AdrianPrime

Thank you for the feedback Stiles. I'm also in San Diego, so it is nice to hear the perspective of a former local! I've accepted Sanford's offer and will be moving there in August. What area do you live in? I think I may also find myself "hoteling" it before I find something, unless I successfully arrange something site-unseen. I'll be driving from coast to coast for this move, so I'll have a lot of planning ahead of me. Anyway, I am looking forward to the Fall!!!!! Exciting times!

Or lack thereof... I had a good time at the admitted students day last Saturday. However, from what I've gathered the GW Trachtenberg School gave out only a little bit of money for the Fall 2010 - somewhere like 4-8 students total, depending on the rumor mill you listen to. Recognizing that many current students started out with little to no funding, I am curious to know the various ways they worked around the problem. Coupled with the high cost of living in DC, the potential debt one must accrue to attend GW seems far from worth it. I'm trying to get a sense of what 2 years might cost me. 1. What steps can you take to set yourself up for better aid the second year? 2. Do most students work part/full-time the whole way through? 3. Do many work for the University and get a tuition break? 4. Are there more fellowships/assistanceships available in the second year? I'd love to study in DC, but right now the money makes no sense. (*Currently looking for Freemasons in my family history...*)

I'll paste what I posted elsewhere in response to the same question: I did make it to the open house. The campus is beautiful, and for someone who went to bland, non-descript commuter campuses in San Diego, I was definitely impressed by the architecture and the facilities. Duke University has money and isn't shy about spending it. Just touring the student gym facilities and libraries can sell you on attending. The staff and student ambassadors were very friendly and really went out of their way to make sure that you talked with people studying in your intended field. As someone who is looking into Environmental Policy, I was practically dragged around during social mixers by student ambassadors to meet and greet with current MPP/MEM and Enviro Concentration students. The "breakout" sessions were also very helpful. Unlike GW's open house, Sanford School held breakout sessions for each major concentration, where you got to hear from professors and current students. There was also a very informative "student life" panel. I can't emphasize enough how friendly and helpful everyone was. There is a very collaborative environment there - exact opposite of more cut-throat programs out there. In fact, group/teamwork is a basic element of most classes. All in all, Duke and Sanford School were awesome. Any negatives I felt were either about the location (Durham) or based on my mood (exhausted from my West Coast flight and the all day open house). One of my few reservations has been about Durham itself, which on first glance is not an appealing place to live. Following that open house with my GW visit didn't help, since DC is such a dynamic and energetic city. Bad comparison. That said, I had very little time to explore Durham, and no rental car, so my first impression isn't very fair. And heck, the program is only two years long, and I think most of us could "tough it out" for two years in exchange for an awesome degree. If you have any specific questions, please let me know.

I did make it to the open house. The campus is beautiful, and for someone who went to bland, non-descript commuter campuses in San Diego, I was definitely impressed by the architecture and the facilities. Duke University has money and isn't shy about spending it. Just touring the student gym facilities and libraries can sell you on attending. The staff and student ambassadors were very friendly and really went out of their way to make sure that you talked with people studying in your intended field. As someone who is looking into Environmental Policy, I was practically dragged around during social mixers by student ambassadors to meet and greet with current MPP/MEM and Enviro Concentration students. The "breakout" sessions were also very helpful. Unlike GW's open house, Sanford School held breakout sessions for each major concentration, where you got to hear from professors and current students. There was also a very informative "student life" panel. All in all, Duke and Sanford School were awesome. Any negatives I felt were either about the location (Durham) or based on my mood (exhausted from my West Coast flight and the all day open house). One of my few reservations has been about Durham itself, which on first glance is not an appealing place to live. Following that open house with my GW visit didn't help, since DC is such a dynamic and energetic city. Bad comparison. That said, I had very little time to explore Durham, and no rental car, so my first impression isn't very fair. And heck, the program is only two years long, and I think most of us could "tough it out" for two years in exchange for an awesome degree. If you have any specific questions, please let me know.

First of all, I wanted to say how helpful this thread has been. I've been getting really excited about Sanford ever since Admitted Students Day, and there has been a lot of good, honest information on this board to help the confused and conflicted soul. Personally, I thought all the Student Ambassadors did a phenomenal job at making everyone feel welcome. For those currently at Sanford: 1. Do any of you work while in school to supplement your income/experience? Or do you find that your academic schedule is too onerous? If you work, do you find the opportunities in Durham/Chapel Hill limited? I have some funding offered from Duke which will help, but I may still want to try and work to offset potential debt. I don't have good offers from Maryland or GW, so I wasn't going to try to negotiate for more fellowship/assistanceship money. 2. My aid letter mentions that I may expect to receive the same amount of aid during my second year. Obviously without getting into raw numbers, have any of the 2nd years on this board experienced an increase/decrease in their second year funding? What steps can you take to set yourself up for better aid the second year? I'm trying to get a sense of what 2 years might cost me. 3. Where do you live in the area? Upon visiting, I found Durham REALLY hit-and-miss. One street would look really nice, the next would look very sketchy. As someone who has lived on the West Coast most of my life, it is very important to me that this big move takes me somewhere that I feel safe (yet don't break the bank). I only had a day and half (and no rental car) to experience the place, so I didn't see the outer neighbors, suburbs, nor Chapel Hill or other local towns... Thank you in advance for your feedback!

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback - you made a lot of good points, and I really appreciate it.

This probably seems like a mildly absurd comparison, but my acceptances have come down to Duke and George Washington, and I am really tearing my hair out over this one. I'm seeking a Masters of Public Policy, and have visited both schools' Admitted Students days. Here's the Pro-Con list I have so far: Duke/Sanford School Pro: reputation/ranking; financial aid; strong alumni network, especially in DC; low cost of living Con: Durham; only local opportunities for work/interning during school year; only full-time enrollment GW/Trachtenberg School Pro: Location; Consortium agreement with other DC Universities; opportunities to work/intern in DC year-round; flexible part-time option; transportation Con: Lower ranking/reputation outside DC; high cost of living; no financial aid Are there intangibles I'm missing? And at the Graduate School level, how much emphasis should I put on rankings and reputation? I don't want to throw away the opportunity to gain vital intern/work experience in DC concurrently with my education for a "big name" school that may or may not boost my future salary and job prospects. Thoughts? Thank you for your time