orangesplease

I've kept in touch with them over the last week and a half. Last Wednesday they increased my scholarship from $5k to $10k/year and told me I had to decide by April 20th. Still had plenty of financial concerns as I hope to stay in the public sector, so I gave them another email and a couple calls to see what funding possibilities there were. Was informed on Tuesday that my scholarship was increased to $20k/year. Turned in my deposit late last night and received an enrollment confirmation this morning =D However, I am still waiting on one more school whose admissions decisions have been delayed into May. -____- Right now it looks likely that I'll be matriculating to GPPI, but I haven't written off my last school just in case they decide to give me a full ride. ha ha I would gladly sacrifice a $500 deposit for that! Regardless, EXCITED.

Just to clarify, Berkeley is somewhere close to across the bridge from SF, but its rent prices are significantly cheaper. The closer to campus, the more pricey it is. Regardless, if you end up paying 1k/mo for your own room in a 2-bedroom apt, it will be decent in space (though perhaps not quality due to the age of the buildings?) and far more than the hole in the wall you would get in NYC. If you live about a half mile away from campus, rents decline drastically. California is also the bread basket of the country, so produce prices are significantly cheaper than the East Coast. There are plenty of college-affordable hole in the walls.

Berkeley weather may be somewhat cloudy, but California is almost never ever humid. It is cool in the winter and the weather is pretty decent during the summer. No unexpected warm summer rain. ha ha Pretty irrelevant, but I had to chime in on the weather XD

Welcome to the club Chipembere! ha ha Best of luck.

I too have been pushed up to 10k.

I made my decision against SIPA weeks ago. The Columbia name will always carry, but I am going into public service and the little to no funding is too concerning for me. Also, their large seemingly-haphazard program did not justify their high price. I got that impression when I discussed it with someone I knew in their 2nd year in the program. Had their career services had a great reputation, I might have thought otherwise. Unfortunately, one amazing professor that I truly admire will not justify this program. With that said, JAubrey is right. If you intend on working in NYC, it's not a bad place to be. Of course, going to any other well regarded program and interning in NYC would be equally fine since people don't seem to inter/work while at SIPA. Anyways, my two cents!

I received an email last week informing me that there would be another round of funding this Wednesday and I would not have to turn in my deposit until this Friday. With that said, the open house on Friday went well. The people were genuine and everyone seemed happy and enthused about the program. Two main things I took away were how quantitatively inclined their program was (and that it was a strength come time for interviews) and how well the career services has done in outreaching to employers o they understand the quality of the program. I'm hoping to receive some good news this Wednesday to solidify my decision. Best to all!

Will anyone else be attending the Open House on Friday? And anyone else offered more money??

COOL! Goodluck to you =D I hope you end up falling in love the institution as I did during undergrad. GO TRITONS! lol

Received a funding update email. It seems like a form email they send to individuals who will receive no aid, but I already received a small scholarship. It asked that I email them to express my interest if I would like to be considered for funding that will be made closer to April 20th. I REALLY NEED THE MONEY!!!! ha ha Why do you play games w/ my heart and purse Georgetown?

I was accepted in early Feb and didn't receive my package in the mail until mid-March, so definitely don't expect it anytime soon. With that said, there was no new information in there. My final fin aid package hasn't been finalized b/c I didn't turn in the grad student supplemental form, so turn it in if you haven't yet! http://finaid.georgetown.edu/document/1242766478053/2012-13_GradApp_Form_Online_pub_0001.pdf

Do you mind sharing what your initial offer was and how much did they increase it to?

SADFACE! Yesterday, I chatted with someone I know who graduated from GPPI last May. She said she relied on loans and fortunately received a rare fellowship in her second year that covered half of her tuition. Regardless, she said it was still a good decision and she was picked up as a coordinator for the White House fellows program after interning there last Summer. As I'm sure everyone on here is aware, she definitely weighed the internship opportunities heavily in making her decision. As for your dog, well, it has yet to be logistically or financially possible for me to have such a pet. However, I understand how strong that connection will be. Goodluck w your decision!

Anyone else receive a congratulatory call from a current student? It was nice, but I wish that call came with some funding

Seeing that you are a Californian, you are eligible to win the Mega Millions jackpot which has increased to $467 million. They draw the numbers on Friday! I'm organizing a small lottery pool w/ some friends to buy tickets ha ha Yesterday, 9 people in California had 5/6 numbers and won ~$306k. Would I go to SIPA if I won the lottery? CHYA.

In the US university system, we refer to it as a quarter system. There's definitely no slacking time, but you can also say goodbye to horrible professors/subjects sooner than later! Goodluck to wherever you go nouveau, you have some awesome choices to choose from.

Alrighty, received some insight from my friend who currently goes there. Pros: - He'll be leaving w/ 18k in debt (in-state tuition) - The IR/PS career center is amazing and they really do a great job at assisting their students find jobs. They bring in alums and other useful individuals. Apparently the director is a fantastic networker. - Lots of useful academic exercises - The student network created through the program is a huge asset Cons: - Brand isn't as instantly recognized outside of academia and/or the West Coast - Their academic requirements are quite rigorous and it's difficult to give your all to all the courses b/c you're taking 4 courses at once time I forgot to ask him about quant... well hope this helps someone!

After speaking with someone who is currently in the program, I am even more inclined to decline their offer sooner than later >.< As for financial assistance, I was told pretty much if you maintain a 3.4 gpa or higher you WILL get some sort of aid. This person in particular received enough to cover about half of tuition in year 2. There were also people who were offered TA's who's tuition was entirely covered, but it requires a big time commitment. At least for those who decide on going, you know you'll get SOMETHING in year 2. Confirmation of their carer services (or lack there of??) was also somewhat apparent. Though there was a recent increase in assistance, it doesn't seem like the school is proactive in assisting their students are hired.

No, only this one. I know there are some programs in Japan and at least one in Korea, but if my projections are correct, Southeast Asia will be a good place to be in the next several decades.

Hey folks, I've seen some posts regarding other international programs, but are there really no others on this forum that applied to NUS's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy? Hoping to hear if anyone has had an interview or has one scheduled in the near future. Though I can't say their application process hasn't been the most intuitive, their program and location are very much ideal for what I'm hoping to do in the future--but I'm aware Asians have a bias against their own institutions. Granted, I also attended a well-respected American undergrad institution and if I've learned anything during my several years of working, it's that a network means a lot more than a diploma. So, anyone out there going through this process w/ me?

That's the main reason why I've pretty much counted out SIPA. That and b/c it doesn't look like they take care of you well there. It still has a teeny chance b/c of their more generous 2nd year grants, but the average grant was 13-15k or something, soooo that wasn't very promising o_O Regardless, I am speaking with a friend who's in the program tomorrow and assuming she didn't get bomb funding, I'll let you know how she's holdin up ha ha @ GPPI, I can work to offset part of the cost along w/ their small scholarship.

Shouldn't be. I am also a former transfer student and have been admitted to the two schools I've heard back from.

$5 if you receive a smaller scholarship than me XD Our stats are very similar, except my gre quan score is 5 points higher and I have had relevant policy work for 3 years. Regardless, that still only netted me $5k. I think they take strong consideration of gpa/gre in doling out the scholarships. I feel these statements are to assist them in confirming whether or not you will receive what they already through you should receive. Perhaps someone will have an outstanding statement, but it's hard to be compelling w/ what they request for in the statement. Regardless, I'm sure you'll be fine =D

If it helps at all, I didn't think I was going to go to undergrad there. I took a 36 hour trip to check out the campus and immediately determined with no hesitation that it was for me. Of course, I may have different aesthetic/environmental preferences. In no way is its architecture reminiscent of renaissance revival, romanesque or medieval revival similar to other prestigious campuses. It is also a sprawling campus that requires plenty of walking IF you need to cross campus. There is also an on-site eucalyptus forest on campus (a mini one in the middle, and a large one on a perimeter of the campus). To further stress the unconventional nature of this campus, here is a new art installation on campus that will also be employed as meeting space. pic1 pic2

I've put in a request from my friend regarding the specifics of the program, so I'll provide that insight once I get it. Here are my fond memories and thoughts on UC San Diego: Academics are very much focused on the sciences and engineering, but the political science department is the cream of the crop of all the social science departments. It's currently tied #7 with Columbia on the US News rankings above UCLA. Even though the campus is only just over 50 years old, it has quickly come to prominence in intellectual circles. It is included among 20 prestigious schools in the academic peer survey Teaching and Research on International Politics (scrool to page 26/27). In California, it's common for a student to choose UC San Diego over UCLA or UC Berkeley. Grad student housing is plentiful and affordable as there were two separate developments completed in the last 6 years. Don't expect the walls to be very sound proof though XD I think they're trying to discourage raucous behavior? ha ha There are plenty of dining options on campus as each college has its own dining hall and then some... at least 7? The med school dining hall is known for being great, but some of the newly renovated ones offer organic and local food items. The weather in San Diego is arguably the best it gets in the 50 contiguous states. I lost my umbrella my first year down there and it virtually wasn't ever an issue. The university is located in it's own canyon, so it's somewhat isolated in the surrounding community. It is also the step child of the La Jolla community, which is considered one of the most expensive places to live in the U.S. Beaches are VERY accessible and the closest one is a 20 minutes walk down a curvy road (the school is kind of above a hill if you're looking in from the ocean). The area is very much safe, but it has a high rate of car thefts b/c of the attractive notorious busy student population. There are free university shuttles that will take you around the area of the area in addition to free use of the city bus service with your student id (and current student sticker). A car, however, is very much necessary in SD if you expect to see the rest of the city. San Diego is a very diverse city with both cool and horrible neighborhoods. You will find the chillest of people in the beach neighborhoods and the most pretentious people at the hottest clubs in downtown. You will find whichever scene you're looking for in SD. Even though there was nothing about the program, hope that helps in any case.