USC MPA or GWU IR? Help needed!! TAT

[missteasz]

Hi, all.

I have to say I really struggled these days on the final decision. I was admitted by several schools and I will choose the one between USC and GWU. The former one is USC MPA, the rank is good and I'm kinda into LA. But i'm concerned about its safety problem due to frequent shootings. The latter one is GWU, my program is Global Communication which is under Elliott and SMPA. I know GWU's IR is great and it is said that DC has more job opportunities than LA, I mean maybe it's a little bit easy to find a job in DC. Is it also true for international students, cuz i know intl students are difficult o get jobs.

As 415 is approaching, I really need your advice now. Thank u guys in advance!!!

[ZacharyObama]

So I'll be attending USC next Fall and I'm from Los Angeles - so I'm biased in that regard. But I thought it might be useful to address some of the recent incidents of violence. I think you're probably referring principally to the murder of Ying Wu and Ming Qu last Spring. This was a tragic incident and was really shocking by Los Angeles standards because it was completely senseless. They were out in the neighborhood off-campus just outside of the area that USC security patrols at 1 a.m. in what for that neighborhood is a pretty nice car. The culprits weren't hardened gang members, they were stupid kids only 18 and 19 years old. It was a pretty random crime and is not something that happens with any regularity in a metro area of over 10 million people.

 

The other incident you might be thinking of was the shooting on campus that occurred last Halloween which involved non-USC students who were attending a student group party. As a result of that incident, USC has put a security gate around campus and now requires people entering campus after 9 pm to either have USC ID or be on an official guest list. I believe additional security cameras and patrols have also been added. The result of this is that property crime on the USC campus itself has dropped although this is a less than ideal solution since in a way it just pushes the problem away to the periphery.

 

I would also note that crime in Los Angeles goes down and is less than that in many categories than in many other major American cities. I would also note that both schools are in major cities, crimes happen, and that something so tragic as what happened to those two USC students is not common place, not by a long mile. No matter where you go you are going to need to take the similar precautions for safety.

 

In short, assuming the financial situation for both schools is the same (I think the cost of living i.e. rent, food etc is similar), I would focus on the academics in making your decision as those are two somewhat different programs. There are job opportunities in both cities whether you are successful is largely up to how hard you're prepared to approach finding work and how hard you're willing to work for it. You have a lot to think about - I would look very closely at how the programs meet your career goals and then compare living issues. Both are excellent programs but they really are somewhat different - the USC MPA curriculum is a more general program in government than something more specialized like "Global Communication" in a dedicated international relations school.

 

I hope this was helpful. You might also want to contact both admissions offices and ask to be put in contact with a student from China or an international coordinator to talk to - picking a school in another country is a really big decision. The help you're seeking out is probably not best found on an internet discussion board.

Edited April 7, 2013 by ZacharyObama