HELP!! NEW SCHOOL, JH OR COLUMBIA - completely torn

[icruz]

Hey guys...

 

I have about two more weeks before I have to make my admissions decision...right now I'm between The New School (Milano School), John Hopkins and Columbia SIPA - I'd be enrolling in a MA in International Affairs in all of them

 

While JH and Columbia obviously have the stronger programs they are also waaay more expensive..... I prefer Columbia's MIA program but its $140,000, JH is $130,000 and New School is $100,000 more or less...

 

I have a Truman Scholarship of $30,000 and New School gave me 60% tuition..... any suggestions??

 

I don't mind taking out student loans but 100K in loans in this economy seems like a mistake...however, I know that the international affairs academic community doesn't exactly the New School to be on the top ranks because of its heterodox academic approach....

 

Is 100K in loans worth it if I go to Columbia?

 

I'm also considering requesting deferral and dedicating next year to saving up big time and applying to every scholarship possible....

 

HELP...PLEASE!

[rising_star]

The real answer is that $100K in loans is probably never worth it. http://mappingyourfuture.org/paying/standardcalculator.htm If you plug 100,000 in, you'll see that the monthly payments will be $1150 to repay in 10 years. That's a lot of money.

[icruz]

But what about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs, are they not an option?  I'm just scared that attending New School may make is that much harder to get a job simple because their programs aren't considered main stream and they lack the hyper-quantitative research focus that most IVs have :/... 

 

Is it all a myth or could I get just as good an education at NS (without 100k in loans)?

[ThisGuyRiteHere]

Spend the money on Columbia/JH. It will be worth it. Period.

Look at where each school places.

[newdisplayname]

I was also between New School and Columbia in the same field of study. I talked to a professor that teaches at both schools and she said that she expects more of her SIPA students, and that the NS seems to take a bigger percentage of undergrad students, so the level of conversation is different. They also offered me a very nice financial package but Columbia´s reputation is way bigger/better than NS internationally, as well as the alumni network. Also, at SIPA you have the chance to get a scholarship for the second year, so I would do it.

[hesadork]

This is a tough one. May I ask what your career goals are? SIPA and SAIS place differently...and depending on your ambitions, New School may serve you just fine. It depends what you want out of the degree.

[icruz]

That's the thing... I'm not really sure if I want to go down the professional track (NS) or the academic track (SIPA, SAIS)... Until very recently I thought I would follow the USAID Foreign Service track, but was disillusioned after speaking with several FSOs and learning about their experiences... Ultimately, I would like to be a ID policy practitioner (the foreign service isn't exactly where I would contribute to policy construction w/regards to development.)

 

Is it really true that most 2nd year SIPA students get funding or is that just something they post on the site to get students to accept the offer? I've heard that SIPA students are super competitive and that it's very hard for students coming straight from undergrad to keep up with the rest - anyone know if this is true?

 

Btw, Is Milano really that bad?

[newdisplayname]

It´s not that is bad, its just that SIPA has a longer history and therefore more achievements I suppose. About funding at SIPA , 70% of first year students get some kind of award by the second year, the average being from 10 to 20k per year, although you must have a GPA above 3.4. Go to the Admitted students google group, there is a ton of info about that topic.

[globalsun]

The ugly truth is that none of these programs are worth $100,000+ and two years of lost wages. Public sector income that many folks get afterwards will make it a struggle to pay back the loan. For that amount you could get an MBA which is already overpriced to begin unless one gets into a top 5 program. The potential RA/TAships in these IR programs are also extremely limited.