I am genuinely struggling to choose between HKS and WWS at the moment. I am an applicant from India and want to come back and work here. Whether or not these schools hold weight in DC is not a concern for me. Certain elements that I am considering:
- Class size: 60 (WWS) vs 225 (HKS); Quality; Scope of relationship with profs etc.
- Classmates: Considering that HKS offers many HBS-HKS like joint programs, it is said the the emphasis on 'commitment to public service' is far greater at WWS. I don't mean to sound douche-y, but I do not want to be in an environment where the top concerns are salary or how fancy a job will I get at the end/ how many important people will I meet (especially considering I won't be working in the US)
- Academic Focus: Is HKS considered a professional school while WWS has more academic focus? WWS has limited number of courses and HKS has far too many.
- Brand: I want to be a policy practioner but definitely see myself as a leader (be it my own social enterprise/ direct entry into government/ politics). People are saying that internationally, the 'Harvard' brand is more valuable than the Princeton one. But, within policy circles and those that actually have knowledge of the schools, WWS is more respected than HKS.
- Location: Princeton is a small town while Boston is definitely more lively (especially with Fletcher, MIT etc)
Princeton offers full scholarship + stipend. If I get full tuition scholarship at HKS - which one would you recommend? I have 1.5 years of work experience and have been admitted to the MPP program at HKS and MPA at WWS.