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I don't think it would be ethical to say that you have "doctoral candidacy," or any kind of specific wording that suggests that... But, I think it would be okay to say "I am currently pursuing a PhD at __________" Play around with the rhetoric and figure out what feels right.

I would with agree with Tess as well… Take some intro classes from a bunch of different disciplines and figure out what you really like. Keep an open mind while you’re doing it, too. You might take some Political Science courses, and find out it's not your cup of tea. College/life will be MUCH more enjoyable if you like what you are doing. I have friends that ended up with a degree in accounting because they didn’t know what else to do; and although they have a secure job at the end, their college academic experience was miserable (and I’m worried about their level of satisfaction they're getting out of their career). Don’t be too concerned right away if there is a job or a career at the other end—that will eventually work out. If you do not want to pursue a graduate degree at the end, that’s okay, there are still plenty of skills learned and demonstrated by an undergraduate degree in PS. My advice would be to work hard and focus on your education, learning, and figuring out your interests. Have fun too. If you find out that your passion is in academics or political science, that’s awesome… It’s a varied field, and there are a variety routes to take. As a high school senior, you have time to figure this sort of thing out. Talk it over with your advisor; see if you can get a summer internship, figure out some books you can read on the subject, etcetera. But at this stage, you don’t need to fully commit to a career, (you honestly don't need to be fully committed to a major either, most people end up switching them anyway. But I reckon it's a good thing to start thing about)... As far as your actual questions—reading, writing, and critical thinking skills are a must. And those skills only improve by doing them, so read and write often about a variety of subjects. Some of the sub-disciplines in political science require math, statistics, and things like that. For example, the primary skills and kind of thinking needed for political theory/philosophy are slightly different from formal methodology or comparative politics. That is another reason to take several introductory courses to figure out where your interests are. My day to day is filled with reading, writing, research, and discussion. As far as specific deadlines, projects, and assignments—that depends on the course, professor, and the goals of the school's academic department. For example, I attend a small-ish university-- the nature of which facilitates a large amount of class-discussion, and room for individual essays (ave class size is around 13). For larger universities, you may end up in a lecture hall with 200 other students, and you end up with a scan-tron exam. (Keep this sort of thing in mind during your college-search... there are benefits to both-- consider what will work best for you). My biggest challenge was taking a course that focused on economics. The reading was very dry, and the topic did not keep my interest. Honestly, I could care less about uncovering and analyzing subtle trends in the financial market. But that’s just me… you can tell by other posts on this forum that they are all about it. There’s enough room in Political Science for all of us. That’s kind of why I like it. There’s no one-way to look at politics; it’s a field that is constantly changing, and it is a subject that requires multiple points of view— I think that’s part of the appeal, especially for those of us pursuing an academic-route. Oh, and no matter what you end up doing, I’d suggest taking foreign language… Only positive things can come from that. As a side-note: my language courses in college were exponentially better and more helpful than the ones I took in high school. Good luck in your college search!

Are you talking about Maryland? Did you get a sense of how long the waitlist is?? i'm also waiting to hear a response.. it's my top choice! Fingers Crossed... Good Luck!

I applied to UMD in a previous admissions cycle, and my rejection letter was dated April 22nd... it will probably be awhile.. EDIT: if you check the department website, you can read their March newsletter... it seems like they're finished with acceptances i won't believe it until i see it though.

First, congrats on your admits! And thank you! This definitely helped. I just called the program, and I found out the option was "by request." So fingers crossed I get accepted into a PhD program, but like you said, it doesn't hurt to develop back-up plans.

syracuse

Okay, would it be rude/weird to ask a department if they one is not offered admission to their PhD program, if they are then considered for admission to an MA program? I know a lot of places normally do this and they specify it on the application, but the website does not mention it. Also, is it okay to ask that if I haven't been actually been rejected yet? I'm feeling pessimistic.

CONGRATS! what's your subfield?

does anyone know if notre dame finished sending out acceptances? orrrr maryland?

ouch.

thank you! i still havent heard anything from any school... but the dream is still alive, right?! good luck to us all!

Anyone hear from WUSTL?

no news is good news? right? srsly, why havent i heard anything? ...i've determined, as a theorist without a phd, that there's no rhyme or reason to this process-- despite the numbers from the anxiety-provoking-super-process-yield-percent-acceptance-chart-thing... (you can totally use that name btw!)

northwestern admit? i'm not ready for all that...

i appreciate it! and congrats, sir! mine still says my application is complete... at least it's not a rejection!