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Meet our newest Admissions Program Assistants (PA)

Posted by Columbia SIPA

· Thursday, September 11th, 2014

Each year we are blessed to have an enthusiastic core group of SIPA graduate students serve as Admission Program Assistants (PA). For prospective students interested in hearing the SIPA student perspective, the PA is here to provide that insight. Chances are you will meet one or two or all of them during the admissions process — either in the office, online or on the telephone.

We will post a few Q&A responses from each of them in the next few days so you get to know who is on the other end. Our wonderful PAs come from different backgrounds and experiences and bring a diverse perspective. They will also be a great resource on what to do (and not do) as you consider going back to school … since they’ve all been where you are now.

Eric Medina, MPA 2015 is concentrating in International Security Policy with a focus on the United States (specialization)

What was your previous professional experience?
I spent 10 years in the United States Army. I was assigned to Fort Bragg, NC for the majority of my career. My first international assignment was a combat deployment to Afghanistan with the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). My last international assignment was as the Military Development Liaison Officer to the United States Embassy in the Philippines.

What kind of work do you want to do when you graduate?
I would like to work in the Intelligence Community as a policy advisor for senior government officials.

What has been the best part of your SIPA experience?
The best part has been the friends I’ve made. The diversity of the student body never ceases to amaze me. The opinions and perspectives they bring to conversations regarding domestic and international policy is by far something I have not experienced elsewhere.

Do you feel like you have gotten to know some of the faculty members?
Yes, the faculty at SIPA is exceptional. Not only are there brilliant scholars, but also many are still current practitioners in their field. The experience and insights they bring into the classroom is immeasurable.

Categories : Admissions, Meet Seeples

Tags : PA, Program Assistants, student

The Visit

Posted by Columbia SIPA

· Wednesday, September 10th, 2014

It’s not mandatory to visit our school but it can be helpful in your search when you are trying to identify the right school for you. It also gives the admissions office an opportunity to get to know you as a person, beyond what they see in your application.

Plan your visit ahead of time. It allows you to schedule your time strategically and plan your travel to and from the school so you can maximize your visit. Contact the admissions office to make an appointment to meet with a counselor, arrange a class visit so you can observe a class and professor in action, join a campus tour and meet with current students. You can also schedule an appointment to sit down with other staff and faculty in the department of your academic interest.

Read and research the school and program before you visit. You’ll want to make the most of your time with the people you meet so ask intelligent questions; don’t waste the time asking questions you can easily find on the school’s website and program brochure. The website and brochure are designed to answer the most common questions from prospective students, and you’ll make a much stronger first impression if you have done your homework.

If you have time, I would also recommend visiting the Financial Aid Office. You should begin your search for financial aid while you’re researching schools; even if you don’t know if you will apply and attend if admitted. It’s a good idea to think seriously about how you’ll finance your degree if you do eventually come to SIPA.

At the Financial Aid office, you can ask about scholarships, assistantships, and grants offered through the school, as well as external funding sources (such as student loans and special funding specific to your field of study). Find out what the eligibility requirements are, whether you need to supplement your application with additional documentation or materials, and what the deadlines are to be considered for school funding. Keep in mind that external scholarship application deadlines vary so make sure you submit by the specified deadlines. Start your search for financial aid early and don’t miss opportunities to get funding.

If you have time in your schedule, you should explore the city or town — If you decide on a school (hopefully it’s SIPA), you’ll have to live in that city for two years so it’s important to know if it offers the quality of life you expect and want for yourself (and your family – if you have one coming with you).

Hopefully, during your visit, you’ll get a sense of the school, the culture of the students and faculty, the facilities, and the community. If you are planning to visit SIPA, let us know or just swing by the office (We’re open: Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm). See you on campus.

Categories : Admissions, Paying for SIPA, SIPA

Tags : Application, financial aid office, visit

SIPA 2015 APPLICATION IS NOW AVAILABLE

Posted by Columbia SIPA

· Thursday, September 4th, 2014

The anticipation is over. The 2015 SIPA MIA/MPA application is now available online. If you are interested in applying for the 2015-2016 academic year, please create an account and get started. Select an email address you use regularly and a password that you will remember.

There are two entry points to our 2-year MIA/MPA program — Spring and Fall. Please select the appropriate term you wish to begin your program of study. Spring applicants should submit their application by October 15; spring applications are reviewed on a rolling basis which means the earlier you submit your application, the earlier you will hear back from us.

If fall is a more ideal time for you to begin your studies, you should submit your application and all supporting documents no later than February 5, 2015. There are two additional (and equally important) application deadlines to take note. If you like to plan early, we offer, for the first time, an EARLY ACTION option. If you submit a completed application by November 1, 2014, the Admissions Committee will review and render a decision before the new year. An early decision is only offered to those who meet the November 1 deadline. Applications submitted after November 1 will not receive a decision before March 14. And if you wish to be considered for a SIPA merit scholarship, you must submit your application by January 5, 2015. Admitted students who are selected to receive a SIPA fellowship will be notified in March of their award.

Looking forward to “meeting” you.

>> 2015 SIPA Application<<

Categories : Admissions, Application Tips, SIPA

Tags : Application, application tips, deadlines, early action, fellowship

A word about official documents

Posted by Columbia SIPA

· Thursday, July 31st, 2014

We are getting ready to release our 2015 application and some of the wording came into question… What do we mean “don’t mail transcripts to our office” when you are submitting an application? This does not mean we don’t want to see them or that they are not reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Actually, contrary to what we say about not sending your transcripts, we actually do need to receive official transcripts. eventually. If you are admitted and decide to enroll at SIPA, official documents must be mailed and received by us before you may register for classes.

However, as an applicant, you may scan and upload unofficial transcripts to your application. Your application will be reviewed with your unofficial records. And you may be admitted with these records. However, in order to enroll, we will need to verify your documents. So please have your university or college send us official copies of your academic records (after you have been admitted). This also applies to GRE, GMAT, TOEFL and IELTS scores. These can all be entered by you into the application for review but again, they will need to be checked and verified with official records from ETS, GMAC, and the Cambridge Assessment Organization if you decide to enroll at SIPA. Allowing you to upload and enter information into your application, allows us to process your application without unnecessary delays, then we can send them off to the Admissions Committee for review… so the fun may begin.

We offer enrolling students a few months to request and send in their official documents so no need to panic… Unless you’re a procrastinator and wait until a few weeks before Orientation (when course registration occurs). Our Office of Student Affairs will put a hold on your account if we do not have a record of your official documents so you will not be able to register for classes… and isn’t one of the main reasons for coming here to take classes?

Key point: Scan and upload unofficial documents for application review but don’t delay in having official documents sent to the Office of Admissions if you are admitted and plan to enroll.

Categories : Admissions, Application Tips

Tags : Admissions, Application, application tips, IELTS, official, transcripts

New SIPA Student Photo Series #4

Posted by Columbia SIPA

· Thursday, July 24th, 2014

Our newest photographs submission comes from Adriana Popa, an incoming SIPA student (MIA 2016).

Originally from Romania, Adriana has lived, worked and studied on three continents and graduated with High Honors from Swarthmore College. Upon graduation, she was awarded a Davis Project for Peace grant in India, where she worked for the summer of 2012. Currently residing in New York City, and working for the Global Institute at KKR, she is buying her time in the “real world” before returning to academia.