Columbia SIPA MPA 2020

[Yass]

12 hours ago, LazarusRises said:

Stumbled upon something odd, hoping to get everyone's input. 

Item 1: The latest post on the SIPA Admissions Blog makes an oblique reference to a deposit deadline of May 1. I haven't received any notification regarding a change to the stated deadline of April 15, but this is straight from the horse's mouth, so maybe it counts?

Item 2: Hoping for some clarity, I signed into the Admitted Students' Portal and clicked the "Accept Your Offer" link at the right of the page, but it just brought me to https://apply.sipa.columbia.edu/apply/. I expanded the "Accept the Offer of Admission" section in the portal and clicked the "Enrollment Response Form" link, which brought me to an "Accept Your Offer" page, but the "Respond To Your Offer Now" link also leads to the /apply/ page. 

Very confusing! Has anyone successfully responded to their offer, and/or does anyone have any info on what the deposit deadline actually is?

Thanks crew. 

According to the MPA-DP program director: Deadlines did not change: * April 15th for fellowship candidates and Early Action admits; * May 1st for everyone else.

Seems like you've made your final decision?

[LazarusRises]

@Yass Oh I see, that's good to know. I'm pretty set on Columbia by this point, though I'm trying to finagle a bit of extra aid based on other offers, and obviously would love for a later deadline just to have more information about how things will stand come fall. If I need to put down the $2k next week, then so be it. 

[Teeteelayo]

On 4/6/2020 at 10:33 PM, LazarusRises said:

Stumbled upon something odd, hoping to get everyone's input. 

Item 1: The latest post on the SIPA Admissions Blog makes an oblique reference to a deposit deadline of May 1. I haven't received any notification regarding a change to the stated deadline of April 15, but this is straight from the horse's mouth, so maybe it counts?

Item 2: Hoping for some clarity, I signed into the Admitted Students' Portal and clicked the "Accept Your Offer" link at the right of the page, but it just brought me to https://apply.sipa.columbia.edu/apply/. I expanded the "Accept the Offer of Admission" section in the portal and clicked the "Enrollment Response Form" link, which brought me to an "Accept Your Offer" page, but the "Respond To Your Offer Now" link also leads to the /apply/ page. 

Very confusing! Has anyone successfully responded to their offer, and/or does anyone have any info on what the deposit deadline actually is?

Thanks crew. 

Log in and view your acceptance letter. There,  click on the link for the "enrollment form" in the letter. There you will be directed to the enrollment form. Once submitted,  you will be able to submit the payment. Also, the link for the deposit will be available on your status page

[n_eb_2020]

Hey, I got accepted into the MPA DP at SIPA and UC Berkeley's MDP. I'm leaning more towards SIPA given the location and access to resources in addition to the brand name. I'm still confused given the research strength and potential at Berkeley's in addition to its focus on development econ. Berkeley's program is run by the school of natural resources which makes me wonder if there will be a slight emphasis on natural resources topics and this inclination towards those topics in their capstone workshops or practicums...

After graduating, I'm looking to work in international entities in Africa and in the US. I'd like to have the west coast option open as well to the east coast and from what people are saying that the brand name does not weigh as heavily as it does on the east coast. So, what would be my job prospects in the west coast? Any insights in general between both programs? Thanks!

[E-11-even]

Hi guys!

I need your help regarding one matter. I have a conditional offer from SIPA - MPA - they ask me to complete two courses prior to my enrollment: Principles of Macroeconomics and Principles of Microeconomics. I can take them online, but they need to be letter graded, so a course with just a certificate or pass/fail will not suffice.

Do you have any ideas where I can find such courses? I found some at Berkeley, but I think they are too expensive. Maybe some community colleges/state-universities? I am an international student and I feel lost. The Admissions team can not recommend any program... 

[LazarusRises]

@Florentina Pruteanu I recommend looking into online community college classes. This is what I've been advised to do by multiple parties for any brushing up I decide to undertake. If you find a CC in your area you might qualify for cheaper tuition. It looks like the Community College of Philadelphia is offering 3-unit courses (including their econ courses) for $579 total. 

[LazarusRises]

Just logged into the Admitted Students' Portal and saw the update below. If classes don't resume in person by fall, I'll seriously consider applying for a deferral until spring. What are folks thinking? 

-

Deferrals: 

Master of International Affairs, Master of Public Affairs, and MPA in Development Practice candidates may submit a request to defer enrollment for one semester or one year with the permission of the Admissions Committee. 

Generally, requests are granted only for very compelling reasons. Reasons the Admissions Committee may consider include medical or family emergencies, or extraordinary professional opportunities.

We will also consider deferral requests due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These deferrals requests will be considered later in the summer and are related to students’ ability to obtain a visa to enter the United States, their ability to exit their home country, and if SIPA is unable to resume course instruction in-person, on-campus this fall.

The Committee does not consider requests from candidates who wish to postpone their enrollment at SIPA in order to attend another academic program prior to enrolling at SIPA. Requests are also not granted if based solely on financial considerations.

Please also note that at SIPA, deferred students are not able to carry over SIPA scholarships awarded, nor are they eligible for fellowship consideration. However, students granted a deferral due to COVID-19 reasons mentioned above will be allowed to carry their SIPA scholarship to the Spring (January 2021) term. Candidates who defer to the fall will not have that option.

In order to be considered for a deferral, accepted applicants must first accept their offer of admission, and then email the Admissions Committee at sipa_admission@columbia.edu outlining their reasons for seeking a deferral. You will be asked to submit a deferral request form that will be sent via email. The submitted request will then be brought before the Admissions Committee for deliberation. If approved, a $1,000 USD deferral deposit is required to secure a space in a future term. The deferral deposit fee of $1,000 USD will be added to the enrollment deposit fee for a total deposit of $3,000 USD. The $3,000 USD combination of nonrefundable enrollment and deferral deposit is credited to the student's account and will be applied toward tuition if the student enrolls at the expected time.

If the candidate does not enroll for the term agreed upon, the admission offer and deposits are forfeited. 

 

 

[misterrpiketty]

I am not a SIPA-admit but curious to understand this policy, as I think other universities may be considering it too. Have a few doubts. From the wording of this letter, it appears that students would have a choice whether to enrol in Fall and take classes possibly remotely, or defer to Jan 2021. Suppose in-person classes do not resume in the Fall due to covid-

• Does that mean that some people in the batch would start the degree over Zoom and others would start in Spring?
• How would that even work, as people within the same batch would have done different amounts of coursework in the first year.
• Would spring starts in a 2-year program get 2 summer breaks?

Basically, i would think that either the course itself starts in Jan 2021 for everyone or that people defer to the next academic year. Managing two groups of Fall and Spring students within the same batch seems quite strange. Or maybe I'm missing something here. 

 

 

[Mppirgradschool]

25 minutes ago, misterrpiketty said:

I am not a SIPA-admit but curious to understand this policy, as I think other universities may be considering it too. Have a few doubts. From the wording of this letter, it appears that students would have a choice whether to enrol in Fall and take classes possibly remotely, or defer to Jan 2021. Suppose in-person classes do not resume in the Fall due to covid-

• Does that mean that some people in the batch would start the degree over Zoom and others would start in Spring?
• How would that even work, as people within the same batch would have done different amounts of coursework in the first year.
• Would spring starts in a 2-year program get 2 summer breaks?

Basically, i would think that either the course itself starts in Jan 2021 for everyone or that people defer to the next academic year. Managing two groups of Fall and Spring students within the same batch seems quite strange. Or maybe I'm missing something here. 

 

 

The advantage that SIPA has over other schools in this respect, is that it grants students higher levels of flexibility to complete core courses. It does not have the rigid first year core curriculum sequence of some its peer institutions. It also has a “J Term”, a small cohort of students that start in the Spring term each year. They already seem to have a system in place for students entering in the Spring so I am guessing it’ll be easier to adapt to this uncertainty.

Edited April 16, 2020 by Mppirgradschool

[n_eb_2020]

On 4/15/2020 at 7:15 PM, LazarusRises said:

Just logged into the Admitted Students' Portal and saw the update below. If classes don't resume in person by fall, I'll seriously consider applying for a deferral until spring. What are folks thinking? 

-

Deferrals: 

Master of International Affairs, Master of Public Affairs, and MPA in Development Practice candidates may submit a request to defer enrollment for one semester or one year with the permission of the Admissions Committee. 

Generally, requests are granted only for very compelling reasons. Reasons the Admissions Committee may consider include medical or family emergencies, or extraordinary professional opportunities.

We will also consider deferral requests due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These deferrals requests will be considered later in the summer and are related to students’ ability to obtain a visa to enter the United States, their ability to exit their home country, and if SIPA is unable to resume course instruction in-person, on-campus this fall.

The Committee does not consider requests from candidates who wish to postpone their enrollment at SIPA in order to attend another academic program prior to enrolling at SIPA. Requests are also not granted if based solely on financial considerations.

Please also note that at SIPA, deferred students are not able to carry over SIPA scholarships awarded, nor are they eligible for fellowship consideration. However, students granted a deferral due to COVID-19 reasons mentioned above will be allowed to carry their SIPA scholarship to the Spring (January 2021) term. Candidates who defer to the fall will not have that option.

In order to be considered for a deferral, accepted applicants must first accept their offer of admission, and then email the Admissions Committee at sipa_admission@columbia.edu outlining their reasons for seeking a deferral. You will be asked to submit a deferral request form that will be sent via email. The submitted request will then be brought before the Admissions Committee for deliberation. If approved, a $1,000 USD deferral deposit is required to secure a space in a future term. The deferral deposit fee of $1,000 USD will be added to the enrollment deposit fee for a total deposit of $3,000 USD. The $3,000 USD combination of nonrefundable enrollment and deferral deposit is credited to the student's account and will be applied toward tuition if the student enrolls at the expected time.

If the candidate does not enroll for the term agreed upon, the admission offer and deposits are forfeited. 

 

 

@LazarusRisesWell, if I do go with SIPA then I will consider deferring to Spring as classes probably won't start on campus in August and I would feel like missing out on the experience by starting remotely.

However, I'm also worried about the community feel in the Spring cohort...not sure if everyone will go for this option...Also, as MPA DP student, not sure how they faculty will accommodate the summer placement which usually takes place after one year and if some of us choose to start in Spring, then how will they make it work after just one semester!?

So, it depends a lot on faculty communication and how they will go about it. But, I would seriously consider it.

Would you consider deferring for a full year?

[confusedadmit]

Has anyone heard back about scholarship reconsideration?

[soycapp]

13 hours ago, confusedadmit said:

Has anyone heard back about scholarship reconsideration?

Not yet...I think I read on the student admit portal that if we were to hear anything, it'd happen by the 27th. I am curious to know if their extended deadline for Peace Corps members (May 15?) will affect the availability of scholarships for the rest of us. I also wonder if that's indicative of an enrollment mitigation plan - an attempt to increase the size of their incoming class. Fingers crossed that we hear some good news by next week! Let us know if you hear anything.

As an aside, I've been really struggling to make an informed decision on my offer by next Friday. Has anyone found the school to be helpful in answering / clarifying their plans for the Fall? Or even ramifications of deferring 1 year or a semester (in terms of housing, expected graduated date, etc.)?  I feel like I've been getting a lot of canned / vague answers whenever I email them, and it's leaving quite the sour taste in my mouth. I'd be curious to know how other schools fare in proactively reaching out to admitted students.

For those who have a May 1 deadline, what are you all thinking of doing? For those who had an April 15 deadline, what did you decide?

[fshopeful]

26 minutes ago, soycapp said:

Not yet...I think I read on the student admit portal that if we were to hear anything, it'd happen by the 27th. I am curious to know if their extended deadline for Peace Corps members (May 15?) will affect the availability of scholarships for the rest of us. I also wonder if that's indicative of an enrollment mitigation plan - an attempt to increase the size of their incoming class. Fingers crossed that we hear some good news by next week! Let us know if you hear anything.

As an aside, I've been really struggling to make an informed decision on my offer by next Friday. Has anyone found the school to be helpful in answering / clarifying their plans for the Fall? Or even ramifications of deferring 1 year or a semester (in terms of housing, expected graduated date, etc.)?  I feel like I've been getting a lot of canned / vague answers whenever I email them, and it's leaving quite the sour taste in my mouth. I'd be curious to know how other schools fare in proactively reaching out to admitted students.

For those who have a May 1 deadline, what are you all thinking of doing? For those who had an April 15 deadline, what did you decide?

I’m guessing all programs are preparing for a likely remote Fall semester — but know yields would plummet once confirmed. They’re probably also keeping an eye out for a likely second COVID-19 wave — stronger than the first — this winter.
 

It’s also difficult to answer these questions with accuracy, as I am sure that each University’s Administration will ultimately have a say on how each of its graduate programs operate next year. SIPA — and other similar programs — will probably not have a confirmed approach until June/July.

[AndresFML]

Any news on scholarship reconsideration?

[E-11-even]

11 hours ago, AndresFML said:

Any news on scholarship reconsideration?

Not yet. Although the Admissions team said before May 1st, I understand that the Financial aid office stated that any consideration will be after May 1st (Facebook group). I believe this is due to the fact that the acceptance deadline for Fulbright and Peace Corps is May 1st and they are waiting to see what funds are available.

[LazarusRises]

On 4/17/2020 at 12:07 PM, nadine! said:

@LazarusRisesWell, if I do go with SIPA then I will consider deferring to Spring as classes probably won't start on campus in August and I would feel like missing out on the experience by starting remotely.

However, I'm also worried about the community feel in the Spring cohort...not sure if everyone will go for this option...Also, as MPA DP student, not sure how they faculty will accommodate the summer placement which usually takes place after one year and if some of us choose to start in Spring, then how will they make it work after just one semester!?

So, it depends a lot on faculty communication and how they will go about it. But, I would seriously consider it.

Would you consider deferring for a full year?

Probably not, if only because a full year deferral would mean I can't bring my funding with me. 

And speaking of funding--I got an email last night saying they had updated my decision on the portal. Got an extra $10k/year of funding from my appeal, bringing total tuition coverage to ~50%. Still planning on deferring for a semester if fall goes virtual, but either way this is nice to have! 

[PartTimeStresser]

As a prospective applicant to Columbia SIPA, its rather exhilarating to go through this thread what with all the last minute anxiety about results. ?

Theres been a fair bit of speculation on other threads about how students who have been admitted this year are now considering deferring for an entire year if in-person classes don’t resume for the fall semester.

Im curious to know if those of you planning to attend SIPA this year are considering doing the same and if this will affect admissions and funding for applicants (like me) who are planning to apply for the class of 2023?

[LazarusRises]

I was gung-ho about being on campus in the fall in whatever form I could get, but given the events of the past week I'm going to defer to Spring 2021 and continue working for the remainder of the year. I don't think NYC's going to be a very nice place to live over the next few months. 

As for next year's admits, I'm sorry to say that I don't think there are happy answers there. Graduate school is often a refuge for those seeking to ride out economic instability; combine that with the financial gut-punch of reduced matriculation this fall, next year's cycle will likely be very competitive and not very well-funded. 

Good luck with whatever you decide! 

[Mppirgradschool]

On 5/31/2020 at 3:31 AM, PartTimeStresser said:

As a prospective applicant to Columbia SIPA, its rather exhilarating to go through this thread what with all the last minute anxiety about results. ?

Theres been a fair bit of speculation on other threads about how students who have been admitted this year are now considering deferring for an entire year if in-person classes don’t resume for the fall semester.

Im curious to know if those of you planning to attend SIPA this year are considering doing the same and if this will affect admissions and funding for applicants (like me) who are planning to apply for the class of 2023?

SIPA MIA has decreased its class from 200 last year to 130 this year, per their website. The MIA was 350 people in 2010, and has been getting smaller ever since. Coincidentally, this change took place when SIPA became its own independent program, free from the Columbia GSAS umbrella, which helped improve its image and enhance its autonomy.

Their data from 2017 indicates that they get virtually the same number of applications for both their MIA and their MPA -- which tells me that their MIA is more selective, although hard to discern whether marginally or by an order of magnitude. The MIA is SIPA's flagship program, so it makes sense that they would keep it more exclusive.

See that you are also thinking about applying to HKS MPP. As an international student, I'd highly advise you to apply to the MPA or MPA/ID instead, as these programs cater much more to international students -- with a much greater representation of them, >50% -- and have a much more worldly focus. The core MPP course material is very US domestic-focused, and the students that attend are interested in local government/domestic issues. They are definitely less worldly than the MPA, MPA-ID or SIPA MIA students.

 

Edited June 3, 2020 by Mppirgradschool

[LazarusRises]

For anyone wondering, I got in touch with admissions and learned that the official deadline for COVID-19 deferrals is August 1st, but they'll consider deferral requests up until classes start. Nice to have some flexibility. 

[PartTimeStresser]

On 6/3/2020 at 7:41 PM, Mppirgradschool said:

SIPA MIA has decreased its class from 200 last year to 130 this year, per their website. The MIA was 350 people in 2010, and has been getting smaller ever since. Coincidentally, this change took place when SIPA became its own independent program, free from the Columbia GSAS umbrella, which helped improve its image and enhance its autonomy.

Their data from 2017 indicates that they get virtually the same number of applications for both their MIA and their MPA -- which tells me that their MIA is more selective, although hard to discern whether marginally or by an order of magnitude. The MIA is SIPA's flagship program, so it makes sense that they would keep it more exclusive.

See that you are also thinking about applying to HKS MPP. As an international student, I'd highly advise you to apply to the MPA or MPA/ID instead, as these programs cater much more to international students -- with a much greater representation of them, >50% -- and have a much more worldly focus. The core MPP course material is very US domestic-focused, and the students that attend are interested in local government/domestic issues. They are definitely less worldly than the MPA, MPA-ID or SIPA MIA students.

 

I was actually inclined towards applying for the MIA program at SIPA since its the only program that allows you to pursue a dual degree with another school at Columbia. However, I don’t think that should be a drawback since students at SIPA can cross register for classes in other Columbia schools. 
So apart from the difference in some of the core courses (which I believe students from either program can choose to opt for over and above their core courses), how is the MIA at SIPA different from the MPA? 
Because it would appear that both the programs offer the same specialisations and policy concentrations. So is there any discernible drawback to pursuing the MPA over the MIA since, as you mentioned, the MIA is SIPA’s flagship program?

[Mppirgradschool]

4 hours ago, PartTimeStresser said:

I was actually inclined towards applying for the MIA program at SIPA since its the only program that allows you to pursue a dual degree with another school at Columbia. However, I don’t think that should be a drawback since students at SIPA can cross register for classes in other Columbia schools. 
So apart from the difference in some of the core courses (which I believe students from either program can choose to opt for over and above their core courses), how is the MIA at SIPA different from the MPA? 
Because it would appear that both the programs offer the same specialisations and policy concentrations. So is there any discernible drawback to pursuing the MPA over the MIA since, as you mentioned, the MIA is SIPA’s flagship program?

As you mentioned, regarding dual-degrees, I think SIPA protects its MIA students a bit more. I know Dr. Ian Bremmer only offers courses to those in the MIA program -- and this happens with other professors as well. The most similar program to it is JHU SAIS' MA -- also SAIS' flagship. MSFS is not as intl. development focused, but also a peer school.

Course structure is very similar between both (MIA and MPA). Intended outcomes are not, however. MIA is geared towards placing its graduates at multilateral organizations. MPA is focused on placing graduates in government/ministry related roles in the student's country of citizenship. Both programs place into international NGOs, although the MIA has more name recognition. I believe most diplomats at SIPA also favor the MIA. Anecdotally, just doing a quick LinkedIn search, the MIA students hailed from better undergraduate institutions than MPA students.

The MPA is 70% international vs the MIA, which is only 40%. I am guessing that average GREs are probably higher for MIA because of this, as U.S. domestic students have been taking standardized tests all their life. I am going to assume that MPAs are also going to favor the urban and social policy concentration more than MIAs, while more MIAs will favor economic development and security policy -- just by virtue of each program's intended outcomes.

 

Edited June 8, 2020 by Mppirgradschool

[Boolakanaka]

4 hours ago, PartTimeStresser said:

I was actually inclined towards applying for the MIA program at SIPA since its the only program that allows you to pursue a dual degree with another school at Columbia. However, I don’t think that should be a drawback since students at SIPA can cross register for classes in other Columbia schools. 
So apart from the difference in some of the core courses (which I believe students from either program can choose to opt for over and above their core courses), how is the MIA at SIPA different from the MPA? 
Because it would appear that both the programs offer the same specialisations and policy concentrations. So is there any discernible drawback to pursuing the MPA over the MIA since, as you mentioned, the MIA is SIPA’s flagship program?

Hmmm, you can do for instance at Yale...

[Mppirgradschool]

9 minutes ago, Boolakanaka said:

Hmmm, you can do for instance at Yale...

Yale is obviously a great brand, but I personally wouldn't go to Jackson. Jackson graduates small classes of about ~30 people, a Yale trademark -- of which only 10 are international. It's impossible to develop a footprint at multilaterals by graduating such small classes. Personally, I am not a big fan of Yale/Princeton school cultures either -- especially if you are coming from abroad for graduate school. 

[Boolakanaka]

7 hours ago, Mppirgradschool said:

Yale is obviously a great brand, but I personally wouldn't go to Jackson. Jackson graduates small classes of about ~30 people, a Yale trademark -- of which only 10 are international. It's impossible to develop a footprint at multilaterals by graduating such small classes. Personally, I am not a big fan of Yale/Princeton school cultures either -- especially if you are coming from abroad for graduate school. 

The context of my suggestion was the availability and quality of dual programs at Yale. But, I’m partial as both an alum and faculty member.