Georgetown v Elliott School

[alsol000]

Hey all,

just posing a question regarding two programs.

I was accepted to both Georgetown, for their Conflict Resolution masters. and the Elliott School.

I'm really conflicted between both programs.

Any general advice or pros and cons?

Anything would be much appreciated...this is such a difficult decision.

[ganymed]

do you get any funding?

[efs424]

Similar situation for me...between Georgetown SSP and GWU. Definetly no funding from Elliott, and not sure about Georgetown yet. I'm leaning towards GW because of the convenient location, and because of their study abroad exchange (I want to go to India for a semester). That SSP is only 1.5 years is also appealing though.

[alsol000]

Yeah no funding for Elliott.

Waiting to hear back about Gtown.

I like the study abroad aspect because I want to go back to Argentina (where I went for undergrad - also conveniently the GW program goes to the same school that my undergrad exchange went to)

[MisterCharisma]

Hey all,

just posing a question regarding two programs.

I was accepted to both Georgetown, for their Conflict Resolution masters. and the Elliott School.

I'm really conflicted between both programs.

Any general advice or pros and cons?

Anything would be much appreciated...this is such a difficult decision.

I'm a second year at GWU/ESIA and from what I can gather, at least compared to GT MSFS, GWU is a bargain in terms of tuition. It was something like 40k at GT vs. 23/24 at GWU. As a student at GWU, I can assure you that I feel like I can get everything out of the GWU program that I could have out of GT.

In fact, I reapplied to GT MSFS this year (for complicated reasons) and I've been admitted, but there's no way I'm switching over. Not only for the obvious time/cost issues but also because I'm really happy with the professors at GWU, this semester my professors have taught at Georgetown, Harvard and Berkeley. They have an excellent faculty, both full time and visiting.

[efs424]

Is the Georgetown brand name even really that good? It's kind of shallow I know, but that's the only reason I'm really considering it over GW.

Edited March 24, 2010 by efs424

[ganymed]

Nobody knows Georgetown outside the US. Maybe some IR folks but that's it.

[sypher2k3]

I was also accepted to both Georgetown and GW for Fall 2010. No word on funding from Georgetown, which was always my first choice, but GW offered full ride on tuition. Still, I really want to go to Georgetown....

[sypher2k3]

I should specify - both are the Security Studies M.A. programs

[La Voz]

For those concerned with Georgetown's reputation, you needn't be.

http://irtheoryandpractice.wm.edu/projects/trip/

Download and read the "2008 TRIP Survey of International Relations Faculty in Ten Countries" at the link above. It's a great read for ALL IR students.

In that survey Georgetown is rated as the best terminal Masters program in the world for those that want to pursue a policy career in IR. Johns Hopkins and Harvard are a close 2nd and 3rd, respectively. The drop-off between 3rd and 4th is pretty significant, too.

[alsol000]

From what I've gathered Georgetown is the better brand name - more connections etc.

I don't know about international reputation.

Edited March 25, 2010 by dudeitsadell000

[sypher2k3]

rankings prove a bunch of old scholars like georgetown more than they like other schools, but they are terrible for measuring the quality of the schools in comparison to one another.

the ranking system you showed does not take directly even try to measure:

- student satisfaction

- course offerings

- job placements

- how well the school prepares students for careers through skills development

- responsiveness and quality of career services center

etc.

My undergraduate methods coursework teaches me to write off a study like this that so obviously does not actually measure anything at all that makes one school better than another school.

I got into both GW and Georgetown, but there are many obvious areas where GW beats Georgetown, making the decision very difficult, although Georgetown has always been my top choice.

A - Very diverse selection of professional 1-credit skills courses, one for every semester there (unmatched by SFS)

B - Two specialized fields instead of one (at Georgetown you must pick between International Security and U.S. National Security - at GW you can choose both!)

C - Unique specialized fields like Security & Development (which no other M.A. program in the U.S. offers)

D - A highly practical Capstone course instead of a Thesis seminar - which has students work in teams, like in the real world, to solve a problem, present a paper on it together

E - No comprehensive final at the end, which one Georgetown alumni told me is there only to make the program look more rigorous

Generally, it would be easy to argue that GW prepares its students better in terms of range of skills to be used in careers.

So, sure, the rankings put Georgetown at number 1.

BUT KEEP IN MIND that these rankings are NOT based measurements of anything that makes one school better than another school.

Also - Dean of Elliott School founded and directed security studies program at SFS. Just saying.

Edited March 25, 2010 by sypher2k3

[socaljournalist]

Hey, sypher2k3, I think a full-ride is worth more than going to Georgetown. Couldn't you just write on your resume that you received a full scholarship somewhere beneath your graduate degree info? Nobody's going to question that.

I was also accepted to both Georgetown and GW for Fall 2010. No word on funding from Georgetown, which was always my first choice, but GW offered full ride on tuition. Still, I really want to go to Georgetown....

[navyman]

For those of you that did get into Georgetown, may I ask your stats?

[La Voz]

sypher2k3, you're right, that study only proves that Georgetown is well-regarded amongst IR profs in 8 countries. Still, it's good for gauging Georgetown's reputation at home and abroad.

That said, program fit is more important than reputation. GWU is a much better program fit for me, as is SAIS, over Georgetown. I'm looking forward to visiting both GWU and SAIS next week.

[alsol000]

For those of you that did get into Georgetown, may I ask your stats?

GRE verbal 600

math- 610

writing - 6

gpa 3.43

[MisterCharisma]

Just wanted to chime in on the perceived difference in stature between the two programs. Having been in DC for a year and run this by many people I've been told by person after person that aside from alma mater allegiances, GW, GT and SAIS grads are all viewed about on par in the eyes of employers. I'm convinced that if you put in the appropriate time and effort, there's nothing a GT/MSFS degree can get you that a GW/ESIA degree can't. If you're looking to do foreign service, it's moot anyway as either will get you past QEP.

Truly, hard work is the name of the game.

[sypher2k3]

For those of you that did get into Georgetown, may I ask your stats?

gre verbal 700

gre quant 640

gre writing 5.5

gpa 3.81

[sypher2k3]

Just wanted to chime in on the perceived difference in stature between the two programs. Having been in DC for a year and run this by many people I've been told by person after person that aside from alma mater allegiances, GW, GT and SAIS grads are all viewed about on par in the eyes of employers. I'm convinced that if you put in the appropriate time and effort, there's nothing a GT/MSFS degree can get you that a GW/ESIA degree can't. If you're looking to do foreign service, it's moot anyway as either will get you past QEP.

Truly, hard work is the name of the game.

Here is my question:

While both schools are about equal in terms of career prospects - and while both schools are very careerist in focus and strive to get you a job - does it matter which one you go to if you want, eventually way down the line, to apply to top 5 PhD programs?

[MisterCharisma]

Here is my question:

While both schools are about equal in terms of career prospects - and while both schools are very careerist in focus and strive to get you a job - does it matter which one you go to if you want, eventually way down the line, to apply to top 5 PhD programs?

IMHO, if you're dead-set on a PhD program (especially ones of the caliber you're talking about) you're probably better off pursuing a degree in political science...no? Probably at a Berkeley, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, etc...

[sypher2k3]

IMHO, if you're dead-set on a PhD program (especially ones of the caliber you're talking about) you're probably better off pursuing a degree in political science...no? Probably at a Berkeley, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, etc...

Trouble is, M.A. in political science would probably not be as good in getting me where I want to be career wise

[efs424]

Just thought I'd add a little update. I was in touch with one of my professors from UVA and he though Eilliott was better because they have better professors. I was also in touch with someone from the World Bank, whose SAIS summer class I took last year, and he said that in hiring they consider SAIS, Georgetown and GWU to be all roughly on the same level and that they were more interested in what the candidate did at school, rather than the school's name. I think I still like GWU's program better, but have to say I'm still a little hung up on the Georgetown name.