tammy-san

Thanks for the replies! I guess, in making a decision on which program to attend this upcoming summer/fall, I wanted to weigh all the costs/benefits (har har ) of each program and make sure I wasn't missing out on some integral part of my higher edumucation in choosing programs that were not as "quantitatively rigorous".

Perhaps this question exposes my ignorance and naivety, but after reading through these boards for quite some time, I notice constant debate about this or that's program's quantitative prowess. I do see the importance of knowing statistics and econ for public policy and the like, but why the obsession? Is it due to future career prospects? But then, if you want to work for the World Bank, why not just get a Phd in Economics? Is it for "well-roundedness" purposes? If you were to concentrate in studying international development for example, wouldn't you want to know about geology or anthropology as well as econ and stats? Maybe, coming from a "theory-background" and having suffered through minoring in econ, I have always taken quantitative analysis with a grain of salt and am a bit wary of relying so heavily on it. Why are some of the more "prestigious" schools so hell-bent on having their students become math wizards? Do you really have to be a econ super star to make it big in the policy realm? I know some programs utilize quantitative analysis as the basis of their policy-making, but WHY? What's the rationale?

Me three!! I can't go, but would love some impressions!

Thanks yet again Minerva for the info. I'm still wavering back and forth. I'm also waiting to see if I'm getting a FLAS from Syracuse. If so, I think that would pretty much seal the deal...unless Duke somehow counters with an amazing offer...I highly doubt!

Hi there Minerva! Thanks for pointing that out. Again, one of the "cons" about Syracuse is that I know less about the program overall. Have you looked at the IR handbook? I found it online here (http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ir_graduate.aspx?id=6442451215) and I find it is a lot more helpful than the MPA handbook that was sent to us. How many electives you can take depends on whether you decide to finish your degree in 6 or 7 semesters. The 7 semester course track is for people who want to do two semesters abroad. In that cause, yes, I think you barely get to take any electives.

will do. again thanks.

Hmmm...interesting. Thanks for the clarification! I always appreciated the fact that Duke had the resources and personnel to help you pursue the course of study you really wanted....if you were convincing and persistent enough of course...

Thanks for the reassurance! On a totally unrelated note, I meant "proceeded to stare" not preceded...spelling and grammar were never my forte!

I know there has been a lot of these threads already, but what the hey. I made a spreadsheet weighing the pros and cons of each school and then preceded to stare at it for a good two hrs. In the interest of not having to chalk it up to whichever bball team makes it deeper into the tournament, any insight or opinions would be highly appreciated. Duke (MPP Sanford): Pros: -Small cohort -excellent career service people and job placement record -familiarity, friends in the area - I like the managerial focus of the program and the emphasis on gaining a practical skill set -strong RPCV presence, a good sign for me -strong interdisciplinary interaction between Law, Fuqua, and Nicolas -the weather (although, I heard it snowed quite a bit this year; at least for North Carolina) -I find Durham charming and quirky. -Honestly, having had a great undergrad experience, I just love Duke Cons: - "been there, done that" factor -More expensive, less funding; I barely make any money now, so I really don't have any savings to go off of. -Options for summer internship for the Global Policy concentration appears to be confined to Geneva -Core requirements may make taking all the electives I really want to somewhat restrictive. *** Syracuse (MPA/IR duel degree at Maxwell) Pros: - graduate assistantship that is hard to turn down; potential to do interesting research with a professor in my field -tuition is lower overall -huge supportive alumni base -many international students, a good sign for me -can spend a semester or two studying/interning in a developing country (exciting and important for me, because I eventually want a career in international development; more experience in the field, the better) -as someone else has mentioned, two degrees for the price of one. -get to live in a new place Cons: -Not being able to visit, I would be going in blind -Similarly, I can't seem to find more people to talk about the program with or someone who is in the program now (not necessarily a bad sign, and may be just a matter of sending the right e-mail) -as someone else mention, internship at own cost -large cohort (??? Not sure about this) -Winters will be really cold -After 4 years of the Cameron experience, everything else may pale in comparison. Other factors: It's been really hard for me to compare the the two programs head to head, because MPAs are different from MPPs. Not sure what the difference may be in terms of career options....

Hi there guys! I too got a GA fellowship for the MPA/IR dual program that is making Syracuse extremely attractive right now. I will not be able to attend the Open House, so any feed back on this board will be highly appreciated!!

Daring, the "Ivy League" is just an athletic conference! And you're telling me Georgetown doesn't come with its own prestige factor?!?!?! Do what YOU want to do! And honestly, while shopping around for good public policy programs to apply to, Brown didn't even register on my radar. Not to discredit the program or anything, but I seriously doubt it is as well known and respected within the policy community as GPPI... Just my 2 cents. Take with grain of salt!

Without knowing any specifics, it's hard to pinpoint what you could do.... Have you had any relevant work/intern/volunteer experience(s)? Did you apply straight out of undergrad? --this may have played a role... Did you apply to any "safety schools"? Have you been rejected outright, or just haven't heard? You could have been wait-listed...

Well. I don't think you can discredit the quality of a program based on the fact that have "rolling admissions". It might just mean that course scheduling is structured so that you can start at any-time... Also another thing to consider: more applicants=more $$ for the school

I got my admission e-mail back on Feb 27th, and I got my admission packet yesterday. However, I'm 99.99% sure that they are on a rolling admission schedule, so I really wouldn't worry about it too much.

Sooooo.....rumor has it you can negotiate for more funding. But looking back at some of the old posts, it seemed that it only applied with the Nick school? Can I be enlightened?

Now we're just splitting hairs.

Hmmmmmm. Well, what I was trying to do was to draw a distinction between the two disciplines for some clarification. As for actually programs...yes, most terminal MA IR programs and MA IDs are more of a hybrid of not only policy and political science, but econ and a whole host of other disciplines as well. These days, many schools have MA IRs that are designed very much like a professional program, rather than actual Master's of Arts--in the traditional sense.

The reason why there are less IR required classes is because once you have a solid foundation in the theory, you then apply them to various different topics of your choosing, and most IR students eventually specialize in a specific topic. For an MPP degree, you are trying to acquire a specific skill set, so most programs require you to learn x, y, and z first, before you take electives. That's why there are some people who, when shopping around for a MPP program, want a heavily quantitative course load. They feel the more stats/econ you have, the better. I don't necessarily feel that way. I too am interested in international development. However, my two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa made me question what those economists at the World Bank were smoking when they made up some of the most unfruitful development/aid policies ever!!!!!! Therefore, statistical analysis can only get you so far... But, that's a whole other issue....

I should add, that my description of IR and policy studies is VERY simplified. But I just wanted to give you a generalized idea!!!

Okay. I'll attempt to answer this question.... I majored in international relations for undergrad, and now I am looking to go to grad school for a MPP/MPA. The main difference, as far as I can tell, is that IR is theory-centric (it's a concentration within political science). Hence, less of the quantitative stuff. Not to say that political scientists do not engage in the quantitative stuff (they do!), but it's not the back-bone of the discipline. One of my favorite IR professors sum it up this way: IR people are concerned with these two main questions: 1) How does one model the international system 2) Based on the model, how will a state act? So, for example, suppose an IR student wanted to study the question of humanitarian intervention in a genocidal conflict. He/she would argue whether or not a state will intervene based on both statistical evidence and theoritical/philosophical reasoning (i.e I believe state's act in their own self interests, therefore a state will not intervene if it is not in it's self-interest; to uphold my argument, here is the statistical evidence to prove my point: a higher percentage of states will not intervene. IR is about modeling, predicting how a state will act. A policy student, however, has a particular agenda. If you are interested in international development, I would lean more towards public policy/affairs. Policy is less about describing the world, and more about looking for solutions to particular problems, and, in that sense, is more "practical". (i.e. here is some data/evidence I have collected. Based on analyzing this data, I believe that in order to fix the problem of genocidal conflict, one must reduce the number of guns sold to country x. Therefore, my policy prescription is to decrease the level of military aid to country X) IR is concerned with how do countries act; Policy is focused on how should a country act Not to say that the two are mutually exclusive, and obviously the two inform each other. Like the previous poster mentioned, it's good to have both! And yes, IR students tend to be more on the academic track, while policy students tend to be on the "job" track. Hope this helps.

I know you are trying to perhaps gauge the selectivity/academic quality of the program, but I don't necessarily think you should judge based on how many people went to Ivy League-ish schools. I'm sure if they were admitted, the Sanford admissions people felt they were of good caliber/potential, regardless of where they went for undergrad.

For some reason, I'm quite drawn to Syracuse as well, even though I have never visited! As another person here has mentioned, the fact that you can do two semesters abroad in a developing country is really, really attractive. Also, in terms of prestige, ranking, and notable alumni -- honestly, as someone who went to a "brand name", elitist, private university for undergrad, the thought of going to a place like Syracuse seems really appealing. I feel like I could be really comfortable with the program there, and learn what I need to learn for my future career. I can't speak to your program specifically (So, I don't know how relevant this information will be), but they said in their admissions e-mail that funding notifications will be made no later than April 1 for the dual MPA/IR program--which seems quite like a long ways away. For some reason, waiting for funding information is more agonizing than waiting to hear if I got in!!!!

Hmmm. The lag time was short. However, acceptances usually come out in waves, and as far as I can tell from hanging out here at the gradcafe, I don't think a bunch of acceptances have gone out yet. My acceptance was really a very short, informal 1 paragraph e-mail from Jennifer Medlin, saying that more information would be coming mid-march. Hang in there! I know the wait can be agonizing!

Hi there! I got an informal e-mail last Friday saying I was accepted. Have you filed your FAFSA yet? I seemed that they were waiting for my FAFSA to be approved, before they sent my acceptance. I also have the feeling they are on a rolling admissions schedule, so there doesn't seem to be a set time for when they send out decisions (unless you want to be considered for funding/scholarships, etc) Hope that helps.

Thanks! I'll send her an e-mail on Monday.