southernhope1

it's a top 5 school so it's desirable indeed...and $20,000 a year for merit is a strong offer from them (and I believe they are open to appealing for more money in Year 2 if academics go well in Year 1). Is the choice between Fletcher and another grad school or Fletcher and no school? Fletcher also named a new dean last week (she's from Ireland) and there's a great deal of energy at the school right now...she will be starting in Sept of 2019.

Hey you guys, OP here. I'm an idiot. Your comments helped though. All calmed down here....and D is happily heading towards the school of her choice....

One thing that i didn't realize before investigating but some of these schools offer traditional schooling and others are more night classes...the Elliott School and I believe Georgetown do most of their classes at night...so you're kind of working or whatever during the day and then head to class at night....while schools like SAIS and Fletcher are full-time grad schools and you work between day classes and the nights are your own (other than internships). Of these (and MIA is the one that I know the least), Tufts has the best sense of community and you're surrounded only by grad students...there's a feeling of family and I believe you'd find the most lifelong friends there. Also, they hired a new Dean just yesterday and she sounds amazing https://now.tufts.edu/articles/rachel-kyte-named-fletcher-school-dean And, also, this is a good perspective on why being outside of DC may be the best -- https://sites.tufts.edu/fletcheradmissions/2019/03/to-dc-or-not-to-dc-that-always-seems-to-be-the-question/ full disclosure -- i'm a parent, my kid is 21, and she committed to Fletcher today (well, after she turns down SAIS tomorrow) .

I don't know much about the top two but, in a nutshell, Ga Tech is one of the top 5 or 6 engineering grad schools in the world. The internship/job market is booming for those coming out with advanced degrees from that school. And the campus is lovely, the school spirit very strong, and the professors among the best.

In a nutshell, my daughter (currently an undergrad) applied to 6 grad schools. Got into 6 schools. The area is diplomacy/public policy. The best of the batch (in her mind and I agree with her) is Hopkins SAIS. But after a trip to DC last week, now she's turned to the easier schools because she fears that the emphasis on economics (the degree includes 4 mandatory courses in micro and macro) is "not right for her" and "not something she wants to do in the future." But here's the thing....it's not like she has to go work at the World Bank....she can use that economics background to greatly enhance anything she does in international affairs. So here's where i get involved (and this won't paint me in a good light but, hey, we're all strangers), I simply don't see a reason to pay tuition at this level for a school that's not transformational. I would define that as a Hopkins (and, maybe also Fletcher at Tufts...another acceptance) as students spend a year in Italy, a year in DC, and then graduate into a very good potential job market. Instead, she'd like to attend GW...it doesn't feel intimidating to her. After fellowships from Hopkins, the price of the two will be nearly identical. She works 2 jobs and will continue to work in DC....and will take out loans...but I have said that I will underwrite the other half (she had free tuition for undergrad). I'm not sure what to do here...I mean, what I am going to do is let her decide....its her life...but I'm just not sure this money outlay is worth it.