SIPA_FSO

Hello, I'm a somewhat recent SIPA grad who found himself choosing between these two. I'd like to share my thoughts in case it helps anyone. Short version: SIPA gave me just about everything I was hoping for, but I think SAIS would have been a great fit as well. They're substantially different programs and environments. Both are expensive, and I think people should consider carefully before taking on big debt in today's job environment. But SIPA got me where I needed to go and I've never regretted the choice. Longer version: When I got accepted, I was working on a career change from private sector to a foreign affairs career, ideally with the U.S. government. SAIS would have been the safe bet: the faculty is well-connected within DC and it's very convenient to do govt internships. At SAIS's open house, I was really impressed by the think tank aura, which felt both fun and professional. The students all looked like they were going places. I'd heard that the World Bank and IMF had big SAIS contingents, and that SAIS alums were also well-represented at my dream employer, the State Dept. And while the general public may not know what SAIS is, it is very highly regarded within foreign affairs circles. I wasn't able to make it to SIPA's open house. I chose it sight-unseen after a long night of deliberation. In the end it came down to me being a West-coaster looking at perhaps his only chance to live in NYC. If I was going to spend the rest of my career in the Federal govt, there would be plenty of time for the Beltway later. So I chose SIPA, picked a concentration that focused on topics relevant to a US foreign policy career, and resigned myself to frequent Greyhound trips to DC for interviews. The Hostel International at 11th and K has an ironing board in the basement. I found a lot of freedom within SIPA to make it what I needed it to be. The students, a 50-50 mix of US and overseas, ran the gamut from somewhat flaky to enormously impressive, including some of the most agile thinkers I've yet to meet. There was great diversity in terms of age and professional background. And you could put together a very demanding curriculum or one that left loads of time for internships, networking, or partying with the Brazilians. SIPA is a cash cow for Columbia. Or was. I think the dean is aware of this problem and is trying to fix it. I did find that being part of a big university had advantages. We had access to a group of world-class language departments (and best of luck keeping up with 18-year old brains when learning Mandarin), and the shared facilities and global name recognition are also worth something. I ended up with my dream job, which oddly required neither an internship nor a masters degree (although I've heard that the Foreign Service Test now includes a resume submission). I've found DC to be quite livable for the short times I've been posted here. And a whole squadron of my SIPA friends moved down as well. Among my coworkers, I've met many SAIS grads, along with GW, AU, Woody Woo, and the always dominant Georgetown mafia. We all ended up in the same place. But I got to see New York on the way. Good luck to all of you.