tkovach05

I got my acceptance packet via snail mail on March 16 (dated March 10th). I live in Cleveland. I didn't get funding, just the same $21k that you all mentioned as well. Need to decide between taking this and risking possibly getting funding in 2nd year or taking a 40% scholarship at The New School that only covers tuition. Crazy thing is cost of living in New York almost completely offsets the scholarship.

Soupcan, I'm in somewhat of the same boat, though not quite as sticky a situation as yours. I have been at my non-profit org here for a year, working in an entry level role. My boss and I are the only two people in our department, and it is a complex and constantly growing role. It literally took me about 5 months to learn everything that I needed to learn to do my job adequately. But I have grown pretty disinterested with my current position, and I don't think that this job or this organization is really what's right for me. I am positive I will be going to grad school this fall (got accepted to all 3 choices, just need to choose between American or The New School in Manhattan), so I will need to tell her sooner than later. I am erring on letting her know shortly after I commit (probably by the end of April), so that she can have enough time to find and hire my replacement. I also know that I will need to help train my successor, so I want to ensure that there is adequate time to do that. I'm not really sure exactly how I'm going to tell her, but I am working my way through that. I think the first step for me is to pick a date (I'm getting pretty close to finalizing the day when I tell her), and to either set up a meeting or make sure that I have a scheduled meeting with her that day. I don't want to do a letter first; since it's just the two of us in the department, I think it needs to come face to face. She knows that I have applied to grad schools, but I have kept her largely out of the loop because I didn't want her to know that I was planning on leaving, since I was worried she would limit the roles and responsibilities I could take on. But I did at least give her an indication that I was applying and that I would at least by applying to one school out of the area (I told her American). But trust me, I am extremely nervous about the whole thing and it's at least a month away still.

Obviously I knew there were a ton of other people in the same boat (nature of the beast), but it's good to see that you are all discussing this and going through the same things. My girlfriend & I have been together for 6 years and living together for 1 1/2. She is willing to move with me to New York or DC, but she will also have to find a job wherever we go. She decided to take a year off to get some work experience before applying to grad school, so it is important that where I go provides her with a strong variety of options. Fortunately I am only considering schools in DC & New York, so that will address much of the concern. But we are kind of running around in a circle now, because we can't seem to sync up what we want. I want to go to school at American, but i'd rather live in New York. But I got funding from The New School, not American. She would rather live in DC for her career, but isn't sure I should take on the extra debt to go there. It's all getting quite complicated. I trust that whatever happens, it will be for the best. But we just need to get all of our ducks in a row before we can make a decision.

I also should have mentioned that wherever I go, I will be going with my girlfriend, who will need to find a job for at least the next year (before starting a grad program of her own). And she would probably like me to go to American, as she would rather live & work in DC (more organizations in international development).

I've more or less sat on the sidelines and allowed this to unfold as it would, but I feel the need to interject here. First, to clarify, I am male, so use masculine pronouns from this point forward. Secondly, I suppose that I deserve the somewhat sarcastic tone to some of the posts, as my verbiage did come off as a little wide eyed and naive. I am not trying to find a reason to choose American because it is my "dream" program; I should have worded that more artfully. It would have been more appropriate to say that the GEP masters is the right program for me. My real interest & passion lies in the convergence between environmental degradation/climate change and international relations/global security/human development. This is what American's program covers - it is the Global Environmental Policy program and has courses that specifically address environmental security & environmental security issues in South Asia (the region that interests me the most). In addition, the professor whom I mentioned, Dr. Ken Conca, is one of the intellectual leaders of the niche concept of environmental peacekeeping (the notion that groups that may otherwise be adversarial can reach an understanding by working together on common environmental challenges); this is what I referenced when I said he literally wrote the book on it - he edited & contributed to a 2002 text titled Environmental Peacemaking. I have come to regard this theory highly and hope to either use it while working for an environmental NGO or IO, or start my own NGO to utilize it. I have no intention of working in the public sector; I currently work on energy efficiency & sustainability issues at a small business organization/chamber of commerce, and I am not a fan. I am well aware of the risks associated with taking on additional debt, but as was already noted, the debt differential between American & Milano (even with the scholarship included), will not be as significant as it might appear. And I appreciate D-Lux for pointing out the cost of living differential & urban components here. I plan on living abroad, at least for a few years, after finishing my degree (Dr. Conca has worked closely with a prof at Uppsala University in Sweden, and I would love to research with him there, as Swedish schools are free, even to international students), so that should address your travel concerns. And regarding new cars - I currently own a car and can't wait to sell it. I live within a 10-minute bike ride from my office, but Cleveland has been destroyed by suburban sprawl, so it is very difficult to get around here without owning a car. I did not choose my grad schools like many students typically do (i.e. choose the program, then find the right school). I chose the cities I would want to live in, then found good schools with programs that fit into my area of interest. New York & DC were my top choices because of the large number of NGOs focusing on environmental & international issues, their size & ease of access, and the fact that I could live in the city without needing a car (this is definitely more so in NYC than DC though). I want density, regardless of the high cost of living associated with it. I could have chosen to apply to Indiana University or the University of Washington, both of which have great enviro policy programs. But I wanted to live in a large city where I would have a plethora of organizations for which to work and/or intern while in school. And the $8,000 a year that I will save by ditching my car can certainly go a long way towards offsetting some of that cost of living hike and the associated student loans. I know that there are a lot of things about Milano that I will really like. It is located in Union Square (Greenwich Village), possibly the most appealing neighborhood in the most appealing dense urban center in America. The atmosphere and culture are right up my alley. There is a strong focus on student interaction & experiential learning, which is great. But at the same time, the program does not check off all the points that American's does. While I can take classes in international affairs and there is an Institute on China & India, there is little, if any, focus on the international relations & security implication of environmental issues. The program also has more of a focus on organizational management & change, whereas American is tilted more towards policy and research. Finally, the shear newness of the program is somewhat disconcerting. Milano does not have the breadth of course options and research focuses that SIS does; the program has simply not grown and matured to that level yet. The New York State Dept. of Education didn't even formally approve it until January, so they couldn't hire assistant professors until just recently. These factors need to be taken into account. All of this being said, I am still waiting to hear on a couple of issues that could be the deciding factors. I have inquired about job placement rates, internship track records, breakdowns of their COAs, and opportunities to get TA or RA positions. Obviously I cannot make an informed decision without hearing back on these. I appreciate the input, but I am not in a position where I can opt to not incur upwards of $40-50 in debt. I could apply to Cleveland State and probably go for free or very nearly free, but I will not have the opportunities that I will get in DC or New York. To be perfectly honest I would have no problem living in a 500 square foot, one bedroom apartment and riding my bike & the subway for the next 25 years; that's what I was planning on doing anyways. That's what I want to do.

SIS pegs their estimated cost of attendance at about $45k, and they are only providing $21k in federal loan eligibility. I have inquired with admissions about TA opportunities and am awaiting their response, but that may not be an option. Milano has not put a formal number on COA yet, but it should be comparable to SIS. Either way the cost of living numbers will go up for me significantly, since I am coming from Cleveland (which is a very affordable city). And n.b. means nota bene (note well); sorry I took 4 years of Latin in high school.

I am beginning my MA in Environmental Policy, preferably with an international focus, this fall. I applied for the Global Environmental Politics program at SIS, the new Environmental Policy & Sustainability Management program at Milano, and the Ms in Global Affairs at NYU SCPS. I'm not really considering NYU that strongly any more, so it's really down to the latter two. SIS: This is my dream program - an enviro policy program with an international perspective. I'm very interested in environmental security and South Asian studies, and Dr. Ken Conca at SIS literally wrote the book on environmental peacekeeping. School is also based in DC, so I can intern with environmental NGOs, and SIS operates in a building designed by William McDonough. But alas, no funding. Also, based on athejr FAQs, you can't even apply for a TA position if they don't explicitly invite you to do so. Milano: This program is good and has a strong focus on urban studies, which is a positive. However, it also has more of a focus on organizational management and is brand new - I would be in the first class. Faculty is also not as great as SIS, though Dr. Clinton does know his stuff. But it is located in NYC, which provides a greater quality of life and internship opportunities, and they are offering me a 40% merit scholarship. Any thoughts? I would like to ago to SIS, but I need to justify taking out the loans to cover the difference (n.b. I came out of undergrad with $45k in debt).