Hey all, long time lurker here.
I got accepted to NPSIA today! I've always wished folks would post more info on here, so here are my full details.
The process:
Applied in mid-Jan.
"Recommended for assessment" for a long-ass time, I don't remember.
"Review in progress by department" for two or three weeks.
My specialization was updated from "N/A" to "Health, Displacement, and Humanitarian Policy" this morning.
Shortly after my file updated to "Review in progress by faculty of post-graduate affairs".
Then I got an email saying my application was approved in the late afternoon. So I logged into Carleton Central and freaked the hell out because my file said "application withdrawn". But then five minutes later a new file was created with my chosen specialization in the file name. So just a quick scare.
My stats:
Geography major, history minor, concentration in Resources, Economy, and the Environment with Honours Thesis and Coop.
3.81 GPA on a 4.33 scale. My last couple of semesters were higher and I did very well on the economics required courses.
Two years experience working in climate policy at Environment Canada. One year experience working at Global Affairs Canada in trade negotiations. These both started on a coop student basis and extended into casual contracts. Everyone has strengths in their application, the work experience component was likely my strength.
Not much noteworthy travel experience or research other than my honours thesis.
Volunteer experience is just stuff in my local community.
Rudimentary skill in French.
My reference letters were okay, one was a prof who didn't know me very well but I did well in his class, the other supervised my Honours Thesis.
This is the kind of post I've always wanted others to do in these forums when lurking last year and the year before, so I felt obliged to do one myself.
Godspeed to everyone still waiting, and looking forward to meeting some of you! Happy to answer any questions. I wonder if someone is going to start/has started a facebook group for the 2021 class
