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


k_angie

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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....

Oh my!! This post is really shadowing a doubt about LSE  now..I am from London and LSE is very well respected in the UK and as well as outside the Europe..The only school outside the USA, that people heard and know beside Oxford and Cambridge is LSE..Even in the UK, getting admission to LSE is a big deal...So I would not fall for a rumours coz I have met an alumni and students who did their postgraduate from LSE, they had an amazing experience..I am accepted both in LSE and IHEID..now its time to compare pros and cons !!!

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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 :)

Welcome kittythrones!

Glad you are joining us and don't hesitate to participate! That double degree is super competitive I considered it but the cost in itself was a deterrent. Good luck!

 

Got accepted to IHEID Finally!!! Good luck guys 

 

Oh great! Congratulations Curious_Grad! Bringing some hope for a reply to the board.

 

You applied for the first round or second? I'm trying to see if any first rounders heard back finally

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Welcome kittythrones!

Glad you are joining us and don't hesitate to participate! That double degree is super competitive I considered it but the cost in itself was a deterrent. Good luck!

 

 

Oh great! Congratulations Curious_Grad! Bringing some hope for a reply to the board.

 

You applied for the first round or second? I'm trying to see if any first rounders heard back finally

Hey Alchyna, I applied for the second one!!! 

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Congrats to those finally hearing from Geneva. 

 

Thank you all for your well wishes. I know I am kind of an outsider as I only applied to Sciences Po, but that's for letting me hang out with y'all!

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Oh my!! This post is really shadowing a doubt about LSE  now..I am from London and LSE is very well respected in the UK and as well as outside the Europe..The only school outside the USA, that people heard and know beside Oxford and Cambridge is LSE..Even in the UK, getting admission to LSE is a big deal...So I would not fall for a rumours coz I have met an alumni and students who did their postgraduate from LSE, they had an amazing experience..I am accepted both in LSE and IHEID..now its time to compare pros and cons !!!

Indeed, it'd be a hard to decide btw the two!

I didn't mean to be a downer....but it's def hard to shed all that negative feedback from former students....

But then again a lot of that I've seen from thestudentroom.uk (I've even seen a thread titled "I fucking hate LSE" or something along that line hahaha)

I did hear from a LSE grad, and s/he didn't go as far as the haters but didn't have many good things to say about the program either...

That just might be b/c s/he is used to a US system where you're spoon-fed (or given ample student support, depending on the way you see it). 

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Congrats to those finally hearing from Geneva. 

 

Thank you all for your well wishes. I know I am kind of an outsider as I only applied to Sciences Po, but that's for letting me hang out with y'all!

Katrun, I also applied to Sciences Po for dual program with Peking University... After I got accepted by LSE, NYU, IHEID, I thought of withdrawing my application from Sciences Po.. Now confused between LSE and IHEID !!!! 

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Congrats to those finally hearing from Geneva. 

 

Thank you all for your well wishes. I know I am kind of an outsider as I only applied to Sciences Po, but that's for letting me hang out with y'all!

Ha ha you're not an outsider a LOT of us applied to Sciences Po as well but we don't talk about it much now because we already got our decisions... no excruciating wait like for IHEID!

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Indeed, it'd be a hard to decide btw the two!

I didn't mean to be a downer....but it's def hard to shed all that negative feedback from former students....

But then again a lot of that I've seen from thestudentroom.uk (I've even seen a thread titled "I fucking hate LSE" or something along that line hahaha)

I did hear from a LSE grad, and s/he didn't go as far as the haters but didn't have many good things to say about the program either...

That just might be b/c s/he is used to a US system where you're spoon-fed (or given ample student support, depending on the way you see it). 

I hear you what you mean..so whats ur final decision ? Taking IHEID or LSE offer ? I am leaning towards LSE...

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I hear you what you mean..so whats ur final decision ? Taking IHEID or LSE offer ? I am leaning towards LSE...

 

If you do decide to turn down IHEID, could you ask them to give the spot to me? :D

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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? 

 

70.000 USD for IHEID seems overstating things a lot, even if 1 CHF is 1.15 USD currently. IHEID itself says to budget 20,000 CHF/year, which honestly seems to grossly overestimate things.  I know I definitely did not spend as much while in Geneva!

 

Also, rankings are a fickle thing, because IHEID is so small, so young (it used to be, and still is for some purposes part of the University of Geneva).

 

I'm not saying to choose IHEID over LSE, because I think there can be a case made for each of these schools, just saying that I think the basis of comparison you brought up here is not very useful and even wrong!

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I hear you what you mean..so whats ur final decision ? Taking IHEID or LSE offer ? I am leaning towards LSE...

I'm still waiting on LSE, and I'm more inclined to go for LSE if I'm given the chance

(tho the acceptance rate for my program is close to 11%, so my chances are not great...)

It's b/c it's shorter, it's in London, and it's, after all, LSE

 

I'm applying straight out of undergrad (not much exp besides good internships), and I really need to be done with school fast and start getting full-time exp.

 

At the same time tho, IHEID just seems like an excellent school. I would think that even if it wasn't in Geneva.

Great faculty, great research, an appealing curriculum, super low tuition and many positive feedback from students...

 

But I would just be happy to be in a position to be deciding between the two, over all.  

Edited by dpgu800
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Congratulations Curious_Grad! Good luck to everyone in IHEID!

 

I had a friend that went to LSE and both siblings, sister and brother, loved it there. 

 

Hello Alchyna!  I actually don't know if it is competitive or not. My dream program is UCL to be honest - I've been waiting about 6 weeks. Worse comes to worse, we can all meet up in SciencePo and drink a lot of wine & cheese especially cheese. There is this amazingly pungent cheese that is sold in France that is superbly amazing but it costs a kidney in the US. 

 

I forgot to apply to the IMESS Supplementary Questionaire so I just filled it out yesterday. Hopefully, I will hear back soon. 

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Congrats on IHEID!

 

i applied to SAIS too. According to their website, the results are going to be released on March 14th(in my case Saturday morning). If i'm rejected then IHEID it is, if not, well, it's gonna be tough deciding which one to go...

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Thank you guys.. Really appreciated!! Anyone applied to SAIS ? heard anything from them ?

Congrats on IHEID!

 

i applied to SAIS too. According to their website, the results are going to be released on March 14th(in my case Saturday morning). If i'm rejected then IHEID it is, if not, well, it's gonna be tough deciding which one to go...

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Congrats on IHEID!

 

i applied to SAIS too. According to their website, the results are going to be released on March 14th(in my case Saturday morning). If i'm rejected then IHEID it is, if not, well, it's gonna be tough deciding which one to go...

Gotcha!! Thanks Cai..You have IHEID..so go with it :D 

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Gotcha!! Thanks Cai..You have IHEID..so go with it :D

Congrats on IHEID!

 

i applied to SAIS too. According to their website, the results are going to be released on March 14th(in my case Saturday morning). If i'm rejected then IHEID it is, if not, well, it's gonna be tough deciding which one to go...

Let's just say that Geneva is wayyyy better to live in than Baltimore! I'd stick with IHEID!

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