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

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

Your questions answered

Before we dive into the Q&A, I would like to encourage those who haven't activated their JHU email account, to do so as soon as possible. If you have problems activating it, please contact SAIS Help. The sooner you do it, the less the chances of missing out on important information, such as jobs advertisements.

Q: I have not chosen a concentration yet, is it OK?
A: It is. When you submitted your application form, you indicated your concentration preference. However, if you wish to change concentration, you will have the opportunity to do so. Orientation week, a full week where you will be able to attend any class that whets your appetite, will help you in your decision-making. You will have access to all concentrations, except IDEV.

To understand the different concentration requirements please take some time to read through this document.

Q: When is the deadline to register for courses?
A: The deadline is shortly after the end of Orientation week, on September, 30.

Q: When will I be able to see an academic advisor?
A: You will be able to speak to an academic advisor during Orientation week.

Q: How am I assigned an academic advisor?
A: You will be assigned an academic advisor according to your concentration choice.

Q: Are there job opportunities on campus during pre-term?
A: Yes. There are jobs available in the Library, at Reception, in the Careers Services Office and with some professors. Today, Heather Kochevar, Public Services Assistant, sent out an email advertising four job vacancies in the Library . The message was sent to your JHU email. If you haven't activated your account, now is a good time to do it. Also during pre-term, Raffaella our receptionist, will be looking for one person to help out.  Ann Gagliardi in the Careers Services Office will be seeking help too. Ann will send out an email with a complete job description and application instructions before the end of July. The proferssors who need a teaching assistant will send an email with information.

Q: Are there more jobs available after pre-term?
A: Yes, there will be. The Library will hire around ten students and two or three other Offices will be looking for help too. Some teaching assistant positions will aslo be available. These positions will be advertised just before the start of the academic year, to give everyone a chance.

Amina Abdiuahab 

Connections

Before I tackle some of the questions we are hearing the most from admitted candidates, a word on connecting.

There are many ways to learn about SAIS. The days of the bulky course catalog are just about over -- although if you ask politely, we might be able to find you one. Most everything has gone digital.

SAIS Bologna and SAIS DC have their own websites. Both SAIS and SAIS Admissions have Facebook pages. The main page is called The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, and the Admissions page is Johns Hopkins SAIS Admissions.

You can also find SAIS on Twitter, Linkedin, iTunes and YouTube.

Current SAIS Bologna students have created a Facebook group for admitted candidates. If you would like to join, go here and make a request. It's a great forum for discussing the issues you consider most important.

There is, of course, this blog. And there is old-fashioned email. If you have a question that is not answered elsewhere, please send an email to me, Amina Abdiuahab or SAIS Bologna Admissions.

On to the questions.

Where can I get information on pre-term?

This will give you the rundown on pre-term in Bologna. Did you know that one can participate in pre-term in Washington and then come to Bologna for pre-term here? For information on the Washington pre-term, which runs from July 25 to August 23, click here.

When should I arrive in Bologna?

If you are participating in pre-term, you have to be here in time for pre-term classes, which start on August 29. Salvatore starts helping students find apartments on August 18. My advice would be to get here between August 18 and 25 so that you can find an apartment and start settling in. It will allow you to focus fully on your studies once pre-term begins. It may be a mini-term, but they pack a lot of teaching and study in to those 4 weeks.

If I'm not participating in pre-term, when should I arrive?

Fall semester classes start on October 3. Would I recommend rolling into Bologna on the evening of October 2? Let's put it this way: it's no secret that Salvatore's stable of apartments will dwindle as students settle in during late August and September. September is a wonderful month to be in Europe -- it's generally sunny and dry. The earlier you come, the more likely it is you will have settled down by the time classes start, ensuring a smooth start to your studies. You catch my drift.

What about housing? How hard is it to find an apartment?

Of all of the challenges you will face as a SAIS student -- and there are a few -- housing in Bologna is for most students one of the easiest. If you take advantage of Salvatore's services, he all but tucks you in once you've arrived here. Get in touch with Salvatore after you arrive, and the rest is normally smooth as silk.

Do I have to take the concentration that I marked as my first choice on my application?

No. You are free to choose your concentration after you start your studies. The one exception is International Development. To do that concentration, you have to be admitted as part of the admissions process.

But if you chose another concentration, you are not bound by that selection. Keep in mind that you will have to satisfy the academic requirements of a concentration (either functional or geographic), plus the requirements for international economics. And don't forget the language proficiency requirement. So you can't wait until the last semester to make a choice.

How difficult is it to get a visa?

Most students get their visas after submitting to a non-lethal dose of bureaucracy. There are exceptions because different countries have different hurdles. The key here is to get on it early. Non-U.S. applicants will receive a letter from the SAIS Bologna Admissions after they matriculate; the letter asks authorities from the student's country to issue a 12-month visa starting August 2011. Students who thereafter have difficult obtaining a 12-month visa should contact our office. For more information, click here.

U.S. candidates coordinate through Erin Cameron in the SAIS DC Admissions Office. For more information, click here.

Tomorrow is Open House in Bologna. We hope to post some video of the event tomorrow evening for those who cannot come. We did a post on the DC Open House last month.

Nelson Graves

A chat with Professor David Calleo

The Bologna Center was founded in 1955, a decade after the end of World War Two. It was created against a backdrop of political, social and economic upheaval in Europe and mounting tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. Relations between Washington and Europe were evolving rapidly.

It's easy with hindsight to see why European Studies was from the start a key component of the Bologna Center curriculum. With the changes since then, foremost among them the disintegration of the Soviet Union, is European Studies still relevant?

Meet David Calleo. Professor Calleo has been teaching at SAIS for more than four decades. He was appointed director of European Studies in 1968, Dean Acheson professor 20 years later and JHU University professor in 2001. You can take a glimpse at his accomplishments and publications here.

If anyone has a perspective on SAIS and European Studies, it is Prof. Calleo. I took advantage of a swing through Washington to chat very briefly with him.



Nelson Graves