Columbia Sciences Po Dual Degree 2018 Entry

@Justinzp You may apply to multiple dual degree programs. Each school has different guidelines, though. For example, if you apply through Columbia, you may only apply to one Columbia option. If you apply to Columbia/Sciences Po, you may not apply to Columbia. If you apply to Berkeley/Sciences Po, you may also apply to Berkeley.

Was anyone accepted to more than one Sciences Po dual degree program?

@GSTourGuides Thank you so much! I’ve also been concerned about my extracurriculars. I have my own personal reasons for why the program is a good fit for me, which I can express in the essays, but I don’t have that many political science/sociology related extracurricular activities from school (only related thing is I’m taking AP Government next year but that’s about it). Does the admissions committee prefer people who have political science related activities? Is there anything in particular that I can do outside of school to fix this issue?

Hi! I’m a current junior wanting to apply to this program this upcoming fall and I’m really excited. However, I’ve seen several forums discussing how Sciences Po fails to live up to American students’ expectations academically. To all current students in the Columbia Sciences Po Dual Degree Program, is there any truth to these claims? Also, could you provide detail on how the professors, classes, curriculum, etc. are at Sciences Po compared to American universities? Thanks!

@dowzerw I have been accepted both to the dual ba between sciences po and ubc and the one between sciences po and columbia

@Srudents2017 Thank you for responding. Congratulations!

Good afternoon everyone,

@scipo88 From my own experience, I can tell you I did absolutely nothing policy-related prior to college, so never fear! One of my essays was about all the years I spent at summer camp. A great lesson I learned at SciencesPo is that everything–from arts to education to travel–is political, not just overtly “political” experiences. Try to think a bit about the links between your current interests/hobbies/activities, where they intersect with the social sciences, and how a Dual BA education can help you build these interdisciplinary connections.

@koreangal22 The entire conception of French education is really different from an American one, and I think it’s important to realize what that means going into the Dual BA so that you can have reasonable expectations. You will not have access to professors outside of class through things like office hours or research opportunities, like you would have at Columbia or another American university. You also will not have as much day to day homework, so it’s up to you to take initiative during the semester to keep up with course material. SciencesPo students typically have about one paper, one midterm, one presentation, and one final exam per class. These major assignments constitute your grade instead of many smaller quizzes, participation grades, etc. Whereas the focus of an American college classroom is discussion and creativity, the focus at SciencesPo is developing rhetorical skills and argumentation.

Some students get to France expecting an American education and are taken aback; others get there and love it. For me, I found the opportunity to experience both models really beneficial. I got the best of both worlds—the ability to learn how to be an independent learner and good debater at SciencesPo, and the support from faculty and chance to explore personal interests at Columbia. Most of my friends feel the same way. The transition between the two schools equipped us with what we needed to succeed academically, and everyone I know at Columbia in the program is doing extremely well in their courses, has a strong work ethic, and has a wealth of experiences from SciencesPo that make them more dynamic students in the classroom.

I’d also like to add that I think that taking advantage of living abroad (i.e. traveling, getting to know the town you’re in, making friends from all over the world, really learning the language, joining school or local groups/activities etc.) is an integral part of your education, especially at SciencesPo, and you shouldn’t discount how valuable those experiences will be once you get back here! For example, my time in France during the height of the refugee crisis and in the middle of the French elections has offered me a unique perspective that I can share in the Columbia classroom and write about in my papers.

Thanks for your questions and please feel free to keep them coming!

hi! i’m a junior right now but very interested in applying to this program, specifically for the le havre program. i just have one question now: i’m thinking about doing gap year with nsli-y (government funded scholarship study to language) in korea and i think would need defer my application after get accepted. if accepted, will option admission next accompany year?

Can anyone who was at the 2018 Accepted Students Day comment on the extremely unhappy 3rd year’s vocal outburst before the tour? It was disconcerting to many students and parents.

@davidyekwonkim Our daughter just had to choose between YES year abroad and Berkeley/Sciences Po because it was not an option to defer a start to the dual degree program. Its understandable. Columbia dual degree may have the same limitation.

@davidyekwonkim Here is an official response from admissions:

“While gap years have to be approved by the admissions committee if a student chooses to apply to the program first (rather than during their gap year), we have seen this happen several times in the past. We would require anyone interested in taking a gap year to share a tentative timeline of what they plan to do during that year, and these are usually approved. The student should get in touch with admissions if they have additional questions on this topic.”

In short, the answer is yes, it is possible so long as you receive approval!

@CCconfused - I wanted to share a few thoughts in response to your post. It’s important to keep in mind that the Dual BA program is a big commitment. I’ve lived on two continents, studied in two different academic systems, adapted to several different cultures, and built new friendships more often than I would have in a typical four-year program. For me, all of those were reasons to join the Dual BA program, although it’s important to consider whether those things sound more exciting or more stressful to you. The student you mentioned had a different experience than I’ve had, but like many of my classmates, I wouldn’t trade my Dual BA experience for the world. You may want to talk with GS staff if you have additional questions. If you’d like, feel free to reach out to this account so I can put you in touch with them.

is the dual ba w/ sciences po an easier program to get accepted into than regular undergrad at columbia? are the sat/gpa/act requirements the same? thank you

Hi Prospies, I wanted to chime in if it hasn’t been mentioned, that there is now a few more spots opening up with the advent of the Dual BA program with Trinity College Dublin that is debuting this coming year. Having been just a regular GS student, I’m not sure about the application process, but please look into both programs if you are interested in a Dual BA program with an abroad component.

Ami
GS '18 (3 years)

Any idea how many spots are available at the Trinity College Dublin and if the program is similar to the Sciences Po program? I find the Sciences Po’s focus on regions is quite unique and the opportunity to learn a new language fascinating.

@lcecilia1 - The Dual BA is looking for students who are a good “fit” for this unique program–so it’s not easier or harder than an application to another Columbia undergraduate school, but altogether different. A student interested in the non-traditional Dual BA program and a student interested in a traditional four year undergraduate experience through Columbia College or the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are looking for very different college experiences, so it’s important to think about which path you could see yourself taking before applying to either. If you do decide to apply to any of the Dual BA programs offered, I encourage you to use your essays to explain what you can bring to this program in particular and what you can get out of them.

To your question about scores, since the Dual BA attracts students from all over the world, the admissions committee will evaluate whatever tests that student has taken, be that the SAT, French Bac, A-Levels etc. More information can be found here: https://gs.columbia.edu/sciences-po/standardized-testing (If the link is blocked, as is sometimes the case on College Confidential, you can find the page by going to the Columbia-SciencesPo Dual BA website > Admissions and Financial Aid > Admission > Standardized Testing).

@psekhon55 - Eventually, the Trinity program hopes to grow its class size to around 75 per year, which is approximately how many students are in the SciencesPo program.

The programs are similar in that students spend two years at a European university followed by two in the US, but of course, there are many differences between Trinity and SciencesPo. Among them, Trinity is a large university in Dublin, whereas SciencesPo Dual BA students study at regional campuses with 200-1000 students each in small French towns. The four courses of study you can follow at Trinity are English, European Studies, History, and Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures. At SciencesPo, all students study the social sciences with a regional focus–Middle Eastern, Asian, American, or African–and a thematic one–law, history, or economics. There is an emphasis on language learning at both schools. I was a student at SciencesPo and was able to study French, Modern Standard Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, and Spanish. At Trinity, you will have similar opportunities. For example, European Studies students have to study at least two European languages, and Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures students study one European language in addition to Arabic, Hebrew, or Turkish.

Hi GSTourGuides @GSTourGuides: My daughter has been admitted to the Reims campus and we will be flying there in August. When should my daughter hear about the French placement testing and who does that and when? We’re getting a little nervous that we haven’t gotten too much guidance from Columbia and Sciences Po. Do students get contacted about choosing classes for enrolling at Sciences Po? Enrollment is coming up in mid-July and we haven’t heard a thing.

Hi @DogMom3

Thanks for reaching out and huge congrats to your daughter! First, please don’t worry. If you’re used to the way American colleges work with lots of information from admission until move-in, keep in mind that you won’t necessarily have the same amount of communication from a French institution. Part of what made the Dual BA such a great growth experience was learning how to adjust to a foreign academic environment where students are more independent and learn to navigate school on their own. SciencesPo also conducts admission interviews (for directly enrolled students outside of the Dual BA) into the summer, so part of the reason you haven’t heard much is that they are still assembling their entering classes. Everything works out when you arrive–I promise!–and your daughter will have a week known as Integration Week (similar to Orientation Week in the US or Freshers Week in the UK) to learn about how SciencesPo operates and what is expected of her.

I was at the Menton campus, which is significantly smaller than Reims, so we did not actually select our courses first year. Instead, we were all automatically enrolled in the same introductory courses and were given our schedules after arriving. We did not have course registration until later semesters. I will check on the Reims campus and let you know if it’s the same there.

French oral tests also take place during Integration Week.

A few things to look out between now and August:

-French written test–When I joined the program in 2014, we were emailed this in July, completed it at home, and sent it back, but this may vary depending on the campus and professor.

-Administrative registration–If she hasn’t already, later this summer your daughter will receive a link to set up her SciencesPo online account, which will officially add her to the system to pay tuition, check on forms, and sign up for insurance. This interface is the Espace Etudiant, or Student Space.

-Admitted student Facebook groups–Both the Dual BA group and the Reims campus groups are a great way to connect with incoming and current students, post specific questions about things like housing, and meet other families to have dinner etc. when you are in Reims.

-Information about setting up your emails at both schools should come soon. It’s important to monitor personal addresses as well as SciencesPo and Columbia inboxes once they’re set up.

-Visa application–For non-EU citizens, I’d say this is the primary concern for the summer if it hasn’t already been taken care of.

Please feel free to post more questions here or reach out via private message. More than happy to help and, again, know that a lot of the questions you have now will be answered very soon after arrival! Trying to make sense of a foreign system from another country is difficult, but things fall into place and make much more sense on the ground when you can meet other students, their families, and administrators.

Hi @GSTourGuides

Quick question on French proficiency. I understand that it is not a requirement for the admission. Can you please confirm? What level of French fluency is one expected to have before end of the program at Sciences Po and can a student continue studying French at Columbia as well?

should we make a new thread for those of us who will be applying this fall (rising seniors in hs)? i think it would be helpful