mothernorth

The Peterson stats on USC's SPPD acceptance "seem" incorrect from my discussions with the staff at SPPD, the acceptance rate is far lower. Also for UCLA, they say "337 applicants, 40% accepted, 40 enrolled", which I know is incorrect as an excess of 100 people enroll in the program every year (according to UCLA Public Affairs staff), so I would just go ahead and talk to the staff directly for those figures if they are important to you. If USC SPPD is where you want to be, which is a great school (Ranked 7th by US News, but then again, take what you want from US News rankings), take time to build the best application possible, study for your GRE, and work hard on your personal statement. I would personally look at the MPA and MPP course requirements and see what fits your interest more, I think doing one or the other will pretty much give you access to similar jobs. Good luck.

I think Mason has a very solid and up and coming program, they have some "star" faculty too. I think it's a great school that is less expensive than the big name ones (Maryland, Georgetown, GW, etc) and can offer you the kind of good education that you are looking for. The resources are available for you to make the most of it at Mason. They also have great Econ and Political Science departments based in the Fairfax campus, so that's an extra plus.

Hi MPP_Newbie, Are you going to UCLA instead of SC ? Given that you got 12k more a year from USC, out of curiosity, what made you decide on UCLA instead? Thanks.

First for the MPA/MPP programs, it seems like the FA costs for Pepperdine and USC are similar, therefore, it will be a no brainer to go for USC: reputation, quality, students, alumni connections, etc. USC is just on another level, in my humble opinion. I think the USC alumni connection, especially if you are looking to work in Southern Cal is priceless, the program gets you in touch with alumni, has programs to have an alumni "mentor", and gets you connected to plenty of internship opportunities in whatever field you'd like to pursue. The Claremont program looks quite interesting though, it is rare to find the Econ, Politics, AND business into one program, sure the "reputation" is not USC, however, if the program addresses your interests more deeply, than it is definately worth consideration. I am personally going to be doing an MPP, and one thing I always worried about is that it felt "limiting", the Claremont program seems, at least in theory, to open doors on both the private and public sectors. An MPP can open that door too, but not as clearly based on the curriculum. I would narrow it down to USC and Claremont.

Mppguy, I think you are doing the right thing to attend USC. I attended the Open Houses and it is a great school with great facilities and it will certainly help you to lend a job in California, but also in the future in D.C. if you change your mind. Good luck and congratulations !

Hi Policy_Applicant, Out of curiosity, after UCLA's Admit Day and I believe you said in another thread that you attended USC's, how do you know feel about UCLA vs. USC issue? Between the two, are you feeling more UCLA or USC ? Also, out of all your choices, which school are you leaning towards and why?

Good call ! They are both top notch schools so GT is definately not worth 60k in debt when your alternative is an equally great program like GW. If your alternative was Morgan State than maybe it was worth it, but not with GW ! :-)

Hi Frenchie , In terms of international admissions conditions, you will have to take the GRE, submit your transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc, just as a regular local student would. As a condition for admissions and in order to get a visa you will have to submit a bank letter stating you (or whoever will sponsor you) has enough funds to cover the first year of your program, this figure (which the university will give you) includes tuition, fees, living expenses, etc, which will add to above $40,000 for any major US university. Most major universities have lots of experience with international students and transcripts from everywhere in the world, which means they will fully take in consideration the difficulty of your courses, the Grand Ecoles are well known for its quality in the U.S. as well so I wouldn't worry about that. They usually have had past students from your country/university and understand the systems. Make sure you do your best on your GRE, especially the math section, the verbal section you will be able to do lower than a local student given that your coming from overseas. In terms of security programs, I will also add the University of Maryland, College Park to the mix, they are located in the DC metro area (the actual metro connects you there), about 20 minutes from the center. They have a program through their MPP called Economic Policy and International Security. Given that the two things often come into play together, it's a great specialization. They are as well regarded and prestigious as the schools you mentioned with top notch political science and economics departments if you want to take classes there. I am not sure how it works in France, but in the US as a masters student you are allowed to take classes outside your major. All three programs, policy, poli sci, and econ are consistantly ranked amongst the top 20 programs in the US (and the world, specially for the ECON). Hope it helps. Good luck !

I found the whole event to be quite good! I do agree that there should have an "easier" way to judge the current students from prospective students to mingle more, but other than that I found the International Security and Economic Policy session very helpful and information. The career service presentation was the highlight, the guy seems to work hard and really care! He is fully committed to just the policy students and seperate from MD's other Career Services, I thought that was excellent. At the ISEP session, Susan Schwab, a professor and former U.S. Trade Representative under Bush II was at the session and she was very helpeful and insightful with some of her answers. It was excellent to be in presence of such a high level person that has held a cabinet post and a professor at the University! As a side note on estethics, I was really impressed by the building! New and well kept. I know that's not a "determing" factor, but hey, when you are spending $60,000 for a degree, you want a good and professional looking environment. Can't say the same about the squallid policy building at UCLA!

GW and Maryland have a virtually identical reputation in D.C. with a strong alumni network in the city. I don't know much about GW, but I know Maryland Policy has a top notch faculty and a great career service person whose only job is to make sure you get a job by the time you graduate (75% employeed AT graduation). They are both great policy schools and have great political science and economics departments in case you are looking to take courses outside the policy school. Your concentration and interests might determine better which school to enter, but if all similar and it's just a matter of "name", then go to Maryland and save. After a year you'll also qualify for in-state tuition, furthering lessing your costs.

Excuse me for saying this Sosh, but you are coming off quite arrogant! What quantitative and qualitative proof did you offer in your post that went beyond what I said? I did not cite US News for as you rightfully stated, it is flawed and as such I did not care to cite it. In addition, I have written about Maryland in more details in other posts on this blog and kindly directed our friend here to view the other threads. I spoke about the faculty, which includes a CIA director, Nobel Economist, and US Trade Rep - I do not believe UGA or LBJ can match that, but again as I said in my post, MD is "arguably" a better school, meaning that you do not have to agree. Also, for someone that wants to study policy and wants to work with D.C. based agencies, how could Athens or Austin be a "better" location professionally? Again that is my opinion. If I wanted to work for Warner Brothers or Sony Pictures and study entertainment, I would likely go to either LA or NYC. That's the way I look at it in terms of the best "professional" location, but you are free to disagree. I am sure good policy students at UGA and LBJ can be equally successful at entering the D.C. market, but the Maryland connection and vicinity to D.C. can certainly give an extra push. The only thing I did make a mistake on is saying that Maryland was the best deal monetarily for our friend MGRN, I misread that part of the post and did not see that UGA offered the full tuition + stipend. But yes, overall, we agree that they are all great schools and none are substantially better (or worse). It's completely up to opinion.

Hi MGRN ! I am a big proponent for Maryland's policy school and you should also check out other threads that discuss Maryland as well. In your case, for me it comes down to this. Maryland has a better faculty, arguably better school, and better location than UGA or LBJ. They are all three great schools, but you want to work for the GAO, OMB, or CBO , what better place to be than in the D.C. metro area ?You could get an internship at any of those agencies, maybe even do some part time work! Your in the middle of the action, check out a session of congress, go see a House Committee meet, not to mention the many many events and speakers that are in D.C. year in and year out. This is in addition to the fact that faculty at Maryland, being so close in D.C., could have alot more pull and influence with the D.C. crowd. Maryland has the most recent U.S Trade Rep on the faculty (Susan Schwabb), Nobel Economist Tom Schelling, and former CIA director Stansfield Turner, to name a few. Athens and Austin, while great cities in general, just cannot compare with the experience and opportunities that the D.C. area can offer you. Ask yourself, what do those schools have that Maryland doesn't have? Above, I just mentioned several things that UGA and LBJ just cannot compete with. In addition, you are getting nearly 100% off! It's the best deal by far, both academically, professionally, and monetarily. If you do go to Maryland, live in D.C. and commute 20 minutes to College Park. Good Luck !

Oh and I forgot to mention, you are studying Public Policy in D.C. ! What could be more exciting than that ? The vibe there is completely different, very policy/politics oriented. It's like studying entertainment in Los Angeles. There are tons of policy oriented events; you can go watch Senate committees, see a session of Congress, every week there is tons notable speakers speaking at the local universities and other places, and if you wanna do OPT or something, your in the smack middle of the action. I think that should be taken in consideration - what's there to do in Durham in comparison ? I am sure Duke has notable speakers drop by once in a while, but it's just not the same. Also, being in D.C., you are an hour and a half from Philadelphia, four hours from NYC, five from boston. I mean, it's a different world really with a different realm of possibilities. The northern Virginia area, 15 - 25 minutes depending on where in the D.C. metro you are, is also quite nice.

I would also give considerations to the town you are going to be living in as well. I have never been to Durham, but for a student coming from abroad, it might not be the best environment, anyone from Durham care to comment ? On the other hand, College Park is 20 minutes from D.C., 40 from Baltimore, and Georgetown is in the smack middle of D.C. Maryland has a large international student population, which you might feel more at home and comfortable with, and the D.C. area is far more diverse (for obvious reasons) than Durham or the sorrounding areas could ever be. If you did choose Maryland, I would live in D.C., College Park is small and more undergrad friendly. All three are great, top-notch programs, but you are getting a nearly free ride at Maryland, is the extra money for Duke really going to make a difference when you get back to your country? It's highly doubtful, it's going to be what you make of it at any of these universities. While Duke is very well known in the U.S., it might not carry the same "name weight" overseas . Just having a masters from the U.S. in general will help you in your country. In terms of faculty, I know that Maryland Policy has, in either active teaching or research role, one Nobel in Economics (Tom Schelling) , a former CIA director (Stansfield Turner) , as well as the recent US Trade Rep (Susan Schwabb). In addition, they have a top rated economics and political science department . The policy department also has world leading economists like Carmen Reihart. In terms of faculty, Maryland can go toe to toe, if not have a better faculty than either Duke or Georgetown programs. Good luck, either way you go, they are all great colleges. Congrats.

Deng - Being an International student myself and former Maryland alumni (and entering the Maryland Policy School in 2009), I don't think Williamsburg is necessarily the dream place for someone coming from abroad ! It is a nice town, don't get me wrong, but it's in the middle of nowhere (around three hours from D.C.!). I don't know if you would enjoy that for two years! You can go visit, but live there? Maryland is well liked and established with international students, ranking in the top #20 for international students, the closeness to D.C. and Baltimore is priceless when studying policy. What could be more exciting than studying policy in the D.C. area? It is a completely different vibe. While W&M is a very good college, Maryland is one of the top policy programs in the US, a strong research university with a faculty that is equal, if not more established than W&M's. The proximity to D.C. allows it to have the opportunities, students, and faculty that most universities cannot compete with in the area of policy, Also note that W&M is MUCH smaller than Maryland, around 7,000 students overall (1,500 grad students) vs. Maryland's 35,000 (10,000 of which are Masters students). So depending on what you like, take that in consideration too. I would also strongly argue against W&M being a better university "overall". If we just look at Maryland's faculty now (which includes 3 Nobel Prize Winners (one of which is at the School of Public Policy), a Fields Medal Winner, 40+ members of the Academy of Science etc) and notable alumni (including Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, 2 Nobel Prize winners, and a Fields Medal Winner), I don't see why W&M would be a better school or prepare you better to be successful. It truly depends on the program and situation you are looking for. W&M also has a great faculty and alumni base, but as I said, certainly not better than Maryland. hope it helps! p.s. Wikipedia has a decent review of the Universities, check them out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Colleg ... m_and_Mary http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University ... llege_Park

Hey ! Go where you can pay the least ! As long as you go to a solid program that you like, it's what you make of it that will shape the rest of your career. Yes, you will find opportunities abroad through your school or by yourself, as you said if you try hard enough you can do it either way. If two schools offer similar packages, maybe try to go for the school with a more "known" name overseas, otherwise, don't worry about it too much and save money while getting a great grad degree. Good lucky.

It's not highly surprising that Ronke said that UCLA is "better" than USC! Much like I would expect USC to say they are "better" than UCLA. UCLA is a solid program with a horribly unattractive policy building, but hey, esthetics are not the most important thing! They do have great faculty (both in the policy program and economics/political science). Not too impressed with their attention to details and general feel. But, they do have a kind and accessible staff. For policy, I would probably choose Berkeley over UCLA, both for program/faculty and international reputation. But, I do like Los Angeles more than the SF bay area, so that would go into my decision too. Is Berkeley ALOT better than UCLA, no, it's just got a pool of more selected students and a more renowned faculty. I would choose USC (more highly ranked by US News in Policy than UCLA, but then again rankings are subjective) over UCLA if I could pay less to go to USC as some of you seem to have that choice. In the end, I would say, go where it costs less, it's not worth the extra money if you have lower tuition or scholarships elsewhere. In the end most of the major schools have solid faculty and it's what you will make of your time there that matters.

Dang - while Erin is entitled her own opinion, always remember to take that stuff with a grain of salt! Don't let it turn you off until you have seen it yourself. It's like, have you ever seen reviews of your favorite restaurant or bar and see people that complain about this or that and you're like "What!" ...I think this is could be similar and it's truly about personal preferences. The way I look at it is that Maryland has one of the premiere policy programs in the world with a faculty, to name a few, that include one Nobel Prize winner in Economics (Tom Schelling), a former CIA director (Stansfield Turner), and former U.S. Trade representative Susan Schwabb. In addition, they have many top academic leaders in policy/politics/economics like Carmen Reinhart and highly rated political science and economics programs where you can also take other courses. The faculty at Maryland is truly top notch and the list of notable University of Maryland alumni is highly impressive ! (Including Steny Hoyer, US House Majority Leader). Furthermore, the campus itself and policy building are indeed beautiful, which does contribute to a better environment. I am also a big fan of the concentrations they offer, namely ISEP (International Security and Economic Policy). While the immediate sorrounding area (College Park) is not ideal for a Graduate student, more geared towards undergrads, you are only 25 minutes from D.C., and 40 minutes from Baltimore, so you will not have an issue getting close to something more to your taste. Note, I did my undergraduate degree at Maryland and I spent four wonderful years there, both academically and socially. Career Service wise they have several career fairs ever year, they are well connected with the D.C. area, and have an impressive support service. In terms of the young and unprofessional/unenthusiastic people that Erin encountered, again, that is something that can happen at every school...from Berkeley to College Park, but again let's not judge a book by it's cover based on how they were dressed! Also, according to the Diamondback, Maryland's student newspaper, the school of Public Policy experienced a 40% increase in applications this year, so next year you will sorrounded with an even better and more selective class. In US News, Maryland consistently ranks in the TOP 25 nationwide in policy, economics and political science (among many other programs, but let's stick to social sciences), 37th in the world overall by Shanghai Tao University's highly cited World University Rankings, and 16th overall in the Social Sciences by the same publisher. The Chronicle ranking, based on faculty productivity, puts Maryland at 8th in Public Policy. I will be at the Open House next week and I will come back with more info. Hope the above info helps !