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You can see upam's results in the signature box--results that I would call extremely successful. I applied to almost as many, and got offers from UPenn (where I will be attending in the fall) and from Rochester. This means I also got many, many rejections of course, but it's the rare soul who avoids that particular displeasure. Honestly, it sounds like no matter what you do, you have some great options for letter writers. Maybe you can narrow it down based on who's the most reliable? One of my letter writers kind of made me panic by not submitting his letters until the last minute. If one of the profs you mentioned has trouble getting grades back on time, you might want to consider omitting him/her. And lastly, if you really can't decide, I know a number of schools allow for an optional fourth letter.

Oddly, none of my letter writers were political scientists. I knew a couple who would probably have done it, but I felt more comfortable with the impression I had made on some of the economists, so I asked them instead. I think, above all, you want the people who will write the best letters for you as an individual. Besides, a lot of people switch subfields in grad school/are interested in more than one, etc. Don't you think your prospective schools would like to know that you're strong in more than one tiny aspect of the discipline? Narrowing is what the SOP is for.

Accepted my offer from UPenn--the visit to Philadelphia was lovely and everyone seemed incredibly nice. I realize that in a few months my life is going to be torn up by the strangely appealing wrecking ball that is the graduate student's workload, but I've gotta say, right now things feel pretty damn nice. Here's hoping all of us have a great fall semester!

Just turned down a funded offer from Rochester.

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad Institution: Big state school Major(s)/Minor(s): International Affairs & Economics (majors)/Russian Studies (minor) Undergrad GPA: 3.89 GRE: V:166 Q:159 AW:5.5 Any Special Courses: Not really Letters of Recommendation: Three tenured professors—no one famous or anything Research Experience: None Teaching Experience: Economics tutor (no experience teaching a class) Subfield/Research Interests: IR/IPE Other: I have a lot of language study in my background. RESULTS: Acceptances($$ or no $$): Rochester ($$) and UPenn ($$) p.s. Why do we use two dollar signs? Why not one? Waitlists: Not-a-one Rejections: Um, a lot. 12, in fact. But all from really great programs that I certainly cannot blame for not taking me. Going to: Undecided LESSONS LEARNED: Well, I second the advice about applying to a lot of schools. It is expensive and it is stressful. But the way I see it, if you only apply to programs you really respect and wish to be a part of, you only need one acceptance to make your dreams come true. There are so many factors we can't control. Make it easier on yourself by having 10 dream schools instead of one. I was so scared that applying directly out of undergrad with no research experience would write me off immediately. I could not be happier with my offers! SOP: A NOTE: I feel a little embarrassed about sharing this. A lot of people feel the need to keep privacy here, but other than removing names of universities and professors and taking out the parts I added on a school-by-school basis, I wanted to give future applicants an unaltered example. (Though beware, future applicants, this is an example of mediocrity, I promise you.) Along the lines of lessons learned, I think I really should have started on my SOP sooner and re-drafted more. If I were applying again next year, I’d probably try to get rid of some of the background-y stuff and focus more on want I want to do in the future. Oh well. All’s well that ends well! Oh, and also, the research I proposed is not exactly IR, it’s more CP, but the professors I’ve talked to since getting accepted don’t seem to be bothered by overlapping/fluid research interests. Anyway, here it is: [Last year, my identity authorized me to live and study in 29 different countries. A German passport deserves credit for 26, the Schengen Area, and my American passport carried student visas for both Canada and Russia. As a citizen of America and a citizen of Europe, it was simple for me to acquire this priceless mobility clearance. That is, unearned privilege, bestowed upon me based on my citizenship, afforded me access to further privileges. This is not a revelation, but it has troubled me, and appears now as the foundation for my research interests. My passports protect me from the complications of borders. It is safe to say I have taken advantage of my opportunities to travel. I toured the railways of Europe and enjoyed a summer of white nights in St. Petersburg, but the two experiences I find most valuable were the ones that convinced me to change direction. I attended my first year of college at University X. I majored in biology—a decision that amuses those who know me now—but health problems prevented me from taking my final exams in the second semester, thus saving me from that dark path to medical school. Having been redirected but not quite sure where to go, I spent a year in Germany. I went to learn my father’s language and to allow myself time to evaluate a life dissociated from academia. In an intensive German language program, I achieved fluency in half a year. Languages, I discovered, come more easily to me than to most, but the real impetus for my progress was the rigor and focus of the work. My day was exercise and application, beginning with five hours of classes and persisting as I tried to order coffee or give directions or buy a train ticket. Evenings were for homework. I flourished. I came home in the spring and promptly enrolled for summer classes at University Y. German language would not be my main academic focus, but the discovery of an unexplored interest was invigorating, and I had learned something stirring and important about myself as well: I do best when I am fully immersed. My preoccupation with international relations began with economics. In a course on development economics, Professor X explained the potential failures of inequality scales, addressed the theories and realities of microfinance, and gave an overview of risk analysis in migration decisions. With these models, economics ceased to look like a flat but satisfying collection of abstractions. Instead of obscurity, I saw real-world application. Instead of sanitary models, I saw fallibility. Dissatisfaction was a thrill. My research interests emanate from the questions Professor X’s course taught me to ask. Political science courses then built me a framework for my new knowledge. A course on the international political economy helped unify my academic interests; remittances and the global terms of trade were topics that caught my attention best. Professor Y and his class on foreign policy provided the last piece of the puzzle: policy implications. Now I want all three. I want to learn to conduct research horizontally, cross-examining economic models and political theory with proposed and enacted policy. This returns me to the inherent privilege granted by American citizenship. The mobility I commanded a year ago is attributed to globalization, which has pleased efficiency-minded economists with its progress toward the free movement of goods and capital. Yet American citizenship is rare. Aside from exceptions like the Schengen Area, which makes my German passport so potent, the world is resisting advancement toward the free movement of labor. Migration marks an impasse at the confluence of economics, political science and state policy. Economics tells us that immigration is a natural market dynamic and a reaction to wage differentials, but that similarly-skilled workers and local government—the losers—will oppose it. Political science adds that sovereignty and borders are enmeshed, and that national identity is associated with ethnicity and that nebulous concept, culture. Policy obliges political leaders to weigh public opinion against economic gains, while legislators, in the American political system at least, are more likely to be subject to localities—the aforementioned losers. As a graduate student, I hope to address these relationships by looking more closely at assimilation. My first step would be to put parameters on what is now an amorphous notion; I want to conduct a comparative review of the measurement of assimilation, and to determine whether official gauges are commensurate with public perceptions. In terms of political theory, this project would involve the study of ethnic amalgamation, in which the working hypothesis would be that public expectations for assimilation can never be met. That is, as long as society A expects to subsume society B, the amalgam society C will always be perceived as transitional. With this application, I declare my intent to pursue a Ph.D. in Political Science with a concentration in the subfield of International Relations. I hope to use this education to obtain a position at a university or independent research institution that will allow me to conduct research and write on contemporary issues. While my greatest strength is writing, I also take pleasure in teaching, and believe that either type of institution would suit me well. I wish to emphasize my awareness of the dedication required to succeed in this program, and to express appreciation for the time afforded to review my application.] Boy this post got long. Sorry guys!

With the announcement that all Georgetown acceptances are out, I too, am done with this year's cycle! Thank you all for being so encouraging. I look forward to hearing about all of your decisions/maybe seeing some of you at visiting days. Also, I totally agree with this: I applied to 14 programs. All 14 were programs I thought I didn't have a good shot at, but would be honored to attend. I got into 2, which has made me feel incredibly lucky. The point being, if I'd applied to fewer, it's possible the convoluted am-I-a-good-fit-here assessment would have eliminated one or both of the schools that want to give me a chance. Anyway, 14 is probably a lot, but 4 really seems like setting yourself up for disappointment. 4 rejections DOES NOT mean you aren't good enough. For real.

I doubt that can be blamed on you--I think most schools have notified at this point, giving us a great deal less to talk about, at least on this thread. If anything, you've inserted a lot of pleasantness and optimism at a time when many people are feeling disappointed or confused. I think all of us appreciate that! Thank you!

So, just out of curiosity, do you guys think we're done hearing about Georgetown? 3 admits can't be it, right? Also: I am super curious about this too!

Hey, seriously appreciate this, I find this to be really helpful! I've been looking into places in CC lately and there seem to be a lot of great buildings that would probably be worth paying a slightly higher price for. So, if you happen to see this post, would you mind letting me know if there are any areas in CC that you would definitely NOT recommend? I'm finding the reviews on apartmentratings.com to be all over the place--some places seem less than great but get really high reviews while other places that look classy get zinged for pest control problems and bad neighborhoods. Anywhere I should particularly avoid? Again, thanks for the help!

Yeah, I imagine I'd have been more than a little crushed to get that rejection letter anyway. Still, it would have been nice to try. And good luck! Who knows? Maybe you shot long, as it were, and didn't just throw away that money after all.

I was looking at some buildings in Philly to try and gauge apartment costs, and I was wondering if anyone can tell me anything about the properties that are part of the Neighborhood Preservation and Development Fund? Or about University City Housing properties? If I move to Philly, I'd be looking for a one-bedroom starting in August (I know, I know, I'm getting worried pretty early on) and I've found a number of very reasonably-priced options that I'd like to learn a little more about. Any info would be great!

I've been looking longingly at the Wilson School for years, but lo and behold, when my turn came around to apply, the political economy cluster was no longer open to enrollment. Oh well.

interesting article, but oh my god, the wiggling "opportunity" bag is the most distracting thing since those little side-note blurbs they put in textbooks that make you pause in the middle of your paragraph to read something only vaguely related. just saying.

Yeah, I thought further information on the funding offer was supposed to come in the mail, but maybe the letter is still on its way? I don't know--the graduate program brochure has some vague information, but not enough for me. So far I've gotten the acceptance email, a letter from who I'm guessing was the IR representative on the admissions committee, and an email from the POI I mentioned in my SOP. Anyone else feel like it's strange that it's a visiting 'day' rather than 'weekend'?

Congratulations! That is truly amazing news. Past years on the results board demonstrate the rarity of that letter of admission. I wish Harvard PEG would just send out the rejections at the same time--looks like last year it took them a month after the acceptance went out. Long wait for bad news for me.