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TheGnome

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Everything posted by TheGnome

  1. There are a lot of posts here from the 2011-12 season, but none from the 2012-13 season. So, those of you who started their PhDs in Fall 2013: First, congrats again. I hope everything is going great for you. Second, if you see this post, please consider sharing your profile, SOP, and advice with the rest of us who are still struggling with that agonizing process you just went through last year. You can't believe how helpful these are for the current applicants. I know that I read every single sentence of every SOP posted here 1203918209 times before writing my own. The deadlines are approaching quickly too, so again, please consider contributing.
  2. This section is predominantly for political science PhD applicants - although there are occasionally people who talk about MAs here too. When people do talk about MAs here, they typically refer to either terminal master's programs in political science departments, or MA programs that are more or less designed to feed students into political science PhD programs like Chicago MAPSS or Columbia QMSS. I guess QMSS grads can vary more in terms of their substantive areas of interest, but anyway. Oh and needless to say, academic study of IR is done under political science departments in the US. The kind of master's programs that come to mind when you invoke the keywords"professional / international affairs" are found in places like Gtown SFS, SAIS-JHU, Tufts-Fletcher etc. These are very different from the first group of programs in their focus and training. The expectations for admission can also differ widely between the first and second types. Therefore, if you are interested in Int'l Affairs master's programs you will find a more helpful crowd in the other forum. Best of luck in your apps!
  3. Faculty members who read this forum have consistently pointed out that a good GPA in a graduate program significantly alleviates the concerns regarding low undergrad GPAs, if not eliminates them completely. There are also numerous examples of people who got into some of the best programs in the country with undergrad GPAs similar to, and even lower than, yours. The algorithm issue may or may not be correct, I do not know. Even if it is, given what we have been told by the faculty who has ad-com experience at the top schools, including at CHYMPS departments (such an ugly acronym, this is), this should not be something to worry about too much based on your MA performance. Again, I am just trying to say that there is no need for someone with your profile to shy away from applying to top schools - not that you should apply exclusively to them. Applying broadly is a good strategy. Regarding the email issue, I can't see that it will have an impact on anything. I can imagine the reply will something like - "We encourage you to apply. Committee evaluates the application materials as a whole, so weaknesses in one part of the application can be compensated by the strengths in other parts etc.." You can still try though
  4. "Should I Avoid T-20 PhD Schools Because UnderGrad GPA?" Absolutely not. If the rest of the application - especially the MA GPA - is as good as you say, you should be competitive anywhere. Honestly I don't see how Harvard and Yale is too far out yet Princeton isn't - but then again, I don't think think you should shy away from applying to top programs. That said - while it is important to have a good profile (including a good fit) to get into top schools, a non-trivial part of the process is governed by luck. Therefore it would be a good strategy to spread out your applications.
  5. I don't see any deserts here though. A meal without a dessert is like a coefficient without confidence intervals
  6. How are the writing samples unrelated to applicant's declared area of interest (different topic, different subfield, different methodology etc) evaluated by adcoms? If for example an applicant wants to do EITM style formal and empirical IPE, but the writing sample is a qualitative area studies paper, would that be a problem?
  7. I wish you the best of luck in the process - though with this profile it does not seem like you will need too much of it. One thing though is that people who are applying to similar departments like the ones you listed tend to congregate at the government affairs forum, so you might find stronger solidarity over there.
  8. OK that was a great reply. Thanks for taking the time and doing that coachrjc
  9. I think the best advice anyone can give at this point is to improve every part of your application to the extent that you can. Peer reviewed publications should definitely be a plus, but how big a plus that would be depends on so many factors that it is hard to say. However, if you think you can get better GRE scores, I think you'd do yourself a favor by taking it again.
  10. Damn those flibbertigibbets! Hi guys, not much activity on this forum yet it seems
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