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somewhatslightlydazed

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  1. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed got a reaction from Lakshmi Venkataraman in INT STUDENT: HKS MPP (no funding) vs. PRINCETON MPA (full funding)   
    Current WWS student here - definitely follow the funding!!
    It's true that HKS has some advantages over WWS. It has a bigger network, a better name brand abroad, and more research centers and class options. On the other hand, WWS has a smaller cohort so it has a better sense of community, it has the benefit of being on a quiet campus while being close to NYC for going out/networking/interning, and from everything I've heard its alumni network, though smaller, is a lot more responsive (I'll say I've reached out to a bunch of alumni since starting here and I've gotten replies from every single one, including super senior people, all excited to help out - though I can't speak for the HKS network's responsiveness personally, I've heard it's harder to get replies). I was personally deciding between those two schools at the end (with more similar funding between the programs, though the stipend HKS was offering me was significantly smaller) and I'm personally super super glad I ended up at WWS. 
    You might like HKS as a program better than WWS, but do you really like it $200,000 better? I don't think taking on that much in loans is worth it, especially if you're looking for a humanitarian career. You'll be in a much better position to take jobs that interest you (rather than needing to look for jobs that pay the most money) if you come out of grad school with no debt. 
    Feel free to DM me if you want to chat more :) 
  2. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed got a reaction from dreamkant in INT STUDENT: HKS MPP (no funding) vs. PRINCETON MPA (full funding)   
    Current WWS student here - definitely follow the funding!!
    It's true that HKS has some advantages over WWS. It has a bigger network, a better name brand abroad, and more research centers and class options. On the other hand, WWS has a smaller cohort so it has a better sense of community, it has the benefit of being on a quiet campus while being close to NYC for going out/networking/interning, and from everything I've heard its alumni network, though smaller, is a lot more responsive (I'll say I've reached out to a bunch of alumni since starting here and I've gotten replies from every single one, including super senior people, all excited to help out - though I can't speak for the HKS network's responsiveness personally, I've heard it's harder to get replies). I was personally deciding between those two schools at the end (with more similar funding between the programs, though the stipend HKS was offering me was significantly smaller) and I'm personally super super glad I ended up at WWS. 
    You might like HKS as a program better than WWS, but do you really like it $200,000 better? I don't think taking on that much in loans is worth it, especially if you're looking for a humanitarian career. You'll be in a much better position to take jobs that interest you (rather than needing to look for jobs that pay the most money) if you come out of grad school with no debt. 
    Feel free to DM me if you want to chat more :) 
  3. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed reacted to PaoloC in INT STUDENT: HKS MPP (no funding) vs. PRINCETON MPA (full funding)   
    As a current WWS grad student, absolutely no brainer here - take Princeton! 
    The program is great, and you'll practically the same learning opportunities as HKS. While you may find some benefits in one over the other, at the end of the day the learning outcomes will be fairly similar. $200k in debt is a couple of lifetimes of repayments if you plan to work in humanitarian aid.
    Even if the Harvard brand is stronger internationally, it certainly isn't $200k stronger. Most importantly, the value of your degree (and of the brand) diminishes quickly after graduation. By the time you've had a job or two, your work experience will count for way more than the name of your grad school. And you'll still be stuck with a mountain of debt...
  4. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed got a reaction from Dwar in INT STUDENT: HKS MPP (no funding) vs. PRINCETON MPA (full funding)   
    Current WWS student here - definitely follow the funding!!
    It's true that HKS has some advantages over WWS. It has a bigger network, a better name brand abroad, and more research centers and class options. On the other hand, WWS has a smaller cohort so it has a better sense of community, it has the benefit of being on a quiet campus while being close to NYC for going out/networking/interning, and from everything I've heard its alumni network, though smaller, is a lot more responsive (I'll say I've reached out to a bunch of alumni since starting here and I've gotten replies from every single one, including super senior people, all excited to help out - though I can't speak for the HKS network's responsiveness personally, I've heard it's harder to get replies). I was personally deciding between those two schools at the end (with more similar funding between the programs, though the stipend HKS was offering me was significantly smaller) and I'm personally super super glad I ended up at WWS. 
    You might like HKS as a program better than WWS, but do you really like it $200,000 better? I don't think taking on that much in loans is worth it, especially if you're looking for a humanitarian career. You'll be in a much better position to take jobs that interest you (rather than needing to look for jobs that pay the most money) if you come out of grad school with no debt. 
    Feel free to DM me if you want to chat more :) 
  5. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed got a reaction from KIMAMS in 2019 Results   
    Updated results now that almost everything has come in. Looking through last year's helped me think through my application game plan a lot, so I'm hoping that including my results and the details of my funding will help future applicants ? 
    Program Applied To: MPP and IR masters programs
    Schools Applied To: Johns Hopkins SAIS (first year in Bologna, second in DC), Columbia SIPA, Tufts Fletcher, Georgetown MSFS, Harvard Kennedy School, Princeton WWS, GW Elliott, American SIS, Middlebury Institute of International Studies
    Schools Admitted To: All, which was super exciting and unexpected! Listed in order of funding:
    Princeton WWS: full ride (100% tuition + $29k/year stipend) Harvard Kennedy: 100% tuition + $10k/year stipend Johns Hopkins SAIS: 75% tuition Columbia SIPA: $28k/year + $6k for International Fellows Program (first year only) Tufts Fletcher: $25k/year Middlebury Institute: $22k/year GW Elliott: $17k/year American SIS: still TBA but I've decided against attending regardless at this point Georgetown MSFS: no funding Undergraduate institution: University of Maryland
    Undergraduate GPA: 3.99
    Undergraduate Major: Politics & Arabic
    GRE Score: 168 verbal, 168 quant, 5.0 writing
    Years Out of Undergrad: 2 at time of applying
    Years of Work Experience: a bit over 1 year at time of applying (almost 2 now)
    Describe Relevant Work Experience: I've been working at an international policy-focused nonprofit in DC for the last two years, which was my first full time job after a post-grad year in Morocco. I had a lot of relevant internships and part-time positions from undergrad, including terrorism research and refugee resettlement work. 
    Strength of SOP: I worked really hard on these and I'm glad it paid off! I started each SOP at least a month before the deadline and tried to weave my experience into a narrative that would make sense to the school. I would usually re-use a paragraph or two when talking about a specific work or academic experience, but I very carefully tailored each essay to the school. I also had a mix of people looking over my essays to give feedback.
    Strength of LOR's: I only read one, but I think they were all good. I picked my current supervisor, my undergrad thesis advisor, and an Arabic professor who I took multiple courses with. So I think the variety gave the admissions committees a well-rounded sense of who I am. 
    Other: I was worried coming into this process that my relative lack of work experience would hold me back, especially at places like Princeton and Harvard that put more of an emphasis on post-college experience. I think a few things helped me overcome that handicap:
    Having a high GPA and GRE scores presumably helped give the admissions committees more faith in me as a younger candidate. I was able to intern a lot in undergrad, so my experiences working for different organizations may have helped make up for how little full-time work experience I had. I tried to think about what experiences/skills I had that made me relatively unique. For me, that was achieving a high proficiency in a critical language (and spending over a year abroad studying it) and performing independent research for my undergraduate thesis. So I tried to focus on these two things in my essays and resume, which I think helped me stand out a bit. Although in reality I have a few directions in which I might like my career to go, I decided to pick one primary path to focus on in my essays (based on which path I had the most past experience to prepare myself for) and just focus on that. I think this helped me form a more cohesive narrative about what I wanted to accomplish at grad school.  Final Decision: Leaning Harvard or Princeton at this point (my original top choice was SAIS, but it'd cost so much more than Harvard or Princeton that I can't really justify going). Planning to attend both of their admitted students events and decide from there!
  6. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed got a reaction from limeorange in Open House Impressions   
    Visited HKS and WWS this past week - thoughts below!
     
    Harvard Kennedy School
    Faculty and Classes: I sat in on three classes and really liked all of them. They were larger than many of the classes I've sat in on at other schools (35-50 students in non-core classes; the cores are closer to 70, though some electives get as low as 15-20) but the professors all seemed to handle it well and make sure there was student involvement. We had a sample lecture on ethics in crisis decision making and it was fantastic.
    Curriculum: Most of the first year involves the core, but there's still room for at least one elective a semester (and the second year is way more focused on your field of interest and there's a lot of flexibility). All core classes seem like they would be useful.
    Geographic Spread: There are a lot of students from all over the country and a good deal of international students, which seems to add a lot to class discussions on international policy.
    Facilities: The building is super nice - it used to be 4 or 5 buildings but they recently completed a renovation that connected all of them, which seems like it would be super helpful in the winter. Access to facilities from all other Harvard grad schools, which is a big plus.
    Students: The current students were a lot friendlier and down to earth than I honestly expected them to be. They seem super happy with the program and didn't seem to think that the large class sizes (my main reservation about the program) was a negative, instead pointing out that it leads to interesting class discussions because there's such a broad range of experiences.
    Cost: HKS is obviously expensive, and some people get generous scholarships but it's not common. The administration was selling the high cost as an "investment," which I wasn't particularly impressed by since they want their students to go into public service, which isn't known for careers that pay enough to cover six-figure debt.
    Diversity & Inclusion: The administration didn't really talk about this much, which was disappointing. When I asked current students what they didn't like about the school, pretty much all of them said that the administration didn't value diversity as much as they should.
    Location: I grew up a short drive from Cambridge and love the area. It has the advantages of being in/near a city but is relatively quiet, which I really like.
    Career Services: There was a panel on careers after HKS and I honestly don't remember much of it, which probably says a lot...
    Extracurriculars: I was impressed by the number of student orgs, and it seems like there a ton of opportunities for students to get involved, either through clubs or research. Almost everyone I talked to belonged to at least one org and had been a research assistant for a professor, which seemed super cool. 
    Overall Impressions: I really liked the school overall. The size of the student body was the biggest plus and the biggest minus. You get to learn with a super diverse group of people with experience in a bunch of different areas. However, it can be hard to connect with the administration and professors because there are just so many people competing with you for opportunities.
     
    Princeton Woodrow Wilson School
    Faculty and Classes: I sat in on two classes and really liked both. The econometrics professor did a great job of answering all the students' complex questions, and the Middle East seminar professor was particularly impressive. He has decades of experience in the region but used that to guide a discussion of current and recent events rather than focusing on lecturing.
    Curriculum: The first semester is only core classes, and it was a bit of a bummer to hear that there was no room for electives at first. However, there's some space in the second semester, and the entire second year is completely flexible, which was great to hear. One downside is that because it's such a small program, the class selection is more limited than the selection at some other schools. However, they allow students to take classes at Princeton's other graduate programs (or potentially upper-level undergraduate classes) if there's a topic that's not adequately covered at WWS.
    Geographic Spread: I met students from across the US and Canada, and a few international students though not as many as I was hoping for.
    Facilities: The campus is beautiful and there are a ton of resources for students on campus, which all seemed great. 
    Students: I loved all the current students I spoke to. They were super available to talk to us, and they were super open about the things they liked and didn't like about the program, which I appreciated. I felt like I got a really balanced view of the school, which made me more confident about my decision to go!
    Cost: WWS gives full rides to all its students, which is fantastic particularly since it puts everyone on similar levels financially and no one has to worry about racking up debt. 
    Diversity & Inclusion: The WWS administration talked pretty openly about how there was still a lot to be done in terms of diversity and equity, and the students said similar things about the school still having a long way to go. But I appreciated that the problem was at least talked about openly!
    Location: Princeton is a super cute town, but obviously pretty suburban without a whole lot to do. But it seems like both NYC and Philadelphia are super accessible - it seems like it's common for MPA students to spend a day or two a week interning in New York.
    Career Services: I was disappointed that career services wasn't represented/given a panel at new admit weekend, but from everything I've heard it seems like they give a lot of planning and financial support for internships and jobs.
    Extracurriculars: Because WWS is a small school, there's a relatively small number of student orgs, but there are interesting ones. Plus there are student orgs that are for all Princeton graduate students, which widens the opportunities quite a bit.
    Overall Impressions: I really loved the vibe I got at Princeton. Things obviously aren't perfect, but people were great about telling me the issues with the school while still making it clear that they were loving their experiences there. The cohorts seem super close, and all of my experiences over the weekend made me really excited to attend next year!
  7. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed got a reaction from Dwar in Open House Impressions   
    Visited HKS and WWS this past week - thoughts below!
     
    Harvard Kennedy School
    Faculty and Classes: I sat in on three classes and really liked all of them. They were larger than many of the classes I've sat in on at other schools (35-50 students in non-core classes; the cores are closer to 70, though some electives get as low as 15-20) but the professors all seemed to handle it well and make sure there was student involvement. We had a sample lecture on ethics in crisis decision making and it was fantastic.
    Curriculum: Most of the first year involves the core, but there's still room for at least one elective a semester (and the second year is way more focused on your field of interest and there's a lot of flexibility). All core classes seem like they would be useful.
    Geographic Spread: There are a lot of students from all over the country and a good deal of international students, which seems to add a lot to class discussions on international policy.
    Facilities: The building is super nice - it used to be 4 or 5 buildings but they recently completed a renovation that connected all of them, which seems like it would be super helpful in the winter. Access to facilities from all other Harvard grad schools, which is a big plus.
    Students: The current students were a lot friendlier and down to earth than I honestly expected them to be. They seem super happy with the program and didn't seem to think that the large class sizes (my main reservation about the program) was a negative, instead pointing out that it leads to interesting class discussions because there's such a broad range of experiences.
    Cost: HKS is obviously expensive, and some people get generous scholarships but it's not common. The administration was selling the high cost as an "investment," which I wasn't particularly impressed by since they want their students to go into public service, which isn't known for careers that pay enough to cover six-figure debt.
    Diversity & Inclusion: The administration didn't really talk about this much, which was disappointing. When I asked current students what they didn't like about the school, pretty much all of them said that the administration didn't value diversity as much as they should.
    Location: I grew up a short drive from Cambridge and love the area. It has the advantages of being in/near a city but is relatively quiet, which I really like.
    Career Services: There was a panel on careers after HKS and I honestly don't remember much of it, which probably says a lot...
    Extracurriculars: I was impressed by the number of student orgs, and it seems like there a ton of opportunities for students to get involved, either through clubs or research. Almost everyone I talked to belonged to at least one org and had been a research assistant for a professor, which seemed super cool. 
    Overall Impressions: I really liked the school overall. The size of the student body was the biggest plus and the biggest minus. You get to learn with a super diverse group of people with experience in a bunch of different areas. However, it can be hard to connect with the administration and professors because there are just so many people competing with you for opportunities.
     
    Princeton Woodrow Wilson School
    Faculty and Classes: I sat in on two classes and really liked both. The econometrics professor did a great job of answering all the students' complex questions, and the Middle East seminar professor was particularly impressive. He has decades of experience in the region but used that to guide a discussion of current and recent events rather than focusing on lecturing.
    Curriculum: The first semester is only core classes, and it was a bit of a bummer to hear that there was no room for electives at first. However, there's some space in the second semester, and the entire second year is completely flexible, which was great to hear. One downside is that because it's such a small program, the class selection is more limited than the selection at some other schools. However, they allow students to take classes at Princeton's other graduate programs (or potentially upper-level undergraduate classes) if there's a topic that's not adequately covered at WWS.
    Geographic Spread: I met students from across the US and Canada, and a few international students though not as many as I was hoping for.
    Facilities: The campus is beautiful and there are a ton of resources for students on campus, which all seemed great. 
    Students: I loved all the current students I spoke to. They were super available to talk to us, and they were super open about the things they liked and didn't like about the program, which I appreciated. I felt like I got a really balanced view of the school, which made me more confident about my decision to go!
    Cost: WWS gives full rides to all its students, which is fantastic particularly since it puts everyone on similar levels financially and no one has to worry about racking up debt. 
    Diversity & Inclusion: The WWS administration talked pretty openly about how there was still a lot to be done in terms of diversity and equity, and the students said similar things about the school still having a long way to go. But I appreciated that the problem was at least talked about openly!
    Location: Princeton is a super cute town, but obviously pretty suburban without a whole lot to do. But it seems like both NYC and Philadelphia are super accessible - it seems like it's common for MPA students to spend a day or two a week interning in New York.
    Career Services: I was disappointed that career services wasn't represented/given a panel at new admit weekend, but from everything I've heard it seems like they give a lot of planning and financial support for internships and jobs.
    Extracurriculars: Because WWS is a small school, there's a relatively small number of student orgs, but there are interesting ones. Plus there are student orgs that are for all Princeton graduate students, which widens the opportunities quite a bit.
    Overall Impressions: I really loved the vibe I got at Princeton. Things obviously aren't perfect, but people were great about telling me the issues with the school while still making it clear that they were loving their experiences there. The cohorts seem super close, and all of my experiences over the weekend made me really excited to attend next year!
  8. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed got a reaction from PaoloC in Open House Impressions   
    Visited HKS and WWS this past week - thoughts below!
     
    Harvard Kennedy School
    Faculty and Classes: I sat in on three classes and really liked all of them. They were larger than many of the classes I've sat in on at other schools (35-50 students in non-core classes; the cores are closer to 70, though some electives get as low as 15-20) but the professors all seemed to handle it well and make sure there was student involvement. We had a sample lecture on ethics in crisis decision making and it was fantastic.
    Curriculum: Most of the first year involves the core, but there's still room for at least one elective a semester (and the second year is way more focused on your field of interest and there's a lot of flexibility). All core classes seem like they would be useful.
    Geographic Spread: There are a lot of students from all over the country and a good deal of international students, which seems to add a lot to class discussions on international policy.
    Facilities: The building is super nice - it used to be 4 or 5 buildings but they recently completed a renovation that connected all of them, which seems like it would be super helpful in the winter. Access to facilities from all other Harvard grad schools, which is a big plus.
    Students: The current students were a lot friendlier and down to earth than I honestly expected them to be. They seem super happy with the program and didn't seem to think that the large class sizes (my main reservation about the program) was a negative, instead pointing out that it leads to interesting class discussions because there's such a broad range of experiences.
    Cost: HKS is obviously expensive, and some people get generous scholarships but it's not common. The administration was selling the high cost as an "investment," which I wasn't particularly impressed by since they want their students to go into public service, which isn't known for careers that pay enough to cover six-figure debt.
    Diversity & Inclusion: The administration didn't really talk about this much, which was disappointing. When I asked current students what they didn't like about the school, pretty much all of them said that the administration didn't value diversity as much as they should.
    Location: I grew up a short drive from Cambridge and love the area. It has the advantages of being in/near a city but is relatively quiet, which I really like.
    Career Services: There was a panel on careers after HKS and I honestly don't remember much of it, which probably says a lot...
    Extracurriculars: I was impressed by the number of student orgs, and it seems like there a ton of opportunities for students to get involved, either through clubs or research. Almost everyone I talked to belonged to at least one org and had been a research assistant for a professor, which seemed super cool. 
    Overall Impressions: I really liked the school overall. The size of the student body was the biggest plus and the biggest minus. You get to learn with a super diverse group of people with experience in a bunch of different areas. However, it can be hard to connect with the administration and professors because there are just so many people competing with you for opportunities.
     
    Princeton Woodrow Wilson School
    Faculty and Classes: I sat in on two classes and really liked both. The econometrics professor did a great job of answering all the students' complex questions, and the Middle East seminar professor was particularly impressive. He has decades of experience in the region but used that to guide a discussion of current and recent events rather than focusing on lecturing.
    Curriculum: The first semester is only core classes, and it was a bit of a bummer to hear that there was no room for electives at first. However, there's some space in the second semester, and the entire second year is completely flexible, which was great to hear. One downside is that because it's such a small program, the class selection is more limited than the selection at some other schools. However, they allow students to take classes at Princeton's other graduate programs (or potentially upper-level undergraduate classes) if there's a topic that's not adequately covered at WWS.
    Geographic Spread: I met students from across the US and Canada, and a few international students though not as many as I was hoping for.
    Facilities: The campus is beautiful and there are a ton of resources for students on campus, which all seemed great. 
    Students: I loved all the current students I spoke to. They were super available to talk to us, and they were super open about the things they liked and didn't like about the program, which I appreciated. I felt like I got a really balanced view of the school, which made me more confident about my decision to go!
    Cost: WWS gives full rides to all its students, which is fantastic particularly since it puts everyone on similar levels financially and no one has to worry about racking up debt. 
    Diversity & Inclusion: The WWS administration talked pretty openly about how there was still a lot to be done in terms of diversity and equity, and the students said similar things about the school still having a long way to go. But I appreciated that the problem was at least talked about openly!
    Location: Princeton is a super cute town, but obviously pretty suburban without a whole lot to do. But it seems like both NYC and Philadelphia are super accessible - it seems like it's common for MPA students to spend a day or two a week interning in New York.
    Career Services: I was disappointed that career services wasn't represented/given a panel at new admit weekend, but from everything I've heard it seems like they give a lot of planning and financial support for internships and jobs.
    Extracurriculars: Because WWS is a small school, there's a relatively small number of student orgs, but there are interesting ones. Plus there are student orgs that are for all Princeton graduate students, which widens the opportunities quite a bit.
    Overall Impressions: I really loved the vibe I got at Princeton. Things obviously aren't perfect, but people were great about telling me the issues with the school while still making it clear that they were loving their experiences there. The cohorts seem super close, and all of my experiences over the weekend made me really excited to attend next year!
  9. Upvote
    somewhatslightlydazed got a reaction from went_away in International Affairs rankings   
    Congrats on the Kennedy scholarship! I also got significantly more money from HKS and WWS than I did from SAIS or SIPA, so I'm deciding between those two even though they don't have as much of an international focus as the others I applied to (that I originally liked better). There are still a ton of internationally-focused classes, you're just surrounded by proportionately more domestic-focused students, which I don't think is necessarily a negative. There are certainly benefits to going to an IR-focused school rather than a school focusing on public policy in general, but IMO following the money is almost always the way to go. 
  10. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed got a reaction from homesicksub in Decision time: share your dilemma   
    I think it really depends on how confident you are that you want to focus specifically on East Asia policy. If you know for sure that that's what you want to do, then Georgetown's program seems better for that path. If there's a chance that you'll want to focus on foreign policy more broadly, then a SAIS degree with a regional concentration (and if you'd be able to study in Nanjing, that could be super useful) will be more versatile. 
    Bottom line,  is that they're both great programs. If you're still conflicted as you get closer to the deadline, I'd say pick whichever one is going to be cheaper. I don't think you can go wrong between these two options!
  11. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed reacted to piquant777 in Admitted to WWS off waitlist - Should I go?   
    Econpp, if you're still making a decision, feel free to PM me. Would be happy to talk to you about HKS vs. WWS, and connect you with urban policy students here.
     
    I think you pretty much got it right in terms of your pros/cons list. I will say though that having used the Harvard alum network (Crimson Compass), barely anyone replies to you and those who do will not go out on a limb to help you, since there are so many people in the network. The WWS network, people literally are giving out jobs to each other right and left (not really an exaggeration), and empirical evidence suggests you'll get a reply from 99% of alums within days or even hours.
     
    HKS is probably more practitioner-oriented and a bit less rigorous academically. What do you want to do afterwards? If it's public service, $50k is a lot of debt and the career services + full funding (you should also count the guaranteed WWS funding for summer internships, language courses over the summer and even a lot of free meals/speaker events/dinners...these all add up to a lot!) will set you up well here. If you're going to go into private sector afterwards, then HKS may well be a better cultural fit and the $50k won't be as big of an issue.
  12. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed reacted to Guesswho in Decision time: share your dilemma   
    Well my Micro class got cancelled today so in my boredom (I mean sincere altruism) I'll go through and try and add my two cents where I feel I can. As a disclaimer much like most of you in here I am also someone who will be beginning their program in the fall of 2019 so I'm not claiming to be an expert or anything. Depending on how long this gets I may have to break this up into two separate posts but we'll see.
    @bac  I think deferring for a year sounds like the right call for you in this case. A pregnancy is a huge uncertainty hanging over a families head and so trying to move with that hanging over you sounds like a major hassle, especially given how it seems pretty tough to put one of UT or USC over the other atm. I would definitely agree that raising a family sounds more preferable in a city/state with a lower COL like Austin/Texas, but I think another advantage of deferring is that you'll have a much better sense of where it would be better to raise your family long term after having your child. Plus another year of savings doesn't hurt either. I would sure hope that schools would allow for deferrals for a spouse's pregnancy so I hope that whole process works out for you. 
     
    @sdb12014  From everything that I've read/heard about, it seems like federal gov work in a place like D.C. is achievable through just about any D.C. based school due to the lcation which allows you to do heavy networking + multiple internships in addition to the robust alumni networks in the area. With that being said, based off of your current offers SAIS is both most well known D.C. program you've been accepted to and the only one that has offered you funding thus far. So as of now I'd go with SAIS unless American comes through with even better funding since fed gov is also doable from there as well. And if American doesn't initially offer you funding that is comparable to SAIS then use the SAIS offer to try and negotiate with them. Even if you get off the MSFS waitlist I still wouldn't advise it unless you received funding on top of it. But even if nothing changes between now and the day of your deposit, a somewhat funded SAIS degree is a phenomenal outcome for someone wanting to do federal government work in D.C.
     
    @MPA/MPP Applicant  Heinz and Sanford are both great funded offers to have if you want the option to be in D.C. as well since they both have pretty solid alumni networks in that area. Sanford routinely places half or close to half of its grads in D.C. if I'm remembering the numbers correctly while the % is around 25 at Heinz. But Heinz has a larger class size and a more recently created D.C. track so the disparity in alumni presence isn't probably as big as the percentages make it seem. If you're fine with D.C. as an option then Heinz is a completely justifiable choice given the funding. That being said if your heart is truly set on the Bay Area then I think Price makes way too much sense for you given that their funding offer is the same as Heinz + their tuition being lower which helps offset the higher COL. 
     
    @somewhatslightlydazed  Quite frankly your options are so good across the board that it's making it really hard to pick just one lol. In that sense there's technically not an incorrect choice in there either. If SAIS comes back to you with full funding you could certainly justify that pick but otherwise I would pick one of HKS or WWS depending on which one you think is a better choice for your future goals. WWS is less than 3 and a half hours away from DC so I would imagine that they have a solid enough presence in D.C. which might alleviate your concerns a bit. I couldn't find any exact geographical breakdowns online but if you emailed someone from WWS I'm sure they could tell you what % of their grads end up in D.C. Any number above 20-25% would give me confidence in having a healthy alumni network to tap into in the D.C. area. Also although this is just a hunch on my end, I feel as though it would be easier to get to D.C. from WWS than it would be to get to NY from SAIS although both routes are certainly more than possible. Based off of the HKS employment reports for 2016 and 2017 it looks like they also have a very strong alumni group in D.C. as well which is to be expected given their class size and history. So while it would certainly be easier to secure certain connections in D.C. thorough SAIS, ultimately I think WWS and HKS will get you to D.C. all the same. If you have no preference for one over the other then I would advise picking based on whether you prefer the location of one over the other or to simply take WWS fort he larger stipend. But no matter what you end up picking just know that there isn't a bad choice to make. Congrats on all of the amazing offers.
     
    @HoboPresident  LBJ does have a D.C. track so I do think that it wouldn't be too difficult securing D.C. based employment from there. The brand name argument is a bit tough to dissect however because while there may be some fields or specific programs that penalize you for having two state schools on your resume, I want to say that most wouldn't care. I think for most Phd programs (even top ones) your grades, gre scores, research experience, essays, and overall fit matter much more then the name of the school. And if you want to do your Phd in a field similar to the one you're pursuing now, then I think most of the top programs would recognize that LBJ is a strong program. That being said if you want D.C., a brand name, and a somewhat affordable cost then Cornell might end up being your best compromise. Its base tuition is much lower than many other top programs, and with additional funding it could end up being very affordable for you. They also have a surprisingly strong base in D.C. based off of their employment reports, and you can do a one semester externship in D.C. as well if you want to have several months to network there. I don't know enough about Tufts and its D.C. connections, but I feel like unless its base tuition was fairly low to begin with then it will still be fairly expensive even with 25% funding. 
     
    @Spurs  Keough is still a fairly new program so I really don't know if it has the connections necessary to break into the World Bank or the UN. Harvard could definitely get you to these places, but paying off that debt even on the salaries that those two organizations provide would be quite depressing. Are there any other schools you applied to that can act as a sort of middle ground? If for example you applied to and received funding from SAIS or SIPA then I think either option would be a good middle ground. If you applied to SAIS or SIPA but just didn't receive funding, I would try negotiating with the Keough offer even if it is a bit of a long shot. If there are non WB/UN related jobs that you would also be satisfied with then I would take Keough over HKS but I can definitely understand why it would be hard to turn HKS down.
     
    Welp I'm halfway through page one so I'll probably stop here and pick up the rest of it a bit later. Yikes this took longer than I expected but it was still fun comparing and contrasting how everyone evaluates their decisions. 
     
     
  13. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed reacted to Spurs in Decision time: share your dilemma   
    I’d go to Princeton if I were you. It’s considered by some to be the best public policy school in the world, and you get to go there for free. It’s a no-brainer.
    The only real competition is Harvard. But you still have to spend some money to go there, so WWS just seems more economical.
  14. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed reacted to bac in Decision time: share your dilemma   
    Like many around here, I've got some tough decisions to make over the next month, so now almost all of the acceptances/rejections have come out (*shakes fist at UCLA Luskin*) I thought I'd start a thread where folks can post what schools they are deciding between and what circumstances they are considering, as well as any other factors that are being considered.
    I'll lead off:
    Coming from:
    New York, NY
    Deciding between: 
    USC (Price School), MPP - 50% tuition
    UT-Austin (LBJ School), MPAff - No $$
    The New School (Milano School), MPUP - 75% tuition
    Other factors:
    We just found out my wife is pregnant, so moving to the other side of the country and probably giving up her top-of-the-line healthcare and the country's most generous maternity leave is not necessarily appealing. She may be able to do her job from LA or Austin, but we don't know yet. Deferment for a year is a real possibility if they'd grant it for this reason.
    How I'm leaning:
    I'm very much leaning towards USC or UT - it might just take another year. I probably have USC's program marginally ahead of UT's, but I reckon living in Austin would be better, particularly with a dog and a baby on the way. The financial offer from USC brings USC to around the same cost over two years as UT with no funding. Both also have the option of doing a double degree with urban/community planning, which appeals, though USC's is within the same school so might be easier to organize. I really don't know how to split them, and I can't get back out to LA and Austin for their respective admitted student days.
  15. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed reacted to coolguyz in HKS to WWS Visit Travel Plans   
    Sounds stressful but a good stress to have.  I only applied to Georgia schools, Georgetown, and then these two so it's a bit easier for me.  The train situation would be the Acela Express from Boston to New York (which I just read about) and then from New York to Princeton Junction (which I've done before and is pretty chill).  So that's doable and looks like it would take just as long as driving (around five hours).  So it's just a question of timing it out so as not to miss any events.  
  16. Upvote
    somewhatslightlydazed reacted to SketchesOfSpain in Tips on Negotiating Offers   
    Now my experience is all of one school, but I would imagine your only real lever is your offers from superior or equal schools as far as rankings.
     
    Your email can be something along the lines of, "Thank you for your generous offer, but the scholarship isn't enough to make the cost feasible for me. Especially when I have an offer of X% from school X and Y% from school Y, bringing my total cost to about Z. Is there any way I can get my offer reevaluated to get closer to Z? If so, what are the next steps? If not, I completely understand."
     
    Then they'll ask from the offer letters from school X and Y and see what they can do
  17. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed got a reaction from hope_springs in WWS Fall 2019   
    Just got an emailing informing me I'd been admitted!! The email said official announcements along with financial aid info will go out tomorrow ? 
  18. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed got a reaction from coolguyz in WWS Fall 2019   
    Just got an emailing informing me I'd been admitted!! The email said official announcements along with financial aid info will go out tomorrow ? 
  19. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed reacted to homesicksub in 2019 Results   
    Yeah, I got the email shortly after my post! Congrats!
    No info on funding for me either, which is strange. I assumed the same as you. I'm glad it's not just me seeing no mention of it – I thought it might mean I didn't get any funding.
    Edit: Now that I think about it, given that both the email and the letter appear generic, they probably will send funding info separately on a case-by-case basis. That's my hope, anyways.
  20. Upvote
    somewhatslightlydazed reacted to Lalavita in HKS 2019   
    Only CPL has interviews based on the information on the HKS site. If you are awarded any of the fellowships you mentioned, you’ll find out in March around when admission decisions are released.
     
     
  21. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed got a reaction from Theevidentevaluator in 2019 Results   
    Program Applied To: (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.) IR programs with a variety of names (MA, MIA, MALD, MPP, etc)
    Schools Applied To: Johns Hopkins SAIS, Columbia SIPA, Tufts Fletcher, Georgetown SFS, Harvard Kennedy, Princeton WWS, GW Elliott, American SIS, Middlebury Institute of International Studies
    Schools Admitted To: SAIS ($$$), SIPA ($$$), Middlebury ($$), Fletcher (funding TBA), American SIS (funding TBA) 
    Schools Rejected From: None so far!
    Still Waiting: Georgetown SFS, Harvard Kennedy, Princeton WWS, GW Elliott
    Undergraduate institution: University of Maryland
    Undergraduate GPA: 3.99 (a beginner's art class ruined my 4.0 ?)
    Undergraduate Major: Government & Arabic Studies
    GRE Scores: 168/168/5.0
    Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 3
    Years of Work Experience: 2 (did a post-grad year in the Middle East)
    Describe Relevant Work Experience: entry-level nonprofit work (on nuclear policy, though my role is more administrative) and a bunch of relevant internships in undergrad (terrorism research, language and cultural education, social service work with refugee communities)
    Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I think they were all solid - I started each at least a month ahead of time and tailored each one, reusing a paragraph here and there when I was talking about a specific experience, like writing my undergrad thesis. I also had a few friends look the essays over and give suggestions.
    Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Probably pretty good, though I didn't read them. Had my current supervisor, my thesis advisor, and a language professor, so I think they spoke to a broad range of skills/experiences. 
    Other: I was worried that a comparative lack of work experience was going to hold me back, but so far I've gotten good results! I think having good academic stats, writing and defending a thesis, and learning a critical language all helped make up for the fact that my post-grad work experience wasn't as extensive as some other applicants.
  22. Like
    somewhatslightlydazed reacted to Thirteen in Tufts Fletcher - Early Notification 2019   
    Nice work, maybe see you in the fall!
  23. Upvote
    somewhatslightlydazed reacted to AGReyes in The 'Am I competitive' thread - READ ME BEFORE POSTING   
    Your work experience is a bit below average but, outside of that, your GPA and GRE scores are golden. 

    ~1.5 years of full-time experience is going to be enough that it won't be a black mark on your application, but it definitely won't be a boost when it comes to funding.

    That said, you are competitive at all of the IR schools and should definitely aim top tier - SAIS/SFS/SIPA - there. You could get into HKS or WWS but I'm not seeing your application as a natural fit - it seems largely international in focus - and your work experience might not cut it, especially at WWS.

    I don't think the Middlebury financial aid package was also very generous, so another safety might be a good idea, since I think your challenge won't be admission, but sufficient funding. A lot of those schools are the type that will admit you and give you the full sticker price - SIPA/HKS/GW especially. 
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