Thursday, December 27, 2012

A photo gallery by SAIS Bologna students - Part I

As 2012 winds to a close, we feature some photographs taken this term by SAIS Bologna students. Today we post a first batch, to be followed by another series next week.

Enjoy.























Thanks to: Michael Aubrey, Mallory Baxter, Daniela Beyer, Ally Carragher, Danielle Clark, Max Cohen, Kieran Coleman, Francesco Menonna, Jennifer Ottolino and Adrienne Wong.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Answers to your questions - Part II


Today we run a second Q&A aimed at addressing key issues facing candidates applying to SAIS Bologna for 2013-14. To read the first Q&A that ran last week, click here.

A reminder that the deadline for applications is January 7. If anyone has any questions, please send an email to admissions@jhubc.it.

If you missed our online information session on December 19 and would like to listen to a recording of it, please send an email to admissions@jhubc.it.

Q: How do I start my application?
A: Our application is online, and you can start here: https://app.applyyourself.com/AYApplicantLogin/ApplicantConnectLogin.asp?id=saisjhu

Q: Will you tell us if our application is complete?
A: Candidates will receive an email alerting them when their application is complete. If an application is not complete, we will notify the candidate after January 7.

Q: What are the next steps in the application process?
A: Here are the steps after January 7:
  • Financial aid applicants need to submit their requests and supporting documents by February 15. Here is the form for non-U.S. candidates applying to SAIS Bologna.
  • Non-U.S. applicants applying to SAIS Bologna will be interviewed by members of the Bologna Admissions Committee between mid-January and the end of February. We will be contacting applicants after January 7 to set up a convenient date and time. Some interviews are conducted face-to-face; most are done over the phone or via Skype.
  • Some non-U.S. applicants willing to start their studies at either campus will be contacted after January 7 to set up an interview.
  • The DC and Bologna Admissions Committees will meet in early March to take the admissions decisions and allocate financial aid. Candidates will be alerted by mid-March.
  • SAIS DC will hold an Open House for admitted candidates on April 10. SAIS Bologna will hold its Open House on April 15.
  • Admitted candidates offered aid will need to decide by April 20 whether to enroll. Those offered no aid will have until May 1.
Q: How will interviews be arranged? Where will they be held and when?
A: After January 7 we will take stock of the pool of candidates for SAIS Bologna and decide where we will conduct face-to-face interviews. Admissions Committee members generally travel to several cities in Europe as well as to Washington and New York to interview non-U.S. candidates applying to SAIS Bologna. But most interviews are conducted by telephone or via Skype because we do not expect candidates to travel long distances for the sessions and we cannot travel to the four corners of the globe.

Q: How do I apply for financial aid?
A: The deadline for requesting financial aid is February 15, 2013. Non-U.S. applicants to SAIS Bologna should use this form. U.S. applicants use a different form (here).

Financial aid is awarded on the basis of need and merit. For more information on financial aid for non-U.S. applicants to Bologna, click here.

Friday, December 21, 2012

A holiday quiz

Last week SAIS Bologna faculty and staff gathered for a Christmas celebration. A special guest, who normally arrives later in December, made an appearance for the children who were at the party.

Quiz question:

Who is the person in the picture dressed as Santa Claus and what affiliation does he/she have with SAIS Bologna?



This quiz is not open to current members of the SAIS community (students, faculty or staff).

The prize will be a SAIS Bologna tee shirt like this one:


You can send your answer as a comment on this post or by email at admissions@jhubc.it.

If you missed our December 19 online information session and want to listen to a recording, please send an email to admissions@jhubc.it



Thursday, December 20, 2012

Answers to your questions - Part I

Today we run a Q&A aimed at addressing key issues facing candidates applying to SAIS Bologna for 2013-14. We will run another Q&A on December 26.

A reminder that the deadline for applications is January 7. If anyone has any questions, please send an email to admissions@jhubc.it.

Q: What if my application is not complete by January 7?
A: Your application must be complete before the Admissions Committee can consider your candidacy. If you are unable to submit all elements of your application by January 7, please submit what you can and drop a note to admissions@jhubc.it explaining what is missing and why. The longer your application remains incomplete after January 7, the less likely the Admissions Committee will consider it.

Q: I am a non-native English speaker but my undergraduate curriculum was conducted entirely in English. Do I have to submit the results of an English proficiency exam as part of my application?
A: It depends. If your university was in a country where English is an official language, you are exempt. Otherwise, you need to submit a test score.

For more information on the English language requirements, click here.

Q: Is it better to choose a preferred campus or indicate that I would be willing to start in either Bologna or DC?
A: If you would prefer to start at one campus or the other, please check that campus as your preference. If you are open to either campus and do not have a preference, then check that box, keeping in mind that the Admissions Committee will choose a campus for you if you are admitted.

Q: Will my chances of entry to SAIS Bologna be hurt if I do not submit a GRE or GMAT score?
A: While SAIS Bologna does not require either the GRE or the GMAT of non-U.S. candidates, we do recommend one or the other. The tests are not perfect tools for assessing a candidate’s aptitude or promise, and the results are only part of a complex picture painted by an application. However, an unusually strong score can help a candidate, while an unusually low score can raise a warning flag for both the candidate and the Admissions Committee.  Keep in mind that we want candidates to be confident of their ability to succeed in a demanding program such as SAIS.

Having said that, we do not require the GRE or the GMAT, and so candidates who do not submit scores from either of these tests will not be punished.

Q: What if I encounter technical problems when I try to submit my online application?
A: On each page of the online application there is a box called “Tech Support”. If you are having technical problems, please click the box and follow the instructions.

While candidates who submit their application early gain no advantage in the admissions process, we do recommend that you not wait until the last minute to submit your application. We would not like a technical glitch to hinder your submission.

Q: What documents need to be sent by snail mail to SAIS?
A: All documents other than undergraduate transcripts and standardized test scores can be uploaded to the online application system.

There are two ways to send undergraduate transcripts:

1. The candidate’s undergraduate institution can send an official undergraduate transcript by mail to the SAIS DC Admissions Office, where it will be uploaded into our system:

SAIS DC Admissions
1740 Massachusetts Ave, NW

Washington, DC 20036

USA

2. Or candidates can use a credential evaluation service. For a list of such services, click here.

Standardized test scores should be sent directly to SAIS as follows:
  • By electronic submission (SAIS code):
    • TOEFL (5610-0000)
    • GRE (5610-0000)
    • GMAT (KGB-GX-99)
  • By mail to SAIS DC Admissions (address above):
    • IELTS
    • Cambridge Proficiency
Authors of letters of reference can either submit their letters through the online application system or send hard copies to the above address in Washington, DC.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

To Geneva and back: a tale of career discovery


A snowy Sunday in Geneva witnessed dribs and drabs of sleepy SAISers emerge from an overnight train. The luckier ones hopped off the airport bus, fresh from a weekend break in Spain.

Gathering by the lake, under the shadow of Rousseau, Calvin and the only tourist attraction in Geneva, the unimaginatively named "Jet d'Eau" fountain, they wondered whether they had a future in this eye-wateringly expensive center of international politics.


Luckily the SAIS career trip, starting bright and early on a recent Monday morning, was there to give them the answers.

The whistle-stop tour of Geneva’s multitude of multilaterals with alphabet names began at the WTO, where we were greeted by SAIS Bologna Prof. Michael Plummer’s book in the reception and treated to a talk assessing the headaches of the Doha Round.

A quick taxi took us to the International Environment House where we met two junior professional officers (JPOs) from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and friendly contacts from the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

All three organisations generously covered the ins and outs of the Green Economy, subsidy analysis, public procurements and internships in Geneva. Discussion was well fueled by a tasty UNEP lunch.

After a long day assessing the sustainability of careers in trade, we headed to UNAIDS for an evening alumni event jointly held by SAIS and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Between making the most of the free canapés, there was plenty of opportunity to meet alumni working in the U.S. mission, UN disarmament program, the German mission, the ILO, UNAIDS and more who were surprisingly as interested to meet us as we were them.

Day two brought us to the heart of the action in UN headquarters, where a SAIS alumnus from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) gave us a detailed insight into his work and some good tips on how to approach the UN Young Professionals Programme (YPP).

Next, after a few obligatory photos in front of flags, we stepped into the private sector and met the chief investment officer of Blue Orchard, a microfinance investment company. Her varied career in development banking and finance seemed like the ultimate test for a SAIS economic education.

The grand finale came with the UN triumvirate of OHCHR, UNICEF and UNHCR. Wonderfully hosted in UNHCR, with the first complimentary coffee and cookies of the trip, we debated the moral authority of the UN and intently questioned Prof. Søren Jessen-Petersen's old colleague on his first forays into the field.

We ended with some candid and passionate advice from UNICEF’s Christine Knudsen, a SAIS alumna. The message was clear: be persistent, be flexible, don’t have illusions about changing the world but be sure you believe in what you are doing.

Christine and the others took us beyond the acronyms and protocols of Geneva. As the students shivered back towards the train and a welcome return to the euro, I suspect there were many who, after two fulfilling days, did indeed glimpse a future by the lake.

by Oliver Russell

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Bonding behind castle walls


A few weeks ago, the International Development concentrators at SAIS Bologna organized a weekend retreat to the small town of Granaglione.

The IDEV concentrators
Granaglione is a few kilometers outside of Porretta Terme, near Emilia Romagna's border with Tuscany, about 1-1/2 hours from Bologna. Twelve of us spent one weekend in the Castello di Granaglione, a small medieval castle sitting on top of a hill overlooking the town.

Getting there was an adventure in itself. Although the train to Porretta Terma runs very frequently, to get to the castle we also needed to take a bus, which in small towns runs only once or twice a day over weekends. For those of us who missed that bus (or even one or two trains), finding a taxi was not any easier either.
The Castle

After we had all arrived safely, we took some time to look around the scenic grounds. As night drew closer, we quickly found out that as enchanting as “being in a castle” may sound, “central heating” -- or lack thereof -- became much more important. Huddling around the fireplace or the kitchen stove made for some interesting stories.

The next morning the fog was so thick that it was hard to see very much at all. We went on a short hike in the mountains, and it was striking to walk through the forest -- everything seemed haunted.

The Fog
To keep costs to a minimum, we had brought our own food. Luckily for us, we have some pretty wonderful cooks in our group. Our main chef, Megan Davidow, planned three amazing meals for the entire group, helped of course by our sous-chefs Lauren Keevill, Tendi Madenyika, Chimdi Onwudiegwu and David Gorgani. It was truly delicious (and inexpensive), so I’m including pictures and recipes. It was quite nice to be able to relax after what seemed to be a particularly stressful midterm period. We may plan this again next semester, but certainly when the weather is much warmer. And we will budget for a car rental.

Megan’s beans ("zariko sy sauce tomaty") recipe:

The Food
If you have dried beans, soak them overnight, then boil them until they are soft and set aside the liquid. If you have fresh beans, boil them for a few hours until soft and set aside the liquid. If you have canned or boxed beans, just reserve the liquid.

Put about two tablespoons of vegetable oil into a pot and heat. When hot, add chopped onions and tomatoes and cook until the onions are translucent and the tomatoes give up their juice. You can add however many you like, but I usually add two tomatoes and two onions for one can of dried beans. Add cooked beans to the vegetables and mix. Add reserved bean water and salt, and boil with the lid on until you get the amount of sauce you're looking for. I usually add leeks with the bean water, too.
Chimdindu & Melissa

Obviously, serve with copious amounts of rice. And that's it!

For the hot sauce (sakay), I chop pili pili, then add grated ginger and grated garlic to taste, then mix in vegetable oil to bind it together. If you can't get pili pili, red pepper flakes also work.

Here is the Baked French Toast recipe Lauren made: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/08/baked-french-toast/

by Melissa Paredes Saltos

Thursday, December 13, 2012

The analytical essay: you'll want to read this

Today we publish an analytical essay by a current SAIS Bologna student that caught the eye of the Admissions Committee.

If you read the essay -- click here -- you'll understand why.

In just over 550 words, Allison Carragher managed to introduce a topic that was of interest to her and relevant to her proposed course of study at SAIS. She explained the importance of the subject and her connection to it, and examined it from several angles.

Allison Carragher
In other words, she looked at an issue of international interest through a personal lens. Not every candidate will have Ally's background -- experience at two U.S. federal agencies, on Capitol Hill, on a presidential campaign and in a law firm. We would not expect candidates to duplicate Ally's essay.

But applicants pondering what to write about in their analytical essays can draw some lessons:

  • Find a topic that interests you and is relevant to what you might like to study at SAIS.
  • Explain it simply and clearly, say why it's important and examine it critically.
  • Do it all in under 600 words.

We are often asked if it's important to stick to 600 words or less. We're not going to reject applicants who write 601 words. But as Ally notes below, it's harder to write concisely than it is to run on. As a former wire service reporter, I know.

Want to read another essay that fit the bill? Click here to read the most popular post we have ever published.

Here in her own words is Ally's explanation of how she chose her topic and went about writing her essay.

I was working (a lot!) while trying to apply to graduate schools, so I focused my analytical essay on something that I was already involved in at work.

I wanted a topic that fit within the narrative of my application and was relevant to what I hoped to do after graduating from SAIS. I chose Impact Investing because it was a subject I found interesting and knew something about, but wanted to learn more. I think it’s important to pick an issue that interests you because if you actually enjoy writing the essay, that will show.

Impact Investing, especially as a tool for international development, is a relatively recent phenomenon so there isn’t that much research out there yet. I started by reading a number of memos and papers out there to better familiarize myself with the topic.

It’s also a subject my boss, OPIC President and CEO Elizabeth Littlefield, was really passionate about. I talked to her about the topic and where she thought the sector was headed. Then I got lucky. She had to give a speech on business as a force for good, and I was asked to draft it. It was the perfect excuse to start writing parts of my analytical essay!

Even though I learned a lot about Impact Investing, I couldn’t fit it all into one short essay. Believe me, cutting it down to the word limit wasn’t easy! I tried to focus on the parts that mattered most: defining the topic, introducing a few of the issues currently at play in the sector, and making one or two predictions for the future.

It seemed most important to make it clear that I understood what I was writing about and was able to think about it “analytically.” I also wanted to explain how the topic was relevant to me. In the end, I was really happy with the result.

Nelson Graves

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Next information session on December 19

We will hold our last online information session of the year -- and the final one before the deadline for applications for SAIS Bologna's 2013-14 year -- on Wednesday, December 19.

Ally Carragher will discuss
the analytical essay and answer questions
The session will start at noon Italy time (1100 GMT). For instructions on how to connect to the session, click here.

Participants will need an Internet connection. To participate in the audio, you will need speakers or headphones plus a microphone. Otherwise, you can ask questions via the chat function.

This month our special guest, Ally Carragher, will focus on the analytical essay -- one of the components of the application for the MA and MAIA degrees. The sessions usually last about one hour -- or as long as it takes to answer any and all questions.

If you would like to listen to and view a recording of the session, please send an email to admissions@jhubc.it, and we will send you the URL.

Applications for the next academic year are due by January 7, 2013. If you have any questions about procedures or are having any problems with the online application system, be sure to contact us at admissions@jhubc.it.

To start an application, click here.

Nelson Graves






Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Questions from SAIS Bologna's Open Day

Profs. Plummer, Keller, Cesa
Prospective applicants came from across Europe to attend SAIS Bologna's annual Open Day last Friday. It was a chance for them to meet faculty, students and staff, and get a close-up view of life at the Center.

We realize most candidates could not come to Bologna yet have many of the same questions as Open Day participants. With that in mind, we summarize key points raised by our visitors in sessions with the Student Government Association and staff.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

SGA president Matt Conn and the four other members -- Lorenzo Bruscagli, Max Cohen, Nameerah Hameed and Anika Sellier -- tackled participants' questions.

Q: What kind of clubs or associations are at SAIS Bologna?
A: The SGA members pointed out there are many clubs that carry over from year to year, while others spring up based on the interests of a particular class. In both cases, students' interests drive the formation of clubs. Those that tend to form every year include the Defense and Intelligence Club, the Finance Club, the Latin American Club. This year there is a Dance Club and a club devoted to outdoor activities. Clubs are eligible for funding, which is managed by the SGA and generated by a modest fee levied on students when they enter. "The school is extremely social," commented Cohen.

Student Government Association
Q: What was the hardest part of applying?
A: Sellier said for her it was the statement of purpose. Conn's advice: "Stop trying to guess what SAIS wants. SAIS takes all types. Don't try to fit a mold."

Bruscagli recommended starting your application early. "Don't procrastinate. Understand why you want to come here."

Hameed said she was interviewed over Skype and had what she called an engaging conversation. "It is an opportunity to show more of yourself and your energy and passion."

Conn advised potential applicants to start searching for grants early on. "It will never be less work than you think," he said.

Q: How much time do you spend on academics?
A: SGA members said most students are taking four courses plus a language and also attending the seminar series. "Academic life here is very demanding," Hameed said.

"It can be as hard as you want to make it," said Conn. "It will never be easy. It's a lot of work but not impossible."

"It's definitely a lot of work, but you're always doing it. It becomes your life," said Bruscagli.

Cohen advised incoming students to attend pre-term, a four-week session before the fall semester starts. "You have one month to get to know the city, to meet people and to settle down. You don't have to hit the ground running."

Q: What did you do before coming to SAIS Bologna?
A: Bruscagli said he worked for two years after finishing his undergraduate degree but noted that some come directly to SAIS from their undergraduate studies. Sellier said she, too, had worked for two years before coming to SAIS. Conn had worked for five years as a trader on Wall Street. Hameed had worked for one year, while Cohen had worked for four years, first doing political campaigning and then at the U.S. Department of Energy.

FINANCIAL AID

Bart Drakulich, director of Finance and Administration, and Gabriella Chiappini, director of Development, outlined financial aid options.

Drakulich noted that just slightly less than half of the non-U.S. students attending SAIS Bologna this year received financial aid from SAIS, with the average award amounting to more than one half of tuition. He mentioned that students coming from countries where Italy's Unicredit Bank operates are eligible for low-cost loans of up to 15,000 euros per year. "If you are really motivated, we can find a way to help you," Drakulich said. "Don't sell yourself short."

Chiappini noted that donors provide about 30% of SAIS Bologna's budget each year, and that some 90% of the donors are alumni of the Bologna Center.

Q: Many Europeans are used to attending institutions with lower fees. What competitive advantages justify SAIS's tuition?
Drakulich: SAIS Bologna attracts top faculty from leading universities throughout Europe; is part of Johns Hopkins, a leading U.S. research university; is a tight-knit community, and has an extensive alumni network that students can tap into.

Chiappini: SAIS is the only U.S. graduate program with its own curriculum embedded in Europe. The experience of one year in Europe and another in the United States gives SAIS students a unique perspective that helps them climb the ladder of success.

CAREER SERVICES

Meera Shankar, director of Career Services, outlined how students typically interact with her office and how it helps them strategize in their search for internships and jobs.

Q: How do you choose who goes on career trips?
Shankar: Noting that this year career trips will take students to London, Brussels and Geneva, she said admission to the trips is competitive. But that does not mean that a person with a great deal of experience already in the relevant sector or city will have priority.

She added that  students who go on the trips subsequently hold information sessions where they share what they learnt with their classmates.

Q: Does the student's relationship with Career Services end with graduation?
Shankar: Career Services does counsel alumni but the office tries to make sure students work with it while they are at SAIS to take early and full advantage of it.

Q: What percentage of students work internships during the summer between the first and second year, and are they paid?
Shankar: At least three quarters of SAIS Bologna students work an internship during that summer. Internships in the private sector are commonly paid; those in the public sector may offer a stipend or in-kind compensation such as housing.

STUDENT AFFAIRS

Margel Highet, director of Student Affairs, discussed life in Bologna and Washington.

Q: Is life at SAIS DC more stressful than at SAIS Bologna?
Highet: Life at SAIS DC is not necessarily more competitive or stressful. But SAIS DC has about three times as many students spread across three buildings, and students in DC tend to work more internships, which pull them away from SAIS.

ADMISSIONS

Amina and I handled residual questions

Q: If the GRE or GMAT are not required of non-U.S. applicants to Bologna, why do you recommend that applicants take one or the other?
Our visitors mingling with current students and staff
Graves: The results of one of those tests can send an important signal to both the candidate and SAIS. An especially good score can help an application; a weaker than average score on a section of the test could be a warning signal. It's important that applicants be convinced themselves that they can handle the demands of SAIS's rigorous curriculum.

Q: How do students find apartments in Bologna?
Amina: This is perhaps the easiest part about coming to SAIS Bologna. Our long-time consultant Salvatore helps most students find reasonably priced apartments near the Bologna Center.

Q: How do admitted candidates without a background in economics prepare for SAIS?
Amina: SAIS offers an online course each summer tailored for incoming students, which gives them the required introduction to both micro- and macroeconomics.

(Amina should know -- she is taking the course for fun now!)

Nelson Graves










Thursday, December 6, 2012

Many faces of SAIS, observed

For a glimpse of the diversity that distinguishes SAIS, check out the new edition of the student publication SAIS Observer.

Diversity comes in multiple forms at SAIS. There are the many nationalities -- 74 countries are represented among this year's students. There are the varied backgrounds of our students by way of undergraduate degrees and work experience. There are the different concentrations.

The December edition of the Observer includes articles from each of our campuses in the U.S., Europe and Asia. On the front page, hurricane Sandy wreaks havoc with SAIS DC and tobacco smoke pollutes in China.

Prof. Gilbert
Articles by SAIS Bologna contributors touch on a range of issues: the U.S. elections, events in Luxembourg, China's new president Xi Jinping, restaurant reviews, Thanksgiving in Bologna, the London finance trip, the Dolomites, Barcelona, SAIS Bologna's budget and climate control in the library.

Two interviews are worth noting. Prof. Mark Gilbert makes the case for the relevance of history in the SAIS curriculum and ends with this suggestion: "I advise SAISers to be sceptical about grand solutions for the world's problems and to adopt a pragmatic method and ethic in their work."

MIPP candidate Tony Bonanno, who returned to Bologna after a career as a lawyer in London, has this to say to SAISers concerned about landing employment after graduation: "My advice is to try not to worry about it."

Nelson Graves








Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Economics: In SAIS's hard wiring

From SAIS's inception, economics has been intrinsic to the program. Economics was not tacked on to a menu of other social science courses as an after-thought. It is a main dish.

Here is how the International Economics department puts it on our website:

Prof. Carbonara
The strong emphasis placed on economics in the curriculum is one of the unique characteristics that sets SAIS apart from other graduate programs in international affairs....

This required concentration in international economics is designed to provide students with a solid understanding of economic theories and concepts as well as the important role economics processes play in international affairs. Whether you are interested in pursuing a career in international finance, public policy, business, or economic development, our program provides students with the knowledge, skills, and analytical capacity required for success in both the public and private sector.

Can you think of a current global issue that does not have an economic dimension? The euro zone crisis? The U.S. fiscal cliff? Regional tensions in Asia?

SAIS students are taught to look at problems from a variety of perspectives, something the multidisciplinary curriculum encourages.

Prof. Alvisi
A while back we published a post on the economics program and included a question from a final exam in International Monetary Theory, one of four required economics courses.

Today we publish the mid-term microeconomics exam given by Professors Alvisi and Carbonara last month. You can read the exam here.

If you haven't taken intermediate micro yet, please do not be intimidated by this exam. (My reaction when I read the exam was, "Goodness, I'm glad I satisfied the SAIS economics requirement three decades ago!")

The point is that students are taught to be able to answer these kinds of questions, which help them tackle complex problems besetting the world. It's not so much economics for economics' sake as economics for the world's sake.

Nelson Graves

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Mustaches for charity

SAIS Bologna students grew mustaches, played touch football and tackled trivia questions last month as part of a global initiative to combat cancer.

The charitable impulse is common at SAIS, where international concerns are intrinsic to the curriculum and on the minds of students, faculty and staff. But Bologna Center students resorted to a mix of unusual techniques in November to raise $1,450 in the fight against prostrate and testicular cancer.

Twenty-five students participated in the SAIS BC Movember Movement, growing mustaches and then having them shaved off by donors as part of the global Movember initiative.

Waiting for a trim
The group, captained by David Gorgani, will be publishing a "glaMOur" calendar to attract more donations to support the campaign to raise awareness of men's health issues.

A mustachioed Joshua Simonidis was master-of-ceremonies at Trivia Night which drummed up additional donations from several dozen students and stumped participating teams with questions such as:

"Which countries in South America do not have Spanish as an official language?"
"Who was the first Secretary-General of the United Nations?"
"What famous mustached man did not believe in ocular revenge?"
"Which SAIS staff member translated a novel that was adapted into a film with Penelope Cruz?"

The winning team of Brad Folta, Joseph Geni, Danny Wessler and Ellen Wong donated most of their winnings to the Movember movement. A touch football tournament raised funds for both the Movember movement and the SAIS Bologna Thanksgiving dinner.

The Movember calendar is expected to go on sale later this month. Donations are still open at http://us.movember.com/team/753317.

(Thanks to Marwa Abdou for the photographs.)


Posing for the glaMOur calendar



The mustachioed with their donor supporters,
minutes before the end of the mustaches
Nelson Graves

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Did you miss our online information session? Not to worry

Yesterday we held an online information session with several dozen prospective candidates who asked excellent questions.

We know that not everyone can attend these sessions and that many would like to know what was discussed.

We recorded most of yesterday's session, including the meaty Q&A that touched on some very important issues: the statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, language requirements, the analytical essay, among others.


If you are interested in listening to a recording of the session and seeing the questions that were sent in via chat, please send us an email at admissions@jhubc.it, and we will send you the relevant URL.

After you've clicked on the URL, you should try to open the Adobe Connect session as a "guest". If you have any problems, please send us an email at admissions@jhubc.it.

Click here to see the slide deck we reviewed together during the session.

One very important question was asked: Does it make a difference which box I check when I'm asked if I'd like to start my SAIS studies in DC or Bologna, or if I would be open to starting at either campus?

From the standpoint of your chances of admission, it does not make a difference which box you check. We hold candidates to the same high standards, whether they start in Bologna or DC.

My recommendation would be to check the box that reflects your true feelings. If you're keen to start in Bologna, check that box. If you'd like to spend two years in DC, then choose DC. If you are truly open to starting at either campus -- and keep in mind that in this case the Admissions Committee would choose your campus for you if you were admitted -- then check the "open-ended" box.

As we approach the business end of the application process, we know that candidates have lots of questions. Remember, you can always contact us directly.

In the meantime, here are some posts and guidelines that address specific aspects of the application:

- statement of purpose
- analytical essay
- letters of recommendation
- English language requirements
- foreign language requirements

Our next online information session -- and the last one before the January 7 deadline for applications -- is set for Wednesday, December 19 at noon Italy time (1100 GMT). We'll have a special guest to discuss the analytical essay. We'll post information on how to connect to the session on this journal early in December.

Nelson Graves






Wednesday, November 28, 2012

The Statement of Purpose: "Stay True to Yourself"

The statement of purpose is a crucial component of an application for admission. It's a chance for the candidate to say why SAIS Bologna is right for them and why they are right for SAIS. A year ago we published a post on the statement, and it has become our second most read item. Today we turn the podium over to Nora Sturm, a current student at SAIS Bologna.

The statement of purpose is probably the most challenging but also most rewarding part of the application process.

Nora Sturm
It’s a chance for you to think about what you’re interested in, what you want to do and how a degree from SAIS can help you achieve that goal.

The process of self-reflection is important, in and of itself. It’s easy and tempting to go through life without giving these questions their due consideration. Once you have done so, the writing is comparatively easy!

I would not worry too much about what kind of structure or style to adopt. There are many different ways of organizing your writing. You can approach it as you would a cover letter and show how your past experiences make you a promising candidate. Or you can focus on the linkages between your aspirations and the skills that SAIS will teach you.

There is no one-size-fits all approach. The structure you choose should reflect where you are in your career and what you want out of your educational experience.

The same goes for style. Provided they are relevant, short anecdotes can offer the reader insight into your experiences. But if you would feel more comfortable keeping the text formal, that’s fine too. (In any case,  make sure your statement is free of grammatical and spelling mistakes because those are sure to stick out.)

Permit me to give an unoriginal piece of advice: Stay true to yourself. If you are, your statement will be more convincing. If not, your writing will come across as contrived and trumped up.

It helps to remember that the Admissions Committee has to read mountains of letters. So the easier and more enjoyable you make it for them, the better.

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