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VeryCheesey

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Posts posted by VeryCheesey

  1. Hi guys!

    I know I said that I will probably not attend this program, but now it looks like the best option I have wrt the cost-benefit analysis I have been doing for the last week.

    Any of you have anything negative to say about the program? I can't find much on the cons list, except that the COL in Geneva is through the roof, and might upset my finances.

  2. Hi!

    I am looking to study at IHEID in the coming fall. While the tuition is negligible, I am concerned about the living expense during the program - the website quotes a minimum expense of over CHF 1800 per month, which is much higher than any of the other European cities. Now I understand that Switzerland is expected to be expensive to stay in. Does living away from the university help the costs? Do you have suggestions to bring down costs while living in Switzerland?

    Any information, even anecdotal, is appreciated. Thanks!

  3. 13 hours ago, mapiau said:

    I don't know if it's possible to receive financial aid later on

    Hi @mapiau, thanks for your detailed response. From what I understand the quarter system is extremely hectic. Does this imply that it would be impossible to take up RA/TA positions to receive funding from the university?

  4. Hi @mapiau

    Few questions:

    1. Can you tell me how "real" the curriculum is? What I mean is, how much of the class hours are actually spent looking at real-world policy issues?
    2. The MPP at GPS is a very new program - Can you still give some reasons to take it up?
    3. As an international student, I feel that the F-1 visa OPT of 1 year for public policy and international relations is very short, and I am not sure how the school links you to international careers. Do you have any information?

    Thanks for your help! :) 

  5. Hi!

    I am deep in the conundrum most of us must be facing/have faced - the reputation/cost trade-off.

    I was admitted to the MPP programs at Ford School of Public Policy at UMich with $30k tuition waiver (1/3rd of the tuition), and to the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota with in-state tuition + $20k (I am an international student, so in-state tuition is a godsend).

    So my problem is this - Even with the funding, I will rack up a debt of about $60k if I decide to attend Ford (provided I don't land a campus job in the coming semesters). However, the program's reputation is much better than the Humphrey MPP, both within the US and internationally. It also aligns with my interest, gives me the flexibility I desire from the curriculum, and has a wide variety of courses and research I am interested in.

    At Humphrey, on the other hand, I will have a much smaller debt ($15-20k), but the program is less to my liking, though not so bad as to be rejected entirely. The number of courses offered is fewer, too.

    My question, thus, is this - Is the Ford MPP actually worth the extra cost I will put into it? Especially since my other alternative brings to cost to a third of the estimate?

    Thanks!

  6. 6 minutes ago, lackey said:

    Guys, my prediction of results coming out on day 100 is gonna come true. Matt's waiting for the 100,000th view on here (speculation). Which makes sense because my odds of admittance are 100/100,000. #numerology. :lol:

    Hahaha, it sure makes sense.

    As a spectator with nothing as stake wrt HKS, this thread is super entertaining. Keep it coming, guys!

  7. 5 minutes ago, Ultra_Violet said:

    Short answer: The Development Economics programme. The courses are exactly what I need and I have searched high and low and haven't found a perfect substitute. I did apply elsewhere of course but I feel like I should maybe think of doing something else. 

    The faculty too. Professors Arcand, Panizza, Carbonnier, and Baldwin whose books and papers I have studied.

     

    Yes, the curriculum is amazing. However, I did find it to be a little more theoretical than elsewhere, and I dunno how that falls in the grand scheme of things. I applied for the MDEV. I was very excited to see the courses and structuring of the program, but a current student from my country does not seem very please with it now that she's there.

    I'll probably talk to her again and update this thread.

  8. 44 minutes ago, DKWTG18 said:

    Hi! I have been admitted in the MPA program, but I have around 10 years of professional experience. Are you, admitted fellows, much more junior than I am? I am concern to be surrounded  by people way much younger than I am, with a differente lifestyle and goals regarding to the program...

    Hi @DKWTG18, I am certain you're not going to be entirely out of place. The average age of the combined (MPP + MPA) cohort for the last batch was 27.

  9. 15 hours ago, doglover5 said:

    after looking at the school's tuition + estimated costs I'll still need to take out around $70,000 in loans. That seems high to me, but this is the best offer I've gotten.

    I'm in the same position as you, @doglover5 . Even with the funding I received, my top choice (Ford) would require me to take $60-70k in loans. I have a better offer from Humphrey (about $15k loans, extremely enticing), so I am not sure how to make this decision.

  10. Hi,

    Even with the aid, I find Ford slightly out of my reach. How advisable is it for first-year students to commit to an RA position before starting classes?

    I am sure that I will eventually want to work as an RA, but since affordability is a concern right now, I am wondering if I should apply right away.

  11. 3 hours ago, JRS218 said:

    Edit: Congratulations! Is Humphrey looking like the choice for you?

     

    @JRS218 , Congrats to you too!

    Honestly, at the moment it's between Humphrey and Ford for me. 

    As an international student, my decisions so far have been based entirely on word of mouth, QS and USNWR university rankings, alumni reviews and my own research. I did not go after the international reputation as such - the only filter I had was that the university should be known to me.

    Ford has offered me $30k over two years unconditionally, and has more courses that align with my interests. Moreover, it has a larger international presence than Humphrey from what I hear. However, even with the $30k waiver, my expenses are going to run close to $90k, which is probably too high. Even if I manage to get campus jobs in the 2nd year, it would be a lot higher expense than I am willing to take.

    With Humphrey, the expense is brought down considerably (~50k over two years, I will be taking a very small debt after accounting my savings into the equation), so financially it is the best option I have at the moment. Unfortunately, most of what I have heard about the school comes straight from them, they don't have many alumni from my country, and from my (very limited) survey most jobs are limited to the Twin Cities. I am not sure how well the degree does overseas. I eventually intend to return to India for a number of reasons, so I want to be sure of my decision.

    Do you have any inputs that might ease my stress and dilemma? As an in-state student, you might be able to help me out more than you think.

  12. Hi @JRS218, just checked my mail and was pleased to see the reward! I've received the non-resident tuition award (difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition, about $8,500 per year) plus a Humphrey merit fellowship of $10000 per year.

    I read the document about the non-resident aid carefully and there's a section you might like.

    Screenshot_20180315-064544~2.png

  13. 10 hours ago, Jules74 said:

    Congrats everyone! Got in with full funding and stipend :D 

    I would love to hear some of your backgrounds and why you are choosing Ford. 

    Hey! I come from a pure tech background - I've been working in a tech frontrunner for over 3.5 years now. Working here got me interested in technology ethics, interplay between private and public policy, and public policy in the face of new technology (especially AI). As you'd expect, I intend to take up STEP at Ford, and they've been doing some great work in the domain so I am very excited. :D

    Can we hear something from you too? Especially as you're one of the few people with 100% funding, I am sure you have a great profile :)

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