Katrun

As to the amount, I don't mind sharing: it was 10,000 euros a year. Alchyna, I got a similar email and freaked out as well. Here is what happened to me: I got the scholarship offer a couple days ago and the email said that once I received the email with the student ID and such I would have 3 weeks to decided to accept or not, otherwise I would lose the scholarship. I emailed and asked when those emails would be coming. They immediately replied and said they would not be sent out until the END of Feb. Fast forward 24hrs later and I receive the email with my student id. That email says I have until June 6th to accept, but makes no reference to the scholarship. There is no way I can make a decision in the next three weeks as I wont even hear back from the other 8 schools I applied to until mid March. What to do what to do??? I emailed back and said I was really confused and asked how long I actually have to respond? If acceptance isn't binding I will just go ahead and accept, but it is still my second choice. Let me know what they say to you I am very confused as what to do.

Thank you both! @K_angie, were you asking for the amount? It was the Emile Boutmy scholarship. @Alchyna is your program eligible for anything else?

I was just awarded a scholarship for Sciences Po, looking more attractive everyday! I hope similar good news is on its way for the rest of you!

Happy Chinese New Year! I am about to leave for Haiti and I will have to make all these hard choices from there, with limited internet. So I will definitely be relying on this forum and all of you guys. Any help I can provide, especially in regards to living in France or Switzerland, let me know!

You can post your essays on a Reddit forum and professional editors will take a look at your writing.

Alchyna, thank you for the information. That was very insightful. I got into the MA International Development and my biggest fear is job placement, especially if I ever considered coming back to work for a US organization. Mickun88 I received the "admissible" email from SAIS on January 11 and heard on January 29th. I think the turn around is all over the place so no guarantee of how quick or how slow they get back to you.

What is behind your decision to go to Sciences Po, unless you get in to Geneva that is?

Congratulations on NYU! I decided not to apply there solely cause I didn't want to live in NYC. Don't freak out too much about cost of living. The connections you will get from being in one of those cities will totally be worth it. Someone said to me it cost the same everywhere to live like an American, except for maybe Switzerland where it costs a bit more haha. The point being that if that's where you want to be you can make it work, just have to cut out the things that you might have splurged on in the US. When I lived in Switzerland for the year I ate out three times. I became a great cook though! There are trade offs. I didn't go get my haircut at a salon. You learn to adapt and it is fine. The big costs will be housing but I honestly dont think it is that much more than Boston/D.C etc.

I don't know specifically for Indian nationals in Switzerland, but there were definitely loads of Indian students in my apartment complex so clearly they didn't have it too bad. In regards to rent, I lived in student accommodations it was a private room and bath with a shared kitchen and living room between 25 people. It is microscopic, but fun. Probably not where I would want to live for more than a year though. We paid between 575-630chf a month. It is definitely incredible expensive housing-wise, but I know Paris can be crazy expensive in regards to rent. The difference being that there are more choices in Paris. I applied to 8 US schools all in DC and Boston except for Harvard and Yale (I only applied because a professor asked me too, I do not think that I actually have a reasonable shot so I kind of forget that I applied there). I would love to go to Sciences Po but as of now Johns Hopkins SAIS in Bologna, Italy is my first choice. Bologna, Italy would definitely be much cheaper than Paris or Geneva, but then you have to consider the massive tuition to go to SAIS compared to Sciences Po. I am about to move to Haiti for five months and I will have to make all these decisions from there. I have lived in Paris before and spent a lot of vacations in Italy so I have a good grasps of living in those two places, not sure what will end up being the deciding factor. Most likely it will be tuition fees and how the program fits with my goals.

About living in Switzerland: Part time employment also depends on your visa. If you have a Schengen Visa or are Australian, you are allowed to work a certain number of hours a week. For Americans it is more difficult. Also banking for Americans is difficult in that you can only bank at certain banks because of the prior US/Switzerland financial scandal of hiding funds in Switzerland. I banked at Post Finance while I was there and did not have a problem. Assimilation is easy especially in Geneva and Lausanne because they are so international and it is easy to get involved in the international community. As mentioned above finding a close group of Swiss friends will be challenging. The Swiss are the most hospitable people in the world but very skeptical of foreigners and the level of skepticism is unfortunately determined by what country you are from. The younger generations are much easier to get to know, but it does require effort and do not expect to be invited into their home for the first year you know them. I would just say it requires persistence. The Swiss are incredibly sporty and if you are athletic or like outdoor sports then Switzerland is incredible for it. I ran the Geneva marathon last May and it was one of the most beautiful courses I have ever ran. Yes it is incredibly expensive, I mean beyond incredibly expensive. You will learn which grocery stores are cheapest and the outdoor markets are amazing for local fresh produce (knowing the language there definitely helps). Also if you speak French and learned it in France, beware that Swiss French is a bit different and they have a lot of different expressions and the numbering system for 70-100 is different. It is helpful to look these up before you go. There are ways to make things cheaper for students. Half-fare cards for the train and free trains after 7pm cards are available for purchase and are definitely worth the investment. Also some university sports centers sell discounted ski lift tickets.

Hello friends! I was accepted to Sciences Po MA international development today! Now just waiting to hear from my US schools. I didn't apply to Geneva, but I lived in Lausanne (45 mins from Geneva) and visited quite often, I attended the University of Lausanne last year, so if anyone has any Switzerland related questions I am happy to answer them.

In regards to low GPA for Sciences Po, i would definitely explain it in your personal statement. I have a friend who was just rejected from Science Po purely on a low GPA. He didn't explain it in his personal statement and I would hate that to happen to you. Although he did not have near the same work experience as you do. So maybe it balances out. Best of luck!!!

I'd like to know how my economics and statistics courses and grades will affect a somewhat average to low GRE quant score: Programs of Interests: Sciences PO PSIA, Johns Hopkins SAIS, Georgetown MA Intl. Dev, George Washington, Tufts Fletcher, American U, Brandeis, GRE: V: 162, Q: 152, V: 5.5 Courses: three different economics courses, all As. One of my letters of rec is from my economic dev professors. One upper level Statistics course. Will my lower Quant. score hurt me even if I have econ and stats courses under my belt?

That was all really good to hear. I talked to my undergrad econ dev prof and he said in his opinion LSE would outshine any US development program. I did speak to some friends who knew people doing their master's at LSE and heard that most professors are only willing to engage with PHD students and often send their graduate students to teach the masters students, not sure how true that is. It is also very independent study and that is what ultimately put me off. I learn best from working with my peers and I know Sciences Po's program is more engineered to work that way. I wish you the best of luck with LSE though, I know it is a standout program. I, like you, want to be taught practical skills now and go straight back into the development field.

Thank you! That is very helpful. What are your thoughts on Sciences Po, are you planning on attending? I applied to 8 schools in the US and Sciences PO was my only European school, so I am weighing my options based on job market afterwards. I want to work in development for a non profit.

Has anyone heard from Sciences Po MA Intl. Dev this cycle yet?