GWU vs. GU MPP

[laurbor]

Hey all --

I just received word that I was admitted to both the MPP program at GWU and also at Georgetown. Unfortunately it looks like I won't be getting funding from either (super bummed! I graduated from a top undergrad institution with 3.5 GPA, already have one Masters with 3.9 GPA, and 5 years work experience....who got these funds???) I'm an older applicant (29), who is currently working FT in DC, and am nervous about quitting my job to go back to school and incur a huge amount of debt. From the onset, GU was my top pick but as I start realistically looking at the cost, I am re-evaluating.

Any one else out there debating between the two programs? I am drawn to GWU not only because it is more affordable, but also because I could go PT and keep working. As I applied to the full-time program at GU, not sure if I would be able to swing that. Would I be passing up a great opportunity if I choose GW over Georgetown?

Any one else out there who is debating between the two?

[fso2k11]

I can't imagine that Georgetown is that much better re: relevance in the DC job market. If you look at Presidential Management Fellowships, Federal Career Interns, other government student positions, I bet they're near identical as far as access to DC-area jobs. In fact, there is a specific government program for people to go part time and work in the government. And if you like your job, why leave? Especially when the rent is so damn high....I couldn't imagine taking out $900/mo in student loans just for a shared 2 bedroom apt. around here. But then again, I want a break from the beltway anyways.

Hey all --

I just received word that I was admitted to both the MPP program at GWU and also at Georgetown. Unfortunately it looks like I won't be getting funding from either (super bummed! I graduated from a top undergrad institution with 3.5 GPA, already have one Masters with 3.9 GPA, and 5 years work experience....who got these funds???) I'm an older applicant (29), who is currently working FT in DC, and am nervous about quitting my job to go back to school and incur a huge amount of debt. From the onset, GU was my top pick but as I start realistically looking at the cost, I am re-evaluating.

Any one else out there debating between the two programs? I am drawn to GWU not only because it is more affordable, but also because I could go PT and keep working. As I applied to the full-time program at GU, not sure if I would be able to swing that. Would I be passing up a great opportunity if I choose GW over Georgetown?

Any one else out there who is debating between the two?

[daniSF]

I'm also debating between the Georgetown and GWU MPP programs. I didn't receive any kind of scholarship/fellowship aid from GWU, and I'm guessing that the same will apply to Georgetown. I did the math, and the tuition difference alone over two years for the full-time program is at least $30,000 - something I didn't think about until now.

I'm from San Francisco, but applied to grad schools out East hoping to get some experience working in the federal policy sector. I was excited to get into GWU, but then my acceptance to Georgetown put on the blinders and that's all I've been thinking about lately. I will only be able to attend one open house, so I still have a decision to make as to where I visit. I could be totally, completely wrong here (please correct me if I am), but it seems to me that the Georgetown name carries more weight than George Washington. Maybe it's a West Coast perspective, I'm not sure. But if the name does carry more weight and opens up more job opportunities for me, then the extra $30,000 might be a worthwhile investment.

Having said that, I find GWU's curriculum to be more approachable than Georgetown's (maybe the course descriptions are just friendlier). I also like that GWU has a specific Urban Policy track, which is what my interests revolve around. Another thing I've been thinking about is that while Georgetown may have some celebrities in their faculty, they might be harder to access. GWU is also centrally located and the Foggy Bottom Metro stop is really convenient too.

I stumbled upon this thread from 2009, that might be of interest to you since it asks essentially the same question:

[arsenal]

I have been accepted to GPPI and would like to focus on international policy. I also applied to GWU Elliott for International Affairs. Obviously, the two programs vary more than the MPP programs. I have received no funding and am trying to determine if Georgetown is worth the extra money. This discussion is valuable to me and I appreciate all the input!

[laurbor]

Dani, I am in the same boat as you. I got the GWU acceptance and was excited, but once I got the Georgetown email, everything has changed. Of course both are great schools, but the difference you are paying in tuition (in my opinion) is for the Georgetown name. I went to information sessions for both programs and GWU was certainly more approachable, and I thought more manageable. I found GU to be a little intimidating, with the ornate class rooms and well-known professors. But I don't want to go somewhere just because it seems easier to me, especially for this much money!

At this point I am leaning towards Georgetown.....I think for me, I want to stay in DC, so I will be competing with other MPP people from other schools for the same jobs. If the GU name will get me a job over a GW grad, I think it's worth it. If you plan on going back to CA after, maybe it won't matter as much. Again though, I am just as lost as you!

If it helps at all, I will be attending both Open Houses, so I can certainly let you know how the other one (which you don't attend) compares.

[daniSF]

That would be great if you could let me know how the GWU open house goes. Right now I am leaning towards the Georgetown open house.

Like you, I also want to go to a school where I will feel challenged with the curriculum. It seems to me like I will leave Georgetown with harder, more technical/analytical skills under my belt.

I haven't visited Georgetown since high school - I know it's a Jesuit institution, but I'm wondering if anyone who's been there feels like religion pervades the atmosphere.

Dani, I am in the same boat as you. I got the GWU acceptance and was excited, but once I got the Georgetown email, everything has changed. Of course both are great schools, but the difference you are paying in tuition (in my opinion) is for the Georgetown name. I went to information sessions for both programs and GWU was certainly more approachable, and I thought more manageable. I found GU to be a little intimidating, with the ornate class rooms and well-known professors. But I don't want to go somewhere just because it seems easier to me, especially for this much money!

At this point I am leaning towards Georgetown.....I think for me, I want to stay in DC, so I will be competing with other MPP people from other schools for the same jobs. If the GU name will get me a job over a GW grad, I think it's worth it. If you plan on going back to CA after, maybe it won't matter as much. Again though, I am just as lost as you!

If it helps at all, I will be attending both Open Houses, so I can certainly let you know how the other one (which you don't attend) compares.

[daniSF]

laurbor,

Could you let me know how the GWU open house went this weekend? I'll be attending Georgetown's on Friday.

Thanks!

Dani, I am in the same boat as you. I got the GWU acceptance and was excited, but once I got the Georgetown email, everything has changed. Of course both are great schools, but the difference you are paying in tuition (in my opinion) is for the Georgetown name. I went to information sessions for both programs and GWU was certainly more approachable, and I thought more manageable. I found GU to be a little intimidating, with the ornate class rooms and well-known professors. But I don't want to go somewhere just because it seems easier to me, especially for this much money!

At this point I am leaning towards Georgetown.....I think for me, I want to stay in DC, so I will be competing with other MPP people from other schools for the same jobs. If the GU name will get me a job over a GW grad, I think it's worth it. If you plan on going back to CA after, maybe it won't matter as much. Again though, I am just as lost as you!

If it helps at all, I will be attending both Open Houses, so I can certainly let you know how the other one (which you don't attend) compares.

[canesfan2011]

(Almost) Same decision here, except I'm in for GWU's MPA rather than MPP. I'm going to GW b/c their program is much more flexible and less rigid. Also because of the cost, but because I don't want to do strictly policy analysis work, the HUGE quantitative/theory focus at GU just wasn't my thing. I also feel like GWU with their capstone exercise puts more emphasis on work experience/real world application. And I also heard from an unaffiliated third party that GU is in a state of transition and doing away with their tracks, so the transitional nature of the program made me skeptical... obviously I'm biased now b/c I loved the open house weekend at GW so much!!!

And I'm sure anyone who's worked in DC will tell you no one really cares where you get your master's from as long as you stay within DC. If you go outside, I think that's the only situation where GU would have the advantage for name brand.

Edited March 29, 2011 by canesfan2011

[sterlingcooperdraperprice]

Would appreciate if you could elaborate on the transition going on at GPPI. Will you be attending either of their open houses? I am interested to be able to compare the experience at both.

Thanks!

(Almost) Same decision here, except I'm in for GWU's MPA rather than MPP. I'm going to GW b/c their program is much more flexible and less rigid. Also because of the cost, but because I don't want to do strictly policy analysis work, the HUGE quantitative/theory focus at GU just wasn't my thing. I also feel like GWU with their capstone exercise puts more emphasis on work experience/real world application. And I also heard from an unaffiliated third party that GU is in a state of transition and doing away with their tracks, so the transitional nature of the program made me skeptical... obviously I'm biased now b/c I loved the open house weekend at GW so much!!!

And I'm sure anyone who's worked in DC will tell you no one really cares where you get your master's from as long as you stay within DC. If you go outside, I think that's the only situation where GU would have the advantage for name brand.

[laurbor]

Hey Dani!

I was really impressed at the GWU Open House.....they had so many students come and speak to us (3 separate panels) which showed me how much the students care about the program. Overall, I just got a really good feel from the professors and students, and I must say that the flexibility of the program is very very appealing. Especially since I am probably going to start out PT, and may want to switch over to FT should a good internship opportunity come about. Not that these should be the reasons to go to GWU, but some other things that really stood out for me: Their career services guy seems to be awesome, and would be a great resource to have when you are looking for help with your job search. And the fact that GWU is right on a metro line is definitely another plus.

I'll also be at the GU Open House on Friday, so will probably have a better idea of what I want to do after I see how Georgetown compares!

laurbor,

Could you let me know how the GWU open house went this weekend? I'll be attending Georgetown's on Friday.

Thanks!

[laurbor]

Anyone at the GU Open house yesterday -- thoughts?? I am more confused now than ever!

[gordon_shumway]

Anyone at the GU Open house yesterday -- thoughts?? I am more confused now than ever!

Went to the GU open house yesterday. I have mixed feelings. I appreciated that GU wants to make their program as strong quantitatively as possible (having a quant background this excited me), however, listening to over an hour of why Georgetown's "brand" is so strong, and how all of the professors (very few of which are full time) went to top PhD programs in their field was kind of a turn off. I appreciate that good credentials lend credence to a programs strength. Having said that, I fear that GU's extremely high tuition is not spent on making it a school that can compete with top policy schools (by top I mean the usual suspects). Lacking a PhD program and having only a few core professors leaves GU at a distinct disadvantage with regards to advanced research projects and corresponding research grants and publicity. Further, some of the core professors seem at best tangentially related to a school pumping out students with professional degrees. E.J. Dionne is a great writer, but I cannot for the life of me see how a WaPo op-ed writer is going to teach me anything that would be of any value (or help me get a job) in my pursuit of a career in a Federal agency or at a non-profit/consulting firm. I liked that GU wants to better itself and initiated a study to see where it stacks up against the best ranked programs, but simply running a study and claiming to be a peer school to HKS does not make one a peer to HKS. Make no mistake, I am not trying to toot my own horn, as I feel that I am hardly an exceptional candidate, but I was fortunate enough to receive funding from GU. However, with what they gave me I would be left with ~$1,100 a month loan repayments for 10 years, and simply put, the GU "brand", as they touted it, is not worth that kind of debt.

[steiner-5]

Well, EJ does have a PhD from Oxford and is a senior fellow at Brookings, so I wouldn't brush him off so easily!

I can't speak as to whether or not going into debt is worth a degree for anyone, as we all have diverse interests. I am a GW alum (BBA 2003) and I have also taken a grad course at Trachtenberg. I am also a current MPP candidate at GPPI. Both have positive things to offer (and negative, depending on your point of reference).

When I tried to decide between the two, I just had to look at what I really wanted to get out of the programs. I wanted a rigorous, quantitative program, and GPPI has that. In fact, in terms of required coursework, it is probably the most quantitative program in the US (definitely more than HKS and the "usual suspects"). We are also required to write and defend a thesis as part of our degree. If you are someone for whom this a negative thing or just have a fear of numbers, GPPI would be very challenging. Also, if you want to do international policy, GPPI beats Trachtenberg there.

Both programs draw on the DC policy community extensively. We are always having big policy-heavyweight guest speakers (Pres Obama spoke on energy policy this week on campus). I suspect GW has the same.

I would take issue a bit with the dismissal of the "celebrity" faculty. Frankly, the reason many of them are "celebrities" is due to unbelievable success in the policy world. And without exception, no professor is unavailable. Alice Rivlin, EJ Dionne, Paul Begala, etc have the same old office hours as anyone else and are on campus frequently.

As for the PT vs. FT thing, both programs have PT structures (GPPI calls this the "Evening Program"). I will say that GPPI tends to focus energy on the FT program simply because there are more students going FT. This also tends to make the program more cohesive, though I can't really judge the full experience at GW. Most students in the FT program do actually work though, some full-time.

I am not sure that having a PhD program necessarily makes GW's MPP program "better" somehow. I tend to think NOT having one helps make GPPI's MPP program more focused. There is a joint MPP/PHD in Government program, and taking classes in other schools is pretty easy to do.

There are also great study abroad programs at GPPI (not sure if GW has any). I will be studying this summer at Oxford University this summer with a few classmates, which is of of about 10 summer or spring semester programs GPPI sponsors every year.

All in all, they are just different types of programs. GPPI is a pretty quantitatively rigorous program where everybody knows everybody and there is a "campus" life, and I think GW has a bit more of a "go to work-go to class-go home" kind of vibe. All that said, you really have to think about what kind of experience you want and what your own strengths are.

I'd be happy to answer any further questions if you have any.

[fishpoo]

Anyone at the GU Open house yesterday -- thoughts?? I am more confused now than ever!

Hi Laurbor! Your recap on the GWU Open House was very helpful. Did you also attend Gtown's Open House?

I'm from Cali, and I don't think I'll make it to Gtown's 2nd Open House either. If you (or any others out there ) had any other details to provide on both schools (e.g., student comraderie, how alumni felt about their programs, any other interesting details i would only know by seeing and believing) I would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you!

[daniSF]

Hi Laurbor! Your recap on the GWU Open House was very helpful. Did you also attend Gtown's Open House?

I'm from Cali, and I don't think I'll make it to Gtown's 2nd Open House either. If you (or any others out there ) had any other details to provide on both schools (e.g., student comraderie, how alumni felt about their programs, any other interesting details i would only know by seeing and believing) I would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you!

I just finished meeting with Bethany Pope at GW, so I now feel like I can comment on my perceived strengths/weaknesses of both GW and GPPI.

GPPI (I attended the 4/1 open house)

Pros:

-Engaging faculty, especially Prof. Ferrara and EJ Dionne, who are plugged into the DC policy network

-Current students were approachable and seemed to be very well positioned to get whatever job they want upon graduation

-90% of students work

-Very small class sizes for the core, track and thesis courses

-Career services staff was warm and funny

Cons:

-You can really sense how far Georgetown is from the rest of (metro-connected) DC

-The open house didn't provide a lot of opportunities to chat with potential future classmates, so it's hard for me to make a call on what my classmates might be like, what their interests are, etc.

-Administration was polite but not warm and engaging...I think it's important to feel comfortable with this group of staff because you will likely be spending a lot of time with them over the course of two years

-It was hard for me to tell how applied the classes *really* are. It seems like when students/profs say their classes are applied, they are only referring to case studies, not actual work for real clients

-Thesis requirement. I know that my future career will be a collaborative one that is not research-based, so this was really unattractive to me.

-Gulf between full-time and evening students

GW (I did not attend the open house, but spoke one-on-one with Bethany Williams and two current students, an MPA and MPP)

Pros:

-GW has done a spectacular job at keeping in touch with prospective students. I have never had to wait longer than a day for a response to a question. I also extremely impressed that Bethany took it upon herself to make sure there were current students available to talk to me during my visit today.

-GW's curriculum is more in line with my interests. I'm interested in urban policy, and they have a specific track for that (unlike GPPI, where I would have to cobble together my own specialized track which could be difficult and time-consuming). I also like that while you get a strong foundation in econ and stats, you can *choose* whether or not you want to do more quant, and it is totally available. As I will not be going into research, I appreciate this flexibility.

-The location. Right off a metro stop = extremely accessible.

-The current students. Smart, friendly, engaging, willing to answer all of my questions honestly.

-There seems to be a very collegial relationship between faculty, administration, and students (everyone is on a first-name basis)

-Excellent, excellent placement of students in the Presidential Management Fellowship program. According to Bethany, GW had 8 finalists this year, which is the most of any DC school. GW has also placed the most students in PMF out of all participating schools in the history of the program.

-Career services: everyone talks about Paul Binkley and how great he is. I didn't get a good sense of how GPPI students felt about their career services staff.

Cons:

-Mostly evening classes

-20% of the entering MPA/MPP class (about 120 students) are straight from undergrad. Personally, I feel that the MPA/MPP is more valuable after you've had a few years of work experience under your belt.

-GW doesn't have the nationwide recognition that Georgetown has, but in DC it doesn't matter. I did ask about job placement in other parts of the country, and Paul Binkley has arrangements with other policy schools throughout the US, so that you can take advantage of their networks and career websites/databases

-Doesn't really have a campus feel since it's so urban. However, I'm not trying to recreate my undergraduate experience so it doesn't matter as much at this point in my life.

Overall, I think that GW can offer me the most and I can really tailor my education to fit my interests. It's also significantly cheaper to attend than GPPI. I want to work in the federal government, and I am confident that GW can get me there without requiring me to take out massive amounts of loans. I'm also not research-oriented, so I think that GPPI's curriculum will be too rigid for me. I truly enjoyed my hour-long chat with Bethany and the students, and came away feeling that GW is a better fit for me than GPPI.

Laurbor, what were your thoughts on GPPI?

[sterlingcooperdraperprice]

I agree with daniSF that the thesis at GPPI is a big negative for me. I do not see the benefit of spending so much time on the project if it is not applicable to future goals and I would personally rather spend my time doing applicable classwork or pursuing an internship (or job, because it is primarily second year work).

Someone mentioned to me that Georgetown seems to be making sure that their curriculum is the most challenging of the DC schools, but I wonder if students really benefit from this unless they want a very quantitative or research based career post-graduation. Rigor for rigor's sake alone?

I also find the continuous mention of the prestige of the Georgetown brand off-putting, even if it is true. Felt the same way as a potential undergrad. I felt like the staff and students relied very heavily on this advantage, and I think it took away from our ability to learn about the actual classes and other opportunities. I am interested in Health Policy and Urban Policy, and would have loved to have more time to hear about these options. Instead, I was left to search out students and faculty during the reception. GWU has a great Public Health school, where I would be able to take many of the concentration classes.

With the award I was offered from Georgetown the two programs would be about the same in cost, but I think I prefer the GWU program and feel over GPPI. I guess I continue to go back and forth over whether I am losing out on the Brand Name Factor.

Sorry for the rambling...but I really wish I could just make a final decision.

[laurbor]

Dani, you really summarized everything I was pretty much thinking. The Open House at Georgetown was definitely impressive, which is certainly what they were going for. They really did talk up the "name factor" and the ability to draw in some pretty great faculty. They held two different mock classes - I opted for the International Policy one, and really enjoyed the professor (she works at the World Bank). I was also impressed with the caliber of the other students - everyone just seemed to have such diverse backgrounds. As I am considering the international policy route, Georgetown is clearly the better option for this field. They really encourage you to study overseas at some point during the program -- while this is an option at GWU as well, it doesn't seem quite as easy or as encouraged.

The things I did not like at Georgetown -

- the separation of the FT/PT programs. I am intending to start the program Part-time, and there is a definite isolation between the two. They certainly stress the whole collegial experience at Georgetown, so it's definitely more geared towards the full-time students. I am concerned that I won't receive the same level of attention, and will be stuck with the same 25 students for three years in most of my classes.

- the location - shouldn't be a MAJOR deciding factor, but it's a pain to get to, and I have no intention of moving anywhere closer to the University

- the student panels -- The panel of students got caught short, and they wound up fielding our questions for only like 20 minutes. Coming off of the GWU Open House, where there were three separate student panels, I was really disappointed with that. It just gave me the overall impression that they were more interested in promoting their faculty than their students, which was a bit of a red flag for me.

Overall, it really comes down to what you are looking for, as I don't see a clear "winner" between the two choices. Personally, I just had a better feel at the GWU Open House - from the faculty, the students, and the program coordinators. I didn't get that feeling at Georgetown. I almost wonder if they don't feel they need to try as hard to get the students, and so they don't. And at the end of the day, I am not sure the pros that Georgetown has are really worth nearly double the cost.

So while I still have a week or so to decide, I am leaning towards GW right now!

[fishpoo]

Gadzooks! I wasn't expecting so many more details but thank you thank you all for sharing! So much to think about...

Wish you all the best!

[fishpoo]

I attended a regional reception this week and found all the alums to be extremely happy with the GPPI curriculum and the skills they learned there. Staff was very engaging and easy to talk to.

I didn't hear as much about the "brand" as I expected. Most of the alums who attended emphasized the merits of the curriculum and how it made them more flexible/marketable on the job market.

Loved it. Love GPPI.

[Sandmole]

First, I just want to say congratulations to everyone forbeing accepted to both GWU and Georgetown—not an easy accomplishment. As someone faced with the same dilemma a yearago, I know how tough the choice can be. I realize I’m posting this quite late, but the semester has been crazyup to this point, but maybe it will help any last minute decision-makers. The good news, and something I wish someonewould have pointed out to me back then, is that there is no bad decision to bemade here. It’s like choosing betweenchocolate and vanilla ice cream: you win no matter what.

That said, you’ve got to choose one...and that’s hard. I guess I can articulate some of the reasonsI eventually chose GW over GPPI.

1. Flexibility: GW’s program is much more flexible,and you can tailor the degree to suit your needs. If you want to focus on quantitative skills,you can. If you’re more interested inmanagement and leadership, knock yourself out. The breadth of courses offered at GW are really ridiculous

2. Community: The cohorts are strong and tight-knit, and the faculty are accessibleand friendly. I really appreciate downto earth, authentic interactions with people and I really felt that whenlooking at GW and that has been nothing but affirmed since being here.

3. Hands-on approach. This is probably the biggest factor forme. As several of you mentioned earlier,GPPI’s thesis didn’t really appeal to me either. I really loved the econometrics focus, andit’s something I really want exposure to personally, but the program feltdistanced and isolated from the happenings around them. DC is an amazing place with so much going onand so much to take advantage of. Obviously, both programs encourage theirstudents to work or intern (about 90% of GW students intern or work throughouttheir time here, usually part time), but GW offer numerous opportunities towork with actual clients on real-life projects. This aspect is more salient in the capstone course, where you work ingroups of 3-5 for a client and address a real-world policy or management problemthat they need help with. It’s veryengaging and super interesting. Consequently, it requires a lot of work, but it’s work with tangibleresults to be able to show your future employers. There are also other classes that enable youto work with clients and apply the classroom skills to the real world. I’m currently enrolled in a programevaluation class, and my group is working with National Fish and WildlifeFoundation to assess one of their keystone initiatives. Our results will be presented to their boardof directors, who will use our recommendations to determine a direction for theinitiative. Pretty cool stuff.

4. PMF. Similar to you, Dani, PMF was a big draw for me. I really hope to wind up in the government afterthe program, and I’m really interested in the PMF. We have high placement in the PMF program formany reasons, not the least of which is the incredible talent of the studentbody. Another huge factor is PaulBinkley, the career services director at the Trachtenberg School. He really is incredible in just about everyway, and the PMF preparation is top notch. The difficulty with PMF is that the application process constantlychanges, but Paul takes interested students and puts them through the ringer inpreparation for it.

Going to GU’s accepted student day, I remember being charmedand entertained by the session with EJ and being equally impressed by ProfessorFerrera’s accomplishments. I’d be lyingif I said I wasn’t also a little off put by their emphasis on brand; which, asfar as I can tell, doesn’t seem to matter much—employers fervently recruit fromboth schools. I’d wager it’s because forthose positions for which an MPP or an MPA are relevant, the mystique aroundwhich the Georgetown brand has been built is overshadowed by the very real needfor people who can function effectively in their job and employ the skillsthey’ve acquired. That isn’t meant to bea slight against GPPI; it’s a fantastic program that does what it does well,but I think the widespread deference afforded to Georgetown as an institutiondoesn’t add much to your employment prospects (certainly nothing extra in theDC area, from what I can tell). I thinkthis is simply because we’re learning a lot of the same things, and themarginal differences are minor or major, mostly depending upon what theindividual chooses to focus on.

Outside the DC area, GPPI’s name probably carries a bitmore. That is something I considered asa Seattleite likely to return home at some point, but the realization hit oneday during my deliberation process that several years out of my graduate schoolprogram what’s going to matter most is my work experience and the tangible skillsI can point to, rather than the institution from which I obtained mydegree.

Of course, had I chosen GPPI, I’d probably be raving to youright now about its virtues, too. I’msure there are people on the board who can. My point isn’t to try and sway you a particular direction as much as itis to provide perspective. As someonewho I wrestled and writhed with indecision last spring, I know how much it cansuck. But take heart knowing that nomatter what happens and no matter which school you decide is best for you, infive months you’ll have chosen well, and you’ll have no regrets. Chocolate or vanilla.

I attended a regional reception this week and found all the alums to be extremely happy with the GPPI curriculum and the skills they learned there. Staff was very engaging and easy to talk to.

I didn't hear as much about the "brand" as I expected. Most of the alums who attended emphasized the merits of the curriculum and how it made them more flexible/marketable on the job market.

Loved it. Love GPPI.