Harvard Kennedy School or Yale Jackson Institute?

[greatgirl9]

I've been admitted to:

- Harvard Kennedy School MPP (with no financial aid - so it costs ~$52,000 a year)

- Yale Jackson Institute MA Global Affairs (with 50% of my course fees covered - so it costs ~$25,000 a year)

- Columbia SIPA MIA (with $22,000 a year of aid - so it costs ~$40,000 a year)

If it weren't for the money, I would be immediately accepting HKS (my dream school) but I am conflicted about taking out such a large loan. Is the loan worth it for the Kennedy school name, connections and prestige? What are employers' perceptions of the Jackson institute? How do these schools rank in relation to each other? Which degree would make me most employable in a human rights focused job? 

Any and all advice appreciated! 

[fshopeful]

Definitely account for COL differences as well — New Haven being much cheaper than Cambridge/NY.

i would say HKS could make sense if you were interested in the private sector, but is probably not the best move if you are trying to enter humanitarian work. The entirety of the degree would be ~170k, an enormous amount.

Jackson has the benefit of being flexible and the school is very much a part of the greater Yale ecosystem. You’d be able to pursue your interests and network with individuals in the greater Yale community/alums. It’s tuition is also only 43k a year.

SIPA’s NYC location and practitioner focus will allow you many opportunities to intern while you study and “at bats” to network with people that have similar interests. This to me is essential.

General rule of thumb — when referring to schools in this elite tier — is to follow the money. I would head to Jackson — as it would be affordable and is an excellent program.

[GradSchoolGrad]

On 4/11/2020 at 9:27 PM, fshopeful said:

Definitely account for COL differences as well — New Haven being much cheaper than Cambridge/NY.

i would say HKS could make sense if you were interested in the private sector, but is probably not the best move if you are trying to enter humanitarian work. The entirety of the degree would be ~170k, an enormous amount.

Jackson has the benefit of being flexible and the school is very much a part of the greater Yale ecosystem. You’d be able to pursue your interests and network with individuals in the greater Yale community/alums. It’s tuition is also only 43k a year.

SIPA’s NYC location and practitioner focus will allow you many opportunities to intern while you study and “at bats” to network with people that have similar interests. This to me is essential.

General rule of thumb — when referring to schools in this elite tier — is to follow the money. I would head to Jackson — as it would be affordable and is an excellent program.

Unless you want to go into consulting (make that give it a shot), you should go to Yale. Honestly, you don't want to go into debt during a recession and you would have access to the same pool of jobs regardless.

[Boolakanaka]

Easy ... go to Yale. While Jackson is the new kid on the block to public policy, Yale is not. Whatever connections you need, prospective employers and the depth of the total institution, Yale will more than meet all your needs.