mppfreakout

I'm not a current student, but I considered the program very strongly last year. I can tell you that they didn't accept anyone straight out of undergrad last year (that's what they said at the accepted student's visitation day). They said they had a large enough application pool that they were able to do this, so my guess is that Sanford will try to keep the number of admits direct from undergrad to a minimum as long as possible. So I wouldn't worry about the Sanford students being too young - everyone I met last year seemed to have had at least a full year of work/volunteer experience under their belt by the time they applied in the fall.

So I think I've at least decided that I'm definitely going to rule Harris out. It's a great program, they're great for quantitative stuff (which I like), and originally I thought it was the best fit for me...but it just didn't feel right when I visited. I just don't think it's the right place for me. And I'm not convinced that I can't get as much quantitative coursework as I want out of Duke or GPPI. In that case, judging from the votes on the poll (and the posters above), it seems like most people think I should choose Duke over Georgetown. Anyone want to make a case for GPPI? If not, that may tell me everything I need to know about the two programs... And by the way, thank you to everyone who's posted their thoughts so far! As much time as I've spent researching and debating the minutia of these schools, it's nice to hear some *relatively* unbiased opinions on this decision.

So...with less than 48 hours to go before the notification deadline, I'm still totally torn between three MPP programs: Duke's Sanford School, Georgetown Public Policy Institute and U. of Chicago's Harris School. Any suggestions/advice would be GREATLY appreciated! So here's the deal... 1. Duke has offered me full tuition + fees + health insurance 2. Georgetown offered me full tuition + a $16,000/yr stipend (fellowship - no work requirement) 3. Harris offered me full tuition I definitely got the best "feeling" at Duke. The staff seemed very competent and friendly, the faculty members all seemed really great and very accessible, and I was very impressed with the current students. They all seemed very intelligent, interesting, cool and totally down-to-earth. I'm still a bit concerned about living in Durham...but I think I would enjoy the program so much, that it's not too big a deal for me. I didn't get to go to the GPPI open house, but based on my visit and what I've heard from multiple people, there doesn't seem to be nearly as strong a sense of community at Georgetown. I got the feeling that students aren't nearly as connected, since everyone's also doing internships during the school year. At the same time, $16,000 plus the possibility of getting a paid internship to cover the cost of my living expenses sounds pretty great...and is very hard to turn down. I wasn't blown away by the Harris School's open house. I thought I would love the program (and on paper I did), but I just didn't really feel like I connected when I was there. At the same time, I'm very interested in pursuing a research career, and I know this is where the Harris program really excels, so I don't want to write them off just yet. But since Chicago's a pretty expensive city and my offer from the Harris School is the lowest (granted, I still know it's great), I'm not so sure it makes as much sense as my other options financially. As for my background, basically I'm a research nerd. I've been doing research in a nonprofit for the past couple of years, and I want to pursue some kind of research-based career. I THINK I'd like to get a Ph.D. eventually, but I'm viewing the MPP as a good opportunity for me to try to figure out whether I'd really like to pursue and academic career, or whether I'd be more satisfied doing more real-world/applied research at a think tank or for the government. I definitely want to attend a program that would help prepare me for a Ph.D. and make me look like a strong applicant, just in case I decide to go that route. Any advice? How much is the warm fuzzy feeling I got at Duke worth vs. the money at Georgetown or the academic/theoretical prowess of Chicago? Please help!!