Benefits of SIPA

[coloapp]

Hi All,

I was just accepted into the MIA program at SIPA (as well as a few others). SIPA has always been my first choice because of their concentration in economic development and practical training. However, I wasnt given any funding and am told that the curriculum is so rigorous that its difficult to hold even a part-time job. Im just wondering if anyone has any insight into whether its worth it to go into such debt for the first year (I understand that its much easier to get funding for the 2nd year).

Any comments/suggestions from current grad students or others in my situation are welcomed!

[kapture]

Hi All,

I was just accepted into the MIA program at SIPA (as well as a few others). SIPA has always been my first choice because of their concentration in economic development and practical training. However, I wasnt given any funding and am told that the curriculum is so rigorous that its difficult to hold even a part-time job. Im just wondering if anyone has any insight into whether its worth it to go into such debt for the first year (I understand that its much easier to get funding for the 2nd year).

Any comments/suggestions from current grad students or others in my situation are welcomed!

I'm curious, as well. And how much funding, on average, should we expect as 2nd year students? I'm considering offers from other programs that have offered me fellowships, but they're still really expensive, and I don't know if I should just go all in and accept Columbia's offer with no funding, or go to a school that has given me some scholarships for the two years.

[emoleys]

I'm curious, as well. And how much funding, on average, should we expect as 2nd year students? I'm considering offers from other programs that have offered me fellowships, but they're still really expensive, and I don't know if I should just go all in and accept Columbia's offer with no funding, or go to a school that has given me some scholarships for the two years.

[/quote

http://www.sipa.columbia.edu/resources_services/student_affairs/documents/guide_to_SIPA_assistantships_2011-12.pdf

This is a link to a list of fellowships that SIPA is offering its students this coming year. It will give you an idea of how many positions are available and how much they can give you. From the experience of other current students that I know, competition for the 2nd year fellowships is quite fierce. It really ultimately comes down to your performance during your 1st semester there.

Edited March 18, 2011 by emoleys

[greendiplomat]

I'm curious, as well. And how much funding, on average, should we expect as 2nd year students? I'm considering offers from other programs that have offered me fellowships, but they're still really expensive, and I don't know if I should just go all in and accept Columbia's offer with no funding, or go to a school that has given me some scholarships for the two years.

While emoley's post is indeed helpful in seeing how many fellowships are out there, I don't agree that getting a fellowship in general is necessarily hard.

According to this page, 70% of 2nd-years get funding, with the median award being $21,000. So, ignoring the interest that accrues on your first-year loans, that's roughly equivalent to a 10K/year award, which seems relatively standard for its peer institutions.

What SIPA's administration doesn't get is that incoming students don't like gambling on how much loans they're going to graduate with and often end up choosing other programs. It's really a shame, considering how strong a program it is otherwise...

Hi All,

I was just accepted into the MIA program at SIPA (as well as a few others). SIPA has always been my first choice because of their concentration in economic development and practical training. However, I wasnt given any funding and am told that the curriculum is so rigorous that its difficult to hold even a part-time job. Im just wondering if anyone has any insight into whether its worth it to go into such debt for the first year (I understand that its much easier to get funding for the 2nd year).

Any comments/suggestions from current grad students or others in my situation are welcomed!

Aside from the finances that I've written about above, I think that SIPA would be a great fit for you. The EPD capstone workshops are 2 semesters long and involve the teams traveling to the project site (obviously in a developing country, since the concentration is in economic and political development). That, in combination with the rigorous theoretical work that you can take both at SIPA and at other departments makes the EPD concentration particularly appealing for those that want to get into that field.

[emoleys]

Greendiplomat's right in saying that SIPA's got an amazing EPD concentration. Most of the students that I've come in contact with at the Admissions Office are actually choosing that route. According to my peers in the program, the numbers in regards to fellowships on the webpage are actually somewhat inflated. This piece from the Morningside Post addresses that issue: http://themorningsidepost.com/2008/08/50-of-the-time-it-works-every-time/

This is not to discourage anyone from going. I'm actually attending because I strongly feel that SIPA's offerings far outweigh its costs. The events, conferences, faculty, students, and especially the Capstone project at the end of the program represent great opportunities to me. Also, SIPA's recent endowment acquisition may very well change the financial aid picture for next year's students, in terms of fellowship/assistantship opportunities. We shall see!

Edited March 18, 2011 by emoleys

[SaraDC]

Greendiplomat's right in saying that SIPA's got an amazing EPD concentration. Most of the students that I've come in contact with at the Admissions Office are actually choosing that route. According to my peers in the program, the numbers in regards to fellowships on the webpage are actually somewhat inflated. This piece from the Morningside Post addresses that issue: http://themorningsid...rks-every-time/

I'm glad you brought up that article - I remember seeing it early on during my school research. It definitely reinforced the extent to which I shouldn't sign on at a school with any expectations about receiving aid the second year.

[greendiplomat]

Greendiplomat's right in saying that SIPA's got an amazing EPD concentration. Most of the students that I've come in contact with at the Admissions Office are actually choosing that route. According to my peers in the program, the numbers in regards to fellowships on the webpage are actually somewhat inflated. This piece from the Morningside Post addresses that issue: http://themorningsidepost.com/2008/08/50-of-the-time-it-works-every-time/

This is not to discourage anyone from going. I'm actually attending because I strongly feel that SIPA's offerings far outweigh its costs. The events, conferences, faculty, students, and especially the Capstone project at the end of the program represent great opportunities to me. Also, SIPA's recent endowment acquisition may very well change the financial aid picture for next year's students, in terms of fellowship/assistantship opportunities. We shall see!

I agree that SIPA's offerings outweigh its costs, but ouch. Thanks for the clarification, though I'm hoping that that article is selection bias in play (i.e. the individuals that felt the most burnt by the process are most likely to feel compelled to write about SIPA financial aid). All of the 2nd-year SIPA students with whom I've worked (either in class or in internships) all had TA/RA positions (though I'm assuming this is also selection bias in play, since those were the students that were driven enough to have internships during the school year). The one piece of advice that they all gave me was that, since the TAs/RAs are selected by the professors / department staff, it helps to do well in the classes that offer TA positions and to get to know the above faculty/staff.

I guess moral of the story is: (1) 2nd-year SIPA financial aid isn't as generous as they make it out to be; but (2) you have a good shot at getting in on some of the funds if you have above a 3.2 and are generally involved with things outside the classroom as well as in.

But, given the recent endowment that you mentioned, maybe I should just give my spot to a wait-lister and reapply again! Haha.

[coloapp]

Thanks for all of the advice, especially current SIPA students! I think I am going to go ahead and accept the offer.