MPAaspirant

Congratulation to both of you. I got accepted to MPA as well but no word on funding which makes it an anxious wait for us till Mid-March.

@GradSchoolGrad and other members are requested to pitch in with their valuable comments: Hi everyone. I am in a middle of a conundrum and I would appreciate your comments/suggestions. I applied to Columbia MPA, MPA-DP, Berkeley MDP, Michigan MPP, Cornell MPA, LSE MPA. I got offers from all universities. I am inclined towards Columbia and a little bit towards Berkeley MDP. Major reason for this decision is the availability of a scholarship program and my employer’s funding for these programs. Now, I can’t choose between Columbia MPA, MPA-DP and Berkeley’s MDP and I would want your suggestions/input in helping me make this decision. Background: I am central banker with an experience of 7 years in Development Finance. I have worked extensively in the financial inclusion area and improving access to finance to priority areas of Pakistan like SME financing, Agri Financing, Housing financing women entrepreneurship and micro financing. Aspirations/ Goals: continue to work in these areas with more suited skills and scientific approach. Given an opportunity, I would love to take my work to a national level in improving Access to Finance and Financial inclusion, which is currently limited to provincial/regional level, and going forward, if an opportunity comes around, I would like to work at international development institutions, like UN, ADB, World Bank, DFID etc Now, which degree is best suited for me in your opinion: 1- Columbia MPA 2- Columbia MPA-DP 3- Berkeley MDP Thanking you in advance for your valuable input .