What matters more...Name or Funding? Please Help

[MPP_MPA]

What if American only offers for me to take out loans for fin aid? But the Bush school has offered full ride + stipend? Also, I want to work for the federal government after I graduate, so does location matter more too? For internships and networking do I need to be in DC? Another factor is that I'm used to living in large cities, and have never really lived in a small town...

I was offered another full ride to MPA program at school closer to the east coast, but I've recently decided not to consider because not good in general. Didn't make it into Wagner :|

[zourah]

First, I'd read the HKS and the Mountain of Debt thread, which covers most of this debate, though through a slightly different lens. The basic argument seems to be boiling down to that it matters far more how hard you work at getting what you want than where you went to school, provided the two institutions you're comparing are within an order of magnitude of one another. Not knowing either of your choices, I won't speculate further.

[golonghorns]

don't go to a&m...i went there for undergrad and it is the worst, most conservative, hick, closed-minded place in the nation...you will regret it....go to american or your other school...this is your life and shouldn't be hell.

[africagirl]

There's a lot to be said about opportunities to gain real world experience (internships, jobs), which, in my experience, is weighted more heavily by employers than just the education. Therefore, in my view, if you can combine an institution with a good reputation (i.e. American) with the opportunity to get internships working for the government, that's what you should do. There's always scholarships available for the second year. But, ultimately, you have to do what you are most comfortable with.

[99_boy]

I also heard that A&M is an incredibly conservative and narrow minded place, and not necessarily the best environment to study PP or IR. Sucks, since the Bush school really seems to offer decent funding to most students.

[traveler06]

I also heard that A&M is an incredibly conservative and narrow minded place, and not necessarily the best environment to study PP or IR. Sucks, since the Bush school really seems to offer decent funding to most students.

I would make sure to feel out their public policy school than just take the generalization about A&M overall. Graduate programs can be markedly different in their approach than the undergraduate programs.

Also, while it does seem that many considering policy school are liberal, not everyone in the program should fit that discription. I don't know the environment you are looking for, but differing viewpoints, no matter the source, are still important. I would imagine most people who actually seek out graduate study are less than narrow minded.