Student Success at SIPA

What does being a successful student actually look like in practice?

“Success” at SIPA can take a variety of meanings. For some, it means engaging in meaningful research. For others, success means building a vast professional network with future policy makers. 

To answer this question, I sat down with Kiran Kaur, a second year student in the Master of International Affairs (MIA) program studying Economic and Political Development to pick her brain about what success means to her. Her academic journey shows how SIPA is not just a place to learn about the world, it's a place to discover a new version of yourself in the pursuit of knowledge. She ends her interview with a key message for applications and first-year students: “some of the best learning happens when you stay curious and open to what is around you.”

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Kiran Kaur, MIA Candidate ‘26

Economic and Political Development 

Q: As someone who is in their final semester at SIPA, how would you define “student success?” 

Success means something very different to me than it did when I first arrived. At first, it was easy to measure success by how much I was doing, how well I was keeping up, or whether I felt like I had everything figured out. But over time, I came to see success less as perfection and more as growth. 

For me, success has meant learning from people with incredibly different lived experiences, building friendships that grounded me, and expanding the way I think about the world. SIPA has challenged me in many ways, but it has also introduced me to some of the most thoughtful, driven, and globally minded people I have ever met. Looking back, success means not only what I achieved, but who I became through the experience.

Q: What’s one thing you want students to take away from their experience at SIPA?

There is no single version of success here. It is easy to compare yourself at SIPA because you are surrounded by accomplished, impressive people all the time. But everyone is coming in with different experiences, different goals, and different struggles. 

You do not have to follow someone else’s path for your experience to be meaningful. It is also important to remember that if you are overwhelmed, uncertain, or just trying to get through it, you are probably not alone. More people feel that way than they admit, and being honest with the people around you can make a huge difference.

Q: What has been the most meaningful part of your experience here?

One meaningful part of my SIPA experience has been getting involved in school clubs and helping organize events around issues and identities that matter to me. For me, that has felt like a real form of accomplishment. In a place as busy and fast-moving as SIPA, it is easy to focus only on coursework or professional pressure, but being able to create space for conversation and community has been just as important. 

Hosting events reminded me that student success is not only about individual achievement, but also about contributing something meaningful to campus life and the community around you. It has been especially rewarding to help bring people together around topics that feel personal, cultural, and important. 

For example, I am organizing an event to commemorate Sikh Heritage Month on April 18th, centered on identity, community, and intergenerational memory, creating space for reflection on what we inherit and how we carry it forward.

Q: What tips do you have for anyone applying to SIPA or for first-year students?

One piece of advice I would give to applicants or first-years is to let yourself experience SIPA beyond the classroom. Some of the most meaningful parts of graduate school come from the people you meet, the communities you find, and the city around you. 

Being in New York is such a unique part of the experience, and taking time to explore it can shape you just as much as your coursework. Some of the best learning happens when you stay curious and open to what is around you.