Thought I'd throw my hat in here. I have a few options but have mostly narrowed it down to the following two:
Coming from:
Japan
Deciding between:
Johns Hopkins SAIS MAIR - about 40% tuition (would owe around $65K or so)
University of Tokyo MPP/IP - no scholarship, but cheap tuition means total program cost would only be around $10K
Other factors:
I also was accepted to Columbia SIPA's MIA, Georgetown's MSFS and MASIA programs, and the National University of Singapore's MIA, but no money from any of them makes them nonstarters. Financial aid was definitely lacking, which isn't too surprising given that I'm just a couple years removed from undergrad and have been teaching English since then.
Johns Hopkins is obviously the bigger name when it comes to finding jobs back in the states, and has more resources and probably better networking. While I'll owe money, I am getting a discount. The other benefit here is that a family member is willing to take the loan on my behalf - so I'd owe them the money, interest-free, and with no rigid repayment schedule.
That said, it's still a lot of money, compared to how cheap studying at the University of Tokyo would be. There's also a part of me that wants to spend more time in Japan, and this is an opportunity to do that while studying at the best school in the country (and one of the best schools in Asia). The obvious downside is less name recognition and opportunities when it's time to go back home.
How I'm leaning:
It's currently pretty damn close to a tossup. Being able to go to a school like Johns Hopkins and having those resources is appealing, and the debt situation could be a lot worse given the interest-free, deadline-free deal I'd be getting. It could also be a very international experience - spending the first two semesters at SAIS Europe, the third semester in Asia, and the final semester in D.C.
Todai, while the most prestigious school in Japan and a top 10 school in Asia, doesn't have the same reputation in the states, which may make job searching harder. I may need to begin my career in Asia to leverage the brand before eventually moving home when I have enough professional experience. That being said, I'd owe a lot less money, and I would subjectively like to spend more time living in Japan and improving my Japanese (I am most interested in East Asia).
Head: Johns Hopkins SAIS
Heart: Close, but slight lean towards Tokyo
Wallet: University of Tokyo