Yass

Did you guys get any info regarding virtual open days or additional information sessions etc.?

Hi there! First of all, congrats to your great offers! I personally would choose the second option (accepted into SIPA). But it is a very personal choice. Think about the locations, do you want to be in two of the most vibrant cities in the world or do you enjoy that cozy student town feel with lots of old buildings and libraries? Do you like a shorter or longer program? Do you wanna be based in Europe or in the US? I went to Oxford several times (my boyfriend is currently doing his Master there) and I like the city a lot. However, most of the Master programs are very academic and you'd probably have to read a lot. My bf's reading list is insane and even though the assignments are not graded, everyone puts so much pressure on themselves to do well. It's nice that Oxford is close to London and there are many international students. But maybe you want to experience something else since you've already done your undergrad in the UK. If you're from Europe it probably won't matter much where you whether you choose option 1 or 2 because Oxford and Sciences Po are both well-known institutions in Europe. For me, I am also considering to work abroad in Asia or the US in the future and I love being in a big city. I also prefer a two year program over a one year program because it gives me more time to develop myself and explore different opportunities. Option 2 gives you the access and network in the US and Europe. If you have the money and time, I'd choose option 2. But if you want to do a PhD in the future or like research and want something shorter, option 1 is amazing as well! Just all depends on your personal preferences. Good luck and maybe see you at SIPA!

As far as I know, you can get EU tuition fees for the Netherlands (2k per year instead of 15k or so). My friend has EU citizenship but didn't live in the EU and could get the cheaper tuition fees in the Netherlands. There are lots of Master programs in English and the education is solid! I did my undergrad there. In Schweden/Norway tuition should be almost free for EU students, but not sure if you have to be an EU resident. In Germany there are 13 Begabtenförderungswerke where you can apply for monthly stipend scholarship (up to 700 Euros per month). Maybe that is something you can consider but not sure if you have to speak German for that. You can just google it. Are you planning to do a PhD after your Masters?

Hi there! I'm German and did my undergrad at Erasmus University (economics faculty) and was also accepted for undergrad at St. Gallen and ETH. As far as I know the Master in Management program at RSM is not one of their most reputable programs. RSM is a business school and their CEMS program and MBA has good rankings but the MiM is only for people that don't really have any business/management experience. The Dutch education culture is a bit different in the sense that most master students are fresh graduates with no to one year of work experience so they are relatively young. Most of my Dutch classmates from undergrad either directly entered their Masters at RSM or another Dutch University when they are just 21 or 22 years old. Since you already have 3 years of work experience, you might be one of the oldest there. But don't worry if you don't speak any Dutch, you don't need to speak Dutch to live a comfortable life in the Netherlands and everyone's English is amazing (probably one of the best in Europe). ETH is one of the most reputable institutions in the technical field. If you want to do something tech related, that's probably the best option. Zurich is a lovely city but it's relatively expensive. However the university has very good resources and is very good in terms of research. Lots of international students in the Master programs. St. Gallen (visited the school) is a very small town so definitely consider in what kind of location you want to study. Rotterdam is an amazing city and with proximity (30 min train ride to Amsterdam airport) it is very easy to travel to other European destinations. Most of the students in St. Gallen are German-speaking students and come from relatively wealthy backgrounds. In the end, I think it depends on what goals you have and which sector/area you want to enter. Where are you from? If you not from Europe, not sure if the high international tuition fees at RSM are worth it. Feel free to hit me up if you want to know more about Erasmus University or Rotterdam. Hope this might be helpful.

I'm not sure if it would really discourage Chinese students to enroll in the program. Even though there might be increased hostility against foreigners in China and China has temporarily ban foreigners from entering the country, this is all short-term and a degree from a top US institution is still worth a lot in China. Therefore, I don't think that just because of COVID-19, Chinese students will now all give up their admission or defer their offers... In the end these are all speculations and we can only wait and see how the situation develops.

First of all, these are all great options to choose from! What's your financial aid/funding situation? Would that be one of the deciding factors for you or is that not relevant? As you already said, one is more policy/practitioner based and the other is the theory/scholar type. Do you wanna pursue a Ph.D or do you rather wanna be someone making the policies? How about location? You mentioned that you already visited Tufts, do you think you'd prefer DC or Chicago more in terms of living and networking opportunities? Will the program at Chicago take longer since it's a double degree? Maybe you've already thought about these questions, but these are some thoughts I had.

Hey there! Wondering what your specific reasons were for not applying to SAIS and SIPA?

HI fshopeful! Your decision-making insights were very useful! I'm currently deciding between SAIS (20k per year) and SIPA (no aid) and debating whether I should still apply to Harris. As an international applicant from Europe, the international reputation of the program/uni is quite important to me so reading your points definitely made SIPA's strength clearer to me. I'll PM you

Where are you originally from? For me, the location would probably matter a lot as it depends on whether you're from the US or Europe and the respective networking opportunities. Also whether you'd want to live in London or New York and already had any experiences abroad.

Is the FLAS Fellowship only for Georgetown? Thought several universities have it... not very familiar with it though since I read it's only for US nationals.

Nice, congrats on your offers! I'm debating between SAIS (20k per year) or SIPA (nothing) and also whether I should still apply to Harris... Have you asked them to reconsider your financial aid decision?

What are your thoughts regarding Harris vs SIPA? Are you going to attend SIPA due to financial reasons?

If not HKS, which uni/program would you guys attend instead?

Maybe you can ask Harris to reconsider their aid?

Thanks! At least it is before the April 20th deadline. I'm currently deciding between SAIS (20k per year scholarship) or SIPA (no aid at all). Any thoughts on that or anyone in a similar situation?

Hi all, have you already received a response regarding your financial aid reconsideration?

Curious about why you are not considering Harris.

I'd go for Princeton as well. Full funding with the stipend is unbeatable at Princeton.

To those that didn't get any financial aid and have other offers with scholarships, are you still considering to attend SIPA?

I cannot tell you much about the MPP program at Duke itself but I visited the campus in December and decided that it was not for me. Despite having a beautiful campus, I don't think I want to live there for two years because you need a car for everything. The city itself is not very big and I just like being in a bigger city with things to do and better networking opportunities, proximity to potential employers or even summer internship places. They do have a nice forest though and if you like that rural and small town feel, go for it.

Would love to know as well! Seems like they are either offering 30k or so in aid or nothing at all... if someone is planning to negotiate, I'd appreciate any tips or approaches

Congrats! I find their fellowship consideration deadline policy not as good as that of other schools such as SAIS or HKS where you are automatically considered or where the funding deadline is after the application deadline. That way, even with an acceptance most people would have to pay back large debts just for attending the school. Or people rush it to meet the deadline but then don't submit the best application...

Should still feel proud that we got in, despite no funding information yet! Still a great achievement

Thank you! Yeah, I'm also waiting to hear back from HKS even though my hopes aren't that high... Fingers crossed

Yeah makes sense! As an international student from Europe, for me personally it is not that important to network in DC since I might be returning to Europe for jobs after graduation. I'd also consider jobs in China since my family is there so that makes it a bit different from your situation. Good luck with the financial aid reconsideration!