lahdeedah
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Posts posted by lahdeedah
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Hi all, for those who have already accepted their offer at NPSIA, is anyone interested in starting a Facebook group?
Yup. Should we DM you our contact info?
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So I was offered a CGS-M for the school I'm not planning on attending, and have not even made the waitlist for the school I AM planning to attend. (The latter was my first choice of program, and also offered more funding in the way of entrance scholarships...)
What do people do in this case? Can you try to negotiate for more funding at the school that didn't offer you SSHRC if your application was good enough to receive it somewhere else?
Ugh. I feel like a true April fool.
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Did anyone apply for a CGS-M?
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Question: has anyone rejected any offers yet? I'm just wondering how Munk, NPSIA, or GPSIA respond (if at all) when you decline an offer.
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I would also disagree with some of the comments that have been made about Munk. I have a friend that is currently in the program, and she's told me nothing but wonderful things about the professional and academic program offered at Toronto. The program is much more professionally-orientated and many students have actually found placements in major international organizations (World Bank, IMF, WTO, ILO) while also finding funding to support their internships abroad. One of the factors that is really pulling me away from NPSIA to Munk is the cutting-edge policy research that the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto (they recently just won the prestigious MacArthur Award and hosts Google Policy Fellows), whereas I don't feel that either GSPIA or NPSIA quite have the world-class faculty to match up to Munk's (which has Michael Ignatieff, Ron Deibert, Janice Stein to name a few).
If I were to make another point against NPSIA, it would be that the 'Ottawa Advantage' might be a little exaggerated. For those that are interested in international development, the merger of CIDA with DFAIT means that co-ops are much more competitive and by no means guaranteed. Another comment that I would add is that Munk seems to place a much higher focus on innovation and 'the big idea' through its MGA Labs, while I would argue that NPSIA might arguably focus more on the traditional niche areas that are aimed at training civil servants/diplomats.
@strombone1: Thank you so much for this. It's certainly the strongest case for Munk that I've heard on any of these forums. What I take away from your argument, and from my own research, is that Munk is an excellent choice for someone interested in anything in the field of international affairs other than being a civil servant/diplomat/foreign service officer. Particularly with the Citizen Lab and some of the faculty, it seems like it may be the more innovative and exciting option.
Personally speaking, I've been trying to get into DFATD since their last recruiting campaign was held in 2011 (though I'm not sure if they ever used any of those candidates because of the job action, collapse of CIDA, etc.) While I may very well be delusional for thinking this is a possibility (this is exactly what the NPSIA blogger said about anyone trying to get into the Foreign Service, in the post that @GabrielleBishop linked to), it's still my first choice. I'm thinking that NPSIA is my best/only/last option for trying to get in, even though I know I'll have to compete for a co-op position there. Also, I really do think that Ottawa can be like a small town in some ways and, though you note that the "Ottawa advantage" is being overemphasized, I can't help but feel that moving yourself there and making contacts, networking - even just meeting friends of friends - may help in some ways that can't be discounted.
My thinking is: do an MA at NPSIA, do everything in my power to get into DFATD, and then - if I still don't get in - accept that the universe has made it abundantly clear that it is simply NOT going to happen for me. lol
Will you be going to Munk in Fall 2014?
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Got in last week around the same time as everyone else. Tough decision now, Munk vs. NPSIA.
Congrats to everyone accepted! By the looks of this forum, it is going to be a talented incoming group at NPSIA.
Congrats, @grog01!
Munk and NPSIA are the only two schools I applied to, and I was also accepted to both. I'd be interested to hear what points you have in Munk's favour as you try to make your decision. Since this forum has mostly been about NPSIA (with a side of GPSIA) and what the advantages are in terms of getting placed with the govt for co-ops, National Capital Region, networks, social aspects, etc., I haven't heard too much about Munk but am very interested to hear what more of the positives are.
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Congratulations drschad! I finally received my offer this morning.
FYI for all who are still waiting: my process took 9 days so I understand the anxiety some of you are still feeling. (My status as Review in progress by FGPA was 1+ day long and that's after my status went from Review in Progress to Recommended for Assessment back to Review in Progress and to Review in Progress by FGPA to finally receiving an email announcing their official decision this morning.)
I also finally (!) received my offer this morning. Like @satellite, it also took 9 days, and my status also went back down to "Review in progress", then to "Review in Progress by FGPA" on Friday afternoon, and finally today I got an email telling me to check my status again, where it indicated that I had been accepted. I suppose in the grand scheme of things, 9 days is pretty quick, it just reallly doesn't feel like it when you're in the middle of it! : ))
I guess the next thing to look out for - in terms of funding - is SSHRC and OGS (for those who applied) and any in-program funding options during the fall term.
Thanks for the support and information!
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Thank you ^^ ! I am just wondering because I've been a TA in my BA and had really great references. I hope I'll get opportunities on more funding !
btw Congrats on both your offers !
@marika (and everyone else who has been talking about funding here), apparently there are more funding opportunities in-program,from both NPSIA and Carleton. These are ones where you get into financial need, etc. So there's still some funding to hopefully look forward to!
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Is anyone else still waiting for the official offer? I'm an "S" (for my last name and 'S'tress.)
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Well, I guess this just confirms what I learned in elementary school. It kinda sucks to have a last name that starts with a letter close to the end of the alphabet. lol
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Is anyone still "Recommended for Assessment" in Carleton Central? I've come to really dislike those few words over the last month... lol
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No TAship, it was all admissions scholarships. Yep, received the email this morning around 11am Mountain time!
Can I also ask - was this divided up over two years? Or is this funding for your first year?
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Well I actually had a nightmare too XD I dreamt on Tuesday night that NPSIA emailed back and apologized about the "typo" in the previous email; that I was not actually accepted. Naturally I freaked out, logged on to Carleton Central and realized that my application's online status went down back to "review in progress by department". I called Tabbatha Wednesday morning (PST): she said that Carleton Central often glitches, that they'd just forwarded my application to the Faculty of Grad & Postdoctoral Affairs, and to keep my eyes peeled for funding when the email arrives (!!!!). A couple hours later I received an email from the FGPA confirming my acceptance, with $12,000 in grad entrance scholarships and department scholarships.
My GPA is alright; 84% overall and 91% for just third & fourth year.
I was very clear with my research question (which is regarding links between FDI/general economic development and human rights/standard of living increases in North Korea), and I have had a bit of international experience to relate to it, mainly during my exchange trip to South Korea. At that time, I completed three internships, one travel writing (10,000 words of well-researched articles a week!!) for a Korean company, one at a NK human rights NGO (got credit for it through my home university's Global Studies internship program) and one in the international office of my school in Korea. I was also one of only 33 international students chosen to participate in the "Friends of Invest Korea" program put on by KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency). I also wrote for the Asian Journalist Association as a Junior Reporter. My writing there largely involved trade promotion pieces between Canada and Asia, and I know NPSIA's faculty is pretty conservative, so maybe they liked that lol.
In Canada, I have quite a bit of volunteer experience, mainly with WUSC's Student Refugee Program on campus, but also with a few other community groups. I also did an internship at VIU's International Education Office and am currently working as a Program Evaluator for VIU's Department of Child & Youth Care, which is very research-oriented.
I also included a few odds and ends in my CV, ex: I was also in a young women's career mentorship program put on through Google and the G(irls)20 Summit, studied abroad in Korea twice in uni, studied abroad in France in high school, have volunteered on several political campaigns and am fairly well-involved with one national political party, volunteered with North Korean refugees in Seoul, know how to use Adobe CS5, am in French Club, etc.
I had one reference from Chung-Ang University's Graduate School of International Affairs, where I took a few classes on my exchange. He was such an awesome prof and had an insane CV: worked at the World Bank, Samsung, LG, Government of Honduras, Government of Hungary, etc. Our class was very small and in Korea there is a more social bond (although still hierarchical) between the professor and students; for example, he took our Project MGMT class all out for rice wine and tapas one night and paid the whole bill. So I had a pretty close and positive relationship with him.
My other reference was my Global Studies internship supervisor/current capstone course professor at VIU. She is an amazing woman who I am also fairly close with, since she supervised my internship final report on marketing for (North Korean) human rights nonprofits. I can assume she wrote a great letter.
Sorry to ramble on!! I assumed more info would be better. One girl from my major (Global Studies) at VIU is currently at NPSIA and has been very successful from the sounds of it, so I picked her brain a lot before applying. She definitely helped me out a LOT.
@Gabrielle, thank you for providing such a thorough response!! Wow. Just.... wow.
I now no longer wonder what kind of funding I might be getting, but how I got into the program at all! lol
It'll be great to meet everyone in September and put faces to the names.
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It might not be alphabetical, I'm an 'A' and haven't received anything from FGPA...I worry that it's funding based as well. So I'm hoping that there's no particular order to it haha
Oh geez, there goes that theory... lol
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It's a possibility, but another one that just occurred to me is that they're making their way through the applications alphabetically - Gabrielle's last name appears to begin with a B, mine with an A.
Speaking of Munk, I haven't heard anything from them regarding funding, hmph. It would most likely still be too expensive, but it would be nice to get an email!
This actually occurred to me (that it might be done alphabetically) but it seems to carry more weight when someone else says it!
I hope they have mercy on those of us with names towards the end of the alphabet (I'm an 'S') and get back to us before the weekend... (if that's how it's even organized!)
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I apologise for answering a question that wasn't directed at me but I figured I could chime in on this. I received my official offer yesterday along with $4K in scholarships and a TA position. I wouldn't say I had an incredibly exceptional application. 3.7 GPA, my references were probably generous but couldn't have been *stellar* as they didn't personally know me very well, some relevant (local) volunteer experience but no relevant work experience to speak of... I think my statement of intent was strong, though.
Anyway, I'm quite sure this FGPA business is just a formality. There would be outrage if it were at all common for unofficial offers to be rescinded within the week. They're probably just taking their sweet time going through all the applications and ticking off the check mark box. I'm sure you'll hear from them very soon!
@cinna, thanks so much for this!! I'm happy to hear from anyone, I just directed my question to Gabrielle because I think she was the only one to have included specific funding details that she had been offered by NPSIA when I wrote that.
I don't actually think they'll rescind (knock on wood), I think I'm just worried about what the offer will include. I seem to be equating when you hear from FGPA with how much funding you'll be offered... so in my head, the longer it takes for a formal offer, the less funding I"ll be offered (if at all.) I have enough student loans at this point, that I'm sure the funding question was what caused the anxiety/nightmare. lol
For those asking about Munk, I was offered $7,500. I was also disappointed, considering that's less than half of one year of tuition in the two-year program. They also noted that, if I were to receive OGS or SSHRC for more than the value of the scholarship, the scholarship would be withdrawn. So if I got $15,000 of OGS, no scholarship, and the OGS itself wouldn't even cover tuition.
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Received my official offer from the Dean/Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs this morning (PST)!! Got $12,000 in scholarships and awards - no TA position, but still awesome news!!
Congrats to everyone else, see you in Ottawa!!!
Congratulations, Gabrielle - that's wonderful news! I haven't heard anything beyond the unofficial acceptance email on Monday and last night I had a nightmare (!) about it being rescinded because they spoke to one of my references and can no longer offer me a spot... not sure what THAT'S about (anxiety, much?!? lol)
Anyway, do you mind me asking - did you have an amazing application? e.g. 4.0 GPA, stellar references, international CV, etc.? I'm trying to gauge what I can expect when I do hear from FGPA...
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Hi all,
I also received my unofficial acceptance from NPSIA on Monday. I'd definitely be curious to hear when people start receiving official acceptances, funding decisions, updates on Carleton Central, etc.
Also, as an FYI for those who applied to Munk at UofT, I did get an email with some funding info today.
Good luck to those still waiting to hear!
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Thanks @icedtea! I should probably just relax and wait to see what happens on the 10th... I also don't know if I have it in me to apply for anything else right now. (I also applied for SSHRC CGS-M and OGS, which have pretty heavy duty application processes)
Maybe I'll just take a peek at some other schools to see if I can apply after March 10th, if I don't get good news.
Fingers still crossed! (and why am I still checking Carleton Central if I know we won't hear anything for another week and a half? smh.)
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Gabrielle, thanks so much for the info!
So what are we supposed to do until March 10th?? lol
I think I may have put too many eggs in this one basket... NPSIA is my first choice because I'm aiming to get into DFATD one day and the program itself sounds pretty great. Only other program I applied to was the MGA at Munk, which is 2 years instead of 1, and several times the cost of the NPSIA program. Unless they provide substantial funding (this information will be sent out shortly; I already received an acceptance to the program itself) I don't even think it's a realistic option.
Methinks I should have added in a few more applications for Fall 2014...
Anyone happen to know if there are any good programs still accepting applications? (maybe in the UK or Europe?)
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Hi all,
Just starting a new thread for the 2014 fall applications... The 2013 group were pretty active on here and I found their posts to be helpful while I (anxiously) wait this out.
Has anyone heard anything yet from NPSIA? My application is still "Recommended for Assessment." Based on last year's posts, it looks like mid-March may be the earliest we hear anything.
I've received an offer from Munk at U of T (MGA program) and am hoping that NPSIA sends out their decision before the U of T deadline arrives.
I'd be happy to hear from anyone else who applied to NPSIA for this fall.
Good luck to everyone with their applications!
NPSIA 2014 Fall Applicants
in Waiting it Out
Posted
For those interested in joining the Facebook group:
- if you have already sent your contact info to satellite2014, she has sent you a friend request on FB. Please 'accept' her invitation, and she'll add you to the group.
- if you haven't yet sent in your details, please either DM me with your email address (not FB name) *or* please find the group "NPSIA 2016" on Facebook and send a request to be added (note: if you're going with the latter option, maybe just include a few words to tell me that you know about the group from the forum... While I don't think there will be a rush of people from the interweb trying to join the group, it would probably be helpful to keep it to those who have been accepted to NPSIA for this fall. The group is only 'closed' not 'secret', so anyone doing a search for NPSIA should be able to find it.)
Thanks! See you on there.