NolaPlanner

I'm not on the East Coast, but I think that's a pretty common sentiment that is mutual. East/West Coast schools are wary of one another, and clearly any program is going to have the most clout in whatever city in which it's located. SPPD is comfortably in the top ten for both MPP and MPL, which is only true of three other schools: UC Berkeley, Harvard and Rutgers. I applied to schools the schools with a fancier name, but a less relevant-program for my interests, so for me the choice came down to better degree at lesser known school, or so-so degree at schools with a glitz and glam? It sounds like you're looking especially for a policy program that's well received on the East Coast, so maybe Georgetown or something would be the right fit...? Best of luck!

I'm a MPL (doing dual degree w/ MPP) and I also attended the Dean's Merit Event a couple of weeks ago, and I can confirm all the other things mentioned by the other posters. The one thing I would like to add is that USC seems to be a polished, well-endowed and university supported school. I think that's something important to consider - I figure if I'm about to sink over $100k into this school (for 3yrs since doing a dual degree), I better be very sure that the program is going to be around for a long time, they will provide resources for me to utilize as a student, and are on an upward trajectory. I think SPPD fits those criteria the best. I was admitted to Tufts (UEP) and Rutgers (MPP) and I think Rutgers is similar in its cushy position, but it's a state school, which in the time of budget crises is a little scary. Tufts is a wonderful school, but the program isn't nearly as well supported as SPPD or Bloustein. It looks like most people have offers from other top notch private universities, so I don't know how helpful that might be. I got the same feeling about UC Berkeley - the CED building is in rough shape, and I've heard a lot of other universities brag about snatching up professors from the UC system (didn't SPPD announce something like that at lunch?) I have another more general question as well, especially for those not in CA - I won't be staying in LA or California after school, so the "name" or "brand" or prestige of USC is really important to me, not out of vanity, but to ensure that I'm paying the premium for a top 10 program for a good reason. How well do you find people in your field recognize USC as a top school, or SPPD as a top program? Is it well known that it's one of the best in the country?