k0852s Posted March 21, 2011 Posted March 21, 2011 The quantitative is so heavy at SAIS! I also got that impression after looking at the courses. So, is that good or bad? How much quant does an IR/IDEV person has to do on a daily basis?
ignoble.yeti Posted March 21, 2011 Posted March 21, 2011 hello, i've been admitted to sais for the MA program. i have a few questions about it: -i didn't ask for aid thinking it'll lower my chances of admission. can i now ask for aid? -i'm from india and i'd like to return to india after finishing the program. NehAgg, or anyone else have any idea what kind of career options i'd have after my return? i'm not very keen on the indian foreign service. -i did my undergrad (computer science) at johns hopkins and was offered a $70,000 job in the US. however, i declined it and returned to india. so if i were to look for a job in the private sector in the US again after sais, what field should i be aiming for? what kind of compensation should i expect? i'm looking to focus on south asian studies and either strategic studies or conflict management. -considering all of the above, should i accept the sais offer? or should i work more and apply for an mba (i'm 22)? i'm more interested in international relations, but mba seems to be a more practical option. thanks!
indyir Posted March 22, 2011 Author Posted March 22, 2011 Hi ! As for Indians, i do not know many who got into Hopkins and came back to India, cos frankly in IR job opportunities rae leser in India, majority are in non profit and the UN offices are all in Delhi. Everyone i do know works for either the World Bank or the UN in the US keeping that in your mind, i think it is safe to think of a compensation of around 50,000 though it nmay vary accoridng to your experience and job preference . in the private sector you can look for consultancy jobs specializing in south Asia. Though im not aware of the exact compensation you could expect, website of sais states that median is around 60,000 $. But honestly opportunities back in India are less as of now, but I have a feeling they will increase in the future.
JAC16 Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 Is there any current or prospective SAIS student that could tell me more about these What percentage of students get them? What is the amount of $ they usually entail? In my case, SAIS did give me money, and the second year is guaranteed provided that I get some reasonable level of GPA. I cant speak of the ability to pay off upon graduation. I thing the best thing to do is to look at average starting salary report on the career services website. I do know there are plenty of opportunities to work while in Bologna, but of course, its only min wage. It helps pay for incidentals. Throughout the year, the school periodically informs the students of fellowship opportunities. Internships can pay as well. if you are especially motivated, you can try to take 5 courses/semester, one in the summer, and thus finsih a semester early? I dont know if this is allowed (or even physically feasible), but if its possible, you can save a whole semester's worth of costs. (you dont get charged extra for taking 5 courses versus 4). Also... in a related topic... Are RAships at SAIS only handed out by professors in a discretionary basis? How common are they for MA students? Finally... I think someone already asked this, but I haven't seen an answer for the question... What happens with the money given to prospective students that decide no to attend? Is this money used for second year fellowships? or even better to expand the fellowships of some students for the first year? JAC16 1
SaraDC Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 Finally... I think someone already asked this, but I haven't seen an answer for the question... What happens with the money given to prospective students that decide no to attend? Is this money used for second year fellowships? or even better to expand the fellowships of some students for the first year? 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.
ajc777 Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 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. Hmm, I'm concerned now... I have a "bologna fellowship" which I thought was a the same as a scholarship, as well as two federal loans. Are you saying the fellowship is really just another loan?
SaraDC Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 Hmm, I'm concerned now... I have a "bologna fellowship" which I thought was a the same as a scholarship, as well as two federal loans. Are you saying the fellowship is really just another loan? 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!
LCAlum Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 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. I had the same thing happen to me. I received an e-mail saying that I had been "awarded" financial aid, only to find out after two days of battling the Johns Hopkins computer system that my "award" was a loan. Awesome. Bankruptcy here I come! Since we're on the subject, does anyone know if there is more financial aid (fellowships, scholarships, grants, etc.) available to students entering their second year? I remember reading something from the Georgetown website saying that while only 20% get aid for the first year, 70% get it the second year. I don't think I saw anything like this for SAIS but my internet connection isn't the best right now. I did e-mail them a few days ago but no one has replied yet.
ignoble.yeti Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 thanks for your response, NehAgg! also, i need to complete the macroeconomics prerequisite prior to attending SAIS and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for an online self-paced course for the same? will straighterline be acceptable?
prabbit Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 Fyi - Berkely offers an online self-paced one that I've been considering - I'll only go for it if I decide to go to SAIS... thanks for your response, NehAgg! also, i need to complete the macroeconomics prerequisite prior to attending SAIS and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for an online self-paced course for the same? will straighterline be acceptable?
ignoble.yeti Posted March 26, 2011 Posted March 26, 2011 Fyi - Berkely offers an online self-paced one that I've been considering - I'll only go for it if I decide to go to SAIS... Is this the one: http://extension.berkeley.edu/cat/course323.html
jpb310 Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 Is anybody attending pre-term? I'm told most first-year students attend, but I'm a little skeptical.
Jettinger Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 Is anybody attending pre-term? I'm told most first-year students attend, but I'm a little skeptical. was wondering about that as well, if anyone has more information about it
SaraDC Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 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.
cckrspnl56 Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 Why are you skeptical? I'm definitely doing both the DC and Bologna pre-term. DC to get re-acquainted with math (and, more importantly, freeing up 2 of my 16 classes to focus on my concentration OR be able to specialize in international development or finance within the econ concentration). Bologna to pick up basic Italian and to make important relationships for that year.
SaraDC Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 Why are you skeptical? I'm definitely doing both the DC and Bologna pre-term. DC to get re-acquainted with math (and, more importantly, freeing up 2 of my 16 classes to focus on my concentration OR be able to specialize in international development or finance within the econ concentration). Bologna to pick up basic Italian and to make important relationships for that year. Sounds like a good plan!
jpb310 Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 Do students typically take both the micro and macro-econ pre-term offerings? That would be optimal as it would let me free up my first semester, but i read on the SAIS website that it's a very difficult undertaking. Any thoughts?
SaraDC Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 (edited) Do students typically take both the micro and macro-econ pre-term offerings? That would be optimal as it would let me free up my first semester, but i read on the SAIS website that it's a very difficult undertaking. Any thoughts? 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? Edited March 29, 2011 by SarahL
indyir Posted March 29, 2011 Author Posted March 29, 2011 Hi Sarah , have you decided yet ? I am almost sure I am taking up Hopkins and the maths pre-term . Does anyone know anything about the best housing options for Hopkins ? I am mainly looking for Group housing maximum is 700-800 dollars - is that too less ?
ajc777 Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 Everything I've heard is that taking both Econ classes in one pre-term is borderline impossible/ extremely stressful. If I go I'll probably try to knock out one econ in DC, but haven't decided if I'd rather take the other econ in Bologna or do the intensive Italian. Seems like the intensive italian would be pretty valuable for the year, especially if you're not taking italian in the regular language classes.
apsuwa Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 It's really interesting to see some people here who have discovered only after being admitted to SAIS that it is indeed a quant-heavy program, or others who are wondering about what to do with an MA degree after graduation... charlotte_asia and JAC16 1 1
Jettinger Posted March 30, 2011 Posted March 30, 2011 It seems to me that if you're a native English speaker, and Economics undergrad, the most sensible option is to study, take the waiver exams, and skip pre-term. Thoughts?
SaraDC Posted March 30, 2011 Posted March 30, 2011 It seems to me that if you're a native English speaker, and Economics undergrad, the most sensible option is to study, take the waiver exams, and skip pre-term. Thoughts? Hmm... probably depends on how long ago you graduated. Do you use your econ background in your current job? To be honest, I minored in econ and graduated in '07, but I'm not "fresh" enough to hit the ground running in an intermediate macro/micro course. But this might not be the case for you. Also, there is an argument to be made for attending pre-term purely from a social standpoint - so you should probably consider this as well when you make your decision.
jpb310 Posted March 30, 2011 Posted March 30, 2011 Hmm... probably depends on how long ago you graduated. Do you use your econ background in your current job? To be honest, I minored in econ and graduated in '07, but I'm not "fresh" enough to hit the ground running in an intermediate macro/micro course. But this might not be the case for you. Also, there is an argument to be made for attending pre-term purely from a social standpoint - so you should probably consider this as well when you make your decision. I agree. I currently work in the financial services industry and majored in finance and had a very heavy econ courseload in undergrad, but I'm still not 100% confident in my ability to take an intermediate econ course in stride. I'm almost certain I'll be taking the micro and math pre-term courses. So i guess I'll see you guys July 25th!
argonaut Posted April 1, 2011 Posted April 1, 2011 Another '07 grad here. I don't use econ in my job, but am planning to study up and test out because I don't want to repeat material I studied seriously as an undergrad. Let me know if anyone wants to make a DC econ study group this spring/summer.
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