WishinnHoping

I applied for the MPA at Sciences Po. My preference for SIPA stems from two reasons - the first is the curriculum. SIPA will allow me to concentrate on Economic development and policy. I also prefer the specialisations offered by SIPA. The second (and not so logically valid) reason is the level of comfort I'd have in the US vs. France. I am not as fluent in French as I'd like to be and I fear I won't be able to take full advantage of the career and other resources with that handicap at Sciences Po. Now for the reasons which are now making me lean towards Sciences Po (as I've gotten to know them better over the months. They accepted me way back in November - took only 10 days to come back with my decision and have been in almost constant touch since). First is that Sciences Po offers funding and the French Government also has several scholarship options. Second, Sciences Po has a much smaller class size than SIPA and I'm guessing its more international in its intake. The class of 2010 has 36 students from 17 countries... In my interactions with them, they seem a lot more invested in their students than SIPA. The latter seems cold and disinterested, while Sciences Po has been wonderful everytime I've written to them or spoken to them. They usually reply to any mail within a day... and I've made some really specific requests while I was applying for scholarships. In fact, if you're unable to get adequate funding, Sciences Po is willing to help you work with corporates in Paris to set up some sort of paid research projects. That is the kind of commitment I want from a school, specially as a foreign student.

Jeez. There's sooooo much difference between Sciences Po and Columbia. Sciences Po have to be THE most helpful school I've ever interacted with... their representative in my city actually wrote to me, spent over an hour patiently answering queries and they're always ready to help with financial aid applications. Bah. Why can't SIPA be nice?

Anyone hear anything?

Did y'all notice? There's a new SIPA acceptance on the results board.. Apparently whoever it was emailed SIPA and was told they were accepted and should expect an email this week. I wonder who they emailed?

Yeah I doubt they'd consider me for funding either I have undergraduate degree in Economics (with the equivalent of a lousy 3 GPA) and a Masters in Management. My GRE was 690Q and 720V with a 5 AWA. I have 6 years of experience working as a Consultant to Government agencies implementing reforms in India, Sri Lanka and Trinidad and Tobago. I guess about the only decent thing about my app is my work... I basically applied only to 3 places - Sciences Po in France (Accepted), LSE (thrown out on my ear) and SIPA. So now I'm wondering which route SIPA will go. And it's driving me nuts. Though it shouldnt. Sciences Po has a dual degree programme with LSE and SIPA and I do intend to apply to both for my second year if I go there. But SIPA was my second choice after LSE, so I'm really really hoping to get in. Won't matter much without funding, but (and I think it was younglions who said this on another forum), if I get through, I'm going to print and frame the acceptance for posterity

Yeah. I called them :cry: End of the week is what they're estimating, but they aren't sure. Thats DAYS away. :cry: If things carry on like this, I'll probably be chucked out of my job too... what with the lack of concentration and the extreme addiction to this forum. A while ago, I actually found myself mindlessly F5-ing the SIPA acceptance board... just to see if any of the other 3%-ers responded. Yup, I'm officially nuts now.

My application took longer than the usual "2 - 3 weeks" to be listed as complete, but that was about it. I wonder if the whole song and dance about "some applications take longer to review" is really true, or if they're just buying time. How confusing DID we make our apps? Are we that good? That fence-sitting? Do they want to load us with fellowships but can't decide where to find all the money? Although, come to think of it, it's not really an outflow... it's revenue foregone. Bah. I'm going back to designing my SPV.

Maybe I'm just missing it? Where exactly does the link show up?

Oh maaaan. It's tuesday already. When oh when are they going to send the results OUT? See how the two day wait works? I now have to wait till night (and try to concentrate on work till then) for SIPA to wake up and start things. Then, their tuesday runs into my wednesday Whoever invented time zones did not see this coming. Couldn't they just have rolled everything out together? Like given us a later date (like say for example the 15)? Then there would have been so much lesser torture. Ok rant over. I woke up with knots in my tummy and checked the website and my mail early morning. So now I'm grouchy and on edge cos theres nothing. Ugh. There had better be good news at the end of this tunnel. Like really good news. :evil:

The worst of it is, I'm like 10 hours ahead of NY. So I actually have the pleasure of waiting the entire DAY for SIPA to wake and start making decisions... Don't ask me for logic, but it seems almost like I wait TWO days for one to pass

Oh bless you FSIA... this waiting was really really getting tough. Eeeks!

Tried calling the Admissions office today. Got a polite pre-recorded message asking me to leave my name and number and someone would get back to me A special Hoy There! to all my fellow .0000001%-ers Still keeping my fingers crossed that we hear by end of today. And not tear our hair out over the weekend. How insensitive is it that they're still handing out rejections?! Like just waitlist! I'm sooooooooooooooooo nervous.

First the 20% club and now the under-20%?!! What are they DOING to us? Aaaaarrrggghhh!!!! I'm just praying the decision comes today... I don't think I can wait till Monday Funny thing is, I got accepted into Sciences Po waaayyyy back in November, and they're probably going to offer me money (damn! I forgot I'm waiting on that too!).. so I'll probably head off to Paris anyway. Unless Columbia offers me enough to be able to attend. I wonder if they're done with the "acceptance with funding" offers.. anyone else feel like we're now the do-we-take-her-or-not bunch? Bah. I'm soooooo depressed already

Gosh smileyhalf... you've just expressed my angst! I've gone completely nuts. I can't even focus on work anymore. I've become obsessive, compulsive and superstitious to boot . Can't even say the "R" word. My friends have suddenly become tone deaf too Aaaaargh! How can they DO this? I figure if they don't accept me after putting me through the ringer like this, I should probably go on protest and accuse them of mental cruelty, low productivity, bad karma and possibly everything else that's wrong with my life. Maybe my friends are right. Maybe I finally HAVE gone nuts with all the waiting. Maybe I should just head to the bar. I'll raise a toast to all my fellow sufferers and hope we all get in with lots of money