charlotte_asia

1. You can't know that much about me because I'm no longer in undergrad.

2. I didn't apply to any Ivy league schools for undergrad. I applied to two schools I really wanted to go to early decision and that's it. How's that for being a "prestige whore"?

3. I have my reasons for wanting to do the MA. They have nothing to do with trying to get into a better Political Science PhD program later on. They are my own personal reasons that I don't care to share with random people on the internet.

4. I don't believe that I will come to regret having accidentally--and indirectly--divulged where i went to undergrad to people bored enough to try to figure out who some random person on the internet is. If it ever comes up (and I doubt it even will), I think I can accurately say that I stupidly asked people on an internet discussion forum for advice and my motives, character, and intentions were completely misconstrued by several people who decided to start hating me.

I think you waste your time. What will be amusing is when SOOT gets relegated to Penn State - Altoona after graduating (that is, if she ever gets admitted to a program that confers the appropriate name/geographic cachet).

I think it would be hard for any of us to give you advice unless you provide more about what your background and area of interest are. If you are in public health that would yield very different responses and perspectives than if you were in international trade, human rights, conflict resolution, energy, etc.

If you have no idea on what you want to do with your life, I would be very hesitant to pursue not only one, but two advanced degrees, costing several years and hundreds of thousands of dollars. I would only pursue a dual degree if I knew exactly why I was pursuing those two degrees and I knew they would be absolutely necessary for me to advance in my field.

It sounds like at this point you're looking to get a dual JD-MA and find a career where that would 'give you a leg up,' and I'd suggest to you thinking about that the other way around: finding a career you want to pursue and figuring out what degree advancing in that field would require.

Good luck!

I submitted an application but instead of responding to the prompt I said how much rose1 and dcenergygirl deserve this scholarship. Hope that helped them decide

just you and me rose, and we'll both get it

While I agree that you should tell them about the deadlines thing, I feel like a suggestion from you might be a little too strong. Just explain to them that you misunderstood it and you should be fine.

awesome

I am glad to hear others are facing similar decisions. I'm glad I'm not crazy for taking on more debt for just a bit more name recognition. Well... maybe I am crazy for doing that, but at least I am in good company.





I think visiting campus would make my decision much easier. Unfortunately I won't be back in the States until I move permanently back in July. I am having to rely on the opinions of current and former students, and a few former bosses who adjunct at one or both of the programs. It's useful, but I would rather get a feel for the campuses themselves.

That said, having gleaned more information about the curriculum from correspondences with current students at Georgetown, I feel much more at ease with the comparability between GW and GU. You're correct in that there probably isn't anything I can get at GW I cannot get at Georgetown. Barring, that is, a bit more pocket money...




One of the first things my mother said when I got into Georgetown was "[insert squeal] I get to go buy Georgetown sweatshirts now!." That has rung in my head in the weeks since. Thanks, Mom.

MYRNIST, why would you disrupt our mindless outerwear apparel chatter with logic and reason?

Kidding. Your points are sound and appreciated. I see from your signature you made an admissions decision, which is terrific. I wish I had a school that financially made this decision a lot easier. Congratulations!!

I am glad to hear others are facing similar decisions. I'm glad I'm not crazy for taking on more debt for just a bit more name recognition. Well... maybe I am crazy for doing that, but at least I am in good company.





I think visiting campus would make my decision much easier. Unfortunately I won't be back in the States until I move permanently back in July. I am having to rely on the opinions of current and former students, and a few former bosses who adjunct at one or both of the programs. It's useful, but I would rather get a feel for the campuses themselves.

That said, having gleaned more information about the curriculum from correspondences with current students at Georgetown, I feel much more at ease with the comparability between GW and GU. You're correct in that there probably isn't anything I can get at GW I cannot get at Georgetown. Barring, that is, a bit more pocket money...




One of the first things my mother said when I got into Georgetown was "[insert squeal] I get to go buy Georgetown sweatshirts now!." That has rung in my head in the weeks since. Thanks, Mom.

MYRNIST, why would you disrupt our mindless outerwear apparel chatter with logic and reason?

Kidding. Your points are sound and appreciated. I see from your signature you made an admissions decision, which is terrific. I wish I had a school that financially made this decision a lot easier. Congratulations!!

MYRNIST, why would you disrupt our mindless outerwear apparel chatter with logic and reason?

Kidding. Your points are sound and appreciated. I see from your signature you made an admissions decision, which is terrific. I wish I had a school that financially made this decision a lot easier. Congratulations!!

1. Why didn't you admit and no I will not leave on my own volition.

I was set on a SAIS- Georgetown decision until today, as upon reviewing the GW Elliott curriculum I realized how ideal it is to the skills I want to gain from graduate school.

I'll be honest, the prestige that comes along with SAIS and Georgetown are major draws for me. It probably would not be much of a factor if I had attended an undergraduate institution with name recognition. I attended a Top 10 LAC, which, while prestigious among academic circles, is unrecognizable to the layperson. I have been intent on attending a top IR school for graduate studies to have one program with significant name recognition on my resume. I feel rather shallow admitting this, but it's true. While GW is an outstanding school, SAIS and Georgetown carry higher name recognition and a bit more prestige.

While GW would be considerably more affordable, I can handle the cost of SAIS and Georgetown, whose prices are roughly the same.

Am I being absurd to turn down a great fit with a smaller price tag just for a bit more prestige? Who else is facing a similar situation?

I'm also in for international development studies! Go us!

http://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/2008/P5500.pdf

It's brand new and immediately relevant.

Who had the audacity to vote down MYRNIST's post? That was a very thoughtful -- and substantiated -- account of how to position yourself to get a good offer, and not just an offer.

I am not in IR, but now that my decisions are in, I feel increasingly averse to accumulating $80K+ in debt for my Masters. And, as I'm sure a lot of you can relate, that would be added to a little under $30K from undergrad. What is the incentive? We're all looking at employment prospects that will not yield amazing salaries out of the gate, and it seems foolish to start a $50K job with double that in debt, at the age of 25 or 26. The prevailing wisdom from those who have done it is to wait, gain a little more experience and/or improve your application... and that grad school isn't going anywhere.

Perhaps taking another year (or two) off would be best. For me, that would mean retaking the GRE and really dedicating myself to it, getting another internship or two, taking a couple of prerequisite courses at the local CC, and saving a little money.

People underestimate the degree to which they can avoid debt if they are willing to put in the work to improve their admission profile.

I would argue that many critical admission/fin-aid metrics, including GPA, GRE, obtaining internships/jobs (not necessarily your performance in them), and foreign language boil down to who cares more. Not inherent intelligence, not your financial resources, not where you were born. Effort, pure and simple. Put in the work, and you get paid for it (literally).

If you spend 4 hours a night studying in college, you're going to have a great GPA. If you spend 500+ hours studying for the GRE, you're going to have a sick score. If you are willing to troll online for hours to find relevant internships/jobs and send out 20+ applications, you're going to get one. If you take time every single day to study a foreign language, you will become proficient in it. Polishing your SOP, researching your schools to detail exactly how you are a fit for them - so much of apps (and life?) comes down to desire. There are trade-offs involved: time you spend doing those things means time not spent with friends, lovers, a good book, a sunny meadow on a spring day. It might not make you happier, or well-rounded. But if you put in the work, I guarantee someone will give you admission + serious funding.

I'll be attending one of my top schools on a full ride. It didn't just happen - I did all the things mentioned above, and more. Sometimes it sucked, GRE prep particularly so, as I ended up at about 750 hours prep time. But the thought that kept me going was that not being able to attend grad school, which I wouldn't be able to sans major funding, would suck infinitely more. So I put in the work, and now I get to go to school for free. Not because I'm smarter (guarantee that's not the case), not because I'm richer (my bank account laughs at this): because I cared more, and did the work other people weren't willing to do.

You can write this off as self-aggrandizement. Or get upset because you didn't get the financial aid you wanted and think I'm insinuating you're lazy. But fundamentally, grad school admissions and fin-aid are not mysteries. Everyone knows the things they look at to make decisions. It's your choice whether you invest the time and out-work competitors.

I'll agree whole-heartedly with cunninlynguist on this one. In addition to the analytical rigor of the Duke program, the Nicholas school is far more well-known than Penn's program, especially within domestic policy circles. That, plus the money that Duke's throwing at you, should make this an all-around win-win solution. (Unless there's a personal reason that compels you to Philly and not Durham).

Me too!

I really seem like a trophy-seeker now, which I'm really not. Only got into 1 place last time around, so I was just trying to get into a program I liked with a financial aid package I was comfortable with, only expecting to get into 2-3. Hopefully future (re)applicants with imperfect GPAs take my case as encouragement!

That's awesome, congratulations erry!
I wish graduate admissions was like a game of Settlers of Catan where you can trade in resources. I would gladly hand over my Fletcher and GW money for just a few thousand at SAIS...

1) US News and World Report rankings for MPA schools are, in a word, awful. Don't pay too much attention to a source that claims Syracuse is better than Princeton, Harvard, etc.

As long as it's a reputable program I wouldn't worry about accreditation.

2) Prestige does matter in terms of getting a job, but it depends a lot on the field you're in. People with consulting experience have said it is a massive factor in even getting an interview. For the federal government, not so much. That said, I think you're putting the cart before the horse in how you're thinking about this issue.

Do rankings, in and of themselves, matter for finding employment? Yes, but not that much.

Do an institution's alumni network, brand name, career services, renowned/well-connected professors, and overall depth and breadth of education matter for finding employment? Hugely. And top-ranked schools are top-ranked because they objectively perform better on those metrics than lower-ranked schools.

It's really interesting to see some people here who have discovered only after being admitted to SAIS that it is indeed a quant-heavy program, or others who are wondering about what to do with an MA degree after graduation...

I get what you meant, cannotdecide! And I agree that it's interesting to see folks accepted at one place, rejected/wl at another, other folks the opposite, etc. Just goes to show all of these schools are competitive and all of us should be quite proud of what looks like a great admissions season on gradcafe

Winner winner, chicken dinner! In at SAIS and Elliott so far, now just waiting on SFS.

I was so nervous I couldn't remember my password for the first two tries...