PoliSwede

My quant score was an abysmal 153 and I still got accepted to programs ranked 20ish and I'm not even a theorist. Just remember that the GRE scores are simply one part of your application and that you should spend time on improving other aspects of your application (like the SOP). There's definitely hope for you!

MIT and Chicago were the first two programs that immediately came to mind for me.

I am sure that you already know this, but a big part of this has to do with what your field of study is. For example, if your field of study is judicial politics and there's a "superstar" judicial scholar at a program that is ranked 50, that's probably going to help you in getting a good placement afterwards. I can't really help you with George Mason.

With small LACs you need to keep in mind that the teaching load can be overwhelming. Teaching a 4-4 load, especially if they are courses that you've never taught before, will suck away a lot of your time from doing research. And when you're applying to research universities you will need to display a good research record. Now, it's not impossible that you would be able to get a job at a smaller/less prestigious research university and then work your way up. Say that you graduate from a program ranked 50ish and you manage to get a placement at a regional university with a 2-2 (or less!) load. You'll have plenty of time to get your own research done and then get a job at a larger university. I can't say that the odds are "good", but they are definitely not non-existent as long as you're willing to put in the hard work that is necessary. Regarding transfer: It is not uncommon. I know a guy who got into a PhD program that is ranked somewhere between 35-50. After staying in the program for a year his advisor flat out told him that if he wanted to have a shot at a fairly decent job when he's done with the PhD he will have to transfer. Apparently their placement record wasn't very strong and his advisor thought that he could do better. He moved to a program ranked 20ish with a better placement record and he doesn't regret making the move one bit.

This is very true. When you're looking at programs/schools and people that you're interested in working with, try to figure out where their students end up after they get their PhD. There are some "star" professors at lower tiered schools that are really good at placing the students that they mentor.

As others have said, it's really hard to gauge exactly what your chances are. The programs that you've listed are all extremely competitive and the admission's process in many cases turn out to be a lottery between many highly qualified applicants. That said, I've seen applicants on here overcome relatively low GPAs by having strengths in other areas (which you apparently have). I applied to seven programs, received admittance to two of them, and still wish that I would have cast an even broader net during the process. If you're really interested in getting a PhD in political science, preferably as soon as possible, I'd apply to more schools than the ones you've listed. Of course, some people want to either go to a top program or not go at all. Which is perfectly fine as well

If you have a great record in graduate school (a couple/few published papers etc.) then a best case scenario might be to make a lateral move to a school of similar prestige. More common is that you usually, as TheMarketMan said, that you get a job one notch down. Now, keep in mind that it doesn't mean that your career ends or that you're stuck at a lower tiered school forever. A former advisor (now friend) of mine graduated from one of the smaller PhD programs in Illinois and now holds an endowed chair at a low R1. I would advice against going into academia with the mindset that the job market has to improve. There are no guarantees that it will!

I visited UIUC during Spring Break and found a place to live. I really took a liking to Urbana (especially in comparison to downtown Champaign) since it seems less noisy and more quiet. Also found a nice duplex in a neighborhood that at least seemed really nice (based on what I could tell during my two short visits). Hopefully the girlfriend and I will be happy with the place and not have to move during the duration of my program. But as someone else said (in this thread I think), there really is nothing outside of the city limit(s). So empty!

I had to retake the TOEFL as well after my MA. It's a real pain. Not because it's hard, but because it's such a waste of time and money... If you read some of BFB's posts, you will get some guidance on how to set up your SOP. In the "results"-thread you can find some examples (or obtain examples via PM). One thing that sticks out to me when it comes to SOPs is that you want to send as many clear signals as possible that tells the adcom that you are a good bet (that you know what grad school is about, that you have thought of the subfield you want to enter and at least have a potential research agenda, and so forth). One of the reasons I wasn't admitted to OSU was my SOP (BFB said that my application had mixed reactions from faculty members because I sent blurry signals). As for your writing sample, keep in mind that the length probably will vary across programs. For some programs I was to just take one of my better (best) seminar papers from my MA program. Other programs wanted shorter samples and forced me to improvise a bit. You can modify your writing sample however you want.

Definitely not too early. My personal preference was to do it in person, but I guess emails work as well.

Currently not in Illinois. Actually on my way home to Europe right now as I type and will move to Illinois in early August to settle in

While waiting for them to reply, did you try to do a search in the "results"-section? Type in "Political Science" "Santa Barbara" and you should get some matches. Hopefully someone entered their info.

BRING ON THE FALL! Those are my sentiments.

I think that it's hard to go wrong with University of Washington (Seattle) as long as you think it will be a good fit. It's a solid program with a good reputation. University of Colorado at Boulder probably has a slightly less competitive admissions' process than University of Washington, but it's still a decent school to graduate from. I know that Aydin and Tir are both good IR scholars at UC-Boulder, but I don't know much about the other subfields.

Generally speaking my understanding is that statistical methods will have close to no real utility for you in your own research. It might be handy for you if you want to read and understand what's being done elsewhere in the discipline or, as stated above, if you have to teach methods courses (although it is my impression that theorists generally don't, at least not at larger departments). I also know of programs that allow their students to exchange statistical methods for something that would be more relevant for you and your research agenda, like learning a language or perhaps some form of text analysis. I'd examine if that is possible in your future program. If you were applying to PhD programs I'd urge you to apply to programs that allow you to do just that, but I understand that you're already admitted (congratulations by the way!)

PSJR? Apply additional fire.

My first impression is that you might be aiming a bit low if you are expecting your GRE scores to be 165+ for verbal and quantitative. especially considering your past experience. Now, I know nothing about how British applicants are viewed by admissions committes, so I can't speak to that.

Well that sure is a step in the right direction. I considered applying to a few programs that I later discovered didn't offer funding/waive tuition for international students and promptly struck them off my list when I discovered that. Good luck to everyone who is applying this cycle. I hope you all get the desired results!

You don't need a University account/ID in order to receive a list from the tenant union.

Happy to hear that people have been able to make a decision that they feel comfortable with.

You're asking a very good question (one that I hope everyone who applies to graduate school have asked). Having been through a MA program and worked as a lecturer I personally can't imagine any other career that I'd enjoy as much as an academic career. I don't expect to receive job offers from Ivy League schools when I'm done with my Ph.D. (although that'd be nice!). I'd be quite happy working at a low R1/high R2. Unlike you, I love smaller cities and towns while I absolutely loathe major cities. It's a highly personal decision and one that you really only can answer on your own after some hard thinking.

In this situation, I think that it only helps you to be as clear as possible. That said, it does seem like you're running short on time and better hurry up!

After spending this week hunting for a place to live in the fall, I found one that fits perfectly. I'm very happy.

I'm sorry, this isn't PSJR. Silly french spam bots.

If anyone's interested; I turned down a funded offer from Michigan State (IR).