Can the housing at Sciences Po and Columbia be taken out as loans? Or do we have to pay month to month?
I got into Reims (Euro-African)! Congrats to everyone else! However, I am really concerned about the financial aid package they want to provide (especially the New York years)…
YES. I got in! Menton!! I wanted to post earlier but I’m on a school trip and the internet has been so bad. But congratulations everyone I can’t wait to meet y’all in person! I have a question, I’ve only seen my portal on my phone (no laptop) and I can’t even locate the financial aid info. Like not even the costs for the four years so I’m completely in the dark about that. How much is it?
@stadtlohnlieber it should be on the same page as your letter of admission? There’s a list of links to click at the bottom of the Admissions Status Update page, and at the very bottom is a letter on financial aid.
For me the total estimated costs for the whole program run close to 150K USD… as an international that scares me a little.
@Sorkloaf similar concerns here! Can any of the current students enlighten us?
Congratulations to everybody who got in!!! All of us in the Dual BA Program are super excited for you and can’t wait to meet you! (We will get you into the Facebook group in good time so we can start talking.)
@cursoryc No problem! We were very happy to help you all! And I’m looking forward to meeting you in Le Havre!!
@strive16 When picking a college, you have to decide what you want to get from your experience. I wouldn’t necessarily say that any one college or program is better than another, as they all have their own pros and cons. To compare Georgetown and Sciences Po, I would say you can think of Sciences Po as being similar to the Georgetown of France, as it is known for the social sciences, and it’s the school you go to when you want to become a politician. (However, Sciences Po is considered more prestigious and elite in France than Georgetown is in the United States - French people act as if you go to Harvard when they find out you go to Sciences Po.) But the reason I chose the Dual BA Program was because I wanted an exceptional international experience and a unique education; I didn’t want a traditional college experience.
With Georgetown, I was looking for specialization and some degree of international studies; that’s why I applied to the School of Foreign Service and why I wanted to pursue their Comparative Studies major between Western Europe and Asia (which is literally the Le Havre campus’ specialty). I also REALLY wanted to pursue languages, and SFS requires language proficiency to graduate and really allows you to study multiple languages (I knew I wanted to continue studying French and Mandarin - but Le Havre requires that we study French and allows for us to study an Asian language of our choice, including Mandarin). And I wanted to study abroad, and Georgetown has amazing study-abroad opportunities. (But with the Dual BA Program, I would obviously be abroad for two years and be encouraged to go to Asia for summer programs and internships - I’m at Sciences Po now, and I’m going to Shanghai in June to study Mandarin and live with a host family.) I also wanted to be around internationally-oriented people. Georgetown (and especially SFS) has a lot of students very well-versed in international relations and even boasts a number of international students who attend each year. (But at Sciences Po, I would be the international student surrounded by a student body with 60% of students also being international - about 1/3 of the remaining French students have also lived their entire lives abroad. The students at Sciences Po are hyper international, having multiple nationalities, passports, languages, and places they’ve lived all over the world.) I also wanted to be around people of different opinions. When I visited Georgetown for the accepted students’ weekend, I felt that everybody there had the exact same views that I did; while it made me comfortable that I would fit in perfectly among my classmates, I knew that I wouldn’t be challenged as much in terms of ideology. (At Sciences Po, since we come from all over the world, there is always conversation that forces you to reconsider what you believe about the world; every single day, I’m being made to challenge the views and ideas which I hold. It isn’t easy, but I think it’s really good for me and helping me to broaden my horizons.)
What I’m getting at here is that everything I was looking for in my college experience was fulfilled by the Dual BA Program. With all of the other schools I was looking at, I realized I was only trying to recreate what the Dual BA Program was offering me. So it was really obvious to me that the Dual BA Program was a perfect fit for me; it was everything I had dreamed of. While I absolutely loved Georgetown and believed I would be happy there (I even still wear Georgetown gear, since it holds a soft spot in my heart), I knew that the Dual BA Program was far and away the right choice for me. (Sorry for the long response! I hope it was helpful.)
@Sorkloaf Sciences Po is so cheap by comparison to Columbia that it’s hilarious. I’m not sure how much my living expenses compare to the estimated figures they send you in the acceptance letter, but I can say there are some benefits. For example, CROUS is an agency which provides housing to international students, and CAF gives you a certain monthly amount in order to help you pay rent. I would guess, though, that the estimates for living costs at Sciences Po are probably accurate. Most of the money I spend comes from paying rent and buying groceries (although many of us also travel a lot during break, which is a significant expense as well). @thedecidingfate We have to pay our rent monthly at Sciences Po - not sure about Columbia!
I can’t answer questions about Columbia, really, as I’m still a 1A at Sciences Po and have no idea what goes on on the other side of the Atlantic, haha. @johnnyl98 and everybody else with similar concerns - I will say that the price is intimidating and was a big factor in the decision process for me as well. Sciences Po being very affordable helps to balance out the total cost. It really depends on how you and your family value your education, as unfortunately many of us have to decide between quality/prestige and value. Although it’s insanely expensive for my family, my parents firmly believed that this program would be worth the cost in terms of long-run benefits of getting into good grad schools and finding a good job. Please message me privately if you want me to give a more in-depth answer!
Hi, I am one of the students currently from LH. The group settings were just changed, so if you got in, you can join now! The name of the Dual BA group is “Columbia Dual BA accepted students of 2021”, all campuses are encouraged to join. The link is the same as the one @FalafelHummus commented earlier, https://www.****/groups/817293388427024/ with the **** replaced with “facebook.”, The settings were just changed, so that should fix it for all of you! Can’t wait to meet you there!
Hey all! So glad to hear so many of you got in! We’re all looking forward to meeting you soon 
As you’ve already been told, there is a facebook group for you so go ahead and join it. Feel free to keep messaging me on here if you need anything You’ll get a lot of opinions and stories from 1As and 2As which I hope will help you make your decision Again, congrats on getting in!
I’ve seen a few questions on financial aid but can’t comment on that. Regarding living costs. Reims is super cheap imho, and defs cheaper than NYC and most other college cities. As you’ll find out there are some student offers, such as discount cards for the trains, and your general student discounts at most places. But that’s probably best explained on facebook. Please feel more than free to message me (and I’m sure any other current Dual kids) with any questions. Remember, we were in your place a year ago so we understand just how you feel. And that offer is valid all the way to 2020 
Does CROUS provide free housing? And if not, how much does CAF provide in its budget? Thank you
@thedecidingfate CAF is basically a housing aid that you get. I get 177 euros a month, which I believe is the standard amount you get if you live alone, I think it’s 90 if you’re with colocs? Everyone is eligible for it bc you don’t really have your own income apart from your monthly allowance which doesn’t count. So there’s that. Depending on your aids needs you may get free housing. I have a friend who gets all her tuition paid, plus housing (her own apartment) plus an allowance… it’s insane, imo a lot more generous (excessively so, sometimes) than the US. But seeing as I’m not eligible for financial aid and only get CAF, I can’t really focus on the other things. I suggest you contact patrick martinez as a first step for most things as he was my go-to guy for Dual BA questions, and he’ll usually guide you in the right direction. The other person that’s usually helpful is Rachel Skowronski (rachel.skowronski@sciencespo.fr - all scipo email addresses are just firstname.lastname @ sciencespo.fr) who’s the student life advisor here in SciPo Reims (except if you’re in another campus in which case Idk who you should talk to) and knows pretty much everything there is to know about Reims.
Hello! I just got accepted to the Reims campus, and I have a few questions for @vossari and @lion4546 …
- How is the workload? I definitely like my free time to relax or party and don’t want to be too bombarded by work or have to struggle to spend time with friends and still study.
- How did you choose housing? Are some areas better than others? Would you recommend a homestay (for ease and thriftiness- I am already fluent in French)?
- What are internships like? I know that 1 is required the first summer, but do most people do any more?
- How long are your breaks/how often do you have days off?
- How does the French grading scale convert/carry over into the second two years-- is it completely separate (separate GPA)?
- How many of the classes are in French?
That’s all my questions for now… thank you so much!
oMG got into Le Havre I just wanted to say thank you sososo much to @AllisonNelson and @DualDegreeSeeker FOR ANSWERING ALL MY/OUR QUESTIONS Y’ALL ARE THE BEST HONESTLY MADE SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR MY interview haha <3 can’t wait to meet you guys in the fall!!!
@reims17 1. Workload. Ha. Good one. Well, I don’t want to put you off, and idk if it’s different from campus to campus, but Reims has a lot of readings. It’s basically a very weird mix between high school and university bc you have a lot of readings but at the same time quite a few hours of classes. But, once you get used to it (and realise you probs won’t do all your readings for all your classes) you’re fine. I play basketball, I’m part of the MUN club, I travel a good bit, I meet up with my friends a good deal, so really it’s not that bad. It’s defs the same as anything you’d get at an equally good program or uni so that should help explain it a bit.
2. I came to Reims in May with my mum and saw 15 apartments in 2 days and found an awesome one at an awesome price. But that was really doable bc we lived in Spain. Probs not the best idea if you’re far away? Residium is the one student residence the most people stay at but imo it’s way overpriced and total sh*t so yeah, up to you. Depending on your budget it’s up to you whether to do a homestay, I wouldn’t bc you’re already fluent so you won’t get anything out of that, and I really value the uni experience bc you get a lot of independence which imo you won’t get at a homestay. But totally up to you and depends on personal opinion. And yeah, some areas of Reims are better than others, if you need help feel free to PM me
3. Mhm. Internships. If you spent a month staring at a wall it would be less of a waste of time. Because Sciences Po basically wants you to do a really basic internship that’s a waste of time. I’ll be doing something that actually benefits me and if SciPo doesn’t approve it, idc. Bc either way it’s only a few credits so even though they say it’s mandatory and you need to do it but you can find a way around it. But I never said that and you should be very motivated to do one
4. We literally have the longest breaks ever. We had 5 weeks off for Xmas and nearly 4 months for summer and 1 week in October and 1 in Febuary. And bc of how scipo does course registrations you can get an awesome schedule like me where my last class is 3:15pm on Thursday and my next class is 3:20pm on Monday so I visit my fam in Milan every 2-3 weeks or just travel (I was in Reims for 6 days in February and missed a grand total of 2 classes), so yeah, dw about vacation and breaks, you’ll have plenty!
5. Columbia GPA is completely separate. DW about Scipo grades, everything will be explained when you get here
6. None of them. If you speaketh not croissant, you will have to take a french class. If you have a C1 (must have passed the diploma), you don’t need to take French. Or if you went to a French lycee, etc. I had a C1 so don’t need to take any French classes but chose to take my elective in French the first semester and my art workshop (don’t ask, you’ll learn more when you’re here ) in French this semester bc I wanna get better and not forget anything.
Hope that answers your questions, lmk if you need anything else! Also pls feel free to join the fb group, I’ll post something pretty comprehensive there at some point soon.
Hi everyone! I applied for LH campus and got waitlisted. Anyone else in the same situation? This program is undoubtedly program of my dream, and I felt so so sad when I received the decision. I think it could be because of my interview… Could anyone here give me any advice? @vossari @AllisonNelson @DualDegreeSeeker
Congrats to those accepted! To the waitlisted: make sure you commit somewhere and if you are still interested in the dual program, send a letter or email to Patrick Martinez emphasizing your interest and why you like the program so much. If you have any updates (for example, if you won some significant competition or new awards,…) mention those too. Good luck and at the end, college is what you make out of it regardless of where you end up attending.
@juliaxa glad I was of some help!
@juliaxa Congratulations!!! And I’m happy to help - looking forward to meeting you too
@xoxoPaulina Some of us were surprised to learn our program even has a waitlist; I guess it’s because the program is getting more and more applicants but staying the same size. I would do as @DualDegreeSeeker suggested. Email them reiterating your interest in the program - tell them it’s your dream choice and that you will go if you are accepted off the waitlist (assuming that’s true). But depending on the campus, there MAY be a fair chance they will take a couple waitlist people, as I know there will probably be a couple people who don’t choose the program for financial or other reasons.
And FYI I’m pretty sure most of us felt as if our interviews were really bad, haha - that’s mostly because of the poker face and the grilling the Sciences Po interviewer gives you. I thought I totally blew my chances at getting into the program after my interview.
@reims17 To add on to some of what @vossari said:
5. Apparently Columbia is pretty generous with the grade conversion from Sciences Po, which gives us a nice advantage in terms of GPA when we arrive at Columbia. Actually the valedictorian of the School of General Studies last year was a Dual BA student. And Patrick Martinez said the Dual BA students have the highest GPA out of all of the students at Columbia (I guess average GPA of Dual BA students compared to students at other schools?).
6. Yeah, you don’t have to take any classes in French (except the required French class if you aren’t fluent). BUT you certainly can take classes in French if you’re so inclined! At least in Le Havre, if you are B2 French or higher, you have to take your elective in French OR a second language from the region of focus (so Asian language for us). If your French is A1 to B1, you don’t have to take a French elective (and you probably should not, as it will be very difficult for you) or a second language unless you want to.
@reims17 It looks like you’ve already gotten quite a few answers, but I’ll add my grain of salt anyway
- The workload will feel very different based on the high school environment that you come from. I was at a really demanding French lycee, so coming here felt pretty chill in terms of work. I can hang out with friends or go out literally whenever I want to. On the other hand, though, I had a friend who went to a regular public high school, did all her homework the day it was due, so here she feels a little overwhelmed at times. The amount of free time you have will also depend on what grades you aspire to get - I find that here, overall, since everyone is smart, your grades are proportional to the amount of work you put into a class.
- I don't really recommend a homestay, bc one of the things that I love about being here is how much independance I have! Unlike vossari, though, I really like Residium and am going to be sad to leave it at the end of the year...
- Most people are ambitious, so basically everyone applies to internships over the summer, and a lot of people also end up doing them.
- Your GPA will only be measured based on the grades that you receive at Columbia. The result is that in effect, no one in a Dual BA really cares about their grades while at Sciences Po (although they can be useful if you're applying to a competitive internship at some point). There's a conversion scale on the website if you're interested. And indeed, at Columbia, Dual BA students have amongst the highest GPAs (compared to the global Columbia average I think) :)
- If you want to take no classes in French, that's possible, and if you want to take quite a few, that's possible too. Up to you!
Hey, I was accepted to Reims but I am very worried about how much aid I got. Has anyone heard about their aid offers yet or does anyone know someone who had success negotiating down their offer?
I’m having the same problem…
Anyone have any luck with negotiating aid? Should we write to them? The aid they gave is just not enough…
Definitely contact Columbia if aid is an issue, either by phone or email! Explain that it’s your top program, that you really want to come but you just can’t afford it as is, etc. You can also bring up how much aid you got at other schools and ask what they can do to match it or at least get closer to it.
Remember one thing: the tables have finally been turned. You have the upper hand now - they want you to come!! And they’re not going to retract your admission! So don’t hesitate to be assertive and/or insistent when negotiating your financial aid.