First a quick update on decisions . . . still 5% to go so hang in there if you are still waiting. We are rolling them out as they are made.
New York City and SIPA students share something in common – vibrant energy. You never know what you might see in NYC, or in the halls of SIPA for that matter. This is one of the addictive qualities of New York City and I miss it each and every time I leave “the city.”
Each year in the spring SIPA students put on their own variety show known as SIPA Follies. In the past few weeks I have seen fliers around the halls with a chicken in a diaper, and I guess the point was for the fliers to grow into this promotional video for this year’s edition of SIPA Follies. Yes, you will certainly get a world class education at SIPA, but you will also have a lot of fun to match.
We have started to get some emails about receipt of official transcripts and test scores so let me provide a bit of guidance. We receive some test reports electronically and others via mail. The vast majority are sent to us as electronic files and they are downloaded into a centralized Columbia University computer system. We then have to sync that system with our admission software. As you know, applicants self report test scores on the admission application and these are the scores we use for the review – not the official reports.
The process of getting official test scores into our system can take some time and we are still busy wrapping up the admission review process, managing the message board, preparing for Admitted Student Day, and responding to a flurry of emails on a variety of topics. If you choose to enroll at SIPA we will need to confirm receipt of official test scores by June 15 so we have plenty of time. We really do not actively start to undertake this process until after the date to pay a deposit passes (May 2nd).
I will provide some updates on the process in the near future and for now, if you feel you have submitted your official test scores and/or transcripts, we would just ask for your patience while we work on integrating this information into our system.
The process of submitting official transcripts is straightforward. If you submitted official transcripts with your admission application rest assured we will be tracking them as official. If you uploaded unofficial copies of your transcripts to our application Web site, then you will need to send official transcripts to our office by June 15th. The address to send them to is:
Columbia SIPA – Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
420 West 118th Street
Room 408 – International Affairs Building
New York, NY 10027
Thanks again for your patience and if you asked that your test scores be reported to SIPA they are likely loaded into our campus mainframe, waiting patiently for us to sync them with our system.
The purpose of this entry is to try to address all of the different groups of applicants that have applied for fall 2011 admission. Even though the Admissions Committee is almost done reviewing files, our situation is actually much more complex than the singular act of reviewing files because we now have many groups with questions and needs. So if you have been admitted, waitlisted, have not received a decision yet, or been denied admission this entry has something for you.
First let me start with those that have been admitted. We have some wonderful opportunities that relatively few admitted applicants are responding to at this time. For example, we would love to have admitted applicants join us for a Columbia University event in Washington D.C. on Saturday, April 2nd. There are events taking place in other locations as well and an RSVP is required for all of the events. The RSVP deadline for the D.C. event is this Friday, March 25th. We also have a message board that is available and many admitted applicants have yet to register.
For information on all of our activities and instructions for logging in to the message board, be sure to visit the Welcome Page referenced in your admission letter. Also note that the only thing that we send via postal mail to admitted applicants is an admission letter. All other information will be communicated to applicants via email, this blog, and the Welcome Page. Our financial aid representatives are working on packages each and every day and admitted applicants will receive an email with instructions on how to view their financial aid package on the Internet.
Second, there are some people that are still waiting for an admission decision. At the end of last week we hit the 91% mark for released decisions and the Committee continues to work fervently to make final decisions on those files that remain. As soon as the decisions are ready we will send an email encouraging applicants to log in and view their decision.
Third, those that have been placed on the waitlist can expect the first communication from our office in early April. I am not saying we will be able to make any offers of admission in early April, however at a minimum we will provide an update on the process and timeline.
Finally, some of those that we were unable to offer admission to have been sending us emails asking for feedback on their application. At present the Committee is still working on reviewing applications and once the process is complete we must still dedicate our energy to a variety of projects related to providing information for admitted applicants. I have two pieces of advice for those seeking feedback.
First, we have a page set up for just this purpose. It provides information on common reasons we are unable to offer admission to applicants. You can find the feedback page here. Second, applicants not offered admission to our program are welcome to send our office an email in June requesting feedback. Over the summer a member of our staff can review the reader comments and provide some feedback.
Last, some have contacted us asking to unsubscribe them from this blog. We cannot perform this action, instead action must be taken by the individual receiving the email updates. It is simple to unsubscribe from emails generated by this blog, simply visit the bottom of any email message received from this blog and you will find a link entitled “unsubscribe now.”
We rolled out more decisions yesterday but the Committee does still have work to do. Decision notifications will definitely extend in to next week. We are still deliberating on all three classes of admission offers: admit, waitlist, and those we will be unable to offer admission to. For those of you still waiting I know it is hard, but we are working as fast as we can.
I thought I would take a break from pure admission entries and go with a recent interview today. Enjoy.
______________________
Junji Koike
MPA candidate 2011: Second year student with a concentration on IFEP
Junji Koike is originally from Japan. His undergraduate degree is from Keio University. After he earned his degree in Policy Management, he worked as a policy researcher in the Japanese think tank Nomura Research Institute. While working there, he got involved with projects related to public management, public finance and local government. He is planning to go back to Japan after SIPA.
What attracted you to SIPA?
Considering my background at Nomura Research Institute, SIPA was the ideal school. First, SIPA covers a broad range of issues related with public policies around the world. SIPA has helped me to explore interlinked public policy subjects by offering multiple kinds of lectures, seminars, and events.
Secondly, many professors at SIPA are experienced professionals. I’ve taken lectures and seminars with public officials including the former Mayor of New York City and international bankers as well as well-known academics. These professionals have offered me very vivid practical knowledge as well as a unique academic perspective.
Thirdly, the location of SIPA is excellent. Thanks to its location, I have the privilege of having lectures from world leaders, such as Bill Clinton and Kofi Annan, senior officers of the United Nations and New York City government, and various mass media pundits.
What prepared you to come to SIPA?
I often feel that my experience as a policy researcher have helped me to study and work with the other SIPA students, particularly, my public policy knowledge, my project management and data analysis skills, and my perspective as a Japanese researcher.
What has been the most challenging part of your SIPA experience?
Many classes at SIPA require group work. This semester I am working with four different groups. It is common that these assignments have the same or close deadlines. Additionally, working with people from different backgrounds is sometimes challenging in terms of arriving to an agreement. I actually appreciate this challenge because I’m learning a lot about international collaborations from these group projects.
What kind of job would you like to get when you graduate?
I have been working for around 10 years at Nomura Research Institute, which is sponsoring my master’s at SIPA. So I have to go back and work for them once I graduate. But, I am so excited to go back because I’ll be able to apply what I’ve learned in SIPA to my job.
What advice would you give to a prospective student?
I would say, “Open up your heart!” Faculty and students in SIPA have fascinating backgrounds and they are ready to make a difference to the world. I often feel unlimited possibilities from SIPA people. “Please don’t underestimate your neighbors in SIPA!”
"The most global public policy school, where an international community of students and faculty address world challenges."
—Merit E. Janow, Dean, SIPA, Professor of Practice, International and Economic Law and International Affairs
