nycpolicy

Hey can I ask which program that is?

I got the email last Friday I believe, no aid which was pretty surprising! Why does it make the decision tougher for you @PolicyHopeful2018?

Do schools improve funding offers after you've made a commitment to them? How often/likely is this and which schools if any are known to do this?

Similar thoughts as yours. Let's chat on private message

Me. What are your thoughts on the program - are you an international student?

Has anyone negotiated aid at SAIS - what is the process and outcome? Do they have a form similar to the other unis? Has anyone had luck with more money? Thanks!

OP, I wanted to jump in to say that I'm in the same position, not in terms of those exact choices, but debating the question of whether I should follow the prestige, pay the money and risk not getting a job in US (more realistically, getting a job but not being able to stay because of visa), or getting something that pays so little (40-50k) that its impossible to save up (at least in a city like NYC) and pay back hefty loans. OR to forget the prestige and not pay the money, keep your options open for a degree with higher ROI (MBA) if you're up for it later, but then risk not getting a prestigious/high paying job (which would theoretically be okay because you didn't spend any money however you should forget an entry to the IOs or the MBBs straight out of grad school) but more importantly, no one being able to recognise the college back in India and the impact that will have. And let me tell you, it is keeping me up at night. I know that this forum is very much against taking large loans and I largely agree with that sentiment, but when you are an international student whose ticket to the US is education, you want to do nothing but the best. I dreamt of Columbia SIPA for a long time and am still hoping for some miraculous aid to turn up from some of the sources I'm looking at, but as the reality of the situation hits me I am questioning if my passion for this degree is strong enough to be okay with being in debt for the next 10-20 years (largely no). On the other hand like you I am finding it very difficult to turn down SIPA because 20 years later I also don't want to regret not going to Columbia when I had the chance. The bottom line is, you need to determine if you have the kind of fire to make it. I know people who have come to Columbia on no scholarship and are ok with that either because they have been able to bag that one McKinsey job or they have the kind of financial backing from their parents/spouse that they they are able to come here to learn from the best and not have to worry about the loans. So at the end of it you need to think about if you are the kind of person who is ready/able to spend a LOT of time, energy and money (yes additional money) to run after getting that job, and while you do that you will have to sacrifice the learning/academic side of things. @ExponentialDecay @Prester John what is your opinion of the IPED program at Fordham? I know that it is no where in terms of rankings/prestige. However, few things that are attracting me to it: - The full ride obviously, but more importantly - Ability to dual degree with MA Economics since the IPED itself is pretty quant/econ heavy. The MA Economics will make me eligible for STEM OPT extension which buys more time and (I believe) also opens up more doors in terms of jobs where I can play the quant angle. Worry: MA Economics from a non-prestigious college doesn't do anything for anyone. - Ability to stay in NYC - I have been to both Boston and DC and very frankly speaking (people please don't hate) did not like it as much as I like NYC. Plus with a sorted living situation and the kind of exposure that NYC offers, I am hesitant to move away. Worry: Being a non-Columbia non-NYU student in NYC bars you from the very same exposure/networking opportunities. I need to make a decision on Fordham by Sunday and I am very strongly leaning towards at least paying the deposit money even if I do not end up going there because it seems like a solid option, but need more thoughts. Would also like to hear your thoughts on the MALD degree similar to what the OP asked since that is coming out to be my cheapest option right now in the elite category.

Finances! I've applied to a couple of external scholarships, the results of which I'll only know after all the deposit deadlines. Plus I've requested additional funding from my top schools which may come in after the deposit deadline of other schools. I don't want to lose a place at my top school and later receive all this scholarship money that could've been used. Alternatively, I am OK not going there if I do not get aid from any avenue which is also a realistic scenario.

Hey, I got the result via email and eventually snail mail. Yeah I don't mind that it's econ heavy - I have an econ background and generally feel that having those technical skills serve you well no matter the career path. My biggest hesitation at this point is the recognition. I am an international student so I know for sure that the college is not recognized outside of the US. Having said that however, I am just not willing to spend $100k+ on a degree that is not guaranteed to get me a job in which I earn that amount straight out of college. You are definitely not alone. I am having tons of stress and anxiety over this decision, in many ways it is more stressful than the application period since there is real money involved that has the potential to change the trajectory of your life. My main aspects are money, prestige and location. With Fordham I am getting two of these (no costs + NYC) but not prestige - hence I am still stuck. Have you heard back from them yet?

Hm, that's all right ($1000 is nothing compared to the tuition fees of these colleges :p) but I'm concerned about those forms that ask you to sign your name confirming that you are not paying a deposit elsewhere or deferring. Is it legal to sign your name against this while actually putting down a deposit elsewhere?

What the title says.

Anyone planning to catch the back to back Fltcher-SIPA-SAIS open houses? How are you planning to travel from NYC on 10th evening post 8:30 pm and reach SAIS before 11th 8:30 a.m?

Now that you mention this, I've not actually spoken to people who have the jobs I want. I've only spoken to alums of each of my schools..

I have the same regrets as you! Didn't apply for HKS thinking I have no chance, but looking back, should've given it a shot. Didn't apply to Yale because of how new the program was, fearing lack of alumni connections, however its possible that I would've received good funding if accepted. Oh well, what's done is done.

Could you please send the link for that form?

In the exact same position as you. When I started the cycle (and throughout it), I was so obsessed with getting in and going to a top school that I didn't look into the realism of money or jobs (plus I started late so was super stressed with just the applications). However, putting the money in context and talking to alums now is giving me major second thoughts. Even I am having doubts about if this degree is even worth it when an MBA can easily do my job and often times is preferred above my credentials. Don't know if I should defer or just go to a lower ranked school which will cost me significantly less than the prestigious ones. On one hand it will save me a lot of money to pursue another degree/start a stress free post-graduate life but on the other hand I worry about the exposure/opportunities I will get with this.

Bumping this to see if anyone else got an invitation to interview? I did not, and am pretty surprised about that. Wondering what was lacking in my skill set, planning to ask for feedback. More importantly, the financial aid would've been of extreme help which I was relying on..

What are some examples of this leverage?

I should know this already, but what exactly is tuition credit? Secondly, is it possible to do more than one of these in the same semester, for example could you be a TA and a CA?

If I am understanding this correctly, it is very scary..I haven't received any aid from SIPA and was relying on assistantships to pull me through. Are they now saying that assistants will not get paid at all?

Did anyone apply to this program? I got an admission letter yesterday with a full ride, which is still pretty unbelievable to me. Getting this makes me sadder for not getting any aid from Columbia which is my dream school. Do people here know about this program, its reputation, future opportunities etc?

Hi all, I have also been admitted to the MPA but unfortunately with no funding. How are you all navigating aid negotiation? Is their check back form posted on another thread the only way to go about it?

Hi all, I got accepted with 38k in funding for 2 years. Not enough but better than the money offered from other schools I'm not sure if I will be accepting, although everyone I've been in touch with from Fletcher have been super nice as compared to other schools. I feel that NYC has better opportunities in terms of career especially for an international student like me. Being able to take classes at Harvard in a plus but do you all know how common that is? Additionally, has anyone figured out how to negotiate for more funding?

Anyone here negotiating for funding? How are you guys going about it - is the check back form the only way?

Hi all, nice to see this thread. I also got into SAIS IDEV with 10k in funding for the first year. I'm currently trying to decide between my other admits, specifically between DC and NYC as a whole. I am an international student and wish to work either in private sector or IOs after graduation. From going through this forum I get the sense that the SAIS program is best for those wanting to get into US government, which as an international student bars me from multiple options. Whereas having lived in New York for a bit now I feel that job opportunities for international students in this field are more abundant. Would love to hear more opinions on this. I also frequently see on this thread that SAIS is the best place to go for World Bank jobs. However, I find it hard to believe that you cannot secure a Bank job from NYC. What are your thoughts?