For an MPA - NYU Wagner or CUNY Baruch?

[S29]

I was accepted for the Spring 2010 semester at NYU Wagner and I'm very nervous to say yes mainly because of the cost. I was also accepted at CUNY Baruch School of Public Affairs for the MPA starting this fall. My focus at either school will be in non-profit management but NYU is about four times the cost of Baruch...what to do?

I saved on my undergraduate education by going to a state school but now I'm wondering if it really matters where my MPA is from..does it?

Thanks!

[clementine]

I can understand your position. I too attended a state school to save money for a graduate program and was nervous about the costs of Wagner vs. Baruch. In the end, I chose Wagner.

NYU is what you make of it. If you plan on being involved in extra curricular activities and attending programs that Wagner or NYU have to offer it, it can be worth the money. The network of professionals and Wagner alum you will have access to is impressive as well. I haven't met many Baruch alumni who are in positions I can see myself in, but have met many Wagner alum who are.

That being said, the quality of some classes/professors at Wagner does not warrant the high tuition, and there seems to be a good group of students, who in their first semester, contemplate transferring to Baruch. Plus, Wagner is stingy with scholarship money. Most people I know have not received any.

I cannot speak for Baruch, but what impresses me most about Wagner is the sense of community among students. I really do love the people I have met.

Hope this helps.

[S29]

hey clementine,

thanks for your insight! i got the same feeling from talking to Wagner and Baruch alums/current students. Baruch feels more like a place to get a degree because that's just the next step and Wagner has more students who envsion larger leadership roles for themselves. not that those students don't exist in Baruch but NYU administration seems better prepared to create curriculum and a community for those goals.

i think i've deicded on NYU (hopefully my bank account will forgive me).

thanks again,

s

[pea-jay]

hey clementine,

thanks for your insight! i got the same feeling from talking to Wagner and Baruch alums/current students. Baruch feels more like a place to get a degree because that's just the next step and Wagner has more students who envsion larger leadership roles for themselves. not that those students don't exist in Baruch but NYU administration seems better prepared to create curriculum and a community for those goals.

i think i've deicded on NYU (hopefully my bank account will forgive me).

thanks again,

s

I'll bump this up. I visited both schools and the comments in regards to the cohesiveness of the Wagner student body are totally on the mark. I observed a class and talked to students, all of whom seemed pretty jazzed to be there. I even got invited to their friday happy hour event, was totally welcomed and had an absolutely great time. In contrast, Baruch's students were more ambivalent about their school. Not hating it or anything, but just lacking that same energy level found at Wagner.

[The_Hanged_Man]

I'll bump this up. I visited both schools and the comments in regards to the cohesiveness of the Wagner student body are totally on the mark. I observed a class and talked to students, all of whom seemed pretty jazzed to be there. I even got invited to their friday happy hour event, was totally welcomed and had an absolutely great time. In contrast, Baruch's students were more ambivalent about their school. Not hating it or anything, but just lacking that same energy level found at Wagner.

I'm a former Wagner grad and I had a great experience there so I highly recommend it. I had some truly exceptional internship opportunities that really boosted my options after I finished. My loans, however, are nothing to sneeze at especially considering the typical wages a MPA grad can expect.

[pea-jay]

My loans, however, are nothing to sneeze at especially considering the typical wages a MPA grad can expect.

This is what gives me doubt about that program. I have no UG loans, and my wife is 20% done with her loan ($110/month). I think I can swing a couple hundred bucks a month over the next 10 years but anything more than that may give me enough pause to reconsider the program. We'll see. I'm hoping for a mix of grants, scholarships, research assistantships, paid internships and loans will be sufficient to cover it all.

Also, being out-of state means Baruch will be far more costly than compared to residents, at least for the first year.

Edited November 16, 2009 by pea-jay