Cosmic Grad

Thanks very much, this breakdown has been very helpful! I read a review of the X1C in this week's Wall Street Journal, in case you didn't see it: http://allthingsd.com/20120807/back-to-school-with-two-thin-laptops-one-pricey-one-not/ I was also considering it, but I'm usually the type to wait a few weeks until a product has been tested by the masses, and in this case I don't have much leeway.

First off, how old are you? Are you applying to programs straight out of undergrad? Also, silly question, but can you name examples of people who have succeeded in the fields that you are considering? I think it is worth noting that for every Madeline Albright or Condi Rice, there are 10000s of PhDs who perhaps are well-known in their respective niche fields, but have not become advisers or have succeeded in the "policy" world. Having worked with some individuals in these fields, many of them have a patron/mentor that they've been able to tag along with when they switch offices, jobs, etc. Sometimes, it is about timing and luck. Additionally, it depends what topic you are interested in with regards the PhD, as that will determine your ability to get job offers when you graduate. When I was debating these very same questions, I found these links very helpful: http://www.cnas.org/blogs/abumuqawama/2011/08/phds-dummies.html http://drezner.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/03/18/so_you_want_to_get_into_a_political_science_phd_program_part_one (Drezner has written a few posts on this topic) Definitely read the comments, they are helpful as well.

I've budgeted $1000-$1500. I haven't bought a computer in a few years, except for a $400 netbook to replace my laptop which died a while back. (I knew I was going to be needing one in grad school down the road so figured I'd wait 2-3 years to buy something up-to-date.)

My program requires me to get a laptop and right now I only have an old netbook. I have been debating about getting a Macbook Pro (13 inch) or a relatively cheaper PC laptop (but one that would last me a few years) like this. (I'm only linking to this particular one since I liked it in the store and it has a DVD/CD player, which the ultrabooks on the market now do not have. If I got a cheaper PC laptop, I would feel more comfortable "splurging" on an iPad for note taking. Question is, is the lowest end iPad ok for notetaking purposes? And will the content sync with a PC? I've never used Macs before so any advise or pointers would be appreciated.

I am highly considering SIPA as well and the high costs are also a factor weighing on my mind. I've been out of school for a few years and I knew that at some point I would be returning to graduate school and saved accordingly for some of my living expenses, emergencies, etc. I keep hearing the "cash cow" mentality repeated on this forum regarding SIPA -- but as the previous poster mentioned -- most terminal masters, MBA's, etc. are considered pure cash flows for the university. Indeed, if you are following the market/news, even going to law school -- even the top 14 schools -- these days is a huge risk as well and does not justify the return on investment for many graduates. For many of these programs, all the university has to do is provide a desk (and not even that). There has actually been (not surprisingly) blowback regarding the Harvard Kennedy School in the past few days given the scandal surrounding Bo Guagua (a graduate student there) and his parents in China. At the end of the day, going to graduate school is an investment and you have to weigh all the costs of attending, including lost salary of 2 years. I think it is important that you have a mapped out plan of what you want to get out of your program and what you want to do after school. The benefits of many of these policy programs, as opposed to an MBA is you can specialize and stand out instead of being a generalist. One of the reasons I like SIPA is that they have an incredibly diverse array of courses and the opportunity to take very specialized classes as well as get a solid grounding in economics/management and quantitiative areas. They are not going to hold your hand step-by-step but the resources and the networks are there, just like in real life. I am also attracted to the fact that there are many international students. We live in a global society and although I may not remember certain facts from graduate school in ten years from now, having friends/contacts in different parts of the world will be useful professionally. I met a few prospective students at the admitted students day, and everyone I talked to had a really interesting background/work experience and specific interests for their studies. Having been in the work force for a while this is incredibly important to me. I hope to make my decision in the next few days -- good luck to everyone as well!

After an (almost) agonizing two weeks, I just got waitlisted today. MSFS is my top choice, and the the details in the letter are pretty sparse -- except to indicate that if you do not wish to remain on the waitlist, to send an e-mail. Anyone know if it would be appropriate to contact them to express my continued interest? Any other insight any of you may have regarding folks getting off the waitlist would be appreciated. Thank you.