<p>I'm currently trying to decide between these:
1) Stanford Univ - MS</a> Management Science & Engineering
2) London School of Econ - MSc</a> Economics (2-year programme)
3) UMich Ann Arbor (Rackham) - MS</a> Industrial & Operations Engineering</p>
<p>This is somewhat of a difficult decision for me. I've briefly outlined the pros and cons for each program, though my biggest, biggest concern right now has to do with post-graduation employment prospects. The job market is still in very fragile shape and naturally, every student wants to make his degree worthwhile.</p>
<p>My background is in industrial engineering. I've taken a few economics & finance classes, though not enough to qualify for LSE's 1-year MSc programme as opposed to its 2-year. I don't really have a preference for one over the other, and many graduates from either field end up working for the same companies anyway.</p>
<p>1) Stanford Univ - MS</a> Management Science & Engineering
Program Duration: 1.0–1.33 years (45 units)
Cost:</a> $41,220 base tuition (est.)
If I crash at parents' house in Palo Alto, then additional living expenses are minimal; if I live on campus, $53–55K</p>
<ul>
<li>Very large department w/12 areas of specialization; provides lots of flexibility</li>
<li>Brand-name institution (though the department itself is not ranked as highly as UMich's)</li>
<li>Has a project requirement</li>
<li>Zero financial aid; website</a> FAQ claims under 10% of MS students receive funding of any kind
(Sidenote: I've lived in the Bay</a> Area for basically my entire life, so I'm kind of itching for a new environment, though it's not too big of an issue.)</li>
</ul>
<p>2) London School of Econ - MSc</a> Economics (2-year programme)
Program Duration: 2 years + summer school
[Cost:[/url</a>] £35,400 (approx. $53,500) base tuition + at least $20,000 more for living + relocation expenses (financial aid decisions pending)</p>
<ul>
<li>I've never studied abroad or been to Europe in my life</li>
<li>One of the world's premier economics departments; high prestige</li>
<li>Excellent post-grad placement for those going into academia (and those going into industry pre-financial crisis)</li>
<li>Proximity to UK's financial district</li>
<li>Required to take summer school (starts late July) to make up deficiencies in econ</li>
<li>Very expensive non-UK tuition + high cost of living in London</li>
<li>Hassles associated with living abroad (student visa, etc.)</li>
</ul>
<p>(The admissions rate, hovering at around 11%, is the lowest of the three and honestly I did not expect to get in, so it's kind of hard to pass this up)</p>
<p>3) UMich Ann Arbor (Rackham) - [url=<a href="http://ioe.engin.umich.edu/degrees/grad/index.php%5DMS">http://ioe.engin.umich.edu/degrees/grad/index.php]MS</a> Industrial & Operations Engineering](<a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/tableOfFees/2010-11.htm#Double_Degree_and_Two_Year_Programmes%5DCost:%5B/url">http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/tableOfFees/2010-11.htm#Double_Degree_and_Two_Year_Programmes)
Program Duration: 1.0–1.5 years (30 units)
Cost:</a> $17,525 base tuition (est.); $34,571 total expenses (est.)</p>
<ul>
<li>The department is ranked #2 by U.S. News.</li>
<li>The cheapest option out of the three.</li>
<li>No thesis and/or project requirement</li>
<li>Fewer areas of specialization than Stanford's MS&E</li>
<li>Michigan's unemployment rate is 15%</li>
</ul>
<p>Any feedback would be much appreciated!</p>