eponine997

I second what cooperstreet and hopefulfool have already said. But would add 2 things: A terminal MA costs money (even with a tuition waiver, there is still cost of living). But in some cases it is worth paying for if you have deficiencies (low GPA, no related experience - though it sounds like you do not, your GPA is fine) OR if you want to work at a think tank or similar, an MA (or BA) might suffice for this. PhDs are (though I cannot exactly speak from personal experience) grueling. Be sure that's what you want. If your goal is TT professor and you are sure, DO IT! A terminal MA might help you clarify your goals if you are unsure, but it sounds like you have the background for a strong application and it is just a matter of putting it together (talk to other students (grad and undergrad, advisors, profs you've RA'd for, etc. have them look over your writing samples, SoP, etc.). As far as where, what hopefulfool said, talk to your advisor, and current profs (this is also handy rapport-building when it comes to LoR writing, the better they know you, the better the letter they can write). Also, check faculty bios on department websites, read CVs, see who is researching what you want to study.

Thanks though I'm not even the one claiming to have seen it. It didn't sound right, but because someone MIGHT have said it on here, I was willing to bet it might have been taken out of context. At the very least I meant to suggest that the person who did remember seeing it and was concerned enough to bring it up should be skeptical.

Apologies, next time skepticism will more appropriately (and bluntly) be expressed with: "That's bullsh1t! no one on here ever said that!" In my mind it raised the question of how/why applications ask where else we are applying, it seemed worth discussing.

That is me as well. Though I applied to a variety of programs (in terms of ranking) based on research interest/places where I could put together a committee. I knew almost exactly where I would land, but more importantly knew that I would never wonder "what if..." (as I would if I'd only applied to schools my advisor said were "reasonable" for me).

I'd be interested to know the context, and also who was making that claim, and if it were "schools like Chicago and NYU" or those schools specifically. I could see reason for this if somehow an applicant made it clear the school was a "safety," though it seems like that would be difficult to gage, particularly at still relatively high ranked program (which both of those are). I'll confess, I worried about that with applications that ask what other programs you're applying to. If the program is clearly towards the bottom of the programs I list (in terms of rankngs), are they going to assume I only look at them as a safety or think I'm delusional for applying to the other (more highly ranked) places? In my mind, this is none of their business unless they are looking for some underlying logic of how I chose programs to gage my level of seriousness, focus, or knowledge of the discipline - which I hope was made clear by the rest of my file :/ Do our resident DGSs/faculty have any comments on this? Edit: Thanks irfannooruddin, hadn't seen your reply when I typed this

Do so at your own risk I'd imagine you've probably been reading for a while, so you probably know what those risks are. 1) everyone here is pretty nice and we are glad to have you; 2) if you make yourself available, you MIGHT get badgered with questions, though you obviously have the luxury of ignoring them; 3) Our current DGS hero of the thread is from a program that (to my knowledge) has already sent out ALL of their notifications - so you MIGHT want to be prepared for 300 people asking you "Are you guys done with admits yet!??!?! cuz I'm still waiting and it's driving me crazy!!!" All that said, early on in the process, I enjoyed reading the blog entry you wrote on the admissions/application process, it was very helpful, thank you

^ Understatement. That site is for comedy, not information Cornell, assuming your goal is a TT job rather than a think tank (in which case Gtown or perhaps UVA would more appropriate). If you are only planning for the '14 app cycle, there is no need to pick a favorite just yet. Cast as wide of a net (read: as many schools) as you can reasonably afford (there are people on this forum who applied at 15 or more). But it will also depend at least partially on your specific interests within IR. The "best" program (wherever that is) can be a great program for someone wants to focus on IPE and development (for example), but if your interest is in security, it might not be the best place for you.

It's really not that unusual to be confused about what you want or where you stand or what you should do at 25 (i'm assuming you're around that age based on graduating 3 years ago). "Why not?" is a horribly reason to pursue a graduate degree. They take time (often more time than what you put into undergrad), money (even if you are fully funded, there is still lost opportunity since you almost certainly could be earning more if you weren't in school), and energy (again, usually more than undergrad, because its not like you finish your assignments and then you are done, it sometimes feels like a bottomless pit of research). Basically, you should probably be willing to eat, sleep, and breath your discipline for however long it takes to complete you degree (unless you're looking at a part time program). If you are unsure of what you want, programs can often sense that. They expect you to articulate your goals and interests in a clear SoP, if you can't do that, they often will not admit you. Will the history MA help you with your career path/life plan or does it just "sound fun?" If its the latter, it seems like you can engage those interests by taking classes as a post-bac/non-matriculated student, which is what I would recommend (and would make you a stronger candidate should you choose to reapply). Then if you decide a an MA/advanced degree is for you, you can usually transfer at least some of those credits into your grad program. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but thorough self-examination now could save you a lot of time, money, pain, and effort pursuing something you neither want nor need. It sounds like you do have a good job, so there is probably not terrible cause to freak out because you life isn't perfectly plotted out 3 years out of college . Good luck with whatever you decide

^ This. But also consider what "fit" really means. Does it mean there are one or two people on faculty whose work inspired you to become a political scientist to begin with? Or does it mean a place where you have a lot of options in terms of people who might share SOMEWHAT (though perhaps not perfectly) close research interest and methodology? If for you, "fit" means the former, you could be in a predicament if those people should leave during the 5 years you'll be spending at the program. Going to a more highly ranked program usually means even if you don't have an advisor who LOVES you/your research, you still have the resources of a (more) reputable institution when it comes to placement. Does "fit" mean your POI's at one program responded to your emails while, those at the other program did not? Keep in mind the impressions you have of them at this early stage in the process (you are not even there yet) may not reflect the type of support you'll actually receive or how well you will really get a long with them. I would imagine you have some dimension of "fit" with the better institution, because they bothered admitting you. My understanding is that if there is truly no one there for you to work with or no one who shares your interests they'll reject you no matter how great your application. Comb through the CVs and bios of the faculty at the other institution, see if there is something you might have missed. Also, whatever relationship you have with your advisor its usually not more than a 15 minute meeting every 2-3 weeks. What also matters are the classmates you surround yourself with (which tend to be of higher quality at a more highly ranked program), you will do a lot of your learning from them, in seminars, with coauthoring, etc. - At my terminal MA program, I learned a couple of these things the hard way. I had the two most appropriate advisors leave during my thesis-writing year, which made things much more difficult. Also, as much as I do feel I work better on my own, multiple professors/instructors have told me that my education has probably suffered due to the program's decreasing size and the fact that no classmates share my interests. Finally, consider what you mean by "employability" if you want a tenure track job, pedigree matters (in one way or another). If you are planning on working at a think tank or for Congressional Research Services or something similar, a more lowly ranked "policy-oriented" school in DC might be a better choice than a highly ranked program in the middle of nowhere because you'll have more opportunities to network and intern. This is worth considering as well.

Fair point, and I have no problem telling schools where else I applied and was or wasn't accepted to and what my funding offers are. I was speaking more in terms of the level of anonymity of the forum - they (POIs/Adcoms/DGSs) have more incentive to read it if they can readily identify users. Perhaps phrasing my post as "how they read it" rather than "why they read it" would have been more appropriate. But that is good info though, thank you

Importance varies depending on situation. If you can go, definitely do it. If you are deciding between schools (especially schools of a similar ranking or similar fit) then it is paramount that you visit. However, even if you 100% sure you are going to accept the offer, it's still a good idea. You have the opportunity to get a "feel" for the town/campus/general atmosphere, you have some opportunity to visit with faculty when their main responsibility is to interact with you (in other words, they might be less accessible in the fall, logistically or socially). It seems like that might be especially useful for you since you have multiple people who could be appropriate advisors (but also know they won't expect you to name your committee on your first day). Also, you have a chance to meet and get to know your future classmates. As far as prioritizing visitation weekend over whatever else you've got going on, I would make it a high priority. If you brother is getting married, then yes, be at the wedding. But if you have a big test the following monday or something, ask your prof if you can take it thursday before you leave (etc.). If you've already bought concert tickets for that weekend... hope that it's not a farewell tour and go visit the school. It really depends on your conflict, and only you can make that call. Depending on the program, if you have conflicts they will allow you to visit some other time. Some programs say this out-right, others do not, but still allow it. They won't think you're a horrible person for asking as long as you do so politely.

You, sir, are a hero for many reasons, but I'll point out these two: As someone trying to overcome mistakes in that past (read: less than stellar undergrad GPA) that have certainly hindered my applications, it means a lot that there are people out there like you willing to recognize this effort and "fight" on behalf of the applicant. Also, this ^ . Well said. Should next cycle's applicants read this thread, I predict a surge in number of apps OSU receives

I doubt they will care at all. In fact, they probably recognized this themselves when they admitted you. Keep in mind, there are people who do not contact or mention POIs in the SoPs, the department probably still identifies faculty with similar interests. Also, it is rare for your interests not to change in grad school. You may find that some v. others will be better "personality matches." Long-story-short, mentioning someone in your SoP or contacting them in advance doesn't marry you to them for the next 5-7 years, particularly in social science disciplines (it might be slightly different in hard sciences where you are often working with a specific PI in their lab). Depending on the program, you might not spend much time with individual faculty, beyond the ones who are teaching your classes, in the first year anyway. Go to the admit weekend or orientation, get to know as many people as possible. By fall, they probably won't remember your SoP.

I would assume it has to do with a wait list, whom they would reject once they knew they had at least a committed class of however many, but I could be wrong.

Sadly, that is unsurprising and makes a lot of sense. I suppose if anything my response would be that it should be intentional, whether or not it is - but I know that you, nor I, nor any one person is likely to be able to change that (in a specific program or overall). But information on how the system actually works is helpful, I wish more schools provided it. I believe somewhere on grad cafe there's a thread titled something like "If you were the Chief Admissions Officer..." - post at your own risk. Regardless of what you can actually take credit for in this case, you are very kind. Thanks for responding.

To your first point, yep, figured that one out too late Oh well, I didn't say anything that wasn't in my admissions file, it would just make it incredibly obvious who I am if you had that admission file in front of you. And one POI probably could if he remembered me and cared enough to look, both of which seemed very unlikely. To your second point, specifically that there is no benefit in you hiding things from us... I wish more DGSs took this attitude. Not to single you out as the scapegoat for all DGSs, but I think we have all been wondering about why some schools are, as it seems, needlessly opaque about the admissions process. Perhaps there is a reason for this. But a program will send out offer notifications while other applicants wait, some of whom may be part of a waitlist, others the school already knows they are going to reject - why not let the surely rejected applicants know right away (or as soon as they are no longer being considered)? If people know where they stand, doesn't that mean fewer phone calls and emails to you asking if you are done with acceptance notifications? Those aren't really questions directed at you so much as just general ranting. Actually looking at the results board, it looks like you are fairly humane (offers and rejection notices the same week). So, I'll credit OSU's notification practices to kindness on your part

Think about your end game: what kind of job can you/will you get when you finish (or do life circumstance making completing the program at one school a higher probability than completing it at another - i've talked to a few people dealing with this, it usually relates to family, relationships, etc.). Can the "so-so program" reliably place you (assuming that's your goal)? Will you get sufficient support from the faculty who share your interest at the "better choice?" If you have one "better" option and one "so-so" option, visit both if you can, talk to faculty, current students, etc. - and then at least you have a frame of comparison. But only if I had just two choices. If I got accepted to several "better" options, I would probably choose from among those. If it were just two, personally, I would be inclined to lean toward the better option because, sadly, pedigree often also means a higher caliber of classmate (which corresponds to quality of seminars, coauthoring opportunities etc.) I chose my schools based on fit (where I could put together a committee) from across the rankings with the intention of taking the best ranked among whatever offers, but I know others chose based on where they thought they were likely to be accepted and are selecting the best fit from among their offers, and others who used some other method. But here we go into that fit v. pedigree debate again... A page or two ago BFB (whom as we've been discussing is a DGS) responded to someone else's comment in this debate, it is certainly relevant to your dilemma. Although something to be said about fit, make sure it is more than just that one scholarly crush you dream of working with. From my MA program I know that choosing based on one advisor and an alternate can be torturous if they both move or take leave the year you are writing your thesis.

YES! Though I must say, that is an impressive amount of effort. There was some discussion of this earlier in the thread (maybe you saw it) on exactly how much effort it would take to link an applicant to a post/ID or a post to an applicant.

I'm suddenly horrified that all my POIs get notifications when I google their twitter pages (sure I could just get a twitter account and follow them, but that would mean getting a twitter account...). Technically I have an a.edu account, but have really only used it to access conference papers and such, guess I never paid attention to the google feature. And yes, I google myself periodically, fortunately there are a lot of shameless self-promoters who share my name but are obviously not me. I actually had an employer tell me after I got hired, how despite having one of the most unique names in the group, they found absolutely nothing on me. Good info, thanks

I was thinking just now, that school that ask which other programs we've applied to on apps can probably match that up pretty easily with signature blocks, assuming we answer that question honestly. Not meaning to pick on you, so much as just a random thought on why they read it. Also, I wonder if they facebook stalk us... some employers definitely do this once they've eliminated the bulk of the applicants.

Oh, by "bravery" I just meant you left yourself open to be hounded by applicants. Even if each asks just that one question they've always wanted to anonymously ask a DGS, that can still end up being 300 questions for you. On page one of this thread there's a link to some advice a professor posted, it is helpful in a general guidance sort of way, but later on that thread people start trying to debate the nuances of it, which probably vary from prof-to-prof and program-to-program. I just meant you are opening yourself up to that, and it can be a can of warms (for you) as much as it can be clarifying (for us). That said, the comment was intended to be light-hearted, not by any means, a complaint. And I do appreciate your willingness to clarify where you can.

And the forum just went silent That's a brave claim in your signature block. If I were a DGS, not sure I would be bold enough to out myself on this forum. Though your contribution to the "pedigree v. fit" debate is much appreciated.

Yeah, there are some really cool/interesting people at Boston in my field, but I also know that having an MA means I can't get more than 4 years of funding which scares me a little and I don't know much about their U.S. placement abilities (it seems like they do better with overseas candidates looking to return to their home countries). And dude... You got in to Penn! It's a great school, be excited!

Yes - applied, no - heard anything. Sounds like you know more than I do. I was gonna email today for the sake of tying up loose ends, but I would assume we'd have seen at least one admit on the board if they'd notified. And it DOES seem strange that their notifications have been out by now in previous years, but who knows? When I log in to check my status, it still says "no decision" but we all know that can mean anything in terms of where they stand with their applicant pool as a whole. I saw a couple admits claimed in mid february, then another one a few days ago, which makes me wonder if someone declined early and they just admitted someone from a waitlist. They might just wait until all their spots are filled and send out offers to the waitlist as they go, and then send rejections once they have their full, committed class (it seems like there's a few schools that do this, based on previous years and other comments). Wondering the same thing, but not optimistic.

ouch, never mind... I guess I am just use to most places calling it a waiver.