NPSIA grad

Hi all, current NPSIA student. Application season / grad cafe veteran. Feel free to DM me any questions about the program (co ops, internships, etc.)

Hi all, current NPSIA student. Application season / grad cafe veteran. Feel free to DM me any questions about the program (co ops, internships, etc.)

Hi all, current NPSIA student. Application season / grad cafe veteran. Feel free to DM me any questions about the program (co ops, internships, etc.)

Since many folks have to make a decision between NPSIA and GSPIA, I figured this could use a discussion board of its own. Hopefully ya'll will join pitch in with your own thoughts and we can all weigh the pros and cons together. I think this is a solid way to get as much relevant info into one spot so for those of us who are struggling with this choice can make the most informed one. I have messaged a few other peeps who are in this same boat and I got some really good insights. So to get the ball rolling I thought I would just paste a couple of them below:
"But, so far, I think I am leaning a bit more toward NPSIA. Both internationally and domestically, it seems to carry a more prestigious reputation... while GSPIA seems like a fantastic program as well, its relative newness compared to NPSIA just means it likely doesn't have as strong connections to the job market. And I'm using the program for its job placement opportunities rather than for academia or doctorates, so I'm looking more for a program that has really strong placement; otherwise I think they'd be on even ground. NPSIA also has CSIDS, which coincides with my research interests, as well as things like their annual Soiree to mingle with influential international relations. Both facilities seem amazing, both faculties seem quite similar.."
" Honestly, I think GSPIA and NPSIA are VERY similar. Sure, there are slight differences between the two, but in all honesty, both programs are geared towards grooming future public servants. NPSIA has the reputation, its been around since 1965 (if memory serves me correctly) compared to 2007 for GSPIA. However, some have suggested that the program itself is getting a little long in the tooth, whereas GSPIA is on the up and up. Overall, Carleton doesn't have a great reputation either. Only select programs, such as NPSIA, Architecture...have a good reputation. From what I gather, OttawaU has a better overall ranking compared to Carleton. I think its important for someone to know what they intend on doing after school career-wise. Tbh, if I wanted to work for some famous think-tank, UN, or some fancy corporate gig, I would probably stick around U of T or try to get into somewhere more prestigious because of the "name". Since I am gunning for a job within the public service, all signs suggest that the path of least resistance is either through NPSIA, or GSPIA"

Yeah me too, I'm calling tomorrow just to get 100 percent confirmation on what the details are. I'll post what I find out. I'd love to just ditch economics over the summer and focus on working full time and saving money instead. I've taken micro so I am hoping I can just take macro in the fall.

NPSIA sent out official offer - 22 thousand including TA position.

Just embrace it comrade. I've put my life on hold. I'm just floating mindlessly in a circular loop - Grad Cafe > Email > Carleton Central > uoZone. I feel like a bot. 

Who else has had this thought at least once:
'OK, it is out of my hands now. I am just going to relax and see what happens. In fact, I won't even check in on the grad cafe for a while.' 
I have said that to myself a few times since submitting everything, and I just keep obsessively checking my application status and lurking around on grad cafe. Like, all day long.

NPSIA finally changed my status to review in progress by department 

For NPSIA - I don't think you need to explicitly state it. In my letter I am identifying the issue area(s) I want to address and then saying something along the lines of 'one possible project/direction that would allow me to address X Y and Z is ...' just to narrow it down and show some focus. But I think you can choose your route (thesis or essay) once you have already started the program. If I recall correctly, I think I even saw a note somewhere on the site that says students should talk to an adviser if they are undecided about which route to take. This would imply that you don't need to make up your mind (i.e. state it in your letter of intent) until way later. But, I could be completely wrong about this and I could have read that note on a different university's site as I am applying to a few schools. So if you hear otherwise please post on here!