michigan Ford or USC Price MPP

[WhereShouldIGo??]

I'm enrolled in both. I'm tearing myself apart trying to decide. I want to work for a large international organization doing human rights. Somewhere like the UN or World Bank? I like USC for location(I live in LA now) but it seems they have less placement in jobs outside of LA (none in the most recent years statistic at either org). However, they gave me the Half tuition. Michigan seems like a perfect school and their placement is great. But I'm not sure I could survive the weather and living in a small town. They gave me 25% tuition but it would even out if I did research for a year. Does anyone have any knowledge of these programs? is it a big difference? any thoughts would help.

[CaliforniaBurritoAreGreat]

I was a former BA of PubPol student at the Ford School (Class of 2019!), and was accepted into the MPP program but ultimately chose UChicago's Harris (money was the primary reason). However, Ford is definitely beefing up their international strengths, through the most recent creation of the Weiser Diplomacy Center, which is intent on bringing in a several new professors of practice with vast experience in foreign policy (think former US Ambassadors), who also appear to be very open to mentoring students.

Plus, having lived in Ann Arbor for four years as a newly minted graduate (coming from sunny SAN DIEGO of all places!), the weather was not too bad (of course snow was foreign to me, but I ended up loving it), and Ann Arbor honestly spoils you -- it is probably the greatest college town in the country, that lives and breathes the university. I would ultimately say that the Ford School is certainly above USC, and with the new developments coming from the Diplomacy Center, there are bound to be numerous opportunities.

Additionally, having also been admitted to USC and having very seriously considered it against UChicago and UMich, I didn't feel that their international curriculum matched up as well to what Ford has offered and will be offering in the near future. I'd be happy to answer any other questions you may have!