Archive for Admissions – Page 140

Welcome Page – Please Read Carefully

Posted by Matt Clemons 
· Friday, March 20th, 2009 
· No Comments

I want to pass on some important advice to applicants who are admitted to SIPA.  In the admission letter you are provided with instructions on how to visit our Welcome Page.  There is a hyperlink as well as a username and password listed in your admission letter that will give you entry to the Welcome Page.

Why is the Welcome Page so important?  Well, it provides answers to the most frequently asked questions newly admitted applicants typically have.  We want you to be able to get answers and instructions quickly, hopefully without a lot of runaround.

Lately many admitted applicants have been emailing us questions that are answered on the Welcome Page.  Questions such as the following have recently been sent to our email accounts and information and specific email addresses are provided on the Welcome Page to put you on the right track:

  • How do I register for the admitted student Open House?
  • How do I apply for housing?
  • When do I have to report to campus?
  • How can I start my Visa application process?
  • Is there any academic work you recommend I complete this summer?

So please reference your admission letter and for the Welcome Page information and read it carefully . . . there is lots of good stuff there.

No Comments
Categories : Admissions
Tags : , ,

80% +

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 
· No Comments

Just a quick update on decisions . . .

We have published just over 80% of our decisions to date.  Please note that when an admission file is read has no bearing upon the final decision.  We are looking for qualified candidates and the qualities we look for and the evaluation system we use does not change over time.

I will say that some files do take longer to review than others.  This can be for a variety of reasons including flagging a candidate for fellowship (which results in an additional meeting) or asking for further review by a Senior Member of the Admissions Committee.

As stated in a previous entry, we cannot provide estimates on when individual decisions will be published but rest assured that we are working as quickly as possibly.  I know that many applicants who have not heard are anxious, but I think you would agree that having the Committee spend quality time reviewing your application is preferable to rushing through the process.

Hang in there if you have yet to hear, an email will be coming your way soon.

No Comments
Categories : Admissions, Application Tips
Tags : , , , ,

How Cool is New York City?

Posted by Matt Clemons 
· Monday, March 16th, 2009 
· No Comments

The title question for this entry does not have to do with temperature, it has to do with the international flavor of New York City. 40% of the people who live in New York City were not born in the United States. SIPA typically enrolls students that represent over 90 different countries. We also have many U.S. permanent residents enrolled each year so the number of countries students hail from is most likely well over 100 countries per year.

New York City has a 311 telephone line that is meant to provide government information and non-emergency services. A fact you may not be aware of, the line provides immediate access to translation services in over 170 different languages. How cool is that?

No Comments
Categories : Admissions
Tags : , , , ,

Time Line

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Thursday, March 12th, 2009 
· No Comments

The Admissions Committee has been meeting all week and we continue to publish decisions as soon as we are able.  As a reminder, you will receive an email from us when your decision is ready to be viewed on the application Web site.  We cannot provide estimates on when individual decisions will be published.

I did want to provide a quick overview of the time line that will follow in the coming month or so. The following information is provided on an admitted student welcome page but I thought I would provide some highlights.

First, admitted students will have the opportunity to participate in a Web based Message Board starting later in March.  The purpose of the board is to give admitted students the opportunity to interact with one another and with current students.  SIPA students will be taking a spring break from March 16th to 20th and we will have the board up shortly after their return.  Details will be sent to admitted students once the board is activated.

Second, SIPA will host an Open House for admitted students on Tuesday, April 14th.  The Open House will take place on the Columbia Campus and it will be a full day event.

Third, April 20th is the date by which admitted students must pay a deposit confirming enrollment for fall 2009.

Finally, an email regarding financial aid opportunities is sent shortly after the admission letter is published.  The letter is meant to outline the general funds available to SIPA students.  More specific letters will follow at a later time for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents who have filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  If admitted students have been awarded a SIPA fellowship this information will be in the admission letter.

Now back to Committee meetings . . .

No Comments
Categories : Admissions, Application Tips
Tags : , , , , ,

Waiting is the Hardest Part

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Monday, March 9th, 2009 
· No Comments

I do not think that Tom Petty has a graduate degree, however the chorus to his song “The Waiting” is appropriate this time of year.  The chorus leads off with “The waiting is the hardest part.”  I know that waiting to hear of an admission decision can be hard.  We receive lots of phone calls and emails each day with people eager for more information.

Hundreds of files are still in process and we are working as quickly as we are able.  About half of our decisions have been sent which means we still have a way to go.  As referenced in an entry last week, when a decision has been rendered an email will be sent to the email account you listed when you applied on the online site.  We appeciate your inquires, however we cannot give exact information on when a decision will be rendered.

Hang in there if you have yet hear.

No Comments
Categories : Admissions, Application Tips
Tags : , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »

"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

Boiler Image