TalkPoliticsToMe

I will be attending Hertie School with a fully funded DAAD scholarship! So excited

I have a friend that did the Georgetown part time program while working full time. I have notes from a conversation I held with her — I’ll send them to you privately.

Sorry I disappeared to Morocco with no WiFi right after this happened haha. Since my next best offer was a full ride in a high cost of living city (LA) I went with Austin! 

Georgetown MPP!

Seriously such a tough decision, but it looks like I'll be at Duke Sanford for the MPP program! Good luck to everyone!
I'd also love to connect with any other incoming Sanford students!

I’ll be at NYU Wagner for my MPA. Before Admitted Students Day, I thought I was set on UW Evans, but the school visits really changed my mind. NYU also responded to my funding appeal with an offer very comparable to UW’s. 

It's April 15. Simple question, simple answer: where have you committed to?
I committed to the Master of Public Affairs program at the LBJ School at the University of Texas - Austin. I may try and do a double degree with the Community & Regional Planning program in the Architecture school after my first year. 
PS. If you are waiting to the very last second to decide and need advice, here's the thread for you!

Here's my Heinz review. Stealing the format from @TalkPoliticsToMe because I think it's great.
 
Faculty: Although the faculty interaction was somewhat limited, I came away immensely impressed with the ones we saw. There was a session where two professors (Dr. Branstetter and Dr. Haviland) gave small ~30 minute lectures on their work and had a Q&A panel afterwards. They were incredibly engaging and their work was fascinating. They clearly demonstrated Heinz's commitment to positioning itself as the intersection of technology and policy. One of the examples is a multi-million dollar study that's about to begin on the use of AI to help deliver individualized learning to students from disadvantaged students. We also interacted with a professor who was in charge of my program (the MSPPM DA track), who was funny and insightful, although we didn't get to talk much about her work. She's the kind of professor whose class I look forward to taking.
Curriculum Flexibility: This was an area whose value underestimated significantly before the weekend, particularly from the DA track. The DA track is very regimented and honestly allows for very few non-technical electives (maybe 3-4 classes over the course of the two years). This made me a little jealous of the non-DA track and their ability to spread their wings a lot more. Of course, this is offset by the quality of the technical electives. They were exciting and covered all of the types of analytics tools/technologies that I might want. The presentation also emphasized that you can test out of some of the core courses during orientation to make more room for electives. This is definitely something that I'm going to more actively pursue so that I can hopefully build a little more flexibility into my personal curriculum.
Geographic Spread: Very wide geographic spread. At one point they asked people to raise their hand if it was their first time in Pittsburgh and I would guess that 80+% of the admitted students fell in that category. I would say from anecdotal experience that the distribution was weighted more heavily to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, but definitely met people from California and Texas, as well as overseas.
Program Funding: This seems to be a strong point for the program, as evidenced by the generous scholarships Heinz seems to give out and its well funded research centers. Things like the Block Center, Traffic 21, and Metro 21 were all very clearly well supported and have plenty of on-going initiatives. (They did resort to giving us only two drink tickets at the happy hour though, but that may not have been exclusively for budgetary reasons).
Other things to keep in mind: 
Facilities: I liked the Heinz building (Hamburg Hall). There are definitely places that have received a bit more love and care than others, but nothing was bad. They had some cool collaborative spaces and meeting areas, but don't expect anything crazy. I did appreciate that none of the classrooms felt out-dated, which hasn't always been my experience at policy schools. Quick comparisons to other policy schools I visited: pretty comparable to Sanford but bigger, nicer than HKS imo.
Policy vs. Adminstration: Didn't really get a gauge on this, honestly. I think Heinz envisions itself more as an institution that trains specific skills rather than trying to fit in a "policy or administration" box.
Students: I experienced a similar situation to TalkPolitics to me, in which I met a wide range of people. There were those that were bright, engaging, and fun to interact with and there were those that were the opposite. I've been thinking on this and can't get a particularly good descriptor. I might say that the current students did seem to be a little more self-involved than I would have preferred. They didn't seem to be overly active in student organizations and things and many of them didn't seem to make a proactive effort throughout the weekend to try and encourage students to come to Heinz.
Cost of Attendance: Definitely one of Heinz's strongest points. Pittsburgh was incredibly affordable and every year they seem to be relatively affordable with scholarships. Most admitted students that I met and talked with were deciding between minuscule scholarships from Harris or relatively generous ones from Heinz. They seemed conflicted all weekend and most didn't seem to have made up their mind by the end.
Diversity & Inclusion: "Ford (and University of Michigan as an institution) is very aware they have issues with diversity & inclusion and are actively working to make faculty and the student body more inclusive. The Dean was very transparent about their efforts, as were the students." - What TalkPoliticsToMe wrote and could be repeated for Heinz. The very first thing on the agenda was a 15 minute speech by the associate dean. The second was an hour long diversity panel. They clearly want to address this moving forward. However, the panel did seem to indicate that although the university and Heinz seem to be taking the right steps on this, they had only recently begun moving in the right direction. I don't expect them to reverse course (obviously) but the students of diverse backgrounds on the panel clearly felt that there was significant improvements still to be made.
Location: I actually loved Pittsburgh. It was a fantastic city and forgetting CMU, I would consider moving there just to live and work. Of course, I'm a sucker for up-and-coming mid-sized cities. If you're someone who has always lived in NYC or is craving D.C. is going to notice that it's smaller and you might be left wanting to a degree.
Career Services: Like @SketchesOfSpain said, not overly impressed. The career outcomes for Heinz students are obviously impressive, but hard to tell if that's due to anything from the career services office in particular or just CMU's rep that attracts the employers like flies. They weren't bad by any means (offered plenty of resume & interview prep and the like), but nothing that stood out.
Extracurriculars: Maybe one of my bigger disappointments from the weekend. While there are lots of clubs and activities, it didn't feel like a priority for many Heinz students. It felt like most treated them like sampler platters. They would go to a decent number of talks put on my the college, they're probably a part of a couple clubs, and they might have an internships or TA/RA position, but the commitment seemed to be low. They interact with a few college events, they might go to a couple club events per semester, and might do an internship for a semester or so. But I didn't see much of the people getting involved and immersing themselves in one or two things. This is likely just a difference between the undergraduate and graduate experience, but was something that disappointed me a little bit. One of the biggest things I was trying to discern was whether this was because students just don't feel the need to or if they're so focused on school work that they don't make time for it. (I don't know the answer, will check back in a year).
 
Overall, I liked my visit. I found some people I feel that I could vibe with, left with a high degree of certainty that the program will give me the skills that I need/want, remained confident in the career opportunities that I would get, and finished the visit by counting down how long it would be until orientation started. (happy to go into more detail on anything or talk about any other subjects)

second update for future reference - about 3 days before deadline I got bumped up to full ride and 43,248 stipend (!!!!). Mind absolutely blown. Didn't negotiate them at all. The waiting game worked out unintentionally I guess... So grateful

Well, given I'm the original poster, I should close the loop I guess! 
A lot of soul-searching, discussions with my wife, dialogue and negotiations with USC and UT-Austin, working out logistics around our impending green cards/moving/baby on the way - and finally a decision!
We're going to move to Texas and I'm going to do the MPAff at the LBJ School. 
We both liked the idea and costs of living in Austin more than LA, with a growing family and a dog there is more space in the rental market, UT were really responsive and have offered me a lot of flexibility with my complicated situation and possible starting dates (though I'm most likely going to start in Fall), and they came to the party just today with a half-tuition fellowship when before there was none.
I feel good, I feel relaxed, I can't wait to press that button over the weekend, and I hope you all feel that kind of peace when you get to the same place. God knows, we've all earned it.
And if you're going to be a Longhorn like me, hit me up. The first beer is on me.

My final update after they all came in! I've ended up going with the LBJ School at UT-Austin.
Program Applied To: (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.) MPP; MPAff.
Schools Applied To:  Harvard (Kennedy, MPP); UC Berkeley (Goldman, MPP); USC (Price, MPP); UT-Austin (LBJ, MPAff); UCLA (Luskin, MPP); George Washington (Trachtenberg, MPP); The New School (Milano, MPP).
Schools Admitted To:  USC (with half-tuition); UT-Austin (negotiated half-tuition); The New School (with 75% tuition); UCLA.
Schools Rejected From:  George Washington (Trachtenberg, MPP); Harvard (Kennedy, MPP); UC Berkeley (Goldman, MPP)
Still Waiting: None.
Undergraduate institution:  The New School.
Undergraduate GPA:  3.96
Undergraduate Major:  Liberal Arts.
GRE Quantitative Score:  148
GRE Verbal Score:  161
GRE AW Score:  4.0
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): None, I graduate in May.
Years of Work Experience:  10
Describe Relevant Work Experience:  Worked in state and federal politics and government in Australia from 2006-2013; worked in U.S. union movement 2015-2017.
Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc):  Very strong, I feel this and my LORs really anchored my applications. Good personal narrative regarding my difficult upbringing which I was able to link to the work I've done professionally and my future policy ambitions. I think being able to articulate how the school your applying to is the missing link in the chain between what you've done and what you want to do is the #1 goal of a SOP, and was my top priority.
Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc):  Very strong. Current Australian member of the House of Representatives and former Attorney-General who I worked closely for as an aide for a few years; two professors who I got As with in graduate level classes when I returned to finish my undergrad.
Other: I'm probably not a traditional applicant, which has its advantages and disadvantages. I did poorly when I first went to university back in Australia (Journalism, RMIT) in the mid-2000s, but had a successful career and have crushed my studies since going back to finish my undergrad - mostly doing grad level classes.

Just so you know, I'd wager that you can repeat that "Diversity" section for literally every policy program that's not at an HBCU.  It's pretty much an open secret that they all love to talk about diversity way more than they actually practice it.  I'm at Sanford and it's no different (and probably worse in some respects with respect to diversity).

Your last sentence is important. The SAIS name is great and the education was solid, but I have to say the "life in Europe" was one of my favorite things about the entire experience. First, Bologna is very cheap, so your rent cost is 1/3rd of D.C./NY, and that extra cash goes a long way in travel.

I would stack all of my classes over 3 days and then would have four-day weekends each week. Getting to Bologna Airport is like 5 euro from the train station - which was a 5 minute walk from my apartment - and you can catch a Ryanair for less than 50 euros round-trip to dozens of European cities - I visited 25 countries during my 9 months in Bologna.

I would read about the Cold War in American Foreign Policy Since 1945, and then would fly out to Berlin for a weekend, visiting the Berlin Wall in the day and reading at night. Taking The European Union and its Institutions? Take a weekend trip to Brussels. Studying colonialism and its global implications? London and Paris are right there.

My year in Bologna wasn't solely an education. It felt like my little bildungsroman. I was too old - mid 20s - to be worried about drinking and partying - but also too young to have lost my sense of adventure. So my year felt like a very immersive, interactive learning experience.

That isn't to say that I was the average student. There were certainly people who preferred to learn with a book in the library for 5 hours. But if you learn 'interactively,' then Bologna is a special place.

Also, you're stuck with 150 others in Bologna who speak horrible Italian - though most won't admit it. So there's a bonding born out of necessity because you have no one else to befriend other than your immediate classmates. There's a reason why the Bologna students in their second year in D.C. are attached at the hip. And since 70 percent usually stay in D.C. long-term, you not only have an amazing year of European adventure, but a network in D.C. that can help tremendously - even if geared to certain areas: World Bank, IMF, IADB, ITA, USAID, State [to a lesser extent], OPIC, ITC, etc.

I will say, you didn't detail what you want to do - just what you've done to date. And I can't piece together a narrative based on your paragraphs.

Business School and International Relations are not the same. Before you drop six figures into a program, really plot your path ahead. As great as SAIS Bologna was for me, debt is debt, and accruing debt for something that will not advance your career is a non-starter. Woodrow Wilson, Jackson, SAIS and HBS are also quite distinct. Jackson and SAIS are both in the IR bucket, and offer similar courses, but SAIS is a long-established program with 950 students. Jackson is a fifth the size and is much newer. SAIS has a much better network in D.C., but Jackson is undoubtedly more financially generous. SAIS has more courses, but Jackson has better individualized attention. SAIS is in D.C. and Jackson is in New Haven. Network, location, financing, and curriculum are notable differences, and both schools are different in those respects.

Woodrow Wilson is also completely different - disclaimer: I studied there as a PPIA Fellow - from SAIS, with more of a domestic public service focus than SAIS, which tends to send far more students to the big international organizations, a tranche to State/DOD/Intelligence, a tranche to Treasury, a tranche to the finance industry, and some to the EOP. The SAIS Bologna crew is also disproportionately European, of which many can only stay in the U.S. long-term by finding World Bank/IMF/IO positions in D.C. Which you noted above is something you're not huge on.

And HBS is a completely different chimera. A student who thrives in HBS could be bored by the curriculum at SAIS. If I went to HBS, I'd probably be miserable. Are you just chasing prestige with HBS, or is that something you're actually interested in for your career trajectory?

In any case, I think you need to scope out your path before you make such a life-changing decision to shell out money for a graduate education.

I went to Ford Spring Preview - happy to address further questions and/or hear the perspectives from others that attended Ford as well. 
I will be attending Ford this fall for the following reasons: 
Faculty: This was the biggest factor in my decision and one that I was not prioritizing going into Spring Preview. However, the Faculty Panel and lunch changed my tune. The faculty at Ford are doing very cool things and were quite approachable. The Director of Academics shared with us that all Ford Faculty are evaluated not only on research and teaching but also service. As such there seems to be a lot of opportunities to get involved in on the ground projects with faculty, and that faculty address real world issues in real time pertaining to their fields of focus. Many faculty also have appointments in other schools which brings a different lens to instruction.  
Curriculum Flexibility: My impression at Ford is that the program follows a “choose your own adventure” approach, although they do have formalized tracks should students seek a more structured route. This was important to me as I am unsure of which policy area I would like to pursue; currently leaning towards health policy but I have several areas of interest. I tis also heavily encouraged to take courses in other departments. Michigan makes it easy to cross-enroll and they pride themselves on that. Additionally, Ford leadership is invested in revamping their curriculum--they seek feedback from Ford alumni on ways they can improve the program. That is one the reasons why they rolled out formalized tracks. They are also evaluating ways they can reinvent how they teach econ to graduate students in a way that is more applicable for professional settings. 
Geographic Spread: I was worried initially that Ford's imprint in DC metro and west coast would be limited due to their Midwestern location. These are the two areas that I see myself post-graduation. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that DC has the largest base of Ford alumni and California is within the top 6 locations in which Ford graduates gravitate towards. The others in the Top 6: Michigan, D.C., International, California, New York, and Illinois. This is based on roughly 4 years of both internship and FT data that was shared by Ford's Graduate Career Services staff. 
Dean and Program Funding: The Dean has an extensive background in policy, politics, and law. He has worked in the administrations for two Presidents, including management of special task force and headed up an an agency. As such, he is very much attune to what the MPP is, its value, and importance of forming connections on the Hill. From what students shared he has also increased the amount of donations the Ford School received. This has allowed them to do things like open up the new Diplomacy Center (Weiser) and further invest in international opportunities for students. He also makes himself available to students by offering office hours once a month. He also came by to greet students throughout the day and wish us congratulations. 
Other things to keep in mind: 
Facilities: underwhelming relative to other graduate schools on campus (e.g. Law School, Business School, School of Public Health). It is definitely an older building with less focus on natural light and spaces to congregate for group work. etc. 
Policy vs. Adminstration: the Ford School is definitely policy-centric as opposed to management/administration centric. Something to keep in mind for anyone more interested in managing an agency or other public/NGO entity vs. policy making. 
Students:  It was hard to gage the incoming class as most folks were still considering multiple offers (from Harris, HKS, Sanford, and Columbia were the ones most frequently mentioned. I also met a young people there (defined as individuals with two or fewer years of experience), but again, this may have been random coincidence and not truly representative of the incoming class. The individuals I interacted with left me feeling underwhelmed but again that may have been a bad draw of who I interacted with. 
Thus, I spent majority of my time interacting with the current cohorts and faculty to understand who the Ford student is. The students were friendly, a mix of extroverts and introverts, and very honest. I met military members and students with families. A professor described the ideal Ford student as "a realist that is optimistic about addressing social problems" while another said simply "they genuinely care about doing good in the world."
Cost of Attendance: Faculty, alumni, and current students were very upfront about money. Faculty I interacted with stressed the importance of funding and taking that into the decision making process--even if that meant they would have to decline Ford. I was amazed how open people were about this. There were a lot of alumni who attended Ford with no funding, but have since been advocating the school provide heavier tuition assistance. However they enjoyed their experience and did not regret attending. Similarly, there were also Ford students who turned down funding elsewhere to attend but they were able to justify their rationale. 
Diversity & Inclusion: Ford (and University of Michigan as an institution) is very aware they have issues with diversity & inclusion and are actively working to make faculty and the student body more inclusive. The Dean was very transparent about their efforts, as were the students. I'm used to being in spaces lacking diversity so this was refreshing to hear and glad the Dean addressed it head on as part of his opening. 

I only got funding from UW (that email from UCSD hit me in the gut too... plus requiring Econ summer class despite being an Econ minor haha). 
I am visiting next week UCSD so I might bring it up but I already contrived to UW (better area studies, my interests align better with the faculty, and so forth). 
I know it's disappointing but Chicago is great too! Maybe we can try again as PhD candidates for UCSD? 

Noted. I negotiated with Evans and they gave me a better deal since I wanted to be in Seattle than in San Deigo. At this point, I donot even see the point in negotiating with Harris so looks like my decision is made  
But thank you so much for everyone's support and thoughts! 
 

I applied to two programs (Ford, Sanford), but if I were to do it over again I would only apply to one more program: Harris. I was looking for dual MBA/MPP programs so that limited my scope quite a bit. I found out about Chicago late in the game and after asking for recommendations for essentially 4 programs felt guilty about asking for additional on top of that with such short notice. However, the funding and acceptances worked in my favor so I don’t have any regrets! 
Applications take a lot of time and energy so I’m glad I kept my pool smaller. 

Have you visited either campus at all or taken into consideration what learning environment you work best in? 
Berkeley’s campus is beautiful and concentrated in its own area, vs Columbia being sprawled around the city of New York. While you may focus most of your studies within the policy building, layout and structure of the campus is something to consider should you want to explore other departments. Berkeley also has a thriving sports culture / school spirit relative to Columbia. Is that appealing to you? Is it important to you to be surrounded by open spaces and natural landscapes? Is cost of living important to you? (I’d argue Berkeley is higher cost of living than NYC given the growth in SF)
I would also say that if you’re goal is to end up returning further east then Berkeley may not be the best option. Not that you couldn’t return to the east coast but you may have to work a little harder. 
Lastly, based on your post above, it seems Columbia is much more appealing to you. If it’s the ranking of Berkeley that’s making you reconsider, I’d toss that aside. Both programs are so strong that their relative rankings (in my opinion) should not factor into your decision making. Additionally, as someone who attended a large state school for undergrad you can make your experience as worthwhile as the effort you put forth. I never felt shortchanged for opportunities, however, I always made it a point to remember why I was in school vs becoming distracted by the allures of college life. 

What can you do with a Masters in each of these programs? Which is the most marketable? Any other advice?

Program Applied To: MPP and IR 
Schools Applied To:  UCLA Luskin (MPP), USC Price (MPP), Duke Sanford (MPP), WWS (MPA), Tufts (MAID), Georgetown (MA Asian), GWU (MIA), UCSD GPS (MIA)
Schools Admitted To:  UCLA Luskin (?), USC Price (1/2 tuition), Duke Sanford (32k/year + TA), Tufts (16k/year), Georgetown (None), GWU (6k/year), UCSD GPS (Full ride + stipend)
Schools Rejected From:  WWS (MPA),
Still Waiting:  None
Undergraduate institution:  Midwest private school
Undergraduate GPA:  3.7
Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable):  3.8
Undergraduate Major:  Political Science, minor in History
GRE Quantitative Score:  153
GRE Verbal Score:  159
GRE AW Score:  4.5
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable):  2 years
Years of Work Experience:  2 years  
Describe Relevant Work Experience:  Joined the Peace Corps in China directly following graduation. During undergrad I interned with the State Dept. in DC, the State Dept. in an embassy in Europe, and completed an internship with a member of the EU in Brussels while studying abroad. 
Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc):  I was pretty happy with my final product, which only had a few updates from my first draft. Started with a story of my interests, transitioned to why I am applying to this particular school (naming concentrations I plan to study and student groups I wish to join), then moved on to my past experiences. Felt that it was a little review of my resume but in greater detail. 
Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc):  I guess pretty good? I reached out to 2 former professors a year after graduation to update them of what I have been up to since graduation. Followed up again in the fall asking for their LOR. Also went to a former internship boss who I have stayed in contact with over the last few years. 
Other: I was worried about my GRE quant but with everything else it didn't seem to have a huge impact on my admittance. However, I think a higher score would've helped me secure funding at more schools. I'll be attending UCSD as I want to focus on China, I'll be closer to family, and the simple fact that I will graduate debt free.  

Coming from: Atlanta, B.S. engineering from Georgia Tech and 4 years in software/logistics consulting.
Deciding between:  
Columbia's SIPA - (0% tuition) Johns Hopkins' SAIS - (75% tuition) Georgetown's SSP - (0% tuition, financial aid waitlist) Career Goals: I want to leverage a STEM background to solve IR and security problems. This could be STEM-weapons analysis for federal 3-letter agencies, political and supply chain risk management for private companies, or strategy consulting focused on defense.
Other factors
Simultaneously received an offer to work as an intelligence officer in the USAF. Certainly many pros (experience, security clearance) but also cons (little control over type of job and location, 6 yr commitment, GI Bill doesn't help much with private school tuition). I have family/friends in DC, and overall like the city more than NYC. How I'm leaning: Currently thinking grad schools in general offer more  diverse career opportunities, better network, and flexibility. I want the practical, hands-on approach over theory, which means SIPA's 2nd year practicum sounds perfect for me. However, Columbia is too expensive, and unless I hear my financial aid appeal has been granted in April, I have to consider SAIS my top choice. 
 
Does anyone know if SAIS or SSP have 2nd year projects/capstones? How quant-heavy can I go in SAIS vs. SIPA? Is the Ivy League brand worth it financially?
Thanks!

I agree with your sentiment about underestimating yourself for top tier programs! I wish I had found this site before I began the application process, because I would have digested how differently the grad school process is from undergrad. Though my peers/coworkers with graduate degrees told me it was easier to get into grad school than college, I didn't really believe them until I received some surprising acceptances. I truly thought I was only going to get into my safety school, but ended up getting in everywhere. Though, to be clear, I was not offered as much funding as others on here with stronger packages, the process proved to me that these programs really look at the whole person as opposed to stats and check boxes.
Another factor that stopped me from applying to certain programs (namely, WWS, HKS and Goldman) was becoming overwhelmed by their application questions and admissions sites, which made me feel totally unqualified and like I didn't have enough time to finish the apps. I suspect that -- at least to some extent -- schools strategically exaggerate the process to weed people out. 
Ultimately, I don't regret my application decisions because I am extremely happy with the program I have chosen (Sanford). However, I do wish I hadn't been so self-deprecating about the process: it was simply untrue and unnecessary.
 My suggestions to future applicants are: 
1) Go for the big ones! Why not?? The worst that could happen is you're rejected (and out $80 in app fees...)
2) Do NOT get attached  to the ways in which top tier programs inflate themselves
2) Start your applications early so you feel confident 
3) Knock out the daunting applications first
You can do it!

Congrats!! Ford will be very lucky to have you!

super late this on this post but curious - @Hayek what did you land up doing? mba or mpp? do you like it? 

I got into Georgetown's McCourt School, Duke's Sanford School, and Michigan's Ford School for an MPP starting in Fall 2019 and am struggling with making a decision. Financially speaking, the programs are comparable in cost after factoring in fellowships and cost of living, so that's not a determining factor. I know that all of them are well renowned, but I don't know a whole lot about the specifics of each program or what differentiates one from the others and was hoping to get some insight from here.
A few questions:
1) Does one school have a significantly better reputation than the others? I know some programs have stronger quantitative curricula and others are good at certain policy areas (e.g. social, environmental, health). I'm not sure which area I want to concentrate in yet, but I'd like to have some idea of where each program stands.
2) Ideally I'd like to end up in the DMV area, so McCourt obviously has that going for it. How much does being in DC help with securing a job there versus coming from a school like Michigan that's way outside the district but has a massive alumni network?
3) How much does ranking matter? For example, based on my research, McCourt is ranked considerably lower than both Ford and Sanford some of the categories that USNWR covers, but I figure since it's a newer school it might rise in the rankings over time (like it did recently).
4) Are there any other selling points I'm not considering? Anything from student organizations to career services to stuff external to the university itself (e.g. Ann Arbor is really cool, winters in Michigan are terrible).
Thanks in advance!