highelves

Thank you so much for your input guys!! It really helps. I think i’ll take the funded offer, commit myself and see how i fit into the programme. Best wishes to you all!

Hi i’m trying to decide between a funded PhD offer from UC Davis and (half-funded)MAPSS at U Chicago. This was my first cycle and got only one acceptance. Though I am enthusiastic about going to california and everything (really am thankful for this opportunity especially after all that rejections ..sigh) I’m just wonderig if it would be a crazy idea to choose the unpredictable route instead of taking the full funded offer. I reckon the weakest part of my app was probably my writing sample...and Im sure i would be able to work on that part for the next cycle with my amended thesis. Also coming from a different field(econ and policy) i was wondering if taking more courses in polisci through MAPSS could improve my chances. But then no oneknows if i will be able to get any promising offers next time i try. Could anyone care to give me some advice on this?? Many thanks.

Hi i'm an international applying for political science PhD program. I just received my score report and my AW score made me freak out. I got 162V 165Q 4AW(Ouch) I'm concerned that my low AW score might hurt my chances. Well of course my verbal is still lower than the average verbal score that some top programs have listed on their websites. But anyways, at least the score did improve a bit compared to my previous scores. My previous score was 153V(i know..) 168Q 5AW I was wondering whether it would be better to send multiple scores to schools that claim to say they look at the overall scores and look for the best ones.(whatever that means) So should I send both of the scores for them to consider... or should i just send the most recent one despite the significantly low AW score?

hi i'm an international and planning to apply to polisci this round. I am interested in democratic transition, but particularly more about the stability of developing or new democracies.. For comparative research I will be focusin on East and south east asia. But this really narrows down my choice, and I am having trouble finding out schools with the right fit. It seems not many are working on democratic transition or democratic stability any more.. The top ten do have two or three professors related to this, (but not necessarily Asia, most are on Latin America or post communist countries) . Currently I see Berkeley, Columbia and (maybe MIT) some in Chicago.. Now I am having trouble finding which mid-range schools I should apply to.. some have one or two(when lucky) professors that still work on this area .. I was thinking Ohio State,Upenn, Northwestern.. Does anyone know some professors who work in this field(Democratic stability / regime transition /East Asia) Thanks alot in advance!

Thanks alot for the encouragement lordvader.. I wasn't exactly expecting such comment i might be retaking anyways...but yes i should focus on my sop..

hi im trying to get into Polisci PhD mainly focusing on comparative politics. while preparing for the application, i'm having trouble with my GRE..my verbal scores are quite depressing(157) and i am fully aware that Polisci programmes could be really tough on this. I received 5.0 for my writing, and my quant is 168 . I really frustrated as my TOEFl is solid,118 but its not that TOEFL scores make any difference, as it's pretty the minimum of minimum.But I have no idea why my verbal score is so low.. Where do you think i should apply if i don't retake and just apply with this score. I heard that top univs and U.San diego, Chicago had some kind of minimum criteria, and that they only take a look at applicants with some score over 162 or something.. If you have any idea about this plz do help me. My gpa is approximately 90%, I am working on other things, my sop is relatively solid now, i have research experience some field experience and though no publication have presented a paper at a decent int'l conference. I should be more committed to my writing samples and sop at this stage but this GRE score is really bothering me..