Decision time: share your dilemma (2023)

[confusion123]

Inspiration: 2019 version

I'm trying to nail down where I want to go over the next couple of weeks, and I'm sure many of you are in the same spot. I hope we can bounce ideas off of each other!

Coming from:
NYC

Deciding between: 

• Princeton SPIA MPA - 100% tuition + stipend
• Harvard Kennedy MPP - They haven't released results yet, but employer will pay tuition + stipend assuming I get in
• Yale Jackson MPP - 100% tuition + stipend 
• UC Berkeley Goldman MPP - Close to 100% tuition, but relatively easy to get an on campus job for $ and tuition remission
• Columbia SIPA MPA - 80% tuition

Other factors:
My #1 goal was not going into debt, and I feel like that goal is achievable given my options.  I would've liked to travel to each campus to get a feel for them, but I'm extremely busy over the next month with work and personal commitments, so I'm unable to see any school in person (except Columbia). I know alum from each school except Yale, so if you have insights there, let me know! I currently know one person at SPIA, one person at SIPA, a few current/formers at HKS, and one at Berkeley, and they're all telling me to go to their respective school!

I went to Michigan for undergrad, so the idea of possibly going to a smaller school and being part of a small cohort is foreign but exciting at the same time. I want a program that's somewhat rigorous and challenging. I don't have super niche interests, so the lack of class choice isn't really a concern for me. I plan on staying on the public/non-profit side of things for the foreseeable future, but if I were to do a switch to private sector at some point down the line, I think I'd be OK with a degree from any of the schools I mentioned. I'm planning to go into state or local policy/government after graduating, so I probably should've applied to Sanford... but I don't want to live in NC! Again, I don't think I'd have a problem going that route if I attend any of these schools though. 

How I'm leaning:
I'm leaning Princeton. I ruled Columbia out because of cost, and I ruled UC Berkeley out because I want to stay on the east coast. Yale is currently at the bottom of the list of schools I'm currently considering because of how new the program is and the fact that I'm not really interested in international affairs. 

I'm leaning Princeton because of its smaller class sizes, great student outcomes, and its proximity to DC/NYC. I was originally leaning Harvard, but just from looking at current/former students on LinkedIn and talking to my friends that are current/former students, it's moved down on my list. I want to have more experienced, public service committed classmates, and that hasn't really been the experience of my friends. I know it's a big school, so that might not be fully representative. I was told that many students have private-sector backgrounds and intend to go back to the private sector after leaving the school too. The weather also sucks! I recognize the Harvard name would carry more weight in certain circles, but I doubt at this stage in my life that I would be denied an opportunity if I chose Princeton over Harvard.

Head: Princeton

Heart: Wash between Princeton/Harvard

Wallet: N/A

[Podrick Payne]

Thanks Confusion123 for starting this thread. 
I too am having a hard time deciding which school to attend. 

Coming from:
Atlanta, GA

Deciding between:

• Yale Jackson MPP - 100% Tuition +stipend
• Columbia SIPA MIA - 100% Tuition + $18k refund check
• HKS MPP - Still awaiting results, but I was an interviewee for the Equity Fellowship. If received, it would be a full ride + stipend.
• UChicago Harris - $35k per year scholarship. (I would owe $30k per year)

Future Goals:
I currently work for FAANG and I'm hoping to transition back into G with a policy based role. 
I will be exploring other roles such as working for the State Department as an FSO, or possibilities with the UN NATO, etc.

Other factors:
Just like confusion123, my main goal was no debt, so I can pretty much eliminate UChicago.
I visited Yale and Harvard this past fall for their open house and fell in love with both schools. I love Yale's small cohort system, flexibility on which courses to take, and how nice the faculty were when I met them. IDK how to explain it but I truly felt like I belonged there. 
Harvard was also a pretty amazing visit. I have a good networking relationship with one of the admissions leads and he has really been drilling it into me on how I am exactly what Harvard is looking for in a student, potential leader, etc. 

I have not visited Columbia SIPA. I actually applied to the program after they visited Atlanta for a grad school event. One fee waiver later and here I am haha.

How I'm leaning:
I honestly feel like all three schools will give me a great education. 

Right now I'm leaning towards Yale as I generally liked my time there during my visit. I am a bit concerned over the programs "newness," but I'm sure there are some pros to being in a new program. Living in New Haven isn't going to be the best though. My fiancée will be moving with me and I'm sure New Haven will bore her to death. She's been pretty onboard with wherever I go, but I don't want these two years to suck for her. If we choose Yale she will be able to go remote work with G and still make $100k +. She is currently going for a hail mary and applying for Yale MBA R3. 

Columbia is currently in 2nd place. The MIA program seems very interesting and the possibility of living in NYC is very cool. My fiancée and I both have many friends living in NYC, so socially we'll be able to fit right in. Her salary will actually increase to about $150k if we move to NYC so that's a plus. 
If we choose Columbia she is going to wait on her MBA and try for next year's cycle with NYC schools: Columbia, NYU, Cornell Tech
My main concern for Columbia is housing. NYC apartments are too d*mn expensive, and even with the pay raise we would be cutting it close. I don't want us to struggle too bad. 

Harvard is in 3rd place. I love the feel of the school and I'm really excited about having the "Harvard" name on my resume, but I'm not a big fan of how the MPP classes are structured. Like HKS students take a ton of classes many are quant based, and some of these required courses I'm just not interested in taking. On top of that, housing in Cambridge is on-par with San Francisco prices. Although my fiancée will be able to transfer to the Cambridge office, we might struggle with housing. And honestly folks...I'm really really nervous about attending Harvard. I don't want to get there and fail. IDK why I'm thinking like this now, when in December I was so pumped.
I worked my butt off last year to put together a great application for HKS. I don't want to miss out on the opportunity to attend Harvard for free, but I'm afraid I won't have a good time there. IDK....

Head: Yale

Heart: I love them all lol

Wallet: Yale

[tbell13579]

Thought I'd throw my hat in here.  I have a few options but have mostly narrowed it down to the following two:

 

Coming from:
Japan

Deciding between: 

• Johns Hopkins SAIS MAIR - about 40% tuition (would owe around $65K or so)
• University of Tokyo MPP/IP - no scholarship, but cheap tuition means total program cost would only be around $10K

Other factors:

I also was accepted to Columbia SIPA's MIA, Georgetown's MSFS and MASIA programs, and the National University of Singapore's MIA, but no money from any of them makes them nonstarters.  Financial aid was definitely lacking, which isn't too surprising given that I'm just a couple years removed from undergrad and have been teaching English since then.

Johns Hopkins is obviously the bigger name when it comes to finding jobs back in the states, and has more resources and probably better networking.  While I'll owe money, I am getting a discount.  The other benefit here is that a family member is willing to take the loan on my behalf - so I'd owe them the money, interest-free, and with no rigid repayment schedule.

That said, it's still a lot of money, compared to how cheap studying at the University of Tokyo would be.  There's also a part of me that wants to spend more time in Japan, and this is an opportunity to do that while studying at the best school in the country (and one of the best schools in Asia).  The obvious downside is less name recognition and opportunities when it's time to go back home.

How I'm leaning:
It's currently pretty damn close to a tossup.  Being able to go to a school like Johns Hopkins and having those resources is appealing, and the debt situation could be a lot worse given the interest-free, deadline-free deal I'd be getting.  It could also be a very international experience - spending the first two semesters at SAIS Europe, the third semester in Asia, and the final semester in D.C.

Todai, while the most prestigious school in Japan and a top 10 school in Asia, doesn't have the same reputation in the states, which may make job searching harder.  I may need to begin my career in Asia to leverage the brand before eventually moving home when I have enough professional experience.  That being said, I'd owe a lot less money, and I would subjectively like to spend more time living in Japan and improving my Japanese (I am most interested in East Asia).

Head: Johns Hopkins SAIS

Heart: Close, but slight lean towards Tokyo

Wallet: University of Tokyo

[illyana]

You seem certain that Yale will give both full tuition and a stipend. Have you had a funding email back from the already? 

[Podrick Payne]

6 hours ago, illyana said:

You seem certain that Yale will give both full tuition and a stipend. Have you had a funding email back from the already? 

From my previous chats with current students, that's the norm for Yale's program. Every student (35 in the program) will receive full funding. 
Everyone I know in this program has received $18k - 23k in a stipend as well. 

[Podrick Payne]

11 hours ago, tbell13579 said:

Thought I'd throw my hat in here.  I have a few options but have mostly narrowed it down to the following two:

 

 

Coming from:
Japan

Deciding between: 

• Johns Hopkins SAIS MAIR - about 40% tuition (would owe around $65K or so)
• University of Tokyo MPP/IP - no scholarship, but cheap tuition means total program cost would only be around $10K

Other factors:

I also was accepted to Columbia SIPA's MIA, Georgetown's MSFS and MASIA programs, and the National University of Singapore's MIA, but no money from any of them makes them nonstarters.  Financial aid was definitely lacking, which isn't too surprising given that I'm just a couple years removed from undergrad and have been teaching English since then.

Johns Hopkins is obviously the bigger name when it comes to finding jobs back in the states, and has more resources and probably better networking.  While I'll owe money, I am getting a discount.  The other benefit here is that a family member is willing to take the loan on my behalf - so I'd owe them the money, interest-free, and with no rigid repayment schedule.

That said, it's still a lot of money, compared to how cheap studying at the University of Tokyo would be.  There's also a part of me that wants to spend more time in Japan, and this is an opportunity to do that while studying at the best school in the country (and one of the best schools in Asia).  The obvious downside is less name recognition and opportunities when it's time to go back home.

How I'm leaning:
It's currently pretty damn close to a tossup.  Being able to go to a school like Johns Hopkins and having those resources is appealing, and the debt situation could be a lot worse given the interest-free, deadline-free deal I'd be getting.  It could also be a very international experience - spending the first two semesters at SAIS Europe, the third semester in Asia, and the final semester in D.C.

Todai, while the most prestigious school in Japan and a top 10 school in Asia, doesn't have the same reputation in the states, which may make job searching harder.  I may need to begin my career in Asia to leverage the brand before eventually moving home when I have enough professional experience.  That being said, I'd owe a lot less money, and I would subjectively like to spend more time living in Japan and improving my Japanese (I am most interested in East Asia).

Head: Johns Hopkins SAIS

Heart: Close, but slight lean towards Tokyo

Wallet: University of Tokyo

I would choose Tokyo. The cost savings is so much better. The only downside is that opportunities post grad will be more geared towards Asia. Not a problem if you want to stay in Asia.

$65k in debt is a lot. Don't put yourself in the hole. 

[edr9372]

I guess it's not really a decision at this point, but my two choices are basically free tuition AND rent at Hertie in Berlin, or ~90k in loans (this includes NYC rental costs) to attend SIPA. I am a US citizen, and am interested in something humanitarian aid related or something that mixes climate and human rights.

I petitioned SIPA for more aid, requested 20k/semester more which would basically leave me with roughly 50k in loans, which I think is the starting point where I would lean towards SIPA over Hertie. Though I also already paid my deposit for Hertie since my offer was expiring so I would feel pretty shitty from pulling out of that after 1.5k for that...honestly not sure SIPA is *that* much better where 50k in debt for a field that does not pay well is even worth it

[GradSchoolGrad]

On 3/14/2023 at 3:09 PM, confusion123 said:

Inspiration: 2019 version

I'm trying to nail down where I want to go over the next couple of weeks, and I'm sure many of you are in the same spot. I hope we can bounce ideas off of each other!

Coming from:
NYC

Deciding between: 

• Princeton SPIA MPA - 100% tuition + stipend
• Harvard Kennedy MPP - They haven't released results yet, but employer will pay tuition + stipend assuming I get in
• Yale Jackson MPP - 100% tuition + stipend 
• UC Berkeley Goldman MPP - Close to 100% tuition, but relatively easy to get an on campus job for $ and tuition remission
• Columbia SIPA MPA - 80% tuition

Other factors:
My #1 goal was not going into debt, and I feel like that goal is achievable given my options.  I would've liked to travel to each campus to get a feel for them, but I'm extremely busy over the next month with work and personal commitments, so I'm unable to see any school in person (except Columbia). I know alum from each school except Yale, so if you have insights there, let me know! I currently know one person at SPIA, one person at SIPA, a few current/formers at HKS, and one at Berkeley, and they're all telling me to go to their respective school!

I went to Michigan for undergrad, so the idea of possibly going to a smaller school and being part of a small cohort is foreign but exciting at the same time. I want a program that's somewhat rigorous and challenging. I don't have super niche interests, so the lack of class choice isn't really a concern for me. I plan on staying on the public/non-profit side of things for the foreseeable future, but if I were to do a switch to private sector at some point down the line, I think I'd be OK with a degree from any of the schools I mentioned. I'm planning to go into state or local policy/government after graduating, so I probably should've applied to Sanford... but I don't want to live in NC! Again, I don't think I'd have a problem going that route if I attend any of these schools though. 

How I'm leaning:
I'm leaning Princeton. I ruled Columbia out because of cost, and I ruled UC Berkeley out because I want to stay on the east coast. Yale is currently at the bottom of the list of schools I'm currently considering because of how new the program is and the fact that I'm not really interested in international affairs. 

I'm leaning Princeton because of its smaller class sizes, great student outcomes, and its proximity to DC/NYC. I was originally leaning Harvard, but just from looking at current/former students on LinkedIn and talking to my friends that are current/former students, it's moved down on my list. I want to have more experienced, public service committed classmates, and that hasn't really been the experience of my friends. I know it's a big school, so that might not be fully representative. I was told that many students have private-sector backgrounds and intend to go back to the private sector after leaving the school too. The weather also sucks! I recognize the Harvard name would carry more weight in certain circles, but I doubt at this stage in my life that I would be denied an opportunity if I chose Princeton over Harvard.

Head: Princeton

Heart: Wash between Princeton/Harvard

Wallet: N/A

I 2nd your Princeton call since you don't have private sector inclinations.

[Boolakanaka]

On 3/15/2023 at 2:37 PM, Podrick Payne said:

Thanks Confusion123 for starting this thread. 
I too am having a hard time deciding which school to attend. 

Coming from:
Atlanta, GA

Deciding between:

• Yale Jackson MPP - 100% Tuition +stipend
• Columbia SIPA MIA - 100% Tuition + $18k refund check
• HKS MPP - Still awaiting results, but I was an interviewee for the Equity Fellowship. If received, it would be a full ride + stipend.
• UChicago Harris - $35k per year scholarship. (I would owe $30k per year)

Future Goals:
I currently work for FAANG and I'm hoping to transition back into G with a policy based role. 
I will be exploring other roles such as working for the State Department as an FSO, or possibilities with the UN NATO, etc.

Other factors:
Just like confusion123, my main goal was no debt, so I can pretty much eliminate UChicago.
I visited Yale and Harvard this past fall for their open house and fell in love with both schools. I love Yale's small cohort system, flexibility on which courses to take, and how nice the faculty were when I met them. IDK how to explain it but I truly felt like I belonged there. 
Harvard was also a pretty amazing visit. I have a good networking relationship with one of the admissions leads and he has really been drilling it into me on how I am exactly what Harvard is looking for in a student, potential leader, etc. 

I have not visited Columbia SIPA. I actually applied to the program after they visited Atlanta for a grad school event. One fee waiver later and here I am haha.

How I'm leaning:
I honestly feel like all three schools will give me a great education. 

Right now I'm leaning towards Yale as I generally liked my time there during my visit. I am a bit concerned over the programs "newness," but I'm sure there are some pros to being in a new program. Living in New Haven isn't going to be the best though. My fiancée will be moving with me and I'm sure New Haven will bore her to death. She's been pretty onboard with wherever I go, but I don't want these two years to suck for her. If we choose Yale she will be able to go remote work with G and still make $100k +. She is currently going for a hail mary and applying for Yale MBA R3. 

Columbia is currently in 2nd place. The MIA program seems very interesting and the possibility of living in NYC is very cool. My fiancée and I both have many friends living in NYC, so socially we'll be able to fit right in. Her salary will actually increase to about $150k if we move to NYC so that's a plus. 
If we choose Columbia she is going to wait on her MBA and try for next year's cycle with NYC schools: Columbia, NYU, Cornell Tech
My main concern for Columbia is housing. NYC apartments are too d*mn expensive, and even with the pay raise we would be cutting it close. I don't want us to struggle too bad. 

Harvard is in 3rd place. I love the feel of the school and I'm really excited about having the "Harvard" name on my resume, but I'm not a big fan of how the MPP classes are structured. Like HKS students take a ton of classes many are quant based, and some of these required courses I'm just not interested in taking. On top of that, housing in Cambridge is on-par with San Francisco prices. Although my fiancée will be able to transfer to the Cambridge office, we might struggle with housing. And honestly folks...I'm really really nervous about attending Harvard. I don't want to get there and fail. IDK why I'm thinking like this now, when in December I was so pumped.
I worked my butt off last year to put together a great application for HKS. I don't want to miss out on the opportunity to attend Harvard for free, but I'm afraid I won't have a good time there. IDK....

Head: Yale

Heart: I love them all lol

Wallet: Yale

Two of out three in life in not bad at all. Plus I teach at Yale----go with the college of Eli.

[RileyKnight]

Any thoughts would be super appreciated!

Coming from:
DC

Deciding between: 

• Johns Hopkins SAIS- 100% tuition scholarship
• Georgetown MSFS
• LSE-SIPA MPA Double Degree

Other factors:
Super torn between these schools! I ultimately want to work in State or doing foreign policy work with social media disinformation/digital policy and -US-China policy. I've mainly been working in domestic electoral politics for the last few years doing digital work but my undergraduate background is broadly speaking in China policy. But I definitely wouldn't mind working abroad as well or in an IGO. (Political risk is also something I had a passing interest in before.)

I'm fortunate enough to have enough saved up, regardless of the school, to graduate with pretty minimal debt, but that full ride at Hopkins is still really appealing especially compared to the LSE-SIPA program which would have me spend the first year in London and the second in NYC. Ultimately though all three of the programs have aspects I'm drawn to.

SAIS: Obviously the scholarship is a big selling point here. Also like that there's quite a good deal of flexibility with the actual program and that they have a large course catalogue. All of SAIS's study treks are super appealing as well. The new building also seems really great. But it does seem like SAIS's network is more suited toward World Bank/IMF positions (although I could be wrong there) and seems like it's pretty wide reaching although maybe less willing to go to bat for you? I'm also not incredibly quant-oriented which is a point in favor of Georgetown.

One con for both SAIS and Georgetown is the language requirement, while I'm not a beginner I'm also not the best in the language I'd need to pass the proficiency test in (Chinese). Definitely see the value in improving my skills and I'm willing to commit time to it but I've historically not been wonderful at language classes.

Georgetown: I really like that the program is a bit smaller and from what I've heard the career services team is really strong (networking isn't something I'm the best at so this is super important to me), it also seems to be especially well-connected with State and other federal agencies. The Georgetown name seems to stand out as well which isn't my primary concern but is definitely a factor I'm weighing. It seems like there are just fewer course options here than the other schools though? 

LSE/Columbia SIPA: The big selling point and drawback here is not being in DC. I figure that I'll eventually end up back in DC anyway and I've always wanted to live in London and New York. On the LSE side, I'm definitely someone who does well British academic system (I went to a British-style school abroad for high school, but I'm not an international student) and of course the brand is pretty great outside the US (less so here). I also like that the entire year is focused on a core curriculum and it's the only one of the three that's a direct policy program (which I assume might keep more doors open than one of the other two). On the SIPA side, the connections to IGOs that SIPA has and the really wide range of courses at the school are definite pros. No language requirement and the Columbia brand are pros as well. But it seems like it's easy to get lost in the school since it's so big. Overall, I'm also worried that I'll be leaving with a less solid network because I'm only spending one year at each school, even though I'd be leaving with two degrees.

How I'm leaning:
I'm leaning toward SAIS primarily because of the scholarship but would definitely love to hear opinions from others! Georgetown is probably the other main school I'm considering right now with the dual degree in third.

Edited March 19, 2023 by RileyKnight

[AspiringSpeechwriter]

Hey @confusion123,

I feel fortunate and grateful to be in a similar dilemma as you! Would love to prick your brain further about the info you have about the programs.

Coming From:

Portland, OR, so this will be a big move/change for me! Both excited and stressed.

Deciding Between:

• Princeton SPIA - 100% Tuition + living stipend
• Yale Jackson - 100% Tuition + living stipend
• Columbia SIPA - 95% tuition, no stipend
• NYU CGA - 100% tuition, very small stipend
• Georgetown MSFS - no aid
• Columbia SIPA/LSE dual degree - no aid offered.

Other Factors:

I don't want to go into debt for graduate study either, so I'm mainly deciding between Yale and Princeton considering my other support packages. The main differences between the two, as I see them are: Princeton's program is longer-standing and more well known with a larger alumni network. Princeton has a much more structured program with a large set of required core course while Yale has just four core courses. Princeton's curriculum has a heavy emphasis on quantitative skills, which I feel is a gap in my skillset, and includes a months-long math summer program to prepare all students for graduate level study in econometrics, statistics, and applied analytics -- this is a big plus in my book. Yale has a language requirement and has some support for extracurricular language study; language proficiency is important to me, but I could study this at Princeton too. I'm trying to decide whether to learn a new modern language or pick Russian back up from my undergrad studies.

 

How I'm leaning:

Right now, I'm leaning towards Princeton due to the program's established alumni network, math summer program, and structured curriculum. I was originally really enticed by Yale's very flexible curriculum, but worry I won't have the support to succeed in tough quantitative coursework. It's nice that the Yale cohort is small, but maybe too small, ya know? I'm keeping my mind open between the two and will visit both schools in the first week of April. Sadly, Columbia is out just due to the debt I would incur living in NYC as a full time grad student without a stipend; their program looks really cool. NYU for the same reason. I love the MSFS curriculum and the idea of studying in London for the LSE/SIPA program, but the lack of financial support pretty much rules them out automatically.

Head: Princeton

Heart: Columbia

Wallet: Princeton or Yale

[ResurgamJane]

I aspire to work in international development, preferably with South Asian focus. I have been accepted to:

1. MPA at Columbia SIPA: no scholarship
2. MPP at Hertie: 25% tuition waiver
3. MPP at Duke Sanford: 27.5K USD per semester scholarship
4. MPP at GWU: 

I like Columbia SIPA the most out of these options. While I am fortunate to be able to self-finance about 50K USD, SIPA will leave me 55K USD in debt (excluding accrued interest). I am trying to gauge if SIPA is worth this much debt. Regardless of which offer I accept, getting a loan is inevitable.

Some considerations:

1. My priority is to be able to pay back the loan as soon as possible. So I am also exploring financing options. So far, it seems a loan in my country of residence (India) would make better sense than in USA due to the currency conversion rate. Any better insights on this would help a lot.
2. It seems to be able to repay the loan I would need to stay back after finishing my studies to earn back the money 😕 But I wish to return to India and work here in the (not so) foreseeable future.

Honestly, I am quite clear that I like SIPA (in and of itself, not just in relation to the other colleges). However, the financial barrier is too high. Therefore, insights on whether education at SIPA justifies the finances involved will help me a lot.

[Podrick Payne]

8 hours ago, AspiringSpeechwriter said:

Hey @confusion123,

I feel fortunate and grateful to be in a similar dilemma as you! Would love to prick your brain further about the info you have about the programs.

Coming From:

Portland, OR, so this will be a big move/change for me! Both excited and stressed.

Deciding Between:

• Princeton SPIA - 100% Tuition + living stipend
• Yale Jackson - 100% Tuition + living stipend
• Columbia SIPA - 95% tuition, no stipend
• NYU CGA - 100% tuition, very small stipend
• Georgetown MSFS - no aid
• Columbia SIPA/LSE dual degree - no aid offered.

Other Factors:

I don't want to go into debt for graduate study either, so I'm mainly deciding between Yale and Princeton considering my other support packages. The main differences between the two, as I see them are: Princeton's program is longer-standing and more well known with a larger alumni network. Princeton has a much more structured program with a large set of required core course while Yale has just four core courses. Princeton's curriculum has a heavy emphasis on quantitative skills, which I feel is a gap in my skillset, and includes a months-long math summer program to prepare all students for graduate level study in econometrics, statistics, and applied analytics -- this is a big plus in my book. Yale has a language requirement and has some support for extracurricular language study; language proficiency is important to me, but I could study this at Princeton too. I'm trying to decide whether to learn a new modern language or pick Russian back up from my undergrad studies.

 

How I'm leaning:

Right now, I'm leaning towards Princeton due to the program's established alumni network, math summer program, and structured curriculum. I was originally really enticed by Yale's very flexible curriculum, but worry I won't have the support to succeed in tough quantitative coursework. It's nice that the Yale cohort is small, but maybe too small, ya know? I'm keeping my mind open between the two and will visit both schools in the first week of April. Sadly, Columbia is out just due to the debt I would incur living in NYC as a full time grad student without a stipend; their program looks really cool. NYU for the same reason. I love the MSFS curriculum and the idea of studying in London for the LSE/SIPA program, but the lack of financial support pretty much rules them out automatically.

Head: Princeton

Heart: Columbia

Wallet: Princeton or Yale

Hey just a heads up, if you decide to go to Yale you need to get in contact with the folks at Middlebury fast! 
They told me they are almost full for Russian (and Chinese.)

I just submitted my app to them for French, but still unsure on Yale. 

[AspiringSpeechwriter]

6 hours ago, Podrick Payne said:

Hey just a heads up, if you decide to go to Yale you need to get in contact with the folks at Middlebury fast! 
They told me they are almost full for Russian (and Chinese.)

I just submitted my app to them for French, but still unsure on Yale. 

Oh, thanks for the heads up! That's stressful ahh, do you know when the Middlebury programs start in the summer by any chance?

[Podrick Payne]

6 minutes ago, AspiringSpeechwriter said:

Oh, thanks for the heads up! That's stressful ahh, do you know when the Middlebury programs start in the summer by any chance?

Most are June 30 - Aug 18.

[AspiringSpeechwriter]

21 minutes ago, Podrick Payne said:

Most are June 30 - Aug 18.

Thanks for the heads up and info!

[GradSchoolGrad]

20 hours ago, ResurgamJane said:

I aspire to work in international development, preferably with South Asian focus. I have been accepted to:

1. MPA at Columbia SIPA: no scholarship
2. MPP at Hertie: 25% tuition waiver
3. MPP at Duke Sanford: 27.5K USD per semester scholarship
4. MPP at GWU: 

I like Columbia SIPA the most out of these options. While I am fortunate to be able to self-finance about 50K USD, SIPA will leave me 55K USD in debt (excluding accrued interest). I am trying to gauge if SIPA is worth this much debt. Regardless of which offer I accept, getting a loan is inevitable.

Some considerations:

1. My priority is to be able to pay back the loan as soon as possible. So I am also exploring financing options. So far, it seems a loan in my country of residence (India) would make better sense than in USA due to the currency conversion rate. Any better insights on this would help a lot.
2. It seems to be able to repay the loan I would need to stay back after finishing my studies to earn back the money 😕 But I wish to return to India and work here in the (not so) foreseeable future.

Honestly, I am quite clear that I like SIPA (in and of itself, not just in relation to the other colleges). However, the financial barrier is too high. Therefore, insights on whether education at SIPA justifies the finances involved will help me a lot.

All you get with SIPA is the brand name and not much else. Duke Sanford will give you the best academic experience here... But the career field you are trying to focus on is doing to be tough without a business or public health angle.

[confusion123]

On 3/17/2023 at 1:16 PM, GradSchoolGrad said:

I 2nd your Princeton call since you don't have private sector inclinations.

Received a full tuition fellowship + stipend at HKS, so after some soul searching and figuring out what I want, I've decided to attend HKS!

[skim28]

Coming from:
NYC

Deciding between: 

• CMU Heinz - half tuition
• Duke Sanford - Half tuition
• UChicago Harris - Half tuition

Other factors:
So for me, pricing is relatively the same. I may be eligible for additional funding for CMU Heinz and UChicago since I just submitted a scholarship reconsideration form for both schools. So pricing isn't what matters to me but rather the programs themselves. So more about me is that I am interested in studying economic policy, political economy, and monetary policy. So I definitely want to do more econ and finance-heavy classes. Eventually, I want to work at the Federal Reserve. Maybe even get a PhD in economics, although a bit in the air about that but definitely want that as a possible option in the future. 

UChicago Harris: UChicago was initially where I wanted to go but as I've done more digging, I'm questioning if that's the best choice for me. I hear a lot of horror stories on the Internet about how hard the core curriculum is. I am drawn to it because it has a strong quantitative focus. Also, I hear that students feel like they don't receive a lot of attention from career services and struggle with the overall culture at Harris. This fuels my overall fear that the class sizes are too big at Harris with having about 1000+ students and if that deters from the experience. I hear that core curriculum classes are filled with hundreds of students. However, a pro is that UChicago does offer a lot of policy areas, and a few of them perfectly align with my own interests. 

Duke Sanford: I like how small Duke's program is. I like that the class sizes are less than a hundred each. I also appreciate that they have a semester abroad to study at Hertie in Germany which is something that interests me. But the program has only six concentrations at Duke that don't completely align with my own interests. I'm not sure how quantitatively heavy the program is itself as well which I feel is essential if I possibly want to get an econ PhD.

CMU Heinz: With CMU Heinz, unsure how much the name carries itself in comparison to UChicago Harris and Duke Sanford. Right now, I'm going for the MPPSM program. However, I talked to admissions and was given the chance to apply for the DC track. So I might switch over. CMU Heinz is definitely more quant focus and tech focus. However, I do feel like UChicago could provide a similarly strong quant focus. Similar to Duke, it seems like the concentrations they offer don't perfectly align with my interests so it does feel like I might be compromising. 

How I'm leaning:
I'm leaning more toward UChicago and Duke. I feel like both are great programs. Although, I'm stuck on whether I should be concerned about the overall experience. For UChicago, I know that there are so many resources I could utilize to work towards an econ PhD and be able to work at the Fed. However, I'm not sure if those resources are overcrowded considering the class size. I'm not sure if Duke could provide the strong econ coursework that I need.

Does anything have any insight into the difficulty of working at the Fed with an MPP? Or how hard is it to get an Econ PhD if you get an MPP degree? 

[GradSchoolGrad]

On 3/28/2023 at 5:37 PM, skim28 said:

Coming from:
NYC

Deciding between: 

• CMU Heinz - half tuition
• Duke Sanford - Half tuition
• UChicago Harris - Half tuition

Other factors:
So for me, pricing is relatively the same. I may be eligible for additional funding for CMU Heinz and UChicago since I just submitted a scholarship reconsideration form for both schools. So pricing isn't what matters to me but rather the programs themselves. So more about me is that I am interested in studying economic policy, political economy, and monetary policy. So I definitely want to do more econ and finance-heavy classes. Eventually, I want to work at the Federal Reserve. Maybe even get a PhD in economics, although a bit in the air about that but definitely want that as a possible option in the future. 

UChicago Harris: UChicago was initially where I wanted to go but as I've done more digging, I'm questioning if that's the best choice for me. I hear a lot of horror stories on the Internet about how hard the core curriculum is. I am drawn to it because it has a strong quantitative focus. Also, I hear that students feel like they don't receive a lot of attention from career services and struggle with the overall culture at Harris. This fuels my overall fear that the class sizes are too big at Harris with having about 1000+ students and if that deters from the experience. I hear that core curriculum classes are filled with hundreds of students. However, a pro is that UChicago does offer a lot of policy areas, and a few of them perfectly align with my own interests. 

Duke Sanford: I like how small Duke's program is. I like that the class sizes are less than a hundred each. I also appreciate that they have a semester abroad to study at Hertie in Germany which is something that interests me. But the program has only six concentrations at Duke that don't completely align with my own interests. I'm not sure how quantitatively heavy the program is itself as well which I feel is essential if I possibly want to get an econ PhD.

CMU Heinz: With CMU Heinz, unsure how much the name carries itself in comparison to UChicago Harris and Duke Sanford. Right now, I'm going for the MPPSM program. However, I talked to admissions and was given the chance to apply for the DC track. So I might switch over. CMU Heinz is definitely more quant focus and tech focus. However, I do feel like UChicago could provide a similarly strong quant focus. Similar to Duke, it seems like the concentrations they offer don't perfectly align with my interests so it does feel like I might be compromising. 

How I'm leaning:
I'm leaning more toward UChicago and Duke. I feel like both are great programs. Although, I'm stuck on whether I should be concerned about the overall experience. For UChicago, I know that there are so many resources I could utilize to work towards an econ PhD and be able to work at the Fed. However, I'm not sure if those resources are overcrowded considering the class size. I'm not sure if Duke could provide the strong econ coursework that I need.

Does anything have any insight into the difficulty of working at the Fed with an MPP? Or how hard is it to get an Econ PhD if you get an MPP degree? 

Here is the deal... all three of these programs (or MPP at large) are not the best pathway to get an Econ PhD period. If you really want an Econ PhD, get a job doing econ research (or related to Econ research) and then apply directly a PhD in Econ. Then you can work for the Fed after you get your PhD. Also, you just put yourself in a high risk high reward situation where if you go to grad school and don't:

a. Get nearly all As (As, not A-)
b. Do research that gets noticed (preferably with awards
c. Pick up a faculty member who will sponsor you with a LOR for your PhD

Your MPP can actually hurt you because it showed lack of academic/research chops if you don't check the box on those. This forum is full of MPPs who found themselves waitlisted or unable to get into PhDs after failing to do that. I mean hypothetically, you can probably get into a PhD without sponsorship at a lower tier University, but that is generally a bad idea at large.

Now as for working for the Fed... post-Masters You are kind of in luck because the Fed does kind of have a labor shortage to find post professional degree folks. Then among these schools, U. Chicago will be the best fit follows by Heinz. Simply put, U. Chicago is known to have quant rigor, and just by virtual of surviving U. Chicago's quant is a mark of academic capability. As much as I love Duke Sanford for the student experience, it is not known as the quant heavy/econ centric school. Heinz is new to the block, but they have a major DC presence and does a fair amount of policy innovation.

As for the bad reviews about U. Chicago Harris. Yes, it is very easy for you to hate the Harris experience. They definitely have increased class sizes and moved away from the small community feel. The people I hear who have the worst experience are international students who quickly realize Chicago is not a great launching pad to help them find jobs that let them stay in the US. As for jobs, every policy school underfunds their career services (some more than others). I would say Harris resources their career services better than others with the MBA style coach system - although there is still a clear gap with needs. That being said, those who proactively tried to find community definitely have and there are a crazy amount of opportunities (especially in econ and domestic policy) their - far and away above the rest of your options.

Here is a crazy thought for you though... instead of going for PhD in Econ, why don't you try to dual degree with MPP and MBA and then try to work for the Fed (if that is your true passion). I know people from all three paths that went to work for the Fed, but those with an MBA have the most job mobility (as in you have the most flexibility in how you carry on your career). If you played this game, it is best to do it as a Harris-Booth dual degree (not so much Sanford-Fuqua).

[MC25]

It’s that time of year, all. Excitement, dilemma, and a hint of ambiguity regarding what our decisions will bring us. I’m a Private Equity Associate in NYC and am doing an IR masters degree instead of the traditional MBA. Did my undergrad at a top Ivy. I was initially deciding between Harvard Kennedy and Georgetown MSFS. I committed to MSFS. My PE firm is sponsoring my degree. Here are my application outcomes:

Financial Aid:

- Georgetown MSFS: 80% scholarship (but my employer will pay as noted)

- Harvard Kennedy: still waiting (but my employer will pay as noted)

- Princeton SPIA: 100% scholarship

- Yale Jackson: 100% scholarship 

Goals:

After graduation, I’ll go back to my PE firm for a couple of years, then go to a development bank, and then start my own emerging markets PE firm. At some point down the line, I may run for office.

Rationale:

Harvard, Yale, and Georgetown are the best brand names in government / IR. Out of these three, Georgetown seems like the most represented in the development finance space (SAIS is good too but doesn’t have the brand name that Georgetown has).

I’ll go to Georgetown and leverage their alumni base to get into a development bank. I anticipate I’ll also meet significantly more people at Georgetown than Harvard who are interested in specifically IR. Harvard seems to attract more of a domestic policy crowd; the IR crowd is much smaller. I can use these connections at Georgetown later when tapping people to help me launch my EM PE shop. And I want to open it in DC. I already know plenty of successful people in high finance and business, but I don’t know many people who have niche interests in IR. Think of a firm full of Harvard College PE professionals + Georgetown MSFS IR people.

Also, the Georgetown curriculum is well rounded and provides an opportunity to sharpen both my quantitative as well as qualitative skills. I already have the basic accounting / finance skills so am seeking to develop a broad IR knowledge base and then specialize specifically in international finance (the Global Finance track).

In terms of public office, Harvard has a an edge over Georgetown but both have plenty of alumni in both Congress and the Senate. Who knows, maybe I can just buy an ambassadorship.

So basically it comes down to the size of the Georgetown IR alumni, DC location, and the type of people I want to meet.

[d2ear]

On 3/28/2023 at 5:37 PM, skim28 said:

Coming from:
NYC

Deciding between: 

• CMU Heinz - half tuition
• Duke Sanford - Half tuition
• UChicago Harris - Half tuition

Other factors:
So for me, pricing is relatively the same. I may be eligible for additional funding for CMU Heinz and UChicago since I just submitted a scholarship reconsideration form for both schools. So pricing isn't what matters to me but rather the programs themselves. So more about me is that I am interested in studying economic policy, political economy, and monetary policy. So I definitely want to do more econ and finance-heavy classes. Eventually, I want to work at the Federal Reserve. Maybe even get a PhD in economics, although a bit in the air about that but definitely want that as a possible option in the future. 

UChicago Harris: UChicago was initially where I wanted to go but as I've done more digging, I'm questioning if that's the best choice for me. I hear a lot of horror stories on the Internet about how hard the core curriculum is. I am drawn to it because it has a strong quantitative focus. Also, I hear that students feel like they don't receive a lot of attention from career services and struggle with the overall culture at Harris. This fuels my overall fear that the class sizes are too big at Harris with having about 1000+ students and if that deters from the experience. I hear that core curriculum classes are filled with hundreds of students. However, a pro is that UChicago does offer a lot of policy areas, and a few of them perfectly align with my own interests. 

Duke Sanford: I like how small Duke's program is. I like that the class sizes are less than a hundred each. I also appreciate that they have a semester abroad to study at Hertie in Germany which is something that interests me. But the program has only six concentrations at Duke that don't completely align with my own interests. I'm not sure how quantitatively heavy the program is itself as well which I feel is essential if I possibly want to get an econ PhD.

CMU Heinz: With CMU Heinz, unsure how much the name carries itself in comparison to UChicago Harris and Duke Sanford. Right now, I'm going for the MPPSM program. However, I talked to admissions and was given the chance to apply for the DC track. So I might switch over. CMU Heinz is definitely more quant focus and tech focus. However, I do feel like UChicago could provide a similarly strong quant focus. Similar to Duke, it seems like the concentrations they offer don't perfectly align with my interests so it does feel like I might be compromising. 

How I'm leaning:
I'm leaning more toward UChicago and Duke. I feel like both are great programs. Although, I'm stuck on whether I should be concerned about the overall experience. For UChicago, I know that there are so many resources I could utilize to work towards an econ PhD and be able to work at the Fed. However, I'm not sure if those resources are overcrowded considering the class size. I'm not sure if Duke could provide the strong econ coursework that I need.

Does anything have any insight into the difficulty of working at the Fed with an MPP? Or how hard is it to get an Econ PhD if you get an MPP degree? 

I considered several schools, including Harris and Sanford, but since I was not interested in economics or monetary policy, I cannot comment on those factors. However, I did rule out Harris due to the following reasons:
1. I was looking for a small, tight-knit community, which Harris does not offer.
2. The student body at Harris is heavily composed of international students, and many students seemed to be using the program as a means to enter the private sector through Booth's resources and reputation. This gave me the impression that the program is viewed as a backup option for those who were not admitted to Booth's MBA program, and I did not appreciate that atmosphere.

Regarding your plan to pursue an Econ PhD, it seems reasonable to me, but I don't see the need to also obtain an MPP. Instead, you could simply align your studies towards the PhD program. I understand your intention to leverage the resources at Duke and UChicago to find a mentor or PI, but you will need to be focused on identifying the right individuals to work with for your PhD program.

[d2ear]

On 3/15/2023 at 2:37 PM, Podrick Payne said:

Thanks Confusion123 for starting this thread. 
I too am having a hard time deciding which school to attend. 

Coming from:
Atlanta, GA

Deciding between:

• Yale Jackson MPP - 100% Tuition +stipend
• Columbia SIPA MIA - 100% Tuition + $18k refund check
• HKS MPP - Still awaiting results, but I was an interviewee for the Equity Fellowship. If received, it would be a full ride + stipend.
• UChicago Harris - $35k per year scholarship. (I would owe $30k per year)

Future Goals:
I currently work for FAANG and I'm hoping to transition back into G with a policy based role. 
I will be exploring other roles such as working for the State Department as an FSO, or possibilities with the UN NATO, etc.

Other factors:
Just like confusion123, my main goal was no debt, so I can pretty much eliminate UChicago.
I visited Yale and Harvard this past fall for their open house and fell in love with both schools. I love Yale's small cohort system, flexibility on which courses to take, and how nice the faculty were when I met them. IDK how to explain it but I truly felt like I belonged there. 
Harvard was also a pretty amazing visit. I have a good networking relationship with one of the admissions leads and he has really been drilling it into me on how I am exactly what Harvard is looking for in a student, potential leader, etc. 

I have not visited Columbia SIPA. I actually applied to the program after they visited Atlanta for a grad school event. One fee waiver later and here I am haha.

How I'm leaning:
I honestly feel like all three schools will give me a great education. 

Right now I'm leaning towards Yale as I generally liked my time there during my visit. I am a bit concerned over the programs "newness," but I'm sure there are some pros to being in a new program. Living in New Haven isn't going to be the best though. My fiancée will be moving with me and I'm sure New Haven will bore her to death. She's been pretty onboard with wherever I go, but I don't want these two years to suck for her. If we choose Yale she will be able to go remote work with G and still make $100k +. She is currently going for a hail mary and applying for Yale MBA R3. 

Columbia is currently in 2nd place. The MIA program seems very interesting and the possibility of living in NYC is very cool. My fiancée and I both have many friends living in NYC, so socially we'll be able to fit right in. Her salary will actually increase to about $150k if we move to NYC so that's a plus. 
If we choose Columbia she is going to wait on her MBA and try for next year's cycle with NYC schools: Columbia, NYU, Cornell Tech
My main concern for Columbia is housing. NYC apartments are too d*mn expensive, and even with the pay raise we would be cutting it close. I don't want us to struggle too bad. 

Harvard is in 3rd place. I love the feel of the school and I'm really excited about having the "Harvard" name on my resume, but I'm not a big fan of how the MPP classes are structured. Like HKS students take a ton of classes many are quant based, and some of these required courses I'm just not interested in taking. On top of that, housing in Cambridge is on-par with San Francisco prices. Although my fiancée will be able to transfer to the Cambridge office, we might struggle with housing. And honestly folks...I'm really really nervous about attending Harvard. I don't want to get there and fail. IDK why I'm thinking like this now, when in December I was so pumped.
I worked my butt off last year to put together a great application for HKS. I don't want to miss out on the opportunity to attend Harvard for free, but I'm afraid I won't have a good time there. IDK....

Head: Yale

Heart: I love them all lol

Wallet: Yale

I strongly suggest going with Yale because the people you meet and bond with in your cohort can have a profound impact on your overall experience. While education is undoubtedly important, it's the memories you make and the relationships you forge that will last a lifetime.

Regarding the Foreign Service Officer (FSO) career path, it's essential to take the time to carefully consider this choice before committing to it.

On a different note, if you do end up at HKS, please don't worry about housing. It's very manageable, and you'll find that Boston has a lot to offer. Plus, the fact that your fiance can work means you'll have an additional source of income, which is always a plus.

[ysong0122]

Hi everyone! I got my acceptance from LSE yesterday, now I am struggling to choose between UBC MPPGA (Public Policy and Global Affairs) and LSE IMPP (International Migration and Public Policy)

If the cost is about the same and I will have to stay in/come back to Canada after graduation anyways, is UBC a better choice? I am also working at the government rn so I'm worried about losing my connections if I go to the UK, and not sure if LSE will make a big difference.

LSE was my dream school when I was a teenager, but now I feel like I have to choose between reality vs. dream. I am hoping to get some advice and any ideas will be appreciated!