rwest817

Thanks for the input, Eclectic and OregonGal -- and congratulations on your admits! Best of luck this fall. @Eclectic4: I agree that I'm a bit heartsick at the prospect of turning down Berkeley and everything that comes with it: atmosphere and culture, prestige, weather, multi-departmental resources.....I'm having a tough time looking at the hard numbers and deciding whether those things are worth (at least) a $25,000 difference in price. (I realized last night that unlike all of the other schools that offered me funding, Berkeley's grant is only for the first year! So add another $5K onto the price tag....ouch.) But I'd try to justify it on the basis of that marginal increase in rankings/reputation.....from #6 to #1 in policy analysis. Shaky logic, I know, unless I can get the input of people who think it's worth it. @OregonGal: Now that I think about it, I'm surprised that the two schools' cost of living estimates are so close to one another, as well. I had been going on what was listed on each program's website; Duke's is here: http://sanford.duke.edu/graduate/mpp/admissions/cost_of_attendance.php. Perhaps that difference ($4k per year) is realistic if one buys a car in Durham (which I would probably do) -- otherwise it does seem like there ought to be a larger discrepancy between the two! From what I've heard first-hand, GSPP students don't have trouble getting TA / GRA positions within the university....but it does seem like it would be a stroke of luck (and a stretch, time-wise) to get one of these positions in the first semester.

Hi all, I'm crossing my fingers that someone will see my last-minute plea for advice here...... I'm trying to decide between the MPP programs at Berkeley's Goldman School and Duke's Sanford School. I went to the open houses at both programs two weeks ago, and saw strong pros and cons to each program. Fundamentally, similar factors attract me to both programs: the small, intimate class sizes; the receptiveness and accessibility of the faculty; the quantitative emphasis of the curricula; the focus on domestic policy; the strength of the career services staff. I believe I want to work in DC after I graduate; I'm interested in economic approaches to anti-poverty policy, and would seek a position in the federal government or a policy research institute (I'm currently a federal employee). I've gone to lengths to make sure that GSPP is a recognized name in DC and has a network of alums; I'm concerned about the fact that so many grads stay in the Bay Area. (In fact, the California-centric nature of the program was a pretty big initial deterrent to me.) I'm a little less sure about how Duke's name (and Sanford's, in particular) carry, but the proximity to DC and network of alums there, at least, seem strong. I love the accessibility and the strength of the economics department at Berkeley (I'm an economist, myself, and may eventually want to go for a PhD....), and apparently it's easy to take classes there. Duke's econ department is less prestigious. From what I hear, GSPP is somewhat more quantitatively rigorous than Duke (a plus in my book). I'm more attracted to being in the Bay Area than Durham (though that's not a huge concern for me as it would be to many). I think this is somewhat petty of me, but it's hard to ignore the differences in resources between the two programs (Duke has money to burn, and it shows in the facilities and opportunities for the students). And, finally, it matters to me (though I'm not sure how much it should) that Berkeley is a better established and top ranked program with well-renowned faculty. Program recognition is pretty important to me. The grant and assistantship that Duke offered add up to about $38K, so my annual tuition at Sanford would be just over $4000. GSPP only offered me a $5000 grant. Furthermore, I'm not a California resident, so that means tuition would be about $30K in the first year. (It would be cheaper as an in-state student during the second year.) I would try to obtain a GRA or GSI position in order to work above 10 hours per week, hopefully in both my first and second years (how likely is this?). And, in addition to the tuition differences, the cost of living is obviously vastly different. All in all, I estimate it would cost me about $42,500 over two years to attend Duke ($8500 tuition + $34000 living costs, from the program's estimates). I'm highly uncertain what cost to expect from Berkeley over the two years, though: It would be contingent on work opportunities, and so on..... Are there any GSPP or Duke students or alums who can weigh in on whether GSPP is worth the premium in price over Duke, particularly for someone who wants to take the degree outside of CA? And, if possible, could someone give a realistic cost estimate for GSPP for a person in my situation? I would have a much harder time turning down Berkeley than Duke, but I suppose I should know whether GSPP deserves the pedestal I've placed it on, given the price..... Many, many thanks in advance.

Thanks so much for the responses, everyone. You make a good point, fadeindreams, about UMichigan's proximity to Detroit (and if ever there were a case study in contemporary American urban difficulties, Detroit would be in the running). It's encouraging to hear such enthusiasm for Ford after the mixed reviews on so many other programs' merits; it certainly makes me reconsider making the trip for the open house. In retrospect, I think I weighed far too heavily Chicago's prestigious reputation for economics -- but, of course, concern over the strength of the econ department should take a distant second to an evaluation of the public policy school itself. Best of luck with funding at HKS, 12WardP. Perhaps I'll see you in Ann Arbor -- and state_school at Duke or Berkeley -- in the next couple of weeks

Hi everyone, I know this thread has more or less been brought to a conclusion, and it sounds like everyone is happy in their decisions (and congratulations to all the participants, by the way, on the great admits!). I am interested in social and urban policy, as well: specifically, domestic urban poverty. I was also offered full tuition at Ford (it sounds like they've been generous this year), and $20k at the Harris School. I've had have some of the same reservations about Harris as you have all expressed above, and would add that U Chicago's general reputation as a bastion for conservative economics gives me pause.....I visited during the application process, and something about the atmosphere made me slightly uncomfortable. Nonetheless, while the National Poverty Center (and Ford's reputation) are big draws for me, I've more or less decided I would like to be in or near a large city during grad school. It looks like several of the posters got into other programs with funding. Did any of those interested in urban affairs or social policy give strong consideration to Duke, Berkeley, or Georgetown? @state_school'12 and @12WardP, have you two made decisions? And is anyone planning to attend the open houses for the various programs over the next couple of weeks? Thanks again for the helpful posts, everyone.

Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): HKS (MPP), UC Berkeley Goldman (MPP), UChicago Harris (MPP), Duke Sanford (MPP), Georgetown PPI (MPP), UMichigan (MPP), Carnegie Mellon Heinz (MSPPM), UCLA (MPP) Schools Admitted To: Georgetown ($$), Carnegie Mellon ($) Schools Rejected From: Still Waiting: HKS, UC Berkeley, UChicago, Duke, UMichigan, UCLA Undergraduate institution: Small liberal arts college (Seven Sisters school) Undergraduate GPA: 3.57 Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): Undergraduate Major: Economics, physics GRE Quantitative Score: 790 (91st) GRE Verbal Score: 740 (99th) GRE AW Score: 4.5 (67th) Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 3.5 Years of Work Experience: 3.5 Describe Relevant Work Experience: Public-sector economic consulting Languages: English, French Quant: Several econometrics and stats courses, various math courses (including linear algebra, multivariate calc, diff-eq, etc.)