SAIS Fall 2016

[6speed!]

2 minutes ago, ZebraFinch said:

I was a Pickering alternate last year and was told I'm a fellow this year. I heard from Georgetown about a week ago.

What Georgetown program did you apply to? 

[ZebraFinch]

2 minutes ago, AAAAAAAA said:

When did you hear back? I haven't received anything from Pickering this year--rejection or acceptances. And I thought that this year's application process was supposed to only have finalist notifications sent out by the end of March--I thought the final fellowships were supposed to be distributed mid-April.

No, I was a Pickering last year, 2015. 

[ZebraFinch]

10 minutes ago, AAAAAAAA said:

When did you hear back? I haven't received anything from Pickering this year--rejection or acceptances. And I thought that this year's application process was supposed to only have finalist notifications sent out by the end of March--I thought the final fellowships were supposed to be distributed mid-April.

No, I was a Pickering last year, 2015.

 

I applied to Russian and Eurasian studies, MAERES.

Edited March 12, 2016 by ZebraFinch

[unagi]

On 3/11/2016 at 1:13 PM, unagi said:

Not sure....It seems like it's our mistake and they wouldn't accept it if it was up to them so not sure..

I didn't apply for SAIS funding (via their financial aid PDF form) but still received 30k in funding the my first year........was not expecting this at all. Even with this funding, it's so expensive....

[ZebraFinch]

So I was awarded $30,000 for my first year... this makes my decision difficult....

[monocle]

Hey. So I really like SAIS and am on the cusp of choosing to attend. But is anyone else freaked out that they rejected literally no one on gradcafe?

[Mr123]

accepted into idev with 30K per year.

[greeny2016]

Accepted into MA program with 30K per year SAIS fellowship!! Twice as much funding compared to Fletcher. So excited!! If I accept SAIS (which I probably will - still have to hear from Georgetown), I will be doing the ERE concentration.

After worrying about where the financial aid email was for a good 4 hours, I found that it had been sent to my secondary email address like an earlier poster, so I'd suggest checking there if you applied for aid by 2/15 and didn't get an email yet.

[sp108]

3 hours ago, monocle said:

Hey. So I really like SAIS and am on the cusp of choosing to attend. But is anyone else freaked out that they rejected literally no one on gradcafe?

The results/people on gradcafe are a very poor sample to draw conclusions on and I think cannot be representative of the whole population by any means.  

[6speed!]

21 minutes ago, sp108 said:

The results/people on gradcafe are a very poor sample to draw conclusions on and I think cannot be representative of the whole population by any means.  

Agree with this 100%. Gradcafe is, quite plainly, a terrible sample. The average SAIS (or grad school in general) applicant does not post on gradcafe, or any grad school forum. Those who do represent a very particular subset - overachieving, attention to detail , semi-neurotic, ambitious, etc

Edited March 13, 2016 by 6speed!

[irapplicant1776]

2 minutes ago, 6speed! said:

overachieving, attention to detail , semi-neurotic, ambitious, etc 

Sounds like typical DCers! 

[coffeeandtravel]

Anyone thinking about going to the open house on April 6?

[ZebraFinch]

I'm going!

[SenNoodles]

Me too! Super excited

[6speed!]

I wish I could make it - I'm relying on y'all to come here with some good feedback! 

[coffeeandtravel]

I'm going to try to go! 

Edited March 14, 2016 by coffeeandtravel

[hina234]

Definitely going.  See you all there!

[rrrruoyao]

3 hours ago, 6speed! said:

Agree with this 100%. Gradcafe is, quite plainly, a terrible sample. The average SAIS (or grad school in general) applicant does not post on gradcafe, or any grad school forum. Those who do represent a very particular subset - overachieving, attention to detail , semi-neurotic, ambitious, etc

 semi-neurotic exactly the word! 

[Colocho]

Everyone is finding out about financial aid! Anyone admitted to SAIS Europe hear anything yet?

[coffeeandtravel]

3 minutes ago, Colocho said:

Everyone is finding out about financial aid! Anyone admitted to SAIS Europe hear anything yet?

Are you MA with the first year in Bologna? That's what I am and I found out but the email was sent to my secondary account and one was in my spam folder

[adavemerson]

Just admitted to SAIS for Fall 2016. It was my top choice, but unfortunately I was not offered any fellowship funding. I have been working (abroad) for a while and have savings and other resources that will keep my overall debt levels on the lower side (by 2016 standards at least), but I am still going back and forth whether its worth it. Anyone else struggling with this decision, especially those who already have decent experience in the IR field? I was also admitted into the development concentration, which I understand is more competitive but am starting to wonder if another concentration would be better to increase my earning potential after graduating, considering the lack of funding offered. 

I also applied to PSIA (Sciences Po), which I am waiting to hear back from. I mostly applied to PSIA on a whim as I studied abroad in Paris before and would like to perfect my French, and the one-year advanced IR program seemed more practical compared to other European programs . But now, considering its a fraction of the cost even with Paris living expenses factored in, I'm seriously re-considering.

And yes, I realize the cost of SAIS is no secret, but the 'bill' SAIS sent to me after getting the admissions letter was a real wake up call. 

[SenNoodles]

@adavemerson I don't know the answer to your question but are you planning to ask for money? I don't know how responsive SAIS is to such requests but other similar schools have upped their aid offers to students making a good case for needing more money.

[coffeeandtravel]

Does anyone know if there's a redistribution of aid after the deposit date? As in, when people decline their offers, does their money ever get redirected to students who did not receive as much funding?

[Pichichi]

2 hours ago, coffeeandtravel said:

Does anyone know if there's a redistribution of aid after the deposit date? As in, when people decline their offers, does their money ever get redirected to students who did not receive as much funding?

I'd be interested to know about this too. I remember reading Fletcher's admissions blog and in their case the school distributes all available funds, with even waitlisted nominees as potential recipients of funding... Let's hope that SAIS is the same.

[manutdftw]

Ok so I emailed SAIS asking them if there's any potential way I could be placed on a waitlist for funding and this is what they wrote. I'm out of of the running for SAIS but maybe it'll help current or future people who are considering SAIS. Good luck!

Congratulations on your admission to SAIS! 

Your application was quite competitive. However, funding limitations prevent us from providing fellowship awards to all of our admitted students. This year, we awarded approximately 30% of the incoming class with fellowship assistance. 

Although we would like to provide assistance to every admitted student, our funds are limited.  We use a multiplier to award aid expecting that some students will decline our offer of admission so we do not have a second round of first-year fellowship awards.  As a result, all fellowship decisions are final.

Students are eligible to apply for additional fellowships in their second year however.  The Financial Aid Committee looks at first year academic performance and aims to award 50-60% of second year students with fellowship assistance.

Should you have any questions about the financial aid process or if you would like to meet with a SAIS Financial Aid representative, please let us know. We would be more than happy to meet with you.