Update from Admissions, and a View of Applicant Demographics

Now that the application process has ended, I wanted to update you on what’s going on here at SIPA Admissions. The Admissions Committee has been reading applications non-stop for the last few months. We’re honored that you all took the time to apply and to share your experiences and aspirations with us.

The top question we have been getting the last few weeks is, “When will decisions be released?”

Answer: Very soon. All MIA, MPA and MPA-Development Practice decisions will be released by mid-March at the latest. You’ll be notified by email, which will ask you to check your Status Page.

In the meantime, here’s a few interesting stats from the Fall 2018 applicant pool:

  • You’ve probably heard about the diversity of SIPA – our current students represent more than 100 countries, and our 20,000 alumni represent 155 countries. This year, our applicant pool continues to show how far we reach, with applications from 106 different countries. Right now, about 55% of the SIPA student body are international students.
  • I’ve gotten questions about the age of applicants from people who think they may be too old or too young. This time, our applicants ranged from 19 years old to 57 years old. It isn’t uncommon for us to see such a range in applicant ages; again, we don’t have a model of an “ideal” SIPA candidate (though you can see what we look for in applicants here).
  • Currently, the SIPA student body is at about 56% female and 44% male. The amount of female applicants outnumbered male applicants this year:

Class diversity is important to the SIPA community, and we’re interested to see what next year’s class will be like. I encourage you to keep your eyes on this Admissions blog for more information on what do you once you get your decision, whatever it may be.

If you’ll be near the Columbia campus, take time to learn more about SIPA by visiting a class. Class visits are available through April and are a great opportunity to get a feel for SIPA faculty, courses, and student life.

We thank you for your patience and wish you all the best of luck. We’ll update you soon.