UCSD IR/PS

[OregonGal]

Sigh... No aid for me in the e-mail I got coming back from my mini-cation today. I'll still go to the UCSD admitted students session in DC but I'm 90% sure I'm going to be trying again next year.

[Seaking]

I looked up your experience and numbers, and I'm confused why I didn't even get a partial aid offer. My numbers are slightly better, but I have less work experience. I didn't realize that a 2-year differential on experience completely disqualifies me from aid.

[OregonGal]

@Seaking

Remember, they give merit aid to around the top 25% of the class, and when you're talking about these kinds of self-screening programs (if you don't think you have the stats to get in/sincere interest in the career, you don't apply) I would imagine there's not a great deal of difference between the first quartile and second quartile of applicants. Or at least, that's what I'm telling myself anyways!

[OregonGal]

Ok, so after attending the DC admitted students session, here's a few impressions:

I walked in 90% sure I wasn't going to grad school next year; now I'm much more torn and mostly on the financial basis. My main concern with UCSD is the location, and the event really showcased the strength of their career services to mitigate that distance.

The admitted students session was a short presentation/Q&A with an admissions officer and a recent alum. There were only 3 of us at the session, so while we didn't overall have a ton of questions we did have a lot of opportunity to ask them. After that we went down to a mixer with alumni and current students, followed by a dinner (which I was unable to stay for) headlined by the dean of IR/PS.

The main thing that impressed me about the networking/mixer session is the turnout and the format. Apparently, over UCSD's spring break they take a trip to DC with 15-20 current students, to help them with connecting with potential employers/internships or informational interviews. The mixer/dinner had not only those students, but 50-60 alumni in the DC area. When you're talking about a west coast school that graduates 125-150 people a year, that's a pretty good indication of an active alumni base to help you along your path. For example, the alumni sitting in on the admissions session said she'd helped connect at least two UCSD grads with jobs at the World Bank in the last 18 months she'd been employed by them.

Besides the generic presentation for the admit session, of which a lot of the information could be found on the website, a few things stuck out:

a) the vast majority of the incoming class is required/strongly recommended to attend the summer prep session in August. The admissions officer said that with recent classes, they'd found that the "recommended" students tended not to attend the boot camp and subsequently struggled in class, so they are encouraging somewhere around 90% of the incoming MA students to attend. That makes me feel better about being sent to summer school

35% of the students at IR/PS have a TA-ship or similar (grader, etc). Those positions offer full tuition remission if you are at 10 hours+ a week, plus a pretty decent hourly wage ($12-15/hr). Even if that doesn't include out of state tuition fees, that can knock a significant amount off even in the first year where they don't want you TA-ing your first quarter.

c) Internship funding. I'd seen them highlight that they offer grants for people taking unpaid internships, but assumed that funding was fairly limited. However, they've secured enough funding that the admissions officer pretty much guaranteed that as long as you do your part in sourcing the internship by their April deadline, they will give you pretty decent funding--she said a couple thousand for within the US depending on the area (presumably pro-rated by living costs so you get less if you intern in Minnesota vs NYC), and potentially a bit more for overseas internships (presumably because of travel costs). One detractor for me was the idea of finding summer housing and funding an unpaid internship in DC/NYC; if I can get a significant portion to all of those costs covered, plus get Career Services to help me find that internship, that takes away a lot of the detractors of a west coast school.

[laj168]

Hi OregonGal,

Thank you for that wonderful rundown of the DC admit session! It's good to hear that the career services at UCSD really are as strong as they say they are!

Edited March 30, 2012 by laj168

[2012IRgrad]

I was also accepted to the MPIA program at UCSD with full funding and a modest monthly stipend. As I am also not able to attend the admit day in SD on the 20th (despite currently living in southern California) I was happy to hear what you mentioned in your post, OregonGal!

Despite having a strong network in Europe and a decent but limited network in DC, I was also mildly nervous in regards to the 'West Coast-ness' of IR/PS. Though, as they seem eager to please in regards to the careers department, it's definitely reassuring. I'm actually heading down to San Diego for a campus visit and a lecture sit-in tomorrow, so I should be getting a better idea of whether it is the right fit for me this fall.

Good luck making your decisions!

[OregonGal]

I'm actually heading down to San Diego for a campus visit and a lecture sit-in tomorrow, so I should be getting a better idea of whether it is the right fit for me this fall.

Let us know your impressions of the campus and the lectures! I'd especially love to know more about the lecture formats/what you can see about the relationships between faculty and students.

The admissions officer I met at the DC session is also putting me in contact with a current 1st year student, so I'll forward along any info gleaned from her as well.

[understatement700]

I was also accepted to the MPIA program at UCSD with full funding and a modest monthly stipend. As I am also not able to attend the admit day in SD on the 20th (despite currently living in southern California) I was happy to hear what you mentioned in your post, OregonGal!

Despite having a strong network in Europe and a decent but limited network in DC, I was also mildly nervous in regards to the 'West Coast-ness' of IR/PS. Though, as they seem eager to please in regards to the careers department, it's definitely reassuring. I'm actually heading down to San Diego for a campus visit and a lecture sit-in tomorrow, so I should be getting a better idea of whether it is the right fit for me this fall.

Good luck making your decisions!

Does IR/PS have a strong network in Europe? I wouldn't have thought so considering their focus is on the pacific rim. Also, like Oregongal said, I'd be interested to hear any insights you have about your visit. Although I have visited the campus before it was a long time ago and not specifically IR/PS.

[OregonGal]

@understatement700

What were your impressions of the dinner/networking after I left? Was there anything from that part of the DC session which left you more/less inclined to choose IR/PS?

[understatement700]

Most of the information about the program I had known one way or the other through looking at their website and other information they sent me. One thing I did get a feel for though was the alumni's interactions with each other and just their opinions and feelings of the program. Even in DC the vibe seemed a little more laid back than other receptions I've attended. Also the food there was the best out of all the receptions I went to because it was actual dinner. But I think this has more to do with the fact that the recruiting event and alumni gathering were joined together.

Generally people move to SD just to attend IR/PS so I think the community is naturally strong. They seemed to make great relationships during their time there. Another thing that stood out was how intense the coursework is. They teach you a lot of hard skills especially during the first year and it's no joke. In your second year you get to focus more on your specialty area. This might not be best for everyone and there are more quant requirements than some other programs. Personally, I like this quant-based curriculum because it's something that I feel will be really useful. If I wanted a liberal arts degree I would have just applied for an MA in East Asian studies program.

Talking with others there, there were current and admitted students who had been admitted to the "name" schools that everyone on these boards loves so much. In terms of admissions rate it seems IR/PS is generally easier to get into than the "name" schools but at the same time, I feel like it definitely has a certain niche that I think might make it hard to rank as it is a bit different in that its focus is specifically on the pacific rim. And the faculty and research going on in this field are really top notch.

They mentioned that there is definitely a disadvantage about not being in DC in terms of networking. On the other had they seemed to have really enjoyed their two years in SD. I spoke with another current student on the phone last night and got a similar impression. Also, as you mentioned before, the relationship between students and career services seems to be pretty positive.

[2012IRgrad]

@understatement7000

Sorry about the confusion, I meant that I personally have a strong Europe connection, as I did my undergrad there, and a mild DC one, hence my concern about going to SD and not being able to properly establish a NY/DC network. I apologize for the fogginess of my initial statement.

@ everyone else

After visiting the campus today, I have to say I was very impressed. Not only by all of the staff/interns in the admissions office, the very kind and personable students who I met during the lecture and around campus, or the teaching staff I spoke to, but (this may sound odd) by the legitimacy of it all. It is a solid, solid program. Everyone who I spoke with today was very informative, very driven, and very passionate about attending/working at IR/PS.

I was able to sit in on the Political Institutions in Latin America session, though it was the first class of the quarter so was mostly a overview of the syllabus & expectations rather than a traditional lecture. This, however, I really appreciated as I got a sense of how the class was structured, how the professor prioritized weekly topics, assessments, delivery of material. I enjoyed seeing a projected view of what a typical quarter at UCSD would be like. The current students I was able to speak to were all very passionate about their chosen concentrations and were all, well, big fans of all of their professors.

Every student I spoke too also agreed on one thing: the heavy focus on quant is intimidating. They were all very vocal about how intense the quant/finance/econ aspect of IR/PS was. They were also equally vocal about how grateful they were for it and how competitive it made them in the job market. It's something most of the typical big name schools on here lack, so it's seen as an asset despite its demanding course load.

Other notable impressions include: veryyy diverse student body (many internationals, lots from South America), well informed and direct financial office, helpful and supportive career folk, engaging professors, small but well resourced campus, obviously beautiful surroundings, parking is a bitch (leave the car at home).

Overall, I can see this as a great place to be headed. I am still undecided whether I will attend as I am waiting on financial packages from a few other schools, but I would definitely be happy here. I would say that it's a strong contender, but it a significant shift from the exact trajectory I've been on in regards to regional focus/language/quant, so I remain in limbo.

Hope this helped! Let me know if there are any questions I could answer about the campus itself.

[nouveau.ukiyo]

I heard back from the school today and they did not offer me any kind of merit aid, etc. so I will cross this school off my list.

Good luck to everyone heading to IR/PS or which ever path you choose!

[OregonGal]

@2012IRGrad--

Thanks for the insight! This is really reassuring to me, especially the quant aspect of it--all of the programs I applied to I chose in part because they have strong professional skills building, whether through quant/finance/management classes or through professional development courses, so it's good to hear that UCSD's first year coursework is seen as a very tangible benefit by the students there.

[OregonGal]

Also... found the course catalog for this past school year for IR/PS in case anyone wants to read the 1-paragraph synopses of courses instead of relying on course titles.

http://ucsd.edu/catalog/courses/IRPS.html

[understatement700]

Good find, thanks Oregongal.

[rudy2012]

Not familiar with the program, but can comment on living in San Diego in general..I agree with what some of the previous posters have said in terms of lack of public transportation. It is impossible to get around SD without a car, but parking almost everywhere (not to mention bad traffic) is a huge pain. You can't go anywhere without getting on the freeway. Also, the cost of living is very high - unless you have a lot to spend, living on your own is not really feasible. After living here for almost 6 years, myself and many others I have talked to agree that it is very difficult to make friends here. I am assuming it would be a different situation when you are in a graduate program, but just working a full-time job, and even when I was in undergrad, it was extremely difficult to find a core group of like-minded people. Also, it depends where you are, but a lot of areas here are inundated with people trying to keep up with the Joneses, who are constantly trying to appear wealthy when they really aren't, which can start to wear you down if you don't share that same mentality (aka care more about experiences than material things). The upside is that there is a lot to do here, especially if you are an outdoorsy type, and the good weather if you are coming from snow (there are no seasons here! 75 deg. on Christmas morning). Not to be a debbie downer, but just thought I could play devil's advocate for anyone seriously considering!

[OregonGal]

Hey guys, so as you've seen I've been a bit hesitant to make a final decision. I e-mailed the admissions officer who ran the DC admitted students info session and she put me in contact with a current student who works part time in their office. I ended up e-mailing an extensive list of questions--3-4 paragraphs--which she answered in pretty decent detail.

Most of my questions were about the student community and work-life balance--accessibility of professors out of class, on-campus organizations, sense of community within the school/cohort, availability/feasability of TA-ships, etc. I also asked whether she felt that the Career Services center was proactive enough to make up for the location.

The current student affirmed that professors are not only knowledgeable, but open to engaging students out of class; she also mentioned a lot of on-campus organizations to be involved in and said that students often get together for non-class-related activities (a large-group weekend trip to Baja was mentioned ). That's pretty important to me because I know I do better when I have connections outside the classroom, and also because cohort community is the first step towards an active alumni base.

She did say that TA-ships, while not guaranteed, are pretty well publicized; she also said that she thought it would be challenging though not impossible to balance full courseload/student organizations/TA workload.

All in all, being able to get feedback from a current student has helped a lot to settle my nerves; I've realized that a lot of my jitters are over the fear of making the "wrong" choice, since that's what I did with undergrad (the school was most definitely not a good fit and I transferred after freshman year). I'm going to sit on it until this weekend but I'm fairly sure this is where I'll be headed come August.

[orangesplease]

Hey guys, so as you've seen I've been a bit hesitant to make a final decision. I e-mailed the admissions officer who ran the DC admitted students info session and she put me in contact with a current student who works part time in their office. I ended up e-mailing an extensive list of questions--3-4 paragraphs--which she answered in pretty decent detail.

Most of my questions were about the student community and work-life balance--accessibility of professors out of class, on-campus organizations, sense of community within the school/cohort, availability/feasability of TA-ships, etc. I also asked whether she felt that the Career Services center was proactive enough to make up for the location.

The current student affirmed that professors are not only knowledgeable, but open to engaging students out of class; she also mentioned a lot of on-campus organizations to be involved in and said that students often get together for non-class-related activities (a large-group weekend trip to Baja was mentioned ). That's pretty important to me because I know I do better when I have connections outside the classroom, and also because cohort community is the first step towards an active alumni base.

She did say that TA-ships, while not guaranteed, are pretty well publicized; she also said that she thought it would be challenging though not impossible to balance full courseload/student organizations/TA workload.

All in all, being able to get feedback from a current student has helped a lot to settle my nerves; I've realized that a lot of my jitters are over the fear of making the "wrong" choice, since that's what I did with undergrad (the school was most definitely not a good fit and I transferred after freshman year). I'm going to sit on it until this weekend but I'm fairly sure this is where I'll be headed come August.

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

[serenam]

Hey Guys! I'm applying UCSD IR/PS program right now. I have questions about the second essay (Many events of globe significance have occurred in the last three years. please discuss how one of these events has impacted your views on initiative and leadership.)I'm not really clearly about what the essay should talk about. Could you guys give me some suggestions about how to write the second essay? What kind of essay it should be and how long it should be? what kinds of my abilities that the committee want to see through the essay? Thank you so much!!

[Seaking]

Hey guys, so as you've seen I've been a bit hesitant to make a final decision. I e-mailed the admissions officer who ran the DC admitted students info session and she put me in contact with a current student who works part time in their office. I ended up e-mailing an extensive list of questions--3-4 paragraphs--which she answered in pretty decent detail.

Most of my questions were about the student community and work-life balance--accessibility of professors out of class, on-campus organizations, sense of community within the school/cohort, availability/feasability of TA-ships, etc. I also asked whether she felt that the Career Services center was proactive enough to make up for the location.

The current student affirmed that professors are not only knowledgeable, but open to engaging students out of class; she also mentioned a lot of on-campus organizations to be involved in and said that students often get together for non-class-related activities (a large-group weekend trip to Baja was mentioned ). That's pretty important to me because I know I do better when I have connections outside the classroom, and also because cohort community is the first step towards an active alumni base.

She did say that TA-ships, while not guaranteed, are pretty well publicized; she also said that she thought it would be challenging though not impossible to balance full courseload/student organizations/TA workload.

All in all, being able to get feedback from a current student has helped a lot to settle my nerves; I've realized that a lot of my jitters are over the fear of making the "wrong" choice, since that's what I did with undergrad (the school was most definitely not a good fit and I transferred after freshman year). I'm going to sit on it until this weekend but I'm fairly sure this is where I'll be headed come August.

That's great to hear! I was a little torn at first when I heard that I wouldn't be receiving aid, but it's good to hear that the TAships are well-publicized and available. Hopefully you'll come in Fall!

[OregonGal]

OK--I sat on my decision for a couple days to make sure I wasn't going to start doubting it again, but I've officially accepted at UCSD IR/PS for Fall 2012. I'm attending the Summer Prep program and am planning on living in grad housing. Hopefully I'll see some of my fellow GradCafers in August!

Edited April 8, 2012 by OregonGal

[understatement700]

OregonGal, congrats on making your decision! Still trying to figure some last things out but IR/PS is up at the top of my list! I'll let you if/when I officially confirm that I'll be attending.

[Seaking]

OK--I sat on my decision for a couple days to make sure I wasn't going to start doubting it again, but I've officially accepted at UCSD IR/PS for Fall 2012. I'm attending the Summer Prep program and am planning on living in grad housing. Hopefully I'll see some of my fellow GradCafers in August!

If you haven't already, make sure to get on the grad housing waitlist, I hear that it can be tricky to get in. The actual housing people said that you don't find out if you get an offer until a month prior to when you indicated that you move in, so you may want to find a backup. That being said, housing also told me that by October it should be easy to get placement.

[OregonGal]

Oh I definitely already put in for housing. I literally filled that form out 15 minutes after I accepted! I have a friend in a PhD program at UCSD and he warned me about housing waitlists--he put in for August his first year, and didn't get in until October (after he'd secured off-campus housing, of course). Since I won't have a car, I really need to get into grad housing. That being said, the admissions officers said that since they've opened up new construction (Rita Atkinson) the waitlist has cleared up a lot, and the graduate housing site is showing no holdup for single females (they're currently matching people who applied in March/April 2012).

After consulting with my friend, my preference list is Rita Atkinson (any floor), Mesa (any location) and One Miramar (any floor). RA is on-campus, the other two are across the highway; Mesa is townhouse style so you don't have people on all sides of you while OMS is also fairly recent construction.

[Seaking]

Rita Atkinson was definitely my top choice. I like the fact that it's pre-furnished (really cuts down on the hassle of buying furniture for only two years) and relatively cheap. Hopefully we'll get in.