Robert Kupstas Byla

The deadline for securing a space in Columbia's Fall 2010 MIA class is fast approaching (May 3rd) and I still haven't made a decision on which school I want to enroll in this year, if at all. I'm currently on at State as a contractor supporting a senior level diplomat. The pay is good and I'm bound to get more opportunity to travel and take on more substantive policy responsibility. I'm on the fence of whether to 1. defer SIPA (unfunded) and work for a year during which i'll apply to other schools and scholarships 2. accept admission at SIPA, quite my job, and go full time in NYC or 3. work full time and do SFS part time--this would be beneficial from a financial point of view. Does anyone know as to how SIPA's international security concentration compares to Georgetown's Security Studies Program? My hunch is that, for federal and defense/security/intel jobs in D.C. area, SSP has a huge leg up over Columbia. My thought on Columbia, however, is that it would be a great opportunity to broaden my policy perspective beyond the Washington bubble, into which SSP would drive me even deeper. Not sure yet on where I want orient my career. am interested in federal defense/intel/security related jobs but also interested in the consulting world. Any thoughts?