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SAIS Bologna or SIPA with Fellowship? Help!!
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Date: March 17th, 2010 3:24 AM Author: stirring high-end gunner heaven Subject: SAIS, SIPA w/ Fellowship I was just accepted to SAIS and SIPA for MIA degree programs. SIPA is the only school that gave me money- $20,000 a year fellowship. Still, I'm having some serious trouble deciding. I know SAIS is slightly more highly regarded as a program (although if the difference is at all meaningful, I don't know) and the first year would be in Italy, which is a huge bonus. Still, I imagine that Columbia has a more extensive alumni network. It also has the name.
I know that's a rather vague synopsis of my predicament- I haven't gotten into any of the details on what I'm planning on studying- but I was hoping it might be enough to kick off some discussion. Any comments/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! |
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Date: March 19th, 2010 12:27 AM Author: supple cerise ape Unless you are wealthy or parents are paying, I would take 20k/year at SIPA. Having 40k less debt is going to be a godsend...
Can I ask about your stats? I'm curious how you managed that much at SIPA |
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Date: March 20th, 2010 4:46 PM Author: stirring high-end gunner heaven I'm probably not as deserving as it as others. I went to UNC-Asheville, graduated with 3.5 but had 4.0 my last two years. I got a 780Q, 630V GRE. I also did semester long internship at Hudson Institute, was published by the Project for National Security Reform, Strategic Studies Institute- that kind of thing. Two summers doing volunteer work in the Middle East helped too.
So, am I right to say SAIS by all accounts is considered a tangibly better program than SIPA (and not just considered slightly better in some obscure ranking system)? I wouldn't be debating this at all- every cent of this will be covered by scholarships, grants, or loans- so money is vastly important. Only I keep hearing phrases like "SAIS runs the show" and "SAIS arrogance" on these forums. I really hate the idea being pushed around by graduates from a program I was accepted by. In fact, if that's true, bring on the debt. |
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Date: March 23rd, 2010 2:21 PM Author: Wine striped hyena it really depends on what you want to do. if you want to do world bank or pentagon type stuff with a heavy quant focusm then SAIS is definitely better.
if you want to have more of a multi-disciplinary focus with a good chance at getting private sector gigs, then SIPA is your best bet |
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Date: March 25th, 2010 11:04 PM Author: Angry Private Investor I went to SAIS, I like SAIS a lot. Nevertheless, if I were you I would take the money. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1253100&forum_id=3#14503434) |
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Date: March 26th, 2010 12:26 AM Author: razzle cobalt yarmulke what you doin now? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1253100&forum_id=3#14504355) |
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Date: March 27th, 2010 10:03 AM Author: Boyish puce field Love the moniker. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1253100&forum_id=3#14515590) |
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Date: March 29th, 2010 11:30 PM Author: supple cerise ape If you want to work in DC and an extra $40k in loans doesn't bother you then go for SAIS.
$40k additional in loans would be enough to make my life extremely miserable. 50K at 8% for 10 years is about 600$ per month. For 90k the payments would be about $1100 per month. What do you imagine your salary will be? http://www.finaid.org/calculators/loanpayments.phtml
SIPA has a very good reputation at/around the UN; I don't know much about DC. That being said, even in the UN crowd I meet tons of successful people that haven't gone to any of these schools.
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Date: July 8th, 2010 10:36 PM Author: Beady-eyed canary juggernaut There is no way SAIS is worth 40K. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1253100&forum_id=3#15450050) |
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Date: May 26th, 2010 2:36 AM Author: aggressive maize trailer park Subject: SAIS vs. SIPA You've probably made your decision already, but for what it's worth I'm about to graduate from SAIS's Bologna Center. I can't speak for SIPA, but what I can say about SAIS is that one of the most valuable advantages of going here is the alumni network. I've talked to numerous alumni that have given me their time to discuss their current careers, offered me advice, and even directly helped me find a job. When you're working in IR these connections are extremely important because the job almost always goes to the person that the employer knows. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1253100&forum_id=3#15087503) |
Date: March 27th, 2010 4:39 PM Author: Up-to-no-good Opaque Messiness *gives you a shower* (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1253100&forum_id=3#14518038) |
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Date: March 30th, 2010 12:25 AM Author: appetizing tan corner I'd go with SIPA. It's Columbia, come on! Alot of people don't even know Johns Hopkins. It's in NY. Your getting money.. and I don't think you should make a decision on Reputation when it comes to international policy, only because the reputation won't make a huge difference. Columbia overall has a better Rep in everything than Johns Hopkins (except Medicine). If you were talking Business school, and it was a choice between Columbia and Harvard, then that would be more difficult. If you were talking Business School of Columbia vs. Johns Hopkins... well goddamn Johns Hopkins isn't even accredited. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1253100&forum_id=3#14543861) |
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Date: May 26th, 2010 9:56 AM Author: Frozen french chef house Not very subtle Columbia trolling...
Columbia is PACKED FULL of festering TTT Cash Cow degrees. Stay away! |
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Date: June 13th, 2010 9:57 PM Author: aggressive maize trailer park Subject: Reputation Reputation does actually matter a lot, especially with more fluffy subjects like international relations. Columbia might be a better known school across the world, but in DC and at the World Bank and the US gov't, SAIS is considered a better school. But it depends on where you want to work. If you want to do NGO work in Africa, having a little debt as possible is going to be most important. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1253100&forum_id=3#15239193) |
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Date: March 30th, 2010 12:26 PM Author: red meetinghouse personal credit line Skip both and get WE. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1253100&forum_id=3#14546936) |