SAIS Analytical Essay themes

[Con24]

Hi!

 

I'm working on my application for JHU-SAIS, however, I'm having trouble deciding the topic for the Analytical Essay. Does anyone know if the topic for the Essay has an impact on the application? or they just take into account your writting/analytical skills?  I'm thinking of writing on Public Diplomacy -I have an article published on it, thus I wouln't imply a ton of research, however, it doesn't seem to be an issue that professors at SAIS are interested (as far as I saw in the website, there are no courses on the subject) or should I pick a topic related to the field I intend to study there?

 

Also, does anyone know if you can/should include footnotes in the essay?

 

Thanks for your help!

[lsaiki87]

Hi Crisconza,

When you say "Public Diplomacy" what are you referring to exactly? PD is a really wide term that is used very freely in just about every context (I worked in PD before coming to SAIS, so I feel like it could mean just about anything). Do you mean in different policy approaches and strategies (realist vs. liberalist vs. neorealist vs. structural liberalist, etc)? In that case, PD would fall under International Relations, and SAIS has many classes on that topic. Or do you mean PD as in "promoting cross-cultural exchanges" (State buzzwords, yikes)? If that's what you mean, that would probably fall more under International Development (IDEV). If you have a clear view of what you want to write about, then I would say go for it. The important part is that you write about a topic that you can analyze in-depth and are well-versed in. I wrote about natural resource exploitation in Peru even though I applied to IDEV and not ERE (Energy, Resources and the Enviornment) because I had first-hand experience in the topic.

 

As for your question regarding footnotes, I didn't use them, but I think there are some people who did. I think there's another post about this somewhere on Grad Cafe -- might be worth a try to search for it. In any case, if you really want to be sure, reach out to the admissions office and see what they say.

[lsaiki87]

Also, does anyone know if you can/should include footnotes in the essay?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Here's the link to the post about citations: 

[Con24]

Here's the link to the post about citations: 

 Thanks for your help!

 

I've written a couple of essays by now. I guess I'll ask some people to read them and give me their opinions.  None is about things I have first-hand experience, but I'm well verse on both topics. Hopefully, one is decent enough. =)