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Sorry for going a little off-topic, but was curious after seeing some of the replies! @went_away, @LifeOnMars (and anyone else) - how would you tier the policy schools/programs? Based on your posts above, it seems to be something like: Tier 1: HKS/WWS Tier 2A: Chicago, Berkeley, SIPA(or is SIPA in 2B?) 2B: SAIS, Fletcher, Georgetown (McCourt or SFS?), CMU, Evans

I don't have any experience with the PhD process so my response may not be very helpful, so take things with a pinch of salt: You sound like you're in a good program with a wonderful mentor! Unless the research projects in your current school aren't as interesting compared to the projects at MIT, or MIT has much better job placement prospects post-PhD, there seems not to be a strong reason to leave? When reading your post, the main point that caught my eye was the three-year gap since you last spoke with the MIT professor (in 2014), and his lack of response now. While he might have been very interested at that point in time, he could have managed to recruit someone else or changed his research focus, so I would personally be hesitant about making any plans unless he (or someone else in MIT) responds that they do have a place and think you would be a good fit. As you pointed out, there would also be some awkwardness in your relationship with the current advisor - both in the situation where you have to remain enrolled for spring before going to MIT, and in the worst-case scenario where you're not accepted at MIT and stay on with her. Do you think she's the type to take it personally, or will it be easy maintaining a professional working relationship after that?

If you're applying to the US only to get a job, I think you should take a careful look at the statistics. The H1B visa quota is about 80,000 per year, and in 2017 there were around 235,000 applicants - that means, only around 1 in 3 were able to work in the US. (https://redbus2us.com/h1b-visa-2017/) [This is something I am also considering as an international.] Will you be happy spending $70-80k in total for a CIPA degree, with a 60% chance of being denied a visa and having to return home? If the answer is yes, then it may still be worthwhile for you. If the answer is no (as it seems from your posts above), then you shouldn't put yourself in debt for it. Have you tried looking at Canada or European schools and/or jobs, since you said you don't mind working in those countries? I'm not familiar with their system, but at least there won't be the uncertainty about whether the H1B quotas will be tightened. Good luck!

Hi! Just in case anyone is still looking for macro/micro-econ courses, you may wish to check out this link. http://www.straighterline.com/online-college-courses/business/macroeconomics/ $99 per month for membership, and $59 for the course itself - total of $160 if you can rush & finish the course in a month, or $360 if you take up to 3 months. It was cheaper than any others I found, self-paced and also online proctored. Not sure about other schools, but Georgetown confirmed they accept Straighterline.

Maybe you could list out the specific field of international policy you're interested in (security? trade? development) or types of careers, and the pros/cons of each school you've thought of so far? I was debating between Harris MPP and Georgetown MSFS, and after advice from this forum, I think I'm leaning towards MSFS for the clear foreign relations / IR focus. Harris seems to be a lot more urban and social policy, and while they did set up that new Pearsons Institute for Conflict Resolution last year, it's still quite new and there aren't many details out, so I'm going to go with the "known" quantity of MSFS.

The other thing to consider is how much other work experience do you have, and how does it stack up against your family business experience? If you have held more significant jobs, have a few years of work/research or experience in MPP-relevant fields, then you'd likely want to focus on that instead. However, if there isn't much else to write about, then it's about marketing your family business experience as best as you can. e.g. running any projects, coming up with a social media marketing plan, increasing profits by XX%.

MSFS Admissions sent an email to outline the funding waitlist process - basically, those offered funding have up to 23 Apr to accept/decline the offer, and if any money frees up, they start contacting people on the waitlist.

@thex11factor Thank you so much!! Both for sharing your impressions / contrasts between the two schools after the visit, and for the advice on personal fit and career plans. I'm currently drawing up a comparison between the two schools and seeing how they match up, and of course, trying to figure out if I want to work in IR specifically or keep options more open. I'm pretty amazed by how helpful and generous people are on this forum in sharing their advice and providing feedback - thank you & @3dender again! (P.S. Is UChicago the Socratic style, or just its law school?)

@thex11factor Thanks for sharing your experience on visit day! I saw from your other posts that you're also deciding between Georgetown-McCourt and Chicago-Harris - did you feel there are other major differences between the schools, and which program do you think you're likely to pick? (Sorry for asking so many questions - I was excited to see that you're making a similar choice, and hope to get pointers in making my own decision!)

@3dender I can't say thank you enough! I really appreciate you going in-depth and explaining the details of your key considerations - hearing this explanation of your thought process and the way you rank your choices really helps to clarify some of the factors that I should also be thinking about. Especially the lifestyle factors - I've mostly focussed on school quality and placement, without giving as much thought to quality of life considerations like weather, city-suburb environment and being near to family/friends. Best of luck to you too, and I hope your Duke Open House visit goes well!

@3dender Again, thank you so much for sharing! If you don't mind me asking, which are the other MPP programs /schools you applied to? And what are the major factors in your own decision or ranking of the schools (either to apply, or accepting the offer)?

@3dender: Thank you for the thoughtful reply, and for sharing your personal experience! I unfortunately won't be able to attend any of the admitted students days, because of work. And yes! I was really interested in the launch of Pearson Institute, but communications with the Harris admin office have been a bit... hit and miss? It seems as if they only reply to 1 out of every 3 emails (even when it's a relatively uncomplicated question like "Can I get a waiver for TOEFL?"), so it's honestly frustrating trying to find out more. Edit: Just curious about your impression, especially on the "snobbery" bit- was it more of an intellectual/ivory-tower-type snobbery (e.g. dismissing rival views / looking down on people without a PhD? or more of a "rich trust-fund kid" / not worth getting to know you if you don't make a six-figure salary?

Bump- any advice / help / views? Would especially appreciate people who know more about the US university and job market landscape!

Hi all, (Posted in the Government Affairs section with no responses, so am trying my luck here!) Hoping to get views on two offers - Georgetown Masters of Science in Foreign Service and Chicago Harris MPP. I've heard good things about both schools, and am pretty torn, so wanted to get views on which school/programme would be better for future career prospects in the US, either at a foreign policy/security-related think tank, or private sector consulting firm (either IR-focused or general e.g. McKinsey). In terms of background, I'm an international student, so would be ineligible for US government jobs. I'd be able to find work in my home country, with either of the two degrees, so that's not a major factor. Not very interested in working for NGOs or the UN. However, the foreign policy poll of IR faculty also voted Georgetown #1 (50% of all polled) for masters' degrees leading to a policy career in IR, compared to Chicago at #12 (5% of votes).[Edit: Realised the poll compared Chicago's CIR programme, not the Harris school!] Funding-wise, Harris has offered $10k, which makes overall costs around $65k, versus Georgetown at $75k. I'm waitlisted for Georgetown funding,but those decisions will only be released on 23 Apr, after Chicago's 15 Apr deadline to accept. Other potential Pros / Cons: Harris MPP: more general degree - greater customisation and flexibility to branch out for private sector jobs? However, their MPP's strengths seem to be in more urban/social policy or city development, rather than security issues. Georgetown MSFS: better location for the D.C. network; specialised IR focus and branding would also help in getting a think-tank job? I saw around 50-60% of graduates also found work for the private sector. tl;dr - how would you rate the two schools/programs, in terms of reputation & job placement (both private sector & IR-focussed careers)? Any other factors to consider, beyond the differences in curriculum? Thanks in advance!

Hi all, I feel really lucky to be deciding between two offers - Georgetown Masters of Science in Foreign Service (waitlisted for funding) and Chicago Harris MPP (10k funding). I've heard good things about both schools, and am pretty torn, so wanted to get views on which school/programme would be better for future career prospects, either at a foreign policy/security-related think tank, or private sector consulting firm (either IR-focused or general e.g. McKinsey). In terms of background, I'm an international student, so would be ineligible for US government jobs. I'm confident of being able to find work in my home country, with either of the two degrees. Not very interested in working for NGOs or the UN. Potential Pros / Cons: Harris MPP: more general degree - greater customisation and flexibility to branch out for private sector jobs? Availability of some funding to offset tuition costs. Georgetown MSFS: better location for the D.C. network; specialised IR focus and branding would also help in getting a think-tank job? However, still waitlisted for funding, and am also unsure whether the MSFS translates well in when seeking private sector jobs. Thanks in advance!