policywhale

Thank you so much! You didn't sound crass or dismissive at all. Let me know if you think of anything else — I will make sure to chat with students & ask them questions with all of these points in mind.

First of all, thank you for your help! Your depth of knowledge about these programs is impressive. While I am relatively location-agnostic in the 1-2 years following school as long as I find an interesting and impactful opportunity, I want to move back to Texas. (I know that LBJ would have really supported this, but I found the programs and the experiences of both Goldman and HKS so much more interesting, given that I did my undergrad at UT Austin!). I've spoken to students at both schools and, like I said my heart and mind are keeping me in the Bay Area. However, as a thought experiment from a more objective party, what (if anything) would HKS offer that Berkeley wouldn't given my interests and career goals?

Hi all! I am a public school educator turned non-profit impact evaluator pursuing an MPP. My interests have always been in supporting initiatives at the intersection of K-12 education and immigration (launched a food security program for high schoolers through work at an NGO; taught math to immigrants to the country). I took several data analytics in R courses to transition into my current job (evaluating the impact & managing the data systems of an education non-profit focused on career access). My hope is for the MPP to further sharpen my analytical skills (particularly in applied data analytics) and support my pivot into a public sector role where I can support initiatives more aligned to my policy interests. Currently, I am deciding between Goldman (in-state tuition with some $) and HKS (no $), though I have 11k from AmeriCorps that would apply to both. Overall, it would be the difference between coming out of school with savings intact (Goldman) or with about 20-30k in debt (HKS) after depleting savings. While my heart and mind say Goldman, the allure of the HKS degree and experience is appealing, and is making the decision difficult. Also currently living in the Bay Area, just 15 mins from Berkeley, and have been for the past 6 years. What are y'all's thoughts? Thanks so much!