I am a Chinese student who plan to apply to top programs in political theory in U.S this fall.
Currently my master thesis (which mean I am the sole author) has been officially accepted by a peer-reviewed journal of the University of Chicago Press. It wont be published during the application but I know which issue it will be in (first issue next year and I have signed the publication agreement) and write this in the statement. The Editorial Board of the journal also has several prominent faculty members from places I am applying to. I am also applying to the place where the chief editor who decided to accept my essay for publication serves as a senior faculty member. The article itself is also related to political theory (about John Rawls, to be specifically) and I am using it as the WS. Besides this forthcoming peer-reviewed journal publication, I also have one publication in an official student academic journal of Princeton and am now serving as the translator one of Princeton's current faculty member's book and one of Hannah Arendt's books for their forthcoming publication in China. So I guess I have a pretty impressive experiences, especially for a foreign student and hence decide to apply for top programs in political theory in the U.S. All places I am applying to have a "faculty match" with me and I make it clear in my statement.
The only thing I worry is that I have a pretty average GRE score, V157, Q166. My GPA during my undergraduate years was low, 2.91 but I have received A or A- for all my courses in master years (Otherwise the quality of my master thesis will not be publishable, right?).
The thing I worry is that those top places, due to the large number of applicants, may not take a look at my whole file, but just the GRE or transcripts (if they also pay attention to master degree's transcripts, that is also fine for me).I am looking forward to hearing from you regarding my chances of being admitted in top programs in theory in the U.S.