jcross9

Glad to help. I wouldn't kick yourself too much about undergrad GPA--you have an MPP GPA to make up for that! :-) Also, though I'm not sure what your political persuasion is, let me just say this about think tanks: to date, I have interned in two and have gotten to know several scholars pretty well. Though some do indeed have PhDs, you'd be surprised at how many do not. Some don't even have master's degrees--let alone an MPP from a place like CMU. Yet these people have worked through the ranks of a think tank and have learned a lot of the econometrics and methods that many PhDs even struggle with. I don't see why someone couldn't follow the same path with an MPP. And anyway, it's rare for someone to just drop in as a resident scholar at a major think tank--might as well start your networking earlier, and then get the extra edu. only if you need it!

This article explains it a lot better than I can: http://www.gradschoolheaven.com/rankings-of-graduate-schools.html . Basically, the NRC's rankings are a lot more rigorous. With that said, the NRC is less famous for college rankings than US News, which (once again, for better or worse) may or may carry some weight. Another reasons the rankings differ is due to NRC's reliance on data collected in 2005-2006. A LOT has changed in academia since then, which could account for some of the discrepancies. Hope this helps! Rankings are incredibly dizzing sometimes, I think!

Your GREs are tremendous, so I wouldn't be too concerned about stats. And congrats on the Carnegie Mellon acceptance--very impressive program. My advice would be this: try your hand in the think-tank world before you apply for PhD programs. If you feel like there really is a ceiling at your institution of interest, then go for the PhD after a few years. If not, then you have saved yourself a lot of time and energy in the application process, along with 6-7 years of your life in grad school.

I would second this question. Where you want to be and what you want to do post-PhD will really color this decision. I know people who have succeeded as PhDs from both Georgetown and Maryland (I know less about GWU, despite living in their dorms for a summer once!), but they are in the think tank world right now. If you like that option, then I would say all three are good choices. But, if you aren't certain whether you'd like to do government/think tank work (or you just want a larger range of options), then I would probably vote Maryland for political science. And just as a side note: from what I'm told, the US News and (to a lesser extent) the NRC rankings are really the only rankings that carry any sort of universally accepted weight. If you are considering rankings in your decision, I would stick to those two.

Has everyone who applied to UNC recieved some sort of notification (either acceptance or rejection)? Though I assume that I am rejected, I'd like to have something official!

I would probably just ask on here, unless you have multiple schools you want to ask about. I don't think it's at all unreasonable to be anxious about it, of course; I just think you are more likely to hear back from people on this thread, since it seems to be the most popular one.

Sure, no problem!

Nice--though I am an Americanist, I am also quite interested in theory. Just send me a personal message with your e-mail and I'll forward the stuff I have from Blaire.

Very cool. Did you get the second e-mail from Blaire? If not, I can forward it to you. It just has reimbursement info, etc. in it. She has also told me about the best time to get flights, etc. What is your subfield btw, if you don't mind me asking?

Anyone here get into Cornell or Michigan who will also be going to either school's admitted-students days?

While I don't know anything about your stats, interests, experience, etc., I would just say this: if you aren't satisfied with the places you got into, then go into the field and build your resume. If you really are passionate about going back to get your PhD, then there is really no down side to taking time off. Look for a RAship at an AEI, Brookings, RAND, WW, etc.--they are great places that offer great experience, and they will definitely help you get into your dream school down the road!!

I haven't gotten anything from Dietrich either. I wouldn't worry too much about it... I have never heard of someone being recommended for admission and then not actually admitted.

I don't think so. No one has posted anything on the grad cafe admissions list, and Princeton traditionally waits until about now to start notifying applicants anyway. I right there with you tho... really wish they would just tell me my status, so that I can officially decide between the schools to which I have been accepted!