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LazarusRises

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Everything posted by LazarusRises

  1. LazarusRises
    Is it really that weird for a graduate student to date an undergrad? That lady seems like she had a FOMO complex, but the age difference is often not more than a few years.
  2. LazarusRises
    Have you gotten in touch with the schools from #2? Turbulent times right now, but there's no reason for them not to be communicative. 3 months of silence is definitely cause to reach out and inquire, especially since most deposit deadlines are fast approaching. To me it sounds like the Masters is kind of filler between undergrad and PhD for you. If you get the chance to enroll in a financially-viable PhD program, I'd choose that.
  3. LazarusRises
    OK, I'm going to chime in with my dilemma. This forum has been endlessly helpful while navigating stressful waters, so why stop now?? I've been admitted to Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment for a Masters in Environmental Management, as well as Columbia SIPA for an MPA in Energy & Environment. Both offered me decent funding, around 30% tuition. Columbia has been my top choice throughout the admissions cycle, as New York is home and I'd love to be back there, not to mention that SIPA and NYC are probably the best places in the world to launch a career in international sustainable development. I'm now worrying about the possibility that fall classes at Columbia will be held virtually. This wouldn't be so much of a problem if I were in undergrad, but really the academic content is around half of the reason I'm going to grad school in the first place--especially in this field, the networking & practical experience are a huge part of the draw. So, if the Columbia campus is still closed come August (which will also likely mean that NYC is a nightmare zone), is it worth missing out on a semester of "real grad school" so I can have that program as my springboard, or should I go to Duke instead? I already live in Durham and my apartment is a 5-minute bike ride from campus, so that would be extremely convenient; cost of living is also significantly cheaper here. Of course none of us can know the future, so this will probably be decided later in the summer. I just wish Columbia would extend their deposit deadline like Duke has. Any input is appreciated! Thanks folks.
  4. LazarusRises
    @Yass Yep, I got an email from Grace Han about virtual events & resources. Check your spam folder, mine came through at 4:07PM EST on Friday the 27th.
  5. LazarusRises
    Popping in to say that Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment has pushed back their deposit deadline to June 1. Very glad to hear that and hoping others follow suit. I was on an admitted students' webinar for Columbia SIPA the other day and someone asked if they had similar plans. The answer was "not as of now, but we'll keep you updated."
  6. LazarusRises
    Same. I really hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does I'll gladly keep working for another year rather than pay to webchat for 20 hours a week. Also feeling lucky that I can work from home, it's scary times for those who can't...
  7. LazarusRises
    Hi nadine! I was also accepted to Berkeley's MDP and SIPA's MPA (not the -DP variety), as well as Duke Nicholas' Masters of Environmental Management. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with SIPA, as they gave me a pretty good chunk of funding, though I'm also going to negotiate with them if Duke gives me a better offer. For these kinds of programs, I honestly don't think there's a better place in the world than NYC. Combined with SIPA's excellent reputation and all-star faculty/alumni, it makes a pretty compelling case for itself. Cal was tempting because I'm interested in energy access & DER, so working with ERG and RAEL would have been great, but I know that SIPA's energy & environment curriculum is rock solid and there's plenty of sustainability work that goes on in NYC. Plus the Earth Institute is an extraordinary resource that Berkeley can't match. When it comes down to it, even if Columbia hadn't given me any funding, I'd probably pick it over Berkeley. Similar costs for non-Californians, similar costs of living, but one is in the center of the world. Personal considerations also applied for me. I'm from NY state and would love to be home; I also moved across the country twice in the past year and the idea of doing that again is totally exhausting. I hope this was of some help! Let me know your thoughts, I'm curious what other admits have to say.
  8. LazarusRises
    @KIMAMS Congratulations on your acceptance. Something to take with you! Good luck in your endeavors.
  9. LazarusRises
    Updating with final decision and some funding info! Still waiting on Duke's financial offer, but I'm pretty set on Columbia at this point. Feeling extremely lucky right about now. Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): Duke Nicholas School Masters of Environmental Management, Columbia SIPA MPA, Berkeley MDPSchools Admitted To: Duke Nicholas, UC Berkeley, Columbia SIPA ($$)Schools Rejected From: None Still Waiting: NoneUndergraduate Institution: UC BerkeleyUndergraduate GPA: 3.71Undergraduate Major: Environmental PolicyGRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: 160/168/6.0Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 4Years of Work Experience: 4Describe Relevant Work Experience: Worked in nonprofit environmental conservation in college, AmeriCorps fellowship in local governance/energy efficiency policy after undergrad, currently working with a utility-scale solar & storage developerStrength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I'm very passionate about my field & career, and I'm also an experienced writer (demonstrated in part by my verbal & AW GRE scores). I had several trusted friends and advisors read it over, including a couple of professional editors, and did several drafts to refine. I'm confident that it reads well and demonstrates my dedication to sustainable development & environmental stewardship.Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Current supervisor (Director-level), former supervisor at the same job who left (Executive-level), undergrad thesis advisor who is a Nobel laureate & author of the IPCC. All submitted their letters promptly and seemed very willing to write them. Other: Fulbright India 2016 semifinalist in Energy; discussed my desire to reapply for Fulbright after graduate school (or as part of the capstone project in the case of Columbia) in my essays.
  10. LazarusRises
    Just refreshed the page, also got a funding letter at the very bottom - $40k total over the 2 years. Over the moon. Good luck, all.
  11. LazarusRises
    I doubt it. The fact that nobody's so far has indicates that funding will be communicated separately. (At least I hope so!)
  12. LazarusRises
    I'm in too!!!! Holy cow, the wait is over. My heart is pounding, what a rush. No word about funding in my letter either. Congrats to those accepted so far and good luck everyone else!!
  13. LazarusRises
    Oy! Thanks to your friend for their bravery... but didn't current SIPA students get an email saying they're organizing calls to admits starting Monday?
  14. LazarusRises
    Where have you heard that having a job while at SIPA is frowned upon? I was definitely planning on helping pay for the program with concurrent work. (I also applied for the MPA without the -ESP, does that make a difference?) Some cursory googling doesn't turn up anything warning against working your way through school, which I assumed was a common wait to finance a graduate degree. @WhoaThereWombat I don't have any advice as far as choosing programs go, but I live in Durham right now. If there's anything that could be accomplished by somebody else visiting Duke for you, let me know and I might be able to make it happen.
  15. LazarusRises
    They're really gonna post on the blog today and not mention admissions at all ? http://admissionsblog.sipa.columbia.edu/2020/03/12/how-to-choose-a-graduate-school/
  16. LazarusRises
    This is going to be a problem for a lot of incoming graduates this year. My recommendation is to reach out to the programs and ask for the contact information of current students. Talking to folks in the programs you're considering should give you some insight into how good of a fit they'll be. Also, it's not nearly as good as seeing campus in person, but many universities have virtual tours on their websites. Worth a shot.
  17. LazarusRises
    I guess the grass is always greener!
  18. LazarusRises
    Man, I gotta say, it's pretty cool that Harvard keeps applicants in the loop like this. We've been totally in the dark for the entire Columbia process, with only the reports of other students to go by.
  19. LazarusRises
    Hallelujah, concrete information!! Now all my anxiety has been compressed into a 48-hour window ? Thanks for posting, @ch442. The hero we need.
  20. LazarusRises
    OK, good point! Forgot about that tidbit. ?????
  21. LazarusRises
    We are doomed.
  22. LazarusRises
    Ignore this post. Misread the title as "Applied Physics."
  23. LazarusRises
    Just got an email from Dean Stanback confirming that the Nicholas School's Admitted Students Weekend is cancelled. Oh well. Of perhaps more interest to some: the email also mentioned that financial aid awards will be sent the week of March 20th. Hooray, more waiting!
  24. LazarusRises
    Boo, that's a pity I was also looking forward to it. Luckily I live right nearby, so I can go talk to professors myself, but it would've been nice to meet the potential cohort.
  25. LazarusRises
    Checking in from the Columbia SIPA wait thread to say: you're not alone in your stress! Stay strong & do whatever you need to distract yourselves.
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