Maxwell MPA/MA-IR

[vincehoward]

I'm interested in hearing about the visit too. I may try to get up there for one of the admitted student days, but I probably won't be able to take off from work. Really love Maxwell though. The fact that it's a one year MPA pretty much makes it a slam dunk for me unless HKS throws a full fellowship my way.

[macpri]

I'm so tired of waiting for the funding info.

[WakeMeUpB4UGoGo]

Will you post some thoughts on your visit? I don't know that I'll be able to make the trip out for the admitteds day. Is Maxwell your top choice or are you strongly considering some other candidates?

well maxwells my only choice right now looool.  but i will post thoughts on my visit with pix and also try in investigate graduate housing while im there. i have no others schools to consider (the shame, i know...) but i have strong job offers on the table which may make me defer if i dont like what i see on the 2nd.

 

I'm interested in hearing about the visit too. I may try to get up there for one of the admitted student days, but I probably won't be able to take off from work. Really love Maxwell though. The fact that it's a one year MPA pretty much makes it a slam dunk for me unless HKS throws a full fellowship my way.

 

im MAIR and the 16 months which includes the global internship makes maxwell a very attractive option for me. I am aiming to spend as little time in school as possible!

[av260987]

Has anyone heard about funding yet? I'm dying!

 

Also, WakeMeUpB4UGoGo, waiting to hear from you about the admitted students day!

[wheretonext]

FYI my funding offer got caught by the gmail spam filter if you haven't heard you might want to check there...

[vincehoward]

FYI my funding offer got caught by the gmail spam filter if you haven't heard you might want to check there...

What kind of funding did Maxwell give you if don't mind my asking? I received a half tuition fellowship, but was hoping for more, perhaps an assistantship.

Edited March 24, 2013 by vincehoward

[CondorConor]

FYI my funding offer got caught by the gmail spam filter if you haven't heard you might want to check there...

I second this. Not often you find good news in the spam folder. I received a graduate assistantship, which is 24 remitted credits and a stipend for admin or research work. I was very surprised at the offer. Go Orange(men)!

[zparo]

Anyone else still waiting to hear back re: funding? They mentioned at the visit day that decisions should be sent by Thursday (yesterday), but I've still yet to learn anything. Nothing hidden in spam folder, either.

[vincehoward]

I would call the office to ask about your financial aid. How was admitted students day? Are you leaning towards Maxwell or one of your other choices?

[zparo]

Called the office, but they're already out for the day. The admitted students day went well, though - very laid-back, but very informative. It was my first visit to Syracuse, so it was helpful to scope out the city a bit. Everything I've heard from others appeared to be true: it's a cold, gloomy city, but it has its share of college-town staples. Very survivable for 12 months.

 

Unless I receive some incredibly generous funding from the Maxwell School, I'll likely stick around DC and attend the Trachtenberg School at GWU. I love my current job in DC and have the opportunity to continue working while taking evening classes at GWU, so that's a huge draw. And while GWU encourages students to find work / intern opportunities while studying, Syracuse advises against it ("the curriculum keeps you busy enough" is the apparent mindset).

 

As a May 2012 grad (journalism degree, nonetheless), acquiring the work experience while studying is huge; otherwise, I'd exit the MPA program with a fancy degree, but less than a year of relevant work experience, and I'd be trying to work my way back into the city I'm currently enjoying. 

 

To be clear, I think Maxwell is the stronger of the two programs, but GWU's flexibility provides it an advantage. I think I'd be dumb to leave my job right now.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions on the admitted students day!

[vincehoward]

Thanks for the info! Your rationale makes a lot of sense. Good luck at GW.

[WakeMeUpB4UGoGo]

so I attended todays admitted student day and here is a synopsis mixed in with my thoughts. if anyone has more specific questions pls PM me and ill try to get back to you in a timely fashion.

 

Bottom Line Up Front: Maxwell is a great modestly-priced option for those seeking domestic employment in the government and/or private sector, as well as anyone who desires an intimate grad school experience with cohorts and faculty. However, the downside is the school lacks a significant overseas profile and doesn't seem to have the upper hand regarding placement into multinational organizations. Maxwells biggest strength is probably that graduates are basically guarenteed employment in The Hill/DC if they so choose.

 

- First off, the overall pitch for both the MPA/MAIR was very good. The faculty and student speakers were well-versed on selling the strong points of Maxwell when compared to the bigger brand name IR schools. The overall message was very polished and professional.

- The sell for Maxwell was basically this in a nutshell: Yes, we know there are bigger sexier name brand schools out there, but Maxwell has a near-century long tradition and will get you a nationally-renown degree while also giving you the "small school" experience. There was a heavy emphasis on the small cohort and class sizes, as well as how the professors here will give you the personal mentorship and tutoring that someone at a big-city school may not recieve.

- This years class sizes were 125 for MPA and 85-ish for MAIR; the incoming class will be around the same size.

- For both MPA and MAIR, they stress a lot about how the courseload will keep you very busy, especially for the one year MPAs. The feeling I got is that Maxwell students are generally discouraged from taking up internships or volunteer work during semesters not designated for internship work. The course seems fairly rigid and there are not that many elective slots. For MAIRs, Maxwell recommends having all or most of the foreign language done before you get there so you dont waste electives on meeting the language requirements.

- Director of Admissions Christine Omolino is a wonderfully warm woman, congenial and personable. One of the other students there introduced himself in a self-deprecating way and she stopped him and told him she remembered his SOP clearly and that she was very impressed, which genuinely caught the guy off guard in a good way.

- Merit-based financial aid (which also includes TA/GA positions) were supposedly finalized and emailed out last Friday, but literally zero of the admits (including me) knew anything about that, so if you're still waiting, check your spam folders, and if its not there then call up the PAIA office. They should have everythign settled already regarding who got what from the school.

- After the meeting with Christine, the Office of Career Development was up and their part focused on how well connected the "Maxwell Mafia" is in DC and nationwide. This segment was easily the weakest part of the presentation. While the reach was impressive for a smaller school, almost 50% of Maxwell grads ended up in NYC or DC, with lots of other east coast placement, a handful in the west coast and single-digits going abroad. In fact, Maxwell hasnt had more than 10 graduates in any one year go overseas for employment between 2007-2012. There were multiple questions about whether the career office would help place graduates in addition to just providing access to the alumni network, and the consensus answer was that Maxwell would rather candidates go out and get at their own placements. Whether this was out of principle or because Maxwell doesn't have the private-sector pipeline that big name schools provide, I couldnt tell.

- Some current students gave a tour of Maxwell and Eggers Hall afterward, and their talking points was also to place emphasis on the small, family-themed cohort size. Eggers hall is where most of the grad students hang out and while it is small and slightly cramped, its fairly modern and the ambience gives off a sense of intimacy which played in well with the tour guides message.

- We had lunch in Eggers with a larger group of current students and about a half dozen faculty members afterwards, and there were enough people there between professors, current students, and admissions staff so that every admit who was there today probably felt spoiled with attention. I spent most of the time chatting with a former USN Admiral-turned-Head of Security Studies and Leadership Studies at Maxwell. Since we were both intelligence professionals and both still members of the intel community I basically monopolized his time looooool. I almost felt smothered with attention by the time the official part of the tour was over.

- After that I attended two classes, one which was basically Quant Analysis 101 and the other on Economic Development; both were moderately interesting but a lot of it flew over my head so I wont go into detail.

Edited April 4, 2013 by WakeMeUpB4UGoGo

[CondorConor]

Thanks for the update WakeMe, I sent in my Intent to Register form today, and this makes me even more sure of the decision. Is anyone else going to Maxwell just so they can jump on the Final Four bandwagon? I'll be looking at housing options in the meanwhile, if anyone is interested in getting something together PM me. Go Orange.

[Pinaman]

Good stuff

Edited April 6, 2013 by Pinaman

[looseshoe]

Hey everyone, I've been lurking on gradcafe for awhile but only decided to sign up just now. I'll be enrolling in Maxwell's MPA program this coming July. Look forward to seeing everyone there!

In the meantime, if anyone would like to PM me their facebook name that would be much appreciated. I'm trying to set up a facebook group for our year, as it seems that there isn't one yet. Do correct me if I am wrong.