SAIS Bologna

[MPPgal]

Any non US or EU internationals considering this school?

[FrenchO]

Any non US or EU internationals considering this school?

 

Well, I am considering SAIS, but the DC program not the Bologna one !

Though Bologna is a really cool city, I've already spent some time in Italy ^^

Edited April 2, 2013 by FrenchO

[flyingjellyfish]

@seekay22

 

I've talked to a few people at SAIS about this: Nelson, a professor in Bologna, and a friend who is a current student there. All of them emphasized that econ is definitely an integral part of the curriculum and students should have some interest in it and appreciation of its value. However, they all also stressed that it's not necessary to have a strong econ background to succeed. According to my friend there who does have a strong econ background, the core econ courses are much less calculus heavy than he experienced in undergrad and doable for people who are new to econ and calc. I think this is evidenced by the fact that you can even taken intro micro & macro econ in the summer before preterm. It seems that the only really econ heavy concentration is IDEV where you do have to come in with intermediate econ under your belt.

It seems like SAIS doesn't expect their entire entering class to be experts or even strong in econ and do welcome diversity. They do expect the graduating class to be well-versed in econ though after two years there. As someone who doesn't have much econ (I've taken principles of micro and macro),I'm looking forward to getting some training in it!

Edited April 2, 2013 by flyingjellyfish

[MPPgal]

Well, I am considering SAIS, but the DC program not the Bologna one !

Though Bologna is a really cool city, I've already spent some time in Italy ^^

Yeah, my issue is more about Bologna. And the internship-job opportunities it offers, hence why I was wondering. I guess I have ruled it out unless their openhouse next week blows my mind away. I just can´t justify spending 60+ per year while Georgetown and Austin gave me great offers!

[123seekay123]

@seekay22

 

I've talked to a few people at SAIS about this: Nelson, a professor in Bologna, and a friend who is a current student there. All of them emphasized that econ is definitely an integral part of the curriculum and students should have some interest in it and appreciation of its value. However, they all also stressed that it's not necessary to have a strong econ background to succeed. According to my friend there who does have a strong econ background, the core econ courses are much less calculus heavy than he experienced in undergrad and doable for people who are new to econ and calc. I think this is evidenced by the fact that you can even taken intro micro & macro econ in the summer before preterm. It seems that the only really econ heavy concentration is IDEV where you do have to come in with intermediate econ under your belt.

Thanks! It does sound doable.

I definitely want to take econ (and see its value - obviously), but I guess I'm a bit weary of a school that is known as the "quant-heavy school." Just want to make sure that there's room for other disciplines!

[JFactor]

Any non US or EU internationals considering this school?

 

Yeah, I'm an EU citizen and will most likely attend SAIS Bologna.

[MPPgal]

Yes precisely Im looking for neither, foreign residents of the 180 other countries that do not belong to the EU! Thanks though!

[JHUSAIS2015]

Johns Hopkins SAIS Group Page was created.

 

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

[Goose1459]

Johns Hopkins SAIS Group Page was created.

 

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

 

SAIS has said that the official facebook group would be created in May.

[JHUSAIS2015]

SAIS has said that the official facebook group would be created in May.

How about we use it for a month then?

I think it'll help some of us for sure.

[lacanadiense]

After doing some Googling, I stumbled upon an old SAIS Bologna blog, and was disturbed by this post in particular:

 

http://saisbcblog.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/show-me-the-money/

 

What do you all think of the ideas the author is expressing? I suppose that similar criticisms could be made of most private universities in the U.S.,  but the post still left me a little unsettled.

[hlove]

After doing some Googling, I stumbled upon an old SAIS Bologna blog, and was disturbed by this post in particular:

 

http://saisbcblog.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/show-me-the-money/

 

What do you all think of the ideas the author is expressing? I suppose that similar criticisms could be made of most private universities in the U.S.,  but the post still left me a little unsettled.

 

I got much more out of the post from reading the comments below which turned into a discussion about tuition cost, student satisfaction at BC and a real look at some of the negative and positives. I actually feel a little relived at hearing the not so good about SAIS Bologna and it hasn't changed my decision applying for the BC program over DC. 

Edited April 3, 2013 by hlove

[123seekay123]

After doing some Googling, I stumbled upon an old SAIS Bologna blog, and was disturbed by this post in particular:

 

http://saisbcblog.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/show-me-the-money/

 

What do you all think of the ideas the author is expressing? I suppose that similar criticisms could be made of most private universities in the U.S.,  but the post still left me a little unsettled.

Yikes. has anyone else gotten the sense that SAIS Bologna isnt helpful with career services?!

[MPPgal]

Yikes. has anyone else gotten the sense that SAIS Bologna isnt helpful with career services?!

yes, I had a very easy question Nelson couldnt answer, he said to contact the woman in charge of career services, he even forwarded my email, I then emailed her, and again and again this was 3 weeks ago she never responded

[DaniCM]

I think I'm most unnerved by the fact the school itself responded so strongly, seemingly feeling personally attacked, to a student's personal blog...If they don't have time to provide excellent career services and a responsive administration (which is apparently a current problem:

 

yes, I had a very easy question Nelson couldnt answer, he said to contact the woman in charge of career services, he even forwarded my email, I then emailed her, and again and again this was 3 weeks ago she never responded

 

How do they have time to argue with students via comments in a blog post?

 

A good friend of mine went to Bologna last year and is in DC this year. She only has the best things to say about SAIS and is trying to convince me it's worth paying sticker price for and passing up my scholarship from Fletcher. However, she's a Pickering fellow with the majority of her tuition covered. When she talks about Bologna, it's definitely about the people and the opportunity to travel...I haven't really heard much about the classes, professors, services, or campus itself. I should ask her about it.

[lacanadiense]

Yeah, something tells me that BC is almost a glorified study abroad - partying in Europe and spending a lot of time in hostels and on Ryanair. I had that sneaking suspicion even before reading that blog post and the comments. If that's an experience you want, and in the end you're able to get the same career benefits as those who spend two years in DC, then why not go for it, I suppose. For my part, I think I'm looking for something different for my grad school experience.   

[Kadisha]

I have a feeling that a lot of people are overthinking this entire process. 

 

Yes it's always a good idea to get different opinions and discuss things, but it shouldn't be this difficult people.

 

Look at the program. Look at the funding, and then look at your career objectives and see how they align with the school. It's not an exact science. If you don't feel that a certain program will live up to its expectations then you either shouldn't have applied there, or you should just stop considering it. 

[flyingjellyfish]

@lacanadiense- thanks for sharing!

@hlove - I did the exact same thing and had the same reaction.  It's good to weigh the cons too.

@Kadisha - I agree!

 

I found this blog post and comments interesting and it does reveal a darker side that I otherwise hadn't heard.  It's definitely good to have the cons to weigh as well.  Of course, all this is really about what you most want to get out of a program. I've noticed a lot of discussion on this forum about career services and job outcomes after grad school, which is definitely important especially at these professional programs and considering the still dire job market.  However, personally I'm more focused on the experience at a school- will I like my classes, learn new things from dynamic professors, be happy, and make good friends and colleagues.  I don't particularly want or expect my hand to be held on career services.  This may be because I went to a very big school for undergrad where career services provided no guidance or help to people in my major. I got my job after undergrad by forming strong connections with mentors and professors who steered me in the right direction and advocated for me.  I expect to do much of the same at SAIS and plan to reach out to alumni in jobs of interest to me.  I'm also hopeful that my 3.5+ years of work experience, much of which has been in public finance will help.

 

In my case, I'm looking forward to not being in bustling DC for two straight years.  I feel like moving to Bologna will ease me back into school along with an interesting experience, and I'm excited about the smaller community. Plus, I'll be closer to family in the UK, which is appealing to me since I'm currently very far (1000's of miles) from all of my family. Case in point that our grad school decisions are deeply personal and based on so many factors.  This blog post illuminates cons about the program, but hasn't derailed me from my decision.

[JFactor]

I can only speak from my own personal experience but everyone I've been in contact with (including career services) have been extremely helpful to me so far.

 

I think there are some misconceptions about Bologna. If you have a certain focus area (Asian Studies, US foreign policy etc.), Bologna is not the best place for you. To me it's quite obvious when you look at the curriculum. I'm not saying BC is horrible for these people (well maybe for Asian Studies people...), but not on par with other top-rated programs. I don't think this is a huge secret. So BC is definitely not for everyone.

 

Also, the cost is obviously a huge issue. If you're considering paying the full sticker price at SAIS (whether in DC or BC, doesn't matter), you really need to be extremely sure that the program is a great fit for you. I've heard only great things about BC in terms of academics, professor quality, and the connections you make with other students etc. But of course being in Bologna means that you can't do an internship like you can in DC - that's the summer and year two for BC students. But then again you can perhaps focus on your language skills more. And I haven't even mentioned "the softer" factors (being in Europe etc.).

 

So there are trade-offs that people must consider. I feel that the blog post was informative but it also came across as a little entitled (and I don't meant that in a derogatory way). If you're paying the full sticker price, you better be sure that you know what you're getting into. Also, the post was more about the extraordinary cost of US higher education overall and while I agree with the blogger that the situation is getting way out of hand, you knew that coming in to Bologna (or any other grad school of your choice). BC is not the best place for everyone and like flyingjellyfish said, there are many personal factors in play as well.

 

So I guess what I'm trying to say is this - SAIS for some reason has a really great reputation on this forum, especially when compared to let's say SIPA. So many of us who have been here for a while have been living in this kind of bubble with a very small sample size and we've constantly been reinforced that SAIS is awesome. But of course like with any other school, there are pros and cons. If I had a great scholarship from Fletcher or SIPA and no money from SAIS, I know the decision would be quite easy for me. SAIS seems to be an excellent school but it is not universally better than other top programs and Bologna is not a place for everyone.

[123seekay123]

In my case, I'm looking forward to not being in bustling DC for two straight years.  I feel like moving to Bologna will ease me back into school along with an interesting experience, and I'm excited about the smaller community. Plus, I'll be closer to family in the UK, which is appealing to me since I'm currently very far (1000's of miles) from all of my family. Case in point that our grad school decisions are deeply personal and based on so many factors.  This blog post illuminates cons about the program, but hasn't derailed me from my decision.

Very true, always good to hear about the cons. I think I got caught up in this forum's weird bubble that loves SAIS and kind of looks down on SIPA, haha!

I don't love the cost of Bologna, but it's expensive in DC. I'm sure it will be easy to make connections in Bologna, which intrigues me. Plenty of time to "hustle" in DC the second year

[lacanadiense]

I have a feeling that a lot of people are overthinking this entire process. 

 

Yes it's always a good idea to get different opinions and discuss things, but it shouldn't be this difficult people.

 

Look at the program. Look at the funding, and then look at your career objectives and see how they align with the school. It's not an exact science. If you don't feel that a certain program will live up to its expectations then you either shouldn't have applied there, or you should just stop considering it. 

 

I will not deny that I am overthinking this entire process.

 

Grad school is a huge investment of time and money, however, and unlike going to undergrad as an 18-year-old, there are a lot of other productive or more profitable ways I could be spending the next two years of my life. With SAIS-Bologna in particular, I don't have the luxury of visiting campus before committing, so blog posts from students who were actually there are invaluable resources. Plus, as other posters have mentioned, SAIS is so highly-regarded on this forum that it's good to hear the other side of the story! 

 

I was certainly not trying to denigrate the program as a whole. I am simply moving towards the conclusion that it's probably not for me.

[flyingjellyfish]

I've accepted  Anyone else?

[Kadisha]

I will not deny that I am overthinking this entire process.

 

Grad school is a huge investment of time and money, however, and unlike going to undergrad as an 18-year-old, there are a lot of other productive or more profitable ways I could be spending the next two years of my life. With SAIS-Bologna in particular, I don't have the luxury of visiting campus before committing, so blog posts from students who were actually there are invaluable resources. Plus, as other posters have mentioned, SAIS is so highly-regarded on this forum that it's good to hear the other side of the story! 

 

I was certainly not trying to denigrate the program as a whole. I am simply moving towards the conclusion that it's probably not for me.

 

My post was certainly not directed at you. I apologize if that's how it seemed. 

 

This is definitely an important decision that everyone should think about carefully. If you need clarification and advice ask away. I'm sure a lot of people don't have the luxury of everything lining up perfectly for one school that they had to take their offer. 

 

But for some it has turned into splitting hairs, and wanting other people here to make the decision for them because they cannot decide. It has come to the point where they would rather that strangers make the decision due to their inability to commit. Those are the people that I was talking to

[cckrspnl56]

Bologna '12 DC '13 here.

 

Just wanted to throw in a few things.

 

1) If it hasn't changed, your 2nd year funding is based 100% off of your 1st year GPA.  I'm *fairly* sure most of  the students who had 4.0s received full funding in DC.  I had a 3.65ish (A- average, give or take) and received 8k funding for my second year.  Your mileage may vary.

 

2) You need to take a solid look at what Bologna has to offer and how that is going to fit into your career path.  I was shocked to find out that students in my year came to Bologna expecting to study Mandarin, Asian Studies, and/or advanced finance courses.  As an AFP concentrator with a conc. in economic policy, I am more than satisfied with my course selection both in Bologna and DC.  That being said, I thought the economics courses were weaker in Bologna than in DC.  The reason for that is they typically hire on adjuncts semester-by-semester, and it's truly hit-or-miss if you get a great professor or not for a particular semester.

 

3) If one of your hesitations is "It sounds like a glorified study abroad trip," then Bologna probably isn't the place for you.  Yes, the Bologna crowd is younger, and yes, they probably are more functioning alcoholics than the DC group, but the academics are no less rigorous, no less exhausting, and no less challenging than their DC counterparts.  I looked at it as, "I get to spend the next year with 200 domestic and international students who voluntarily chose to explore/study/travel in another culture while undergoing the incredibly difficult at SAIS?  Yes, these are absolutely the people I want to spend my time with."

 

4) Tell the cute girl from Universita della pizza I say hello.

[deadhead47]

Thank you cckrspnl56 for the info!

 

I have a question for you if you don't mind.

 

Right now, I'm taking intro-level French and intermediate-level Macro Econ.

 

This summer, I'm gonna take an online course which covers intro-level Micro/Macro Econ which SAIS offers.

 

My question is, should I take Micro during the pre-term, and take the exam for Macro so that I can take other Econ classes instead during 2 years at SAIS?

 

I'm thinking whether I should challenge myself by finishing Micro/Macro requirement prior to the Fall semester and taking intermediate-level French, or take an easy pass of taking intro-level French and take Micro/Macro during the first year at Bologna so that I can boost up my GPA.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Something about me is that I'm not a quantitative type but not bad at math.

 

I don't have any scholarship right now so getting some funding for the 2nd year helps me a lot.

 

Also, I'm thinking about getting a job at an investment bank or consulting firm after SAIS (at least for a few years).