unagi

Thank you I am so impressed by all the schools you applied to (I got tired of applying to 4....). Yeah those are definitely very big questions and important ones too. I have recently been wanting to get into law and see if maybe that's a good way to have an effective career. What I have been telling myself is that, ultimately any choice you make will lead to different experiences and I don't think I should put so much pressure on the decision itself. As this journey goes and we evolve, I'm sure we will continue to work towards what will make us content. Pickering news: THAT'S AWESOME!!!!! Does that mean you can go to SAIS with minimal loans??? I would so seriously consider that (which I think you already are but just my 2 cents ).

Hey! Wow! You applied to a lot of schools! I think ultimately, I will go with LSE. My goals align with the program structure and it has always been a dream of mine so I want to fulfill it. Any progress on your end in terms of making a decision?

Hi monocle! Thanks for the advice. I think that's what I am going to do (especially because IHEID asks to commit $1000 with the acceptance which I will lose if I change my mind later on). Trying to get myself motivated and seek opportunities in advance to make the most of my grad experience in London. What about you? Are you wrestling with any decisions?

Hi CakeTea! Thank you so much for your input. Your pros/cons are exactly why I am completely torn I think JHU SAIS is out for me just cause it's so expensive. So it's between IHEID and LSE. LSE has an edge cause it's my dream school. Ughhhhh it's a good problem to have to pick between these schools but boy is it overwhelming. Have you decided where you are headed? Or what are your plans?

I completed my undergrad in 2014 (studied Economics and Spanish) and from then on I have just been doing internships and jobs in the non-profit sector focusing on development issues, immigration, social justice etc. I think that ultimately, my interests lie in forced migration and statelessness (and eventually I might want to dabble in law school/further studies too, which is why I am a bit concerned about the 2 year programs). With LSE, I think I will be able to finance the entire program with my savings, family support and maybe 5-10k in loans. With IHEID, the situation is the same as total costs are similar for these schools. For SAIS, even with the fellowship, the total cost of going to school will be about $80k, which is a lot compared to other two. Plus the lack of thesis really bothers me (even though it's probably not a big deal). I don't want to take out more than $20k in loans as I aim to work in non profit so I don't want to be burdened with loans. Long term, I envision working for a non profit or an international organization. The main thing I am worried about with London is that the other two have such good locations in terms of jobs/internships.

Hi everyone, I have been accepted to the following programs: LSE MSc Political Economy of Late Development (no $$ yet; will find out in July) IHEID MA Development Studies (no money) JHU SAIS IDEV ($30k in fellowship) LSE pros/cons: Pros: 1 year program dream school less $$ compared to other two excellent reputation academic rigor; if i perform well, i think i would stand a good chance at a PhD Cons: will I be competitive in the job market with this degree? IHEID pros/cons Pros: located in Geneva, central location career/internship prospects; well integrated into curriculum well known within field relatively cheap compared to JHU (same $~ as LSE) Cons 2 years long school not as well known as other two(?) JHU SAIS pros/cons Pros: well reputed in US career oriented IDEV track well regarded Cons: very $$$ 2 years no thesis at the end (maybe problematic if i want to do PhD) Is anyone else deciding between these schools? My heart says LSE; but I am just afraid I might pick something and let go of a really amazing opportunity...... Please advice

Got into MA Dev Stuies! Meow I'm just picking between LSE and IHEID. No funding from either school :/

For sure! The whole grad school thing is so daunting but it's much more specialized than undergrad (I know I'm being Miss. Obvious) but I truly think that's what helps. When candidates can demonstrate why they are the best fit for the program, one aspect of their application won't deter great schools.

Program Applied To: (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.) MA/MSc Development Studies Schools Applied To: Sussex IDS, SOAS MSc, LSE MSc, JHU SAIS, IHEID Schools Admitted To: Sussex IDS, SOAS MSc, LSE MSc, JHU SAIS - IDEV ($$) Schools Rejected From: None yet Still Waiting: IHEID Undergraduate institution: Top public university Undergraduate GPA: 3.79 Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): 3.85+ Undergraduate Major: Economics and Spanish GRE Quantitative Score: 158 GRE Verbal Score: 158 GRE AW Score: 5.5 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 1.5 years during the time of application Years of Work Experience: ~2, plus internships, research and volunteer experience during undergrad Describe Relevant Work Experience: 3 months working in developing country, valuable internships, and research; going into it, I knew why I wanted to attend school so having a list of relevant experiences helped I believe (not anything impressive like internship with UN or anything but grassroots/community level organizations) Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I am thinking it was good; I am not in a position to evaluate myself. But because I knew I wanted to attend grad school and the schools I wanted to apply. I started out with the school with earliest deadline (which was LSE, since it has rolling deadline). I started brainstorming/SOP process probably 6-7 months before applications even opened. I knew my schedule would be hectic during Fall/Winter so because I knew why I wanted to go to gradschool, I began writing like 1 paragraph a week (even though it was really crappy). I realized that just getting something on paper (or on your computer screen) helps. Once you have something, you can always work on it and make it better. After completing my LSE SOP (which was also my longest), I just used that as my base and then tweaked it according to each school and each program. I addressed various aspects of schools and why I even thought of attending that school. I think this was a process that worked the best for me. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): My LORs were probably good/strong. I picked 1 professor who I did independent research for (who also happens to be in the same field as me); 2nd professor was my Economics lecturer who I took 2 classes with and did research under as well. For some schools, 3 references were required and I picked my Spanish professor who I'm sure wrote a very good LOR. My advice is that you start with your professors early (2-3 months before applying); reach out to them, let them know why you're interested in going to grad school. Showing this sort of initiative will work in your favor as you will be taken seriously and they will also remember this when they're writing your LOR. Let them know about deadlines etc. The one thing I did (not sure how helpful it was for my LORs) but I made a cheat sheet of my programs ranked from 1st to last choice; the sheet also said why I wanted to attend that specific institution and the highlights of the program. I think this also made it easier for them to visualize why I was looking at the range of schools. This was sent in addition to my generic SOP, resume, and papers I had written for their class(es). Another piece of advice: always go over a teacher/professor that knows you better and can speak for your work more than someone who is more famous but doesn't know you as closely. Ultimately, your LOR should reflect your SOP in saying why you should be selected for the program. Other: I knew I wanted to attend grad school of development studies starting my junior year in undergrad. I started seeking internships/work experience that would help me along this process. As an individual, I am a hard worker but I have never been super successful in terms of getting into top undergrads and landing top internships. Therefore, I wasn't expecting myself to get into the schools I did (for instance, JHU IDEV, LSE, and IHEID are all reach schools for me). I also am not the best test taker so 158/158 isn't a great score in comparison to other folks who have 164+ (even though I studied for the GRE for a solid 6-7 months before taking it). I had low hopes for myself but still applied because I thought I should give it a try. I wasn't even expecting to be admitted to IDEV at JHU (let alone get a fellowship!!); I remember I had almost selected a different concentration because I was like "whats the point?". Ultimately, what pushed me through is my determination and desire to pursue higher studies. I thought this showed in my statement as well as LORs. Good luck to future applicants! (I wouldn't have posted this info on here but gradcafe has been a source of constant information and guide, so I feel like I owe it to this community for all the positive news I have received this month.)

I didn't apply for SAIS funding (via their financial aid PDF form) but still received 30k in funding the my first year........was not expecting this at all. Even with this funding, it's so expensive....

Not sure....It seems like it's our mistake and they wouldn't accept it if it was up to them so not sure..

We are on the same boat!

Got IDEV! Didn't think I would get in at all.....which is why I didn't even submit my SAIS Financial Aid package....sigh I will be rejecting this choice and moving forward with LSE or IHEID. Congrats to everyone who got the results they wanted!

Oh wow! Thank you so much for your response guys! It's very helpful to know your profiles! Congrats to all of you that were admitted . And only 2 months-ish for those who are still waiting