Fletcher Strengths/Weaknesses

[anxiouslywaiting]

Thought I would start one up for Fletcher, since fair amount of people have already been admitted and are probably thinking a good deal about the pros and cons (as I am).

Pros:

-Any academic within IR will probably tell you that Georgetown SFS and Fletcher are the best IR schools, because they focus exclusively on IR, but are still comprehensive within that field (I think SAIS loses a few points there for being so econ-focused)

-Great atmosphere, students seem to love it there and have a true sense of community (when I visited they had all come back from a giant group ski trip)

-Great network, Fletcher alumni are everywhere and really eager to help grads

-Very flexible, you can really build your own education based on your interests and preferences

Cons:

-People will be angry with me for saying this, but my biggest reservation would be that Fletcher has a "brand" crisis. Once you move beyond IR academics and people who are really in the know about IR schools, Fletcher simply does not have the same name recognition as other schools. I know this from my own experience since I was accepted in December and have since received a lot of blank stares when telling people I was thinking of going there. And this was not just with my family and friends, but also with people in DC who work in IR as well as everyone I've spoken to abroad. This lack of recognition is really undeserved, but it could influence my decision as I want to have people look at my resume and automatically respect and recognize my credentials.

-Location. Basically, its not in DC or NYC.

-Tufts campus/Medford area are nothing special.

[ashes75]

Thank you for starting this thread, I've been admitted to Fletcher as well and am undecided between Fletcher and Georgetown (though I haven't heard back from Georgetown yet). Not being in DC/NYC, does this mean that Fletcher students don't pursue relevant internships during the semester? You say that Fletcher has a brand recognition problem, does this mean that its business program is largely unknown? Also, I plan on studying security studies, do you know if Fletcher is stronger in some subjects and weaker in others? I am not familiar with the professors who are listed specifically as International Security professors.

[Cornell07]

Boo people who got Early Notification! I want to know now! :shock:

[younglions]

For what it's worth, I interned in DC with a Fletcher student in the summer of 2005. He made it seem like there were quite a few other Fletcher students in the area. He's now got a nice gig with the Millennium Challenge Corporation in DC.

Also, I think the location drawback for Fletcher is WAY overstated. Medford is 5 miles away from downtown Boston. It seems that many Fletcher students live just south of Medford in Somerville, which is even closer to downtown, and supposedly one of Boston's best neighborhoods. Sure in Boston you won't have access to as many internships during the academic school year as you would in DC in NY, but I don't think too many students pursue semester internships anyways. For the coveted summer internships, I think Fletcher students are competitive against students of any other school.

Too add a weakness:

- Lack of big money scholarships. It seems like Fletcher offers a very large quantity of small scholarships, but not as many big ones (full tuition plus) as some other schools. That said, it seems like IR schools as a whole offer substantially less than their MPP/MPA equivalents, which is one of the main reasons I diversified my applications between the two disciplines. (In principle the curriculum often overlap and most MPPs offer IR/development concentrations.)

[pepper84]

Does anyone have any information on how Fletcher does in regards to domestic policy issues? Obviously, it's an internationally-focused school, but I thought it would also focus on domestic work as, realistically, I think it would be hard for a school to place/market all of its graduates in international jobs. I applied there as my interests are mixed: have mostly domestic work on my resume (although grew up internationally).

Also, for those of you who already know whether you've been accepted, did you find out via email or throught the Tufts link they sent out?

Thanks!

[anxiouslywaiting]

I received an email when I was accepted, but that was in December for Early Notification. It is really not the place for domestic policy issues. Just look at the possible concentrations. All are internationally-focused. Of course some econ classes and such are applicable in all policy applications, domestic or international, but it really would not make sense to go there if you did not plan to have a somewhat internationally-oriented career.

[ashes75]

I received my acceptance letter through an email but I could also access it through the link that Fletcher sent out.

[javajava]

Good to see this specific board, thanks.

I'm a bit worried about Fletcher's "brand" and also worried that I'm worrying unnecessarily about brand. Does that make any sense?!

I'm in at Fletcher-MALD and SIPA-MPA and am looking for input as to how the two compare (across a number of dimensions).

My career interests are in intl development - my focus is microfinance/microinsurance and other financial-related development interventions.

Any thoughts?

[ashes75]

Has anyone gone to visit Fletcher yet? If so, What were your thoughts?

[HisRoyalHighness]

I did, in October. I loved it - an amazingly accomplished student body, great classes and I loved the Hall of Flags. I also appreciated that they took time to interview me and that it added to my admissions file - the only school I know of which actually counts an admissions interview towards your acceptance (if it goes well).

[aurora]

It seems a lot of us are having an internal debate regarding concern about Fletcher's 'brand' vs concern that brand really should not be such a big deal. The flipside of the argument against Fletcher is of course that SIPA's more recognisable name means that it can allow itself to be more of a conveyor belt education - prestigious academics but relatively little access to them. It seems as though Fletcher alumni enjoyed great access to their professors in a small and 'transparent' community which will be harder to find in NYC - at graduate level this is in my opinion absolutely crucial. SAIS students who chose the Bologna option quote the year in Italy as really important in terms of their future career because it was such a small, 24 hr dedicated environment.

As has been noted previously, the sense of community/ network of Fletcher alumni does really seem to set it apart also post grad school. I do occasionally wonder if this is overstated (it's certainly emphasised in the PR materials from the school), but the alumni I've met seem to think otherwise. They all seem to have gone on to do very interesting jobs perhaps a bit more 'off the beaten track' than some of the other schools - perhaps this also has something to do with Fletcher falling a bit outside the 'usual suspect' group of schools?

Quality does of course differ depending on the concentration - my sense from the people who are currently enrolled at Fletcher is that the Humanitarian Affairs concentration with Peter Uvin is particularly well respected, as is the International Negotations/ Conflict Resolution option. The links to Sloane/MIT and Harvard are of course big selling points. I also think Fletcher is more recognised, certainly in the UN/NGO worlds, than people give it credit for.

As is probably obvious, I'm leaning toward the Fletcher option... Would be very interested to hear where other people are in their decision making process - especially anybody who strongly disagrees with me! My gut feeling is very much based on having had tremendously interesting conversations with Fletcher alum, and feeling as though they are people who have put a lot of thought into what they want out of education at this level, what kind of people they want to meet and what kind of conversations they want to have. But again, I might have just been lucky with the people I met through my Fletcher connections - I obviously didn't speak to a representative sample at all the schools! The very 'personal touch' approach to admissions obviously also helps.

Accepted: MALD Fletcher/Tufts, MIA SIPA/Columbia

Waiting to hear from: MFS Georgetown

[ashes75]

Sounds like you've done some good research Aurora. Any thoughts on Fletcher's Security Studies program?

[aurora]

'Research' in the widest possible definition of the word! Should probably have more conversations with people at SFS and SIPA too, the moment I started making connections at Fletcher it sort of snowballed from there...

Security Studies - I honestly don't know as it's not my area of expertise. I could put you in touch with some of the people I've spoken to if you wanted to ask them directly?

[javajava]

Thanks for your thoughts Aurora. I'm still flip-flopping between SIPA and Fletcher so any input is useful..

Did any of the students you spoke with focus on development economics/microfinance? That's the field I'm interested in, and I'm curious about quality of curriculum/professors from that standpoint...

[deechi]

Good to see this specific board, thanks.

I'm a bit worried about Fletcher's "brand" and also worried that I'm worrying unnecessarily about brand. Does that make any sense?!

I'm in at Fletcher-MALD and SIPA-MPA and am looking for input as to how the two compare (across a number of dimensions).

My career interests are in intl development - my focus is microfinance/microinsurance and other financial-related development interventions.

Any thoughts?

I wouldn't worry about the brand of Fletcher. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who works in international affairs who hasn't heard of Fletcher and if they haven't then well..there's probably something wrong with them. Besides, in a field like Micro-finance people are not nearly as impressed with the name of the school you went to but rather the field experience you have. About six months into the first job you get after graduation it won't matter what school you went to.

The biggest queston is whether or not the problem itself has the courses you feel you need and that you would have access to professors that do the types of things you want and have the type of connections you'll need. Another consideration I'd keep in mind is what organizations exist in NYC\Boston that you'll be able to network with while in college. Neither NYC nor Boston will be as good as a place like DC but you'll still find plenty of organizations that do micro finance in both. If one has a focus that you'd want to be a part of, think about that.

[javajava]

Thank you, I appreciate your input. I'm currently in the process of reaquainting myself with the profs/classes/curriculum and their fit with microfinance/development economics/ngo management. You make a good point about employment - Boston is home to fewer but perhaps bigger names in this field (i.e. Accion International) but it's really worth me spending more time thinking about.

[younglions]

Tufts is also home to the Omidyar-Tufts Microfinance Fund, a $100-million project funded by the founder of eBay. If you press hard enough, you could probably get some experience there.

[javajava]

Good point younglions, I'd forgotten about that. This board generates useful reminders and to do's - thanks!

[younglions]

Got my updated acceptance from Fletcher tonight with financial info. Good luck to all who are frantically refreshing the application management system.

[optimism]

Got wait listed today..does anyone have ideas on how often people get off the wait list for MALD? Hear of other students getting in off the wait list in the past?

[yuhoolio]

Fletcher's Tuition ($35,000 per year) seems to be more than others, and I've got no funding from them. Does anybody think that I have a pretty good chance at getting second-year funding? The no funding is a bit of a turn off when another school can give me at least some aid. Or is Fletcher so good it's worth it?

[aurora]

Hi everybody - was still living in the SIPA v Fletcher conundrum until I finally received news of financial assistance from the latter yesterday. Now the choice has effectively been made for me!

Have been in touch with people who have an opinion on the SIPA v Fletcher debate because they have studied at/ are familiar with both schools, summary of what they came back with below in case it is useful to some of you. A lot of people wax lyrical about Fletcher so it is obviously important to get second opinions from those who have studied at SIPA recently or who are studying there now - I have not spoken to half as many SIPA graduates as I have Fletcher graduates so the below will inevitably be skewed in Fletcher's favour. Still thought it might serve as food for thought for some of you. The fact that one apparently has to apply to each class with CV and cover letter at SIPA sounds almost unbelievable!?

Advantages of Fletcher over SIPA

-The student body is smaller so you really get to know your fellow Fletcher students.

- The school has an incredible sense of community and bond.

- Fletcher students are really welcoming and go out of their way to help each other out and prospective students.

- Alumni are far more engaged and helpful than SIPA alumni.

- Average class sizes are smaller than at SIPA.

- One really gets to know the professors at Fletcher so one is not anonymous at SIPA

- Apart from one class (conflict resolution) there are no caps on any classes at Fletcher. In contrast, the most interesting seminars taught by the most famous professors at SIPA are often capped to 15 students. One has to apply, typically with cover letter and CV, in order to compete for a space in the class. The SIPA program has more students and hence chances of getting in the seminars you want are slim.

- Fletcher staff are really friendly, professional and supportive, one really feels in good hands.

- Fellowships at Fletcher are not based on GPA of the first semester whereas SIPA's are. "This creates an unhealthy competitive environment at SIPA, which did not go away the second semester or the second year. I'm all for competition, but when competition stiffles learning and mutual respect, I don't enjoy the environment."

- The Fletcher program is more interdisciplinary and flexible than the SIPA program.

- Fletcher allows students to take courses at Harvard, which offers many exciting courses and excellent contacts.

- The Tufts campus is more of a campus than Columbia is.

- The quality of scholarship and rigorous research expected at Fletcher is notably higher than at SIPA where more time was spent writing short policy memos than being engaged more in-depth, policy-relevant research

- Fletcher organizes two dedicated career trips every year, one in NYC and one in DC, where current students attend panels with Fletcher alumni currently employed in leading organizations and companies.

Advantages of SIPA over Fletcher

- There are more courses to choose from at SIPA/Columbia.

- SIPA is in NY where the UN and other major organizations are based.

- Columbia has world famous professors and the Ivy League title.

- The student competition at SIPA allows you to quickly learn how to elbow your way and get ahead.

I'm sure we can find people to add to the SIPA list of advantages so feel free to expand! My mind is made up, to a significant extent because of the scholarship assistance received. Peace of mind, finally!

Accepted: MALD/ Fletcher, MIA/ SIPA, Development Institute/LSE

Waiting: MFS/ Georgetown

[javajava]

Aurora, a word of sincere thanks. I am debating fiercely inside my head about Fletcher v. SIPA, and to have someone share the results of their research on this same exact issue is great.

If it would be useful to you/others that I do the same -- summarize what I've recently heard about both -- I most certainly will (although since you have decided already, perhaps less relevant?)

[aurora]

My pleasure javajava! I'd still find it interesting to hear more about your thinking around this, if you find the time to share? Best of luck with the decision, I found it incredibly hard too but money talks... And I've leant toward Fletcher ever since the interview. Let us know what you decide! Perhaps see you in Boston later this year.

[decisionsihope]

Hi everybody - was still living in the SIPA v Fletcher conundrum until I finally received news of financial assistance from the latter yesterday. Now the choice has effectively been made for me!

Have been in touch with people who have an opinion on the SIPA v Fletcher debate because they have studied at/ are familiar with both schools, summary of what they came back with below in case it is useful to some of you. A lot of people wax lyrical about Fletcher so it is obviously important to get second opinions from those who have studied at SIPA recently or who are studying there now - I have not spoken to half as many SIPA graduates as I have Fletcher graduates so the below will inevitably be skewed in Fletcher's favour. Still thought it might serve as food for thought for some of you. The fact that one apparently has to apply to each class with CV and cover letter at SIPA sounds almost unbelievable!?

Advantages of Fletcher over SIPA

........

Advantages of SIPA over Fletcher

.......

Cheers Aurora! Thanks for taking the time to share these thoughts with us.

I have a very tacky question for you. I was fortunate accepted to Fletcher and received a Board of Overseer's Scholarship covering just shy of 3/4 tuition. Could you let me know how much you received? Sorry for the unseemly question but, to be honest, covering the rest of the tuition + the estimated fees for insurance/room&board/books/etc. means I am still looking at at borrowing nearly 60K as I have no savings...although I am grateful for the offer it still seems like an awful lot to borrow...I was wondering if it would be possible to ask for additional support...particularly if others have received it.