Yea, I'm with you on that one regarding name value. Although I didn't apply to Maxwell I know that they have a great program. For me, I wanted to be as close to DC or NY, where it all goes down, as possible.
But, if you are planning to work in the policy field than Maxwell might be a better fit. For my friend, she's now in Malaysia working for the private sector so I guess it comes down to what our plans are after graduation.