is that overall, Emory come up to about $25k less than Columbia. Emory would also let me defer for a year in case I don't get that scholarship I'm applying for, whereas for Columbia, I'd have to reapply. I realize that ultimately the decision is up to me, but any advice/insight would be greatly appreciated!!