MPP Decision

[jas_1095]

Currently deciding between three MPA/MPP programs: Syracuse (Maxwell), NYU (Wagner) and Brandeis (Heller). I received a full scholarship from Brandeis and partial funding from NYU and Syracuse. Although I received full funding from Brandeis, I'm mulling whether the academic reputation and rankings of NYU or Syracuse might be worth the long-term investment for employment opportunities. I'd welcome your thoughts on this. 

 

[LadyJuju]

Sorry I did not see this sooner. I currently attend Heller.

What do you want to do when you graduate?

I am also on a full scholarship. For me, student loan debt is something to be avoided at all costs but this is different for everyone and requires consideration of what your plans are. After the 2008 financial crisis, I watched a lot of my friends become unable to pay off their loans. Also, I think that debt causes people to make career decisions that are contrary to their beliefs, what they are studying, or that they otherwise wouldn't.

Have you visited Heller? If you are able to travel here to do so, the school will allow you to visit and sit in on classes to help with your decision. Contact the program coordinator for help with setting it up (I think for MPP it is Norma Demattos. Her email address is on the Heller website. She is very responsive.)

I don't know much about the program at Syracuse but NYU Wagner is a good school. It's really expensive though as is the cost of living in NYC. It could be worth it in the sense that you would be in NYC and have the additional resources that the city provides in terms of jobs and culture. Heller is just outside of Boston, which is also a good for certain fields of employment. Again, a lot depends on what you want to do. NYU is obviously huge and urban. Brandeis is smaller and suburban. You're not a cog in a huge machine here. People here tend to have good relationships with each other, the professors, and staff. It really depends on what is important to you but I strongly recommend visiting every school you are considering before the spring semester is over.

[milky9311]

On 2018. 4. 9. at 9:42 AM, LadyJuju said:

Sorry I did not see this sooner. I currently attend Heller.

What do you want to do when you graduate?

I am also on a full scholarship. For me, student loan debt is something to be avoided at all costs but this is different for everyone and requires consideration of what your plans are. After the 2008 financial crisis, I watched a lot of my friends become unable to pay off their loans. Also, I think that debt causes people to make career decisions that are contrary to their beliefs, what they are studying, or that they otherwise wouldn't.

Have you visited Heller? If you are able to travel here to do so, the school will allow you to visit and sit in on classes to help with your decision. Contact the program coordinator for help with setting it up (I think for MPP it is Norma Demattos. Her email address is on the Heller website. She is very responsive.)

I don't know much about the program at Syracuse but NYU Wagner is a good school. It's really expensive though as is the cost of living in NYC. It could be worth it in the sense that you would be in NYC and have the additional resources that the city provides in terms of jobs and culture. Heller is just outside of Boston, which is also a good for certain fields of employment. Again, a lot depends on what you want to do. NYU is obviously huge and urban. Brandeis is smaller and suburban. You're not a cog in a huge machine here. People here tend to have good relationships with each other, the professors, and staff. It really depends on what is important to you but I strongly recommend visiting every school you are considering before the spring semester is over.

 

Hi Lady Juju, I was wondering if you could provide some insights for me to help make my decision. I have been accepted to study MPP Heller with a 75% scholarship and am needing to make a decision against Heinz (Carnegie Mellon) with a 50% scholarship. I am leaving New Zealand to attend so visiting the colleges is unfortunately not possible.

At Heinz I would be taking the Data Analytics track, offering me a good quantitative background in data science and analysis which is why I was drawn to the course and Heller's social justice focus is why i was drawn to there. 

Firstly and most importantly, given I see myself working in the Asia-Pacific region, what do you think of Heller's global reputation? (I will ideally be pursuing roles at global agencies like World Bank, Asia Development Bank etc.) My view and others i've talked to definitely place Carnegie Mellon's brand name better globally, especially in NZ, no one has heard of Brandeis pretty much. Looking at MPP graduates on LinkedIn also shows most of them working in the New England region upon graduation, rather than at global agencies.

Secondly, how quantitative are the courses provided? i realise the social policy focus of Heller is their strength but I want to receive a good background and economic and policy analysis and rigour.

Any other insight would be very helpful also! 

Thank you so much.

 

[LadyJuju]

Hi Milky,

Very sorry for the late reply. I do not stop by often.

If I were interested in using data science in public policy work and had a choice between Carnegie Mellon with 50% aid and Heller with 75%, I'd choose Carnegie Mellon.

Heller does not have data science tracks within any of its programs (yet). You could possibly supplement a Heller program with data analytics coursework from Brandeis' International Business School and other divisions within the university. I know two students from an MBA cohort who did this in addition to internships and who are working in data science jobs.

Heller's MPP program is not quantitatively rigorous and just requires statistics through regression. If you did the MBA/MPP dual program, your course schedules would be too loaded with accounting, finance, and management courses in addition to the MPP courses for much customization. It's a packed 2.5 year program that does not accommodate much additional coursework.

In terms of reputation, Brandeis has an excellent one but it is a relatively small school - a good one, but small. Carnegie Mellon is a much larger institution that also has an excellent reputation. People generally come to Brandeis' MPP program because of an interest in social policy and/or the work of the school's top academics - Kuttner, Hill, Doonan, Prottas, etc. It's a refreshing focus during these dark times (at least in the U.S.) but Brandeis' MPP is more for the liberal arts folks who want to dissert endlessly on inequality and social injustice. If we are being very frank, many of them are privileged kids who don't add much to the conversation other than perfect grammar and good GRE scores. The school is constantly looking for more informed voices who can handle the coursework.

Given what you want to do, I think you made the right choice if you chose Carnegie Mellon.

Edited July 19, 2018 by LadyJuju