What's next?

Before we look to the next few days and weeks, we'd like to thank our applicants.

All of you have put in a significant amount of time and energy to complete your applications. It's a major endeavor. You may not realize it now, but the very act of filling out and submitting an application is a significant learning experience. The best applications reflect honest introspection and critical thinking -- meaningful acts in and of themselves.

Some of you had problems with our new online application system and showed great patience and even grace. Thank you for that.

Earlier this week we sent all those who had started an application a link to a survey. The goal of the poll is to help us understand the application process better from the candidates' perspective. It's entirely anonymous and will have no impact on the admissions process. We would invite you to participate -- your feedback will help us improve.

So what's next?

We're in the midst of processing and sorting out the applications. If you've submitted an application to SAIS Bologna and you are a non-U.S. citizen, we'll contact you in the next few weeks if anything happens to be missing from your dossier. If you do not hear from us, your application is complete.

In the next 10 days we'll be contacting applicants to set up an interview with a member of the Admissions Committee. Interviews will be conducted in person, on the telephone or on Skype. There is no advantage or disadvantage in choosing a face-to-face interview over one on the telephone or on Skype. We'll publish a post with the locations where we'll hold face-to-face interviews. Keep following this journal for updates.

The interview is your chance to put your best foot forward. What does that mean? Here is a post we shared with last year's applicants. In the video, Prof. Erik Jones, who has years of experience interviewing SAIS Bologna candidates, explains what he looks for in an interview.

The Admissions Committee will gather in late March. Admissions and financial aid decisions will be communicated in the first half of April.

On May 3 and 4 there will be an Open House for admitted students. And from there, we'll all look to the 2012-13 academic year.

Amina Abdiuahab

We will overcome!

A quick post from SAIS Bologna as this city digs out from one of its biggest snow storms in years.

Yesterday was the deadline for applications to our 2012-13 program. However, many candidates have had difficulties with our new online application system. We beg your forgiveness for any inconvenience.

A bow of apology

It would not be fair for us to turn away applications from candidates experiencing technological problems. If you are in that category, please do not worry. We will still accept your candidacy.

A reminder on what to do if you are unable to upload documents:

• Please send your documents via email to Venkata Gadde (vgadde1@jhu.edu) and to admissions@jhubc.it. We will make sure they are uploaded. (If you had sent them already to Deborah Grandval, they are being taken care of.)

• Try to submit your application. If you cannot do so because the documents have not yet been uploaded, please wait a day and try again. If you still cannot submit, please drop a note to admissions@jhubc.it.

• Please remember that non-U.S. citizens applying to SAIS Bologna do not pay an application fee. If you are asked to do so, please send an email to admissions@jhubc.it, and we will manually waive the fee so that you can submit.

If you have not faced any technological problems but still intend to submit an application, could you please send an email to admissions@jhubc.it explaining? Perhaps we can help.

If you are among those who have successfully submitted your application, congratulations and thank you very much. If anything should be missing from your dossier, we will be back in touch with you. We'll also be contacting you to set up your interview.

Like many of you, we look forward to when the application process is over and we can turn our sights to assembling the 2012-13 class.

In the meantime, we will overcome!

Nelson Graves

The finishing touches

Today is the deadline for applications to SAIS Bologna from non-U.S. citizens.

Quite a few candidates have already submitted their applications. Thank you very much. We know how much work an application demands. You are to be commended.

If you are among those have not yet quite finished, a few things to consider:

• While our new online system is an improvement over the previous, paper-based system, some applicants have had difficulty uploading documents. If you are unable to upload your documents, please attach them to an email and send them to admissions@jhubc.it. We will make sure your documents are uploaded properly. Once you have sent us your documents, you can finish all the other elements of your application and submit it.

• Non-U.S. citizens applying to SAIS Bologna are not required to pay an application fee. You should not be asked by the system to make any payment if you are in that category. If you are asked to make a payment and cannot submit your application unless you do so, please send a note to admissions@jhubc.it and we'll take care of it.

• If you have mistakenly made a payment, send us an email at admissions@jhubc.it and we'll handle your request for a refund.

• The online system will not close down at the end of today. We do expect candidates to submit their completed applications by today, but we realize some elements are beyond an applicant's control. If there is something missing from your application and you cannot meet the deadline, please drop us an email at admissions@jhubc.it, and we'll discuss it with you.



SAIS Bologna's entrance this morning

Today there is a major and very unusual snow storm in Bologna.

Thanks again for your interest in SAIS Bologna. In coming weeks we'll be exploring other steps in the admissions process, including the interview.

Nelson Graves

What's challenging about applying to SAIS Bologna?

We have the results of our latest poll. But first a few reminders.

• If you are having difficulties uploading documents to the online application system, please send us an email at admissions@jhubc.it and we'll help you out.
• The online system will not shut down at midnight February 1. But if you are not able to complete your application by midnight your time, please send us an email at admissions@jhubc.it explaining.
• Our mailing address for transcripts and other hard copies is:

                 Johns Hopkins SAIS Bologna Center
                 via Belmeloro, 11
                 40126 Bologna
                 Italy

• Financial aid forms with supporting documents should be emailed to finaidbologna@collaborate.johnshopkins.edu.

Now for the results of the poll. The question was: What have you found most challenging in applying to SAIS Bologna?

Here is the breakdown of answers:

Statement of purpose	27%
Analytical essay	25%
Managing the financial commitment	22%
Lining up referees to write letters of recommendation	9%
Comparing SAIS Bologna to other schools	5%
English-language requirement	5%
Understanding the application process	3%
Understanding the academic requirements	3%
Dealing with the Admissions team	2%

We are not surprised the statement of purpose and the analytical essay are the biggest challenges. They form a core section of any candidacy, and applicants do well to pay close attention to these elements.

We hope our posts on the analytical essay and the statement of purpose have been helpful. They have been far and away the most popular posts since we launched this journal 14 months ago.

Managing the financial commitment is a key challenge, too. This is the way it should be. As we have written before here, graduate school is a major investment for anyone, and it's important to weigh the costs and the benefits, both of which can be significant. We think the benefits of a SAIS education are very significant, and our more than 6,500 alumni around the world would attest to that.

Finally, we are certainly glad that the Admissions team did not pose the biggest challenge!

Nelson Graves

The finish line is nigh

It's almost the deadline for applications from non-U.S. students to SAIS Bologna.

Some candidates have submitted their dossiers while others are putting the finishing touches on theirs.

To facilitate matters for those who have yet to finish, we will try to answer the most frequently asked questions.

UPLOADING
Some applicants have had trouble uploading documents via the online system. Last week we published a post detailing the required computer settings. If you've followed the checklist and are still unable to upload, please send us an email at admissions@jhubc.it.

DEADLINE
We expect to receive completed applications by the deadline of February 1. However, our system will not automatically shut down then. If you know that your application will not be complete by the deadline, please send us an email at admissions@jhubc.it.

APPLICATION FEE

Non-U.S. students to SAIS Bologna are not required to pay an application fee. If you are asked to do so, please send us a message.

MAILING ADDRESS

While most documents can be submitted online, transcripts and standardized test scores are not. If you are mailing hard documents to us, our address is:

Johns Hopkins SAIS Bologna Center

Admissions Office

via Belmeloro, 11

40126 Bologna

Italy

TRANSCRIPTS, TEST SCORES

We need to receive official copies of your transcripts and standardized test scores. We accept transcripts electronically if your university Registrar's Office sends them directly to us. Standardized tests should be sent directly to us by the examining board.

If you know your transcripts or standardized test scores will not reach us by February 1, drop us a line at admissions@jhubc.it to let us know. We may ask you to send us a scanned copy while we wait for the original copies to arrive by post.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Letters of recommendation can be submitted online by the referee. If your referee has yet to submit the letter, please urge them to do so as soon as possible. In case you have trouble getting the letter, or the reference is being sent via post, be sure to let us know.

CONFIRMATION
If something is missing from your application, we will notify you soon. In the first half of February we will notify candidates whose applications are complete.

INTERVIEWS

Interview dates and locations will set shortly after the deadline. We expect to conduct them from the end of February through March. Candidates can be interviewed in person, on the phone or via Skype. There is no advantage or disadvantage in opting for an in-person interview. In fact, most candidates are interviewed over the phone or via Skype. But members of our Admissions Committee will be travelling to some cities in Europe and North America.

ECONOMICS

Before starting courses at SAIS, incoming students must have mastered the principles of micro and macroeconomics. (Note this is not a prerequisite to apply.) Admitted candidates are informed in their letter of admission whether they have already met the economics requirement. We'll provide more information on the economics requirement after the deadline. For now, you can take a look at last year's post.

DECISIONS

The Admission Committee will meet at the end of March. Its decisions, including financial aid awards, will be communicated to applicants in the first half of April.

Amina Abdiuahab

A note to candidates using our new online application system

Technology is great. But at times it can try one's patience.

This year applicants to SAIS Bologna are able to submit their applications using a secure online system. The system allows candidates to upload all documents online. Even authors of letters of reference can submit their recommendations using the online platform.

We don't want you feeling like this!

This is a huge improvement on the past when candidates were asked to mail most of their documents. It is easier for candidates and saves them money, and it spares us time and trouble at the receiving end.

Some candidates, however, have experienced problems uploading documents. Our experts are investigating the problem to see if it is a generalized glitch.

In the meantime, to help make sure candidates can submit applications smoothly, we repeat the system requirements which are listed on the first page of the online application:

• Supported browsers include:

             o  Internet Explorer 7, 8 & 9 (Windows)

             o  Firefox 3.6 & 7 (Mac)

             o  Firefox 3 and 7 (Windows)

             o  Chrome 12 (Windows and Mac)

             o  Safari 4 & 5 (Mac)

             o  Safari 5 (Windows), (Macintosh users - OS X).

• While the majority of features will work with other browsers, we can guarantee full compatibility and offer support only for the browsers mentioned above.

• If you are using Internet Explorer 6, we strongly recommend upgrading to version 9 as version 6 does not meet our minimum security requirements.

• If you are using one of the supported browsers and are experiencing problems, we encourage you to upgrade to the latest version. If you still experience problems after upgrading, please make sure that your browser is set to accept cookies. Also, make sure the following browser settings are enabled:

            o  JavaScript must be enabled.

            o Popup blockers must be disabled.

• If your browser has a section for trusted sites, please enter these two URLs:

            o  http://app.applyyourself.com

            o https://app.applyyourself.com

• You will need Adobe Reader 6.0 or higher to download, view and print PDF files. While PDF files should work with most other PDF viewers, we can only guarantee full compatibility and support for Adobe Reader 6.0 or higher.

• If your email offers a whitelist, please add the following address:  support@hobsons.com

• For security reasons, please log out of the online application after each session.

If you have followed the above checklist and are still unable to upload, please send us an email at admissions@jhubc.it and we will help you.

We apologize for any inconvenience. Rest assured you will be able to submit your documents and that your candidacy won't be harmed by any technical difficulties you might experience.

Amina Abdiuahab

Poll: What have you found most challenging about applying?

While many of you are in the home stretch of your application, we thought it would be a good time to take your pulse.

This morning we have posted a poll asking: "What have you found most challenging in applying to SAIS Bologna?"

Here are the possible answers:

- Analytical essay
- Comparing SAIS Bologna to other schools
- Statement of purpose
- Managing the financial commitment
- Dealing with the Admissions team
- Understanding the application process
- Understanding the academic requirements
- Lining up referees to write letters of reference
- English-language requirement

You can choose more than one answer. The poll is entirely anonymous. To vote, simply tick a box or boxes in the upper right-hand corner of this page.

It should take only a few seconds. An excuse to take a time-out from your application.

Nelson Graves

This is not about Groundhog Day

Boris Yeltsin was born on this day. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Iran after 15 years in exile on this day. In 1793, France declared war on England and Netherlands on this day.

And, yes, applications to SAIS Bologna from non-U.S. citizens are due this day -- February 1.

We mention this not to put applicants' feet to the fire any more than necessary. Most applicants do not need the reminder.

But this does give me a chance to make one important point: If you are facing the February 1 deadline and you think one or more elements of your application will not make it to us in time, tell us now.

There can be circumstances beyond an applicant's control which prevent a piece of the application puzzle from reaching us on time. Referees -- or authors of letters of recommendation -- can be forgetful. Test scores can take time to trickle in.

We try to be understanding where we can without being unfair to the other applicants. And it is a lot easier to be accommodating if we are briefed on the circumstances.

A couple of related points:

• We will not be telling applicants when elements of their application reach us. That would pin us down for days. But we will be contacting you after February 1 if something is missing.

• I understand that there has been discussion among some applicants about how long a CV should be. I wrote about this in November. While I'm a big fan of one-page CVs, we don't require them to be one page. Like a good news story (remember, I was a wire service journalist for 24 years), a CV should be as long as it has to be and no longer. Don't inflate it and don't waste words. And remember, unlike a cold call for a job, you are guaranteed other opportunities in your application and in your interview to flesh out your story. So you needn't say everything in the CV.

Looking past February 1, what do we expect to write about in this journal in coming weeks?

Obviously many applicants will be interested in the interview. Just what goes on during an interview? What is the purpose? How long will it last? How should I dress? Is it better in person or on the phone?

We'll be writing about financial aid -- another important topic. We'll try to spell out clearly the time line for the Admissions Committee's decisions and what is expected of applicants.

So do keep reading this journal if these topics interest you and if you still want to learn more about SAIS Bologna (and SAIS DC). And keep in mind that we've addressed many of these issues in the past year. You can search for topics using the search engine in the upper right-hand corner of the journal. And each post has labels, or tags, capturing the topics.

What have been the five most popular posts since we launched this journal 13 months ago?

1. The Analytical Essay
2. The Statement of Purpose
3. What is in a name?
4. Seeing how you think
5. A video peek at SAIS DC

Nelson Graves

FAQs: the weeks ahead for applicants to SAIS Bologna

February 1: Candidates who want to study at SAIS Bologna in the 2012-13 academic year and who do not have U.S. citizenship face that looming deadline to apply.

No wonder then that we are receiving many questions about our procedures and what happens after a dossier is submitted. To make things simple we've identified the most common questions, and we think all candidates will benefit from seeing our answers.

Before we dive into the FAQs, we'd like to remind you that on Monday, January 16 at noon Italian time (1100 GMT) we'll hold our final online information session before the application deadline. Please send us a note at admissions@jhubc.it if you'd like to participate in the session.

Q: I have gathered my application documents. Where should I send them?
A: If you are a non-U.S. citizen and you wish to spend your first year at SAIS Bologna, please send any hard copy material to:

Johns Hopkins SAIS Bologna Center 
via Belmeloro, 11
40126 Bologna
Italy 

U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have chosen BO/DC (U.S. citizen or permanent resident) as their campus choice should mail hard copy materials to the SAIS DC Admissions Office.

Q: I mailed my materials to the SAIS Bologna Admissions Office. When will you acknowledge receipt of my documents? 
A: We are starting to review the application packages. It's difficult for us to email each one of you to confirm your documents have arrived. You'll hear from us if parts of your application are missing.

Q: Am I required to convert my overall undergraduate grade into a GPA?
A: No. You are not expected to provide us with a grade point average of your undergraduate degree if you studied in a country that does not use GPAs. But we do ask that you provide a guide to your university's grading system. Sometimes such a guide is on the back of your transcript. If it is not, you can click on this link to select the country where you studied and a guide to your country's grading system.

Q: The grading system for the country I studied in isn't available on the website you have provided. 
A: In this case, please ask the Registrar's Office of your university to give a guide to their grading system.

Q: I feel the grading scale provided on the website is somewhat incorrect.
A: If you feel your grades aren't being translated properly, please ask your university's Registrar's Office to provide a more comprehensive guide.

Q: Could you give some tips on the statement of purpose?
A: Sure. Please take a look at this post we published some weeks ago. You'll find tips from current students on how they wrote their statement of aims.

Q: Could you give some tips on the analytical essay. 
A: No problem -- here's another post. You'll find some words of advice from a student and the essay she submitted in the past.

Q: Can I go over the word limit in the statement of aims or the analytical essay?
A: Part of the challenge is to convey your thoughts and views while adhering to the word limit. It's best that you stick to the 600-word guideline. If you exceed the limit, cut the essay back.

Q: Should I choose a concentration now? What happens if I change my mind? 
A: In the application form we ask you to indicate a concentration that you'd be interested in pursuing. We also ask you to indicate your second choice. These are not binding. You'll have a chance to change your mind and switch to a different concentration once you get here.

The only concentration that is capped is International Development (IDEV), and it has a separate selection process. Preference is given to students who come from developing countries or have lived or worked in a developing country.

If you are interested in IDEV, you should indicate it as your first concentration choice. It tends to be very popular, and students who indicate it as a second choice are generally not considered for it.

Q: When will I be interviewed?
A: Interviews will be held in February and March. We will announce dates and locations shortly after the deadline.

Q: How will I be interviewed?  
A: You'll be able to interview in person, on the phone or via Skype. There's no advantage or disadvantage in the format.

Q: How is the interview conducted?
A: Last year we published a post in which we asked Prof. Erik Jones to tell us what an applicant should expect of an interview. You can watch the video here.

Q: What happens after the interview?
A: Your dossier will be evaluted by the Admissions Committee. The Committee's decisions, including financial aid packages, will be communicated to candidates in early April.

If you feel there's something we left out, please post a comment or send us an email at admissions@jhubc.it. We'll be happy to address your questions.

Amina Abdiuahab

Deadlines, our next information session and social media

First things first in our inaugural post of 2012: Happy New Year to our readers around the world.

We hope that most of you will continue to follow this journal and send us comments and suggestions -- or even contributions -- as the year unfolds. We are in our second year of this journal, but we are all ears when it comes to tips and recommendations. I was a journalist for nearly three decades: my skin is pretty thick.

DEADLINES

Many of our readers are U.S. citizens who want to start their SAIS studies in Bologna. They are in the final throes of applying as their deadline is January 7.

Non-U.S. citizens who want to start in Bologna face a February 1 deadline. We devoted a post to some of the finer points of our somewhat arcane process last month.

U.S. citizens who have dual nationality have the choice of having their applications handled by SAIS Bologna or SAIS DC. If you are in this situation and you have questions, you can fire them off to admissions@jhubc.it.

INFORMATION SESSION

Our next information session, and the last one before the February 1 deadline for applications, is set for Monday, January 16 at noon Italy time (1100 GMT). We expect it will last about 45 minutes.

These sessions give applicants and prospective candidates a chance to learn more about SAIS Bologna and ask questions. We expect many candidates will have finished their applications by then or be in the final stages of doing so. Still, you might have questions about what happens after February 1: the interview, the admissions process and timeline, financial aid.

If you are interested in participating in this session, please send an email to admissions@jhubc.it, and we will send you the details for logging in.

KEEPING UP WITH US

Many of you are followers of our journal or receive it by email. Last month we started using Twitter, where you can find us @SAISBolognaBlog. We push out links to our posts on Twitter. And of course we are on Facebook at Johns Hopkins SAIS Admissions.

Nelson Graves

All you needed to know about applying to SAIS Bologna

One of our main duties is to spell out clearly how to complete an application for admission to SAIS Bologna.

We have written a series of posts in the past year on various components of the application. Many of our readers have seen these. Today I'd like to pull the various strands together into one post to make it easy for prospective candidates to find what they need.

Before we list the topics and provide links to them, a word on one important aspect of the application.

All applicants to SAIS -- whether they want to study in Bologna, Washington or Nanjing -- use the same online application form. It can be reached by clicking here.

At one point in the application, candidates are asked which campus they would prefer to start at. Non-U.S. nationals who want to start the M.A. program in Bologna should click this option:

Likewise, candidates for the MIPP, Bologna Diploma or MAIA degree should click on the Bologna option and indicate whether or not they are U.S. citizens.

Note: U.S. citizens who have another nationality, ie those with dual nationality, can choose either US. citizen or non-U.S. citizen. Keep in mind that U.S. and non-U.S. applicants to SAIS Bologna face different application procedures: different deadlines, different fees and a different approach to the GRE/GMAT standardized tests.

If anyone has any questions about which office will handle their application, what deadline they face or what they need to submit, drop an email to admissions@jhubc.it.

Now, links to posts on components of an application:

the CV
the statement of purpose
the analytical essay
letters of recommendation
English proficiency (and also here)
GREs/GMATs (and also here)

Again, any questions? Write to admissions@jhubc.it.

Nelson Graves

The Analytical Essay

Applicants to SAIS are asked to submit an analytical essay as part of their dossier.

I can hear our sharpest readers ask: "But did you require that last year?" The answer: SAIS DC did but SAIS Bologna did not.

This year Bologna and DC have aligned many requirements as part of a single, online application. All M.A. applicants are asked to submit an essay that discusses "an issue of national or international importance and its concern to you." The length limit is 600 words.

This kind of essay is as new to Bologna Admissions as it is to our applicants. Who better to tell us how to do it than a current student who has gone through the experience?

Sarah Ralston is a first-year M.A. student at SAIS DC. Before I let you have a glance at the essay that she submitted, consider some of the things she did before she started SAIS:

Sarah Ralston

After she graduated from university (Johns Hopkins), she worked for the U.N. Development Fund for Women in Mexico City. Then, from Washington she helped to support an Iraqi refugee family of three as they navigated the complexities of the U.S. social welfare system. She then started work for the U.S. Treasury Department, first in the International Affairs Department, then in the Financial Management Service.

In the analytical essay that she submitted as part of her application, she discussed an aspect of her work at Treasury. You might admire her grasp of the subject matter. Note also how she mixes her personal experience with the subject.

She packs a lot of information into a mere 572 words. If you're having trouble keeping to 600, get out the editorial scalpel or start over.

Recently we asked Irena Peresa and Sebastian Alexander Ernst to write about the statement of purpose. Here is what Sarah told us when we asked her about the analytical essay:

When it came time for me to write the analytical essay for my SAIS application, I had difficulty narrowing down potential topics. There was no shortage of timely and interesting subjects in the field of international relations to choose from. But I wanted to identify a policy-relevant issue that wouldn’t be too far removed from the themes contained elsewhere in my application.

After much deliberation, I committed to writing about the use of financial inclusion as a tool for development. Aware of the word limit, I took a broad approach to the topic. As is often the case for me, getting the first draft down on paper was the hardest part of the process. I went through several revisions and asked for feedback from two different readers, mostly to ensure that my points were clearly stated without jargon or superfluous detail.

Eventually, my essay became a brief policy summary about the pros and cons of expanding financial inclusion to achieve broader economic development. I also tried to convey to the admissions committee why I thought the issue of financial inclusion was relevant for today’s policy makers, and how the topic related to my own interests and experiences.

When it comes to picking your topic, rest assured that it’s hard to go wrong. If you’re looking for inspiration, try flipping through a recent issue of The Economist.

Don’t feel pressured to reach any earth shattering conclusions. You don’t need to write a 600-word masterpiece. You’re simply using the essay to show the admissions committee that you’re comfortable writing about issues in international affairs. Pick a topic that’s meaningful for you, and if you manage to help the reader understand your connection to the issue, even better.

Nelson Graves

Online information session: Tuesday, November 22

It's recruiting season, and so over the past few weeks we've connected with prospective applicants, both near and afar. Nelson and I have traveled to a half dozen European cities to meet hundreds of potential candidates.

Still, as much as we like to travel, many applicants are outside of our physical reach.

Luckily, technology is a help. Some readers know that we had our first online information session in October. This month, we'll be holding a second such session. Please mark this date and time in your calendars if you are interested in learning more about SAIS Bologna:

November 22 at 7 p.m. Italy time (1800 GMT or 1 p.m. U.S. East Coast time).

If you'd like to attend, please send a message to admissions@jhubc.it and we will send you details on how to connect.

The session, expected to last about 45 minutes, is timed to accommodate applicants based in the Americas. The next session, which will be in December, will keep in mind those located in Asia.

At the start of the session we will introduce you to SAIS and the programs we offer. Alissa Tafti, a first-year student in Bologna, will be with us. Then participants will be able to ask questions, either via the audio connection or chat.

In October, we offered a separate audio connection that ran in parallel with the presentation platform. Participants told us that was awkward, and so this time we will use the audio application inside the web platform, called Adobe Connect. We'll be sure to send you clear instructions ahead of the information session.

We'll be looking for feedback after November's session, too, to help us hone our skills.

Other important dates to remember:

- OPEN DAY on Friday, December 9. You can register online here. 

- Online information session, tentatively set for Tuesday, December 13 and aligned with Asian time zones.
- February 1, 2012: deadline for applications submitted through the Bologna Admissions Office (U.S. citizens and applicants interested in starting in Washington have a January 7, 2012 deadline) 

Amina Abdiuahab

One application -- two admissions offices

We now have a single, online application -- whether you want to start your SAIS studies in Bologna or Washington.

But the application requirements will vary according to two factors:

- Where you want to start your studies, and
- Whether you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or not.

If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, your application will be handled by the SAIS DC Admissions Office irrespective of where you want to start. The DC office also handles applications from non-U.S. citizens who want to start in Washington.

If your application is going to be handled by the SAIS DC Admissions Office, you can find the instructions here.

Alternatively, if you are a non-U.S. citizen and you want to start in Bologna, your application will be handled by the SAIS Bologna Admissions Office. In that case, you can find your application instructions here.

As you fill out the application, you will have a chance to provide both your nationality and your choice of campus. With that information, the system automatically directs the application to the appropriate office.

Confused? Here is a matrix that should make it simple:

I can hear your question now:

Do the application requirements differ whether you are applying through DC or Bologna?

The short answer is, "Yes."

The main differences relate to standardized tests, interviews and fees. Specifically:

• Those applying through SAIS DC are required to take either the GRE or the GMAT. Those applying through SAIS Bologna are not. Note that we strongly recommend that all applicants take either the GRE or the GMAT. While the scores are only one element in a student's dossier, they can provide important information to both the applicant and the institution. High scores can potentially strengthen a candidate's application.
• All candidates applying through Bologna will be interviewed as part of the review process. The SAIS DC Admissions Office does not require interviews.
• Candidates applying through Washington pay an $85 application fee. Those applying through Bologna do not.

We realize that this is complicated. If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact us. Our email is admissions@jhubc.it. Our phone number is +39 051 29 17 811.

Likewise, if you are not sure where you would like to start your SAIS studies, why not contact us? We will try to help you weigh the pro's and con's. A chat on the phone might clear things up for you.

Bottom line: We understand if you are still feeling your way. Don't hesitate to drop us a line or call us, and we'll do what we can to help.

Nelson Graves

Letters of recommendation: an expert's view

Today: letters of recommendation

Like the statement of purpose, letters of recommendation are a chance to have your special qualities and motivations shine through. Even though you do not control the content to the same extent, you can have a major influence on what your "referees" write.

SAIS requires two letters. Many candidates, particularly those graduating this year or who finished their undergraduate studies recently, will tap two professors. Candidates who have been out of university for some time will want to ask for a professional reference.

(Can you submit a third reference? Yes, you can.)

Under our new online application system, the "referees" (ie, the authors of the letters) can submit them online or via mail. If they come through mail, they should be in a sealed, official envelope with the author's signature across the seal. This ensures confidentiality.

Prof. Mark Gilbert

Prof. Mark Gilbert has written loads of letters of reference. We turned to him for his thoughts on the do's and don't's.

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Q: You have written letters of recommendation for many students. How does a student know if it is appropriate to approach you for a letter of recommendation? How well do you have to know a student before you will write a letter?

Gilbert: I will normally write a long letter of reference for a student who has completed a course with me. I like to be able to comment on a person's writing skills and character before I write anything on his or her behalf. I have made a handful of exceptions to this rule, but only for students whose contribution to a class has been out of the ordinary and who really needed, as opposed to wanted, an early reference. Note, too, I talk of letters of reference, not recommendation. I think a letter that shows a full knowledge of the person you are talking about, even if it may contain some criticism, is more "authentic" in the eyes of the people who read them.

Q: What do you like to know about the student and their plans before you write a letter?

Gilbert: I always ask students to give me a short CV and explain to me the nature of the internship or job that they are applying for. When looking over candidates for admission to SAIS, I greatly preferred to read letters from professors who clearly knew the person they were recommending well and who also could relate the student to SAIS and its programme. A generic note saying "Ms X is a very nice person who works hard and got good grades in my class" is helpful, but hardly convincing. I think letters to be effective need to be crafted individually for a given student. Professors at German universities, in my experience, are very good at this. They seem really to care about their students' future and are stern yet just about their personalities and abilities.

Q: Do you share the letter with the student or is it confidential? If it is confidential, why so?

Gilbert: I have never shared the contents of a letter with a student except once by necessity -- the would-be employer (the Danish government) remarkably wanted the candidate, rather than me, to send the letters as .pdf files in her dossier. Since it was a prestigious opportunity for this student, for whom I have a very high regard, I acquiesced, but I wasn't happy about it. I think letters of reference should be confidential.

Q: How much time in advance of a deadline do you like a request for a letter of recommendation to come to you? Are you annoyed if students check up on the status of the letter?

Gilbert: I would certainly not be irritated if a student checked up on me, while I certainly like students to give me ample warning that they would like a letter to be written on their behalf. The reason in both cases is the same: I have a lot to do and letters have to be fitted into everything else I'm doing. I normally write letters quickly once I've agreed to do them, but when you are doing a lot of things, it can happen that you forget one. So stay on my case.

Q: Do you prefer to mail your letters or to download them online?

Gilbert: Download. I am normally technophobic, but  I find that the online systems are very well done and persuade you to write the reference quickly. It seems like less hassle. Like writing an email.

Q: Any pitfalls or fatal errors you would warn applicants against when it comes to letters of reference?

Gilbert: Avoid letters from people who talk about themselves and how important their institution is and who then add in the final paragraph, sometimes in these very words, "This person has studied with me, therefore you should take her." What does this imply? It implies that students should judge the character of their letter writers carefully and avoid the pompous, the megalomaniac, and the vainglorious. I'm tempted to add that in academia at least this implies that the pool of potential letter writers is a small one....

Nelson Graves

The Statement of Purpose

An application to SAIS Bologna has several parts. We discussed some of the challenges in a post last month.

Two weeks ago we shared our thoughts on standardized tests. The bottom line of that post was this: Get going on the standardized tests, including any English competence exams, because they take time and you may want to take them more than once.

Today's topic is the statement of purpose (aka "statement of aims"). This is obviously an important element of an application because it requires the candidate to express why graduate school and why SAIS Bologna. These may seem obvious questions, but the answers are not.

Irena and Sebastian 

There is no stock answer and no set format or style. We are looking for unique individuals with special qualities -- and these have to be conveyed somehow in the statement.

What better experts on statements of purpose than current students? We turned to Irena Peresa and Sebastian Alexander Ernst, who wrote outstanding statements when they applied for the 2011-12 year.

You'll notice that Irena and Sebastian Alexander took slightly different tacks in preparing their statements. But that is quite normal -- each candidate will follow their own path and their own intuition.

Here is what they said:

IRENA PERESA

Writing a statement of purpose is probably the most time- and mind-consuming part of any application. Communicating the fact that you are an ideal pick to the selection committee, under word-limit pressure, is indeed hard.

Having been part of a few similar committees over the years, I had had the chance to read hundreds of statements of purpose. It is clear that most students are aware of the main do's and don’t's, and follow the rules carefully. However, that is often times not enough – a statement needs to convey a part of your person. Sincerity in the statements always struck me because it disclosed to the reader a motivation somehow beyond the expected level as well as required personal traits.

For this reason, I chose not to have my statement of purpose reviewed by many people. The feedback received from my colleagues was great, but most of it did not end up in the final version because these views were not really mine. I decided to stick with what came from my own brainstorming and see where it took me.

Undertaking extensive research on the M.A. at SAIS (curriculum, professors, etc.) and comparing it with others helped me a lot. After that, I knew exactly why I had chosen the program, and what I wanted to obtain from it. And even though it was not the most logical step following my previous experience and education, for me it made perfect sense.

Once I realized where I wanted grad school to take me (and how), writing a sincere and strong personal statement seemed a much easier task.

SEBASTIAN ALEXANDER ERNST

Drafting a statement of aims eventually comes down to telling your side of the story. For me, it meant both a challenge and a chance to distinguish myself from others.

While I was confident about why I wanted to pursue a career in international relations, connecting the different “dots” was not as easy. To make sure the experiences and accomplishments were relevant and persuasive for “my story,” I had different people review my drafts right from the beginning. These evaluations played an important role in the process of identifying and emphasizing my individual strengths.

Whether or not you decide to involve your peers, I strongly believe that every piece of writing will benefit greatly from a large number of drafts. Constantly reviewing and reevaluating your statement, however, requires a lot of effort and can be extremely time-consuming. This is why I began the drafting process well in advance to ensure I had enough time to make my statement as strong as possible.

In combination with conveying knowledge of the programs I applied to, I sought to convey a sound story that would stick to the reader’s mind. Telling a proper story – in my case an uncomfortable encounter with a Brazilian street child – emphasizes your motivation and serves as an excellent guide through your statement as long as it relates to your past experiences and future aims. This kind of personal insight enhances your chance to stand out among the large number of highly competitive applicants, which is in the end what matters most.

Nelson Graves