Elite schools generous with aid (besides Princeton)?

[TemujinAmbition]

Aside from Woodrow Wilson at Princeton, are there any elite IR/MPA programs in the US that have known for being generous with financial aid? The general impression I get is that most of them are pretty stingy...and even when they do give money, it is rarely enough to avoid taking on substantial amounts of debt to pay for school costs.

[irapplicant1776]

Elite as in top 10? Top 5? I think you're right that in general most of the top programs are stingy. However, if you are competitive enough to get into the top 5 schools like Georgetown/Johns Hopkins, then you can potentially get a full ride from a slightly less prestigious peer school. This was my way of avoiding debt.

 

Edited May 9, 2016 by irapplicant1776

[TemujinAmbition]

I suppose I'm keen on top 10 in particular (HYP, Columbia, Hopkins, Stanford, Tufts, etc.). Of these, I've only witnessed Princeton being generous. However, if you any insights on the top 25 FP schools, that can be helpful too. 

[irapplicant1776]

I believe I've heard of generous offers from UCSD, Syracuse and NYU (American also gives a few very generous graduate assistantship awards). I would make sure to mark in your application that you are applying to the elite schools you mentioned above, and if you're lucky they'll give you a generous offer to try to "steal you away." 

Edited May 10, 2016 by irapplicant1776

[Shadowscholar123]

You should also look into Yale Jackson. They are very generous with financial aid if you get in! I'm testimony to that

[Ben414]

The usage of strict rankings for MPP/MPA seems dubious to me, so I'm not sure how you'd determine which schools are "elite" versus "just really good." From what I'd consider "elite," Yale and Princeton are very generous. Berkeley doesn't seem especially generous in terms of scholarships, but its lower tuition and availability of TA/RA positions make it more affordable than many. Tufts seems to give out a solid amount. I have no idea about Stanford. I'm not sure if you'd consider them elite, but Duke and Michigan seem to offer a good amount.

[TemujinAmbition]

Wow, is it common for professional schools to try to "poach" students from other schools? I was thinking the professional grad programs are more about making money and so have less incentive to give good aid to poach students (like undergrad schools trying to boost ranking). Do you need to be a California person to get good rate from UCSD? I got into NYU undergraduate and they were not very generous from what I recall. Good to hear their grad program is more affordable, how generous have the NYU offers been from what you have seen?

 

Congrats dude, Jackson only lets in roughly 35 people, yes? I would love to go if I get the acceptance. I know they have reputation for selectivity, did not know they gave good aid. Could you elaborate on what kind of award they give and perhaps what kind of award you get if it's not too personal of question? Like do they normally give half tuition, full tuition, stipend, etc.?

By elite I am thinking good global recognition of university brand, higher ranking on FP or US news, and extremely strong network both for the IR/policy program and the university as a whole. Would you say school like Berkeley with a TA position have comparable total price as other schools of similar caliber with scholarships? Many of the better Tufts offers I see on graduatecafe are like 30 USD...which is looking nice until realizing that even with 30 award per year, one must take 60 USD in debt for just two year degree! US schools very costly, which is why I asking this question. Duke has good ranking and decent global reputation, so I call it elite. Michigan has good ranking too, but not as big reputation as Duke

[irapplicant1776]

1 hour ago, Ben414 said:

The usage of strict rankings for MPP/MPA seems dubious to me, so I'm not sure how you'd determine which schools are "elite" versus "just really good." From what I'd consider "elite," Yale and Princeton are very generous. Berkeley doesn't seem especially generous in terms of scholarships, but its lower tuition and availability of TA/RA positions make it more affordable than many. Tufts seems to give out a solid amount. I have no idea about Stanford. I'm not sure if you'd consider them elite, but Duke and Michigan seem to offer a good amount.

Re: Tufts

Really? They say on their website they give very, very few full ride offers. From what I've seen they'll offer a good chunk of tuition, but not enough to save you from considerable debt.

[irapplicant1776]

16 minutes ago, TemujinAmbition said:

Wow, is it common for professional schools to try to "poach" students from other schools? I was thinking the professional grad programs are more about making money and so have less incentive to give good aid to poach students (like undergrad schools trying to boost ranking). Do you need to be a California person to get good rate from UCSD? I got into NYU undergraduate and they were not very generous from what I recall. Good to hear their grad program is more affordable, how generous have the NYU offers been from what you have seen?

 

I don't know details, I just have seen these kinds of offers (usually a full ride) on the results pages on this forum. I recommend scrolling through this year's and last's years results pages to see who got a full ride and at what schools. But yeah, I would say grad schools are concerned about their ranking relative to their peer schools. I don't know it for a fact, but I would guess that American thought I would go one of the other top DC schools if they didn't give me significant financial aid. 

[TemujinAmbition]

Just now, irapplicant1776 said:

Re: Tufts

Really? They say on their website they give very, very few full ride offers. From what I've seen they'll offer a good chunk of tuition, but not enough to save you from considerable debt.

Yes, this is exactly what i have seen from Tufts: they give many students something in range of 20-30 thousand scholarship...but still not enough to offset 50-60 thousand cost per annum. So student is still left with taking out 30 thousand loan each year. 

[monocle]

Apply broadly and apply for scholarships/fellowships. IMO it doesn't really matter which have a reputation for being generous or stingy, but which ones actually give ME the money. If you don't get what you need, you can always try again the next year.

[Shadowscholar123]

10 hours ago, TemujinAmbition said:

Wow, is it common for professional schools to try to "poach" students from other schools? I was thinking the professional grad programs are more about making money and so have less incentive to give good aid to poach students (like undergrad schools trying to boost ranking). Do you need to be a California person to get good rate from UCSD? I got into NYU undergraduate and they were not very generous from what I recall. Good to hear their grad program is more affordable, how generous have the NYU offers been from what you have seen?

 

Congrats dude, Jackson only lets in roughly 35 people, yes? I would love to go if I get the acceptance. I know they have reputation for selectivity, did not know they gave good aid. Could you elaborate on what kind of award they give and perhaps what kind of award you get if it's not too personal of question? Like do they normally give half tuition, full tuition, stipend, etc.?

By elite I am thinking good global recognition of university brand, higher ranking on FP or US news, and extremely strong network both for the IR/policy program and the university as a whole. Would you say school like Berkeley with a TA position have comparable total price as other schools of similar caliber with scholarships? Many of the better Tufts offers I see on graduatecafe are like 30 USD...which is looking nice until realizing that even with 30 award per year, one must take 60 USD in debt for just two year degree! US schools very costly, which is why I asking this question. Duke has good ranking and decent global reputation, so I call it elite. Michigan has good ranking too, but not as big reputation as Duke

Thanks! And yes, I believe Yale Jackson has the smallest cohort among the "elite" schools with this year's incoming class comprising only 27 students. I think the majority of students receive funding which often starts from half tuition to full tuition and a living stipend. I have also heard that they are pushing to fully fund all incoming students in the coming years and make it more Princeton-ish. On top of that they also pay you anywhere between 4K to 8K per semester as a Teaching Fellow/ TA. One of the folks I talked to TAed for all her 4 semesters and received 8k per semester, which is pretty sweet I think.

I received a half tuition scholarship btw.

Edited May 10, 2016 by Shadowscholar123

[Expedia]

In my case, I got into Syracuse and Georgetown. Initially Georgetown had offered me something like 60% scholarship and Syracuse had offered me 100% tuition with stipend for the first year and none for second. But at the end Georgetown increased my aid to cover 100% of my tuition which I think is very generous since I think Georgetown does not provide stipend for Master's program.  

[TemujinAmbition]

Just now, monocle said:

IMO it doesn't really matter which have a reputation for being generous or stingy, but which ones actually give ME the money. 

Yes, but Princeton has more chance of giving ME money if accepted. Ceteris paribus with regards to applicant qualifications, I do think a college's generosity is important factor to know. No one can predict with certainty who will give money on individualistic basis, as you point out...but I am certainly more inclined to send application to schools who are having more reputation of aid and higher probability of giving money support to students. Sorry I am having to disagree on this point.

Edited May 10, 2016 by TemujinAmbition

[TemujinAmbition]

Just now, Shadowscholar123 said:

Thanks! And yes, I believe Yale Jackson has the smallest cohort among the "elite" schools with this year's incoming class comprising only 27 students. I think the majority of students receive funding which often starts from half tuition to full tuition and a living stipend. I have also heard that they are pushing to fully fund all incoming students in the coming years and make it more Princeton-ish. On top of that they also pay you anywhere between 4K to 8K per semester as a Teaching Fellow/ TA. One of the folks I talked to TAed for all her 4 semesters and received 8k per semester, which is pretty sweet I think.

I received a half tuition scholarship btw.

Wow, that is awesome! I am thinking I will definitely apply to Yale now. Is this full funding in future a rumor or set plan? How quickly will they implement? I am thinking I will apply to there after few more years of work, so I am hoping to God that they will have adopted this plan by the time that I am applying to there =)

I do not mind teaching assisting the undergraduates, I think it would be fun experience. Do they usually have enough TA positions for everybody that wants to do it, or is it like other colleges where only select few get the TA job?

Edited May 10, 2016 by TemujinAmbition

[TemujinAmbition]

Just now, Expedia said:

In my case, I got into Syracuse and Georgetown. Initially Georgetown had offered me something like 60% scholarship and Syracuse had offered me 100% tuition with stipend for the first year and none for second. But at the end Georgetown increased my aid to cover 100% of my tuition which I think is very generous since I think Georgetown does not provide stipend for Master's program.  

Wow man, that is super cool! Georgetown is the #1 program! If you do not mind the prying, can you tell what your stats and background are for to get such nice funding from top school?

[Expedia]

I am going through serious imposter syndrome on firstly getting into Georgetown and then getting full funding. To begin with I went to a small, unknown and unranked private liberal arts college, and graduated with Political Science and Economics Major and Mathematics Minor. My GPA was 3.91 and I was within top 1% of my graduating class. GRE scores were modest with 157V, 166Q and 4.0 W. One of the factors why I got into the program is probably because I am from a developing country. Although, I think that consistency on your application is the MOST important  factor. I am sure I got amazing recommendation from my professors because I was kind of a big fish in a small pond and they really mentored me personally. Also, my personal essay somewhat aligned with what was told about me in the recommendation. 

I graduated just last year and have been working in private sector since in not so amazing job (from public service perspective). So, do not hesitate applying to good schools even if you do not have relevant work experience and above all make sure your application is consistent. Write recommendation from professors who truly know you and can write a personal letter. (I did not tick FERPA release form in one of my application and was able to read my recommendations. There was a huge difference between the personal letters and the one that repeated my CV and thankfully I happen to have recommendations from professors who knew me well in my Georgetown application.)

Edited May 10, 2016 by Expedia

[Ben414]

On 5/10/2016 at 11:29 PM, TemujinAmbition said:

Wow, is it common for professional schools to try to "poach" students from other schools? I was thinking the professional grad programs are more about making money and so have less incentive to give good aid to poach students (like undergrad schools trying to boost ranking). Do you need to be a California person to get good rate from UCSD? I got into NYU undergraduate and they were not very generous from what I recall. Good to hear their grad program is more affordable, how generous have the NYU offers been from what you have seen?

 

Congrats dude, Jackson only lets in roughly 35 people, yes? I would love to go if I get the acceptance. I know they have reputation for selectivity, did not know they gave good aid. Could you elaborate on what kind of award they give and perhaps what kind of award you get if it's not too personal of question? Like do they normally give half tuition, full tuition, stipend, etc.?

By elite I am thinking good global recognition of university brand, higher ranking on FP or US news, and extremely strong network both for the IR/policy program and the university as a whole. Would you say school like Berkeley with a TA position have comparable total price as other schools of similar caliber with scholarships? Many of the better Tufts offers I see on graduatecafe are like 30 USD...which is looking nice until realizing that even with 30 award per year, one must take 60 USD in debt for just two year degree! US schools very costly, which is why I asking this question. Duke has good ranking and decent global reputation, so I call it elite. Michigan has good ranking too, but not as big reputation as Duke

Nice try, bsack. You're going to have to be more inconspicuous than that, though. Creating a profile who just happens to only upvote your own posts isn't going to fool anyone.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Ben414

[TemujinAmbition]

On 5/10/2016 at 4:38 PM, Expedia said:

I am going through serious imposter syndrome on firstly getting into Georgetown and then getting full funding. To begin with I went to a small, unknown and unranked private liberal arts college, and graduated with Political Science and Economics Major and Mathematics Minor. My GPA was 3.91 and I was within top 1% of my graduating class. GRE scores were modest with 157V, 166Q and 4.0 W. One of the factors why I got into the program is probably because I am from a developing country. Although, I think that consistency on your application is the MOST important  factor. I am sure I got amazing recommendation from my professors because I was kind of a big fish in a small pond and they really mentored me personally. Also, my personal essay somewhat aligned with what was told about me in the recommendation. 

I graduated just last year and have been working in private sector since in not so amazing job (from public service perspective). So, do not hesitate applying to good schools even if you do not have relevant work experience and above all make sure your application is consistent. Write recommendation from professors who truly know you and can write a personal letter. (I did not tick FERPA release form in one of my application and was able to read my recommendations. There was a huge difference between the personal letters and the one that repeated my CV and thankfully I happen to have recommendations from professors who knew me well in my Georgetown application.)

Thanks for providing your information. I am thinking that basically all of the people that I remember going to IR school without having many relevant working experiences were from foreign place. I think it gives a plus that you have real international experience growing up that many American don't have. This is good for foreign guy, not so good for American applicants, since they are needing more international experience to compensate haha. 

[MD guy]

On May 9, 2016 at 3:47 PM, TemujinAmbition said:

I suppose I'm keen on top 10 in particular (HYP, Columbia, Hopkins, Stanford, Tufts, etc.). Of these, I've only witnessed Princeton being generous. However, if you any insights on the top 25 FP schools, that can be helpful too. 

1. What is this "top 10" you speak of...
2. Stop thinking in terms of "top #" anything. Nobody cares (at least not that much)
3. Profit. (Literally. As this thread shows, you'll save money and heartache by ditching these preconceptions)

Edited May 15, 2016 by MD guy

[TemujinAmbition]

2 hours ago, MD guy said:

1. What is this "top 10" you speak of...
2. Stop thinking in terms of "top #" anything. Nobody cares (at least not that much)
3. Profit. (Literally. As this thread shows, you'll save money and heartache by ditching these preconceptions)

1. Sorry if not making clear, I was referring to this: http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/02/03/top-twenty-five-schools-international-relations/ I am not meaning exactly top 10, since number can change a little bit any year. But I do mean most highly-reputed programs, and this list roughly correlate with that. 

2. I am not confirmed in what I want to specialize in, so I am thinking top # school might be help in private sector if I decide on that path. Plus, top # school is BIG deal in my home country of origin. It provide boost in job search. I am not sure why you try and convince top # is not top #. Why should I not apply to top # place? 

3. Sorry, I am not seeing where it say this thing on this thread? It mostly talk about places with scholarship, like Yale, Princeton, Duke, Tufts, NYU, UCal, plus Georgetown. Can you elaborate in your response comment?

Edited May 15, 2016 by TemujinAmbition

[MD guy]

On May 15, 2016 at 5:04 PM, TemujinAmbition said:

1. Sorry if not making clear, I was referring to this: http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/02/03/top-twenty-five-schools-international-relations/ I am not meaning exactly top 10, since number can change a little bit any year. But I do mean most highly-reputed programs, and this list roughly correlate with that. 

2. I am not confirmed in what I want to specialize in, so I am thinking top # school might be help in private sector if I decide on that path. Plus, top # school is BIG deal in my home country of origin. It provide boost in job search. I am not sure why you try and convince top # is not top #. Why should I not apply to top # place? 

3. Sorry, I am not seeing where it say this thing on this thread? It mostly talk about places with scholarship, like Yale, Princeton, Duke, Tufts, NYU, UCal, plus Georgetown. Can you elaborate in your response comment?

Oh didn't know you were international. You know the situation in your country better so I won't argue about that. My point about not focusing so much on the top #s is that in the U.S., pitting top private programs against other top private programs is a useless exercise. Almost all of them will offer great job prospects, networks, and opportunity. I'm not saying you shouldn't apply to top places, but that your tone in gunning for a "top 10" place is misguided; there's no need to obsess about rankings like that. But if your goal is to go back to your home country where people are prestige whores, then by all means, do what is necessary!

[TemujinAmbition]

5 hours ago, MD guy said:

But if your goal is to go back to your home country where people are prestige whores, then by all means, do what is necessary!

This seems a bit excessively contemptuous. What's on your mind, brother?

[MD guy]

4 hours ago, TemujinAmbition said:

This seems a bit excessively contemptuous. What's on your mind, brother?

Don't mean that at all! You are being realistic about what people in your home country are looking for. My point remains: rankings are a good starting point, but no need to obsess about them.

[TemujinAmbition]

On 5/21/2016 at 1:26 AM, MD guy said:

Don't mean that at all! You are being realistic about what people in your home country are looking for. My point remains: rankings are a good starting point, but no need to obsess about them.

It say you do MD and MPP under your cut the rope creature. Out of curiosity, why you do this? Will you be working for Doctors Sans Frontieres or the WHO or CDC or something else like this? It is interesting combination.