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International Development Applicants 2014/15 for SOAS, IHEID, LSE or Sciences Po?


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Posted

Hello Everyone, 

 

I am new on this forum, and specially on this site as well, as I am getting tired of waiting. I was hoping that some of those who have applied to Hertie might be able to help me out. I have applied there, and it has become my top choice eventually but I am kinda getting tired of waiting for a response since it has been more than one and a half month, (I applied by 30th Jan.) which is very long considering most people got their acceptances in about two weeks' time; my status still says under evaluation and I haven't gotten any rejection letter either so I was wondering if anyone can guide me as to when may I expect something? Should I keep waiting hopefully? Is this a good sign or a bad sign, should I email them or what? 

 

I see that you guys have cast your nets wider and I seem out of place here but any response or help will be appreciated :)

 

My best wishes to everyone!

Posted (edited)

Hello Everyone, 

 

I am new on this forum, and specially on this site as well, as I am getting tired of waiting. I was hoping that some of those who have applied to Hertie might be able to help me out. I have applied there, and it has become my top choice eventually but I am kinda getting tired of waiting for a response since it has been more than one and a half month, (I applied by 30th Jan.) which is very long considering most people got their acceptances in about two weeks' time; my status still says under evaluation and I haven't gotten any rejection letter either so I was wondering if anyone can guide me as to when may I expect something? Should I keep waiting hopefully? Is this a good sign or a bad sign, should I email them or what? 

 

I see that you guys have cast your nets wider and I seem out of place here but any response or help will be appreciated :)

 

My best wishes to everyone!

 

Hi FindingWays, welcome! Have you tried emailing / calling Hertie about your application? They're exemplary at responding to enquiries - prompt, helpful and friendly. In my case I submitted my application to Hertie on 14th February (my referees submitted their references on 17th and 20th February) and received my Offer of Admission on 27th February. As you mentioned, this appears to be the normal timeframe for applications to Hertie. I am still waiting on the results of my scholarship application, however.

 

Hertie has also been steadily climbing my list of preferences; the more I read and hear about it the more impressed I am - to the point that it's almost on par with IHEID in my book. Good luck!

Edited by mych
Posted

Hi FindingWays, welcome! Have you tried emailing / calling Hertie about your application? They're exemplary at responding to enquiries - prompt, helpful and friendly. In my case I submitted my application to Hertie on 14th February (my referees submitted their references on 17th and 20th February) and received my Offer of Admission on 27th February. As you mentioned, this appears to be the normal timeframe for applications to Hertie. I am still waiting on the results of my scholarship application, however.

 

Hertie has also been steadily climbing my list of preferences; the more I read and hear about it the more impressed I am - to the point that it's almost on par with IHEID in my book. Good luck!

Actually no, I haven't yet. I am usually inclined to fear the worst and I somehow think that me asking them will catalyze all the bad luck in my direction, silly I know, but ...

 

Although I guess that there's no harm in emailing when my most apt scholarship's deadline is also whooshing by. I think I will email them in a day or two max because this not knowing is more irritating. I will be brief and politely just ask about a time frame, hopefully that will work. Thanks for your response :)

Posted

Need your ideas and thoughts,

LSE or IHEID

 

LSE                                                        IHEID

1 years prorgam                                   2 years program

50,000 US dollar                                   Almost 70,000 US Dollars (assuming no scholarship)

Ranks: 2 in the world                           No Ranking in the world pool

 

 

Which one would you choose? 

Posted

Need your ideas and thoughts,

LSE or IHEID

 

LSE                                                        IHEID

1 years prorgam                                   2 years program

50,000 US dollar                                   Almost 70,000 US Dollars (assuming no scholarship)

Ranks: 2 in the world                           No Ranking in the world pool

 

 

Which one would you choose? 

How did you come up with those numbers? I've been crunching LSE vs Sciences Po lately I'm not including IHEID to not jinx myself but I was under the impression that Geneva was cheaper even after including cost of living.

 

Our Development Management program at LSE is roughly 18,000 pounds (30,000 US dollars) and IHEID will cost for 2 years 10,000 swiss francs (11,500 US dollars) you think it will cost more than 25,000 dollars a year to live in Geneva?!

Posted

How did you come up with those numbers? I've been crunching LSE vs Sciences Po lately I'm not including IHEID to not jinx myself but I was under the impression that Geneva was cheaper even after including cost of living.

 

Our Development Management program at LSE is roughly 18,000 pounds (30,000 US dollars) and IHEID will cost for 2 years 10,000 swiss francs (11,500 US dollars) you think it will cost more than 25,000 dollars a year to live in Geneva?!

Hello Alchyna.

This is the figure that my friend who went to LSE for his master and IHEID for his PhD, provided to me this morning.. 

Posted

How did you come up with those numbers? I've been crunching LSE vs Sciences Po lately I'm not including IHEID to not jinx myself but I was under the impression that Geneva was cheaper even after including cost of living.

 

Our Development Management program at LSE is roughly 18,000 pounds (30,000 US dollars) and IHEID will cost for 2 years 10,000 swiss francs (11,500 US dollars) you think it will cost more than 25,000 dollars a year to live in Geneva?!

 

IHEID estimates an annual living cost of CHF20,000 on their site, which is roughly USD22,700 (http://graduateinstitute.ch/home/admissions/prospective-students/tuition-financial-aid.html). While this strikes me as slightly conservative (my personal estimation is CHF24,000 / USD27,300 per year), those are the official figures. Having said that, my higher estimate may be due to the fact that I may remain in Switzerland even during breaks, whereas it follows that anyone spending their breaks in less expensive places would incurr lower costs for that period.

Posted (edited)

Hello Alchyna.

This is the figure that my friend who went to LSE for his master and IHEID for his PhD, provided to me this morning.. 

IHEID estimates an annual living cost of CHF20,000 on their site, which is roughly USD22,700 (http://graduateinstitute.ch/home/admissions/prospective-students/tuition-financial-aid.html). While this strikes me as slightly conservative (my personal estimation is CHF24,000 / USD27,300 per year), those are the official figures. Having said that, my higher estimate may be due to the fact that I may remain in Switzerland even during breaks, whereas it follows that anyone spending their breaks in less expensive places would incurr lower costs for that period.

 

Thanks you guys this is very enlightening! And all this time I was under the impression that Sciences Po and LSE would cost more overall. But then again can't compare a 1 year program to a 2 year one. But it is definitely making me pause and think twice about IHEID it's mighty expensive for a school virtually no one has heard of outside the IO bubble...

 

Maybe now that rejection email that is taking so much time to get to me will sting a bit less...

Edited by alchyna
Posted (edited)

I am still under consideration today (MA in International Law applicant). :(

Well I am stalking IHEID's facebook page and Ms Eicher is replying to a few students who like us are dying of anxiety just waiting day after day and here is what she replied: "We are processing every application one after the other, without consideration of admission status. Paola Eicher"

 

This explains why decisions are trickling in so slowly and doesn't mean that the rest of us were rejected... at least I hope not! Hang in there!

Edited by alchyna
Posted

Thanks you guys this is very enlightening! And all this time I was under the impression that Sciences Po and LSE would cost more overall. But then again can't compare a 1 year program to a 2 year one. But it is definitely making me pause and think twice about IHEID it's mighty expensive for a school virtually no one has heard of outside the IO bubble...

 

Maybe now that rejection email that is taking so much time to get to me will sting a bit less...

Alchyna, I am in the same boat..I was crazy about IHEID coz my dad went there and got his PhD...so wanted to continue family legacy..but now i am more leaning towards LSE for a year program..

Posted

Well I am stalking IHEID's facebook page and Ms Eicher is replying to a few students who like us are dying of anxiety just waiting day after day and here is what she replied: "We are processing every application one after the other, without consideration of admission status. Paola Eicher"

 

This explains why decisions are trickling in so slowly and doesn't mean that the rest of us were rejected... at least I hope not! Hang in there!

Thanks for posting the update! Hopefully we will hear soon. From what it sounds like though (from the recent FB posts) that we should definitely hear something by the end of business on March 15 - only a few more days!

Posted

I am really nervous that I am going to hear from all of programs on Friday. That would just be kind of cruel, unless I miraculously got into all of them. I did get into Georgetown though, I was notified yesterday. 

Posted

I am really nervous that I am going to hear from all of programs on Friday. That would just be kind of cruel, unless I miraculously got into all of them. I did get into Georgetown though, I was notified yesterday.

Congratulations for Georgetown :)

Posted

I am really nervous that I am going to hear from all of programs on Friday. That would just be kind of cruel, unless I miraculously got into all of them. I did get into Georgetown though, I was notified yesterday. 

Congratulations Katrun!

 

That's a great school :)  see it's not all bad news this week!

Posted

Tomorrow?!

 

 

Here's to hoping!

 

Posted

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is that your first choice, or are you still waiting on other schools??

 

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In my case, the admission module first gave me the decision, and the next day I received an email from IHEID.

I'm sure you'll get an email soon, but since only an official email from IHEID is binding, you should contact IHEID if the email doesn't arrive in a couple days.

 

Thanks! I am so torn.. I got into Public Policy at UCL and its my first choice yet I really wanna attend IHEID. Got into SOAS and City University as well. 

 

Best wishes to you!

Posted

Hello!

 

I have been a long time lurker (since October?) and I finally decided to make an account in gradcafe. I thought I would just drop in to say hi!

 

I applied to the joint program for SciencePo and LSE. I haven't heard back yet but hopefully I will soon!

 

Good luck to everyone here! You guys have been keep me company in this very long and stressful company :)

Posted

I am really nervous that I am going to hear from all of programs on Friday. That would just be kind of cruel, unless I miraculously got into all of them. I did get into Georgetown though, I was notified yesterday. 

Ah congrats! I applied through SFS and they're waiting until the 14th-15th like SAIS and IHEID to release results. I feel very much the same - that I'm going to hear from all three very close together at this point. :S

Posted (edited)

Alchyna, I am in the same boat..I was crazy about IHEID coz my dad went there and got his PhD...so wanted to continue family legacy..but now i am more leaning towards LSE for a year program..

Thanks you guys this is very enlightening! And all this time I was under the impression that Sciences Po and LSE would cost more overall. But then again can't compare a 1 year program to a 2 year one. But it is definitely making me pause and think twice about IHEID it's mighty expensive for a school virtually no one has heard of outside the IO bubble...

 

Maybe now that rejection email that is taking so much time to get to me will sting a bit less...

 

As much as I would love to go to LSE, I've been having some serious reservations about its Msc lately...

First, its program is very short (1 year), and on top of that it's program starts in October and ends in March. 

That's basically two three month-long terms, and you're out on the pasture writing your thesis.

 

Second, for most programs, you can only take, what, 5-6 modules.

I'm really skeptical that I can learn anything at all with those number of classes.

That's the number of courses I took in ONE quarter (UCs run on a qt system) as an undergrad

 

Third, I've been hearing a lot of horror stories.

It's normal to see former students disillusioned with a program. But LSE has WAY TOO MANY of this type of students.

Stories vary as well. Some students say faculty/student contact is limited. Some students say you can only meet with a faculty member a total of 4 times while writing your thesis. Some students talk about the general snobbish, corporate money-grubbing atmosphere there, and some complain about multiple faculty members teaching a single module, resulting in a fragmented course.  

 

 

BUT STILL, at the same time, I wouldn't hesitate to gamble with LSE if the opportunity came...

I'm sure the horror stories are exaggerated, and a lot of whining is going on.

As someone who went through public schools with ever shrinking funding, I'm sorta used to being a neglect case, so I won't cry too much at a school administration that doesn't give a shit about its students.

And b/c it's so short, I can still gain a postgraduate qualification without investing 2 years...which is probably bad for personal intellectual growth but good for professional prospects...

 

In my view, IHEID is the opposite of LSE in many ways. It seems like a school that actually cares about what its students learn, instead of churning out diplomas....

Edited by dpgu800
Posted

Thanks! I am so torn.. I got into Public Policy at UCL and its my first choice yet I really wanna attend IHEID. Got into SOAS and City University as well. 

 

Best wishes to you!

Wow! Respect!

I wish I could be in that happy position of hesitation!!

But they're all great schools... damn...

Posted

As much as I would love to go to LSE, I've been having some serious reservations about its Msc lately...

First, its program is very short (1 year), and on top of that it's program starts in October and ends in March. 

That's basically two three month-long terms, and you're out on the pasture writing your thesis.

 

Second, for most programs, you can only take, what, 5-6 modules.

I'm really skeptical that I can learn anything at all with those number of classes.

That's the number of courses I took in ONE quarter (UCs run on a qt system) as an undergrad

 

Third, I've been hearing a lot of horror stories.

It's normal to see former students disillusioned with a program. But LSE has WAY TOO MANY of this type of students.

Stories vary as well. Some students say faculty/student contact is limited. Some students say you can only meet with a faculty member a total of 4 times while writing your thesis. Some students talk about the general snobbish, corporate money-grubbing atmosphere there, and some complain about multiple faculty members teaching a single module, resulting in a fragmented course.  

 

 

BUT STILL, at the same time, I wouldn't hesitate to gamble with LSE if the opportunity came...

I'm sure the horror stories are exaggerated, and a lot of whining is going on.

As someone who went through public schools with ever shrinking funding, I'm sorta used to being a neglect case, so I won't cry too much at a school administration that doesn't give a shit about its students.

And b/c it's so short, I can still gain a postgraduate qualification without investing 2 years...which is probably bad for personal intellectual growth but good for professional prospects...

 

In my view, IHEID is the opposite of LSE in many ways. It seems like a school that actually cares about what its students learn, instead of churning out diplomas....

 

 

If you actually go to TSR (the student room; UK grad equivalent), it looks like a lot of the masters program in the UK are known more as "cash cows" and are not really respected in the UK.

 

This is quite saddening if you really think about it :(

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