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Sciences Po PSIA Applications for 2016 Entry

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Original post by ilmk92
Hey guys so I e-mailed the admission committee to inquire when we will hear back regarding the Emile Boutmy scholarship and they said I will hear back by the end of April.. but the deadline to accept the offer is March 22.. How do they expect students to make an informed decision without knowing funding information..? :frown:


Oh I am also waiting for the result of the Emile Boutmy scholarship but...it's quite late to get the notice by the end of April. It sounds like I should accpet the offer first and see how the scholarship is going..haha..
Reply 121
Hi, everyone! I'm just wondering when the "admissible" email generally arrives. I submitted my application January 14th and have not heard back from Sciences Po since. I've been checking my espace candidat and all it says there is that my application is under review. I'm applying to the Master in International Public Management.

For you guys, how long did it take after submitting your application before Sciences Po confirmed that your dossier was admissible?

Thanks, everyone! And congrats to all those who already received offers!
Original post by parislondonnyc
Hi all just reposting my question from above here: did anyone else apply to the Dual Degree with LSE? Any idea on approximate time lines for hearing results from that one? It was my first and only choice. Also did anyone who did apply for the Dual Degree with LSE ever get any update/ "admissable" email for that program? I have so far not gotten anything- my online system says "Your application is currently under review by Sciences Po." Many Thanks in advance for any additional insight!


I read that when you apply to a DD you usually receive an answer 2 to 3 months after the deadline. It's usually less than 2 months, like 1 month and 3 weeks, but it depends on the degree (for example they receive a lot of applications for the DD with LSE and they might take longer to review all of them).
Does anybody have an idea as to the acceptance rate for a PSIA programme?
Hey All -

Wondering if anyone here has or is thinking of applying to the Law School at Sciences Po? Would love to connect. I've been admitted for the Economic Law track and waiting to hear about a PhD. Anyone with experience either with PhDs in general or anything specific with SP's law school would be awesome. Thanks! And good luck to all!
Original post by MsRobinson
Hey All -

Wondering if anyone here has or is thinking of applying to the Law School at Sciences Po? Would love to connect. I've been admitted for the Economic Law track and waiting to hear about a PhD. Anyone with experience either with PhDs in general or anything specific with SP's law school would be awesome. Thanks! And good luck to all!


Hey Ms Robinson!

First of all, congratulations for your admission!

I actually applied to ScPo's Master in Economic Law two weeks ago! I haven't got an answer yet and I am so nervous. May I ask you when did you apply and what is your background? ScPo is really my dream school, but now that I finally applied I just have the feeling that I applied too late and generally messed up my application. The wait is killing me! I hope to get an answer soon...:smile:
Hi MsRobinson,

I did all my higher education at Sciences Po, and am just finishing the Master of Economic Law before starting my PhD at Cambridge. I am also close to the research community at the Law School; I think I can give you a few elements on this Master.
A few words of general context first: although Sciences Po is a venerable school, the Law School is very young: not even a decade old. It was created by professors from the university disappointed with the traditional form of legal education there (you can't, under French law, teach in English in the universities, for example). And so, as opposed to the code-article-by-code-article style of teaching you would find in Law Faculties, Sciences Po's point of focus is Legal Realism on steroids.
Sciences Po Law School is a great place to study; the courses are for the most part interesting, teachers speak English well, and the academics are well connected with their peers in the best international universities. PhD Students there love it: they say they are constantly intellectually challenged in the course of their PhDs, and the connections with other scholars are great. The student body is very diverse, and, come on, the Boulevard St Germain area is incredibly beautiful. It is a small school, a small faculty, and this is great: you can know everyone around you, which helps in building the personal ties and relationships that lead to the best future opportunities. In short, the quality of the whole master, on French standards, is great.
But here is the issue: this is on French standards, which are not very high. Sciences Po Law School is great for you if you want to enter the French legal market (and then, only in the top, foreign-originated law firms, for the old French law firms believe it is not as good as traditional Law Faculties are...), but a lot of degrees from UK/US/Swiss law schools would be as helpful for that. I have also studied at Columbia Law School, for instance, and the difference in terms of ressources, name recognition, etc. are staggering. Sciences Po is fairly recognized abroad and in Europe, but again you would perhaps struggle more than with another equivalent UK/US degree.
Similarly, if you intend to become a professor, a degree from Sciences Po, even a PhD, wouldn't take you very far - not only abroad, for Sciences Po is not that well recognized, but even in France, for traditional Law Faculties hate us.

So there are pro and cons, depending on what you intend to do. And, as usual, a lot depends on what you do once there: there are plenty of opportunities to benefit fully from this Master, if you want it, but it requires to personally establish the links with the people, the community, etc., which would help you further up the ladder.

Hope it helped,
Youpla
Reply 127
Original post by micological
Hi, everyone! I'm just wondering when the "admissible" email generally arrives. I submitted my application January 14th and have not heard back from Sciences Po since. I've been checking my espace candidat and all it says there is that my application is under review. I'm applying to the Master in International Public Management.

For you guys, how long did it take after submitting your application before Sciences Po confirmed that your dossier was admissible?

Thanks, everyone! And congrats to all those who already received offers!


Hi micological,

I applied for Master in International Economic Policy and submitted my application on Jan 13th. Still haven't got the admissible email. I wonder how long it'll take them to send the final admission decision following the admissible email.
Hey Youpla!

I can't thank you enough for this. It was enormously helpful. It sounds as if I have some tough decisions ahead of me. There are a few choice elements that drew me to the PhD track (I'm more theoretically interested in law as a way to understand international development and aid organisations, and I already did my masters in Development Studies, so in part the only reason I'm going through the Economic Law track is because it's required to begin the PhD track). I don't plan on practicing law as a lawyer. I'm from the US and do plan on returning here, and pursuing a career in academia is definitely a consideration for me. In that respect it's a bit daunting to acknowledge the reality that the weight of Sciences Po as a name isn't necessarily going to do me any favors. That being said, the clinics really did stand out to me. Were you by chance involved in any of them? It's also quite important to me to become professionally capable in French, since a lot of work I do is in Congo. Also...I love Paris. Did you do the Columbia dual degree by chance? Or the GSS? Would love to get your thoughts on that if you did. Good luck at Cambridge and truly, thank you so much for the response!


Original post by YouplaBoum
Hi MsRobinson,

I did all my higher education at Sciences Po, and am just finishing the Master of Economic Law before starting my PhD at Cambridge. I am also close to the research community at the Law School; I think I can give you a few elements on this Master.
A few words of general context first: although Sciences Po is a venerable school, the Law School is very young: not even a decade old. It was created by professors from the university disappointed with the traditional form of legal education there (you can't, under French law, teach in English in the universities, for example). And so, as opposed to the code-article-by-code-article style of teaching you would find in Law Faculties, Sciences Po's point of focus is Legal Realism on steroids.
Sciences Po Law School is a great place to study; the courses are for the most part interesting, teachers speak English well, and the academics are well connected with their peers in the best international universities. PhD Students there love it: they say they are constantly intellectually challenged in the course of their PhDs, and the connections with other scholars are great. The student body is very diverse, and, come on, the Boulevard St Germain area is incredibly beautiful. It is a small school, a small faculty, and this is great: you can know everyone around you, which helps in building the personal ties and relationships that lead to the best future opportunities. In short, the quality of the whole master, on French standards, is great.
But here is the issue: this is on French standards, which are not very high. Sciences Po Law School is great for you if you want to enter the French legal market (and then, only in the top, foreign-originated law firms, for the old French law firms believe it is not as good as traditional Law Faculties are...), but a lot of degrees from UK/US/Swiss law schools would be as helpful for that. I have also studied at Columbia Law School, for instance, and the difference in terms of ressources, name recognition, etc. are staggering. Sciences Po is fairly recognized abroad and in Europe, but again you would perhaps struggle more than with another equivalent UK/US degree.
Similarly, if you intend to become a professor, a degree from Sciences Po, even a PhD, wouldn't take you very far - not only abroad, for Sciences Po is not that well recognized, but even in France, for traditional Law Faculties hate us.

So there are pro and cons, depending on what you intend to do. And, as usual, a lot depends on what you do once there: there are plenty of opportunities to benefit fully from this Master, if you want it, but it requires to personally establish the links with the people, the community, etc., which would help you further up the ladder.

Hope it helped,
Youpla
Hey Anna!

That's so exciting. First of all, don't worry! You've got this. I applied in late October and got a decision mid-December - it seems like the decisions come quicker the earlier you apply but the outcome probably isn't affected this early still, so although it's so frustrating to have to wait, have confidence :smile:

I'm totally happy to share my background. I'm from the US, graduated from a good enough school here but nothing fancy or well known (University of California at Santa Cruz). Again, I did well enough with grades but nothing to stop the car. I graduated with a 3.6 GPA (usually that a 2nd or sometimes a high 2nd in UK standards). I studied abroad in Ghana for a semester and South Africa for a year and did a little bit of legal volunteering in South Africa. I taught English in Colombia for a few months mostly for lack of any better ideas, took two years off to rock climb (that probably didn't look good but...life is for the living?) and then did my masters in Development Studies at the LSE. I loved my time there and focused on the DR Congo and international aid. Now I work with a very small and new org that supports women going to law and paralegal school in Congo. For my application I really tried to focus on making my personal statement the best I could. Having gone to LSE for my masters already and having gotten in to SP for the Econ Law, I can really say that I don't think it's my outstanding experiences or amazing GPA or prestigious internships that got me in. I just worked really hard on the applications and kept it honest and focused. I think these forums can be tough sometimes because everyone seems like they have a ridiculous amount of academic and professional successes, but in reality you can't compare yourself to me or anyone else because I think what matters most is showcasing how you think, what's important to you, and how you show your commitment to that. That being said I don't work on the admissions committee so maybe I'm totally off :smile: All I know is that I was obsessed with checking this forum when I applied to LSE and mostly it just stressed me out. I was convinced I wouldn't get it and methodically compared myself to everyone else on the thread and it was awful. My best advice is trust in the work you've already done and know that no other application will be like yours! If SP is your dream school, I bet I'll see you in Paris in September!

Let me know if you have any other questions. Bonne chance!

Original post by anna_her
Hey Ms Robinson!

First of all, congratulations for your admission!

I actually applied to ScPo's Master in Economic Law two weeks ago! I haven't got an answer yet and I am so nervous. May I ask you when did you apply and what is your background? ScPo is really my dream school, but now that I finally applied I just have the feeling that I applied too late and generally messed up my application. The wait is killing me! I hope to get an answer soon...:smile:
Reply 130
Original post by TJ_NP
Hi micological,

I applied for Master in International Economic Policy and submitted my application on Jan 13th. Still haven't got the admissible email. I wonder how long it'll take them to send the final admission decision following the admissible email.


I hope we both get their confirmation email soon then! From what I've read in other threads, the actual admission decision comes around 2-3 weeks after receipt of the admissible email.
Original post by MsRobinson
Hey Youpla!

I can't thank you enough for this. It was enormously helpful. It sounds as if I have some tough decisions ahead of me. There are a few choice elements that drew me to the PhD track (I'm more theoretically interested in law as a way to understand international development and aid organisations, and I already did my masters in Development Studies, so in part the only reason I'm going through the Economic Law track is because it's required to begin the PhD track). I don't plan on practicing law as a lawyer. I'm from the US and do plan on returning here, and pursuing a career in academia is definitely a consideration for me. In that respect it's a bit daunting to acknowledge the reality that the weight of Sciences Po as a name isn't necessarily going to do me any favors. That being said, the clinics really did stand out to me. Were you by chance involved in any of them? It's also quite important to me to become professionally capable in French, since a lot of work I do is in Congo. Also...I love Paris. Did you do the Columbia dual degree by chance? Or the GSS? Would love to get your thoughts on that if you did. Good luck at Cambridge and truly, thank you so much for the response!


Happy to help! I did the GBLG Program with Columbia, yes, though it is not truly a "dual degree", but some kind of three-institutions (the Sorbonne is involved as well) certificate. It was great nonetheless, and a nice way to escape the "100% French" flavor of my higher education (it might be less interesting for you if you originally come from the U.S.), as well as to meet academics and professionals there.

I didn't do the clinics, but I know they do great work and students love them. As to studies related to Development, I think there are strong opportunities here in Sciences Po (especially if your point of focus is Africa).
Another thing to take into account is that there are opportunities to start a more research-focused curriculum from the beginning of the Master, as you can enrol in a master-thesis program where you are supervised in a similar way as PhD students (depending on your supervising professor, but most are very available).

On the whole, one important thing to stress is that the networks and connections you make during your PhD matter as much as the name of the institution you attend. Sciences Po's Law School is really great in that they quickly build extensive networks with academics everywhere, so if you can find your way into these networks, it could help you land a job in the U.S. - but that may still be harder than with a U.S. law degree. As always, it depends.
Original post by MsRobinson
Hey All -

Wondering if anyone here has or is thinking of applying to the Law School at Sciences Po? Would love to connect. I've been admitted for the Economic Law track and waiting to hear about a PhD. Anyone with experience either with PhDs in general or anything specific with SP's law school would be awesome. Thanks! And good luck to all!


I applied for the masters in economic law on the 3rd of February, and I haven't not heard back. When did you apply and how long did it take for you get a response?
Original post by vanessap
I applied for the masters in economic law on the 3rd of February, and I haven't not heard back. When did you apply and how long did it take for you get a response?


Hey Vanessa! I applied late October and got a response mid December. I think I got my admissible email two weeks after I submitted my application, and then a decision three weeks after that. Though it seems like decisions are coming a bit later this time of year. I'm still waiting on the PhD part (application were due on Feb 1st). Wishing you all the best!
Original post by MsRobinson
Hey Vanessa! I applied late October and got a response mid December. I think I got my admissible email two weeks after I submitted my application, and then a decision three weeks after that. Though it seems like decisions are coming a bit later this time of year. I'm still waiting on the PhD part (application were due on Feb 1st). Wishing you all the best!



Please check your pm
Reply 135
Original post by supreme02
Congratulations to all of you first!
I also received an email that I got accepted to the PSIA program for 2016-17 program.

But I am now wondering about the process of accepting the offer from Sciences Po.
I realized that I have to decide whether to accept the offer or not within 40 days.
Apparently this program is the most attractive one for me but I also need to see the results of all the scholarships that I have been applying to. These results will come out on April or May.

For those who already accepted the offer, do you guys have to pay the tuition fee or something?

Thank you!


Hi Supreme02 and Camaieu,
A very hearty congratulations on your admission to Sciences Po. :smile:

I had the same issue but I went ahead and accepted the offer and I did not have to pay anything. Payments have to be made only in the month of April when you finally take a call whether you want to go the university or no.

Hope this helps!
Original post by Berry9
Hi Supreme02 and Camaieu,
A very hearty congratulations on your admission to Sciences Po. :smile:

I had the same issue but I went ahead and accepted the offer and I did not have to pay anything. Payments have to be made only in the month of April when you finally take a call whether you want to go the university or no.

Hope this helps!


Oh thank you for your help! :smile: I will accept the offer first and see how scholarships are going on. One another question for you is, did you have to pay the one semester tuition fee on the April?

Thanks Again! :smile:
Reply 137
Original post by supreme02
Oh thank you for your help! :smile: I will accept the offer first and see how scholarships are going on. One another question for you is, did you have to pay the one semester tuition fee on the April?

Thanks Again! :smile:


So the thing is even I'll be joining only this Fall. I got my acceptance in December for the Masters in International Development. I contacted the admissions team with the same query and they said that payments will have to be made only in the month of April when I can confirm my attendance but did not mention whether I would have to pay for the entire semester or just part of the fee.
Ah I see.
I thought you already went through this whole process before. Thanks for your help though! :smile:
Hi everyone ! I am so glad that I found this forum ! I am going to feel a little bit less lonely in my waiting... haha

I have applied to the dual degree with Georgetown, in International Public Management. Does anyone know when we could except any answer ? I know the website says "2 to 3 months" but I was told that last year, the answers came out in march...

[EDIT] : Sorry I just saw that someone explained above that it was usually more around 1 months and 3 weeks haha... I hope to get the answer soon... I already got other offers and I want to start asking for scholarships...
(edited 8 years ago)

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