Help for Final decison for Internatinal Student!

[ahiruya]

Hi everyone, I am an international student.

At this time, I would like to ask everyone to let me know your honest opinions about whch one I should choose!

I guees impression to the graduate school from international student are different from instate students to some extent.

So, your advice on this matter is very helpful to me!

My conditions are as below..

1. Now I am accepted by Cornell CIPA, Carnegie Mellon Heinz, Chicago Harris, Geogetown GPPI and Michigan Ford.

2. My purpose of studying in USA is to improve my skills to evaluate public policies.

So, the school where I can strengthen my quantitative skills and analytical skills is better.

3. Also, I want to take classes in other fields, so flexisibilty in the program is important for me.

Thank you for your time on this topic!

[indisabelle]

Based on your interests, I will vote for Michigan Ford.

1. The program is very quantitative. There're lots of quantative electives to take other than the core quantative courses. Besides, there're bunch of faculty members who're strong economists, some of them even hold positions at Business schools too. Besides, I think Ford is very well known for its down-to-earth kind style of equipping students with strong policy analysis skills. For example, Ford has three full-time staff who help students with their writing skills, that is very rare and impressive.

2. One of the biggest features about the MPP program at Ford is that it gives great support to students who do interdisciplinary studies. You can find lots of the cohorts who do dual degree programs at Ford. And Ford utilizes the entire UMich resources for those students. Umich has lots of professional programs that ranked highly around the nation, including business, education, social work, enviromental studies, etc, and that I beleive offers you wide range of opportunities to explore your interest and potential.

CIPA is flexible but not quantatitive and analitical enough; Heinz and Harris is quantatitve but will not offer as much possibilities as Ford does; GPPI is not quantative enough.

Good luck choosing your best fit!

Edited April 17, 2011 by indisabelle

[brian.sabina]

Hey,

First off, congratulations on have some great choices.

I'm a little biased, but it seems like Harris would be an amazing place for you. Program Evaluation and Cost Benefit Analysis are two of the focuses for which Harris has made its reputation as a great policy school. We are also really strong when it come to the quantitative side of things. Come on, it's University of Chicago: the home of modern economics! I think you would be hard pressed to find a better place to study econometrics. Additionally, Harris' core curriculum focuses on making sure that students develop skills. The school want to teach us how to think not what to think.

Harris rocks in terms of flexibility. First, since we're on the quarter system, you have more opportunities to take classes than schools that are on a semester system. Second, Harris encourages students to take classes outside of the policy school and almost everyone does. We're allowed to take up to eight classes outside of Harris. That's almost a years worth if you want to! Third, University of Chicago is an open school which means you can enroll in any graduate class at the University. I know people currently taking classes at the B-school, the law school, in the International Relations Dept, in the Divinity School, and in the Center for Middle Eastern Studies.

Finally, as an international student would you rather be in Ann Arbor, MI or Chicago? The weather is pretty much the same. However, Chicago has a lot more going on, a lot more culture, a lot more food, a lot more types of places to live, etc. (Plus you can most likely cut out a plane stop each time you fly!)

If you have any specific questions feel free to email me at brian.sabina@uchicago.edu.

Hope this helps!

Hi everyone, I am an international student.

At this time, I would like to ask everyone to let me know your honest opinions about whch one I should choose!

I guees impression to the graduate school from international student are different from instate students to some extent.

So, your advice on this matter is very helpful to me!

My conditions are as below..

1. Now I am accepted by Cornell CIPA, Carnegie Mellon Heinz, Chicago Harris, Geogetown GPPI and Michigan Ford.

2. My purpose of studying in USA is to improve my skills to evaluate public policies.

So, the school where I can strengthen my quantitative skills and analytical skills is better.

3. Also, I want to take classes in other fields, so flexisibilty in the program is important for me.

Thank you for your time on this topic!