unagi

Yeah exactly. su_nayana did you apply to LSE as well?

Also I think the main thing they look for is if you're the right fit for the program you applied for. If you have a decent GPA and can show in your statement that the program is for you and will help you attain your goals then I think you will get in.

Good luck everyone! You all seem to be way ahead of me. I am applying for the January deadline. The IHEID application asked for the financial stuff which took me longer to get so I have just decided to apply for the regular deadline. From last year (or the year before...), it seemed like a lot of people who applied for the early decision got their acceptance/rejection pushed back with the regular deadline folks so I'm not sure how it works....it seems like depending on how things go, they can just leave you in limbo until all the apps are submitted. Either ways, I hope you guys get in early and can relax for the upcoming months!! :)

Same! Completed my application and submitted it today. Letters of rec were already submitted so I am all done now. So glad it's over with. Now to just anxiously wait over the results.

Great job, El pichichi. Good luck

nice! are you doing two separate personal statements or just one generic one? the length usually is not an issue because CVs are designated to be a bit longer than resumes and it's supposed to show a comprehensive outline of your academic/professional life. so i think 2-3 pages is pretty fair...especially if you have gathered some work experience!

From my research here is what I have gathered: Previous school/degree, awards/honors/scholarships, papers/thesis, relevant internship/work experience, languages, technical skills (for research related programs). I don't think relevant courses is necessary since they will have your transcript anyways...but you can put it there for sure. Am I missing anything else? :\ I'm also applying to LSE btw! Are you only applying to one program? Good luck

I'm still working on my personal statement...so definitely won't make it to the November 15th deadline....

CakeTea, yeah unfortunately most of my schools are in those regions. But strategically speaking, trying to get an internship (or perhaps a job right after Masters), it seems like networking in those cities will help. I'm kind of worried about LSE just because I have heard a lot of people say that it's mostly academic and they don't do a lot to help their student professionally. So in this case IHEID would be a better choice cause from what I have seen, IHEID grads go on to do work with a lot of international agencies and NGOs. I meant the exchange rate in general. The pound is always relatively stronger so regardless of current time fluctuations, it's always expensive for Americans to go to the UK.

Hello everyone! I have decided to apply for MA Development Studies. So that's the interdisciplinary track, I believe. I was working on the application and had a question on the thesis/publications page. Do thesis/research projects that haven't gotten published count? Thanks!

Yes definitely! I think in the long run, London might be the best option for me (time wise for sure). So we will see. The living costs in these European cities are insane (esp with the dollar's value!)

El pichichi that was super quick! Congrats!! I definitely think IHEID is a good school for potential employment post-grad. I am working on the application now so hopefully I am able to submit before the November 15 deadline. How was the application for you? Good luck to you as well! CakeTea I haven't come across any of those schools.... I am paying for all of mine so far....

Hi El pichichi! Nice to meet you! Have you started to work on your application for IHEID? Do you know if you will apply early decision or the regular deadline in January?

If you're looking for forced migration, Oxford has a really awesome program: MSc Refugee and Forced Migration Studies http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/study/msc-refugee-forced-migration-studies

Hello, Anyone applying to LSE programs, IHEID or SOAS? I'm planning on applying to the following: LSE MSc Political Economy of Late Development LSE MSc Social Policy and Development IHEID MA Development Studies SOAS MSc Development Studies If so, let's share our questions/experiences! I had one particular question: LSE's website says that the letter of rec needs to come from the "latest university department" that you graduated from. How accurate is this? I was going to have a professor (outside of my department that I graduated from) write my letter because I did extensive research under her supervision. This seems like a silly rule to me and I will call the admissions office. But I was wondering if you guys had any experience with this? Thank you!!

Thanks for the input aidyinamman. I am going to study and see if my scores improve. If so, I will retake; if not, I will just have to settle with my current scores!

Generally what I have heard is that you need more work experience for US schools. But European schools look more into your academic background, which you really have going for you. As long as you have a clear vision as to why you want to go to grad school and write a stellar personal statement, I would say that you're probably good and you will most likely get in. But maybe volunteering locally right now won't hurt your chances? Since you have some time from now until applying?

Thank you CakeTea. It's so overwhelming to see all these applicants with the stellar backgrounds so... What schools are you applying to?

Hey guys! I am applying in the fall and have some concerns regarding my GRE scores. I took it a few months back and scored 158q 158v 5.5aw. I have a 3.79 GPA studying Economics and Spanish. I have 3+ years relevant internships and volunteering. Here are the schools I am considering: SAIS, LSE, SOAS, IHEID, Georgetown, GWU, Brandeis. I am hesitant about retaking the test because of the $$ and I am not sure my scores would increase by much... Please any advice/suggestions would help! Thank you!!!

What are your goals? Goal is to get into 1-year masters program to help launch my career in international development, non-profit work. What programs best fit your passions / desires / plans and why? I think LSE MSc Political Economy of Late Development and IHEID MSc Development Studies fits my passions/plans the most. I mostly want a masters degree because I want to get a good position within the development world. With my undergraduate degree in Economics, I think I have a foundation but am having a hard time getting jobs that I want. :\ In addition to that, I also want to get the degree to keep doors open for PhD or research in my future as that may be something I am interested in. What have you done up to this point to narrow down your choices? I have researched different programs and just by volunteering and interning in different organizations, I know what my passion is. And with that in mind, I think LSE or IHEID would be the best fit for me. I'm not sure if I can get in so it's nerve racking knowing what I want so clearly but possibly not getting it. But I will give it my best shot!! Also, I have taken the GRE once before and scored 158q 158v and 5.5aw. I am applying to LSE, IHEID, SAIS, Georgetown, GWU, and Brandeis. Should I study more and retake the test? Not sure how much I can improve because I did study a lot...please advice would help! I have a 3.79 GPA and 3+ years of relevant volunteer/intern experience (plus some international). Thank you!

OneLove21 I'm glad things worked out for you that way! Do you have any preference on where you are headed between American SIS and GWU? Yeah the main issue would be funding, especially in the US schools. I will see how to practice tests go and then retake if I think I can do better. Thanks so much for your input

Your stats are quite similar to mine. Did you apply for this cycle or are you applying next cycle? I can only speak of LSE but from what I have seen they don't put too much emphasis on work experience so as long as you have good grades (which you do) in a relevant field you should be good. I think Oxford might be a bit more rigid and want GPAs above 3.8 but you are very close so with the right letters of rec and personal statement, you can definitely get in!! If you did apply this cycle, did you hear back from any schools? Best of luck to you!

Congrats OxfordApplicant! Thank you for the tips Rap Game Harry Kane. I am considering submitting my GRE scores but they're not very stellar (158q 158v and 5.5 writing). I'm not sure if I should submit these, as it might take away from the rest of my application....If I had scored above 160 on both then I might have but I am really debating submitting my GRE scores as of right now...

Thank you for your advice guys! I am applying for Masters programs in the schools that I have mentioned. I am definitely working on my letters of rec being top notch and my personal statement as well so I will make sure that those two sections of my application are solid as well. kooyah I will definitely take a look at the list of schools you provided and broaden my list of schools!

I'm a future LSE hopeful. How was your application process?