MA in International Development Programs

Graduate School
1

<p>I was recently accepted into several MA in International Development Programs, including SIPA, SAIS, American, and the MSFS at Georgetown. I've narrowed down my choices to SAIS and American, because SAIS has the best program for my concentration and because American also has a decent program plus they offered me a full ride. I know SAIS is ranked higher and has more prestige plus the Hopkins name...but I don't expect to be making tons of money while working in development (I see myself in a smaller NGO rather than the World Bank) so a full ride would really help me out. Is it worth it to go into debt in order to go to a more prestigious/well-respected program, or is it wiser to take the scholarship and concentrate on standing out in my class?</p>

<p>Any and all comments/advice would be appreciated!</p>

2

<p>i’d go with the full ride offer. as you said yourself, you don’t expect to be making a ton of money at a small NGO, so it’s best not to put yourself into debt now. in general, it’s really only advisable to take on debt for a masters if you expect to get a sizable salary after graduation.</p>