Archive for deadline

Application submitted! What now?

So you’ve just submitted your application and, like I was, you’re probably dreading the thought of waiting for decisions to be released. March seems so far away right now, but it will come sooner than you think! While you wait, there are several things you can do to make productive use of the time and keep your mind occupied.

1) Take a break!

First off, congratulations on finishing the application process! I know from personal experience that writing and editing numerous essays, studying for the GRE, coordinating with recommenders, and gathering all of the other required documents is a significant, and sometimes stressful, task. Take some time to celebrate your accomplishment and relax. Emerge from your GRE studying cocoon and spend time with friends, re-engage with your hobbies, and stop thinking about graduate school for at least a week or two.

2) Have a backup plan

SIPA receives thousands of impressive applications each year. Unfortunately, this inevitably means that some applicants do not receive the decision they are hoping for, and therefore its vital that you have a backup plan in case SIPA is not in the cards this year. Take this time to think about your plan in the event that you don’t get admitted. Maybe you’ll want to stay in your current job for another year and reapply, or maybe you’ll spend the summer taking an economics course to strengthen your next application. Also make sure you don’t make any major life changes until decisions are released. Please don’t quit your job and move to NYC just yet! (We love to see the enthusiasm, but really, it’s a bad idea.)

3) Plan your budget

This is a great time to plan your budget for graduate school. Take the time to apply to outside scholarships and fellowships, and explore any other means of funding. Subscribe to the SIPA Admissions blog for updates on upcoming scholarship deadlines, research outside funding on the SIPA financial aid page, and read this great blog post on budgeting by the Associate Director of Financial Aid.

4) Visit SIPA

If you’re admitted, we highly encourage you to attend our Admitted Students’ Day in April. While you wait for your decision, however, please consider visiting a class if you find yourself in the NYC area. There is simply no better way to learn more about our academic programs, meet current students, and meet a faculty member. It’s also important to get a feel for the campus and the community, something that can’t be done through online research alone. Visiting SIPA made the decision to come to SIPA easy for me. I felt that the staff and students were extremely welcoming, the faculty were impressive, and that living in NYC would be an exciting adventure. The last year and a half has proved all of that to be true.

Here’s what SIPA means by ‘early action’

The early action or early decision deadline means different things depending on the institution and level of study. Some programs require a binding commitment to the program of admission (and withdrawal of applications at other institutions upon admission), while others just give you an admission decision sooner without a binding commitment. At SIPA, we use the terms interchangeably, and I’m pleased to share we’re part of the flexible camp. So if you’re admitted to SIPA as an early-action candidate, then it means your decision is non-binding. (Yay for you!)

When is the early-action deadline? Well, it’s coming up pretty soon: November 2, 2016 11:59 p.m. EST. To be eligible for this deadline, all of your application materials must be submitted on time. There are a couple of advantages to meeting this deadline:

  1. You apply early, so you get a decision early: typically by the first week of January. (Type A personalities unite!)
  2. If you’ve applied for an outside fellowship, like the PPIA or another program, you typically need to tell the granting organization that you’ve been admitted to graduate school earlier in the year than when most admissions applicants are due. Thus, that’s where Advantage No. 1 comes into play.
  3. You’re still eligible for SIPA’s merit-based scholarships/fellowships. In rare circumstances you’ll hear about your fellowship decision at the time of admission, but most students have to wait until after the final Fall application deadline. So most of you will hear about your fellowship consideration in early March when the remainder of admissions decisions are released.

There you have it; in a nutshell that is what we mean by “early action.” If you have any questions about this process, as always give us a call at 212-854-62126 or email at [email protected]. For specific questions regarding fellowships and/or financial aid, email our financial aid department at [email protected].

A fall treat for Spring 2016 applicants

It’s fall in New York, and that means the leaves change colors, coffee shops peddle pumpkin spice everything, and children impersonate the brightest and darkest characters in fairy tale land on the last night of October. While things like a pumpkin spice treat may be nice, SIPA’s Office of Admissions is offering something better this month.

Last week marked the Spring 2016 application deadline, and unfortunately, many of our applicants didn’t quite make it. With just two months to pull together an admission application, we empathize with what a challenge it was to meet the target date. Thus, to help ensure your application is still eligible for review, we are extending the admission deadline.

That’s right: the Spring 2016 application deadline is extended until Saturday, October 31, 2015 at 11:59 p.m.

Now isn’t that a real treat?!

So brush off your personal statement, collect your transcripts, and enjoy a latte or two while you prepare your application to SIPA.

We look forward to reviewing it. Finish your application now.

January 5 Deadline Reminder

Cartoon by Doug Savage

Just a friendly reminder that the MIA/MPA applications are due today, January 5, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Please submit your completed application by tonight if you want to be considered for SIPA’s merit-based fellowships. (The final application deadlines—without fellowships consideration—is February 5, 2015.)

If you have some questions regarding your application, please review last week’s blog post, where our admissions staff answered some of your most urgent questions.

Unsure of when the deadline is in your part of the world? This chart may help:

New York, New York  January 5, 2015 11:59 PM
Los Angeles, California January 5, 2015 8:59 PM
Mexico City, Mexico January 5, 2015 10:59 PM
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil January 6, 2015 2:59 AM
London, England January 6, 2015 4:59 AM
Madrid, Spain January 6, 2015 5:59 AM
Beijing, China January 6, 2015 12:59 PM
Tokyo, Japan January 6, 2015 1:59 PM

 

Good luck everyone!

Can my application be incomplete?

keep calm-admissions

We have received several questions today about whether or not prospective applicants can submit their applications before recommendation letters or official-score reports are received, and after the rest of their application is complete (e.g., resumes, essays and transcripts). Read More →

"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

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