I am interested in the dual BA program between Columbia and Sciences Po. I am just wondering if anyone who is going there or went there can answer my questions. For one, what do you guys think of the program? Are you glad you did it? When in Paris, is there anytime to travel or explore the city, or is there so much work involved that there’s no time to do anything but study (I’m not complaining if it is this way, just simply wondering)? What about the Columbia part? Finally, what are the two degrees you get? Are there options for specifically what you want to study (I don’t mean how each school focuses on a different region) and get the degree in, or does everyone get the same two degrees? Thank you in advance!
Bump
I don’t think you are in Paris for the Science Po part. There are two offshoot campuses to choose from I believe. You can just Google the program and verify.
Hey you can’t chose Paris it’s either Reims (with and AngloAmerican foccus), Le Havre (with an Asian foccus I believe) or Menton (where I’m applying, for a middle eastern foccus). By the way I was very confused about the 2 essays: what are the topics and length and through where should we send them?
Hi everyone! I’m a freshman in this program (at the Le Havre Campus) and would be happy to answer your questions. First of all, yes, you can only chose Le Havre, Menton or Reims, although there were apparently a few students who transferred to the Paris campus a few years ago. I love this program, and Le Havre and Reims are both approximately two hours away from Paris, so it’s pretty easy to go there on weekends and explore (sorry, Menton’s super far). Sciences Po is very much “Work hard, Play hard”, so there is a lot of work, but also a lot of fun, including parties, but there’s also other sports and artsy activities, and no pressure to party. You get a standard Sciences Po Bachelor’s degree, for which you can major in either Economics, Law, or History, but you only have to chose in your second year. Then, at Columbia, you can chose from any of the majors they offer!
With regards to the essays, you can only access the Essay topics in Part Two of your application (once you submit part one), but for last year they were “Describe how your experiences or ideas have shaped your decision to pursue the Dual BA Program. Why is an international academic experience important to you as you consider the ways in which it may influence your future? Successful essays should not only identify and describe specific elements of the Dual BA Program that meet your needs as a student, but should also explain why the region of focus that you have chosen for your time at Sciences Po is compatible with your aspirations, academic or otherwise. (500–1,000 words)” and “As a mathematician in ancient Greece, Euclid made a famous statement to King Ptolemy, “There is no royal road to geometry.” Based on your life experiences, describe a path or situation that you have encountered that lacked a royal road to be followed. What did you learn from this experience? (500–1,000 words)”
I hope this is helpful! Feel free to contact me for anything else you’d like to know (I can’t guarantee how soon I’ll reply though) 