experiencevsinformation

I can't any more classes right now because I'm curently volunteering abroad for a year, in a fairly intensive program (another reason it would be hard for me to write/finish a solid sample in a short period of time.) Does anyone have any experience with this? Has anyone not had a 20-page sample to turn in when they decided to apply?

I'm applying to political science and international relations PhD programs this fall and the writing sample has me pretty nervous. My undergrad experience has been mixed (started off in engineering, graduated with a language degree) and I've never written a quality, original research paper relevant to political science. Most relevant papers I've written are typical 5-10 page (double-spaced). I do have one original research paper (around 8 pages single-spaced) that I *might* be able develop into a more solid 15 page paper with some substantial work. It involved analyzing around 100 articles of foreign-language articles about a international affair with implications for US relations. I wanted to develop that into a more substantial paper, but I had to leave early to start an intensive language program abroad (which I'm still on) and I never had time to write it out well. However, I'm worried that I won't have enough time to fully develop this, not to mention the fact that I'll basically have feedback and advising. I'm actually starting to think that I might be better off applying to an MA program with no or weak writing sample requirements, write a substantial seminar paper or thesis, and then use that to apply for a PhD program, but that is a lot to go through just get a good PhD application going. Could anyone offer their opinion or advice on this issue? Several people have said, "Why not apply for both PhD and MA programs and see what happens?" but the amount of time I spend on each application and the writing sample, plus GRE preparation may change significantly based on what my application goals and strategies are. ETA: Also, I would like to ask what the range/length for a typical Political Science writing sample is. Is it normally double spaced? I've seen writing samples that are 25-page single-spaced research papers, along with a 40-page double-spaced chapter of a senior thesis. Most schools say something like 20-25 pages; is this typically single or double-spaced?

Just curious, how do programs like this and other one-year master's actually help with PhD applications? Applications are usually sent in December/January meaning that the first semester either isn't over or is just finished, and there might not be much else in the way of tangible to send in your application. Do students usually get recommendations from their professors at QMSS for their PhD applications? Can/Do they take advantage of being in the program to write or improve their writing sample before applying? Does simply being in the program give their application a boost, with the assumption that they will finish the program and come out stronger in quantitative methods, or whatever else the one-year program focused on?

If anyone would like to post a reply in this topic or PM, I would also appreciate it. I am considering either a Middle East studies program such as MAAS in Georgetown or the MES at Elliot/GWU or MES at SAIS/JHU. I'm interested in policy and IR research and would like some more perspectives on these programs and their focus. I would also know how they would compare to a degree in international relations/polisci with a focus on the Middle East.

Hi everyone, I am a recent graduate and I am planning on applying to graduate school this fall in PoliSci/IR programs and possibly a few Middle Eastern studies MAs. Currently I'm on a one-year language study program. However, I am facing a few serious problems that have been keeping me up, wondering if this is the right decision. First of all, my undergraduate education has been "unfocused" to say the least. I started off in engineering for two years, then I switched to my major to languages, taking only a few political science classes mixed in. I have only one serious internship, and other than that I worked as a reader/grader for a beginning level language class. My writing sample is not going to be as strong as I had hoped. I was planning on improving it this summer, but work and other obligations left it nearly impossible to pull it off. I am now wondering if applying to a PhD program right now is really the smartest decision, and whether or not I would even get into a good program. I am considering my options: 1. Apply straight to a PhD program. 2. Apply to a master's program. 3. Scrape for odd jobs / internships / office work that is at least somewhat related to the fiel I'm interested in, then use that time to build my resume and apply to grad schools. All of my professors recommend that I go straight to a PhD program, and it is the only option that (assuming I get some funding) wouldn't leave me loaded with debt. All of my professors recommended to not even apply to a master's unless I'm sure I don't want to do a PhD. They said that a master's is only useful if I want to go straight to working in policy, and if I want to do a PhD afterwards, it only means a loss of time and money. And they all said that working right away might leave me stuck outside of academia. However, I having some second thoughts about applying to PhD programs. As I said, my resume is somewhat unimpressive compared to the new candidates in the programs I am looking at. And I am also worried about my prospects after grad school; I know that experience and connections (unfortunately) count for a lot when it comes to think tanks and policy work, and I am wondering if doing a master's and getting some work experience before going to a PhD program won't be such a bad idea. Finally, I am starting to feel a little burnout. I know this sounds terrible, but since I'm on an anonymous forum I feel a little more confortable saying this. The idea of going to an office, working set hours, and not bringing work back home with me sounds good right now. I'm a little tired of constant long-term projects hanging over my head. A structured, compartmentalized work environment actually sounds comforting right now. I realize this is the exact opposite of the grad school experience, which is worrying. However, the thing is that I have another year in this language program abroad, and it could be the refresher I needed, and planning on taking another year as a gap year could end up being wasted time. I know this is a lot to consider (graduate path to think tank work combined with burnout) and I would really appreciate any and all advice. Thank you