Please Advise! SAIS vs. SSP

[LeeLeeLove]

Hi everyone! You may have noticed me lurking around these forums the past few months. My waiting game seems to be over, and I have narrowed my decision down to two schools: Georgetown SSP or Johns Hopkins SAIS. I'm coming to you now and asking you to help me make my decision because I live alone on a farm with three dogs-- there is no one around to give me advice on school choices. Sure, I'm sure I'll get lots of information at the open houses, but I am really looking for opinions on the two programs from my amazingly anal-retentive peers on gradcafe. No one can slice apart a program like you guys.

About me: I want to start my masters in Fall 2010, and eventually get into private security. AKA: making enough money to pay off student loans. Which do you think is a better program for someone interested in getting a masters to work in national security? Security Studies at Georgetown SFS or Strategic Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS? Georgetown has a prettier campus, but no metro access. SAIS doesn't require a thesis, but does require a lot of econ, which is not my strong point. Would a larger class at SAIS give me more opportunities to network, or simply drown me out in class?

I really respect all of your opinions on the subject because I know how closely you all have studied these programs. Any advice would be much appreciated (and heeded).

[HopefulIR]

Have you found the career services stats for both of them?  I'm not familiar with SAIS's but I know for SSP, it seems a plurality of alumni work for in the public sector.  Take a look at this, it might help:

http://cpass.georgetown.edu/documents/Security%20Studies%20Program%20Career%20Placement%20Report%202007.pdf

[LeeLeeLove]

Thanks, that helps! That kind of confirms what I was thinking-- that the School of Foreign Service caters more to careers in the public good and, well, foreign service.

What I would really love to know about is general quality of life on both campuses. Dating? Extracurriculars? In general, I guess I just want to know which school has happier students. I think either school will help me get a good education and find a good job, but I can't figure out which school is filled with interesting, relaxed people. I hear that SAIS students are snobs, but Georgetown is overrun with undergrads.

Who is happier?

[saiser]

Thanks, that helps! That kind of confirms what I was thinking-- that the School of Foreign Service caters more to careers in the public good and, well, foreign service.

What I would really love to know about is general quality of life on both campuses. Dating? Extracurriculars? In general, I guess I just want to know which school has happier students. I think either school will help me get a good education and find a good job, but I can't figure out which school is filled with interesting, relaxed people. I hear that SAIS students are snobs, but Georgetown is overrun with undergrads.

Who is happier?

Trust me, we are not snobs!

[Frosty_McGee]

What was the end result of this thread? This will be a topic for a few of us by the end of this week.

[alkalidz]

Yeah have the same question here. SAIS should be a better choice if the career caters to more quant work. 

[Sophia Eliana]

I'm also curious.  I'm very heavily leaning towards SSP, but I also worry that it might not have as much name recognition as SAIS.

[Frosty_McGee]

On ‎3‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 4:37 PM, Sophia Eliana said:

I'm also curious.  I'm very heavily leaning towards SSP, but I also worry that it might not have as much name recognition as SAIS.

I don't think anyone deciding between these two programs can go wrong. Ultimately it comes down to whether or not the program offers classes that can build your skillset for your career goal. I have chosen SAIS, but my decision was easy since I was not admitted into SSP.

 

Check out what user 16381776 said in this thread:

 

[ExponentialDecay]

lol dating in DC.

Which one is cheaper? Go to that one. I am tired of saying this shit over and over in all the threads.