Please help -- I have to make a decision regarding graduate programs and am a horribly indecisive decisionmaker, so I'd really appreciate any insight or advice everyone may have.
My options are basically: (1) Accept a full scholarship at the MPP program at UChicago Harris School this year or (2) Re-apply to the MPP/MPA programs at HKS, WWS, and (possibly) Gtown MSFS next year.
I applied to 11 programs this year, and was rejected only by HKS and WWS. The offer of full funding at Harris was the strongest I received, though I did receive offers of almost-full funding at several other programs. I did not apply to Gtown MSFS, but in hindsight should have, as it blends an international policy focus with core classes in economics and quantitative analysis, which many MAIR programs do not.
My logic behind each potential decision is:
1) Harris is a great school, and full funding is very hard to get, especially since most schools' endowments have taken a hit this year. Additionally, having just come back to the US after having worked for several years abroad, transitioning immediately into a graduate program would be much easier than attempting to begin a job search in this economy. In a worst-case scenario, a year from now I could be rejected again from HKS and WWS and Harris may not be able to extend me the same funding offer they've made this year. Finally, most - but not all - of the jobs attainable after HKS or WWS seem to also be attainable as a Harris grad.
However:
2) Harris may not be the best fit for me. My ideal program provides balanced training in leadership, management and quantitative analysis, and has a strong focus on both international and social policy focus (the two specialization areas that most interest me). Harris is very quantitative -- more than I'd like -- and offers relatively limited training in leadership and management, especially compared to HKS. Harris has also lost a few of its international policy professors in recent years, and while its very strong in social policy, has limited offerings in international policy. This is not to say that Harris is a bad fit -- these programs overlap to a large degree, and they are very strong in social policy, which interests me - but it is not ideal.
Finally, funding is very important to me, as I have undergraduate student loans, must completely fund my graduate education on my own, and do not have a significant amount of personal savings.
Thus, I'm essentially weighing a great funding offer at a school that is great but not an ideal fit, against taking another year off (to do what, I don't know) and hoping that I get into a dream program.
Please share your insights and opinions!