SAIS application for Fall 2013

[hlove]

Always good to hear from my fans! I certainly don't take your comments personally. Now that everyone seems to be over their indignation regarding my valentine to Revolution and the fact that it worked, I'm glad to get back to the point of this forum. Thanks for asking about SAIS and I'll share my impressions with you by PM so that I can speak more candidly. I'm taking a day to reflect and gather my thoughts so that I might present a more thoughtful evaluation.

 

Cool, I look forward to hearing about your visit!

[riverguide]

My visit to SAIS last week:

 

Rather than providing the info by PM I am going to publish it. Most of the info is generic and for any in the Strat program, I will provide details by PM. Of course, if there are any other specific questions I will answer them by PM. I will say that the students and professors could not have been warmer to me, especially Professors Habeck and McLaughlin:

 

Johns Hopkins SAIS

 

Location/Campus

• The SAIS campus consists of several buildings along Massachusetts Avenue. It is wedged between various embassies, including Papua New Guinea, Chile, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and think tanks such as the Brookings Institute, the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, the Peterson Institute, and the Center for Global Development. The Middle East Institute is one block from SAIS. 
• SAIS DC is an urban compact campus without exercise amenities. It does have showers.
• I stayed at the Embassy Row Courtyard Marriott and received the SAIS discount (clear this by phone at the time you make your reservation). Rooms were $259 a night (parking is an additional $25 a night) and it was a 2 minute walk to campus. There are cheaper rooms at other hotels but they fill up quickly. There are also some boutique hotels in the area, with quality rooms and food, albeit with bathrooms located down the hall.
• Great location for socializing and grabbing a meal with friends after class. SAIS is a 2-minute walk from the Front Page and James Hoban’s Irish Bar & Restaurant.
• Each building has tight security. First-time visitors must sign in and show their driver’s licenses at the front desk. In some cases, you may still be denied entry without a scheduled appointment with the faculty. I suggest printing off your admissions offer and presenting it with your driver's license. Name dropping the administrator you contacted helps as well.
• Most buildings at SAIS will be a 2-5 minute walk from the Dupont Circle Metro Station and several bus stops.
• The Rome Building has bright and visually appealing colors inside. Elevators are quick and reliable. Each floor consists of a small hallway with either regional studies offices or large classrooms on each end. There are 3-4 small to medium-sized classrooms in the middle of each hallway. Classrooms consist of either 3-10 rows of long, horizontal tables or a roundtable for smaller classes. The Strategic Studies office looked nice from the outside, but I was unable to tour the office because neither Eliot Cohen nor Thomas Keany were at SAIS that day.
• The Nitze Building is my favorite building. The lobby is spacious and filled with comfortable couches. It has one flat screen showing different news stations, including Al-Jazeera and CNN, and another flat screen listing weekly events at SAIS and other institutions. The lobby connects to the Kenney Auditorium, which usually hosts a variety of job and graduate school fairs, academic forums, and other events. The lobby also connects to the medium-sized cafeteria. I am unable to comment on the food, but I heard that SAIS is updating the cafeteria this summer. One floor below the lobby, there is a kitchen, set of showers, and a game room/chill area. A couple floors above the lobby, there is a large library, silent study area, and computer lab. Elevators are quick and reliable.
• The SAIS Job Fair: This is the second job fair I have attended in DC, in my field, during this academic year. When I mentioned that I was attending SAIS, it was as if I had waived a magic wand. Recruiters gave me their personal cards, personal follow-up interviews and much greater attention. Consulting firms (top 5) offered paid internships and said they would work around my classes. There were grads and students from other top schools who weren't getting the same attention. SAIS was the magic word. I put it on my resume and it opened a lot of doors. I have been delayed in posting this because of all of the summer job applications, paid internship applications and other paperwork I've had to fill out. Most of them require newly updated LORs.

Classes

• Classes usually occur once a week and last around 2-2 ½ hours. Some classes offer afternoon and evening options. One of the classes I attended met at either 2:15-4:15 PM or at 6-8PM on Tuesday.
• Some classes are very insular and appear to be military or current government employee only.
• SAIS uses the Blackboard program for many classes.
• Class sizes can range from 5-50 students depending on the professor and classroom. Most students arrive 30 minutes before class.
• Classes require a significant amount of reading and multiple 1-2-page policy memos every week. One example would be an 800-word policy memo in Courier 10 point font.
• Some classes also have big group projects. One student told me that they recently had to form groups, write a 25-page brief on a specific country, and present their finished product to the class the following week.
• Standard language classes take you up to the high Mid-level. There are a paucity of dialect classes offered. Students who want advanced language training from advanced Mid to Superior are dealt with on an ad hoc basis, usually through media classes where open source media is presented and quick summaries and analyses must be promptly made. Outside referrals are also made but one student expressed disappointment with those options. SAIS tailors individual advanced language packages, in house, for advanced speakers. I received the impression that an intermediate mid or high will sail you through the language qualification.
• The age range for the students was all over the board. I am just out of undergrad. There were some wunderkinds who looked like they were just out of high school and there were some  students who could have been my grandfather. The medium age appeared to be in the upper 20s to mid 30s. The student body has a large international make-up. All were bright, engaged, very warm to me, included me in their humor, and very committed -naturally! In each class, and before class (everyone shows up 30 minutes early) most students engaged me. It was very warm and the students were very inclusive. However, I had the impression that the students in each department are somewhat insular in socializing. Strat students hang out with Strat students, etc...
• For Strat studies, there are three all inclusive staff rides paid for by the school each year. Two are domestic and one is international. The international trip this year was a week spent in Viet Nam. Everyone including most of the profs attended the staff ride in Viet Nam. I do not know whether other departments offer these trips.

Professors/Classes

• Most professors will allow class visits pursuant to notice and correspondence with the SAIS admissions office (with me it was 12-24 hours notice). All responded with very kind emails. You  first have to contact the front office in your department. Telling them you've been admitted gets you through the Chinese Wall. Responses were quick. They ask that you follow-up with a direct request to the professor. I did so with a short introduction and attached my resume. All of the professors gave me lots of personal time either before, during the class break or after class.
• Some teachers prefer to lecture with limited discussion while others alternate between lecture and discussion with their students a la the Socratic method. One teacher literally lectured for 2 hours and used a single PowerPoint slide. The lecture was so fascinating that it seemed like it was 15 minutes. Another teacher started with a movie clip, outlined its key points on a dry erase board, expanded on the topic with a brief lecture interspersed with jokes and personal anecdotes, and ended with a class discussion.
• Former government officials enrich each class with personal anecdotes related to the subject matter. I can provide examples in PMs.
• Academically focused faculty supplement each class with new information from their ongoing research in a related field.
• The professors are down-to-earth and friendly towards first-time visitors. I was surprised at the degree of access that I had to each professor.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Edited March 31, 2013 by riverguide

[intlrlns]

Did they mention free tacos on thursday happy hours at Front Page?  I was a dedicated fan. 
 

• Great location for socializing and grabbing a meal with friends after class. SAIS is a 2-minute walk from the Front Page and James Hoban’s Irish Bar & Restaurant.

[riverguide]

Did they mention free tacos on thursday happy hours at Front Page?  I was a dedicated fan. 

 

 

 

No, I left on Wednesday; but I'll treat you to a taco there on Thursday

[flyingjellyfish]

Thanks riverguide! This was super helpful!

[hlove]

Riverguide,

 

Were there any cons to your trip, the school, or the program that you saw or another student mentioned?

[riverguide]

Riverguide,

 

Were there any cons to your trip, the school, or the program that you saw or another student mentioned?

 

Thanks for the question!

 

CONS: Of course, the non campus-like atmosphere of the DC location. The real cons and these shouldn't be a surprise to any of us are the large amount of work assigned, the high expectations and the overachieving peer group that ups the individual performance anxiety/pucker-factor to 9.5 on the Richter scale, lol. To some, these may be what you're looking for. They are exactly what I'm looking for. Given that most of us are shooting for the moon with regard to career placement, I can understand why the recruiters demonstrated such a profound interest in the SAIS grads and students at the multi-school Job Fair held at SAIS Tuesday evening. It appears to be the perfect boot camp to hone your career skills and language abilities. Getting admitted appears to be the easy part.

Edited March 31, 2013 by riverguide

[Revolution]

Wow. Thanks for your super informative write-up.

 

When you say "top 5 consulting firms" i assume you meant firms in the defense/government consulting sector?

 

 

Thanks for the question!

 

CONS: Of course, the non campus-like atmosphere of the DC location. The real cons and these shouldn't be a surprise to any of us are the large amount of work assigned, the high expectations and the overachieving peer group that ups the individual performance anxiety/pucker-factor to 9.5 on the Richter scale, lol. To some, these may be what you're looking for. They are exactly what I'm looking for. Given that most of us are shooting for the moon with regard to career placement, I can understand why the recruiters demonstrated such a profound interest in the SAIS grads and students at the multi-school Job Fair held at SAIS Tuesday evening. It appears to be the perfect boot camp to hone your career skills and language abilities. Getting admitted appears to be the easy part.

[riverguide]

Wow. Thanks for your super informative write-up.

 

When you say "top 5 consulting firms" i assume you meant firms in the defense/government consulting sector?

 

Answered by PM.

[bejis]

• The SAIS Job Fair: This is the second job fair I have attended in DC, in my field, during this academic year. When I mentioned that I was attending SAIS, it was as if I had waived a magic wand. Recruiters gave me their personal cards, personal follow-up interviews and much greater attention. Consulting firms (top 5) offered paid internships and said they would work around my classes. There were grads and students from other top schools who weren't getting the same attention. SAIS was the magic word. I put it on my resume and it opened a lot of doors. I have been delayed in posting this because of all of the summer job applications, paid internship applications and other paperwork I've had to fill out. Most of them require newly updated LORs.

Thanks for the very informative summary. Could you please elaborate on this note? Which schools in particular are you referring to?

[Revolution]

Got it. Thanks.

 

 

Answered by PM.

[riverguide]

Thanks for the very informative summary. Could you please elaborate on this note? Which schools in particular are you referring to?

 

PM sent.

[ansac111]

Wow. Thanks for your super informative write-up.

 

When you say "top 5 consulting firms" i assume you meant firms in the defense/government consulting sector?

Thanks for the very informative summary. Could you please elaborate on this note? Which schools in particular are you referring to?

 

 

PM sent.

Hi Riverguide, could you please PM this info to me as well?

[lacanadiense]

Hi Riverguide, could you please PM this info to me as well?

 

Me too, please!

[Hopefulodi]

Me three, please!

[JHUSAIS2015]

Johns Hopkins SAIS Group Page was created.

 

https://www.facebook...56073324553450/

[123seekay123]

For people who had specific questions about SAIS, how did you go about contacting them? I would imagine the admissions office is swamped right now. Will we be able to talk to people individually at the open houses? how do you contact individual students (I feel like this would be most helpful). 

 

some of this has been discussed before, but here goes:

1. Is there space for more humanitarian interested type students, or is SAIS generally geared towards the econ crowd?

2. how does SAIS compare to Fletcher in terms of career services and advice?

3. Is career services and the alumni network helpful?

4. Do the Bologna students feel isolated and have a hard time getting internships in the summer before D.C.?

 

Thanks!

[MPPgal]

I asked question 4 they didnt manage to answer all they said was our students do summer internships everywhere in the world, so I asked for statistics, they didnt have them!

[Revolution]

I asked question 4 they didnt manage to answer all they said was our students do summer internships everywhere in the world, so I asked for statistics, they didnt have them!

 

SAIS is awful when it comes to answering questions on career placement. My guess is they're embarrassed about the fact that most SAIS students don't get good jobs coming out. Don't even bother e-mailing Bahar at admissions. She's one of the least helpful people I have ever had contact with.

[flyingjellyfish]

Revolution, I'm sorry to hear again that you've had a bad experience getting info from SAIS... That hasn't been my experience at all, though I got into Bologna-DC, not the full two years in DC. 

 

I recently received an email (unsolicitated by me) from a recent (2011) SAIS graduate.  He explained that he's a SAIS alum working to connect admits to recent graduates so that we can better understand where SAIS students work after graduation and how SAIS helped them get there.  He currently works at the World Bank where a lot of SAIS graduates end up and was very open in sharing about his experience when I followed up with questions.  He's also going to follow-up with contact info for someone who did the concentration I'm considering. 

 

My experience with SAIS admissions has been nothing but helpful and positive.  Since being admitted, I've had contact with 7 different people at SAIS who have each answered my specific questions within 24 hours.

 

Also, I recommend the SAIS Bologna blog here: http://saisbolognaadmissions.blogspot.fr/

Lots of good info there if you haven't already checked it out. 

[123seekay123]

Revolution, I'm sorry to hear again that you've had a bad experience getting info from SAIS... That hasn't been my experience at all, though I got into Bologna-DC, not the full two years in DC. 

 

I recently received an email (unsolicitated by me) from a recent (2011) SAIS graduate.  He explained that he's a SAIS alum working to connect admits to recent graduates so that we can better understand where SAIS students work after graduation and how SAIS helped them get there.  He currently works at the World Bank where a lot of SAIS graduates end up and was very open in sharing about his experience when I followed up with questions.  He's also going to follow-up with contact info for someone who did the concentration I'm considering. 

 

My experience with SAIS admissions has been nothing but helpful and positive.  Since being admitted, I've had contact with 7 different people at SAIS who have each answered my specific questions within 24 hours.

 

Also, I recommend the SAIS Bologna blog here: http://saisbolognaadmissions.blogspot.fr/

Lots of good info there if you haven't already checked it out. 

Thanks, that's all very helpful. Would you mind pm-ing me this alum's email? (Or asking if he doesn't mind talking to other admits)

[fuzzylogician]

SAIS is awful when it comes to answering questions on career placement. My guess is they're embarrassed about the fact that most SAIS students don't get good jobs coming out. Don't even bother e-mailing Bahar at admissions. She's one of the least helpful people I have ever had contact with.

Please stop posting these negative comments. They help no one and they make the conversation very unpleasant.

[grad20121979]

I'm a current SAIS student. Feel free to message me with specific questions. Also, it helps if you contact the department you are interested in and ask to speak to a current student or alumni.

[Revolution]

Did anyone go to the SAIS open house in D.C. yesterday? How was it? Your thoughts?

[MPPgal]

Posted them in the bologna website, good but not a good fit for me