IR_MPP

Thank you so much for your reply (and just in time)! It certainly gave me an extra dose of confidence, and I committed to Yale Jackson. I think that the tight-knit community is a huge plus for me, and I'll also have the flexibility to really shape my program there. This was a huge help!

Thank you so much for your reply (and just in time)! It certainly gave me an extra dose of confidence, and I committed to Yale Jackson. I think that the tight-knit community is a huge plus for me, and I'll also have the flexibility to really shape my program there. This was a huge help!

Incredible offers, both are excellent! I think this will ultimately go down to fit and deferral policy flexibility...
I will hit each point (based on your interests):
1) Yale might have a slight edge, as it has a stronger academic focus. You'll know how accessible Belfer, and other research centers, are to students for publication purposes, but the people that I know involved with them are all fellows/outside researchers.
2) Jackson only has about 30 people per class, 8X smaller than the MPP at HKS, so I'll give it the nod here as well, just based on numbers. At HKS, you will also be competing for access to professors and fellows with more senior students in the MPA/ID, MPA and MC/MPA programs.
3) HKS wins here, based on its longevity and size. Jackson benefits from being integrated with the greater Yale ecosystem, both network and name-brand recognition-wise, though.
4) Community feel is based on preference, but as you prefer smaller, tight-knit environments, I'd give Yale the advantage (in your case).
Both great options, and you can't go wrong. One thing to definitely consider is the deferral policy for each in the case of classes going online, this should be one of the most important components in your decision-making process since funding is equal (if not the most important).