Columbia SIPA MPA 2020

[Bubba94]

2 hours ago, graduate2020 said:

Congrats on all your acceptances! Perhaps, we can pick each other’s brain later to weigh options. If I were you, I’d wait till HKS is out. And then, negotiate with schools with the best offer in your hands as your leverage (e.g. I’ll reach out to Fletcher to see if they can match SAIS’s offer).  

Can I give a strong heck yes to picking each other's brains later to weigh options 

Edited March 13, 2020 by Bubba94

[syk17]

Hi everyone! Congrats to those who have been accepted! I have not received any email regarding the decision; I submitted by February 5th for SIPA's Fall MIA (2020). Have any other regular decision MIA applicants received an email? Thanks so much.

[joyzhc]

10 minutes ago, syk17 said:

Hi everyone! Congrats to those who have been accepted! I have not received any email regarding the decision; I submitted by February 5th for SIPA's Fall MIA (2020). Have any other regular decision MIA applicants received an email? Thanks so much.

I haven't received any emails. In their admission blog, they said applicants may not receive decision on the same day. Hope we can wait for a good news.

[ab1987]

I got into MIA program. Congratulations to everyone who got in. I didn't apply before the fellowship consideration deadline so wasn't exactly expecting any financial aid. Now have to chose between Fletcher and SAIS with some scholarship, or going broke with Columbia. 

[Spunkydudette]

1 hour ago, graduate2020 said:

Congrats on all your acceptances! Perhaps, we can pick each other’s brain later to weigh options. If I were you, I’d wait till HKS is out. And then, negotiate with schools with the best offer in your hands as your leverage (e.g. I’ll reach out to Fletcher to see if they can match SAIS’s offer).  

I love this idea. Thank you for the input! HKS really is the one I’m holding out for...I interviewed for a CPL fellowship which is a stretch — and I’m not counting on it — but would be huge as far as funding my graduate studies goes  Then 10k per semester at Fletcher, and 5k per semester at Hopkins. Zero at SIPA as far as I know ?

[Chestnutsong]

On 3/2/2020 at 11:50 PM, LazarusRises said:

Oh! In that case, congrats on your acceptance. I'm going to firmly commit to the thought that you got an early letter, confirmed by the fact that there are no other acceptances on the Results page since the early action crowd. There is still hope, SIPA applicants! 

Hi Thank you! I got the letter this morning (though no funding but I can totally understand that XD） I am still happy that I got in but probably won't go to SIPA！Congrats on your acceptances and good luck !

[KIMAMS]

I feel very happy, excited and proud of myself. I started studying English myself several years ago by watching CNN, reading book, doing Couchsurfing to practice my speaking .etc.. And with that effort now I got into an Ivy League ??

No scholarship so I will decline and hope someone else in the waitlisted will take it. Thank you a lot everybody and please have a nice weekend. 

Edited March 14, 2020 by KIMAMS

[LazarusRises]

@KIMAMS Congratulations on your acceptance. Something to take with you! Good luck in your endeavors. 

[SAN1234]

Hey guys!!! Also got in, which I’m so grateful for.. congrats to everyone!!!!!
for those with no scholarships, did you see another letter but just lead you to the same decision letter? I have two links but they lead to the same thing and I don’t know what it means! 

[Spunkydudette]

46 minutes ago, SAN1234 said:

Hey guys!!! Also got in, which I’m so grateful for.. congrats to everyone!!!!!
for those with no scholarships, did you see another letter but just lead you to the same decision letter? I have two links but they lead to the same thing and I don’t know what it means! 

Indeed! Same thing here.

[PP2020]

2 minutes ago, Spunkydudette said:

Indeed! Same thing here.

Happened to me too! 

[polapp20]

Got accepted back in December but didn’t receive a status update re scholarships/aid. I wonder whether that means no aid or if decisions would follow. 

[GradSchoolGrad]

7 hours ago, graduate2020 said:

Congrats to all! 
 

Got accepted to SIPA MIA with a $60k total package ($30k/year). Waiting on HKS but will have to decide b/w SIPA, SAIS, Harris, Fletcher, and McCourt within the next month. Very stressful times! 

If your heart is into IR, I would say its wash between SAIS and SIPA MIA from a pure academic perspective. I recommend you think about where you would build community. SIPA in general has reputation of everyone having their NYC lives and the study body not being that cohesive. SAIS generally is better in terms of community. Honestly, you need to visit the two to really get to know.

As for McCourt... go there if you want to do IDEV program analysis work or ride the Georgetown mafia to get into Capital Hill... but short of that, it is a pretty poor option to get into most other international relations oriented jobs. In terms of overall MPP quality Harris wins academically hands down. Obvious downsides to not being in DC as well as pros. 

[Zenric]

5 minutes ago, GradSchoolGrad said:

If your heart is into IR, I would say its wash between SAIS and SIPA MIA from a pure academic perspective. I recommend you think about where you would build community. SIPA in general has reputation of everyone having their NYC lives and the study body not being that cohesive. SAIS generally is better in terms of community. Honestly, you need to visit the two to really get to know.

As for McCourt... go there if you want to do IDEV program analysis work or ride the Georgetown mafia to get into Capital Hill... but short of that, it is a pretty poor option to get into most other international relations oriented jobs. In terms of overall MPP quality Harris wins academically hands down. Obvious downsides to not being in DC as well as pros. 

Hey,  a little off-topic here but I'm stuck in a similar decision between Georgetown MSFS, SAIS, and SIPA, all with similar funding levels. Unfortunately with the coronavirus it seems that all three are only holding virtual open houses, so I won't get a chance to really visit the campuses and see what they're like. What would be your opinion be on the three if my ambition is to get into public sector work (most likely security-related)?

[Mr. Jameson]

5 hours ago, Zenric said:

Hey,  a little off-topic here but I'm stuck in a similar decision between Georgetown MSFS, SAIS, and SIPA, all with similar funding levels. Unfortunately with the coronavirus it seems that all three are only holding virtual open houses, so I won't get a chance to really visit the campuses and see what they're like. What would be your opinion be on the three if my ambition is to get into public sector work (most likely security-related)?

If you’re interested in security, Georgetown is definitely the top for all those options. In general, the MSFS is the strongest IR program 

[spnfiim]

8 hours ago, KIMAMS said:

I feel very happy, excited and proud of myself. I started studying English myself several years ago by watching CNN, reading book, doing Couchsurfing to practice my speaking .etc.. And with that effort now I got into an Ivy League ??

No scholarship so I will decline and hope someone else in the waitlisted will take it. Thank you a lot everybody and please have a nice weekend. 

Proud of you.. 

[Yass]

11 hours ago, ab1987 said:

I got into MIA program. Congratulations to everyone who got in. I didn't apply before the fellowship consideration deadline so wasn't exactly expecting any financial aid. Now have to chose between Fletcher and SAIS with some scholarship, or going broke with Columbia. 

Congrats! I find their fellowship consideration deadline policy not as good as that of other schools such as SAIS or HKS where you are automatically considered or where the funding deadline is after the application deadline. That way, even with an acceptance most people would have to pay back large debts just for attending the school. Or people rush it to meet the deadline but then don't submit the best application...

[iskandera]

15 hours ago, thediesel said:

Well, that’s a wrap then. In with no aid is as good as a rejection. Hope my spot can go to someone on the waitlist. 

such a valid point.

[iskandera]

8 hours ago, Zenric said:

Hey,  a little off-topic here but I'm stuck in a similar decision between Georgetown MSFS, SAIS, and SIPA, all with similar funding levels. Unfortunately with the coronavirus it seems that all three are only holding virtual open houses, so I won't get a chance to really visit the campuses and see what they're like. What would be your opinion be on the three if my ambition is to get into public sector work (most likely security-related)?

literally same boat as you. Not being able to visit is really rendering the issue more complex than anticipated.

[Spunkydudette]

9 hours ago, GradSchoolGrad said:

If your heart is into IR, I would say its wash between SAIS and SIPA MIA from a pure academic perspective. I recommend you think about where you would build community. SIPA in general has reputation of everyone having their NYC lives and the study body not being that cohesive. SAIS generally is better in terms of community. Honestly, you need to visit the two to really get to know.

As for McCourt... go there if you want to do IDEV program analysis work or ride the Georgetown mafia to get into Capital Hill... but short of that, it is a pretty poor option to get into most other international relations oriented jobs. In terms of overall MPP quality Harris wins academically hands down. Obvious downsides to not being in DC as well as pros. 

Hey -- I am curious about what you had to say about the lack of community at SIPA. Is this pretty well known/did you hear it from current students?

I visited Fletcher and Georgetown, both of which seemed like tight-knit student communities to me (which I enjoy).  Would really appreciate any additional color you could provide about the vibes of these different programs. 

I have been accepted to SAIS MA, Fletcher MALD, Georgetown MSFS and SIPA MIA. Waiting on HKS. Like iskandera, I'm feeling disappointed about not being able to attend the admitted student days, meet other accepted students, chat w professors and get a sense of the different vibes of the programs, and which is the best fit. 

Edited March 14, 2020 by Spunkydudette

[GradSchoolGrad]

4 hours ago, Mr. Jameson said:

If you’re interested in security, Georgetown is definitely the top for all those options. In general, the MSFS is the strongest IR program 

He definitely correct. MSFS is generally speaking the strong IR program.

From a pure academic perspective, SAIS does have some advantages in economics analysis for IR (for example one of my friends from SAIS does international wheat trade analysis based IR work and her super heavy quant background in SAIS definitely launched her).

[GradSchoolGrad]

52 minutes ago, Spunkydudette said:

Hey -- I am curious about what you had to say about the lack of community at SIPA. Is this pretty well known/did you hear it from current students?

I visited Fletcher and Georgetown, both of which seemed like tight-knit student communities to me (which I enjoy).  Would really appreciate any additional color you could provide about the vibes of these different programs. 

I have been accepted to SAIS MA, Fletcher MALD, Georgetown MSFS and SIPA MIA. Waiting on HKS. Like iskandera, I'm feeling disappointed about not being able to attend the admitted student days, meet other accepted students, chat w professors and get a sense of the different vibes of the programs, and which is the best fit. 

I looked at SIPA once upon a time for a domestic policy based program. I will admit that every program has its own nuance, so I would check in about what MIA is about. However, the people I knew at SIPA (including someone who once worked there) highlighted how school was just where people went to class + did some projects, but their social lives + community was based upon their legacy NYC friends, and this was the norm. I will say that my friends were purposely looking for a school that made it easy to continue their NYC lives. 

I decided against Fletcher (and I went to classes there and have two really good friends that went there) pretty quickly for a very me reason. That is, I don't want to be in an academic environment where I would isolated from other disciplines. Tufts Fletcher simply doesn't have other grad programs geographically nearby or collaboration with undergrads (actually undergrads pretty much despise Fletcher people). Yes, true Fletcher is part of the consortium with MIT and Harvard so you can take classes there, but given the geographic distance + logistics, there isn't true collaboration. I really enjoyed leading, managing, and coaching undergrads in grad school, and I felt like we made each other better. Admittedly, SAIS has this challenge as well, but the bottom is that you are in DC and dong work with real world institutions super easily buttresses that pretty easily.  

If any school has a weak (or at least very hyper clique community) that is McCourt. For admitted students day (and I was part of it once), they bring on the smiles and anointed popular kids (or popular kids of the moment). The most successful people had to strike it out very much on their own because McCourt provided inadequate institutional support/management/community. 

[ab1987]

3 hours ago, Yass said:

Congrats! I find their fellowship consideration deadline policy not as good as that of other schools such as SAIS or HKS where you are automatically considered or where the funding deadline is after the application deadline. That way, even with an acceptance most people would have to pay back large debts just for attending the school. Or people rush it to meet the deadline but then don't submit the best application...

I completely agree. In my case I decided to focus on getting an admit by submitting my best application by the final deadline instead of submitting a half-baked one. I really hope to be able to negotiate with them for some financial aid. Can anyone tell whether its possible to negotiate for aid if someone hasn't applied by the fellowship consideration deadline?

[amr2020]

6 minutes ago, GradSchoolGrad said:

I looked at SIPA once upon a time for a domestic policy based program. I will admit that every program has its own nuance, so I would check in about what MIA is about. However, the people I knew at SIPA (including someone who once worked there) highlighted how school was just where people went to class + did some projects, but their social lives + community was based upon their legacy NYC friends, and this was the norm. I will say that my friends were purposely looking for a school that made it easy to continue their NYC lives. 

I decided against Fletcher (and I went to classes there and have two really good friends that went there) pretty quickly for a very me reason. That is, I don't want to be in an academic environment where I would isolated from other disciplines. Tufts Fletcher simply doesn't have other grad programs geographically nearby or collaboration with undergrads (actually undergrads pretty much despise Fletcher people). Yes, true Fletcher is part of the consortium with MIT and Harvard so you can take classes there, but given the geographic distance + logistics, there isn't true collaboration. I really enjoyed leading, managing, and coaching undergrads in grad school, and I felt like we made each other better. Admittedly, SAIS has this challenge as well, but the bottom is that you are in DC and dong work with real world institutions super easily buttresses that pretty easily.  

If any school has a weak (or at least very hyper clique community) that is McCourt. For admitted students day (and I was part of it once), they bring on the smiles and anointed popular kids (or popular kids of the moment). The most successful people had to strike it out very much on their own because McCourt provided inadequate institutional support/management/community. 

Thanks for this-- do you have any insight into SIPA vs. NYU Wagner specifically? I'm doing an MPA program, so wondering if NYU is better suited for domestic policy??

[GradSchoolGrad]

4 minutes ago, amr2020 said:

Thanks for this-- do you have any insight into SIPA vs. NYU Wagner specifically? I'm doing an MPA program, so wondering if NYU is better suited for domestic policy??

One of my friends from college did NYU Wagner... exact same feedback on community (or more like lack there of)... This is the reality of New York programs. NYU is much more focused on domestic policy (or at least domestic policy related issues). SIPA is basically this conglomerate of IR + Policy school in one so it is rather segmented. Most people I know from SIPA did do IR related stuff. Everyone I know from Wagner has done domestic policy.