Denisse

On another note, has anyone inquired about the possibilities of completing two concentrations? I am doing the EDP concentration, but am very interested in the Economic Policy track as well (also I think they compliment each other nicely). I have worked out that I could do both + a specialization without having to double count more than a couple of courses, but I don't know if it's even allowed.

Depends. Is it a school that doesn't offer you the fellowship in the admissions letter than maybe it could have impacted it. However, I knew my fellowship information based off the letter so I knew it wouldn't make a difference and accepted right away.

I've heard that claim too. There was some evidence being sighted as their employment stats, but honestly when I looked at it I didn't see anything that was too out of the ordinary, especially when I took into consideration their size. There seemed to be a larger amount of people who were still unemployed after six months or had not reported, but the program is larger so I'm assuming % wise it makes sense if compared. The starting salaries was comparable and at times higher than other schools. I think someone said that they weren't much help unless you were interested in finance/consulting which is strange but it could be that since that is harder to break into with an MPA instead of an MBA, maybe they put an emphasis on it because it's easier to get a non-profit/public service job without as much assistance? Not sure, and I won't know for sure until I start. However, I will say that I went to a fairly large undergrad with a fairly large business program. At the end of the day, there were people that complained about the career services and people that liked it and thought they did a good job. Often times, I find with large programs and so many students it just depends on how much you are willing to partake in. If you get out there and attend info sessions and make appointments to discuss resumes and cover letters, or interview prep you will get a lot out of it. If you expect them to seek you out or make a huge effort to get you to put in the time and continuously reach out the way a smaller program might, you'll be disappointed. But you never know. It could be their career services is terrible and once I'm in SIPA, I will find that out!

lobsterphone, did you get any funding from SAIS? For me it was between SAIS and SIPA as well (no funding at either) and since I didn't get the IDEV track I wanted, my choice was pretty much made easier as a result. However, I do think SAIS is a great school if the program you are in fits what you want. In my case, no matter how they said I could still take IDEV courses it wouldn't make any sense to go in on that assumption since you'd be at the bottom of the barrel trying to get into those courses AND you'd have to fulfill the reqs. for another concentration (none of which I liked) leaving you with only a couple of electives to try to get into those IDEV courses.

What exactly is meant by self-selection? Does it mean that most grad students apply to grad schools they have a reasonable shot of being accepted at, so the acceptance rates being so high makes sense if schools aren't worried about the % they yield and just about the quality of the applicants? Or is it something else?

I think it really depends on you and what you feel comfortable with. 70K doesn't seem exorbitant to me. I've made around 50K for three years now and my loan payments have been around 400-450 (my choice, I am paying more than the minimum to get a significant amount paid off before grad school not that I had 70K) and it hasn't been insanely difficult. If you know how to budget you'll be fine. Hell, I'm still able to travel around the U.S. to visit friends, travel abroad some, go out, eat out (I'm not a big cook) etc. and it hasn't been impossible. Granted, it's hard to save a lot, but even then, I've saved enough to cover almost all of my first year living expenses if I just wanted to take out loans for tuition and fees. It can be done. I think everyone's experience is different. Some people might think the above sounds crazy because they are risk averse, or they haven't experienced it and think that to live comfortably you have to be making 60K + and be paying minimum bills, but that's not the case. An independent person really can live quite comfortably on a 50-60K salary even while making loan pmts. Of course, your goal is to minimize them and get them paid off as soon as you can, so you aim for higher, but it's not that crazy. Again, each person is different, your expected lifestyle after graduating + when/if you want to have kids soon, buy a house soon, etc. should all play a role in your decision. I think 120K is too much, while some else might not. I don't think 70K for a two year program that will advance your career and which you need in order to get further than where you are isn't. Again mileage varies.

I agree with flyingjellyfish. From the research I've done, an MA in PS w/ IR concentration would be like doing an undergrad in IR, courses based on reading, regurgitating information in essays, only preparing for the academics of a PhD. It would just be like taking grad courses in IR only (I took a couple during undergrad and they weren't professionally based). Programs like SIPA and SAIS can prepare you for public sector project work, development consulting, microfinancing careers, etc. much more as they are more focused on what you need in that field versus the theories of IR.

Yep, cunninlynguist. I thought about that one as well. Mine should all be federal, once my actual contribution and outside grant are factored in. I definitely thought about that as well. I have a tiny bit of loans from undergrad and the private one has been an extreme hassle and it's only like an $8,000 loan. Thank goodness it's almost all paid up!

Hey, I'm in the boat of receiving no funding for my first year. However, I received no funding from all the schools I applied to. I had to choose between NYU, SAIS, SIPA, Elliott, American, and Fordham and chose SIPA. HOWEVER, being that you have funding from Fletcher, I would take it. Had I receive funding from any of my schools (a significant amount) I would have taken it. SIPA is my dream school and a perfect fit for me and what I want to do, so in a way I am happy to have the ability to choose it without feeling too guilty as the situation monetarily wouldn't have been better at any other school. I also have a small outside grant for my first year, living costs saved up for my first year living expenses, a rent free living situation lined up, and will be working at least some hours during the year. I am also counting on getting funding in my 2nd year as around 70% of SIPA students do and I am confident I can get the GPA + have teaching experience. So, I am banking on quite a few factors (that may or may not work out) to make it work, but I am confident and optimistic. My reasoning for taking the plunge are that (a) I didn't receive funding in any other program and I want to start grad school in the fall. Simply put, I don't want to wait and try again. ( I want to be at SIPA. It's a great fit for what I want to do, great network in what I want to do, and is NYC where I have my emotional support system. © I'm not taking the full plunge, which I guess is contradictory, but like I stated above, I have a few circumstances that make this easier to swallow. (d) I need a masters to do what I want. I could work for another year in the field I am in now (will be 3 years in a few months) but I haven't been happy in it for awhile and my emotional stability is important for me. (e) I am fairly young and do not plan on settling down (with a house, kids, car, etc. (hell, I don't even know how to drive) for a long time. (f) the area I am looking to get into via SIPA after my masters could be very lucrative if I get into the right company - which again will be more possible if I am at SIPA and NYC. (g) I have a pretty good back up should I not be able to get a financially sound job right after school that is financially sound - and after a break of two years from my current field if I need to do it for one more year afterwards while I look for the right job/pay off some loans, I can possibly do it then WITHOUT hating it. That said my situation is different than yours. I have heard AMAZING things about Fletcher and that funding seems pretty great to me. Again, if I had that type of funding at a different school I would have taken it. I personally didn't apply to Fletcher because I wanted to get out of Boston so I didn't want any options here, but I've heard it's a great school. Unless there is something fundamentally different about SIPA and SAIS that would affect your career goals than I'd take the money and not look back. You can probably study abroad/intern in NYC during the summers while at Fletcher anyways so you won't be missing out on much.

Not sure, but riverguide serious? I took it as joke, but maybe I'm naïve.

traumerie, I completely agree with you. My stats are very similar to yours 3.22 V:167 Q:155 and AW: 5.5. However, I really underestimated my soft factors, recommendations, and personal statements. I was accepted to 6/7 schools I applied to, but received no funding from any of them. Partially because I didn't have time to apply for named fellowships, etc. Partially because of that low gpa. I decided to attend SIPA (I have been saving for grad school for a while now and have enough saved for my living costs for the first year at least), but I'm going to kill myself making sure I get 2nd year funding.

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier): Private University in the Northeast, Tier 1 Previous Degrees and GPAs: B.S in Business Administration and B.A in International Relations - dual degree program: 3.22 GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing): 167/155/5.5 Previous Work Experience (Years, Type): 2.5 years teaching in urban school (will be 3 in June), TFA Alum; internships in international development (focus on LA w/in field of farming technology, adult education), international internship university partnering organization, and cross-cultural consulting. Math/Econ Background: Micro/Macro, Calculus I and II, Finance major in B.S.B.A. degree, International Econ. and Business major in B.A in IR degree Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program): Native Spanish, basic French skills Intended Field of Study in Grad School: MPA Long Term Professional Goals: Ideally, I'd like to work in non-profit project management with projects directly related to economic/education development in Latin America. I could see myself doing private sector work in something related to Latin American market/economics, etc. for a couple of years right after grad school. Schools Applied to & Results: Wagner/SAIS/Elliott/SIS/Fordham IPED/SIPA (all accepted); Georgetown (rejected) Ultimate Decision & Why: SIPA. I feel like SIPA's program is a great fit for me. I intend to do Economic and Political Development, with my electives relating to education development, the Management specialization (focusing on project management) and clustering all my electives around economic policies and Latin American. I feel like it's the only school from the above where I was able to tailor my two years to my interests as clearly and precisely. Advice for Future Applicants: Begin searching for fellowships/scholarships as early as possible, especially if you are working full-time and can't devote as much time to it with an approaching deadline. It's the only real thing I regret not doing as much of.

Yea, I meant the one year, one year. I agree, I ultimately didn't think splitting my time between the two was worthwhile as well as not thinking the LSE MPA was a good fit for me. I think unless the two programs you would do are really different, teaching you completely different skills you want like a MIA/JD or MIA/MBA, then it's better to get the full experience at one institution.

twenty-one, are you at all considering the MIA/MPA option with LSE? I considered that for awhile, ultimately I decided against it because I didn't think the LSE was a good fit for me. Just wondering!

Tupacalypse, I completely agree! To get back on track, anyone on here who was accepted definitely attending? I just accepted my offer and would love to know who else will be there. I unfortunately can't attend the Admitted Students Day so I would appreciate it if someone could report back.

Not trying to defend ansac111 but I think he meant that because the student body was getting younger the result is that there will clearly be more younger grad students who may be going to grad school because they don't know what else to do. Which is a big concern. I don't think he was referring to mid-career professionals making a switch or going back for more education in their field.

Regarding not applying to fellowships, I unfortunately didn't apply to any of the essay ones, short of applying to IFP. I regret that decision but honestly I didn't have the time. Aside from applying to grad schools, I am a teacher and work ridiculously long hours. So I would say one thing that I am (maybe wishfully counting on) when I attend SIPA is applying to those fellowships for the 2nd year. While SIPA is a big financial committment, I think getting some sort of funding in the 2nd year if you put in the work to your grades + actually apply to all fellowships is almost a guarantee and will offset your debt in a big way. So basically soapwater don't give up. If you decide to attend SIPA, I think there is still an opportunity to really make it work financially with the 2nd year offsetting the first. At the end of the day, I remember what a college advisor told me (and I think this would apply to more to grad school). The money's secondary. Eventually, one way or another, it will get paid, you will make it work and the loans would get paid. I've seen people make such a big deal about how they would never get into debt for a grad school, but honestly, I come from a low-income family and I'm a first generation American. Education is really the only way I'm going to continue to push myself further, so I think taking on the debt is worth it in the long run as it really is the only way I can get to where I want to be. (I also don't know your personal situation, how much you would have to take out, etc. I've been working for three years as a teacher, and I have managed to save enough + will most definitely work throughout grad school - I'm used to taking 5 classes, having a work study position, and an unpaid internship during my undergrad career- in order to cover my living expenses so I don't have to take out that money in my first year). All I'm saying is don't give up! I almost started to think I wouldn't accept SIPA either, but it really does have an amazing program that you can really tailor to your interests! If you decide to go to SIPA, or want to discuss it more, you can always PM me. I will be there Fall 2013!

Not so sure about that as a no, on the IFP website it states that the deadline for continuing students is March 15th and for non-Columbia students it is April 1st. So I'm assuming decisions will be made later once they have all the applications in. But I'm not positive...

Anyone who was accepted recieve any notice on the International Fellows Program?

I was accepted into the MPA, with no funding for the 1st year. However, I think I'm going to go for it! The program is really a great fit for me, there is so much you can personalize, the concentrations/specializations are great (I will likely do EPD/Management and cluster all my electives around the IFEP/Latin American tracks - if I can't do two concentrations or two specializations). My other main option was the MPA at NYU, but I just don't think that I'd get as much of an international perspective and take the type of courses I really want to. Either way, I had no funding at NYU and at least at SIPA I have the possibility of getting 2nd year funding to offset debt whereas NYU made it clear you couldn't get funding 2nd year if you didn't already get it. I also have potential living arrangements where I wouldn't have to pay much if at all so that takes a huge chunk out. I'm excited, I didn't realize how much I wanted to attend SIPA until I was accepted and started dreaming up course possibilities!

Anyone? You all seem to have a lot of insight onto these schools!

I’ve recently been accepted to NYU-Wagner, American SIS, Elliott, SAIS, and Fordham IPED. I’m waiting on SIPA, but I’m assuming even if I get in I won’t get funding given its reputation for first years. However, with no funding at either school, so for the first year (at least) I will be entirely reliant on loans, work-study, my savings, and any outside work I do. I have enough saved for living expenses for the first year in either D.C. or NYU as well as an outside grant of $4,000. I’ve always been the super-busy, Type A sort, and plan on doing work study in my first semester if it’s option with plenty of hours. I only have a small amount of undergrad loans left to pay off so I’m not worried about accumulating on top of it. I also don’t have any dependents and don’t plan on starting a family, etc. for a while. I have an undergrad degree in business from a good school, so I’m also thinking I would likely try to work a private sector job for a couple of years to pay as much as possible before moving into the non-profit/development jobs I’d like more. All in all, I’m okay with taking out the loans, but I wanted some advice. First, do any of these schools offer the ability to get funded in the 2nd year? Aside from SIPA, I haven’t found any information for the other schools. Second, if I’m going to go into debt which program is worth it?! They all have what I want to study, good locations, good placement + salaries post grad school. I’ve pretty much ruled out American SIS and Fordham IPED. I’ve almost ruled out Elliott, but the idea of being able to work while in school sounds great to me! It would severely cut down on the amount of loans I’d have to take and I’d have some time to find a good job beforehand and I have several connections in D.C. However, I’ve been leaning toward NYC for some time now due to the following reasons. I have a big support system in NYC. My closest friends and boyfriend are all there. My entire family is in Boston and it’s close enough to visit on weekends if I want to without much cost. I’ve always done best when I have my support system and worse when I don’t (for example, my closest friends and boyfriend just moved to NYC throughout the last year or so, so it’s been a tough time). I worry about being farther from them (even if it’s just a few more hours). Thoughts? I pretty much think SAIS, NYU Wagner, SIPA are on par for me in terms of studies and fit, as I like all of their programs quite well and have found that I could basically take the same type of courses if I map it out right.