From BC to DC

What's it like to be a SAIS student who spends a year in Bologna and then moves to Washington, DC?

I took advantage of a brief stopover in the U.S. capital last month to speak to two students who recently settled in Washington after studying last year in Bologna. Who better to describe the experience that about one half of SAIS students share: a first year of study in Italy followed by a second and final year in DC?

Marcus Watson worked in London for three years as a corporate lawyer before starting SAIS in the autumn of 2010. His concentration is International Development -- little wonder given experiences he has gained working in Tanzania and Uganda.

Even before Shoko Sugai graduated from college in 2009, she had helped victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and of the 2006 Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Her concentration is Conflict Management.


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In the short film below shot on the SAIS DC campus, Marcus and Shoko discuss the challenges of moving from Bologna to Washington: difficulties finding housing and the "bidding system" to get into popular classes. Shoko says it's a "little bit chaotic" living for nine months in Italy and then picking up stakes for the U.S.

Any regrets?

"I really do believe that if you go to Bologna and then come to DC, you get the best of both worlds," Shoko said.

"I think the experiences definitely complement each other," Marcus said.



If you are reading this on email, you can view the video here.

Nelson Graves

Open Day: A chance to see SAIS Bologna for yourself

On December 9, SAIS Bologna will open its doors to prospective applicants.

The day-long event will give visitors the chance to learn more about SAIS by meeting students and faculty; attending classes and lectures, and visiting Bologna.

Register now for Open Day on Dec 9

Traditionally current students provide accommodation for the visitors. Send us an email if you’d like to experience bolognese hospitality. You'll have an opportunity to gather more information about SAIS while saving money on accommodation.

Click here to view the schedule and to register.

If you can’t make it to Open Day because you have commitments or you live too far away from Bologna, there are other ways to learn more about SAIS:

• We'll be at APSIA fairs in the next two weeks: Vienna (Nov 2), Geneva (Nov 3), Madrid (Nov 5), Paris (Nov 7)

• We'll be holding online information sessions in November and December. The next one will be on November 22 at 7 pm Italy time (1800 GMT). Send us a message if you'd like to participate. As always, you are also welcome to contact us via Skype (jhubc.admissions) or telephone (+39 051 29 17 811).

Byron Sacharidis, a current student from Greece, attended Open Day last year. Here in his words is what Open Day meant to him.

Byron Sacharidis

With the spotlight on the statement of aims, letters of recommendation and standardized test scores, it is very easy to overlook the practical benefit of a school visit. In my case, I am glad I registered for Open Day last winter because it helped confirm my interest in SAIS and strengthened my motivation to apply for graduate studies.

The event was carefully planned and made a good impression. Having been offered accommodation by a current student, a notable part of the culture here in Bologna, I had the chance to familiarize myself with student life in ways that no site or brochure could convey. Right away, the feeling of belonging and the discovery of a rare, close-knit community, where diversity and camaraderie thrive, fueled my enthusiasm about what this beautiful city has to offer.

From last year's Open Day

After a warm welcome, we were offered a session where we could pose questions and discuss issues with school representatives and staff. This was a good opportunity to ask what I would hesitate asking over the phone or via email. What is more, during a lecture I was happy to discover first hand the accessibility of my professors-to-be. I got a taste of how classes felt and appreciated the two-fold teaching approach: some classes are lecture-based and others are seminars. The day could not have ended better than with a happy hour at Giuglio’s Bar, where I relaxed and reassessed my overall impressions and the vibes I had got during the day, while getting caught up in interesting debates with students.

Memorable, but above all useful in many different ways, Open Day ended up playing a decisive role in my search for graduate school by putting things into perspective. I encourage you to take the plunge and see for yourself.

Amina Abdiuahab

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

Photographs by SAIS Bologna students

Bologna is a photographer's dream and also a very good jumping-off point to visit other, photogenic spots in Europe and beyond.

Here are some photographs by students in this year's class.

by Jace Han

by Jace Han

by Elizabeth Forro

by Jace Han

by Elizabeth Forro

by Shelley Ranii

by Steve Farole

by Carlos Goes

by Carlos Goes

by Elizabeth Forro

by Corey Cox

by Steve Farole

by Carlos Goes

Nelson Graves

SAIS students on SAIS

SAIS students put out a special publication in April that offers prospective applicants a window on our graduate school.

The SAIS Observer edition includes a range of vantage points: accounts of trips by students to China, Sri Lanka, Spain, Panama and Costa Rica; articles on life at SAIS Bologna and at Hopkins-Nanjing; descriptions of concentrations and student clubs.

There is a tongue-in-cheek piece on dating at SAIS: "Dating at SAIS or rather within SAIS is like dating in 9th grade except everyone is taller and the acne is gone."

In a note to prospective students, the three editors wrote that "the best way to predict what SAIS is like is to continue talking to current students and alumni and to be vigilant about reaching out to departments, professors, leaders and others."

Sound advice.

Mia Warner, writing about her year at SAIS Bologna in 2009-10, said "the really fascinating part was listening to my fellow classmates' questions and comments. I was in awe of the range of perspectives that other students presented."

If it's true that students are SAIS's best ambassadors, then we offer up this publication as a very good way for prospective applicants to learn more about what makes this program different.

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

What do our alumni miss most about their year in Bologna?

For eight weeks, SAIS Bologna's website has been a repository of alumni memories.

Flexing our social media muscles, we asked alumni to answer the question: "What do you miss most about your year in Bologna?"

The result has been a river of postings by several dozen alumni. Below you will see some of the photographs that were submitted to the competition, which ended yesterday, October 17.

In an August post published just before the competition started, I wrote about how for many alumni, SAIS Bologna is an intimate academic community.

Before turning to the photographs, let me exercise a bit of editorial prerogative and call your attention to a touching piece by Patti Bonnet, who attended SAIS Bologna in 1992-93. You might find her reminisces unusual, but I'm sure you will admire her skillful way with words and read her tale until the end.

My technological talents are not up to the task of posting two other items you might like to view: an offering by Fabiana Papaianni capturing her class's fifth year reunion, and a slideshow by Tom Tesluk with images of the city accompanied by the haunting sound of church bells.

I've also taken the liberty of including a slideshow of photographs that I submitted. Auteur oblige.

Enjoy.

by Alix Murphy

by Nick Hopkinson

by Kathleen Tesluk

by Teresa Meoni

by Tom Tesluk

by Natalya Lyoda

by Jerome Ingenhoff

by Christopher Brownfield

by Monica Sendor

by David Mason

by Monica Sendor

by Sarah Sparker

by David Mason

by Tanya Gulnik

Nelson Graves