How much debt are you willing to take on for your degree?

[MJA87]

 That's definitely sound advice. That said, I'd be more than willing to go on the IBR and public service loan forgiveness programs you mentioned. I'm a former federal employee, so working in that type of environment would be the optimal outcome. Also, I'm willing to work in the private sector for consulting firms and whatnot, so I'm flexible in that regard. 

 

With CMU, it's $68,928; with Duke, it's $77,474. I guess I was being a bit broad when I mentioned $80,000 earlier. Still, it never hurts to bring up the worst case scenario as a precaution. 

 

In both of these cases, I'm perfectly willing live more frugally and spend as little on living expenses as possible (which is where most of the variable costs factor in). So optimistically, the figures I provided for loans could end up being even lower in the end. We'll see. 

 

The $80k figure was really a worst-case scenario, rough estimate that I came up with. That figure, as well as the revised ones provided above, was indeed based on the loans I'd owe after you factor in financial aid. Personally, I have around $22k in savings now, but since I'm planning to pay off my undergraduate loans before I start grad school, it's realistically going to be around $3k-4k. And after visiting Duke this past weekend, I pretty much agree with you re: living expenses in Durham; it does seem like the type of city where the cost of living isn't high at all. 

 

And re: Duke's career services and networking, I also can't disagree with your argument. I'm sure CMU's career network has a similar reputation. I guess what I'm ultimately trying to figure out is whether or not my going to either one of these schools would drastically (emphasis and bolding are mine) increase my chances of getting a decent-paying job after graduation than compared to going to SUNY Albany, since I know that they also place alumni in prestigious agencies/firms/non-profits (but probably to a lesser degree). Moreover, it probably does not have as strong a national/international reputation as the others, even though it's decently-ranked within USN & WR; it's most well-known within NY State. Again, I'm not trying to disparage any school here, but the deciding factor would have to be whether my chances of getting a decent-paying job to offset loans after graduation increase considerably by going to certain schools. 

 

I'm in a remarkably similar situation to yours, including the schools i'm looking at (CMU and Duke) and debt amounts I'm considering from them. I'm currently leaning towards Duke (and a little more debt), but I don't know that I have very good reasons for leaning that way.

[MaxwellAlum]

 That's definitely sound advice. That said, I'd be more than willing to go on the IBR and public service loan forgiveness programs you mentioned. I'm a former federal employee, so working in that type of environment would be the optimal outcome. Also, I'm willing to work in the private sector for consulting firms and whatnot, so I'm flexible in that regard. 

Fair enough.  I do think these programs are really helpful; I myself am on IBR and hoping to take advantage of loan forgiveness (and if it doesn't happen, at least I'll still have money saved for retirement).  However, I see folks with six figure debt where their income-based payments don't cover the interest, so they have a choice between making higher payments or allowing their loan balance to grow significantly over 10 years.  As I'm sure you know some federal agencies do provide loan repayment benefits which can be a huge help.

 

My sense based on people I know who graduated from a range of different schools (Harvard, Syracuse, UMD) is that a prestigious school does not equate to a higher government salary, and a lot of people from lower-ranked schools manage to get jobs at prestigious agencies.  Certainly, a good network will help you get a job, no question, and I do think some private sector consulting firms prefer prestigious names.  That said, I see people who went to schools that are less prestigious with the same jobs and same salaries as people who went to more prestigious schools - the only difference is lower student loan debt.  

[notsosure]

I still haven't found an answer to the question of how much debt I am willing to take on. I basically am now down from five schools to two of them (taking location, curriculum, job prospects, and so on into account). I either will go to GWU/Elliott with a very good scholarship of $ 24,000 per year or to my favorite program - Georgetown/SFS - where I am only waitlisted for a scholarship. If I get substantial aid from Georgetown I am definitely going there. But what if I don't get anything: would you still choose Georgetown over GWU because it is in the end where I want to go (if money wasn't relevant)? Is it worth the burden of debt (130k for 2 years - around 50 should be covered by my savings/work)? Or should I just appreciate the generous offer of GWU and spend two years in D.C. without having to worry about money? People I asked are very divided about it.

 

What's more: since I am from Europe my salary later on might not be as high as the ones of US alumnis if I decide to go back. So it could take me much longer to pay back my loans. (But I don't exclude staying in the U.S.)

 

I am happy to hear your opinions!

[Atlas445]

I still haven't found an answer to the question of how much debt I am willing to take on. I basically am now down from five schools to two of them (taking location, curriculum, job prospects, and so on into account). I either will go to GWU/Elliott with a very good scholarship of $ 24,000 per year or to my favorite program - Georgetown/SFS - where I am only waitlisted for a scholarship. If I get substantial aid from Georgetown I am definitely going there. But what if I don't get anything: would you still choose Georgetown over GWU because it is in the end where I want to go (if money wasn't relevant)? Is it worth the burden of debt (130k for 2 years - around 50 should be covered by my savings/work)? Or should I just appreciate the generous offer of GWU and spend two years in D.C. without having to worry about money? People I asked are very divided about it.

 

What's more: since I am from Europe my salary later on might not be as high as the ones of US alumnis if I decide to go back. So it could take me much longer to pay back my loans. (But I don't exclude staying in the U.S.)

 

I am happy to hear your opinions!

 

I did my best to draw a comparison between Georgetown's SSP and GWU's SPS program in but those are slightly different programs than what you have applied to. The relevant information from that comparison to you would probably be that success is possible at either institution and not in a measure significantly greater at one vs. another. I feel that while Georgetown likely has a little bit more "prestige' than GWU, it is unlikely that it would have any noticeable impact on your career prospects unless you were seeking work outside the beltway, which it sounds like you may be considering.

 

I believe that Georgetown's Walsh School of Foreign Service is considerably more selective in terms of admitted students for their MSFS program than GWU's Elliott School is for their MAIA program and that this gives it the perception of being more prestigious to attend (which it may very well be), but I think that in reality the selectivity of the program has more to do with that fact that it is not the primary program at the Walsh School of Foreign Service. By contrast the MA program in International Affairs is the Elliott School's primary program, which is why it admits more students in general. I think that the academic rigor of Georgetown's MSFS is probably a bit more than that of Elliott's MAIA, but I think what it should really boil down to is the class offerings they have that you would be interested in taking, and which professors at these two institutions will be teaching them. Did they have careers in the field that you're interested in, or study the subject matter that you'd be most interested in studying? Do the faculty/professors you'll be having regular contact with pose greater networking opportunities to you by virtue of their respective resumes, experiences, education?

 

A lot of people in these forums are fixated on the money aspect of a program, and rightfully so given the unpredictable nature of the economy and the jobs market post-graduation. However, the real question shouldn't be whether or not the cost is too high, but rather - what exactly are you buying with that tuition? If you can put forward a good answer to that question, then you'll have solved the riddle of where to go. I'm currently trying to solve that riddle myself, and while I don't have any better/more specific information for you, I wish you good luck in finding your answer!

[whitemocha37]

I still haven't found an answer to the question of how much debt I am willing to take on. I basically am now down from five schools to two of them (taking location, curriculum, job prospects, and so on into account). I either will go to GWU/Elliott with a very good scholarship of $ 24,000 per year or to my favorite program - Georgetown/SFS - where I am only waitlisted for a scholarship. If I get substantial aid from Georgetown I am definitely going there. But what if I don't get anything: would you still choose Georgetown over GWU because it is in the end where I want to go (if money wasn't relevant)? Is it worth the burden of debt (130k for 2 years - around 50 should be covered by my savings/work)? Or should I just appreciate the generous offer of GWU and spend two years in D.C. without having to worry about money? People I asked are very divided about it.

 

What's more: since I am from Europe my salary later on might not be as high as the ones of US alumnis if I decide to go back. So it could take me much longer to pay back my loans. (But I don't exclude staying in the U.S.)

 

I am happy to hear your opinions!

 

I am in pretty much the exact same position you are. I applied to Elliott's MIA and Georgetown's MSFS and was accepted to both, with a very generous scholarship from Elliott but no funding at MSFS. 

 

In my position, at least, it all boiled down to funding vs. everything else. Financially, Elliott makes the most sense, especially since I can keep my current job while attending school. They gave me a fellowship that covers roughly ~75% of tuition, and my salary would cover the rest, plus even leave me room for some savings while I'm in school. Get my master's AND graduate with some extra money in the bank? It seems like a no-brainer. 

HOWEVER, I realized that while I was comparing the courses, opportunities, etc. of the two schools, I was extremely excited about MSFS and much more lackluster about Elliott's offerings. GWU is still an amazing program, but for what I want to do (State/Foreign Service) MSFS is the best. I read somewhere that it produces more FSOs than the next three schools combined, which means unparalleled networking opportunities. 

 

My heart is telling me MSFS; my head is telling me GWU. I haven't formally made a decision but at this point I am most likely attending MSFS. One of my friends put it this way: Ten years from now, how much more likely are you to regret the fact that you didn't go to MSFS vs. that you took on a bigger debt burden?

 

Personally, I feel as though if I didn't attend Georgetown, I would always wonder "what if?" Plus, I went through this exact same struggle for undergrad (more loans/higher ranked school vs. near full ride/lower ranked school) and chose the "cheaper" option. I don't regret my choice in the least, but I did sometimes wonder how many more opportunities I would have had if I'd gone to the "better" school. Plus, I think brand/prestige matters much less at the undergrad than grad level, and I always told myself that when the time came, I would go to the best graduate program possible.

 

Anyway, that is just my personal opinion and experiences. In the end, everyone's needs are different, but just remember that when it comes to loans, you will eventually pay them off. On the other hand, getting a master's degree is something most people have only one chance to do, so make sure that you are fully happy and comfortable with your choice before you make a decision.

 

Good luck! 

[lbjane]

Here's a post that I wrote on a similar thread about this time last year: 
 

I tend to bang this drum quite a bit here, but I personally think that it's not wise to take out a lot of debt for an MA/IR, MPP, or MPA because the salaries in those jobs aren't that high and the rankings don't matter nearly as much as they might for an MBA or JD, for example.  A big part of my decision to attend LBJ was financial. I was accepted to a couple of DC schools, but with little financial aid. Between the higher tuition and higher cost of living in DC, I was looking at about $80,000 more over two years to go to school in DC. As much as I wanted to go to school in DC, I knew that I wanted to go in to government or NGO work and I just couldn't bring myself to spend $80k more to be in DC. On the other hand, between financial aid, working, my savings, and the lower cost of living in Austin, I graduated from LBJ debt-free which was a great feeling to have when I graduated since it meant that I had more options and didn't have to take the highest paying or first job that came along.

If you're interested in working for the federal government, where you go to school will have very little effect on your starting salary. The salary determination process is more or less an equation of education + work experience = GS level X, step Y. The brand name of a school might make a difference in opening doors at NGOs and make a small salary difference, but probably not a big enough difference to offset much extra debt since salaries are generally lower in the NGO/non-profit sector. If you've got your heart set on consulting, then the extra debt to attend a more prestigious program might be worth it, but if you change your mind partway through the program you could be stuck with consulting anyway to pay off the debt. If you come in to the masters as a mid-career student with a lot of work experience though, you could have a higher salary after graduation, so a larger debt payment might not be as big of a problem.

After graduation, I started working with the federal government at a little over 55K in DC, which is more or less average for someone with a master's and a couple of years of work experience. After taxes, social security, etc, I was left with a little less than 40k/year to live on. That's manageable in DC especially since I'm single, but if I had a large student loan payment like the $600-$900/mo payments you can incur if you take out $60K-$80K of loans or had a family, it would be really tough to live in the DC area on that. My salary has gone up in the almost 6 years since I graduated, but it would still be tough if I had a huge loan payment every month. Without debt, I'm able to live comfortably, though not lavishly, save for future needs, and put away some money towards a down payment on a condo/house later on.

Also, being in DC can give you a leg up in networking, especially for the private sector and NGOs, but all of the big policy schools will have a decent alumni network in DC and the big employers of MPP/MPA/IR grads will hit the big policy schools. We had recruiters at LBJ from a lot of government agencies, several consulting firms, and many different international and DC-based NGO/Non-profits.  People in my graduating class went on to work at any number of federal agencies, UN orgs, think tanks, get PhDs, etc. and going to school outside of DC didn't really seem to hold anyone back.  So, while I was initially a little apprehensive about going to school outside of DC, I don't really think it hurt me in the long run. I got 2 great federal internships and then was eventually hired by one of them. Now, I'm in DC and have been able to take advantage of the LBJ alumni network here and build my own network through my current job and living in DC.

 

As an example, 100k in loans with a 10-year repayment at 6.8% interest equals a $1,150/mo payment and, with the interest you actually end up paying $138k.  That's a house in some parts of the country and at least a decent chunk of a condo in a place like DC.  The opportunity cost is higher because if you invested that $1,150/mo in a fund with a 10% annual return, you'd have $237k after 10 years.  Even if your investment only hit 5% a year, you'd still end up with $179k in the bank after 10 years.  So, not only are you paying $138k, you're not saving or investing that same money, so you're losing out on interest and investment gains.

It's ultimately a personal decision, since everyone has a different tolerance for debt and the decision certainly shouldn't ONLY be about debt, but I generally don't think that a lot of debt is advisable or necessary for most MPP/MPA/IR grads since salaries are not usually that high. I also think that the name of the school, while not irrelevant, is not as important in the public sector and NGO/Non-profit sector as it is in the private sector. So, paying big bucks for a name brand is not as important as it might be for law schools or MBA programs. For example, a person that I met at an admitted student day for LBJ when I was trying to decide where to go ultimately turned down LBJ to go to HKS. We now work for the same employer, doing the same job with the same promotion potential, and my salary's actually a bit higher because I had a little more work experience before being hired. He has a ton of debt that he's trying to manage, but I don't.

[CurrentFSO]

...what I want to do (State/Foreign Service)....I read somewhere that it produces more FSOs than the next three schools combined, which means unparalleled networking opportunities. 

 

 

I won't weigh in on the other parts of your post, but what I included in the quote box is false.  AFSA, the Foreign Service union, compiled info on which schools FSOs attended and you can see the info graphic here.  Currently serving FS members have 1190 degrees from Georgetown and 1116 from GWU.  Georgetown is a great program, but it does NOT produce as many FSOs as the next three schools combined.  

Edited April 5, 2015 by CurrentFSO

[whitemocha37]

I won't weigh in on the other parts of your post, but what I included in the quote box is false.  AFSA, the Foreign Service union, compiled info on which schools FSOs attended and you can see the info graphic here.  Currently serving FS members have 1190 degrees from Georgetown and 1116 from GWU.  Georgetown is a great program, but it does NOT produce as many FSOs as the next three schools combined.  

 I haven't seen that info graphic yet so thanks for posting it! 

 

I mentioned that tidbit about the next three schools since it was mentioned specifically on Georgetown's Career Services' website https://msfs.georgetown.edu/careers/development. I assume they mean FSOs in general and not just currently serving ones? Nevertheless, I'm sure MSFS is not the only great program that feeds a lot into State but I thought it was just an interesting fun fact  

[StarkResilient89]

Fair enough.  I do think these programs are really helpful; I myself am on IBR and hoping to take advantage of loan forgiveness (and if it doesn't happen, at least I'll still have money saved for retirement).  However, I see folks with six figure debt where their income-based payments don't cover the interest, so they have a choice between making higher payments or allowing their loan balance to grow significantly over 10 years.  As I'm sure you know some federal agencies do provide loan repayment benefits which can be a huge help.

 

My sense based on people I know who graduated from a range of different schools (Harvard, Syracuse, UMD) is that a prestigious school does not equate to a higher government salary, and a lot of people from lower-ranked schools manage to get jobs at prestigious agencies.  Certainly, a good network will help you get a job, no question, and I do think some private sector consulting firms prefer prestigious names.  That said, I see people who went to schools that are less prestigious with the same jobs and same salaries as people who went to more prestigious schools - the only difference is lower student loan debt.

After having extended conversations with my parents, they agreed to help cover the cost of living expenses (i.e. only rent). Combined with the financial aid I'm getting from my total debt situation now looks to be around $35k-50k (assume it to be on the lower end of the spectrum, since I plan on living very conservatively). Assuming that I get a Federal or State govt. job with a starting salary in the $50k-$60k range, would you say that this is a sensible investment/tradeoff? 

 

Sorry if I'm asking too many questions, and thanks again for feedback. 

Edited April 6, 2015 by StarkResilient89

[MaxwellAlum]

$35-50k is reasonable to me - it is not an amount so high that it's impossible to pay off in 10 years (more or less, depending on your financial situation) but IBR can help if you want to prioritize other things, without the stress of ballooning debt due to too much interest accruing.  $26k would definitely be easier and you would probably not have to concern yourself with loan forgiveness, but paying $10k-$25k more if you think Duke/Heinz will meet your needs better does not sound terrible to me.

 

I can't speak to the relative value of the specific programs.  I would definitely look closely at each program and see what classes are available in your desired specialty area / what the speciality areas of the main faculty are.

 

After having extended conversations with my parents, they agreed to help cover the cost of living expenses (i.e. only rent). Combined with the financial aid I'm getting from my total debt situation now looks to be around $35k-50k (assume it to be on the lower end of the spectrum, since I plan on living very conservatively). Assuming that I get a Federal or State govt. job with a starting salary in the $50k-$60k range, would you say that this is a sensible investment/tradeoff? 

 

Sorry if I'm asking too many questions, and thanks again for feedback. 

[graddypaddy]

I believe that Georgetown's Walsh School of Foreign Service is considerably more selective in terms of admitted students for their MSFS program than GWU's Elliott School is for their MAIA program and that this gives it the perception of being more prestigious to attend (which it may very well be), but I think that in reality the selectivity of the program has more to do with that fact that it is not the primary program at the Walsh School of Foreign Service. By contrast the MA program in International Affairs is the Elliott School's primary program, which is why it admits more students in general.

 

I don't mean to be rude but this is total nonsense. MSFS is literally their flagship program, which is a fact they state openly. MSFS can enroll in practically any other program's courses, not just in the School of Foreign Service but even in other departments. The only classes more exclusive than MSFS courses are Security Studies courses, but even then MSFS students regularly enroll in SSP courses, and SSP is not the primary flagship program

Edited April 6, 2015 by graddypaddy

[Atlas445]

I don't mean to be rude but this is total nonsense. MSFS is literally their flagship program, which is a fact they state openly. MSFS can enroll in practically any other program's courses, not just in the School of Foreign Service but even in other departments. The only classes more exclusive than MSFS courses are Security Studies courses, but even then MSFS students regularly enroll in SSP courses, and SSP is not the primary flagship program

 

You're entitled to your opinion, but I'm inclined to disagree. To clarify my intention wasn't to suggest that SSP is "better" than the MSFS program, it was simply intended to mean that there are more resources being devoted to it as evidenced by the greater course offerings specifically intended for the SSP. My research suggested that the SSP admits more students into its program than does the MSFS program, and while the importance of the programs are certainly relative to individuals like you and I, they are less relative to the Walsh School of Foreign Service as revenue generating mechanisms.  Admitting more students brings in more revenue, which enables the school to devote more resources to programs admitting more students.  That's why I stated that the SSP is the "primary" program at the Walsh School of Foreign Service.  It admits the most students, generates more revenue, and in turn has more resources being devoted to it.  

 

Perhaps that's because it allows for part-time study making it an easier "sale" to prospective students looking to attend graduate study, or because it's academic rigor isn't as difficult as the MSFS leading to fewer students failing to complete the program, etc. Whatever the reason, it doesn't change the fact that it simply has more resources being devoted to it, enabling it to take on more students, and devote more classes to that particular program. This doesn't mean that it is a "better" program than MSFS.

[NotLostWanderer]

I am in a situation that I thought had an easy solution, but I am currently absolutely dumbfounded as to how to best proceed.

 

Option 1: Attend a school that no one on this board has mentioned. It has a new program in exactly the field I'm interested in but has little reputation as an IR school. I would get to do research in my field. I would have no debt with money left over if I did this. I'd have lots of attention from the few professors who do the work I'm interested in. I would try to get an internship in DC next summer. 

 

Option 2: Attend a school in DC (GW). I would have roughly $40k in debt if I did this. I'd try to get internships during the year and summer, but I've heard paid ones are hard to come by.

 

I want to ultimately work for the government. I have heard that "prestige" doesn't really matter in that case, other than getting your foot in the door. 

Does anyone have any insight?

[Atlas445]

I am in a situation that I thought had an easy solution, but I am currently absolutely dumbfounded as to how to best proceed.

 

Option 1: Attend a school that no one on this board has mentioned. It has a new program in exactly the field I'm interested in but has little reputation as an IR school. I would get to do research in my field. I would have no debt with money left over if I did this. I'd have lots of attention from the few professors who do the work I'm interested in. I would try to get an internship in DC next summer. 

 

Option 2: Attend a school in DC (GW). I would have roughly $40k in debt if I did this. I'd try to get internships during the year and summer, but I've heard paid ones are hard to come by.

 

I want to ultimately work for the government. I have heard that "prestige" doesn't really matter in that case, other than getting your foot in the door. 

Does anyone have any insight?

 

How about some more details?  What are you wanting to study?  What kind of work are you wanting to do?  Where is this unknown school located?  Who would your professors be?  Do they have work experience that is actually "in the field" you want to get into working at the places you'd want to be working at?

[NotLostWanderer]

How about some more details?  What are you wanting to study?  What kind of work are you wanting to do?  Where is this unknown school located?  Who would your professors be?  Do they have work experience that is actually "in the field" you want to get into working at the places you'd want to be working at?

 

Sorry for being so vague in my post, but I want to keep some level of anonymity. That said, pardon me for ignoring some aspects of your questions.

I want to study international security. The school is located in a major city, yet no relevant work is done there aside from research. It is too far from DC to have any relevance. A few of the professors have experience in a related field, but none seem to have experience in exactly what I'm interested in. I could see myself starting where they worked in the past as a stepping stone to where I ultimately want to work, but I think it might be more difficult to get into my dream job initially.

[Atlas445]

Sorry for being so vague in my post, but I want to keep some level of anonymity. That said, pardon me for ignoring some aspects of your questions.

I want to study international security. The school is located in a major city, yet no relevant work is done there aside from research. It is too far from DC to have any relevance. A few of the professors have experience in a related field, but none seem to have experience in exactly what I'm interested in. I could see myself starting where they worked in the past as a stepping stone to where I ultimately want to work, but I think it might be more difficult to get into my dream job initially.

 

It's tough to turn down a free ride. I suppose if you feel that the professors pose some decent networking value to you, and the courses available represent something that you want to learn or feel would enhance your resume within the security/gov realm than it would be fine. I think it's always a good idea to look at the course catalog they have for this year and previous years to get a sense of what classes are available, when and who they're taught by to put together a mock schedule for the duration of your time there and then see if you like the program compared to another mock schedule put together from the other program. I did this for Georgetown's SSP and GWU's SPS program with the professors names listed by the courses and hyperlinked to their profiles so I can quickly look at their experience, research, etc. and compare the programs side by side, class for class, schedule for schedule to see which program makes more sense.

[notsosure]

May I ask, Atlas445 - have you decided yet where to go? I still haven't but if I don't get any scholarship at all at Georgetown I will most likely have to choose GWU - albeit with regrets that I am playing it safe instead of attending the school I want to be at.

[Atlas445]

May I ask, Atlas445 - have you decided yet where to go? I still haven't but if I don't get any scholarship at all at Georgetown I will most likely have to choose GWU - albeit with regrets that I am playing it safe instead of attending the school I want to be at.

 

After doing the schedule comparisons in excel I found the program at Georgetown to have more classes that I was interested in studying (more options in general), and with professors that I was more interested in learning from/networking with (if possible). That being said it's hard to walk away from a merit scholarship, but I feel that playing it safe would leave me with regrets as well. Since the admitted student's day for both programs is this Friday, I'm going to go to the one for Georgetown with the mindset that if I'm not completely blown away by the sheer awesomeness of their program that I should be fully prepared to accept GWU's offer. I PM'd you as well.

Edited April 7, 2015 by Atlas445

[WinterSolstice]

Sorry for being so vague in my post, but I want to keep some level of anonymity. That said, pardon me for ignoring some aspects of your questions.

I want to study international security. The school is located in a major city, yet no relevant work is done there aside from research. It is too far from DC to have any relevance. A few of the professors have experience in a related field, but none seem to have experience in exactly what I'm interested in. I could see myself starting where they worked in the past as a stepping stone to where I ultimately want to work, but I think it might be more difficult to get into my dream job initially.

 

How much work experience do you have already? If you have a decent amount of work experience on the IR world already, and are just looking to do a track change, where you get your Masters will matter much less, and will be more ticking the box. If your relevant work experience is much less, then I could see the brand name mattering a bit more/helping you get your foot in the door. My only word of caution is that from your description, it does not sound like the school giving you a free ride would help you with what you're interested in. I could be wrong, but just going off of what you've written, it sounds like they don't have faculty that are experts in your intended field (do they at least have courses in that area? If not, definitely consider everything carefully). Even if you don't spend a lot of money at this program, it is still years from your life, and effort. I don't think it would necessarily be wise to sign up for a school that will not help you get where you want to go, regardless of how inexpensive it is. At the end of the day, if money is your concern, you can always take another year to build your resume, re-take standardized tests, and re-apply to programs with the goal of getting more aid. 

[intldvpt123]

Sorry for being so vague in my post, but I want to keep some level of anonymity. That said, pardon me for ignoring some aspects of your questions.

I want to study international security. The school is located in a major city, yet no relevant work is done there aside from research. It is too far from DC to have any relevance. A few of the professors have experience in a related field, but none seem to have experience in exactly what I'm interested in. I could see myself starting where they worked in the past as a stepping stone to where I ultimately want to work, but I think it might be more difficult to get into my dream job initially.

 

I'd say go with the program that would offer you the best curriculum for what you want to do and the best connections. I am in a somewhat similar situation. However in my case, it turns out that the lesser known program is also a better fit for what I want to do. If you want to work for the government, your connections and how well you perform on the entry tests matter a lot. I think a prestigious degree does help a little, especially in international security.   

[NotLostWanderer]

It's tough to turn down a free ride. I suppose if you feel that the professors pose some decent networking value to you, and the courses available represent something that you want to learn or feel would enhance your resume within the security/gov realm than it would be fine. I think it's always a good idea to look at the course catalog they have for this year and previous years to get a sense of what classes are available, when and who they're taught by to put together a mock schedule for the duration of your time there and then see if you like the program compared to another mock schedule put together from the other program. I did this for Georgetown's SSP and GWU's SPS program with the professors names listed by the courses and hyperlinked to their profiles so I can quickly look at their experience, research, etc. and compare the programs side by side, class for class, schedule for schedule to see which program makes more sense.

The courses are certainly relevant and actually very finely tuned to what I want to study, but they're all fairly new. There's no one I can talk to who has gone through the program. A mock schedule is a great idea. I might decide to go to Georgetown if I get too into the strengths of the program, and that I certainly can't afford.

 

How much work experience do you have already? If you have a decent amount of work experience on the IR world already, and are just looking to do a track change, where you get your Masters will matter much less, and will be more ticking the box. If your relevant work experience is much less, then I could see the brand name mattering a bit more/helping you get your foot in the door. My only word of caution is that from your description, it does not sound like the school giving you a free ride would help you with what you're interested in. I could be wrong, but just going off of what you've written, it sounds like they don't have faculty that are experts in your intended field (do they at least have courses in that area? If not, definitely consider everything carefully). Even if you don't spend a lot of money at this program, it is still years from your life, and effort. I don't think it would necessarily be wise to sign up for a school that will not help you get where you want to go, regardless of how inexpensive it is. At the end of the day, if money is your concern, you can always take another year to build your resume, re-take standardized tests, and re-apply to programs with the goal of getting more aid. 

I have one year of work experience in another field, plus some internships also in another field. Perhaps I did not do a good job of describing the program at the "free ride" school. It has many courses in the area I'm interested in. Two faculty members have some experience, although not exactly similar to what I strive to be. They have a grant that actually puts them in collaboration with a place I could see myself working, but I am not sure how strong the ties are. I am thinking I could get good things out of the program if I work really hard. For a $40k+ difference, I'm really thinking it's worth it. I just don't want to always wonder what if...if I decide not to attend GWU...

 

I don't think I'd have a better shot at getting more aid next year, other than perhaps getting a comparable amount of funding at a different school. I'm certainly not going to retake the GRE haha. I have considered working for another year, but I am honestly miserable at my current job.

 

 

I'd say go with the program that would offer you the best curriculum for what you want to do and the best connections. I am in a somewhat similar situation. However in my case, it turns out that the lesser known program is also a better fit for what I want to do. If you want to work for the government, your connections and how well you perform on the entry tests matter a lot. I think a prestigious degree does help a little, especially in international security.   

This is where it's tough...they both have good curriculums. I've heard schools in DC are fairly cutthroat. Is this true? I think I could develop a very good relationship with the professors at the other school as they have gone out of their way to meet and talk with me. I worry about getting lost in a DC program.

 

Do you (or anyone else) have any data points to back up the idea that prestigious degrees help in IS? I know it's an impossible situation to evaluate, but would a person who got into the most prestigious programs be able to ultimately do just as well for himself if he chose a lesser-known program?

[hikarizx]

I am in a situation that I thought had an easy solution, but I am currently absolutely dumbfounded as to how to best proceed.

 

Option 1: Attend a school that no one on this board has mentioned. It has a new program in exactly the field I'm interested in but has little reputation as an IR school. I would get to do research in my field. I would have no debt with money left over if I did this. I'd have lots of attention from the few professors who do the work I'm interested in. I would try to get an internship in DC next summer. 

 

Option 2: Attend a school in DC (GW). I would have roughly $40k in debt if I did this. I'd try to get internships during the year and summer, but I've heard paid ones are hard to come by.

 

I want to ultimately work for the government. I have heard that "prestige" doesn't really matter in that case, other than getting your foot in the door. 

Does anyone have any insight?

 

 

Do you have other debt currently? If not the $40k doesn't sound too bad. I had slightly less after undergrad and my payments were only about $300/month. Other than that I don't think I can give much of an opinion based on the limited information you provided. 

[PhilzatBerkely]

Hi, good people!

I found some solid advise while reading through all your posts. I'll be applying for Fall '16 for master's in International Relations. I think I have good chances of getting into schools I want (Georgetown, Fletcher, Stanford, and UCSD with Georgetown being #1 choice). And, as always, the biggest concern remains DEBT. That's why I listed UCSD as one of my top choices. The program seems pretty rigorous, and they ranked #13 in FP recent poll (not great, but at least it's there). But I didn't see people commenting on the school, nor their program much on here. So I would love to hear your thoughts/comments/rumors etc., especially about hiring prospects in DC.

 

[MaxwellAlum]

Hi folks, I would caution anyone against going to grad school right now on the assumption of receiving Public Service Loan Forgiveness.  That program looks like it's on Congress's chopping block.  While existing borrowers may be grandfathered in, the program is very likely to be changed or eliminated by the time anyone applying now graduates.  Income-based repayment plans will still be available, but forgiveness occurs only after 25 years and it will be considered taxable income.  That means if you get $100,000 of debt forgiven, you may have to pay upwards of $30k in taxes that year just on that amount.  I would strongly caution against anyone taking out much more than $50k in debt for a public policy degree right now.