Student Life: First Impressions

It's hot in Bologna and most bolognesi residents are out of town. Many SAIS students have arrived ahead of pre-term. Classes have not started, but students have been meeting each other, settling in and making the most of their time before they hit the books. Below we ask some students to share their first impressions with us.


                                               

If you're reading this post on email, click here to watch the video.

Amina Abdiuahab

Quiz: How times have changed

Veteran followers of this blog will remember when we used to hold regular quizzes and offered prizes to wide-eyed winners.

Looking for a clue?

Remember these? Who is the patron saint at the end of the world's longest arcade? The name of that fountain? Why roses in the mail boxes?

Before the days of online search engines, it was easy to think up stumpers. Now try to ask a question that can't be answered with a few taps on a keyboard.

Here's one that's not so easy. The first person to guess correctly will win a SAIS Bologna -- yes, Bologna -- tee shirt. (Sorry, no SAIS Europe shirts in stock.)

What was the matriculation fee at the SAIS Bologna Center in 1955-56, its first year of operations?

You can send in your answer via the comment section below or with an email to admissions@jhubc.it.

Nelson Graves

Student life: Porticoes, patios and a collection of keys

SAIS Europe students live in apartments spread out around Bologna. Many take advantage of our consultant, Salvatore, who has placed generations of SAIS students in flats around the medieval city. Last year we published a post with a video of an apartment hunt. This year, MA candidate Samuel Verkhovsky writes about how he found his flat and offers a tip for anyone joining Salvatore on one of his whirlwind tours.

I joined Salvatore and seven other students on the first housing tour of the year.

The impressive collection

We signed up on a piece of paper posted on the front door of the second-floor housing office. Then we watched Salvatore carefully select keys from his impressive collection. He took about 30 sets of keys and put them on a large ring, and we loaded up into his van.

I strongly advise taking a pen and paper and taking notes of what you see along the way. Salvatore showed us almost 30 different places, all within the old city walls, with entrances under porticoes and old-style glass elevators that fit five people very snugly. We climbed lots of stairs.

We saw 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, 3-, 4-, 5- and even a 6-bedroom apartment. The more bedrooms, the more bathrooms per apartment. There were apartments with some stunning views of the city, with patios and verandas. There were apartments with very unique internal features, very homey, cool apartments with a great feel. Most of the apartments we saw came equipped with all the furnishings one would need in an apartment. I can’t speak for all the units, but mine came with appliances, dishes, utensils, towels and sheets. It also seems that the apartments come with their own clothes washing machine; I’m not sure about the drier though.

Salvatore leads students on the apartment hunt.

When looking at apartments, it is advisable that you write down memorable details about each place beyond simply the room/bathroom configuration and price. I say this because you will see so many places and you will like several, and you will be asking yourself and others on your tour, “Which apartment had the cool couch? Was that three-bedroom the one with the spiral staircase? What did the desks look like in the apartment on via Santo Stefano?”  When you see places you like, make note of the kitchen, the windows and the desk space, and ask yourself: "Are the rooms lit well enough by natural light?"

"Which apartment had the cool couch?"

Half way into our tour, Salvatore bought us all bottles of water, which was very nice. After the tour, we consulted our notes and exchanged comments about which places we liked. We returned to Salvatore’s office, and he called us each one by one, in the order of our names on the signup sheet, and asked us what we wanted.

The jackpot

Salvatore has flats for everyone, and apartment hunters can rest assured they will be set up properly.

Happy apartment hunting!

Samuel Verkhovsky (BC14)

Academics: Theoretical insight, practical tools

How many courses do students take at SAIS Europe? How many economics courses? Are there electives?

Today we offer chapter and verse on the academic prerequisites.

Buckle up: The requirements are complicated, as you would expect from a multidisciplinary program that prepares its graduates for leadership posts in a range of professions around the world.

Here is our guide, a seven-page document spelling out the requirements for the four main degrees pursued at SAIS Europe. Those degrees are the:

• Master of Arts in International Relations (MA)
• Master of International Public Policy (MIPP)
• Master of Arts in International Affairs (MAIA)
• SAIS Bologna Diploma

Before diving into the nitty gritty of the program requirements, consider their overarching objective: to provide the theoretical insight and practical tools required for a successful career in today's global environment.

"SAIS produces innovative thinkers and problem-solvers, equipped to deal with global challenges in any context around the world." -- the SAIS website.

That is a tall order and explains the mix of challenges that SAIS students face.

Most SAIS students pursue the MA; its requirements are spelled out on pages 1-4 of the summary document.

All MA candidates must fulfill the requirements for:

• International Economics
• a second concentration, either in Global Themes (International Relations or International Development) or a Region of the World
• a foreign language

In addition, MA candidates must pass examinations in at least two of four core subjects; those pursuing the European and Eurasian Studies concentration must pass three comprehensive exams instead of the core exams.

We get more questions on International Economics than just about anything else. All MA candidates must meet the requirements for:

• Microeconomics
• Macroeconomics
• International Trade Theory
• International Monetary Theory

Note that micro and macro are at the intermediate level; all SAIS students have to have passed university-level introduction to micro and introduction to macro before starting their course work. Some do so during the summer before coming to SAIS by taking our online Principles of Economics course.

In addition, all MA candidates must complete a quantitative reasoning course. They can choose from among:

• Statistical Methods for Business & Economics
• Econometrics
• Applied Econometrics
• Macro Econometrics
• Risk Analysis and Modeling

SAIS teaches a total of 17 languages. All MA candidates must pass the proficiency examination in one of those languages, and of course it must not be the candidate's native language.

For more information on the language requirements, click here.

Questions on the requirements for the other degrees? Please consult the master document and get back to us if you have any questions.

We would not expect prospective candidates, most of whom are only starting to get their applications in order, to commit the SAIS program requirements to memory. But familiarity with them can help strengthen an application by deepening a candidate's understanding of the SAIS academic experience.

Nelson Graves

Thinking of applying to SAIS? Here are your next steps

To help prospective applicants plan, we offer a checklist of steps to take plus links to past posts.

If you are thinking of applying to SAIS Europe (formerly SAIS Bologna), now is a great time to get your thoughts and plans in order.

1. Standardized tests

If you are a non-native speaker of English, you will have to submit the results of one of three competency tests: TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge Proficiency Exam.

Here is a document spelling out our English-language requirements. If you are going to sign up for one of the competency exams, it's a good idea to leave yourself enough time to take the test a second time in case you are not satisfied with your score on the first exam.

If you have taken one of those three tests since January 7, 2012 (two years before the deadline for applications), those results can be submitted as part of your application.

All U.S. citizens are required to submit the results of either the GRE or the GMAT; non-U.S. citizens who are open to starting their SAIS studies in either DC or Bologna must also take one of those tests. Non-U.S. citizens wishing to start in Bologna are not required to take either the GRE or the GMAT, but we strongly recommend that these candidates do so. (For more detail, read this post.)

As with the English competency tests, if you are taking the GRE or GMAT, it is best to leave enough time to take one or the other a second time in case you are not satisfied with your first set of scores.

For more on the GRE and GMAT, click here.

2. CV

This is a basic building block of an application. There is no minimum or maximum length; the crucial thing is to keep it very tight and to make sure it is an accurate reflection of your studies, work and experiences. It's important to get the CV right as you will want to share it with the authors of your letters of reference.

Here is a past post on CVs.

3. Statement of Purpose

The statement is your chance to tell us why SAIS would be the best next step for you, how it fits in with your career aspirations and what you would bring to SAIS that is unique and valuable.

It takes time for your thoughts to come together before you start writing your statement, so be patient. Be sure that your statement is not a generic text saying you want to go to graduate school; it should capture what attracts you specifically to SAIS. Try to make your statement engaging and original but of course not frivolous; remember, Admissions Committee members read hundreds of statements.

You may want to share your statement with your referees as it will help them tailor their letters.

For more on the statement of purpose, click here.

4. Letters of reference

We require two letters of reference. Some candidates ask two professors to support them; those with more work experience might ask one professor and one work supervisor. The crucial thing is that the person should be able to write with authority about you and also consider why SAIS would suit you. That means you may have to spend time explaining your situation to the referees. Give yourself time.

Referees can be notoriously bad with meeting the deadline for their letters. Be prepared to lean gently on them. Also, we require referees to send us their letters directly; they can upload them to your online application or send a hard copy on official letterhead to the SAIS DC Admissions Office.

For more on the letters of reference, click here.

5. Transcripts

We will need an official version of your undergraduate transcript. Your university's registrar should send your most recent transcript directly to our SAIS DC Admissions Office, where it will be loaded into your online dossier.

Some universities use a third-party service to distribute transcripts.

6. Analytical essay

This is a chance to show that you can write with authority on a topic of current interest. No original research is required, and we are not looking for footnotes or a bibliography. Also, we do not want a copy of your 20,000-word undergraduate thesis; the essay should be no more than 600 words.

For more on the analytical essay, click here.

7. Stay in touch

The more you know about SAIS, the better your application. We will be holding a series of online information sessions in coming months. We welcome visitors to SAIS Europe and can arrange an ad hoc program for those who do come. More formally, we'll be opening our doors to prospective applicants during a one-day Open Day in the beginning of December.

Contact Amina or me if you have any questions.

Finally, keep reading this Journal!

Nelson Graves

SAIS collaboration with U.S. magazine provides global platform for student writing

SAIS students have a prominent new outlet for their writing and reporting -- "The Atlantic" magazine.

This summer the venerable U.S. publication has been running a series of articles from SAIS students on its digital platform, part of a partnership between the graduate program and "The Atlantic".

The students have contributed to the magazine's online "Global" and "China" channels.

Jared Metzker, who attended SAIS Europe this past academic year and will be studying at SAIS DC starting in the fall, tackles U.S.-EU trade negotiations with a story below an eye-catching headline, "Why Kansan Parsnips Might Soon Be Coming to Dutch Supermarkets".

Was Julia Gillard the victim of sexist politics when she was recently ousted by a fellow Labour Party leader as Australia's prime minster? That's the question Taylor Washburn addresses in his piece, "Is Sexism the Reason Julia Gillard Was Unseated?"

Finally, Josiah Tsui looks at a film on intelligence leaker Edward Snowden that was pulled together on short notice in Hong Kong, where Snowden sought refuge shortly before divulging details of secret U.S. surveillance programs.

Like Metzker, Tsui  attended SAIS Europe this past academic year and will be finishing his SAIS master's degree in DC next spring. He entered SAIS after three years as an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins, which means he will have earned both a BA and an MA in 5 years -- making him in SAIS jargon a "BA/MA".

SAIS students have many outlets on campus for their writing talents. The SAIS Observer is a monthly publication featuring pieces by students on all three SAIS campuses -- Bologna, DC and Nanjing.

At SAIS Europe, the Bologna Center Journal of International Affairs is the student revue that is published each spring.

Nelson Graves

Online information sessions: here's our calendar

We at SAIS Europe Admissions will be holding online information sessions every month for the rest of the year to provide information on our master's degrees and application procedures, and also to answer any questions prospective candidates might have.

These sessions are interactive, and participants can ask questions either through the audio or by using the chat function.

It is a good way to hear what other prospective candidates are thinking -- and to meet people who might be your future classmates.

Usually a current student or recent alumnus participates in the sessions, providing worthwhile perspective.

We like to focus on a particular aspect of the application during each information session. We record the online sessions so prospective candidates can listen/watch them after they are over.

Here is the schedule:

- August 28 at 4 pm Central European Time time (1400 GMT) - general introduction
- September 26 at 10 am CET (0800 GMT) - standardized tests
- October 23 at 4 pm CET (1400 GMT) - statement of purpose
- November 26 at 10 am CET (0900 GMT) - letters of recommendation
- December 12 at 4 pm CET (1500 GMT) - analytical essay

If you are interested in participating in any of the sessions, please send an email to admissions@jhubc.it and we will send you instructions on how to connect.

In addition to these online sessions, Amina and I will be traveling to parts of Europe this fall to meet prospective applicants. We will post a list later. Every year at the beginning of December we hold an Open Day at SAIS Europe that allows prospective applicants to learn more about us. We will be announcing the date of Open Day soon.

Finally, Amina and I are happy to answer questions over the phone, via Skype or email, or in person.

Nelson Graves