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lsaiki87

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  • Gender
    Female
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    Bologna, Italy
  • Application Season
    2014 Fall
  • Program
    SAIS

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  1. Here's the link to the post about citations:
  2. Hi Crisconza, When you say "Public Diplomacy" what are you referring to exactly? PD is a really wide term that is used very freely in just about every context (I worked in PD before coming to SAIS, so I feel like it could mean just about anything). Do you mean in different policy approaches and strategies (realist vs. liberalist vs. neorealist vs. structural liberalist, etc)? In that case, PD would fall under International Relations, and SAIS has many classes on that topic. Or do you mean PD as in "promoting cross-cultural exchanges" (State buzzwords, yikes)? If that's what you mean, that would probably fall more under International Development (IDEV). If you have a clear view of what you want to write about, then I would say go for it. The important part is that you write about a topic that you can analyze in-depth and are well-versed in. I wrote about natural resource exploitation in Peru even though I applied to IDEV and not ERE (Energy, Resources and the Enviornment) because I had first-hand experience in the topic. As for your question regarding footnotes, I didn't use them, but I think there are some people who did. I think there's another post about this somewhere on Grad Cafe -- might be worth a try to search for it. In any case, if you really want to be sure, reach out to the admissions office and see what they say.
  3. Hi Hina, I'm actually not in the program but I have two good friends who are in the program who are with me right now in Bologna. I just spoke to one of them and he gave me the following break down: the Joint MA/MBA degree with SAIS and INSEAD takes two and half years to complete, and you can start with either program. He recommends to start with SAIS, which takes a year and a half, and then starting INSEAD in the January intake. INSEAD has 5 terms, which last 2 months each. The first two terms can be spent in either location (France or Singapore), but the last 3 terms should be spent in the region you want to be employed in. So if you want to work in Asia, make sure you're there starting the third term, called P3, because that's when all the job recruiters start recruiting. There is also a two month window after P3 where you do a short internship. Hope this helps!
  4. I think the interviews are optional for US citizens but required for non-US citizens applying to SAIS Europe. I did one over Skype which I think really helped my applications. Best part was that the SAIS Europe Director interviewed me himself! Good luck with your applications, everyone!
  5. The rest of your application is solid, but your overall of 3.52 GPA could also work against you a bit. Get your GRE scores up and you should be golden. You sound like a very good candidate for these schools. (PS - SAIS has a great joint MA/MBA program with INSEAD that offers you the chance to live in Singapore, which could be a plus if you're looking to work in South Asia. Added benefit is that you get to live in DC, Bologna and Paris, as well, if you want!)
  6. Applying to the mixed program at SAIS (one year in Bologna and the other in DC) might also be beneficial for you because it accepts a lot of European students (and American ones too) straight from undergrad. This is not so the case for the two years at SAIS DC. Students there tend to be older and with about 3-5+ years of work experience (although I'm sure there are some exceptions).
  7. I don't think you should worry too much about your recommender situation. Admissions officers are more concerned about what a person has to say about you and the caliber of your work and experience. They don't necessarily try to get involved in the background of the person if the letter can demonstrate your achievements. If anything, a letter from a top level official (all scandals aside) shows that you have the capacity and qualifications to work at that level. And let's be honest... I feel like most politicians have skeletons in their closet. I'm sure admissions officers are able to separate one thing from the other. I don't think it's necessary for you to get another letter of rec. Let me know if you have any other questions and best of luck!
  8. Crisisdiplomacy, is there ANY chance that you could retake the GRE before you apply? There's definitely time to take the exam again before submitting your applications, so I would recommend that you take the exam again if you feel like there is a possibility that you could improve your scores (even just a little). Although schools like SAIS try not to put too much emphasis on GRE scores, your scores are really low - for both quant AND verbal. You don't have much work experience to balance out the scores either, which means that they could really hurt your chances of being offered admission to any school. And, even if you do make the case for it in your essay and get accepted, these scores could potentially kill your chances for funding.
  9. Hi MsFutureDiplomat, You actually sound like a really strong candidate for SAIS and particularly SAIS Europe. I'm in Bologna right now and I know quite a few people who have backgrounds that are similar to yours. Many of them have some sort of funding too, so I definitely wouldn't rule out that possibility. You have solid GRE scores and a decent GPA, which is definitely a plus when securing funding (the funding given through SAIS is merit-based, not need-based). Also, your work experience isn't strange at all -- it's indicative of a person who was slowly realizing what field they really wanted to be a part of. I think it's actually a strong point, because it clearly demonstrates how you've evolved both on a professional and personal level. As for not having an econ or quant background, that's not unusual. Yes, SAIS can be quant heavy, but they don't necessarily expect you to come into the program with that knowledge. They just do a damn good job of teaching all of it to you. Even before you arrive for your first semester, SAIS offers an online Principles of Economics course for all those who didn't study economics in undergrad or those who want a refresher. They also offer economics classes during pre-term so that you can go into your first semester with a more solid econ base. The vast majority of people take the micro or macro (although you do have the choice of taking Italian if you go to SAIS Europe so you're not completely lost when wandering around Bologna). Please let me know if you have any more questions. You really seem like you'd be a great candidate for SAIS, so best of luck!
  10. Hi occidorient, Let me answer these questions first and then I will answer the questions you asked in the other thread. - I think that every SAIS concentration is economics-heavy in a sense. Nevertheless, I don't find it to be completely overwhelming. You have to take (or place out of) the basic international economics requirements, which include macro, micro, trade theory, monetary theory, a development course, and then another quant reasoning class (you have a choice between stats, econometrics, or applied econometrics). After you've completed those requirements, you have to take (or place out of) two of the SAIS core classes (you get to choose between comparative national systems, theories of IR, American foreign policy, and evolution of the int'l systems). As you can probably imagine, these classes aren't econ and math-focused at all. And, after you complete the international economics and quantitative reasoning requirements, you can choose classes from an IDEV track that are less econ intensive (you can see all the requirements here: http://goo.gl/sZyqVi). All IDEV students must pick a track to follow, and the tracks include: development economics (this is very econ and math heavy), finance and development (this is also a bit math heavy), global health, governance & development (this is the one I'm doing), management for development, social entrepreneurship, social policy and programs, and trade & development. You can see all the IDEV tracks here (http://goo.gl/SeGTqC) with the course offerings for each. - As for classes that focus on CSR, grant writing and M&E, we don't actually have those, but these topics seem like they would be covered in modules or a short class series. I think there is a research class that is offered (which I think I need to take at some point), but SAIS is really good about creating different modules and short classes tailored to the needs and demands of each class. - Since I am not in the finance track, I am not sure if SAIS offers a specific class that looks solely at the role of micro-financing and development. Nevertheless, I have seen a lot of classes in the IDEV track listing that could be of interest to you, including financial inclusion (cross-listed under the finance & development track as well as social entrepreneurship), impact investing (also under both tracks), and topics of development finance (under finance & development only). Why don't you look over the course offerings (http://goo.gl/SeGTqC) and let me know which ones interest you? I could try to get you the syllabi for the classes from our JHU portal. - I selected SAIS over SIPA and MSFS because it seemed to have the most structured program. I wanted to opportunity to live abroad (I'm currently in Bologna and will be in DC next fall) and SAIS really did seem like the best fit. I was also offered a great financial aid package from them, so that also made making a decision a lot easier. - After graduation, I am open to working either in the private sector or a multilateral organization (I've already worked in the public sector and it wasn't for me). I would love to focus on CSR if I join the private sector or trade if I join a multilateral. In either case, having a SAIS degree has incredible benefits. Aside from the fact that you leave SAIS with an amazing academic background, the alumni network is impressive and everyone who does a career trip (we do several each semester) picks up on how enthusiastic SAIS alumni are to hire one of us. Career services and the IDEV program in particular are extremely involved in our internship searches and future job prospects. I spoke to other SIPA and MSFS alumni and I was told that this wasn't the case for them (in particular for those in SIPA). I feel this is one of the biggest advantages to going to SAIS and it's absolutely priceless. Hope this helps! I'll try to answer your other questions on the other forum soon.
  11. Hey everyone, I'm currently a SAIS IDEV student - if you have any questions about this program or SAIS in general, don't hesitate to let me know!
  12. I agree wtih leon32. Admissions look at your application as a whole, not just your GPA, especially if you have been out of school for a while. Usually GRE scores and GPA balance each other out. I had average GRE scores and a high GPA and also got into every program I applied to (SAIS, SIPA, and MSFS). I have talked to people who had just the opposite - high GRE scores and low GPA. If you have great LOR and personal statements with years of relevant work experience, I really don't see why you shouldn't apply. Nothing to lose, right?
  13. I honestly recommend that you retake the GRE if you feel that you can improve your quant score. Although some schools might not put so much emphasis on it, programs like SAIS have an average of 154-162 for quant because it is so math heavy. You would only be improving your score if you retook it and it might help you with admissions and aid in the long run.
  14. Hi Rachel_Z, I'm also a current SAIS IDEV student and I can tell you that GRE scores aren't as important for international students. I have asked about this and I've been told it's because they believe that the GRE is a more "American" concept and that they don't want to shut out international students who aren't used to this type of system of testing. Obviously, the better your scores are, the better your chances of being accepted to the program and receiving funding. I am international student and I took the GRE once before applying to SAIS, SIPA and MSFS. I had average scores but I still got into every program (thank god). When I applied to SAIS, I applied to do the joint Bologna-DC program because I wanted to live abroad and also because if you apply through SAIS Europe as an international student, you more likely to get aid than if you apply through DC. In the end I was accepted into the IDEV program and I got an amazing aid package. As for applying to IDEV, I have to be honest - they do look for people who have solid work experience under their belts and who know what career paths they want to follow. I would encourage you to apply any way, but to make a really strong case for IDEV in your essays (SAIS asks you to do two, so you have ample room to do so). In the case that you don't get into IDEV, also know that you can apply an IDEV focus to any other concentration. I know several people, for example, who are doing Latin American Studies and focusing on international development. SAIS is very flexible in that sense for the other concentrations (IDEV, on the other hand, is the most rigid and structured concentration - we can only take 1 elective a year). Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions about the program and best of luck!
  15. Hi occidorient, I am actually a current SAIS IDEV grad student. I would be more than happy to offer you some feedback about the program here and the other schools that I applied to because it seems that we have very similar interests. I applied to SIPA, SAIS, and MSFS. I decided upon these three because after looking at their curriculum, I realized that I could take development courses and focus on that even if the program didn't offer a specific IDEV degree. I was very interested in USF (they have an development economics program there) and UCSD as well, and even looked at UT Austin and LSE. I decided to put all my eggs in the first three baskets, however, and only applied to SIPA, SAIS, and MSFS. I got accepted into all three and ultimately decided to attend SAIS (I am doing the split Bologna and DC program and I couldn't be happier. The IDEV community is outstanding here and opportunity to live in two different continents is incredibly. This was what ultimately sealed the deal for me since no other program could offer me these things). Regarding your undergraduate GPA: yes, it isn't the highest GPA, but it's not necessarily a deal-breaker. An application is so much more than just your undergrad GPA, especially if you've been working for the last couple of years. You have an excellent GRE verbal score but I would work on nailing the quantitative portion of the test. Right now you are at the very bottom of the SAIS average (it ranges from 60th-83rd for math), so just work on improving that and that should work to offset your GPA scores. Of course, make sure to write a killer essay and get excellent letters of recommendation - I can't stress that enough. I think that has more weight that anything else, really. (As for your personal statement, I could provide you some feedback on the topic in general, but I'm not sure if I'll have time to actually read and analyze it thoroughly since I'm about to start midterms - yikes!) Best of luck and feel free to message me if you have any other questions!
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