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

[kittythrones]

It is probably even worse. I don't understand. International students in the US are given at least 6 months to land a job in the US after they graduate. This means that if we want to get a job in the UK, you better land an internship the moment it hits September. The moment it hits January, you better be lobbying HR for a job and / or looking for jobs that has the sponsorship, while at the same time, you have to get high marks and still do an internship or research. 

 

It is like they are trying to send the signal, Oh, you are good enough to apply and go to school here, and yes, we will charge you an exorbitant amount of money too. NEVERTHELESS, you are not good enough to work here.

 

It is like being demoted from "girlfriend" status to f*ckbuddy status. It is pretty insulting and not to say the least, demoralizing. 

Edited March 19, 2014 by kittythrones

[alchyna]

It is like being demoted from "girlfriend" status to f*ckbuddy status. It is pretty insulting and not to say the least, demoralizing.

LMAO ok this random analogy cracked me up... hilarious! Thanks for the laugh kitty god knows we need to lighten up a bit!

[oriole]

It is probably even worse. I don't understand. International students in the US are given at least 6 months to land a job in the US after they graduate. This means that if we want to get a job in the UK, you better land an internship the moment it hits September. The moment it hits January, you better be lobbying HR for a job and / or looking for jobs that has the sponsorship, while at the same time, you have to get high marks and still do an internship or research. 

 

It is like they are trying to send the signal, Oh, you are good enough to apply and go to school here, and yes, we will charge you an exorbitant amount of money too. NEVERTHELESS, you are not good enough to work here.

 

It is like being demoted from "girlfriend" status to f*ckbuddy status. It is pretty insulting and not to say the least, demoralizing. 

While your analogy is apt and funny it's also making me slightly panic about my future aaaaaa any chance the current UK government will change its visa policies to be more flexible for foreign students?? (lol extremely unlikely but one can always hope..)

[kittythrones]

I am glad that I was able to crack you guys up . Thank you, thank you! Remember to always tip your baristas! Your tips are what keeps them off the pole.

 

Don't worry, I am totally joining you guys in the freaking out department. In February, I wanted to apply to an IB internship for the summer in the UK and then land another internship for Sept. Everyone, including my advisor, was all, DON"T DO IT! WAIT UNTIL YOU GET INTO THE BLOODY COUNTRY BEFORE YOU PLAN OUT THE NEXT 4 YEARS OF YOUR LIFE!!!!! IT WILL BE EASY TO GET A JOB IN THE UK!!

 

= _ = The one time in my life I decided to listen to other's people advice rather than ignore them as I normally do, I hear about this = _ =. FML. *head...meet wall. Wall, meet head.* Both of you will be very well acquainted with one another for the next year.

 

I want to throw my spleen at them for even breathing in my direction now. 

 

> - > How vindictive do you guys think it would be for me to forward them this article and subtly thinking in my head, I TOLD YOU SO.

 

I sincerely doubt the UK govt is going to ease up on work visa. The UK citizens are already complaining about how their graduate programs are predominately 45-55% filled with international students and taking up UK citizens' spots. 

[Hmcg]

Hello people, 

                        I have a question. If you compare Masters in International Affairs from IHEID and Masters in International Development from Science Po, which one would you suggest as a better option ? (considering reputation, carrer oppurtunities, student life and value for money). Also, where would Masters in International Relations from Diplomatic Academy of Vienna stand (considering the above criteria)? Your opnion will be of great help, thanks! 

Edited March 19, 2014 by Hmcg

[ZakV]

Hello people, 

                        I have a question. If you compare Masters in International Affairs from IHEID and Masters in International Development from Science Po, which one would you suggest as a better option ? (considering reputation, carrer oppurtunities, student life and value for money). Also, where would Masters in International Relations from Diplomatic Academy of Vienna stand (considering the above criteria)? Your opnion will be of great help, thanks! 

 

K_Angie may reply to this because she is looking to pick between these two universities aswell (although she's doing the Mdev) .

[IRToni]

I personally only studied at IHEID, though I have friends at SciPo, Hertie and LSE. I also switched from interdisciplinary to disciplinary program at IHEID, so only took like one week of MIA classes. Chose IHEID over Yale Jackson, Oxford (MA IR) and JHU SAIS.

 

I would say IHEID's pros are:

1. Low tuition

2. Proximity to UN etc.: Everyone I know who has tried to land a UN internship (although most of these are unpaid) was able to get one, either over the summer, part-time during the school year, or in the fourth semester. While IHEID doesn't actively help you, the name opens a lot of doors especially in Geneva, I would say.

3. Professors are very accessible, and you might be able to study with some of the best in the discipline (Biersteker, Baldwin). Many also do government or IO consulting. If you're in the inter-disciplinary Masters, though, this is somewhat less true than in the disciplinary M.A. (see below).

4. Exchange programs, also off the beaten path (many in Asia, Africa, Latin America).

5. Small class sizes (in MIA, MDev after first semester). Mostly you will be with 20 or less people in a class, and many classes are heavily discussion-based.

6. Amazing guest faculty, many lecture series etc., also due to our location in Geneva.

7. We're a small institute, and I would say that the atmosphere is very nice, and very familiar.

8. Depending on your interests, we have some courses that are hard to find elsewhere, and generally, our selection of courses, while not as extensive as at larger schools, has been quite wide.

 

IHEID's cons:

1. Career services is useless, for the most part. I know that Hertie does help its students a fair deal, compared to that, our CS department sucks. They're hiring someone new, though, so hopefully starting next semester, it will be better.

2. In MIA and MDev, you have huge classes in your first semester (Stats is 140, e.g., most others are 50-70, I guess), and you might have to repeat some stuff that you've done before, since these classes are designed to bring everyone up to speed.

3. Compared to (especially) many of our state-side peers, we have more people with traditional backgrounds, and less work experience, I would say. While that shows in our classes, many of which are quite demanding, you also don't get as much of a practitioners' perspective as you might elsewhere.

4. (this is controversial) For many professors, the inter-disciplinary departments are not a priority, so you might not get as much support from them as you would in a disciplinary program. It is also decidedly hard to enter an IHEID PhD program with an interdisciplinary IHEID M.A. If you want a professional career, this might not be a big problem.

5. Grading! Grading at IHEID is uneven at best, and translating Swiss grades back into any other system is a mess. Most employers won't care about this a great deal, but it's something to keep in mind, I would say.

6. We're a small school, and while this has many advantages, we do not have the infrastructure many large schools (especially in the US) have. We have a new building, which is a huge improvement over the situation before (we now actually have a cafeteria, e.g.), and we can partake in UniGe's sports facilities etc. (though they are kinda far away), but we still definitely do not have the infrastructure of larger universities. At the same time, we are kind of isolated, and if you want to immerse yourself in (local) Geneva as a city, you have to extend some effort. Otherwise, it's very easy to stay in the IHEID bubble, possibly branching out only to the international UN interns community (if that...).

7. You should not bet on getting the coveted exchange spots (especially US). Many more people than we have spots apply, and it ends up being very much based on your grades, which means it depends a fair share on luck (which professor did you have your first semester). Also, IHEID has had trouble in the past with our academic partnerships (not being able to send students after agreeing to etc.). This ties into the administration, which I'm sure you know by now can be a complete mess.

 

I definitely don't regret going to IHEID, and most of my friends don't either. However, knowing what you want to get out of the degree is important, and should especially also inform your decision of which degree you do at IHEID. Changing from disciplinary to inter-disciplinary is possible after you've been admitted, but only in September. I did this, and if you have any Qs regarding disciplinary vs inter-disciplinary, please feel free to ask me.

[CarefreeWritingsontheWall]

Looks like Georgetown's SFS is finally releasing some decisions today. My anxiety is killer.

[mych]

Looks like Georgetown's SFS is finally releasing some decisions today. My anxiety is killer.

 

All the best Carefree! We're all rooting for you.

[CarefreeWritingsontheWall]

All the best Carefree! We're all rooting for you.

Thanks Mych. Still haven't heard from Sciences Po?

Edited March 19, 2014 by CarefreeWritingsontheWall

[alchyna]

Did anyone from the IHEID rejection fiasco get this lame apology email:

Let me express my deep regret as director of the Graduate Institute for the unfortunate incident that occurred on Friday. 
This mistake should not have happened and I feel very sorry that it caused you and your relatives to have such an emotionally disturbing experience. 
 
Thank you for your understanding and my very best wishes for your future endeavours. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
Philippe Burrin

Edited March 19, 2014 by alchyna

[CarefreeWritingsontheWall]

I got the same thing this morning. Was just about to post it. It was kind of insulting to be honest. :S

[Hmcg]

 

Did anyone from the IHEID rejection fiasco get this lame apology email:

Let me express my deep regret as director of the Graduate Institute for the unfortunate incident that occurred on Friday. 
This mistake should not have happened and I feel very sorry that it caused you and your relatives to have such an emotionally disturbing experience. 
 
Thank you for your understanding and my very best wishes for your future endeavours. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
Philippe Burrin

 

I did.

[mych]

Thanks Mych. Still haven't heard from Sciences Po?

 

Except for a scholarship rejection from Hertie, not a peep out of any of my other schools. Sometimes living out your dreams, ain't as easy as it seems. You wanna fly around the world, in a beautiful balloon. Doot doot dooo....

[keithc]

Guys please help me out here...i'm having a hard time deciding which one to go, SAIS or IHEID. Any idea would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a million!

[ZakV]

Guys please help me out here...i'm having a hard time deciding which one to go, SAIS or IHEID. Any idea would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a million!

 

SAIS if you have the money .

[keithc]

SAIS if you have the money .

why exactly?

money is of course a HUGE problem but i will work this out. i mean i have to...now i'm trying to figure out which school is better, putting the whole money thing aside...

Edited March 19, 2014 by Yuanchen Cai

[CarefreeWritingsontheWall]

why exactly?

money is of course a HUGE problem but i will work this out. i mean i have to...now i'm trying to figure out which school is better, putting the whole money thing aside...

I think student debt is a BIG consideration. As much as I would be inclined to say the same thing - I'll work it out... - it's hard to say. 140k in loans over two years (assuming you have no funding both years) for a job that will only get you 60-70k a year on average (these are numbers I've seen other people post about SAIS job placement) isn't that great. (This also doesn't consider people who can pay that out themselves without the loan). The networking at SAIS might well be considered a priceless venture, but networking in DC is very different than networking in Geneva.

 

Ultimately, money aside, I think your decision rests on where you see yourself. If you're considering the private sector, or the American job market then SAIS will get you into DC circle and the name and rigor of the program itself suits the US job market. IHEID, on the other hand, gives you access to almost every major international organization (UN, WTO, etc...) so if you see yourself oriented towards a career related to those services, then it might be best to select Geneva. This is really only one consideration of many you should be thinking about though.

 

I've gone to my advisors and professors many times to get them to tell me where I should go, where I should apply. When I started this process it came out of my now thesis advisor telling me on a whim in third year that I should consider graduate school during his office hours. I had never considered it and when it seemed like something I wanted to commit myself to, I had no knowledge on what suited my interests best. Funnily, none of them told me specifically that I needed to apply to a particular program or school (and I spoke about this with five of my faculty at least).

 

Instead they worked me through a series of questions that made me think out loud about where I wanted to end up, what I wanted to do, bearing in mind the skill set I've developed. Ultimately I had to hear myself think on the spot about those answers - where do I see myself in five years? Do I see myself in policy analysis or in an academic setting? What side of policy do I want to work on, the domestic or international levels? And outside of that, there were questions about myself specifically that really got me to understand what I wanted (and sometimes they corrected me on what I thought I was thinking...some of these people really do know me better than myself). At this point as well, it's okay to not know where you're going to end up. There are definitely people who are aiming to work for a particular institution, or get a particular job. That's great. But if you have a general idea, that is the US or international institutions, I think that's a great place to start when it comes to your decision. If you're undecided on that front, then SAIS might also be a better fit because, as many people have mentioned, most of those organizations have an office in the US or DC in particular, and connections at large to them.

 

Still, at the end of the day, wherever you pick and how you do is really up to you. All you need is one school to accept you. From there, what you make of that opportunity is ultimately up to you. Things don't fall into your lap because you have a degree from either institution, but they each have their own networks to consider.

 

Hope this helps. :]

[yayayaya]

I personally only studied at IHEID, though I have friends at SciPo, Hertie and LSE. I also switched from interdisciplinary to disciplinary program at IHEID, so only took like one week of MIA classes. Chose IHEID over Yale Jackson, Oxford (MA IR) and JHU SAIS.

 

I would say IHEID's pros are:

1. Low tuition

2. Proximity to UN etc.: Everyone I know who has tried to land a UN internship (although most of these are unpaid) was able to get one, either over the summer, part-time during the school year, or in the fourth semester. While IHEID doesn't actively help you, the name opens a lot of doors especially in Geneva, I would say.

3. Professors are very accessible, and you might be able to study with some of the best in the discipline (Biersteker, Baldwin). Many also do government or IO consulting. If you're in the inter-disciplinary Masters, though, this is somewhat less true than in the disciplinary M.A. (see below).

4. Exchange programs, also off the beaten path (many in Asia, Africa, Latin America).

5. Small class sizes (in MIA, MDev after first semester). Mostly you will be with 20 or less people in a class, and many classes are heavily discussion-based.

6. Amazing guest faculty, many lecture series etc., also due to our location in Geneva.

7. We're a small institute, and I would say that the atmosphere is very nice, and very familiar.

8. Depending on your interests, we have some courses that are hard to find elsewhere, and generally, our selection of courses, while not as extensive as at larger schools, has been quite wide.

 

IHEID's cons:

1. Career services is useless, for the most part. I know that Hertie does help its students a fair deal, compared to that, our CS department sucks. They're hiring someone new, though, so hopefully starting next semester, it will be better.

2. In MIA and MDev, you have huge classes in your first semester (Stats is 140, e.g., most others are 50-70, I guess), and you might have to repeat some stuff that you've done before, since these classes are designed to bring everyone up to speed.

3. Compared to (especially) many of our state-side peers, we have more people with traditional backgrounds, and less work experience, I would say. While that shows in our classes, many of which are quite demanding, you also don't get as much of a practitioners' perspective as you might elsewhere.

4. (this is controversial) For many professors, the inter-disciplinary departments are not a priority, so you might not get as much support from them as you would in a disciplinary program. It is also decidedly hard to enter an IHEID PhD program with an interdisciplinary IHEID M.A. If you want a professional career, this might not be a big problem.

5. Grading! Grading at IHEID is uneven at best, and translating Swiss grades back into any other system is a mess. Most employers won't care about this a great deal, but it's something to keep in mind, I would say.

6. We're a small school, and while this has many advantages, we do not have the infrastructure many large schools (especially in the US) have. We have a new building, which is a huge improvement over the situation before (we now actually have a cafeteria, e.g.), and we can partake in UniGe's sports facilities etc. (though they are kinda far away), but we still definitely do not have the infrastructure of larger universities. At the same time, we are kind of isolated, and if you want to immerse yourself in (local) Geneva as a city, you have to extend some effort. Otherwise, it's very easy to stay in the IHEID bubble, possibly branching out only to the international UN interns community (if that...).

7. You should not bet on getting the coveted exchange spots (especially US). Many more people than we have spots apply, and it ends up being very much based on your grades, which means it depends a fair share on luck (which professor did you have your first semester). Also, IHEID has had trouble in the past with our academic partnerships (not being able to send students after agreeing to etc.). This ties into the administration, which I'm sure you know by now can be a complete mess.

 

I definitely don't regret going to IHEID, and most of my friends don't either. However, knowing what you want to get out of the degree is important, and should especially also inform your decision of which degree you do at IHEID. Changing from disciplinary to inter-disciplinary is possible after you've been admitted, but only in September. I did this, and if you have any Qs regarding disciplinary vs inter-disciplinary, please feel free to ask me.

 

Dear IRtoni,

 

First I wish to thank you for spending the efforts sharing all those great experiences and opinions here. They are very much precious to me right now since I just got admitted to the International Economics program and still debating among IHEID, SAIS, Georgetown and some other schools. I got my B.A. in US but I am an international student. I have some questions regarding the student life and employment oppurtunity of IHEID. If you may share some of your perspectives into them that would be more than helpful for me, and so as other applicants in this thread.

 

1. Travel oppurtunities

I persoanally love travel. One of the biggest attraction of Swizerland for me is the location in the midst of Eurupe. I have never been there and I hope I can use the two years' stay to travle around for a bit. I am wondering do you and your classmate get to travel a lot, during weekends and breaks? Is it possible, time-wise and economical-wise, to do so?

 

2. Employment Oppurtunity for Non-EU international students

I know that Non-EU student cannot work for the first 6 months there. After this period, I am wondering is it common for them to find a relevant internship or just any part-time job at Geneva? Also, is it common for them to secure a job at Swizerland after graduation? I have heard people saying that the local employers(no matter IOs or Private) prefer EU people and it is difficult for a non-EU student to secure any internship or job. Since my plan is to work there after graduation for several years and then come back to my home country, the employment chance is of great importance.

 

3. International Economics Department

You mentioned the differences between the disciplinary program and interdisciplinary program. Could you please share some information about the IE department? Anything would be great!

 

Thank you very much in advance!

[yddd]

I personally only studied at IHEID, though I have friends at SciPo, Hertie and LSE. I also switched from interdisciplinary to disciplinary program at IHEID, so only took like one week of MIA classes. Chose IHEID over Yale Jackson, Oxford (MA IR) and JHU SAIS.

 

I would say IHEID's pros are:

1. Low tuition

2. Proximity to UN etc.: Everyone I know who has tried to land a UN internship (although most of these are unpaid) was able to get one, either over the summer, part-time during the school year, or in the fourth semester. While IHEID doesn't actively help you, the name opens a lot of doors especially in Geneva, I would say.

3. Professors are very accessible, and you might be able to study with some of the best in the discipline (Biersteker, Baldwin). Many also do government or IO consulting. If you're in the inter-disciplinary Masters, though, this is somewhat less true than in the disciplinary M.A. (see below).

4. Exchange programs, also off the beaten path (many in Asia, Africa, Latin America).

5. Small class sizes (in MIA, MDev after first semester). Mostly you will be with 20 or less people in a class, and many classes are heavily discussion-based.

6. Amazing guest faculty, many lecture series etc., also due to our location in Geneva.

7. We're a small institute, and I would say that the atmosphere is very nice, and very familiar.

8. Depending on your interests, we have some courses that are hard to find elsewhere, and generally, our selection of courses, while not as extensive as at larger schools, has been quite wide.

 

IHEID's cons:

1. Career services is useless, for the most part. I know that Hertie does help its students a fair deal, compared to that, our CS department sucks. They're hiring someone new, though, so hopefully starting next semester, it will be better.

2. In MIA and MDev, you have huge classes in your first semester (Stats is 140, e.g., most others are 50-70, I guess), and you might have to repeat some stuff that you've done before, since these classes are designed to bring everyone up to speed.

3. Compared to (especially) many of our state-side peers, we have more people with traditional backgrounds, and less work experience, I would say. While that shows in our classes, many of which are quite demanding, you also don't get as much of a practitioners' perspective as you might elsewhere.

4. (this is controversial) For many professors, the inter-disciplinary departments are not a priority, so you might not get as much support from them as you would in a disciplinary program. It is also decidedly hard to enter an IHEID PhD program with an interdisciplinary IHEID M.A. If you want a professional career, this might not be a big problem.

5. Grading! Grading at IHEID is uneven at best, and translating Swiss grades back into any other system is a mess. Most employers won't care about this a great deal, but it's something to keep in mind, I would say.

6. We're a small school, and while this has many advantages, we do not have the infrastructure many large schools (especially in the US) have. We have a new building, which is a huge improvement over the situation before (we now actually have a cafeteria, e.g.), and we can partake in UniGe's sports facilities etc. (though they are kinda far away), but we still definitely do not have the infrastructure of larger universities. At the same time, we are kind of isolated, and if you want to immerse yourself in (local) Geneva as a city, you have to extend some effort. Otherwise, it's very easy to stay in the IHEID bubble, possibly branching out only to the international UN interns community (if that...).

7. You should not bet on getting the coveted exchange spots (especially US). Many more people than we have spots apply, and it ends up being very much based on your grades, which means it depends a fair share on luck (which professor did you have your first semester). Also, IHEID has had trouble in the past with our academic partnerships (not being able to send students after agreeing to etc.). This ties into the administration, which I'm sure you know by now can be a complete mess.

 

I definitely don't regret going to IHEID, and most of my friends don't either. However, knowing what you want to get out of the degree is important, and should especially also inform your decision of which degree you do at IHEID. Changing from disciplinary to inter-disciplinary is possible after you've been admitted, but only in September. I did this, and if you have any Qs regarding disciplinary vs inter-disciplinary, please feel free to ask me.

Hi IRToni,

 

Thanks a lot for sharing your insights. I was accepted with IR, but I started considering moving to the MIA programme. Can you tell a bit more about these programmes? I want to take more economics related courses and expand my knowledge in this area and was also wondering which of these two programmes is preferred by employers (or in other words which of these programmes makes you more employable)? Thanks a lot!

[arbitist]

Accepted with a partial scholarship! NOW i'm confused. 

[dpgu800]

Accepted with a partial scholarship! NOW i'm confused. 

Congrats!

And wow! Do you know where you'll be attending!? So many choices 

[CarefreeWritingsontheWall]

Still no word from Georgetown. Apparently a few people received an email that decisions would be posted in the coming days. I receieved no such thing. Now I'm really worried. >< Hope you guys are holding out. Have all of your cycles finished up?

[dpgu800]

Still no word from Georgetown. Apparently a few people received an email that decisions would be posted in the coming days. I receieved no such thing. Now I'm really worried. >< Hope you guys are holding out. Have all of your cycles finished up?

Just hang in there a bit longer! 

I'm still waiting to hear from LSE and UCL....  I'll keep you company 

 

Did you end up applying to KCL? 

[kittythrones]

Hello Dpgu800, I am also waiting on UCL & SciencePo. Have you heard back anything from UCL? Do you know when we might hear back from them?

 

They sent me the supplementary forms, that I neglected to fill out, and now I am stuck back in purgatory again.