dngo

I applied to both schools for the MPP program, so it may not be identical, but similar enough so that you can hopefully derive some use out of my response. Both programs are excellent. NYU is more catered toward non-profit/international development, while GWU toward government/consulting, although I'm not sure if that is the product of location, student interest, or a combination of various factors. The application process for GWU was standard, but NYU's was a little different. They asked for the Statement of Purpose, but had an optional (but recommended) essay where you were supposed to respond to a series of photos. Nothing too stressful though, and I appreciated their attempt of thinking outside the box. Ultimately, it came down to cost. In that respect, GWU wins by a landslide, and I didn't even have scholarship money. Since I wanted to work in the government, DC was the best place to study policy, and as I was already living in DC, GWU was the right choice. Good luck w/ your apps, and feel free to PM me w/ any questions.

Although I'm not a current student, I live in Foggy Bottom by GWU and can offer some advice. Since GWU is on the Blue and Orange Metro lines (I'm assuming you won't be driving to school), you'll find it preferable to live anywhere along those lines. Capitol Hill, Eastern Market, Foggy Bottom, Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, and Ballston all come to mind, in terms of convenience, affordability, and safety. I lived in Ballston for a while as well, and it's a nice place to live. You might need a car since everything is a little more spread out, but I didn't and got along fine. All of these areas are safe in the urban sense, with the Arlington neighborhoods being the safest of those listed. Georgetown is a pricey neighborhood but not very convenient as it's not on a Metro Line. Dupont Circle, U Street, Woodley Park, Adams Morgan, and Cleveland Park are all great neighborhoods that are a little pricier and you'd have to transfer to get to the Blue/Orange. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

As an LA transplant living in DC, I'd say Washington, DC is an excellent place to live without a car. It's not as comprehensive/convenient as NYC (but really, nothing else is), but is much cleaner/safer than NYC's. I even lived in a DC suburb (Arlington) and was able to get by without a car. If you live in DC proper, the Metro will get you to most places (except for Georgetown, Mt. Pleasant, 16th Street, etc.), but you're still only a 20-30 minute walk to a Metro station. In any case, it's a small enough city to make the abundant taxis affordable. Plus, there's always Zipcar for those IKEA trips in the 'burbs. And really, I think outside of Chicago, San Francisco, Portland, Atlanta, and possibly NY and Boston is the airport as accessible as DC's Reagan Airport, which is an indicator of the quality of a city's public transportation to me. (If only LA had extended the Green Line all the way to LAX!) LA is absolutely horrible if you don't have a car. It's true what they say- everything is "20 minutes away" in LA, if you have a car. If you're taking a bus, tack on 30-40 minutes to your commute. I went to UCLA and lived in Westwood without a car for a while, but as UCLA isn't a commuter campus, the surrounding area is pretty well set up to accommodate car-less students. I always had friends with cars though, of course, for those grocery trips and beach days

Well said, Tams! I'm in a similar boat as the OP. I only applied to schools that I would be happy going to. I've accepted an offer from Penn for a Master's program because the deadline was April 15th and it made financial sense to commit. However, because GWU is my first choice and they have a June 1st deadline, I'm going to continue applying for jobs with GWU to get tuition remission. I know that is unfortunate for Penn, but if they offered me more money, this would be a no brainer. If GWU comes through with a job for me, then I'm off to GWU. You have to do what makes sense for yourself, because after all, this is YOUR degree, YOUR time, YOUR money. If it's unethical to take up someone else's spot, then why even apply to more than one school if you can only choose one? Wouldn't you be taking another applicant's spot if you weren't completely head-over-heels committed to the school? You can argue that by applying to six schools and being admitted to all six (like I did), and I obviously cannot go to all six, I was taking up a precious spot on the admitted students roster. That's what waitlists are for. Schools are used to admitted students dropping out. You have no reason whatsoever to feel guilty. If anything, you should feel guilty for attending a school you weren't excited about because you felt too guilty to drop out and attend your dream school. Good luck!

I received a financial aid package last week, and the 2 page letter congratulating me on my acceptance the other day. I was like, um...I went to the Admitted Students Day? Thanks? :mrgreen:

Finally received my financial aid package in the mail yesterday- it's about time! Funny how it arrived the day after most schools wanted a response. $3K in work-study, the rest in loans. Considering they estimate the cost of attendance to be $58K, there's just no way I can justify the debt. Good luck to everyone though!

THIS IS WHERE I'M GOING TO ATTEND: Fels Institute, UPenn (MGA) OTHER SCHOOLS I CONSIDERED: Carnegie Mellon-Heinz (Pitt track), GWU, NYU WHY I CHOSE MY NEW SCHOOL: Funding, personal attention, welcoming community, location. NYU has been my dream school, but there was no way to justify the debt load to go into public service. I would've liked to stay in DC, but GWU didn't offer any funding. Carnegie's program is excellent, but the location was a drawback. Although not as well-ranked as other policy programs, I felt that the UPenn brand would've been enough to overcome any discrepancy. I fell in love with the campus and Philly, and felt that it was more connected to the Northeast Corridor than Pittsburgh. I also appreciated the fact that it was easy to pursue dual degrees and take courses at the law school or Wharton. Best of luck to everyone!

I'm down to Heinz and Penn. Yes, UPenn/Fels is still my top choice. I'm just waiting to hear about the possibility of more scholarship money. Even if I don't receive any more, I may very well submit my intent to register anyway.

I was pretty impressed with the program. It's very quantitative and the courseload seems very rigorous, making it difficult to substantial work/internship. I know the quantitative component will be very valuable to employers, but the program seemed very intense, with students taking 4-6 classes per semester, so I'm not sure the program is for me as I intend to work quite a bit in school. Pittsburgh wasn't as bad as I thought, as I discovered that there was a vibrant young population in Shadyside and Squirrel Hill, but well...it's still Pittsburgh. Stellar program though, I just wish it was located a little more connected to the Northeast Corridor.

East_of_Eden, I know what you mean! The Fels Mansion was my (a Californian) vision of an East Coast Ivy League college experience. The faculty and current students were extremely welcoming and all took pride in their small program (I even got a current student to host me for the night and show me around!). Just sent you a PM. For anyone else who's interested, this was their response: Dear ____________, Thanks for your email and warm note. As you saw on our admitted students' day, we pride ourselves on our personal touch and each and every staff member cares deeply about his/her work and believes in the Fels mission. Our students, faculty, and alumni also have the same dedication to Fels, so I am glad that this was evident to you! At this point, we cannot make any more financial aid commitments since all our aid has been given out. Although we have already heard back from some applicants, we are still waiting for the majority of offers. We hope that admitted students will reply back to us before April 15th, so that we can re-assess our financial situation before students have to notify us of their decision. Regardless of our situation, I will be in touch with you in the days preceding 4/15 to alert you of the most recent status. I also encourage you to visit the following site for the federal student loan forgiveness law, which will benefit students who intend on pursuing a public service career: http://www.fels.upenn.edu/Alumni/resources.html Let me know if you have other questions and have a great weekend. Best, Michelle ________________________________ Sounds promising enough, and at least they know that I'm seriously considering Fels and will gladly take any leftovers that admitted students turn down!

That sounds like a great idea, as I'm trying my best not to offend UPenn, since I may end up going there anyway. Thanks, Stephen33!

I'm drafting my letter to UPenn now, and am wondering if I should specify how much Heinz gave me, or whether or I should just say leave it ambiguous and say "Heinz has awarded me a larger merit scholarship"?

I've gone to a few and I'd say go with business casual. You'll have a couple people in suits and ties, and others in sweatshirts, but biz casual is the perfect balance.

I realize that Heinz has a stronger policy program than Fels, but there was just something about Fels that struck me. It's a much smaller program, and their commitment to their students and community really impressed me when I visited. After attending a mega state school (UCLA) for my undergrad, I'm looking for a program where I'm not just a number. I visited Pittsburgh last weekend and was just not very impressed. Fels just clicked for me, it's hard to describe. I realize I'm fortunate to have two great programs to choose from, one way or another. I appreciate your 2 cents though! Are you considering Heinz?

I have heard horror stories of schools getting offended that you are trying to play a school against another and have rescinded offers. I suppose $4K is a modest sum that probably won't make a huge difference, but I just want to feel like I'm getting the best return for my investment...it is a HUGE investment after all, right?