We just finished one top 10 list and now we are on to another.  The first list dealt mostly with communication advice, this list will provide insight on the process of submitting your admission application to SIPA.

One of the ways we seek to make the application process fast and easy is to accept self reported test scores for admission application review. To repeat, to be considered for admission to SIPA we do not require that official test score reports be on file. This includes the GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, and IELTS.

At SIPA, we only require official test scores reports if an admitted applicant chooses to enroll. Here are a few common questions we receive and reminders of how the process works in our office.

Question: I sent my scores to SIPA some time ago, can you tell me if they have been received?

Answer: Applicants self report test scores as a part of the online application process. When assembling a file for admission we do not look for official reports. When you request that official test reports be sent to SIPA, they are downloaded into a centralized computer system. We will not match application records to this system until after admission decisions have been made.

Therefore, you should self report your scores when applying online. We print your application, do a manual check to make sure the necessary information has been included and then will update your record accordingly. We appreciate your patience as we work as quickly as possible to print and manually check each application after it has been submitted.

Question: I emailed my scores to your office or mailed a paper copy, do I still need to self report the scores when submitting my application?

Answer: Yes. Every applicant should self report the results of each test taken when filling in the online application. If the scores are not entered they do not appear when we print the application and this slows down the process.

Question: I took the (GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS) several times. How should I report my scores? Should I only list my top scores?

Answer: As you can see in the screen shot below you can self report the total results for thee different exams for both the GRE/GMAT section and the English as a Second Language section. You should therefore report each test individually.

Let us say that you take the GRE three times. We DO NOT want you to take your top three scores achieved and enter them as one exam. You should report your scores from all three exams in the three separate sections that are available to you. If you have taken a test more than three times, report your most recent three scores.

Screen Shot From Application Site Showing Multiple Entry Areas to Report Test Scores

Question: How late can I report my test scores?

Answer: The application deadline is January 5th at 11:59:59 PM EST. This means that all of your application and all of the associated information should be submitted by this time. Therefore, you can report your test scores up until this time. Because we do not need official test scores to consider an applicant for admission, you do not need to worry about how long it will take the testing agency to report the scores to us, only concern yourself with being able to self report your scores by the deadline.

Question: If I am admitted, when will my test scores need to be received by SIPA?

Answer: Applicants that are admitted and pay a deposit to enroll are required to have official test scores in our office by June 15th. We will provide guidance on this process after admission decisions go out. If you have listed our test code when taking the exam more than likely we will have an electronic record in our mainframe system.

Question: Is there a time limit on how long scores are acceptable?

Answer: TOEFL and IELTS scores up to two years old are acceptable. GRE and GMAT scores up to five years old are acceptable.  The year periods relate to the admission deadline – January 5th.  The tests must have been taken within 2 or 5 years of this date respectively.

Question: When I am taking the exam and it asks for your school code, what number should I enter?

Answer: See below – we highly encourage you to list our code so that if you are admitted, we can work through the process faster.

GRE Code: 2161 (do not list a department code)

GMAT Code for MIA: QF8-64-56

GMAT Code for MPA: QF8-64-99

TOEFL Code: 2161

As all admitted applicants that will be joining us in the fall are aware, we need official transcripts and test scores to complete admission files so that we may forward all of the files to the Office of Student Affairs.  Your file will become part of your permanent academic record.

Josh Dennee is the person in our office responsible for managing this process and I asked him to write a blog entry on the topic to provide direction and put people at ease.  Take it away Josh . . .

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In our continuing effort to provide complete transparency about the admissions process to avoid causing too many heart-attacks during a period fraught with anxiety and excitement, I am going to provide some insight into Official Documents processing. I understand that many of you newly admitted students are somewhat concerned about the status of your official transcripts and test scores with the impending June 15^th deadline. Assuming that your scores and grades are consistent with your application, there is no reason to worry. Let me explain how the process works.

If you requested to have your GRE, GMAT, or TOEFL scores sent to SIPA, they will be entered in the information system within the coming weeks. Every few days I receive an electronic file from the ETS containing either GRE or TOEFL scores. These scores are then compiled and uploaded in a rather time-consuming process. Currently, I am still uploading scores received as early as last year, so even if you had your scores sent in months ago, they may not yet be in the system. And, although it is not our preferred method, we also have the ability to verbally confirm scores with the ETS if for some reason there was a problem with the electronic file. Meanwhile, GMAT scores are downloaded directly from GMAC and uploaded in a similar fashion.

Official transcripts are mailed to our office, recorded in Apply Yourself (the system through which applications were submitted) as official, and then filed alphabetically with other similar documents. This process is obviously subject to a certain degree of human error, thus the transcripts are carefully double-checked before we begin notifying students that they are missing.

I highly suggest that, if you have not yet requested your schools to send us official transcripts, you do so as soon as possible as some schools take a substantial amount of time to accommodate such requests. Over the course of the next month you may receive an email from us requesting an official transcript. If you have already previously requested an official copy to be sent to us, please do not fret, there is a strong chance that it is somewhere in our office. Once we have received everything we need, you will be sent an email exclaiming “Your SIPA File is Complete” and you can rest easy.

Lastly, I would like to note that, although June 15^th is our preferred deadline, we are perfectly willing to accommodate late materials if delays are encountered. I hope that this helps assuage any anxieties that you have about the status of your documents. I look forward to seeing you all in the fall.

This is the first entry in our “Top 10″ list to assist you with understanding the process of submitting your admission application to SIPA.

One of the ways we seek to make the application process faster and easier is to accept self reported test scores for admission application review.  To repeat, to be considered for admission to SIPA we do not require that official test score reports be on file.  This includes the GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, and IELTS.

At SIPA, we only require official test scores reports if an admitted applicant chooses to enroll.   Here are a few common questions we receive and reminders of how the process works in our office.

Question:  I sent my scores to SIPA some time ago, can you tell me if they have been received?

Answer: Applicants self report test scores as a part of the online application process.  When assembling a file for admission we do not look for official reports.  When you request that official test reports be sent to SIPA, they are downloaded into a centralized computer system.  We will not match application records to this system until after admission decisions have been made.

Therefore, you should self report your scores when applying online.   We print your application, do a manual check to make sure the necessary information has been included and then will update your record accordingly.  We appreciate your patience as we work as quickly as possible to print and manually check each application after it has been submitted.

Question:  I emailed my scores to your office or mailed a paper copy, do I still need to self report the scores when submitting my application?

Answer: Yes.  Every applicant should self report the results of each test taken when filling in the online application.  If the scores are not entered they do not appear when we print the application and this slows down the process.

Question:  I took the (GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS) several times.  How should I report my scores?  Should I only list my top scores?

Answer: As you can see in the screen shot below you can self report the total results for thee different exams for both the GRE/GMAT section and the English as a Second Language section.  You should therefore report each test individually.

Let us say that you take the GRE three times.  We DO NOT want you to take your top three scores achieved and enter them as one exam.  You should report your scores from all three exams in the three separate sections that are available to you.  If you have taken a test more than three times, report your most recent three scores.

Screen Shot From Application Site Showing Multiple Entry Areas to Report Test Scores

Question:  How late can I report my test scores?

Answer: The application deadline is January 5th at 11:59:59 PM EST.  This means that all of your application and all of the associated information should be submitted by this time.  Therefore, you can report your test scores up until this time.  Because we do not need official test scores to consider an applicant for admission, you do not need to worry about how long it will take the testing agency to report the scores to us.

Question:  If I am admitted, when will my test scores need to be received by SIPA?

Answer: Applicants that are admitted and pay a deposit to enroll are required to have official test scores in our office by June 1st.  We will provide guidance on this process after admission decisions go out.  If you have listed our test code when taking the exam more than likely we will have an electronic record in our mainframe system.

Question:  Is there a time limit on how long scores are acceptable?

Answer: TOEFL and IELTS scores up to two years old are acceptable.  GRE and GMAT scores up to five years old are acceptable.

Question:  When I am taking the exam and it asks for your school code, what number should I enter?

Answer: See below – we highly encourage you to list our code so that if you are admitted, we can work through the process faster.

GRE Code: 2161 (do not list a department code)

GMAT Code for MIA: QF8-64-56

GMAT Code for MPA: QF8-64-99

TOEFL Code:  2161

I wanted to take a moment to provide some insight to those that plan on applying for a future semester.  While it is possible to log in to our application at the current time to create an account, it is not yet possible to apply for the spring 2011 or fall 2011 semesters.  Our goal is to have the application live and running by August 15th.  I will keep you updated on our progress on this blog.

At this point we recommend that you wait to log in to create an account as we will be making some changes to the application in July and August.  It is fine if you have already created an account, however after the new application goes up you will want to make sure to start at the beginning of the application and review any information you filled in as some of the required fields might change.

The deadline for spring 2011 admission will be October 1st and the deadline for fall 2011 admission will be January 5th.

We will be taking the application down for a few weeks to implement the technical changes for the coming year.  This will likely occur during the first two weeks of August so we can test the system.  Our changes should not stop you from starting to work on your application materials.  Many of things we ask for will remain constant.  For example:

• We will still require transcripts from all schools attended since graduating from high school.  Thus you can start accumulating copies of your transcripts for submission.  We do allow applicants to scan copies and upload them to our application site.  This is the recommended method.

• We will still require two résumés.  A full description of this requirement can be found by clicking here.

• We will still require either the GRE or the GMAT, and for those that speak English as a second language, the TOEFL or IELTS.

• We will still require three recommendations.  These should be academic or professional, in other words, individuals that have supervised you in the classroom or in the work place.

We will most likely be making some changes to the personal statement so that is something at this point in time that is not decided.  The Admissions Committee hopes to have the final questions/statements ready by the end of July and I will post them to this site as soon as they are finalized.

A reader adroitly pointed out that in my original post I mentioned 2010 below, when in actuality the changes will be made in 2011.  This does not change our policy of accepting unofficial scores for admission consideration.

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If you have not heard yet, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) is making some changes to the GRE test and to the scoring system in the near future.  The changes will  go into effect in August 1st, 2011.  For applicants to SIPA there are a few important pieces of information to consider.

First let me state that SIPA does allow applicants to submit unofficial scores achieved on the GRE on the admission application.  Let me repeat, we do not have to have an official score report on file by the admission deadline.  We are fine with applicants self reporting their GRE scores by the admission deadline.  If an applicant is admitted to SIPA, we then will ask that official scores be sent to us.  We do recommend that you include our score code when taking the GRE, it is 2161.  We need the official scores for your permanent academic record if you are admitted and decide to enroll.

Second, SIPA will take either the new or old GRE scores, as long as the scores are less than five years old.

Third, for an application to be complete, we need both the scores and percentages for each section of the test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing).   Each score and percentage must be entered in order to submit your application.  We do not require a GRE subject test.

Fourth, we also accept GMAT scores and the same applies.  We need both the scores and percentages achieved self reported on the admission application by the deadline and the scores can be no more than five years old.

So as long as you are able to receive your unofficial GRE or GMAT scores by the admission deadline you can meet our application requirements.

The following text appears on the ETS Web site in the FAQ section:

___________________________

Can I view scores online?

Yes. You can now view your scores online free of charge. You will need to create or have a My GRE Account to use this service.

• For computer-based General Test takers, the View Scores Online service is available approximately 15 days after your test date.
• For paper-based General Test takers, the View Scores Online service is available approximately six weeks after your test date.

___________________________

For applicants applying for spring admission the deadline is October 1st.  Therefore, if you have not taken the GRE and plan on doing so in the future, it is important that you give yourself enough time to get your scores and self report them on your admission application.  The fall 2011 admission deadline is January 5, 2011.

We continue to receive emails from applicants regarding test score submission.  Here are a few of the questions and reminders of how the process works in our office.

Question:  I sent my scores to SIPA some time ago, why are they not appearing as received on the application site?

Answer: Applicants self report test scores in Part 2 of the application.  When assembling a file for admission we do not look for official reports.  When you request that official test reports be sent to SIPA, they are downloaded into a centralized computer system.  We will not match application records to this system until after admission decisions have been made.

Therefore you should self report your scores in Part 2 of the application.  Even after you self report and submit your application the scores will not show as “Received – Not Official” right away.  We print your application, do a manual check, and then update the tracking status.  We appreciate your patience as we work as quickly as possible to print and manually check each application.

Question:  I emailed my scores to your office or mailed a paper copy, do I still need to self report the scores in Part 2?

Answer: Yes.  Every applicant should self report the results of each test taken in Part 2 of the application.  If the scores are not entered in Part 2 they do not appear when we print the application and this slows down the process.

Question:  I took the (GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS) several times.  How should I report my scores?  Should I only list my top scores?

Answer: As you can see in the screen shot below you can self report the total results for thee different exams for both the GRE/GMAT section and the English as a Second Language section.  You should therefore report each test individually.

Let us say that you take the GRE three times.  We DO NOT want you to take your top three scores achieveded and enter them as one exam.  You should report your scores from all three exams in the three separate sections that are available to you.  If you have taken a test more than three times, report your most recent three scores.

My staff and I know the stress that surrounds the submission of an admission application.   This entry is meant to help applicants understand how our application system works as well as how we update our system and communicate with you.  I hope this will help to ease any concerns you might have during this busy time.  This entry is somewhat long, but if you read it thoroughly it should answer any questions or concerns you might have.

First let me state that 100% of the application process can be completed on the Web – we do not require that a single document be mailed to our office to consider a candidate for admission.  The only documents we might expect to receive by mail are academic transcripts and letters of recommendation.  We encourage applicants to upload copies of transcripts to our system, the personal statement and two résumés are uploaded, and applicants self report test scores in Part 2 of the application.

If letters of recommendation or transcripts are sent by mail, the important thing is the date the documents are received, not the date documents are tracked into the online system.  Our deadline is January 5^th so documents sent by mail should be received by this date.  However, it can take 10-15 business days from the time a document is received via mail for us to manually track it in our system.

So do not panic if you have submitted Part 2 and/or mailed something to our office and it does not show as received on January 6^th.  It actually may take us up until late January to track all documents sent to our office or uploaded to the system.  Rest assured that we will work with applicants if we believe a good faith effort was made to supply a necessary document by our deadline date.  There is no need to send a document a second time to us unless we reach out to you first (we will do so by email if necessary).  Sending documents a second time typically leads to delays.

Also note that if you do plan on mailing your transcripts, you should upload a single sheet with your name and short statement noting the names of the transcripts that are being mailed (in Part 2 where you are asked to upload your transcripts).

The following are details related to the two parts of the application, along with notes on each required document or piece of information we require and how receipt is tracked.

Part 1

Part 1 of the application is quite simple and only requires an applicant to fill in personal information and answer basic questions along with entering the names of three recommenders, along with whether an applicant expects them to submit their letters online or via mail.

If an applicant indicates that a letter writer initially was going to submit a letter online but then later decides to submit by mail, we do not need to be notified.  When we open the letter we will match it to the online record.

If a recommender submits a letter via our online system, the applicant will receive an email from the system informing him/her that the letter has been uploaded and the status will change to “Submitted.”  If we receive the letter via mail, we will have to manually update the applicant record.  In this case, no email will be sent to the applicant, rather the applicant can log in and check the status on the main page.

The receipt of letters of recommendation should not impact an applicant submitting other documents.  Applicants are encouraged to submit all of the documents and information they are responsible for as soon as possible.  As letters are received they will be tracked into the system and the status updated.

The final step in Part 1 is payment of the $85 application fee.  After paying the fee and submitting Part 1, applicants receive a confirmation email and Part 2 will become visible on the application site.

Part 2

Below are descriptions of all of the documents/information we require in Part 2 of the application.  Please read carefully as we receive many questions about the receipt and tracking of documents in our system.

Transcripts

Transcripts can be uploaded to the application site or mailed to our office.  We do not require official transcripts to consider an applicant for admission and uploading unofficial copies is perfectly acceptable. Do note that all coursework must show the grade received and the grading scale notes should be included with the transcript.

Do note that if transcripts are uploaded to the site they will not automatically be tracked as received.  Rather the status will read as “Not Received.”  Why does this happen?  The reason is that we must print the application and manually check to see if the transcripts are legible and complete.  Thus it can take some time for us to manually change the status to “Received – Not Official” which is acceptable for admission consideration. 

Note that any transcripts uploaded to our system will be tracked as “Received – Not Official.”  If an offer of admission is made and an applicant accepts the offer, we would then require an official copy to be sent via mail by June 15^th.

If an applicant does send official transcripts via mail and they are received by the deadline, they will be tracked as “Received – Official” in the system.  Again, the tracking process can take time so we appreciate your patience.

Test Scores

All applicants should self report applicable test scores (GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS) in Part 2 of the application.  We do not require official test reports to consider an applicant for admission.

While we do encourage applicants to list our test code when taking exams, we do not pay the testing organizations to mail paper reports to our office, rather the score reports are downloaded into a centralized Columbia University computer system.  However, we do not match application records to this centralized system until after admission decisions have been made.

Because of this, every applicant must enter self reported scores in Part 2 of the application.  If self reported scores are not entered, it will slow down our processing of the file.  While we understand that some applicants have requested that official test reports be sent to our office, if you have left the self reported test score section blank, you should log back in and self report your scores before the January 5th deadline.

Just like with transcripts, test scores that are self reported in Part 2 will not automatically be tracked as received.  Upon submission of Part 2 the status will read as “Not Received.”  Again, the reason is that we must print the application and manually check to see if the scores have been entered and printed out correctly.  Thus it can take some time for us to manually change the status to “Received – Not Official” which is acceptable for admission consideration.

If an offer of admission is made, we will then match your admission record to the centralized system the university uses for test score reporting.  If an applicant entered our code we will match the official scores to the application record.  If we run the matching process and the scores are not present, we will notify the applicant that he or she should contact the testing service to ensure that the official scores are sent to us no later than June 15^th.  Once official scores are received they would be tracked as “Received – Official.”

Personal Statement and the Two Required Résumé /CV Documents

When you upload these documents to the system they will automatically track as “Received – Official.”  We will still manually review the application and will notify the applicant if there is an issue when these documents print, but this happens so rarely that we are comfortable with tracking as “Received – Official” upon submission of Part 2 of the application.  The status change is automated, but it can take a day for the system to update so do not panic if they are not tracked as “Received – Official” right after submission.

Forwarding the File to the Admissions Committee

Once we have manually checked a file to ensure that all of the required documents have been submitted and are legible, we will send an email to you stating that the application has been forwarded to the Admissions Committee.  Please realize this may take up until late January.  Again, if there is an issue, we will reach out to applicants via the email listed in the application.  When a file is completed has no impact on the admission decision (as long as all of the documents were received by the deadline).

Keeping Up With the Admission/Enrollment Process

Thank you for your attention to this message and we look forward to reading your application.  Decisions will start to go out in early March.  When a decision has been posted, applicants receive an email with instructions to log in to the online application site to view the decision.  Please continue to visit this blog for updates on when decisions will be sent.

I encourage all applicants to thoroughly review this PDF document which describes the admission process from beginning to end, including when decisions are sent, when our Admitted Student Day will take place, and how you can best research financial aid opportunities.

We have been getting many questions recently about test score submission and I want to emphasize an important point: SIPA does not require official test reports (GRE / GMAT / TOEFL / IELTS) for admission consideration.  We accept self reported scores on the application for admission consideration.

Thus applicants need not worry about SIPA receiving official test reports by the admission deadline.  Applicants simply need to enter the scores achieved on the application site.  These scores can be entered up to the deadline, even after submitting Part 2 of the admission application.

So for example, let’s say you submit Part 2 of your application on December 15th after having taken the GRE one time.  If you take the GRE again on December 28th and ETS provides you with your scores within a few days, you log back into your application and report your scores up until January 5th.  We do not need the official score report by January 5th.

SIPA will require official test scores only if an applicant is admitted and pays an enrollment deposit.  The enrollment deposit is due by May 1st and official test reports will need to be submitted to our office in June.  Details will follow once admission offers have been made.

We still encourage applicants to list the appropriate SIPA code when taking these exams, but you need not worry about the official test reports reaching our office by January 5th.  Also note that we do not average test scores, so you can take test multiple times and we will always take the highest scores achieved.   See below for the appropriate SIPA test codes:

• GRE Code: 2161 (do not list a department code)
• GMAT for MIA: QF8-64-56
• GMAT for MPA: QF8-64-99
• TOEFL:  2161

My staff did a great job during crunch time this past week and we were able to meet our deadline to make the new application for this year available. We are most excited about the fact that 100% of the required documents and information required to be considered for admission can be submitted on the application site – there is no need to send us a single document via postal mail.

We changed our philosophy this year and rather than requiring official documents from every single applicant, we will only require that official copies of transcripts and test scores be submitted if an applicant is admitted and chooses to enroll. It did not make a lot of sense for us to require official documents from everyone when in the end, required documents are only really necessary for those who enroll.

So, applicants now have the ability to upload academic transcripts and we will allow applicants to self report test scores – official score reports are not required to be considered for admission.

The application is broken into two sections:  Part 1 and Part 2.

Part 1 is comprised of three sections:

1. Application form (mostly biographical information)
2. Names of those who will be submitting letters of recommendation
3. Application fee

That’s it.  Part 1 is quite simple and does not take long to fill out. We recommend that you complete Part 1 as soon as possible so that you become an active applicant in our system and so that the system can send out messages with detailed instructions to those that will be writing recommendation letters for you.

Part 2 will not become visible until Part 1 is submitted.  Part 2 will allow you to:

1. Upload your personal statement
2. Upload the two required résumés
3. Indicate your native language and second language ability
4. Submit your test scores
5. Upload academic transcripts

Please note that test scores can be updated anytime in the system up to the deadline.  This means that you can submit Part 2 anytime you like, and come back before the deadline to update scores.

Let’s say that it is early December and you have everything finished, have taken the GRE previously, but will be taking the GRE again in late December. In this example there is no need to wait to submit Part 2.

You can go ahead and submit/upload everything and return later in December to indicate your new test scores.  Do note that once you submit Part 2 the only section you will be able to update is the test score section.  The system will not allow you to update your personal statement, résumé, or transcripts once Part 2 has been submitted.

That’s it.  Be sure to read the instructions on the site carefully and to get started simply click here.  The deadline for spring consideration is October 1st and the fall deadline is January 5th.  We look forward to working with you!

The last major change that is being made to the application process for the 2010 cycle is that the Admissions Committee will allow for the submission of unofficial test scores for application review.  Similar to the policy of accepting unofficial copies of transcripts for admission review, if an applicant is offered admission official copies of test reports will then need to be submitted to confirm enrollment.  Specific dates by which official test scores need to be submitted will be communicated after admission offers are made.

This requirement includes the submission of the following tests:  GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, or IELTS.  SIPA will not accept LSAT scores in lieu of the GRE or GMAT.

In the past we required that a waiver form be filled out to submit the GMAT in lieu of the GRE.  Starting this year the waiver form is no longer required – we will accept either the GRE or the GMAT.

Applicants will have the ability to update scores achieved on the application Web site up to the deadline date.  Applicants should not wait until a test has been taken to submit the application.  The priority should be to submit the admission application as soon as possible.  It is not important that all admission documents be submitted at the same time.

For example, let’s say an applicant has all of the required documents ready, including a test score, on December 2nd and the official submission deadline is January 5th.  The applicant has another test scheduled for December 10th.  It is fine for the applicant to submit the application package via our application Web site and then later return to add additional test scores.  We will allow for test scores to be updated until the deadline, we will not allow for other documents once they have been submitted to be updated.

Once again we are hopeful that by allowing applicants to submit scores via the application Web site that we will be able to expedite the admission review process.  In previous years one of the great complications has been the receipt of official test scores by the deadline and we are pleased to offer a solution that should better serve both applicants and the Admissions Committee.