SaraDC

Congrats!

I just looked on the website and found some details about the requirements you need to meet to be eligible to take both classes concurrently in pre-term - it seems like a fairly high bar to me. Personally, I don't find the summer weather in DC to be particularly conducive for anything too physically or academically intensive. So I don't think I'd sign up for both. But if econ/math is really your thing, and you want to hit the ground running - go for it! The website mentions that you could also get both out of the way by signing up for the summer course and for pre-term. Maybe an option?

Sounds like a good plan!

I think there is an option to do a pre-term in DC and one in Bologna (if that's where you're going to be spending your first year). I did the one in Bologna and thought it was definitely worth it because it allows you the opportunity to settle down there, travel a bit, brush up on your Italian, and meet people. If I end up going to SAIS in the fall, I'll most likely do the pre-term although I still need to figure out my work schedule. My reasoning: 1) It allows students to get a couple requirements out of the way. 2) If you've been out of school for a few years, pre-term can help you re-adjust to the classroom before the classes get more intense in the fall. 3) It's a chance to get to know all your classmates earlier.

I haven't seen these stats provided anywhere, sorry! However (unscientifically), there were a few waitlist/admits according to the results board from last year, so it happens!

I saw your question about peer institutions

Congratulations to Qiaofeng, whiskyneat and compost&recycle. If you're comfortable doing so, would you mind posting your stats? Just curious!

No I don't think that's the case - although I don't know the details of the bologna fellowship. Did you find out about it in an email from the financial aid office, and if so, did that email include a link to an ISIS site? That site should provide you with the details of the aid you're receiving. But if they are calling it a bologna fellowship - I'm guessing it's actually a fellowship, so congratulations!

I don't know this for sure, but I'm under the impression that schools don't redistribute promised aid. They offer more than they actually intend to give out with the knowledge that some will turn down the acceptance offer and therefore the funding. I could be wrong about this though, so if someone hears something else - let us know. Just for the record, after a week of going back and forth with IT support I finally found out the details of my "fellowship" ...subsidized loans. Oh well.

Didn't mean to sound too negative about FS - it's probably just agency bias If you know that FS is 100% what you want to do, a larger # of graduates is probably a good thing. I suppose I was coming from the point of view that since it's such a small class already, diversity of background/career goals seems particularly important.

Yeah - I remember seeing this and thinking "Is that a good thing?", I'm still not convinced that it is. The statistics for a typical graduating class between 2000 and 2004 are really interesting. It would be nice to know what (if anything) has changed for the classes of 2006-2010.

Another note on location for those not familiar with DC. Georgetown has a nice campus (with a traditional college feel) and as an SFS student you'll (presumably) be able to take advantage of the entire university. However, the Georgetown area (also includes some shopping, and residences) isn't metro accessible. The traffic and parking situation tends to be pretty bad, but you can always bike or ride a bus. I don't think this would have too much of an impact for someone going to/from school on a daily basis, but if you wanted to hold down an internship during the school year - it might be slightly harder to plan logistics if you had to go back and forth from the Georgetown area. SAIS on the other hand is in the Dupont area - very accessible by foot/bike/metro/bus/whatever, and likely very close to most potential employers in DC. If you wanted to get an internship during the school year, it wouldn't be hard to go from job to class in a relatively short amount of time. On the downside, their campus is pretty much non-existent. It consists of several buildings on Massachusetts Avenue just SE of Dupont Circle. The JHU business school shares at least one of those buildings - I think. So the SAIS location is great (I live close by), but the school simply doesn't offer the same options that Georgetown does in terms of campus life.

Would you mind linking to the employment results? I can't find them! I'veworked at Treasury for 3 years and I've never met a SFS grad. I've met a few from SIPA and American, but SAIS has the monopoly - hands down. I'm not sure if anyone out there is going to graduate school with the explicit goal of working at Treasury - but if so, that person would be well advised to go to SAIS. I'm still trying to get a handle on where SFS is placing their grads (an employment report would definitely help with this) - but based on a non-scientific linkedin search - it doesn't look too different from SAIS. SAIS definitely places a substantial number students at the IMF/WB - but I'm willing to bet that 99% of those are non-Americans. It's very difficult for Americans to get in at either institution on a non-contracting basis, regardless of the school they went to. I'm not sure if an international student looking to work at the WB/IMF would have an advantage if he/she went to SAIS instead of SFS.

Okay - I've given up on a separate document. Why? It's just too personal to be of relevance to everyone else. I'm going to share my thoughts, and respond to some of the other points made in this thread (and a few others) - but I think it's important to remember that this really is a personal decision that depends a lot on career goals and personality. Also GreenDiplomat made a great comment in the about drawing false dichotomies between programs- I think the same definitely applies to SAIS/SFS as well. I'm planning to attend the accepted students day at both SFS and SAIS - maybe SIPA but I'm not sure yet (need to decide for sure by Friday). I hope to have a lot more insight into the SFS program in the next week or so after I meet with a few alumni. After the admitted students day, and my conversations, I'll be happy to share any new insights or changed impressions. But in the meantime, a few thoughts: timetomakethedonuts,I thought a lot of the points you made were helpful, particularly with regards to class size. In my mind, a larger class size often means more diversity, the ability to network with students that have a larger variety of backgrounds, and a much larger post-graduation network. In my mind, this is something that SAIS and SIPA have going for them, even though if you go too far in the size direction your class might start to feel impersonal. I went to a high school that graduated about 95 people in a class - about the same size as a class in the SFS program. To be honest, I can't decide if that's a plus (nice intimate setting), or a huge negative. In particular, that's something I'm hoping to talk to the alumni about (and get a better sense of at the open house days). For the most part, I don't think that a smaller class size means less competition for jobs because students from SAIS/SIPA/SFS/etc will all be applying, so you'll have to compete regardless. If there was a situation in which an employer was posting a job at only one of the schools, that employer would likely be doing so because he/she has a direct connection with that school - something that I imagine is less likely to happen with a program that only graduates 95 people a year. Still, I believe SFS grads can draw on the undergraduate network as well, so maybe that effect is minimized. timetomakedonuts, I think you're right about the academic strengths. If you want to study the Middle East, go to SFS - their professors have been all over the quality coverage of the popular uprisings of late. [i'm editing to add that I don't think the school's strength in the ME is a reason not to go there if you're not interested in it, I doubt it's something that's impossible to avoid]. Radio silence from SAIS -- in fact I get the impression that the school is particularly weak in this field (but that's just my opinion). SIPA has Rashid Khalidi (and his wife!) - that alone is almost reason enough to visit. I've heard good things about the Latin American studies program at SAIS and I agree that their econ department is strong. okay... this has gotten too long already so I'll mention a few more points in a separate post.

Ditto -- no scholarship for me either. Sort of frustrating actually. I need to find out if they really expect dual degree candidates to pay the higher tuition all three years, that seems a little crazy to me.

I'm in the process of trying to figure out how the loan process works and I came across this on the studentaid.ed.gov site:

Did he want to chat about something specific?

you're having a great year! tough decisions ahead

Just wanted to point to the article on FinAid at SIPA that Emoleys mentioned on another SIPA thread.

edited: Foodlover28, sounds like a good thing right?

I'm glad you brought up that article - I remember seeing it early on during my school research. It definitely reinforced the extent to which I shouldn't sign on at a school with any expectations about receiving aid the second year.

It's definitely a move, and you're right about it being an adventure abroad. But SAIS BC makes the transition relatively easy for students. The Center has a local on staff responsible for helping students find housing in the city. When you arrive (either for preterm or fall semester) he brings you and a car-full of other students around the city to look at apartment rental options at a variety of prices and comfort levels. If you want to live in an upscale 1 bedroom, that option is available. But most students end up with a number of roommates in apartments that are comparable in price to apartments in DC - almost all of them are furnished. Regardless of what program you pick, you're going to have to weigh the pros and cons of finding a paid position. I knew a couple people that had TA positions their second semester there (they already had specialized experience), but there are also a number of jobs available at the Center itself - at the front desk, or in the library, etc. I don't know enough about the Italian visa regulations (I'm assuming you're not European?) to respond specifically to your concern about significant others. But I often saw spouses/partners of current students around "campus" (which is really just the Bologna Center building - although it's been renovated since I was there). I'm sure SAIS would be able to help you in this regard - they definitely play a big role in helping matriculating students get their documents in order. Academically? It depends on what you want to study. If you're focused on Asian Studies - I don't think the Bologna Campus has much to offer. But in many other areas, it definitely holds its own (you might want to take a look at which professors are going to be there next year - sometimes DC professors spend at Bologna). You're probably the only one in a position to determine whether it makes sense personally. Although, if you have a significant other that will be accompanying you - I'm sure they have a say as well. One of the most valuable parts of the experience turned out to be how close everyone had become by the end of the year. I heard a lot about this from my friends when they came back to DC for their second year. Of course the students who had been living in DC were close, but because they hadn't had the unifying experience of spending a year abroad - it was sort of a different level. You'll definitely leave Bologna with a strong network that you'll be able to draw on long after graduation. It sounds like you have two really good options. I'm sure both experiences would be valuable (and very different). Let us know what you decide!

I think there are some entries on the results page from earlier this month. Have you called to ask where they are in the process?

Unfortunately I can't be of much help here. I'm familiar with the overall reputation of the university, but I don't know any specifics about the program. I'm sure it has a dramatically different "feel" from some of the east coast schools - could be a good thing!

Try sending an email - they generally respond pretty quick.