Munk School, NPSIA and GPSIA 2021 Admissions

[lh443424]

1 hour ago, Kcs421 said:

Ah, I know!! I thought I’d have a decision by now and I’m still stalling on “preliminary review required”. 

Have you checked Carleton Central as well, or is that just for Carleton 360?

[TedCruzAteMyKids]

4 hours ago, Kcs421 said:

Ah, I know!! I thought I’d have a decision by now and I’m still stalling on “preliminary review required”. 

Same - probably a rejection at this point

Edited March 6, 2021 by TedCruzAteMyKids

[Kcs421]

3 hours ago, lh443424 said:

Have you checked Carleton Central as well, or is that just for Carleton 360?

It’s on both! I wish I knew how they sort through applications.

[Kcs421]

47 minutes ago, TedCruzAteMyKids said:

Same - probably a rejection at this point

I’m really hoping that being on “preliminary review required” for so long isn’t a bad sign. Apparently not according to previous threads but it feels like it is lol still hoping for the best though

[Lula83]

I emailed Lauren and she said they would be sending out offers throughout all of March so not quite over yet!!

[Bogdan]

Hi All,

I was recently admitted to Munk-Sciences Po dual degree and SAIS (with substantial financial aid). So I am now choosing between these two options. While I think spending a year in Paris would be an amazing experience, based on what I hear from Munk alumni SAIS would be superior academically. How are US policy schools (think SAIS, SIPA, HKS, etc) in general and SIAS in particular viewed in Canadian public policy circles and the federal government?

Edited March 8, 2021 by Bogdan

[CarmenSandieghoe]

Who else is at that point where the weekend no longer excites you and you look forward to the week instead because you know schools will be sending out decisions lol

[Yellbell]

3 hours ago, Bogdan said:

Hi All,

I was recently admitted to Munk-Sciences Po dual degree and SAIS (with substantial financial aid). So I am now choosing between these two options. While I think spending a year in Paris would be an amazing experience, based on what I hear from Munk alumni SAIS would be superior academically. How are US policy schools (think SAIS, SIPA, HKS, etc) in general and SIAS in particular viewed in Canadian public policy circles and the federal government?

Which program would be cheaper overall? I would lean on SAIS as it's known for its IR and Foreign Policy. Depends on where you'd want to work after too! You could probably find work in the States after

[Hotblueberry]

8 hours ago, CarmenSandieghoe said:

Who else is at that point where the weekend no longer excites you and you look forward to the week instead because you know schools will be sending out decisions lol

Did you read my mind? ? Every weekend is like that for me

 

[TedCruzAteMyKids]

10 hours ago, Bogdan said:

Hi All,

I was recently admitted to Munk-Sciences Po dual degree and SAIS (with substantial financial aid). So I am now choosing between these two options. While I think spending a year in Paris would be an amazing experience, based on what I hear from Munk alumni SAIS would be superior academically. How are US policy schools (think SAIS, SIPA, HKS, etc) in general and SIAS in particular viewed in Canadian public policy circles and the federal government?

Hey @Bogdan, I actually spent a significant portion of the summer looking at US schools (SAIS, Georgetown MSFS, Fletcher MALD) and spoke to maybe 40 people that were alumni of these schools and a few Canadians. My conclusion overwhelmingly was, its worth it if you can finance it. Aside from the merit of these programs, which are amazing because of their unparalleled opportunities through students and professors (Madeleine Albright teaches adjunct at Georgetown and actually places kids into firms like Albright-Stonebridge), it comes down to money at the end of the day. For me, its a huge risk I overwhelmingly see myself at either DND or NRCAN after grad school and transitioning into the private sector in either a think tank, risk consulting or as a policy advisor after 20-25 years. If you're looking to work in Canada, SAIS/Fletcher/Georgetown don't make financial sense because you're ending up with a job you could've gotten with a NPSIA degree. Because Canadian schools will adequately prep you for public service recruiting here, I can't imagine why anyone would pay the 50k per year tuition for a degree like Georgetown MSFS unless they really have the money.

Now for the important part - what if you want to work in the US? Well prepare to pull your hair out. I really wanted to work for some notable DC think tanks who have energy research/national security policy centers. Could I get a job there if I went to SAIS? Yes, but not so fast - if you're an international student, the visa that you'd be under prevents you from working more than 20 hours per week throughout the school year off campus. So while your peers are casually interning for the US Senate Foreign Relations committee, your best bet is to conduct research with profs. While that sounds amazing, these are still very competitive within the cohort and a nightmare to get. A few students told me that they ended up doing things like working in the campus book store or retail during the term, which you could be fine with but IMO I'm not paying 100k over two years to work in campus retail. Now, during the summer yes this visa restriction does not apply but you still need to be sponsored and you need to work in your field/industry of study. One thing that repeatedly came up was the amount of international students complaining about how hard it was to find employers that will sponsor visas. Yes, they do end up with internships (i.e. a lot of people worked at the Atlantic Council and similar think tanks), but you'd be frozen out of competitive internships at the State Department or the Pentagon because you're not a US national. So not only are you're opportunities limited, your pay will likely be limited at think tanks or other organizations. The only realistic option is to work for consulting firms like Eurasia, Albright Stonebridge, Scowcroft, Asia Group, Cohen, etc. which pay well, are greater resume boosters but are super competitive. Given the sheer paperwork required to sponsor an international work permit (EVEN IF YOU'RE A CANADIAN WITH A TN VISA), these companies would avoid the hassle and simply hire an American.

So you might be thinking, what kind of international students attend these programs? I've noticed anecdotally that they were either personally wealthy, sponsored through scholarships either corporate or more commonly government (i.e. the Japanese government pays for their diplomats at Georgetown or major scholarships such as Fulbright) or a few incredibly lucky international students who did their undergrad in the US, worked after and are now considering grad school too. The overwhelming beneficiaries of such programs are those who can take advantage of DC's revolving door culture i.e. intern for a Senator or prominent Rep. during the school term, work at a think tank over the summer, go back to school and work for a famous professor or a more senior Congressman, finish school and work for a consulting firm that hired them because of their previous work experience and requisite connections.

While I do not deny the amazing value these programs offer, unfortunately for me as a Canadian they do not make professional or financial sense. Don't get me wrong, I might still try to apply to these programs and see if I land decent scholarships in the future, but I emphatically got the sense my experience would not be the same as an American students. While nobody is doubting the credibility of these amazing programs and their powerful alumni here in Toronto/Ottawa or DC/NY, I came to the conclusion that it's not worth it for me.

I sincerely hope SAIS is giving you at least 30k-40k per year for this degree to be worth it. Feel free to send a PM and I can further share my thoughts. But overall, congratulations for getting in as you're an amazing candidate and are likely to succeed no matter where you go.

[blackandwhitecat]

Still on "preliminary review required" on both Carleton Central and Carleton 360... Anyone know who to contact to get some kind of status update on my application and make sure that everything's OK??

[Kcs421]

9 hours ago, blackandwhitecat said:

Still on "preliminary review required" on both Carleton Central and Carleton 360... Anyone know who to contact to get some kind of status update on my application and make sure that everything's OK??

I’m also still at Preliminary Review Required  Lula83 said she emailed Lauren to make sure everything was still on track. Her info is on the NPSIA website under the FAQ MA admissions. 
 

I’m sure though that as she said, everything’s okay though! Let us know what she replies if you do contact her.

[TedCruzAteMyKids]

2 hours ago, Kcs421 said:

I’m also still at Preliminary Review Required  Lula83 said she emailed Lauren to make sure everything was still on track. Her info is on the NPSIA website under the FAQ MA admissions. 
 

I’m sure though that as she said, everything’s okay though! Let us know what she replies if you do contact her.

Also on preliminary review. 

[lh443424]

I believe they conduct international student admissions last, if that is the case for many of you stuck in preliminary review right now - hoping we'll see some admissions (or at least status changes) this week lol

Edited March 9, 2021 by lh443424

[blackandwhitecat]

5 hours ago, Kcs421 said:

I’m also still at Preliminary Review Required  Lula83 said she emailed Lauren to make sure everything was still on track. Her info is on the NPSIA website under the FAQ MA admissions. 
 

I’m sure though that as she said, everything’s okay though! Let us know what she replies if you do contact her.

Turns out that since I applied early, they needed to contact me for my fall grades but hadn't done so yet. Hopefully this will speed up the review!

[hopefuloldme]

has anyone noticed that the Munk MGA Admissions webpage was recently updated to include the below criteria : 

 

this wasn't there when I completed my application... 

[Hotblueberry]

59 minutes ago, hopefuloldme said:

has anyone noticed that the Munk MGA Admissions webpage was recently updated to include the below criteria : 

 

this wasn't there when I completed my application... 

Same, it looks to be a new requirement for the upcoming application process this year. Anywho, as someone who did not take math after grade 11, I'm glad I applied this year

[hopefuloldme]

3 hours ago, Hotblueberry said:

Same, it looks to be a new requirement for the upcoming application process this year. Anywho, as someone who did not take math after grade 11, I'm glad I applied this year

Phew! Me as well ?

[kbenne]

have any domestic students on here heard back from Munk yet?

[Samdaman164]

1 hour ago, kbenne said:

have any domestic students on here heard back from Munk yet?

I saw a few people had heard regarding the MGA and MPP, but not a significant number. Thinking about reaching out for a timeline. I am an international student (USA) and this is the last school I am waiting on. 

Edited March 10, 2021 by Samdaman164

[kbenne]

Just now, Samdaman164 said:

I saw a few people had heard regarding the MGA, but not a significant number. Thinking about reaching out for a timeline. I am an international student (USA) and this is the last school I am waiting on. 

Ouh, if you do reach out can you keep us posted? 

[hopefuloldme]

2 hours ago, kbenne said:

have any domestic students on here heard back from Munk yet?

I've only seen international students with offers thus far! Not sure if there are domestic students posting elsewhere though.

[CoffeeTimez]

Hello - just joined this forum and glad to find it as I have been nervously awaiting the results alone! I have applied to NPSIA for the PhD program starting in the fall. My application status is "Review in progress by department" for now. Hope to hear good news soon for myself and for all others here as well.

[notalurkeranymore]

11 hours ago, CoffeeTimez said:

Hello - just joined this forum and glad to find it as I have been nervously awaiting the results alone! I have applied to NPSIA for the PhD program starting in the fall. My application status is "Review in progress by department" for now. Hope to hear good news soon for myself and for all others here as well.

Join the party lol!!   I'm also at "Review in progress by department". 

The anxiety is brutal but we're all smart and based off broader trends for the higher-ed industry, this is a particularly competitive year which is important to keep in mind to avoid being too hard on ourselves.  

[lh443424]

So I sent Lauren an email and got this as part of the response:

"I can confirm that your application has been recommended for assessment and is under review by the admissions committee" 

Does anyone have an idea if the admissions committee is the final point of review? It sounds like it makes sense, but that's just an assumption.