LSE versus Sciences Po: Help me!!

Graduate School
1

<p>Hi everyone, I need some help on choosing where to go. I was admitted to both LSE and Sciences po in their master's program in International Political Economy.
I am an American--graduating in May. Just one more month!</p>

<p>I speak French and one of my life dreams is to live in Paris, but LSE is a academically superior school and much more well-known. If I go to LSE, I will get some funding and I would have many friends there, as opposed to Paris, where I will know no one. </p>

<p>HELP! What do people think and what have their experiences been? </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Well, the economics program at LSE is going to be the best bet as far as education goes. LSE has the stronger professors and an LSE degree (esp. in economics) will open up doors for you later down the line (as far as jobs go) - pretty much internationally. LSE is also in the heart of London - London is an awesome and vibrant community. </p>

<p>However, if you think you would be happier in Paris - go to Paris. You’ll come out of there speaking the language better and you may enjoy yourself more. And a SP degree is nothing to scoff at, especially in the EU. It too will give you a wide array of opportunities. </p>

<p>Both are good options IMHO.</p>

3

<p>First of all, congratulations!</p>

<p>I can’t say anything about LSE, but I did go to Sciences Po as an undergrad, and loved it. The area it’s in is fantastic, and the students are amazing. I wish I could go back!</p>

<p>One thing to keep in mind as an American, though, especially if you have never studied abroad: French professors are very different from American ones. If you’re wrong about something you say in class, they’ll tell you so. It’s not about students bouncing their ideas off each other and growing, or some other warm-and-fuzzy nonsense like they have here in the US. The professor is the expert, you learn everything he says, and then regurgitate it on the exams. It’s not a bad way of learning, but it takes some getting used to, and I’m not sure how this is compared to an English school, so keep this in mind and visit if possible before you decide. And learn your French political history backwards and forwards!</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

4

<p>I’d go for LSE. The IPE program sounds awesome, LSE has a great reputation (I don’t know much about Sciences Po, though), and it sounds like you’re already leaning in that direction. I’m unsure what your long term career plans are, but if LSE is more academically rigorous and has a better reputation, then you could potentially translate that degree into a job in Paris.</p>

<p>If you don’t mind, Ctheory, would you care to share as much of your profile (i.e. GPA, major, school, extracurriculars) as you’d be comfortable with? Also, when did you apply? Feel free to PM me if you’d prefer that. I applied to IPE in mid March, right before it closed, and I’m trying to get a sense of the program’s successful applicants. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

5

<p>Depends where you want to work. France; Go to Sciences Po. Everywhere else, opt for the LSE.</p>

6

<p>Jmleadpipe - Are you saying that Sciences Po isn’t your best bet if you want to work for the UN or in Germany or maybe for the US or Canadian Foreign Service (I’m gonna be a dual citizen)</p>

<p>Gigi16 - I’m interested in attending Sciences Po for grad… My French comprehension is somewhat limited though… I guess I would say that I’m at a level 2. How literate in French do you need to be in order to be successful over there</p>

7

<p>Poison,</p>

<p>The best way to get into the Canadian foreign service is by going to the Norman Paterson School at Carleton. A Sciences Po degree will help you minimally, if at all. For the US foreign service, learning to speak Arabic will give you a WAY better shot at entering the FS than going to Sciences Po or any other school for that matter.</p>

<p>Getting jobs at places like the UN or in DFAIT or the American FS is incredible difficult because there is such high demand for so few jobs. I know plenty of people who have gone through the hell that is DFAIT recruitment and having an MA from a prestigious school really doesnt do much to minimize the BS of the selection process. The best way to get your foot in the door at such places is usually by learning a useful foreign language as opposed to shelling out cash for an expensive IR program.</p>

8

<p>Hey LSE has a dual degree program with Sciences Po, you might want to take a look at it.</p>

<p>[MPA</a> Public and Economic Policy Structure](<a href=“http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/MPA/mpaPandEPStructure.htm#generated-subheading2]MPA”>http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/MPA/mpaPandEPStructure.htm#generated-subheading2)</p>

9

<p>I believe that the dual degree is the best option. Sciences Po has an extraordinary reputation in the EU and LSE is known around the world. A combination will give you both the continental and anglo-saxon perspective. I am personally going to Sciences Po this fall for the MPA program and will go to LSE for the second year. The ‘European’ perspective seems valuable in the aftermath of the foreign policy and economic debacles stemming from the UK-US perspective. This is just my personal opinion…</p>

10

<p>…but you have to show motivation (once again) and come with a cover letter, once admitted, when you want to spend your second year with a partner institution of the Global Public Policy Network (Science Po, LSE, SIPA Columbia, Singapour, Berlin). </p>

<p>I don’t know how successfull are admitted MPA students applying for a second year abroad and a precious dual degree. </p>

<p>100% of MIA Science Po students go to SIPA for their second year, but it’s not automatic with the MPA (a student from LSE has to choose to come to Science Po to leave room for a Science Po student at LSE, if i am not wrong)</p>

<hr>

<p>I subscribe to the choice of this combination (dual degree LSE-Science Po);</p>

<p>I am also going to MPA Science Po this fall 2009.
I agree with your “European perspective” combination, Je-ne-sais-quois, but what would you think of a second year at SIPA Columbia, after a year at Science Po ? LSE a better choice, in your perspective ?..</p>

11

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>LSE is where i need to go.</p>

<p>I have an MBA degree from an Indian school with about 4 years of work ex in good organizations. The reason i mention this is coz it seems that most of you guys are fresh and time is on your side to think and evaluate.</p>

<p>I want to do a post grad specialisation in Eco/Public Policy from LSE(only) with decent professional recognition. The MPA programs look really interesting and I would appreciate if you could post opinions on the most relevant of the MPA options, considering I might want to return to India to work in a few years time.</p>

<p>I am too confused with the whole list of graduate programs at LSE and have no one i know even remotely connected to LSE. The suggestions i get here will most likely decide my course of action. </p>

<p>Thanks for all your effort.</p>

12

<p>

</p>

<p>You have to be fluent in French to study in France since all classes are taught in French. Keep in mind very few people in France speak (proper) English.</p>

13

<p>Hi Ctheory,</p>

<p>Congratulations on your admissions!</p>

<p>As far as your question goes, I differ from most people who’ve replied up until now in that I don’t think you should base your final choice on “prestige” or “recognition”…Those are very flimsy indicators and it really just depends on who you ask. Both LSE and Sciences-Po Paris are wonderful universities in very attractive locations. No alma mater’s name is automatically going to land you your dreamjob; knowledge and skills are what truly matter.</p>

<p>If I were you, I’d look closely at the syllabus for each program. You can then determine which courses interest you the most. It is also important if you’re going into IR to take into consideration factors such as the possibility of taking foreign language courses, studying abroad, interning, etc… Go to the campuses and look around if you have the opportunity. </p>

<p>I’ve also been accepted to IR at Sciences-Po…I’m not sure if I’m going yet because I’ve yet to secure my funding. Where in the US did you get your bachelor’s?</p>

<p>To Poison.Ivy:
There are actually a few graduate programs taught partially/completely in English. For instance, the program that I applied to is bilingual English-French.</p>

14

<p>How competitive is LSE for admissions into a masters program? Particularly a 1-year masters?</p>

<p>I’ve been doing a quite a bit of online research about its programs with mixed results. Some say it’s realistically attainable as a foriegner, others say that it is as competitive as the Ivys and other top PS/IR related programs.</p>

15

<p>Sphere,</p>

<p>I looked at LSE’s website a few months ago when I was researching which programs I could apply to. I think admissions statistics are available if you go to the master’s specific site. It says something like “Intake: X admitted/X applicants”. That should give you an idea, although I can already tell you that it varies greatly depending on the program…Some retain 30-50% of applications while others (such as IR) have admissions rates that hover around 10%. </p>

<p>Unlike other UK universities where being a non-EU citizen gives you an advantage because of the increased tuition fee you’d have to pay, I don’t think being domestic/foreign makes any difference at LSE since everyone pays the same (ridiculously high) yearly rate.</p>

16

<p>Thanks mzc,</p>

<p>I browsed the website quite a few times and I didn’t notice anything reflecting the actual admissions rate, however the FAQ’s do provide some depth to the process itself. From what I gather, admissions are primarily GPA oriented (3.5 cutoff), so i’m fine there but I’m curious as to whether they simply use that as a preliminary to “weed out” an excess number of “unqualified” appliacants. I guess the overall answer to my question is …with a 3.5 GPA in a related subject, can I realistically expect admissions to a program without all the extras?I know it varies from field to field, but I’m referring to the PS and IR and Social Policy fields specifically. </p>

<p>Also does anyone know about LSE employment recruiting? Is it different for every field? Are some areas stronger where others are more difficult upon graduation?</p>

17

<p>I do think the MPA dual degree program is fantastic and the availability as you have noted is based on how many students are interested in a dual degree at the institute you want to attend your second year at…</p>

<p>I do think LSE is a better option than SIPA for the second year. The reason I feel that way is because LSE is just about as well known in the US as SIPA is but, LSE has a better reputation in Asia, particularly the commonwealth countries. I think a Sciences Po/LSE dual MPA will have the globe covered from the Francophone parts of Africa to commonwealth Asia to the industrialized West…</p>

18

<p>Hi, </p>

<p>I am interested in applying for the Sciences Po MPA. Does anyone have any idea what’s the chances of doing the second year in SIPA or LSE? Thanks.</p>

19

<p>So I remember visiting this thread when I was trying to decide between the two schools. In the end, I decided to go to Sciences po and so I thought I’d post some of my observations here to help anyone else still deciding between the two. As a reference, I finished my undergrad in the US and I speak french so I have taken half my classes in french as well as english. I’m also studying environmental policy in the school of International Affairs (PSIA) and after this semester, I’ll be working on my thesis/internship out of Paris. </p>

<p>Ok, so here are some things I’ve observed studying at Sciences Po:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Grades are completely arbitrary. By this I mean, rubrics are RARELY used and professors rarely have to explain their grading system outside of just “this is a __/20 because it just is…”
Coming from any university outside of the French system, this may be a shock for you- it certainly was for me. And I had done my erasmus in Lyon! You will get horrible grades here. It’s a fact. If you are someone used to getting all A’s, which everyone here pretty much was, this might break you. After a semester here, an 11 out of 20 won’t seem so bad if you consider the average on the exam was a 10…
Let’s just hope Harvard understands when you’re applying for your PhD…</p></li>
<li><p>Forget about the Socratic method or any real interaction with the professor. This is France. Students are not expected to speak up in class and no matter how hard you try to fight that system, it will bring you down. Inevitably, you will begin to shut your mind off during class and soon enough, you will forget what it feels like to be intellectually stimulated. Don’t get me wrong, you learn, but this comes from the ten papers you have due all at the same time that have nothing to do with the lectures in class than anything you learn during the two-hour class you’re indebting yourself for. Oh yea, and reading is optional. In fact, you never have to prepare for a class again because most classes will never bring up the articles they’ve posted and your time will be occupied on trying to get through the absurd number of papers and present. you have anyway.</p></li>
<li><p>Classes and professors sound amazing on paper- trust me, they do- but the reality is something completely different. Your professors will be chief executives of so and so organization, head advisors to so and so government, but in the end, none of that matters because most (not all, but most) are professionals not academics. This may be one of the reasons you’re thinking about SP but when it comes to quality of teaching in the classroom, it’s poor. Very poor. </p></li>
<li><p>There is no space to study anywhere. This may not seem like a big issue but when you are need of study space and the library, the cafes, the reception areas, and any other place you can think of is packed with people on the floor studying, this becomes an issue. Especially if you’re paying full tuition and you can’t even take advantage of the resources they’re “supposedly” providing you…
This also goes hand in hand with the fact that SP has been making headlines here for mis-management of tuition funds… </p></li>
<li><p>You will present like never before but you won’t get better at it. In fact, you might even get worse. This is due to the fact that almost every class asks for an expose’ but never do they critique you. So you end up spending a lot of time listening to terrible expose’s and presenting some terrible ones yourself (by the way, avg number of classes / semester is 8 so yes, you will have some terrible ones) but never do you get feedback letting you know how you did or how you could improve. </p></li>
<li><p>Be prepared for French bureaucracy. This means your grades that normally should be out within a month of finishing the semester, will not be released for another FOUR months. That problem you’re having with registration? It might take all semester to get it fixed. A problem with a class? You might as well just suck it up than deal with the admin. office.</p></li>
<li><p>I’m studying environmental policy but I have yet to take a class where I feel like I’ve learned any substantial information of the field. I’ve heard similar complaints in almost all the other master’s in PSIA</p></li>
<li><p>PSIA is rather new so they’re still experimenting with the system. For example, the master’s thesis is fairly new so there are no specifications yet from the admin. on how to go about it… Course reqs are also changing but be prepared to still have to take courses that have nothing to do with your field or that are mandatory despite your background. Like accounting (which EVERYONE fails). Or Intro to World Politics (even though you may have been an IA major in undergrad) Of course, you can try to get out of these, but the other options are no more promising. </p></li>
<li><p>This is not a rant about how poor the master’s program is here at SP or PSIA but I think it’s necessary to get a realistic picture of what you may be getting yourself into. After this program, I am definitely going back to an anglo-style graduate program for a phd, hoping the horrible marks I’ve made here won’t hold me back.</p></li>
<li><p>For those of you making the decision partially based on the city and the experience of living in Paris, I feel for you. But be aware that between 8 classes, the work, and the internship/thesis you have to do, Paris will be a backdrop not really an experience. Plus, the cost of living here may get you down. You’ll be trying to squeeze yourself between ten other students at the table of the library before paying 5 euros for a coffee at the cafe nearby where the wifi signal is too testy to be relied on…</p></li>
</ol>

<p>There you are. I’m sure every school has its ups and downs. These are just my observations of SP since I’ve started my master’s. If you have any other questions, feel free to send me an email.</p>

20

<p>Thank you for sharing your experience, enviropol: very useful ;)</p>