Monday, September 25, 2017

Meet Anna: HNC Student Blogger


大家好!My name is Anna Woods and I am a second year HNC Certificate/SAIS MA student, so I just spent a year at the Hopkins Nanjing Center and have now started classes in Washington DC. 

A sunny blue sky day on the 5th floor 阳台 (deck)
My year at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center was a profoundly special period of my life: within a couple of weeks we were all the best of friends, with relationships on fast forward due to the combination of living, eating and studying in the same place, bonding over the delights and frustrations that living in China provided and of course the shared worry of being in over our heads with graduate level classes in Chinese.

My background, with an undergraduate degree in Economics and Chinese, is pretty ordinary for a typical HNC student, with one exception: I’m from New Zealand and am one of the very few Kiwi students who have attended the HNC.  I actually have this very blog to thank for that- since I didn’t have any friends or classmates to describe the HNC to me, I relied on blog posts and chats with the admissions team to ascertain whether the HNC would be a good fit for me – and evidently it turned out it was.

I was born in Dunedin, New Zealand and moved around a lot as a child with a father in the military. We settled in Christchurch in 2005 and I stayed there until 2013 when I moved back to Dunedin to pursue university studies. After three years I graduated with my BA in Chinese and Economics and a Diploma in French (in New Zealand a Bachelor degree is only three years long). I worked at a translation company in Christchurch before arriving at the HNC in September 2016.

Walking on the Nanjing city wall with a bunch on friends our first week
I’ll never forget the first batch of readings I did, where I had to look up unfamiliar characters constantly and read through the same paragraph multiple times with no added comprehension – but we soon found ourselves, if not exactly skipping through the readings, building up a core vocabulary that served us well both in decoding the academic readings and speaking up in class.

Meeting the former US Ambassador to China, Max Baucus
From one HNCer to another, my top piece of academic advice would be to start contributing in class from the first week- it holds you accountable for doing the readings, allows the professor to get to know you, and builds your ability to share an opinion in Chinese. It took me several weeks to gather the confidence to do so and I wished I’d done so sooner.

Eating Christmas dinner with my roommate Shirley and friend Natalie
One of the most special things about the HNC is the mixed roommate system of one international student paired with one Chinese student to a room. My roommate, 宁心源 or Shirley, became like a sister to me over the year, always presenting me with new Chinese foods and fruits to try, helping me phrase my emails to faculty, providing comfort when I wasn’t feeling well and enthusiasm when it was celebration time, and so much more. I also became close with my American friends’ roommates, and I live with one of them here in Washington DC.

I’m excited to share with you more about the HNC as well as HNCers experiences at SAIS DC – we’ve already had one of many luncheons, complete with Chinese food, and I’m looking forward to our Mid-Autumn Festival celebration that’s coming up.

Anna


Written by Anna Woods, HNC Certificate/SAIS MA Student

Monday, September 18, 2017

Chinese Proficiency (STAMP) Test Update-Virtual Proctoring

The first step in the HNC application process is taking Avant Assessment’s STAMP Chinese Proficiency Test. The STAMP test is online, multiple-choice, and includes a reading and listening section. Although we see applicants with varied Chinese language experience, applicants have typically completed 3-4 years of college level Chinese and spent time in China.

We are pleased to announce that we are now offering two options for completing the STAMP test. This year, you will be able to choose from in-person test proctoring and virtual test proctoring. In-person proctoring requires you to find a test proctor to supervise the test. Virtual proctoring provides you with an alternative should you not be able to find a test proctor. Please see below for details about each test option.


In-Person Test Proctoring
Cost: $15
Details: On the STAMP test request applicants must indicate a proctor who will administer their test. Anyone in a professional capacity can serve as a proctor and does not need to have Chinese language proficiency. Applicants have asked professors, work supervisors, administrators, librarians, and testing centers in the past.

Virtual Test Proctoring
Cost: $40
Details: After you submit the STAMP request form, a link will be emailed to you to set up an account with a virtual proctoring test provider. Be sure to notify the HNC Washington Office after you complete the test.

Once you have completed the STAMP test, you will be notified of your results and which HNC programs you are eligible for in two business days.  The test is designed to be challenging, so don’t be discouraged if you find the test difficult. We find that applicants generally score higher than they thought they would. We encourage all interested students to take the STAMP test to gauge their Chinese level.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Top 5 Things to Remember When Applying to Graduate School

It's never too early to start working on your graduate school applications! The Hopkins-Nanjing Center's early notification deadline is November 1 and the general deadline is February 1. As application season gets underway, we have compiled 5 tips to keep in mind. You'll find even more application guidance by clicking on the links below.

If you have more specific questions, feel free to reach out to the admissions team at nanjing@jhu.edu.   

Tip #1: Write a specific personal statement that clearly addresses your individual career goals. It’s not called a “personal” statement for nothing!
  • Admissions officers like to see that you have taken the time to become familiar with the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and can articulate how you see yourself and your career goals fitting in to the specific program.
  • Don’t waste this opportunity to tell admissions officers about your interests and career goals by rehashing your resume. In the past, we have had students write about lessons they learned from playing ping pong with a Chinese classmate. Another student wrote about her experience at a Chinese rural hospital. We encourage you to get creative! 


Tip #2: There are more funding opportunities than you think and fellowship deadlines may be before the HNC application deadline. 
  • Online resources such as Fastweb and Collegenet can guide your search for fellowships that apply for you intended program of study. 
  • Be sure to submit your financial aid application by February 1 for general admission and November 1 for early notification. All students who do will receive a fellowship if accepted, regardless of their program choice. You also may be eligible for one of our new fellowships
Tip #3: Go for quality over quantity for your letters of recommendation
  • You can submit 2-3 letters of recommendation. Don’t feel pressured to find a third recommender just to meet the maximum.  A good letter of recommendation should come from a professor, adviser, or work supervisor who knows you well and can speak to your specific strengths. 
  • Be sure to ask your recommender for your letter well in advance of the application deadline. Since many graduate programs share similar deadlines, chances are that you will not be the only student asking your professor for a recommendation.

Tip #4:  Submit a polished resume.
  • A resume should be no more than two pages, include specific experience and be personalized for your skills and your experience. 
  • The look and feel of a resume is important. It can make a difference to standardize the formatting and spacing on your resume. 

Tip #5: Proofread, proofread, proofread!
  • The last thing you want is for an admissions officer to have a negative impression on an otherwise great application because of a grammar mistake. It’s always great to have a second pair of eyes (or third or fourth!) on your application. Ask a friend, professor or colleague to look over your application.