yo_yo86

Some helpful links on employment info that I have found (some are much more helpful than others): ESIA: http://elliott.gwu.edu/assets/docs/gscd/results10-11.pdf Gtown/MSFS: http://msfs.georgetown.edu/documents/MSFSclassof2011employmentoutcomes_1.pdf SAIS: http://www.sais-jhu.edu/career-services-content/pdf/2011_EmplymentOutcomes.pdf Fletcher: http://fletcher.tufts.edu/Career-Services/Employment-Reports/Fulltime-Employment UCSD: http://irps.ucsd.edu/current-students/career-services/employment-statistics.htm SIPA: http://www.sipa.columbia.edu/resources_services/career_services/employment_statistics.html LBJ: http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/careers/data HKS: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/pdfs/degree-programs/oca/class_employment_overview.pdf SIS: http://www.american.edu/careercenter/Outcomes-and-Statistics.cfm

Many schools (SAIS, SFS, etc.) are fairly adement that they won't let you defer for financial reasons. After getting my financial aid packages, I considered deferring until I had some more money saved. The various financial aid websites and FAQs put a kibosh on that idea.

Agreed with JAubrey. Go to GW and don't look back (unless you REALLY want to stay in Florida for years to come). As far as your hesitation in taking money from your parent(s), I would suggest paying for anything on your own (i.e., taking out loans), that your parent(s) would have to finance with a loan. With GW's tuition rate, you shouldn't have overwhelming debt if you receive even just a little help financial help from your family.

When I spoke with somebody in the fin aid department at SAIS they said that 8K was generally the lowest amount they gave second-year students; however, the cut-off for grades varies each year and has been as low as 3.4 and high as 3.7 recently. Overall, I know Maxwell has alums scattered throughout the world, including Asia, but from what I understand SAIS is still a stronger name with more private sector connections. I would think an extra 40K in debt would be manageable, too. For me, I am deciding whether SAIS is worth spending an extra (roughly) 55K over Maxwell, assuming no second-year tuition reduction.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to visit any of the schools (as a result of living abroad), but one of the standout features of Maxwell for me is the opportunity to study outside of Syracuse. Essentially, one could study for two semesters on campus and then do the remaining time abroad or in DC. The DC aspect is particularly appealing to me considering that is where I would like to work eventually. I am not sure if that is where you want to end up, but if so, I think Maxwell is a much better option than Korbel.

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I think it largely depends on what you want to do. If you're interested in working for the government I would think being in DC with the chance at doing five relevant internships would be more beneficial than the Columbia brand name. If you're interested in doing work in the private sector, particularly with an i-bank, SIPA would likely set you up better with its NYC connections. Really, though, 40K is a much more manageable amount of debt than 120K. I am trying to figure out if I should go to Maxwell (just found out that I got 30K tuition scholarship + 12K stipend; total tuition cost is 50K) or sticker at SAIS or Gtown. Luckily I won't have to worry about living expenses, just tuition/fees. Most people I have talked with (both in and out of IR) say that in the long-run the better schools will pay for themselves in higher earning potential and connections. I plan to work for the government post-graduation, but I would also consider a private sector job if the situation were right. I feel like Maxwell wouldn't be bad for government work, but Gtown and particularly SAIS would be better for private sector work. I would be glad to hear anybody else's thoughts on the matter.

Purely anecdotal, and though I mentioned it on one of these threads already, I knew a large number of SIPA students and grads while living in NYC. Most seemed to be slightly disappointment with the program overall. There were lots of positives (there are some well-known professors and interesting classes), yet most people were displeased by the administration, lack of financial aid, career services, and impersonal feel. The fewer number of SAIS grads I knew raved about their school. Not a perfect comparison, but important in my book. However, assuming both schools are in fact equal in terms of education provided, and at the risk of stating the obvious, location is another important factor to consider. Depending on what you want to do, location should make a big difference in your decision. If you're interested in going the finance route, while SAIS has a good economics reputation, I would venture that SIPA would likely have more connections in NYC, the center for such work. However, if you're interested in government work then SAIS is the logical choice, as you can easily get valuable internships while in school, which simply isn't an option if you attend SIPA.

Wow, that is surprising. At least you got some great other options (at less than sticker prices too).

Bummer. At least you got into some other quality programs. Are you likely going to LBJ (I know you said your wife got into a PhD program at UT)?

Agreed with piquant777, nearly every single SIPA grad I know (and I lived in NYC for over five years, so it's a fairly large number) expressed disappointment with SIPA. I would second going to Fletcher, which has a stronger brand name in the field and a stronger alumni network, for less money.

Based on the quality aid your getting from other schools, this wouldn't surprise me. Good luck.

I hear you on being excited and also not being able to change the past. I have heard that Georgetown only offers aid to 5-10% of incoming class, so that means not only are those people good enough to get into SFS, they are really top-notch candidates. I am, unfortunately, not one of them. Supposedly, they offer more aid to second-year students, but I think it's kind of risky to bank on that.

Did you get any aid from UCSD? Seems like a good fit if you're interested in East Asia/Japan and if they at least gave you an out-of-state tuition waiver, it might be worth it. I am also having trouble figuring things out because while I go in everywhere I applied (very exciting), I got very little aid. I since considered deferring for a year to work (and save more), but when I checked out the deferral policies for some of my top choices, it doesn't seem likely they will allow it just for financial reasons. So...still stuck.

Yeah, I am really hoping to get some wooing from SAIS. A friend of mine that recently graduated from Gtown said he heard that many people got better financial aid offers from SAIS than SFS. Here's hoping.