34d

When did you send in the enrollment form/deposit? I called last week to confirm and someone said they received my forms but I haven't received an email with more info yet (my check doesn't seem to have been cashed yet either). Maybe it's because I didn't send in my fin aid acceptance forms; I'm still looking at some sources of funding so I can ask them to reduce my loans.

I asked my friends who have taken econometrics before to look over the quant course descriptions when I was researching GPPI , and it seems like most of the material they covered before is in the 2nd quant class, though the 3rd semester class, at least based on its description, has some topics that would also be covered in most standard econometrics classes (like time-series analysis). One friend said that it just looked like they took one semester of econometrics and stretched it into two; then again, the econometrics class at his school was apparently a lot more rigorous compared to others. To be fair I haven't asked anyone at GPPI itself about the quant classes. Even though I was planning on at least testing out of the first quant class I decided I'm going to take all of the quant classes because they train you to use SAS. Having only used SPSS and Minitab before, there's enough of a difference between stat programs that knowing how to use a third one can be really useful.

I got my acceptance letter from SIS yesterday (US Foreign Policy program) so hopefully everyone else waiting will get the letters soon too.

I got my scholarship/assistantship info around 1 today too. I was all set to go with Georgetown (debt and all) but this is a sizeable enough offer for me to reconsider everything again. My thinking was assuming around $800/month student loan repayments, that's $9600/year; that's close to the difference between the average salaries of GU and SPA grads. However, with the finaid from American the difference increases quite a bit. Cmon admits day...give me a sign!

Bump? I know a lot more about SIS and when I was still considering IR it was one of my top choices, but it really seems like American's MPP/MPA gets overlooked a lot compared to GU or GWU. I can't believe I'm the only person who applied to both GU and American, though it does seem like those who apply to GU often ignore American. Can't wait until admits day; though American's only reception day is the same day as Gtown's (can't make the other GU date). Hopefully spending 9-10 hours in the company of my future GU or SPA peers will clear things up.

Heinz is definitely a good program. A friend of mine is currently enrolled in the two-year DC track option, and he turned down (Syracuse), GPPI (Georgetown), and SPA (American) for it. Though funding was a big reason why, like you he entered Heinz right after undergrad so he was looking for a school that would help him develop skills; for example, Heinz actually has a writing improvement course, which is an especially important skill for those hoping to give policy advice. You also still get some good adjunct professors, like Mark Roosevelt, the superintendent of PPS. Don't let the financial problems with the Tepper school deter you from taking classes there; it's still one of the top business programs. Anyway, like you I'm also going straight to grad school right after undergrad (@ pitt too! but I'm poli sci) so I was looking for programs that would develop the skills that I would've garnered from a few years of work. If I wasn't so set on being in DC, Heinz would have been at the top of my list.

So GPPI has decided not to offer me any funding.... Even though American has yet to respond with its financial aid offer, since the cost of its MPP program is based on credits, even if I get no funding from SPA the cost of attendance is about half of Georgetown's. Does anyone have insight into American's MPP program? On these boards the information seems to be mostly about GU or GW. However, even before GPPI's offer (or lack thereof) I was having a hard time deciding between the two programs (though I was leaning towards GU). I'll just list some pros of both programs below and see what others think. Pros of GPPI: -classes are taught by professors with substantially more experience outside of academia (maybe better networking, more focus on practice than theory) -based on employment numbers from both schools, graduates of GPPI were earning around $10k/year more right after graduation -"prestige" (international family members have all heard of gtown, no one knows about american; might explain above point?) -extra 3 electives allows one to take classes from the law or IR school -capstone thesis provides a permanent record of work Pros of American SPA: -program's focus on practice (policy practicum and 48-hr policy project) -linked to above, the required internship is good for someone like me with limited WE -its program has been around a lot longer than GU's (larger MPP alumni network) -might learn more/better from professors whose full-time job is to teach -cost! 2 years at american costs about the same as 1 year at GU