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Posted

Hi. Just doing some final number crunching and freaking out, here.

I got into the IDEV program at SAIS with a merit award, but am still looking at about $70k in debt over two years. I am now kicking myself for NOT applying to GWU or American, two schools who IMO have better funding availability than SAIS (American even has the possibility of full tuition + stipend). My (surprise) success with getting merit aid at SAIS now makes me think that I probably would've gotten funding at those schools if I had applied.

My career interest is in non-profit/development, so I really want to get this degree with as little debt as possible. "Name brand" doesn't matter much to me, though I do see the benefit of being in the Beltway. Should I just take this deal at SAIS and move on with my life, or re-apply next year to GWU and SIS and hope to get better funding options at one of those schools?

Thanks to anyone who helps.

Posted

I'm in pretty much the same situation, though with zero funding. I was surprised I got into SAIS in the first place, let alone into the IDEV program. But I'm also interested in the non-profit world, and just can't justify $120k in debt. As I recently started a new job in the development field with an organization I really like, I'm putting off grad school for the time being. I'm hoping that with additional experience, I'll be more competitive for funding in a year or two. Of course, I have no idea how likely it is that I'll be accepted into SAIS again. But while the brand name degree would be nice, the general advice I've gotten from people working in the field is that as long as you have a relevant degree from a recognized institution, experience matters more. So I'm turning down SAIS for now, and re-applying in a year or two both to SAIS and other schools. GWU and SIS have great reputations within the international and development fields, so I'm personally okay with holding off and going where the funding is. Definitely a hard decision though. Good luck!

Posted

I'm in pretty much the same situation, though with zero funding. I was surprised I got into SAIS in the first place, let alone into the IDEV program. But I'm also interested in the non-profit world, and just can't justify $120k in debt. As I recently started a new job in the development field with an organization I really like, I'm putting off grad school for the time being. I'm hoping that with additional experience, I'll be more competitive for funding in a year or two. Of course, I have no idea how likely it is that I'll be accepted into SAIS again. But while the brand name degree would be nice, the general advice I've gotten from people working in the field is that as long as you have a relevant degree from a recognized institution, experience matters more. So I'm turning down SAIS for now, and re-applying in a year or two both to SAIS and other schools. GWU and SIS have great reputations within the international and development fields, so I'm personally okay with holding off and going where the funding is. Definitely a hard decision though. Good luck!

Thanks, I appreciate your response. What is your undergrad degree, and how far out of undergrad are you? I have about 3 years post-grad experience, and 1 yr volunteering overseas with a non-profit. I don't expect to improve my resume that much if I wait a year, but the thought that a better offer from another school might be out there is holding me up. I have heard so many horror stories about student loan debt.

Posted

I have a Bachelor's in History from a top 25 university. I graduated 5 years ago, worked at a law firm for a little over a year, peace corps for a little over two years, plus several short term jobs/internships, and travel experience. I'm not at all sure I would actually get more funding at SAIS with extra work experince, just hoping that is the case. It's more likely that I'll go to a school where I do have funding, and I did get some awards from other schools I applied to, so I'll re-apply to them as well. I'm worried about the debt burden as well, particualrly in the non-profit/government field. Even with income based repayments and the government service loan forgiveness options, $500-$1000 a month in payments for 10 - 25 years is a big chunk of change, and could easily prevent me from taking jobs I'd really enjoy in favor of those that pay more. In certain fields a top school degree is an investment that you really do reap benefits from for life, and therefore worthwhile. But I don't think that's the case in the non-profit field, or at any rate the difference it would make wouldn't be financially significant enough to make it worthwhile.

Posted

Yeah. I'm pretty sure I could get into GWU and SIS and probably most of the other schools, since I got accepted to SAIS, but I'm clueless whether I'll get better funding there or not. It just seems more likely, I suppose, because of what I've read and heard from others.

You seem to have been around a lot of people in the IDEV world...what other schools would you recommend looking at? I need a school that will give me credibility in D.C., but the name isn't that important to me. Also, do you have any advice about finding entry level non-profit work for someone with just a Bachelor's and a few years experience? I don't mind waiting a year to reapply, if it could mean better funding, I just don't know what I'm going to DO in the meantime...

Thanks!

Posted

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush -- you have no guarantee you'll get funding at GW / American -- maybe they'll spend less on aid next year bc of university budget cuts, maybe their pool next year will be that much more competitive, maybe you got lucky at SAIS, etc. etc. just take the $$ and don't look back.

Posted

Yeah, I mean, that's definitely a possibility. I know at some point I'm going to have to stop asking "what if" and just make a decision. I wish I knew more about the average debt load for people going into the non-profit sector. Somehow people make it work, right? I'm just trying to figure out how...

Posted

Hi! Not sure if this will help you with making your decision but, for what it's worth, GW's tuition is significantly lower than most, if not all, the other DC schools and their class scheduling makes it easier to work while taking classes, so even without significant aid you would still end up with less debt. It seems like SIS may be even more generous with aid, but I do believe their tuition is higher than GW's.

Posted

My guess is that if you are a strong enough applicant to get into SAIS, you would get funding at GW or SIS. But I'm definitely not an admissions officer, and of course there are no guarantees. Of the DC schools, SAIS Georgetown, GW and American have reputable international affairs programs. I personally think it would be worth it to go to strong IR school outside DC if you get funding there.

As for job advice, umm... It took me 9 months of applying after peace corps to land something in the non-profit field. I hadn't originally been planning to apply to grad school last fall, but did because it was so hard to get a job, and a lot of positions require Master's degrres (even for jobs in which the work itself is fairly menial). It's a lot easier to get a job teaching english overseas, and I think that is a fantastic way to get international experience (if you don't have it) or strengthen a grad school app while learning a lot.

Posted

70k isnt that much debt for a degree from SAIS (or any degree from DC). The difference in tuition among DC schools would be eclipsed by the much higher costs of living in DC. Although DC has the best IR programs, rent in Syracuse NY is $450/mo. Also, if you're going into non-profits for sure, look at the govt loan forgiveness program for non profit and govt work. I say go for it now, or get your degree somewhere else part time if you dont want to leave your job. Georgetown MSFS, SIS, etc. You have tons of choices.

My guess is that if you are a strong enough applicant to get into SAIS, you would get funding at GW or SIS. But I'm definitely not an admissions officer, and of course there are no guarantees. Of the DC schools, SAIS Georgetown, GW and American have reputable international affairs programs. I personally think it would be worth it to go to strong IR school outside DC if you get funding there.

As for job advice, umm... It took me 9 months of applying after peace corps to land something in the non-profit field. I hadn't originally been planning to apply to grad school last fall, but did because it was so hard to get a job, and a lot of positions require Master's degrres (even for jobs in which the work itself is fairly menial). It's a lot easier to get a job teaching english overseas, and I think that is a fantastic way to get international experience (if you don't have it) or strengthen a grad school app while learning a lot.

Posted

Yeah, I mean, that's definitely a possibility. I know at some point I'm going to have to stop asking "what if" and just make a decision. I wish I knew more about the average debt load for people going into the non-profit sector. Somehow people make it work, right? I'm just trying to figure out how...

Hi, I know decisions are due tomorrow to SAIS students getting funding, so I hope this helps. I applied to AU, GW, and SAIS as well, and got into all three with different levels of fellowship at each school. I'm going to SAIS because it is a better recognized program in the DC area, compared to GW and AU (which are also excellent, but considering their immediate competition with Georgetown and SAIS, it puts their graduates at a slight disadvantage). Even if you got some fellowship or full fellowship from those schools next year, I would still recommend you take the partial fellowship for SAIS. I believe that paying $70K/two years is reasonable, but financial decisions are very personal and you should take careful consideration of how much past debt you have and how that will impact your career choices and/or stress level in the future. Also, the programs are the three schools are quite different, the notable difference being SAIS's heavy emphasis on economics. Good luck with your decision!

Posted

Thanks for all who weighed in; I appreciate it! It really does help to hear different perspectives. I ended up accepting the offer at SAIS. It's just too great of an opportunity to pass up. If I can find a good job in my field in the next couple months, I may end up being swayed out of my decision, but for now, I'm really happy about this and excited to be heading to D.C. Good luck to everyone else who has made their decision or is in the process!

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