1. There may be more outside funding than you might think.
It pays to look beyond HNC fellowships when funding your time at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. China’s growing importance is something that organisations and governments around the world are increasingly recognising in the funding they give out. Hence, it’s a great idea to do some individual research for opportunities you might be eligible for. Terms for different fellowships vary, but it may be the case that master’s fellowships will fund the MAIS or HNC Certificate/SAIS MA programs, or study abroad scholarships will fund the HNC Certificate. I received a New Zealand Government Prime Minister’s Scholarship to Asia that provided funding for the HNC Certificate, which was extremely helpful in enabling me to come to the HNC.
Another useful avenue for funding can be to request information from your undergraduate university. Sometimes funding may be poorly publicised, and so speaking to someone in the know can shed light on various opportunities that you can apply for.
Another source of funding can be through local institutions. Thanks to a family friend who alerted me, I successfully applied for a youth funding grant from my local Community Development Board. This wasn’t something specifically targeted at studying abroad or China, but I was able to successfully demonstrate the positive impact my study would have on my local community after I returned, having gained a deep understanding of the Chinese language, people, and culture.
2. A summer Chinese program is worth considering.
I worked in between graduating and coming to the HNC so a language program was never something I had put any thought to. However, after arriving at the HNC, I slightly envied my classmates who had participated in CET program or the like – several had made friends with each other while in the program together, which made the transition to the HNC that bit easier since they came in knowing people. Additionally, the time they had spent practising and polishing their Chinese in the preceding months made for a smoother adjustment to listening and contributing in our graduate level classes. Hence, while Chinese language programmes may be a requirement for students whose STAMP test scores are below the recommended level, it can be a good idea for students who have met the language requirement to also consider coming to China early for a language program.
3. The difference between the HNC Personal Statement and the SAIS MA Statement of Purpose
All students write the HNC personal statement as part of their HNC application. If you are applying for the HNC Certificate/SAIS MA program like I was, you also need to write a SAIS MA Statement of Purpose, and an analytical essay.
In regards to the difference between the HNC personal statement and the SAIS MA personal statement, at first glance they seemed almost identical, both requiring you to explain your background, experiences and future goals. It took me a while to understand that they were not the same essay, and that I better not recycle sections (a big no-no!)
The SAIS MA statement of purpose is something all SAIS DC MA students have to write, so there is much less of a focus on China, instead you should focus on previous work experience, undergraduate qualifications and economics expertise. This contrasts with the HNC Personal Statement which needs to demonstrate why you’re interested in China and how studying at the HNC will further your career goals. When I wrote my HNC statement, I discussed the signing of the China-NZ FTA (the first free trade agreement China signed with a developed country) as being a motivating factor in my decision to study Chinese.
As for the analytical essay, while it is not restricted to a certain type of topic, it ought to have relevance to international relations or economics, and helps to be related to your intended concentration. Again, no need to be related to China if that’s not your intended concentration – this is for the SAIS MA portion of the application, and will not be directly affecting your admission to the HNC.
4. You don’t HAVE to choose China Studies as your SAIS MA concentration
(Though I did.) But I think this is something important to highlight as I think it can be confusing when applying, as to how central China Studies needs to be to your degree. In fact, while you will obviously be speaking and learning in Chinese at the HNC, there is the opportunity to pick up requirements in other concentrations via the English classes on offer. Then, once you arrive at SAIS, all 19 concentrations are on offer. This has meant that some of my classmates, who had originally declared their concentration as China Studies when applying, ended up switching to a concentration such as ERE (Energy, Resources and the Environment) or IPE (International Political Economy). For me, I was happy to stick with China Studies as it fits my future goals well, but for people who may want to go into energy, security or other such fields after graduation, choosing a concentration which will train you in these areas may be the right choice.
5. The Admissions team is your most valuable resource
Not to blow our own trumpet, but if you’re like I was and find yourself getting stumped in the minutiae of requirements and steps of the application process (it’s a lot), and just can’t find the answer on the HNC website or this blog, emailing or contacting the HNC Washington Office is probably your best bet to clarify. Graduate school applications can be stress-inducing and rather than stew and agonise, it’s best to simply reach out to ask about the thing that’s got you muddled. I ended up emailing extensively with the Admissions team and they definitely eased my application process anxieties and helped me understand what certain requirements entailed. They can also help with letters and documentation, for example, I needed proof of my enrolment in order to put undergraduate student loan repayments on hold while I was studying overseas. This was something that a quick email was able to quickly solve.
Written by Anna Woods, HNC Certificate/SAIS MA '18