Archive for January 2011 – Page 2

Admission Committee Reading Update

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 
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We have completed our first sweep of all applications printed and about 80% were completed.  Most of these files were completed because 100% of the information needed was submitted on line via the application Web site.

We are now left with around 20% of the total submitted for our second sweep and this will involve looking for documents submitted to our office off line.

In addition, we are starting to distribute files to Admission Committee readers this week.  As I have mentioned before, not all readers start reading at the same time so if your application is not complete, please do not panic.

As we complete our review of incomplete files we will email applicants if we have a question about a missing document.  We will continue to distribute files to Admissions Committee members over the next few weeks and we are right on schedule.

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Categories : Admissions, Application Tips
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Extracurricular Events

Posted by Matt Clemons 
· Monday, January 24th, 2011 
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One of the cool things about living in New York City is that there is always something going on.  Yes, it’s true, it is the city that never sleeps.  I can attest to this because I live on an avenue and the noise never ceases outside my window.  For those of you not familiar with New York City, for the most part avenues are larger and run north/south while streets are smaller and run east/west.  This applies to most of the Island above Canal Street – below Canal all bets are off.  So if you are looking for a place to live, I would recommend street addresses because you are likely to deal with less noise, but there are always exceptions to the rule.  But I digress . . .

In terms activities, SIPA and Columbia are much like New York City – there always seems to be something going on for our students to take advantage of.  I thought I would take an entry to provide a glimpse into some of the extracurricular programming going on in the coming weeks.

______________

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Net Delusion: A Brownbag with Author Evgeny Morozov
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1302
International Media and Communications
Brownbag with blogger and social commentator Evgeny Morozov, a rising star in Internet politics.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Information Effects and Human Rights Data: Is the Good News about Increased Human Rights Information Bad News for Human Rights Measures?
12:00 pm – 1:45 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1302
Institute for the Study of Human Rights
Talk with Ann Marie Clark and Kathryn Sikkink, in which they will discuss changes in the quality and availability of human rights information over time and the implications for scholarly use of comparative data based on contemporaneous sources, including the widely used data sets based on annual Amnesty International and U.S. State Department reports.

Center for Korean Research Colloquium Series
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 907
Weatherhead East Asian Institute
Center for Korean Research Colloquium with Joel Wit, former State Department official.

Faith Misplaced
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
International Affairs Building, 1512
Middle East Institute
Lecture with Ussama Makdisi, Professor of History and the first holder of the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies at Rice University, speaking on his new book Faith Misplaced: The Broken Promises of U.S.-Arab Relations: 1820-2001.
Register

Thursday, January 27, 2011

QMSS Seminar: Gary Langer
6:10 pm – 8:30 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 403
Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy
Lecture with Gary Langer, Langer Research Associates.

Urban Aging from New York to Beijing
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 918
Weatherhead East Asian Institute
WEAI Brown Bag Lecture with Michael Gusmano, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health and Ada C. Mui, Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work.

eHealth – A Paradigm Shift in Delivery of Healthcare
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1512
Economic and Political Development Concentration
Brown Bag with Dr. Zakiuddin Ahmed, President and CEO of Healthcare Paradigm. Discussant: Dr. Patricia Mechael, Director of Strategic Application of Mobile Technology for Public Health and Development at the Center for Global Health and Economic Development at the Earth Institute, Columbia University. Pizza will be provided.

HOME: A Film Screening and Panel Discussion
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Alfred Lerner Hall, Roone Arledge Cinema
Earth Institute
Lecture with David Berreby, journalist and author (moderator); Sabine Marx, Managing Director, Columbia Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED); Shama Perveen, Associate Research Scientist, Columbia Water Center; Gavin A. Schmidt, climatologist and climate modeler, NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS); Peter Seligmann, Chairman & CEO, Conservation International; Maria Uriarte, Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology, Evolution & Environmental Biology (E3B), Columbia University.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Japanese Youth in Transition: Work, Marriage, and Inequality in Contemporary Japan
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 918
Weatherhead East Asian Institute
WEAI Brown Bag Lecture with Hiroshi Ishida, Professor of Sociology, Institute of Social Sciences, University of Tokyo; Visiting Fellow, Center for Research on Inequalities and the Life Course, Yale University.

Taiwan in Imperial China
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Schermerhorn Hall, Room 963
Weatherhead East Asian Institute
WEAI Lecture with Douglas Fix, Professor of History and Humanities Modern China and Japan, Reed College.

SAI Distinguished Lecture Series: A Talk by 2009 Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1501
South Asian Institute and The Earth Institute
Talk by 2009 Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom, Arthur F. Bentley Professor of Political Science, Indiana University in Bloomington
Register

“Racially Inferior”: Roma, Sinti and Other Holocaust victims
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
The Italian Academy at Columbia University
The Italian Academy
Lecture exploring issues of discrimination and crimes against humanity.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Grzegorz W. Kolodko on Truth, Errors, and Lies: Politics and Economics in a Volatile World
6:15 pm – 7:45 pm
Faculty House, Presidential Room 1
Committee on Global Thought
Talk with Grzegorz W. Kolodko, one of the world’s leading authorities on economics and development policy and former Minister of Finance of Poland. He will discuss his new book, Truth, Errors, and Lies: Politics and Economics in a Volatile World, to be released on February 8th, 2011. Registration for this event is required.
Register

Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development (Human Development Report 2010 – 20th Anniversary Edition)
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1501
Economic and Political Development
Talk with Francisco Rodriguez, Head of the Research Team, UNDP Human Development Report. Moderated by Jose Antonio Ocampo. Discussants, Eugenia McGill and Eric Verhoogen. Reception to follow.

Film Screening and Discussion: Promised Land
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
W&J Warren Hall, Room 209 Morningside Campus
Committee on Global Thought
Film Screening and Discussion featuring “Promised Land,” a film that gives viewers an inside look at the critical story of land reform and racial reconciliation in the new South Africa.
Register

QMSS Seminar
6:10 pm – 9:00 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 403
Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy
Lecture with Sandra Garcia, Universidad de los Andes.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Popular Culture and Nationalism in Lebanon: The Fairouz and Rahbani Nation
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1501
Middle East Institute
Film Screening/Lecture/Book Talk with Professor Christopher Stone, speaking on his newest book Popular Culture and Nationalism in Lebanon: The Fairouz and Rahbani Nation, in conjunction with a screening of “We Loved Each Other So Much.”
Register

The Shah with Abbas Milani
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
International Affairs Building, Room 1512
Middle East Institute
Book Talk with Abbas MilaniHamid and Christina Moghadam, Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University, speaking on his new book, The Shah, a biography which offers in-depth understanding of one of the most significant actors in the creation of the modern Islamic republic.
Register

Friday, February 11, 2011

Columbia Water Center/Earth and Environmental Engineering Seminar: Hydrological Applications of NASA’s GRACE Satellite Mission
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Seeley W. Mudd Building, Room 833
Earth Institute
Lecture with Matt Rodell, Hydrologist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Register

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Categories : Columbia University, SIPA
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Fall 2011 Applicant Facts Post #3

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Friday, January 21st, 2011 
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Okay, so this is not an earth shattering post in terms of truly meaningful information about the application process or the class we are considering, but every once in a while it is nice to go off the board a little.  I did something similar last year and thought about it again this year because once again I find myself in a similar situation.

Last year around the same time a friend was about to welcome a new baby into the world and he and his wife were trying to decide on a name.  They were thus running names by friends, taking suggestions, and doing research.  Not that you asked, but the name decided upon back then was Max.

Once again this year I find that someone I know is having a baby and finding a name came up again.  Thus I give you the top 10 first names of applicants this year . . . ladies first.

Top 10 Female Names

1.  Sarah

2.  Elizabeth

3.  Tie:  Emily, Maria

4. Jessica

5. Rebecca

6. Tie:  Jennifer, Lauren

7. Tie:  Alexandra, Danielle, Yang

8. Tie:  Laura, Samantha

9. Tie: Ashley, Jing

10. Tie:  Julia, Michelle

Top 10 Male Names

1. David

2. Michael

3. Benjamin

4. Tie:  Alexander, Christopher

5. John

6. Daniel

7. Robert

8. James

9:  Tie: Joseph, Matthew

10. Tie:  Bryan, Jacob, William

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Categories : Admissions, Application Tips
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Recent Questions

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Thursday, January 20th, 2011 
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A few applicants have submitted inquiries regarding the application review process. Here are answers to some of the questions that have come in recently.

______________________

Does the completion date of my file impact the admission decision?

. . . or stated another way perhaps . . .

Why is my application not complete yet?

The answer to the first question is “No.” The date a file is completed has no impact on the decision process. The process of completing files in the office is time consuming and we appreciate your patience as we work quickly to make sure everything has been received so that we may forward the file to the Committee for review. If we are missing any required documents we will let you know.

So in response to the second part of that question, we are working as quickly as we can but still have several hundred applications that are waiting in printed batches to be reviewed.

When/how will I find out about my decision?

Our goal is to make decisions available in early March. We do not send out all decisions at once. As much as we would like to send all decisions at once, some files take a bit longer to review than others and we do not wait until a decision has been made on every file before starting to send decisions. When your decision is ready to view you will receive an email from our office letting you know. The email will instruct you to visit the application site to view your decision letter.

I will post updates on the process on this blog so please make sure to subscribe to the blog by entering your email into the Feedburner box in the right hand menu or add this blog to your RSS reader.  I will elaborate more on the topic of informing applicants of decisions as we draw closer to releasing decisions.

Are interviews a part of the admission process?

With thousands of applicants applying from all over the globe, it is not possible for the Admissions Committee to conduct interviews with applicants. In rare cases I may be asked to follow up with an applicant regarding a detail in their application.  This contact would come in the form of email.

Thus, after you receive an email from us noting that your file is complete, you likely will not receive another email from us regarding your file until a decision has been posted.  When the decision is posted you will receive an email indicating such.

Will there be an opportunity for admitted applicants to visit SIPA?

SIPA will host an Admitted Student Day on Tuesday, April 12th. It will be a full day event open to all applicants admitted to SIPA for the fall 2011 semester. We also have information sessions each Monday at 6:00 PM and Friday at Noon, with exceptions for holidays. If you wish to register for an information session, you may send an email to [email protected].

Registration for the Admitted Student Day on April 12th will take place after admission decisions have been made. Registration for Admitted Student Day takes place on a secure Web page and admitted applicants will be given access to this page (information will be in the admission letter).

I received an email noting my file was forwarded to the Admissions Committee, but I have more information that I would like to include in my file, can I send it to you?

The application review process at SIPA is paper based. All of the required documents are placed in a file and that file then is sent to Committee members for review. Although we know what individuals are reviewing particular files, it is not possible for us to quickly track down files once they are batched and sent out for review.

As you might imagine, it would not be possible for members of our staff to try to track down a file to add additional documents as this would be incredibly time consuming. If you submitted all of the required documents and your file is complete, the Committee will have the information it needs to make a final decision.  If we feel we need more information or need to clarify information submitted we will contact you.

What size of class does SIPA plan to enroll?

The typical incoming class size for the MIA, MPA, and MPA-DP programs is around 475 students (all three programs combined).  Final enrollment goals may adjust slightly as time progresses, but at this point this is a good estimate of the number of students we will enroll for fall 2011:

  • MIA: 260 students
  • MPA: 180 students
  • MPA-DP: 35 students

Again, these numbers are estimates only and may change based upon a variety of factors the Admissions Committee takes into consideration.

How does being an international student affect my consideration for SIPA fellowships?

First let me say that fellowships at SIPA are mainly reserved for second year students. Unfortunately we are only able to offer roughly 10-15% of first year students fellowship funding. Approximately 70% of second year students that qualify to apply (by obtaining at 3.4 GPA at SIPA) receive a second year award and the average award is roughly $20,000.

Second, SIPA fellowships are not based on citizenship. We have one fellowship budget and it is used to award funding to qualified applicants, no matter the country or origin or citizenship. Therefore, citizenship has no impact on the fellowship process at SIPA.

How dry are your hands?

Okay, no one actually asked that question, but with the amount of paper I have been handling I almost feel like I have chalk sticks for fingers my skin is so dry.

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Categories : Admissions, Application Tips, Paying for SIPA
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Fall 2011 Applicant Facts Post #2

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 
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Our first post related to application facts for fall 2011 was on citizenship, this second post covers some demographic and academic information.  I’m not trying to do any sort of analysis or point to anything specific with these facts, it just a window into the make up of those we will be reviewing in the coming weeks.

Applicants for the fall 2011 class are 61% female and 39% male.

The average age of our applicant pool for fall 2011 is 25.8.

Applicants hold degrees from 844 different colleges and universities.

The top five international universities represented by number of applicants are –

1. Peking University

2. Renmin University

3. Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México

4. Fudan University

5.  University of Tokyo

The top five U.S. universities represented by number of applicants are –

1. University of California Berkeley

2. University of California Los Angeles

3. Georgetown

4. New York University

5. Boston University

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—Merit E. Janow, Dean, SIPA, Professor of Practice, International and Economic Law and International Affairs

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