hudwa

Thanks everybody. For me, grad school was supposed to be a means unto an end. I'm going to keep working toward my life and career goals, and if it makes sense to apply next year, that's what I'll do. But I'm not going to sit around waiting for another opportunity to pay $85 bucks just to be judged. I'll be moving forward and growing, and I hope all you guys, accepted or not, can do the same By the way, that end of next week thing is absolutely ridiculous. I am the only person on the results survey or this forum who received results today. Does that mean they're going over one application per day now?? Though I'm not in, I'm damn glad I'm not waiting anymore lol Oh yeah, here's my applicant profile (I think you won't be surprised as to why I didn't get in after you read it...):

Just heard back. Rejected. Good luck to everyone who's still waiting!

Hah, there goes that theory. Unless everyone who didn't submit on 1/5/12 is being considered for funding. I hope we all are!

Everyone who is still waiting for a response, would you mind posting the date and time that you submitted your application? Maybe this is "rolling" in the sense that there is some correlation between when we submitted and when we will hear back from them. You can check the exact time on applyyourself, clicking on "Application for Admissions" then checking the box on the right hand side. Mine was 1/5/2012 9:43:00 PM EST

No updates on the forum and no updates on the results survey. So it's looking like nothing has gone out yet today.

Shot not.

9:00am in New York. After a less than relaxing weekend, I get to spend another otherwise stress-free day at work constantly updating applyyourself, this forum and the results survey.

Seems so. Goodnight, and good luck tomorrow.

kayoko.ly, if you feel comfortable doing so, could you expand a bit upon the reasons why you were admitted to Bologna for your first year? I know some others who were admitted to Bologna for their first year without applying to that campus and are a bit puzzled as to why that is. In particular, I know one person through this forum who was admitted to Bologna in spite of requesting a Japan Studies concentration. He cannot pursue the Japan Studies concentration at Bologna, but what really confounds me is that I have heard from faculty and people close to SAIS that they are desperate for Japan Studies candidates. I just find it weird that they want to cart people off to Bologna who didn't ask to be there. For me, that would be a dealbreaker; one of SAIS's main advantages is that it is in DC, across the street from the world's leading policy think tank, and a 10 minute walk to the World Bank, IMF, Embassy Row and many other leading think tanks. Even if I weren't banking on Japan Studies (I was waitlisted, so I ask more out of curiosity than personal need) I would still turn down an offer to spend one year in Italy away from DC just so I could spend my second year in the place and at the program I really wanted to be in.

I agree with a lot of what Azrou said. The first thing you need to ask yourself is why you're going to graduate school. As stated, continuing academic momentum is not a good reason, and I'll explain my own reasons later. Also, there is a good reason why those schools want candidates with work experience, and it's not because most applicants have sub-par academics that need to be propped up. It's because work experience is valuable in your career overall and focuses your career goals much, much more than any undergraduate education can, even with a few good internships and studies abroad under your belt. Trust me on this one; after a few years working 9-5 (hah! that phrase is a total lie), paying bills, cleaning your own apartment and having to do something other than read, write and take tests all day, guaranteed you will have a very different view on life, and almost certainly your outlook on your career. So do not look at the requirement some schools have for work experience as a hurdle you need to find some way around so you can prolong your stay in the comfy, protective bubble of academia, take it as a piece of advice. Go work, do something in a field you're interested in, even if it's menial work. Frankly, for those of us who did not go to big name schools or network our pants off before graduating, that's about all there is out there. Also, the end of your undergraduate education only means the halting of education if you let it be so. When I moved to DC after graduating, I attended lectures and discussions on things that interested me, and you will never, ever get bored learning new things through such forums in DC if your passion is for IR and policy. Then after moving to Tokyo, I found similar venues and had the opportunity to build a really great network of policy professionals in diverse industries through keeping myself intellectually engaged. That networking allowed me to land a job upon returning home to NY, landed me valuable recommendations for grad school and enriched my life greatly through new friends with whom I share interests. Lastly, don't look at taking night classes as something you're only doing to beef up your resume. I took Intermediate Microeconomics twice and dropped it twice in college because it was mind-numbing and difficult, but after college I became fascinated with economics and am now taking the same course after work. I'm loving it. Not because I know it's helping me get into grad school, but because it's personally satisfying and I know the knowledge will come in handy one day. I also realized I prefer studying language by myself, so I got to improve my Japanese through talking with friends and colleagues, and watching Japanese TV. Ironically, it was being out of school that taught me how to learn. So go out, get a job, take some classes, stay involved in policy debates online and in person, and then apply to grad school after 2-3 years. I think you'll have a very different perspective on things and you'll find that your goals are much more well-informed and well-thought out. Just my two cents

I feel that access to the greater Columbia University alumni network gives SIPA the upper hand in that regard. In particular the international reach of alumni of various Columbia professional schools. Apart from SAIS and perhaps JHU's med school, I've heard from Hopkins grads that while Hopkins is well-respected on the East Coast, alumni are few and far between even in places as close as New York. But alumni of Columbia College and other professional schools at Columbia are important to me because I'm looking to leave the US and go into the private sector, and diversity of connections always helps. On the other hand, if you're focusing on NGO and public sector work, specifically working for the federal government in DC, SAIS is probably the better bet.

I wish I could agree with you IRToni, but trust me, my application will NEVER get funding. I had horrible grades, but good work experience, so it stands to reason that there would be a bit of controversy about my application. I'm afraid they're probably still just deliberating over those who they're on the fence about.

Personally, I've been very narrow-minded with my grad school applications. I am focusing on going into currency or political risk analysis in Japan, a country that I've been singularly involved with since college, where I've lived for several years while working with the government, and for whose government I currently work for at a foreign mission. I only applied to four schools that had four general things in common: international name-recognition and marketability, specifically in Tokyo; above average academic program and alumni network in Japan; strength of economics and finance classes, and above average record of private sector employment for graduates. The entire grad school idea has been predicated on making significantly more than I do now, in fact doubling my salary of 2 years ago within the next 3 years (my five year goal, which I now have 3 more years to achieve, is doubling my then average salary). I considered an MBA, which would be more applicable to the private sector in general, but given the specific field I wanted to break into, it seemed a big name IR degree with a heavy focus on economics and finance would not only leave me better prepared academically, but would give me the same if not better networking abilities as an MBA. I'm getting ready to live like a pauper during grad school and live fairly modestly afterwards in order to pay off debt, but I'm banking on an increased salary to help me do that in less than a decade, hopefully five years. One thing I learned from my sister, who went to a top law school and is now a federal prosecutor, is that it's good to keep your style of living in check early on in your career, so as to not pick up expensive habits that lock you into a certain job or field. Though she didn't have to deal with debt (full ride to one of the best law schools in the world; talk about big shoes to fill!) I think hers is a good example to follow.

Tenleytown is relatively cheap, and there are lots of AU students there who are looking to share apartments. Very suburban area, and completely safe. It's on the Metro Red Line, from which SAIS campus is about a 10 minute walk from the nearest station (DuPont Circle of Farragut North, I forget which one).

Just called to ask about weekend announcements. Straight to voicemail.