Minerva473

Sounds like the OP is talking about a master's degree, not a Ph.D. To my knowledge you usually don't get paid to do a master's degree.

If your choice was between $70k in additional debt from grad school and $100k, would the extra $30k preclude you from choosing the more expensive option -- say if you knew you'd do fine at the $70k school but the $100k school would have more interesting classes and experienced peers? It seems to me that often what you pay for with the £100k + options are super overachiever peers that bring a lot to class discussions (whereas you will have both excellent and not so great professors pretty much anywhere you go).

Yeah I was in the earlier scholarship round and they didn't tell us until the day after the day they said they were going to tell us. Happy waiting!

$20k per year. By the way, I was reading through last year's threads and apparently around the time of the Admitted Students Day they still had not allocated all of the funding. I'd love to hear from anyone who is visiting as well.

Great -- thank you!

I'm nearly ready to decide on the joint MPA-MAIR at Maxwell and would love to hear about anyone's experiences visiting since I can't attend.

Information about my scholarship was included in the envelope (I had already been informed of it by e-mail), but not need-based aid.

I agree with a lot of this and have a real problem with the cost of the HKS education. But I don't know that the comparison with Woody Woo is entirely fair. If someone gave HKS a ton of money restricted to fully funding all students, I'm sure they would do it too. I don't know that Woody Woo itself can really take the credit for the rules imposed by their donors.

I received my letter via FedEx last week. I live abroad in a major city and it's likely given that they HAD to FedEx it (other methods can take weeks) it may have arrived more quickly than letters sent inside the US.

It really depends on the specific degree. Traditionally MPAs are designed for people who want to work as managers within government whereas MPPs focus on skills for analyzing policy and tend to market themselves as opening more doors in all sectors rather than just government. However, over the years, the degrees have converged somewhat and you really have to judge each program on its individual merits.

For the schools I've looked at deferral seems quite straightforward, especially if you have a job lined up. Check their websites or phone them up.

In terms of pure rankings, GPPI is not ranked as highly as the Foreign Service program, as far as I'm aware (Georgetown is ranked number 1 in the "Inside the Ivory Tower" ranking in the magazine Foreign Policy and this refers to the School of Foreign Service as it's a list of international affairs programs; in the U.S. News Rankings of public affairs programs GPPI is ranked number 14, same as Columbia). It's obviously a reputable program, ranked 14th in US News and has the Georgetown name to it. And I see that it has some interesting faculty on international policy. However, the program is not part of APSIA, the organization that accredits international affairs programs, or NASPAA, which accredits public policy and public administration programs (possibly simply due to the fact that it is relatively new... I dunno). If costs are the same for you, I would definitely suggest choosing SIPA -- I think it's much better known for international development, and you can intern at the UN. I'm sure you'll get a fine education at GPPI and that the student body is quite strong, but SIPA will probably give you more connections and a more recognized degree. I've also heard lots of SIPA grads go into the private sector so don't count them out for that (have a look at their employment stats).

I definitely agree that you shouldn't base your decision on rankings (these may have bias, for example in favor of programs that have been around longer like Maxwell), however they are a good tool in terms of confirming that a program is recognized to be of high quality, after also looking at the program itself and talking to as many people you can, and looking at employment data and seeing if the kinds of jobs people get are the kinds of jobs you want. I think gotmusic and I mention the rankings only because the OP said they are mainly interested in the other two, and we think Maxwell is worth considering given that it's clearly very highly regarded and it's the cheapest option. That said, GSPP hardly suffers in terms of rankings -- it's number 6 on the overall public affairs rankings and number 2 (behind Harvard) in terms of public policy analysis. In both of these cases GSPP ranks above Columbia (number 14 overall, not listed on the website for policy analysis). I think the advantage of Columbia is the location and the potentially better connections you'll make when you're there (since I suspect it's most popular amongst high achievers based on its location and name), but I also think the level of education (and peers) at all of the choices is excellent and the OP should focus on choosing the program that is a better fit, considering the fact that debt can be a major burden.

I have heard second hand (friend's boyfriend just finished MAIR and loved it; friend of parents highly recommends MPA program) that the Maxwell School is solid and that the rankings do have some basis to them. The current students that I've corresponded with have been positive about their experiences (you can get their email addresses from the website). I've been looking into the MPA program and the more I see the more I like, especially in terms of the practical focus. I haven't heard amazing things about Syracuse the city (the weather is cold and dreary) but the campus is nice and the city is cheap. I've also heard that the alumni network in DC is very strong.

Agreed. I would try to find out how Oxford supports people in finding jobs and see if there are any former diplomats on the faculty (in my experience career academics support you in becoming career academics; sure they can write recommendations for jobs but ultimately the guidance they give you will be most relevant for academia).

Fletcher and the Georgetown Public Policy Institute (GPPI). The GPPI is probably my last choice but they have some faculty working in an area I'm interested in. Fletcher seems the most rigorous academically (a thesis in the second year while also taking a full load of courses, it seems) but it will cost me $30k-$40k more than the others and sometimes I think Maxwell is a better fit anyway.

Yesterday I was sure I wanted to go to Maxwell, ready to tell my friends and family and start making plans. Today I'm doubting myself. I don't think I'll be certain until I talk to a few more students / alumni at my 3 choices and go from there.

Program Applied To: Joint MPA-MAIR, MPP, MALD, MPA, MIA Schools Applied To: Maxwell (Syracuse; joint MPA-MAIR), Georgetown Public Policy Institute (GPPI; MPP), Fletcher (Tufts; MALD), SIPA (Columbia; MIA), HKS (Harvard; MPP), Woodrow Wilson School (Princeton; MPA) Schools Admitted To: Maxwell (Approx $19k in aid per year), GPPI ($20k scholarship per year) and Fletcher ($7k scholarship per year) Schools Rejected From: Woodrow Wilson School, HKS, SIPA Still Waiting:None Undergraduate institution: Top 20 U.S. institution Undergraduate GPA: 3.9 Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): Same as above Undergraduate Major: Literature and foreign language, studied abroad in Europe for a semester; one intro to micro course and a linear algebra course during undergrad as well. I've been doing distance learning stats, macro, micro and math this year while applying. GRE Quantitative Score: 770 GRE Verbal Score: 710 GRE AW Score: 5 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 4 Years of Work Experience: 3 (also did a one-year MA in Latin American Studies focused on history before starting to work) Describe Relevant Work Experience: Fundraising and partnership working/capacity building of partners for local nonprofit Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I really struggled with these because I didn't know what I wanted, particularly with the earlier ones. I do think given that I applied towards doing international development, my work experience isn't in that area, and my academic background is humanities focused, I wasn't the most competitive applicant at SIPA, HKS and of course Woody Woo. But I also think it's no coincidence that I was rejected from the 3 schools with the earliest deadlines... I really just could not articulate where I thought their program could take me because I felt very insecure as to whether international development / affairs was really what I wanted or how my work experience would connect with that. I also don't think I tried very hard for HKS because I know how little aid they give out and just did not think it worth it to pay $120,000 for an MPP. In the last three and especially the GPPI and Maxwell, I was able to connect my background or interests to something specific about the curriculum, and I think that's what got me the aid from these schools. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): I waived my right to read these because I know at least one of my profs considers it improper for recommendees to be able to read them, but I'm fairly certain they were quite strong. Both of my academic recommenders were from my first master's degree and I excelled in both of their classes. It was a small program so they knew me quite well; one was my thesis advisor and I did really well on the thesis. I'm guessing the professional recommendation was fairly strong and focused on my writing and analytical abilities. Other: I am fluent in Spanish and speak French fairly well Decision: I haven't decided where I'm going but I'm leaning heavily towards Maxwell right now, simply because it feels right in its practical focus and I've just heard great things about both the MPA and IR programs. However Fletcher and the GPPI are interesting in their own ways so I'm not closing any doors yet. Unfortunately can't visit any of them... really wish I could!

I've been accepted to the joint MPA-MAIR program and from what I heard the MPA program in particular is very highly regarded. The Maxwell alumni network in DC is very strong if that's your bag. It is a domestically focused program. Try doing a search for "Maxwell" or "Syracuse MPA" on this site if you haven't already. You can also try e-mailing current students -- their contact details are listed on the Maxwell School's website.

Okay, I went on the Maxwell website and counted - the most recent MPA class is 144 students and for IR (they are more kind and list this) it's 109. I'm sure there's a few dual degrees in there, I'm guessing total for the two programs would be around 240 to 250.

Wow, I would have thought Fletcher would be more well known. It's possible that more Fletcher grads go work around the world rather than DC, since it's exclusively an international affairs school, whereas Maxwell is famous for the MPA program which is domestic in focus.

I haven't heard either. It would be nice to get accepted but ultimately I'm not looking at attending. I don't think SIPA is a good fit for me.

Possibly international development. I have many qualms about this, but the fact that I'm originally from a developing country and academically am very, very interested in development issues makes me want to take this route. I grew up outside of DC so having a job based there would be nice, though I'd be interested in living abroad as well. I'm thinking right now seriously about choosing the joint MPA MAIR degree at the Maxwell School (Syracuse), but am also considering Fletcher. I really like the practical focus of the Maxwell programs and I think they'll prepare me to be a great project manager (though I'm not sure what kinds of projects I'd like to manage). When I was choosing where to apply I was a little confused about project management vs policy analysis, but thought I'd probably be more interested in policy analysis as I'm quite an analytical person. Due mostly to ignorance on my part I did not apply to Berkeley or UChicago, which seem to be the most focused on this. But now I realize that hard policy analysis is not for me -in my work I've been the most happy when I've been coordinating a project, which still requires strategic and analytical thinking as well as organization, rather than 100% sitting in front of a computer screen and analyzing things. I think Maxwell will make me a lot better at this, and in this sense it has been important for me to know what I want. But I don't KNOW exactly what kind of job I want to get. I think there's also an element of doing a degree to figure things out. You can't always test things out in a professional setting because your options are limited to what you can get. When you're studying you get exposed to new things and hopefully can see how you can get to where you want career-wise. Anyway I hope this makes some sort of sense. I'm still trying to work it all out in my head!

Yes -- I wish they made that handbook more obvious - it's very helpful. I'm choosing between Maxwell and Fletcher right now, and Fletcher is probably one of the most flexible degrees out there so I'm quite torn. But I'm more and more convinced that Maxwell is a very strong program and that Fletcher isn't worth the extra $30k-$35k in debt. Maxwell's visit weekend is end of March (apparently they're going to videotape it which is great because I can't go) and Fletcher has an admitted students reception in my city at the beginning of April, so I'll probably wait till then to make my decision. Good luck!

Syracuse's Maxwell School has some pretty rosy stats: "Placement statistics for MPA students have remained fairly consistent over the past 5-6 years. Since our students arrive at Maxwell with such varied professional and academic backgrounds and interests, it is not surprising that they also leave Maxwell, pursing such a variety of positions serving the public around the world. In recent years almost all (96-99%) MPA graduates are working in a position of their choice within 3-6 months of graduation. Additionally, a significant number are hired well before June graduation each year." SIPA's MIA stats dropped to 76% in 2009 which makes sense given the economy, and in previous years seem to be around the high 80s-90%. MPA stats for SIPA are generally better - 84% in 2009 and usually above 90% in previous years. Can't find stats for HKS or Fletcher.