Woohoo! What to do now...

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It doesn't make sense to me that being a starting class means no financial aid. My husband was part of an inaugural class too, but he applied for and rec'd a student loan. I wonder why they didn't get their ducks in a row before rolling out the first semester?!? I also don't like surprises, so I'd be ticked.

 

I am ticked off. What's odd is that my acceptance letter even states that students enrolled are eligible for federal student aid. I know maybe it's just a generic letter but it references my degree program specifically.

I'm exploring other options and actually trying to compute the total cost (with interest) of the St. Louis program and the monthly note. I really did not want to shell out $40,000 but it might be that or staying out for a semester and take a few "science" courses. I really hope it works out because I had finally settled down with Penn State. Everyone on this board knows how indecisive I am already and today just inflamed the whole situation.

 

Woohoo yet again!

Well apparently Penn State must have gotten approval for financial aid because I just received my financial aid report for the next two semesters.

I'm going to pick your brains one last time before I pull the trigger and register for courses. My plan is to finish my master's degree and move on to the private sector with my LE/HLS background accompanied by my degrees. If you were looking at the MPS in HLS (Public Health) from Penn State or the St Louis MS in Biosecurity/Disaster Preparedness which one do you think would be the better fit?

We've already established that PSU has the better name recognition so it comes down to curriculums and program names. Program name goes to St louis I believe but their curriculums are pretty similar. PSU's program is 33 hours at a cost of $25,000 while SLU's is 42 hours at a cost of nearly $40,000.

So here's what I have so far:

Name recognition--> Winner- Penn State
Cost--> Winner- Penn State
Time of Completion--> Winner- Penn State
Curriculum--> DRAW with SLU having a slight advantage
Program/Degree Name--> Winner- Hands down St Louis

So here's what I have in a nutshell. What are your final thoughts? This will be the last time I bother you with this until I start thinking about a PhD...

 

Penn State is less $ and has better name rec (which I know, I know has already been established). Also a much much larger alumni association to tap into.

SLU has a better program NAME, but... is the program name worth that much more in cost?

 

When deciding where to do my MBA, I had to pick between schools with a more well-known name vs. schools with a program more tailored to my profession.

I chose the school with the better name. My line of reasoning - nobody looks at the specifics of your degree when conducting employment interviews. It's always "Oh, MBA from UMass, Master's from Penn State", etc. I sacrificed a couple of classes in the program for the more well-known school.

I liken it to buying a nicer house in a not-as-nice neighboorhood or buying one of the not-as-nice houses in a very nice neighborhood. Always go with the nicer neighborhood since the up-side is always higher. You can improve your house but not your neighborhood.

 

As it was posted in a previous part of this thread "WE ARE PENN STATE" goes a long way. I also like the fact that I would be part of the beginning of this program. I could always say that I was in the first graduating class for this degree.

I think the analogy fits. I truly believe when people ask where I finished my mster's and I say Penn State people will Oh and Ah because of the name. I never even heard of St Louis prior to searching for these types of programs but in their defense St Louis is ranked 88th Nationally. The MPS name bothers me but you also aren't the first person to say that it doesn't matter. People will ask where you received your master's degree and what it was in but not was it a MS, MA, etc.


This help out a lot guys/gals. Keep the suggestions coming. Remember this is my last time annoying you for at least 2 years!