brandnewtothis

I'm still completely torn... If they had a real placement list (including public and private sector jobs) I would be more at ease. Just a couple days away and undecided ARGH.

Thank you for the replies everyone. I'm honestly really nervous about this choice. If I get funding at a PhD program I got into, I'll definitely take that. The thing is, the CIR I got is totally unfunded, which means I'm looking at $60,000 debt. For something that only gives me a chance at a good PhD and a really small chance at a job, that is insane, especially for just one year. Does anyone know what kind of job prospects you can get with CIR if let's say I had to work for a year in between applying and finishing the program? It seems like MAPSS would be more valuable for that since it's all methodology, so I'm not sure what kind of job you could really get with CIR. Does anyone have any advice or recommendations for that? There are four fields and I'm looking at 1. IR Theory and Security and 2. IPE.

I hate sounding like a broken record, but did anyone hear back yet? Specifically, did anyone hear back from GW? When should I call? When should I give up?

I'm so torn. It looks like I ultimately need new reccs, a new writing sample, and some actual "social science" training. I was advised to do something to improve my app and I realized working retail for a year won't do that. However, goint in unfunded would kill me, especially if it doesn't lead to anything. I'm torn

I'm waitlisted for funding. I was told that there was a good chance I would get it. I hope I do...

I didn't get a reply frkm GW. Kind of scared now.

Bump. Any alts hears from GW?

Oh God, 2 weeks AFTER today? I mean, wtf. Can't schools work together and signal each other once someone accepts/rejects?

Still haven't heard back on funding... anyone hear of getting offers in the 15th?

Unless I hear something in 40 hours it looks like I'm going nowhere fast.

sigh

Wow. I'm so sorry to hear that. Why would someone even agree to write you a LOR if they're going to be unsupportive? How did you find out?

It's almost April 15. I'm losing hope. I'm an "alternate" for GW and I still haven't heard anything. I'm staring down a very scary, dark rabbit hole. I'm not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Well my PhD cycle is over. I'm have no funded offers. I'm going a little crazy over what I should do. I've taken very few poli. sci. classes and didn't have any serious research papers (or really anything at all) to show for my writing sample. I think this was my biggest weakness. What should I do? Is going to Chicago's CIR unfunded actually worth it?

I see. Did you choose another university over them, or did you do something else altogether?

Any GWU news?

Thank you all so much! I have a few hours tonight and a few tomorrow morning to prepare. Any more tips? What do they usually ask about (interests, professors, weaknesses, what?)?

Well it looks like I may be joining you all soon. Would love some advice.

oh crap. well this is a disaster. I am stuck at work all day with zero time...

I got admitted but waitlisted for funding. I have a skype scheduled soon and I thought it was going to be general info, questions about the program, etc. I don't have much prepared. Someone else just told me this is my interview to get off the waitlist. Is that true? And did I just screw myself by not prepping?

Has anyone on the alternate list heard from them?

Did anyone else see anything about being an alternate for a "University fellowship" on their admissions letter? This wasn't mentioned by the department's email. What is it?

Thank you so much for this post ABC13! To be honest, this makes it a much less appealing option. Is there any chance they might improve this situation? This might explain why I saw that the students who got better placements often had master's degrees that preceded the PhD.

lol maybe I shouldn't have made that other thread - I need the people ahead of me to decline so I can get in!

I know there are several articles, blog posts, and informational sites that all more or less say the same thing: Master's degrees are not all that useful for a PhD unless you need to make up for a low undergrad GPA or you need to demonstrate better competency in political science (and it can get you new recs, a more focused/informed SOP, etc.) However, I can't help but notice that a lot of the more "successful" people got terminal master's degree, and not just that, but many of them had other careers going for a while as well. The paths generally look like: Bachelor's -> Master's -> 4-10 years work experience (usually policy, government, or military work) -> PhD -> Academia and possibly high-level policy work I know that in academia, policy work is considered a totally separate issue, but I can't help but wonder if it gives people a more well-rounded perspective on things. I met a PhD student whose research focused on [COUNTRY] and I was with him the first time he visited [COUNTRY]. To be honest, I was a little surprised at his naiveté and ideas about how the country worked. People who didn't really have any graduate work or academic background were much better able to analyze the situation and even make good predictions. Another example is people who study international organizations and human rights. Even with the knowledge of how UN agencies and the like are perceived, and how they actually work on the ground, they were still surprised to hear some things about the reputation and running of these organizations that are obvious to most people with extremely limited experience. I realize that this is a completely separate question from what academic political science as a field asks, but I can't help but wonder - isn't it better to have both? Wouldn't it be better to have both the field/policy experience to have a grounding in how things actually work, and then go into academia?