<p>I have been accepted to Brown and UCLA for grad school. I will study public policy, a program for which UCLA is ranked 14, and Brown has yet to crack the top 50. I am a CA resident, therefore UCLA wins cost-wise even though I got a $10,000 scholarship to Brown. </p>
<p>I want to hear specific information related to the graduate programs and public policy, I have tons of people who have no idea about program rankings telling me to go to Brown. I realize that Brown is probably the better school overall for undergrad, but I want to compare these two programs specifically. Also, I really like the idea of a smaller school and more personalized attention. </p>
<p>Environmental factors are a non-issue, I am a tough cookie so cold weather, mice, spiders, etc. are completely irrelevant and a waste of time to post here (seriously).</p>
<p>This is really the wrong forum to ask this question-- most of us here are experts on the undergraduate thing, not the graduate school thing.</p>
<p>I’d ask Brown upfront, what makes them well-suited for what you want to do and why should you be there instead of UCLA.</p>
<p>I’m going to a master’s program at Brown next year (after graduating from undergrad here this year) and the Education Department (I’m studying Urban Education Policy) was extremely upfront about why they feel their program is beneficial over their competitors. If you find yourself in agreement with Brown’s PP sell, and you find that those benefits are worth coming here, than come here. If not, go to UCLA.</p>
<p>Dear Modest,</p>
<p>Please note the title of this thread: ‘Grad School,’ therefore, if you have no pertinent information, you need not reply. I am curious as to what makes you an ‘expert on the undergraduate thing,’ except that you clearly spend too much time on this website. </p>
<p>Have you even visited a UC school before? From many of your posts it is seems that you are biased toward Brown in every respect. Please don’t respond to this post with another five paragraph essay extolling the virtues of Brown… </p>
<p>You remind me of the guy who got caught blogging about Whole Foods; he was on the board for one of their competitors or some such nonsense. Are you sure that you don’t work for Brown University?</p>
<p>Woah. In modest’s defense, he was letting you know that you might get more informed responses in a more timely matter if you went elsewhere than a board that is mostly filled with high school hopefuls and undergrads at Brown. His post didn’t extol the virtues of Brown or insist that you come here–he pointed you in the direction of another way to find information. He doesn’t work for Brown–he’s a student. </p>
<p>Anyway:
The chances that you’ll find anyone on this board with extensive experience in the public policy grad program is low—is it feasible for you to visit and talk to individuals in the program? You’ve noted that rankings-wise and cost-wise UCLA is the clear winner and I imagine that those who are pointing you towards Brown do so simply because we’re an Ivy, which isn’t really a good reason. I’ve never been to UCLA, so I can’t compare it, but it seems like the only factors that would validly sway you here would be certain intangibles that I don’t think anyone here would justifiably be able to communicate to you. </p>
<p>Personally, though I love Brown undergrad, I’m not sure I would choose to go here for Grad School, esp. over another program that was cheaper and higher ranked.</p>
<p>Wow, OP, way to sound like an immature *****. Did you set this question up just so you could respond and insult MM? Grow up.</p>
<p>Seems pretty clear UCLA is the best choice- I don’t think Brown is well known for any of its graduate programs. Slight location advantage to attend networking events in DC if you were to go to Brown (though Amtrak is ridiculously expensive on the Northeast Corridor)… but that is the only thing I can think of really. Even if you weren’t a CA resident, UCLA is a world renowned school with excellent graduate departments across the board. I’m sure the alumni network and strength of faculty at UCLA will be far superior.</p>
<p>Econ: UCLA (14) > Brown (19)
Poli sci: UCLA (11) > Brown (unranked)
History: UCLA (9) > Brown (17)
Sociology: UCLA (9) > Brown (25)</p>
<p>perhaps less related to what you’re interested in:
Math: UCLA (12) > Brown (14)
Biology: UCLA (23) > Brown (34)
Physics: UCLA (16) > Brown (29)
Chemistry: UCLA (12) > Brown (unranked)</p>
<p>Dear ■■■■■–</p>
<p>This board is for incoming undergraduates. There is a separate board on this page for Graduate School, but even that board is not as good as some popular sites for incoming graduate students. Those webpages are likely to have people who have gone through the process before and have experienced various programs and can better help identify what aspects of a school were critical to making their graduate experience what it is. Pointing out that this board in general is not going to find many (re: any) responses from current public policy graduate students at Brown who can help you out is not being dismissive or biased, nor does it warrant you making a personal attack on me.</p>
<p>I did the best I could to respond to how I dealt with the decision to stay here and earn a fifth-year master’s based on how the Education Department was selling itself to incoming graduate students. I’m sorry if you think it’s bad advice, but that’s the most translatable thing I could tell you from my own personal knowledge-- at best, other people would be giving you information from a similar position, though they may come up with different advice.</p>
<p>At no point in my post did I suggest that Brown was where you should be or put down UCLA. I’d personally lean toward UCLA, as you currently are, and I would put it on Brown to sell itself to me. That’s why I would do what I recommended.</p>
<p>I’m sorry that you’re so immature that you feel the need to address posts I make which have nothing to do with my response to you and that you’ve decided to judge me based on that. I don’t work for Brown, though I wouldn’t mind working for them one day. I’m not anonymous at all on here-- my real name and information is readily available. If you really think this is an issue that warrants an, “I’m a tough guy trying to impress some drunk skank in a bar,” kind of response, feel free to private message me, IM me, email me, or report me to the mods.</p>
<p>I’m going to Duke and I LOL’d at this…</p>
<p>Both are great. :)</p>
<p>Drunk bar skanks…yum</p>
<p>To the OP: What did modestmelody do to you? I think that you misread his first post.</p>
<p>You stated that UCLA is ranked way higher than Brown for the specific department that you’re looking at and it’s cheaper…seems to me that takes the cake. The only thing that would be holding me back from going to UCLA is if I madly preferred Brown over UCLA. Take MM’s advice and make Brown tell you why it’s the best choice for you. I’d personally choose UCLA over Brown in this situation because Brown, as I’ve heard, is much better for undergrad than grad programs.</p>
<p>BTW, I’m a high school sophomore advising you here, so you can tear me up for my advice, but I think that my comments were logical and well-thought out. Well, let the aspersions fly!!! :)</p>