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

[kittythrones]

Legitimately, I have no idea. The guy I went out with went to UCL for undergrad. I can call him up again and ask I supposed but I rather not. He is sort of a pretentious ass who believes he is better than everyone by virtue of the fact that he went to UCL as an undergrad...and that he is omfg hot. Sorry . 

 

I knew that that UK schooling system is very similar to the US. They have most of January off & they start way later than us. I do think the information you received is correct. This is why I applied for the 2 year programme for UCL - to get around this stupid requirement. 

 

I know that the MsC inside the UK gives you a 4 month free period to write your thesis. I would use that four months to my advantage - get an internship and do that in the morning while at night, do your dissertation. 

 

Indeed......that's disappointing, but LSE has enough good modules that it won't be the end of the world I suppose...

 

BTW if you don't mind me asking one more question (it's really hard to find concrete info on this matter), it's my understanding is that taught masters (Msc) are divided into three terms, Fall, Spring and Summer. And you take classes during Fall and Spring, and you DON'T take classes during the summer and work on your thesis/dissertation.

Am I getting this right?

Cuz if that's the case, the program seems to be really short, esp. in the case of LSE which begins in beginning of October and end in late March of the following year.

[dpgu800]

He is sort of a pretentious ass who believes he is better than everyone by virtue of the fact that he went to UCL as an undergrad...and that he is omfg hot. Sorry . 

Hahahahahahahaha.

 

I know that the MsC inside the UK gives you a 4 month free period to write your thesis. I would use that four months to my advantage - get an internship and do that in the morning while at night, do your dissertation. 

Indeed, you have end of the March til September 1, so actually have a very long time for a 10,000 word thesis.

Unless I do extensive fieldwork for my thesis (which I don't), that's honestly way too long. Better use that time like an internship practicum or something like that...

Hopefully I can get an intern position during the regular term as well and come out of the program having done at least two or ideally three internship, before I come back to the states or try to look for a temporary gig in London...

 

It seems that I'm getting more and more drawn to LSE...... 

[kittythrones]

You should totally go to LSE and I'll go to UCL. We can meet at some random pub near the Thames and speak in our funny American accent. 

 

I am legit petrified of going abroad right now . No friends and no family and it would be nice to know at least one person there, even if I did meet that person on the interwebz. 

 

Legitimately, it is a very long time. I think they subconsciously set it up so you will do an internship and  in that way, it will boost your credentials if you choose to apply for a PhD or if you want a job. I had a classmate, who I have lost contact with, who went to LSE for his MA in Economics (1 year). He came back to the States because he couldn't find a job in London. I don't know if he did any internships there though. I also don't know what he does for a living now either. 

 

I am currently making an excel sheet with links to every IB & energy firms in the UK & Russia right now - where they are located, their requirements to getting an internship, application date for both Fall, Spring & Summer, etc; so that when I land in the UK, I will have an internship lined up and I won't go crazy.

 

Anyone ever used Middlebury or Rosetta Stone to learn a new language? I want to learn some Russian before I go to the UK.   

[unagi]

@unagi

Although I'm in no position to offer advice really, I'll try to give my two cent just based on my exp in this admissions cycle...

 

Overall I think you're in a fantastic position. 

You hit most of the spots for things schools look in applicants, and more importantly recent grads.

You got a good GPA, good quant background (since econ major), overseas exp, proficiency in multiple foreign languages, proven independent research ability, etc.

 

As long as you do well on your GRE, I think you have a good chance w all of your schools, esp w LSE, SOAS, and IHEID since they seem to pick recent grads as well as more exp applicants.

 

SAIS and Georgetown put more importance on work experience, and esp Georgetown is immensely competitive.

SAIS requires and looks favorably on a lot of quant work (calc, stat, macro/microecon).

 

I'm not sure which program you'll be applying to, but SAIS as you may know is very very quant heavy.

Its IDEV curriculum for example is more than econ, PE, and quant method classes.

 

In terms of alumni network, SAIS and GT are both well-respected and well-represented in DC policy circles, tho GT is usually seen to have quite a bit more prestige. It may be b/c its signature MSFS program is meant to be like an "elite" training program for diplomats and such.

I can't tell you much about LSE and SOAS and IHEID b/c I have no direct exp interacting ppl from there (except that SOAS is respected in IDEV circles in the UK and IOs and is usually considered left"ish" and having a lot of left leaning professors). And LSE and SOAS will be tad easier to get in b/c international students usually have to pay a lot more tuition.

 

Hi dpgu800,

 

Thanks for all of your input. I really appreciate it! This entire thing is such a scary process! European schools appealed to me because they don't require GREs. For sure I will try my best to do well but if I don't perform well, I hope I still have a shot.

 

Did everyone here submit their GRE scores even if the schools didn't require it?

[unagi]

I agree with everything you said except the LSE part where internationals pay way more. Actually for a lot of popular taught graduate programs overseas and EU students pay about the same, it is the case for my LSE program. It's expensive for everyone!

 

Thanks! Now that you have know where you've been admitted, where are you thinking of going? LSE is my absolute dream school so it would be a no brainer for me But still....

[dpgu800]

Hi dpgu800,

 

Thanks for all of your input. I really appreciate it! This entire thing is such a scary process! European schools appealed to me because they don't require GREs. For sure I will try my best to do well but if I don't perform well, I hope I still have a shot.

 

Did everyone here submit their GRE scores even if the schools didn't require it?

I did.

The program I applied to at LSE didn't require GRE, and it wasn't one of the programs that specified that they'll "consider" it if I submitted it (there are couple programs that don't require it but say they would consider it, if submitted)

But it looks like they did take it into account anyways, since in the unconditional offer letter, they told me to send an official copy of my GRE score report.

 

Studying for the GRE is a pretty tedious process, but it's really a SAT upgrade so there's no additional skills required to score well on the GRE, just a lot of sit-down hours preping for the test.

I self-studied intensively with this book for about three weeks, just going through a mountain of practice questions and going over the ones I got wrong, and I was able to score slightly above the average of other IR applicants. 

 

My last suggestions would be to look for sources of external funding very early on.

Schools may or may not offer funding, and it's most likely they won't offer you a substantial sum esp if u don't have a long list of noticeable work exp. 

And also do an internship that's as directly related to ur preferred field of employment as poss, if you can. 

 

Lastly, really think hard whether you want to do a masters before u figure out what u really want to by working for one or two years...

In honesty, I kinda rushed into applying for a masters, and I really should have thought longer whether I wanted to commit to this firmly beforehand.

Edited March 28, 2014 by dpgu800

[dpgu800]

You should totally go to LSE and I'll go to UCL. We can meet at some random pub near the Thames and speak in our funny American accent. 

 

I am legit petrified of going abroad right now . No friends and no family and it would be nice to know at least one person there, even if I did meet that person on the interwebz. 

 

Legitimately, it is a very long time. I think they subconsciously set it up so you will do an internship and  in that way, it will boost your credentials if you choose to apply for a PhD or if you want a job. I had a classmate, who I have lost contact with, who went to LSE for his MA in Economics (1 year). He came back to the States because he couldn't find a job in London. I don't know if he did any internships there though. I also don't know what he does for a living now either. 

 

I am currently making an excel sheet with links to every IB & energy firms in the UK & Russia right now - where they are located, their requirements to getting an internship, application date for both Fall, Spring & Summer, etc; so that when I land in the UK, I will have an internship lined up and I won't go crazy.

 

Anyone ever used Middlebury or Rosetta Stone to learn a new language? I want to learn some Russian before I go to the UK.   

Hahaha most def!

I know only one person in England, and he doesn't live in London, so I'll be in the same boat. 

Tho I'm not 100% firm just yet b/c I need to figure out my finances and gain sage advice from friends/family, it looks like LSE will very likely be my choice....

 

And I should def look into compiling a list of potential internships opps in London...

 

I heard Rosetta Stone is good, but no matter how good it is, I don't think it'll beat an actual classroom setting.

I wonder if taught master students can take language courses on the side while studying. I'm it's poss, esp if the class is only audited. 

[kittythrones]

Unagi, I took it and I submitted it to all of my schools. None of the schools that I applied to in Europe required that I took it but I took it anyway since I needed it for the US schools that I applied to.

 

I don't know if it had a lasting impact on my acceptances or not. I do have an almost a 100% in all of my acceptances since I am waiting on my last two - dual programmes. If you do bad on the GREs, don't submit . If you do well, submit. It depends on what programme you are applying to and whether or not if you have a lot of quantitiative background or not.

Hi dpgu800,

 

Thanks for all of your input. I really appreciate it! This entire thing is such a scary process! European schools appealed to me because they don't require GREs. For sure I will try my best to do well but if I don't perform well, I hope I still have a shot.

 

Did everyone here submit their GRE scores even if the schools didn't require it?

[kittythrones]

LSE! LSE! LSE!

 

Sage advice from family and friends? That is a facetious statement right? I kid. I told my friends I am going to grad school abroad. Their reply was : OoO WE ARE NOW GOING TO VISIT YOU SO WE CAN SLEEP WITH ALL OF THE HOT MEN IN EUROPE.

= _ =; Nice to know you'll visit me because you want to sleep with hot men, not because you miss me. Family's reply : Oh good, we now have vacation plans for the next 2 years. After you finish this, go to UPenn for law school and get a real degree.

 

You should. We've already missed out on the Summer Internships . Starting June, applications are open for internships.

 

UCL will require that I take a language course for one year and then I'll be stuck learning Russian in Russia . I don't think LSE makes you do that since it is only one year. I think you are allowed to take some classes. I don't know. You should ask the programme director. I am going to ask if I can take some math courses for auditing and as non-matriculating student.

Hahaha most def!

I know only one person in England, and he doesn't live in London, so I'll be in the same boat. 

Tho I'm not 100% firm just yet b/c I need to figure out my finances and gain sage advice from friends/family, it looks like LSE will very likely be my choice....

 

And I should def look into compiling a list of potential internships opps in London...

 

I heard Rosetta Stone is good, but no matter how good it is, I don't think it'll beat an actual classroom setting.

I wonder if taught master students can take language courses on the side while studying. I'm it's poss, esp if the class is only audited. 

[thepool10]

Hi All

 

Congrats to all you who have been accepted into MDev at IHEID. I am looking to apply commencing 2015 but I have no idea how I rank compared to other applicants.

 

For those of you who have been accepted, how would you guys assess:

 

- Bachelor of Economics from University of Sydney (Top 100 University, currently ranked 72 in the world (If this is a criteria).

 

- Grade point average 70%.

 

- 2.5 years of Chartered Accounting experience

 

- Strong interest in Economic Development, Poverty Alleviation 

 

Is it worth applying? 

 

Hopefully this will help other people with a similar question.

 

Cheers

 

[Hmcg]

Guys, to all those who have applied to Science Po (or their dual program), have you all heard back from them regarding the status of your application?  They said they would do it by end of March, I still havent received any email regarding my application :/

[kittythrones]

I heard back nothing. I assumed they will tell you in April. SciencePo's administration is known for taking forever to do its admissions especially if you apply in the second round.

 

Guys, to all those who have applied to Science Po (or their dual program), have you all heard back from them regarding the status of your application?  They said they would do it by end of March, I still havent received any email regarding my application :/

[mych]

Guys, to all those who have applied to Science Po (or their dual program), have you all heard back from them regarding the status of your application? They said they would do it by end of March, I still havent received any email regarding my application :/

I contacted them last week because I needed to sort out the deadlines for responding to my offers. This was their response:

"We inform you that we can't give you an admission décision before the 12 th of april 2014. The decision will be made by the end of april 2014.

Should you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact us."

Edited March 29, 2014 by mych

[Hmcg]

Thats very unprofessional, atleast they should send an email for such developments.

[mych]

Thats very unprofessional, atleast they should send an email for such developments.

 

In all fairness they never promised it to me any earlier, so I can't fault them for only releasing it at the end of April. This was in response to my asking them if it would be possible for the result to be released by the 12th.

[Hmcg]

But they sent us the mail saying that it would be done by the end of March

[k_angie]

Hello everyone! 

 

First of all, CareFreeWritings I am sorry you didnt get through but well I am sure there are better and more awesome things planned for you. So cheer up. Though like everyone else mentioned, pls feel free to contact me as well if you need further help.  

 

Hi All

 

Congrats to all you who have been accepted into MDev at IHEID. I am looking to apply commencing 2015 but I have no idea how I rank compared to other applicants.

 

For those of you who have been accepted, how would you guys assess:

 

- Bachelor of Economics from University of Sydney (Top 100 University, currently ranked 72 in the world (If this is a criteria).

 

- Grade point average 70%.

 

- 2.5 years of Chartered Accounting experience

 

- Strong interest in Economic Development, Poverty Alleviation 

 

Is it worth applying? 

 

Hopefully this will help other people with a similar question.

 

Cheers

 

yes absolutely! I think your profile is amazing and that you stand a very high chance of acceptance. So just work on your letter of motivation and heres wishing you luck  

 

Thats very unprofessional, atleast they should send an email for such developments.

 

But they sent us the mail saying that it would be done by the end of March

 

Well to be fair, they always mention that if you apply late in the second round then one should expect their decisions in 3 months or so. Idk when did you apply but well good luck in any case  

[k_angie]

OMFG!!!! I GOT INTO LSE!!!!!!!! 

SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

For future applicants' reference, my application was sent on and became complete on January 29, 2014, and I received my decision on March 26, 2014 (so approximately 8 weeks)

The decision was posted on LSE for You (the admissions module), and I haven't received an email from them yet.

The letter I got on LSE for You looked like this:

 

 

Congratulations.  

I read that you were inclining towards LSE more than IHEID, I was wondering if you could share your reasons for it! 

[dpgu800]

LSE! LSE! LSE!

Sage advice from family and friends? That is a facetious statement right? I kid. I told my friends I am going to grad school abroad. Their reply was : OoO WE ARE NOW GOING TO VISIT YOU SO WE CAN SLEEP WITH ALL OF THE HOT MEN IN EUROPE.

= _ =; Nice to know you'll visit me because you want to sleep with hot men, not because you miss me. Family's reply : Oh good, we now have vacation plans for the next 2 years. After you finish this, go to UPenn for law school and get a real degree.

You should. We've already missed out on the Summer Internships . Starting June, applications are open for internships.

UCL will require that I take a language course for one year and then I'll be stuck learning Russian in Russia . I don't think LSE makes you do that since it is only one year. I think you are allowed to take some classes. I don't know. You should ask the programme director. I am going to ask if I can take some math courses for auditing and as non-matriculating student.

I meant that i got couple friends who're already doing masters and see what their opinions are 

But my family's reaction is pretty much the same 

 

I'm def gonna have to keep practicing my Portuguese and French w other ppl if I'm not gonna completely forget how to speak them....

And for internships, I'm still looking at couple places in DC where I could apply for the summer.... not that many left tho

 

To your friends: LOL!

-----------------------------

 

Congratulations.  

I read that you were inclining towards LSE more than IHEID, I was wondering if you could share your reasons for it! 

Hey Angie! 

Thanks!

I was really excited for IHEID and was def leaning towards it, esp b/c all my other options were financially unfeasible.....

But I felt like LSE would give me the most flexibility, not in terms of the curriculum but in terms of post-graduation prospects.

 

It's def a very prestigious brand, internationally and even in the US where foreign education is (unjustly) looked down upon.

While a certain degree of skepticism from future employers may be unavoidable, I would rather risk that than come out of grad school with a mountain of debt.    

It's not as cheap as IHEID but within my means, and much better than Columbia or GWU. 

It's a short programme, which gives me more room for amending my career plans in the future, if I need to do that.

It's a more "theoretical" programme, which may be bad for professional development, but I actually do like pondering upon theoretical sides of things, and I think education should be more than learning skills....Also my ultimate plan is to get a PhD, and a MSc from LSE will be looked upon quite favorably by academics and also allow me skip the first year or two of the doctoral program.

Despite many negative feedback from past students, LSE is still def a world class university and a center of social science research and policy analysis. Access to not just great professors but also to great guest lecture events is def something I would love. And I'm sure LSE, being a high profile uni, would attract interesting ppl....Also it's in London!

 

IHEID would def be a very close second choice for me.

It basically has all the advantages of LSE, minus the longer study period and wide recognition in the US.

I think unfortunately, right now those two qualities are things I do need...

 

What about you?? Are you still leaning for IHEID?

I see you're considering Sciences Po as well! and SOAS!! 

[thepool10]

Hello everyone! 

 

First of all, CareFreeWritings I am sorry you didnt get through but well I am sure there are better and more awesome things planned for you. So cheer up. Though like everyone else mentioned, pls feel free to contact me as well if you need further help.

 

 

yes absolutely! I think your profile is amazing and that you stand a very high chance of acceptance. So just work on your letter of motivation and heres wishing you luck

 

 

 

Well to be fair, they always mention that if you apply late in the second round then one should expect their decisions in 3 months or so. Idk when did you apply but well good luck in any case

 

 

K_angie thank you for getting back to me and giving me the good news. I will definitely apply then

 

How would you guys rank the competitiveness of LSE, SOAS, Science Po and IHEID?

[dpgu800]

K_angie thank you for getting back to me and giving me the good news. I will definitely apply then

How would you guys rank the competitiveness of LSE, SOAS, Science Po and IHEID?

 

In terms of competitiveness, I would say LSE is the hardest to get in, but this also depends on the specific program you choose, since acceptance rate at LSE ranges from  4% for Msc Finance to anywhere from 20-30% for other programs (I think most IDEV related programs are pretty competitive, with about 20% or less getting in).

 

IHEID is probably the next hardest. I don't remember the specific acceptance rates from past years, but I believe it's about 25%~, but this depends on your program too. Personally I was surprised to see some ppl w superior GPAs and diplomas from better ranked UG institutions than me get rejected by the MDEV program.

 

I'm not too sure about Sciences Po (I'm sure it's pretty competitive as well), and I only know that SOAS is not the hardest place to get in if you could get into LSE or IHEID, tho some ppl may disagree. 

 

 

All of these schools are def cream of the crop in Europe both in terms of academic reputation and prestige, and I would think if you were to work in Europe, they'll be highly regarded by employers.

[thepool10]

In terms of competitiveness, I would say LSE is the hardest to get in, but this also depends on the specific program you choose, since acceptance rate at LSE ranges from  4% for Msc Finance to anywhere from 20-30% for other programs (I think most IDEV related programs are pretty competitive, with about 20% or less getting in).

 

IHEID is probably the next hardest. I don't remember the specific acceptance rates from past years, but I believe it's about 25%~, but this depends on your program too. Personally I was surprised to see some ppl w superior GPAs and diplomas from better ranked UG institutions than me get rejected by the MDEV program.

 

I'm not too sure about Sciences Po (I'm sure it's pretty competitive as well), and I only know that SOAS is not the hardest place to get in if you could get into LSE or IHEID, tho some ppl may disagree. 

 

 

All of these schools are def cream of the crop in Europe both in terms of academic reputation and prestige, and I would think if you were to work in Europe, they'll be highly regarded by employers.

 

Thanks for that dpgu800. I think I'll apply to all of them and see how I go.

 

What would you say is a competitive GPA in % terms? Approx 70% +?

[dpgu800]

Thanks for that dpgu800. I think I'll apply to all of them and see how I go.

What would you say is a competitive GPA in % terms? Approx 70% +?

Using LSE as a reference (since they offer some concrete info on minimum reqs), I would say anything above a 3.6/4.0 would make you competitive.

I had a CGPA of 3.61/4.0, and I was accepted into LSE and IHEID.

 

According to the LSE website, the minimum is a high 2:1, which translates to 3.5/4.0 in LSE's own calculation.

I see that your location's Sydney, so may be you're doing your UG studies in AUS? Then, the req is "a 4-year bachelor's (honours) degree with a 2:1, Distinction, Division A, Division 1 or B+ in the majority of individual component marks"

 

I guess that translates to about 80-90% mark?

 

I would assume the reqs would get slightly lower with other schools.

[thepool10]

Using LSE as a reference (since they offer some concrete info on minimum reqs), I would say anything above a 3.6/4.0 would make you competitive.

I had a CGPA of 3.61/4.0, and I was accepted into LSE and IHEID.

 

According to the LSE website, the minimum is a high 2:1, which translates to 3.5/4.0 in LSE's own calculation.

I see that your location's Sydney, so may be you're doing your UG studies in AUS? Then, the req is "a 4-year bachelor's (honours) degree with a 2:1, Distinction, Division A, Division 1 or B+ in the majority of individual component marks"

 

I guess that translates to about 80-90% mark?

 

I would assume the reqs would get slightly lower with other schools.

 

A Distinction is actually 75-85%. In Australia the grading system is:

 

85+ High Distinction

75-85% Distinction

65-75% Credit

50-65% Pass

50% or less Fail

 

Most people (I'd say 60 - 70% of graduates) only receive a Pass average.

 

Most Masters programmes in Australia require either a 65% or 70% plus average. Hopefully this helps anyone from Australia looking to study overseas or vice versa.

 

But anyway in this case LSE require a 75% average it seems like. Perhaps IHEID will accept my average of 70%. Ill have to apply anyway and see what happens

 

Thanks for your help dpgu800!

[kittythrones]

Hcmg & Mych, I just got my acceptance to SciencePo at 5:41 AM EST. So keep a look out for that email! I think it should arrive by the end of this week . 

 

No word on the dual programmes though. 

 

@thepool I think you should apply anyway. If you have strong LoRs, distinctive and/or unusual work history and a really good SoP, I think you have strong chance of getting pass even if your GPA is not at the required place. GPA isn't a make-it-or-break it situation alone. 

 

Word of caution on SciencePo, don't apply after December or you are going to have a VERY long wait. SciencePo does everything in cycles. 

Edited April 1, 2014 by kittythrones