GWU Trachtenberg vs. GPPI

[Hilldog2016]

Hi Folks,

 

After having completed the admitted student's day at George Washington this weekend I get the feeling I am one of many people asking myself GW or Georgetown. Here are some factors I've been thinking about:

 

1) Name: Georgetown is unquestionably the most respected name both in DC and especially beyond, but GW is highly respected in the city. Furthermore, if one is wanting to work in policy elsewhere in the U.S., say at state level, perhaps it is less necessary to have a policy degree from a top school.

 

2) Network: it seems like they are both strong. GW's might be larger, and Georgetown's might be more awesome. Not sure which wins.

 

3) Cost: Back of the envelope calculation of credits for an MPP times cost per credit shows that GW's MPP is $53,600 and Georgetown's is $80,640. (I have $10k at GPPI, which I guess brings that down to $60,640.)

 

4) Experience: GW's is much more workable for a working professional who wants to have the flexibility to keep their current job, or have the flexibility to take on a new one at any time without having to worry about a full-time or part time designation  GW's location will also make it a lot more logistically easy to intern or work around town and make it to class, not to mention making it for random lunchtime speakers and networking opportunities.

 

Before the GW event I was heavily leaning toward GPPI, but now I'm thinking about how valuable the flexibility and location of GW's program are.

 

Any current students go to GPPI and wish they had gone to GW? Vice versa?

 

How are other admitted students feeling about the decision?

[east_bound]

Hey, thanks for starting this. Could you share some of your thoughts on how the admitted student's day went at GW? What was the sense you got of the career services/job prospects from current/former students? I'm going to be going to GPPI's open house on the 12th, but couldn't make this one. 

[Sneaky]

After this weekend I am in pretty much the same boat, and I agree with your major factors.  I definitely liked GW's admitted student day - it made me realize the value of working while studying, something I had not considered beforehand - but I still can't make up my mind.  One difference for me is that I would be coming to DC from outside the city, so it's not like I already have a job to hold onto once I start studying.

 

One factor that I am having trouble differentiating is career prospects - the data for recent graduates (which sector they entered, who employed them, how much they earn, etc.) seems very similar across both of these schools, with maybe a slight edge for GPPI.  Then again, it seems easier to graduate from GW with work experience already accumulated, so who knows?

[Hilldog2016]

Hi Sneaky, It definitely seems like GWU's career services were strong. I'm attracted to the fact that they have great PMF placement. We'll probably get a better sense of career placement at GPPI's open house, but I feel like because Georgetown has a great name, and GW's students have access to such great opportunities, there's probably no bad decision. 

 

Can't wait to hear everyone's thought's on the GPPI open houses!

 

Until then, here are analogous posts from previous years:

 

[Hilldog2016]

Hey folks, anyone out there still wrestling with this or am I the only one?

 

We didn't get a good sense of GPPI's career services since the director was gone, which made me nervous. When they asked the students on the panel what their experience with career services was like, the general response seemed to be "I had them look over my resume once, but I came in with work experience so it hasn't been a big deal for me." 

 

However, talking to the current students it seems like the faculty are so well-respected and connected that the career value lies in leveraging those connections rather than in the career counseling center. 

 

I sat in on a GW class last night which was solid, good takeaways, discussion and interaction. I know I could get a respected and practical education there, no question.

 

But I couldn't help but feel that the caliber of both admitted and current students was higher on average at Georgetown. My thinking is that a big part of the value of a grad degree is the network and it makes sense to buy into the best one possible. But of course the question is, at what price?

[Chipembere]

How is price the question? Georgetown is only $7k more expensive. Clearly you want to go there so don't let $7k stop you. 

[Sneaky]

How is price the question? Georgetown is only $7k more expensive. Clearly you want to go there so don't let $7k stop you. 

 

Where are you getting the $7k figure?  Scholarships or financial aid aside, the sticker-price tuition at GPPI is $20k more than GWU.

 

At any rate, I've narrowed my decision to the same two schools.  At this point the main advantage I see at Georgetown is the network and reputation, but since GW has a big DC presence I may be overplaying that advantage in my head.

[Hilldog2016]

Chipembere is referring to the fact that I would pay $53k at GW and $60k at GT. And thanks for your feedback by the way. I def do want to go to GT. The reason price is a factor is that I believe I could get part-time employment at GW which would afford my tuition remission, and also there program is much more flexible in terms of working your way through and ratcheting your courseload down as necessary. I also just think it would be logistically easier to have an off campus job at GT because of the metro and proximity to government agencies.  So when I say a question of the cost, I'm including the foregone wages, and potentially foregone tuition remission. What are you thinking Sneaky? GT def has a great reputation, and the faculty are super well-connected. But GW is also very respected and I'd imagine most of the classmates would be workign professionals which is definitely a networking advantage.