DeMoomin

Thanks, phdhope2013. My career goals are to work in Europe/internationally. I actually have very little interest in being an academic in the US. This would only change if, having done my PhD in the US, I was offered a really decent job. And while a postdoc is not everything, it can still boost your CV nicely if you have another great university to attach to your name. And of course it will all depend on my proposal, but I know LSE is not a barrier. Thanks for bringing up this angle of the post-PhD experience!

Ooooh! Where did you hear about where the LSE postdocs tend to go? This is easily something that might be another plus on the LSE side. And thanks for the congrats!

As a Brit, I can understand why the choice is so difficult. In the UK the two unis would generally be considered neck and neck in terms of elite status. Mind you, UCL does regularly score higher in the general rankings (although I'd wager, the LSE outperforms UCL on social sciences alone). What you need to consider is what you want to get out of the MSc and how likely you are to get it. For example, if you were hoping to bond with the Profs and get to know their research better, you're definitely on the wrong track with the LSE. I've heard it from a couple of sources that the LSE's Masters are just fundraising exercises. Large classes, high fees, little real community spirit or personal attention. If you like the Profs at UCL better, maybe you'll find it easier to build relationships with them than at the LSE. Also, which of the universities is better known by the employers in your field? When a prospective employer looks at your CV, it's always nice if they instantly trust the name of your university. So check which would make a better impact - UCL or LSE. And I mean, not just in the UK, but internationally. That's my advice.

Email the Profs you are interested in working with and ask them for a Skype conversation. That's what I've been doing. I also skype with current and ex-students of the department. It's been really, really helpful in getting a feel for the kind of experience to expect. Speak to about 2-4 students if possible. Draw up a list of specific questions which will address all your concerns. And if they can't skype, send them the most vital ones via email and they can maybe answer it. You won't be able to get a feel for the campus, of course, but useful questions for everything else include: - What is their career goal (so I know how to compare what is important to them with what is important to me). Did they find attending this programme helped them achieve their career goals? Also, was the programme different to what they expected? - What is it like to work with Professor X? What is their supervision style like? - What is the usual length of time for completion? - Do students tend to get extra funding from the university e.g. for field research? - What's the community spirit like for graduate students at this university? And so on and so forth.

I was rejected by UBC a week or so ago (PhD application). A shame, because I really liked the idea of attending that university and I thought I matched well with one of the Profs. On the other hand, I think the 300 word limit on the personal statement really held me back. I couldn't express my passion for the programme as fully as with applications to other places. Oh well. Good luck to other applicants!

The Results Search on this website is really not helping. I check at least five times a day what results are out for which universities. And seeing all the Ivy League rejects with perfect GREs and two gazillion publications... I know I'm screwed. And it's the knowing of your screwedness combined with the desperate hope that your application somehow turns out to be special (hahaha!), that is what destroys my brain. Can't they just put me out of my misery already?

I would say defer a year. Go do something adventurous that relates to your chosen topic. Maybe even attempt to publish? The experience you gain will be invaluable. On the other hand, taking on even a year's worth of fees sounds frightening to me. Those loans aren't going to go away quickly - you'll be paying them back for ages. And you're not even guaranteed to be funded for any of the following years.

Thanks very much for all the advice, guys! I'm getting a really good picture of what to expect through this forum and also discussions with students of those universities. It's all very much appreciated.

I'd imagine you just need to take a look at the convenient Results Search available here to realise that your Prof's cut-off point of 3.9 is not really the case. My guess is, the higher your GPA the better. But since all universities stress that they look at the package as a whole, I'd make sure you also apply with some good extras e.g. publications, relevant internships, years of work experience, maybe a terminal Masters etc. A 4.0 doesn't hurt, but having no extras is probably a bigger liability than a 3.6 GPA with extras.

Before I applied, I made sure my academic interests would fit nicely with the faculty there and that the faculty/department had some kind of above average reputation in my field. So now when offers come, it boils down to (in order of importance): 1) Full funding offers - no full ride, no go 2) Post-PhD job placements - careers in academia are hard enough to get, if the department helps, then all the better 3) Current/ex-student satisfaction - ascertained via Skype or email discussions As a European with a sagging bank account, I cannot afford to go visit universities in the US unless they fully pay for the journey. What I know about the environment of these universities I learn through interacting with current/past students and googling information.

An excellent thread. I am supposed to start dissertation writing for my MA and I cannot for the life of me even sit down to read a little. I have assignments I should be working on for the coming week, but instead I'm browsing this forum and others to do with student activities.I know it's totally pointless checking emails fifty times a day and worrying about 'what if I get in here but don't get in there?' I'm not even eating properly at the moment because I just zone out for ages thinking about the million different directions my life could spin into if even just one variable goes wrong. I sometimes wish there was a button in my head where I could temporarily delete all memories of having applied to PhD. I would be such a happier and saner person for it.

Yes. Northwestern political science department has a general list,which shows some were able to get academic positions afterwards at okay institutions. With the LSE, my potential supervisor said all his former students tended to go into governmental or non-governmental organisations.

I would like an academic career in International Relations. I have been accepted for the PhD Political Science at Northwestern and the PhD International Relations at the London School of Economics. Northwestern is offering me a standard funding package (fellowship, TAship for five years). The LSE has yet to get back to me on funding(if I get it, it'll be a full fellowship), although my potential supervisor says he recommended me for funding. (I have yet to hear from six other universities, but only two would make me reconsider Northwestern/LSE, and they're also very, very unlikely. So it's really decision time.) The LSE: Positives: is ranked in the top 3 internationally for Politics and IR, while Northwestern is in the top 40 according to QS. LSE also has a bigger name brand in my field - I can walk into an interview with people who know and mention its name and everyone understands where I come from. It's in my home country and I'd have easy access to my family. London is expensive but an exciting place. Negatives: But having had a discussion with my potential supervisor today, I really liked him but got the impression that the university is not really going to look out for my interests. He couldn't name a former student of his who went on to an academic career - mostly they went to work for governmental and non-governmental organisations. The university doesn't offer post-docs at all, just career-suicide teaching positions, after PhD. Furthermore, I keep hearing that European PhDs are seen as secondary to American in the US. So essentially, LSE is an advantage only in interviews outside the US. My plan wasn't specifically to work in the US, but having the most prominent market cut off based on one decision is still something to keep in mind. Northwestern on the other hand... Positives: my potential supervisor is interested in very similar questions to what I want to tackle. She's published in top journals, she's amiable, and she's keen to get students who will do research for/with her. The 'fit' is pretty stellar, and I suspect this is why I got a place, because my GRE quant score was not the best. Campus is gorgeous, access to Chicago, Lake Michigan, and supposedly elite in the US (although can someone confirm this?). It also means direct access to the leading market in my field. Negatives: it is ranked in the top 40 in my field and it's far less known internationally. At least, I'd never heard of Northwestern until I started researching for applications, and I chose it on fit. I didn't find out it was elite until after I'd got an offer and an American friend of mine was like 'Oh wow!' If I walk into an interview outside of the US, that might not be a useful heuristic for employers. Not to mention, I finish in 5 years minimum instead of 3-4, which at the age of 28 means an even more protracted road to employment and independence. I am just not sure what to make of Northwestern, to be honest. It looks great and I know my research interests are well served there, but what kind of Political Science department am I walking into? And to what other kinds of universities can Northwestern be compared in terms of status? I know brand name is not everything, but at least in my field I know it can make a difference.