HDPFDan

Thanks! I'm on there, attending the NYC meetup on Tuesday too!

Pretty freaked out about the SIPA debt load, but at the same time, remaining optimistic. It was the only school I applied to and I didn't necessarily expect to get in, and I wanted it really badly, so I'm definitely going. Just going to work my tail off year one in hopes of securing as much funding as possible for year 2. That and pursue some higher-paying career paths upon graduation.

I was admitted off of the waitlist early last evening. I will be accepting and am thrilled to start this fall! I know I missed the group high-five sesion when everyone was admitted in March but hope to meet and see you all in a few months!

I'm waitlisted at SIPA. I called yesterday just to verify I'm still on the waitlist, and was told that decisions should be out "in the next few weeks." That's as much info as they were willing to give.

Resuscitating this thread to see if anyone is still waiting on the waitlist, for the MIA or other. They said they'd start reviewing it in April so technically they are not late, but I was certainly hoping to hear that they have at laest made some waitlist decisions by now (in my decision letter they said that they inform all waitlisted applicants whenver they make decisions, to ask if they'd liek to remain on the list.)

I'd love to know about this as well, hahaha! Still on the waitlist for the MIA program.

LOL! I'm an NYC resident and have lived in 3 boroughs - Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan - and I too found that to be about the most puzzling statement I have encountered on this forum. I was ready to go off but then decided I should try not to reinforce any New Yorker stereotypes. A-Z: there is a TON to do all over NYC. It's a bit of a trek to get to Brooklyn from Morningside Heights, but it's about as interesting a place as you will find in these United States. And "northern" Manhattan, however physically unappealing the landscape may be, is also an interesting area to explore. Harlem has more culture in one block than half of the cities in this country.

Thanks! That's my plan, no reason to be down on the way things look right now. On a separate note, but somewhat related to this thread: has anyone else been following this story (link below)? This guy obviously had some relationship with SIPA, as the director of Sciences Po in Paris. He was in town for a conference at Columbia which I imagine SIPA was putting on. Nothing on SIPA's website about him. Interesting/potentially scandalous story, it seems. http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/04/richard-descoings-dead-autopsy-inconclusive.html

Yeah I've used SIPA's, not much there that I can make use of. I'll take a look at UCSD's though, thanks.

Does anyone have any links to a good directory for scholarships/fellowships, particularly focused on govt/internatioal affairs? I'm not eligible one way or another for just about everything I've found out there. I also know its late to apply to start in Fall 2012, but I may be waiting another year to start school, or looking to fund as much of my 2nd year as possible.

Nope! Only applied to SIPA, I live and work in NYC so I want to stay here. I also applied on a whim, kind of, and figured I would look to gain some additional experience/coursework if I didn't get in this year. So I'm upbeat about being on the waitlist. Either I get in and go, or I don't get in but know that all I need to do is add a few things to my resume/application to apply there and a few other schools next time. It will also give me the chance to save up and try to pursue some other funding opportunities so I don't have to deal with the full debt load.

I'm on the waitlist for the MIA. All they said was that they begin to review in April... while I'm hoping that means sooner rather than later, I have a feeling it may be after admitted student day. My thinking being that as a number of students may wait until that day to make their decision, SIPA will have a more final idea of their enrollment numbers shortly thereafter, and will then determine how many slots they have available for the waitlist. Unfortunately, it can take well into the summer.

^Hahaha yeah a coworker started an office pool yesterday, and I threw in $5. C'mon, tuition dollazz!

My pleasure! You're obviously going to be in great shape either way since you've got great schools from which to choose (that line must have been used on this site SO much in recent weeks). So don't sweat it too much

Should also mention - the 3 folks who are grads I've talked to all have had success out of SIPA. Admittedly that is a very small sample size, and they've graduated in different years, but it's still worthwhile information. One is a senior associate at my office (very respected think tank/policy research organization, nonprofit but you definitely make a good living for the industry/salary range, certainly based on what my pre-grad degree salary is compared to the nonprofit career statistics published by SIPA) She got her MPA in 2002 I believe. Another, my former coworker, who had the same position I do now, got his MIA in 2011, decided to concentrate in Energy and Environment and used the degree to make an industry switch, and now works for an energy consulting/monitoring firm. Another friend got her MIA in 2010 and then continued school by pursuing a phD at HKS, where she is now.