Elliott SPS vs. Georgetown SSP

[giants24601]

Hey guys. I'm a senior at a private DC university, interning with a security/intelligence agency which seems favorably inclined to employee me once the sequestration budget debacle gets sorted out, and I applied to graduate schools straight out of undergrad. I got into three of the four schools I applied to (SIS, Elliott, and Walsh - rejected from SAIS, but c'est la vie).

 

I am going for security studies. Neither American nor GWU gave me a shred of funding, but Georgetown is giving me a merit scholarship worth 50% of tuition. This means that SIS, GWU's SPS, and Gtown's SSP will all cost about $30,000 a year - just about the same exact for each. I'm currently fighting a spirited campaign against AU and GW and asking them for more money, but I don't know how likely that will be in the end.

 

So, my question is: All three schools will cost me the same finance-wise as it stands now. SSP obviously has the biggest name and reputation. But I want to know: does anybody have good reasons why I should go to SPS or SIS ABOVE SSP? Somebody play devil's advocate/tell me your sincere feelings about Ellliott's and SIS's quality in security vis-a-vis Gtown. I would really appreciate hearing some things to think about.

 

Thanks, y'all!

[SSDC2014]

giants24601 - It doesn't appear that anyone responded, but I was hoping you could reply with an update.  Which program did you end up choosing and why? …do you feel you made the right choice?  Also, what area of concentration are you pursuing?

[ranjan82]

Hands down, G'town is the better school from a purely academics/selectivity/prestige point of view. That's not to say it'd be a better fit.

 

G'town is less liberal than GW

G'town is quasi-suburban, GW is in the middle of downtown

GW has an ultramodern campus, big dorms; G'town has an old, cluttered, campus (more character, for sure) and smaller dorms that are connected by a rooftop/catwalk system that's really quite awesome.