ironheart

Hi @jmc117 and @Psyhopeful! Thanks for your generous responses. I agree that these are all extremely competitive programs, but my interests are very specific (in a nutshell: the intersection of pop culture, media, and climate and environmental justice), and I'm looking for a school with a very strong film department that I can have access to as well, hence USC and NYU (USC in particular has a professor who does climate change communication whose work I'm very familiar with from my MPA). I do have time--I plan to start applying next year--but I am notoriously obsessive about applying to grad school (this was how I got in my first choice for my MPA with funding), which is why I thought I'd reach out to those already in the process, or have done it, to better detail my 20-month plan. Also, another question--who would you suggest I reach out to to write recommendation letters? I know some schools prefer that most recommenders be familiar with your academic background, some are fine with employers/supervisors if you've been out of school for a while. What are your thoughts? Thanks again for your time to respond and share your experiences with me!

Hi everyone! I'm very seriously considering applying for a PhD in Communications for 2021, which means I have a reasonable amount of time to prepare for next year's application season. As part of that preparation, I wanted to know if contacting POIs and visiting the schools is absolutely necessary? I've heard various things from different people, with some saying that it's a must, and others saying it's a no-no. I would like to think that it's program/field-specific, but would love to hear thoughts of people who've gone through the process. If it helps, I'm thinking of applying to the following schools USC Annenberg NYU UPenn Annenberg Cornell Thank you in advance for your advice!

Hi guys, been lurking in this forum for the past couple of days now just to see how everyone is doing. I'm currently a SIPA student, in the MPA-ESP program. When I requested for more funding, they doubled my financial aid. My understanding though is that the ESP program operates separately from the rest of SIPA. However, it doesn't hurt to try.

Good to hear this, @ArellaV! I know that the SIPA financial aid numbers can be discouraging, since the school is notorious for being stingy with funding, but it really doesn't hurt to ask for more. And there are a lot of opportunities in your second year to increase that funding even more with assistantships and paid internships.

Did anyone go to Admit Day? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Hi Arella, Indirect costs for SIPA seem to be fair for me, but this is assuming your rent is at a maximum $1200 per month (but if you're okay with living in the Columbia dorms, rent can be as low as $800 per month) and you get a Columbia dining plan. A subway card is $116.50 per month. Books can be a lot cheaper if bought used from Amazon (and SIPA students get free 6 months of Amazon Prime). While New York can be very expensive, it's also a city with some good and reasonably priced options if you know where to look As for debt, I'm sorry I can't help you with this, but consensus here on the forum seems to be not to take out more than 60k. SIPA has a lot of fellowship opportunities during the second year that can count as tuition waivers/discounts, so it would be great to look at those opportunities as well. Hope this helps!

From the newsletter: Applied for early decision last year for their MPA-ESP program. Good luck to you all!

FYI from Columbia SIPA

Hi guys, just went through my visa interview a couple of days ago. Questions were pretty simple—who was paying for my trip, what are my parents' occupation, what are my long term goals. The visa officer only asked for my mother's bank statements. Interview could not have lasted more than 5 minutes (waiting for my turn was much longer.

Hi @brittanyandrea! Have you factored in living expenses in the cost for Syracuse? It might turn out to be more expensive, since you'll have to move—unlike Brown, in which case you'll be staying with family.

Hi Nico! Pardee was one of my choices for my graduate studies. I was interested in their International Relations and Environmental Policy program. I visited the campus last July, met with their graduate admissions officer and the head of the IREP program. I was also given a tour of the campus by a current student in that program. I absolutely loved the city, the university, and the vibe. Yes, Pardee may be a new and up and coming international affairs school but I was extremely impressed and it was high on my list. I didn't move forward with my application because I got into my top choice on early decision, but I do recommend you apply and see where it takes you!

Good luck @Greene! Just keep positive and hope for the best. If all goes well with visa applications, will definitely be seeing you at orientation, @Kartopery!

Glad to have helped! They doubled my award as well!

I basically just sent an e-mail to the Assistant Director requesting for more, and they got back to me in about a month with the approval.

Thanks for the extensive breakdown of your ideas, @TakeruK! These are essentially what many of my friends studying in the US have said to me (I've had this discussion way too many times with way too many people, haha). My primary concern right now is getting to the US to study in my dream school (which many of my friends have told me, is enough to get me a student visa since it's an Ivy League school) and hopefully things will go smoothly if I start the visa process within the next two months.

Hi everyone! Just wanted to hear your thoughts about this: how do you think the visa process will change under the Trump administration? I was accepted into Columbia and still waiting for my I-20. I know I shouldn't be nervous, seeing as I have all the pertinent documents (financial and to prove non-immigrant intent), but I'm wondering if there will be some belt tightening at State because of the new president's position on student visas (especially with H1-B and OPT).

Hi @baysbar94! I got in SIPA for the MPA-ESP program this year and they did give me some funding, which they increased when I requested. Although I believe that available funding is different per program. Second-year funding for SIPA comes mostly from assistantships and paid internships, so you will have to apply for these positions and compete with your fellow cohorts. Hope this helps!

I e-mailed Laura, she was extremely helpful and facilitated the whole process.

Columbia also approved my request for an increase in my fellowship award—received that particular decision this morning. So if anyone needs more funding, doesn't hurt to ask SIPA for an increase, you'll never know.

Yes, eventually. I requested for an increase in my fellowship award, so I am still waiting for their decision on that. But whether or not they say yes, I will be accepting.

What a great holiday gift! Congratulations!

Congratulations!

Program Applied To: MPA Environmental Science and Policy Schools Applied To: Columbia SIPA Schools Admitted To: Columbia SIPA Schools Rejected From: (abandoned the applications for other universities as Columbia is my first choice, but originally planned to also apply to Yale FES, Duke NSE and BU Pardee) Still Waiting: N/A Undergraduate institution: Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines) Undergraduate GPA: 3.49 Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): 3.65 Undergraduate Major: BA in European Studies; Minor in Hispanic Studies, Minor in History, Minor in Philosophy GRE Quantitative Score: 150 GRE Verbal Score: 156 GRE AW Score: 4.0 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 2.5 years Years of Work Experience: 2.5 years Describe Relevant Work Experience: Worked in the academe for 1.5 years, handling forestry, energy, and sustainability projects. Was part of the Philippine delegation to the UN climate change negotiations (UNFCCC) for 5 years (beginning undergrad) as research support for 3 years, adviser for 2 years, with 1 year of that as a negotiator for clauses in the Paris Agreement that dealt with human rights. Transferred to government for 6 months to help new climate officials acclimate to the new job. Now working as part of the programme team for the regional office of an international non-profit. Also working pro-bono as a climate change and environmental policy consultant for a member of the House of Representatives from a district whose constituents are mostly indigenous peoples. Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): My SOP took about a month to write and was proofread by 2 out of 3 of my recommenders as well as four friends who I trusted would give me an honest opinion on it. Since I visited the school and sat in two classes last July, I had a good idea of how the professors interacted with the students and I used that experience to put a spotlight on the collaborative atmosphere. I also wrote about my experience negotiating the Paris Agreement and the challenges that lie ahead in operationalizing it. Lastly, I wrote about how the MPA-ESP program fits my goals and objectives as a climate advocate from a particularly climate vulnerable country. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): My letters of recommendation were written by people who I consider mentors and they had given me copies of the letters after they had submitted. One from the executive director of my current organization and was the former vice minister of the government agency that handled the UN climate change negotations. He mostly wrote about my character and passion for the advocacy, as well as my participation and growth as a member of the Philippine delegation to the UNFCCC. The second one was from the former dean of the university I worked for, as I reported directly to him. He wrote about his experience working with me on various projects, as well as my analytical and writing skills as I had co-authored a number of op-ed articles with him on climate change. The last was from my former professor who had been my history professor for two years who knew me very well and attested to my academic abilities. I had informed them 3 months in advance and they did not consult with me at all, and I only knew about the contents when they had sent me their letters after they had submitted. These three were all very accessible to me and I could easily ask for the current status of the letter and would give them monthly reminders. Other:

Completely fell in love with the school, the program, and the city when I visited last July, so I completely agree with you on that

Congratulations! Guess we'll be seeing each other at orientation? What program did you apply to in UPenn?