jjduval

Congratulations, bro. Let's hope the next round has something for us poor waiting folk.

Congratulations, friend. Can I get your stats?

@WaterYouDoing I applied for the same program. Good luck, man. I hope that we're both at AU come August.

I saw IDEV in the admissions results page, so I think some have already gone out.

Yeah, it looks like, if you don't have any info on the acceptance letter, then no funding. Congrats to all of you.

What program? Congrats on the acceptance, friend.

Global governance, politics, and security. I saw that other people are posting for different programs, though - including IDEV. If we didn't hear back right now, then we weren't tossed into the trash pile right off the bat. So, there's that.

For sure. Stay strong, homie. We'll get through this.

My SO just found out. Like, 20 minutes ago. So, decisions are going out.

That's good to hear. I'm looking through the admissions results from the last few years, and it looks like others started posting their results on the 8th and 9th. I don't know if that's when they found out, though - they could have waited a few days. I'm all nerves right now, is all.

Hey hey, I last applied to AU's SIS two years ago, and heard back around this time (May 8th-10th). Is anyone here a 2nd or 3rd time applicant, like me, and have any idea when we can expect to hear back?

Hit the iron, bruh. It keeps your mind occupied and focused on what's going on with your body. If you stick with it, then you'll become very involved with nutrition and general wellness. It'll change your life. If you're already a bad motherfucker, see if you can find a book. I know it sounds corny, but try it out - I just picked up The Count of Monte Cristo, and the intrigue is gooder than hell. Good luck, man. Remember, you're a contender.

Third time applicant here - I'm convinced that I'm qualified for top Graduate Programs. The trick is proving it to the admissions committees.

That's the sort of attitude we need to have, you know? We are all intelligent people and know that these programs are restricted by a lot of different variables. It's just so hard to be rejected after we spend so much energy on applications and get so excited about studying there. Now you've gone and made me cry.

I know you know the answer to this, bro. We put a lot of effort into these applications, and, by the time they're all submitted, we are very personally invested in the outcome. So, if I get rejected from a program, I'd also be wounded by a curt "lol no." We all like to be let down softly, you know? And since so many applicants spend so much time on this forum trawling for any bit of information, I'm sure you can understand how, come April, there'll be dozens of threads about how the admissions committees are all a bunch of jackasses.

GRE/GPA is just one part of the application package - every school will tell you something along those lines. A sub-3.0 and lousy GRE scores won't help you, but they can be balanced out by your work experience, statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation. So here's what you've got to do - go into the websites for these different schools. If I recall well, most Graduate Program pages will have something like a student or applicant profile. That'll show the average age, GPA, GRE score, and total years of work experience of the previous year's incoming class. This should all help give you a better idea of what your chances are. I don't know if you've applied before or how familiar you are with the process, so I won't delve into the minutiae or insult your intelligence. If you've already applied and are waiting for results, then you needn't ask this sort of question, bro. Get out of your head and go on a drive, or something. If you still haven't applied, then you should consider retaking the GRE before you reapply. Good luck, man.

Have you all applied before? This is my third round, and this is what I've learned about rejection: You need to have your mind right about what you're doing with your life or with your field of choice. If you're rejected from a school, or all the schools you've applied to, that shit needs to roll off your back. Don't lose motivation because these schools didn't accept you - you and I know that there are a dozen variables that determine your admission or rejection. You've come far - the money, the stress, the strength-of-will required to fill out the questionnaire and write the SoP and humble yourself for LoCs. Just keep your chin up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I-d0LJ6ojg

This'll be my third attempt at graduate schools. I've posted my story and stats before, so I won't rehash what y'all already know. I've come really far in my quest to become a good grad school candidate. While all my other friends got accepted into schools or took salary jobs, I pressed on looking for relevant work/experiences. If I get rejected again? I'm going right to the source, baby. Non-degree student status and classes at the University I keep applying to. I'm a contender, damn it, and I've come too far to just give up now.

My applications are due on the 15th. As soon as I submit, I'm packing my bags and heading to Vietnam and Cambodia for two weeks for a bit of R&R. Ever since I started working on applications in earnest, I feel like I've had my balls in a vice. So I'm going to go soak up some sun and have a good time before I have to come back to nail-biting reality. Good luck to all of you, by the way. We've at least earned pats-on-our-backs for making it this far.

I've also got a low GPA, so I've done a lot of research into how this should be addressed - if at all. I'm contending with a 2.7 uGPA, which raises a big red flag whenever adcomms look at my app packet. Everything I've read says that the SOP will have to be the strongest part of the application, but I'll have to somehow address the GPA issue. This is what I've done - since I graduated from university in 2010, I've spent the past three years taking grad-level classes, working on campaigns, and now working abroad. My statement puts a lot of emphasis on what I've learned outside of the academic environment, and how, after all that hard work, I've become a candidate that has much to bring to their program. That's an important bit - you want to show these schools what you can give them, not just what they can give you. Keep your SOP positive, but do briefly address the GPA issue. Don't complain about it, or be negative. Just state that it is what it is, and it does not represent how intelligent or capable you are. If you do, however, have a serious reason why your grades dipped, let them know. Were you hit by a car? Had a death in the family? If it's something super serious, mention it. Otherwise, do not spend any precious words trying to explain away your performance. **The GRE is a whole other matter, though. While you can no longer control your undergraduate performance, you can control how well you do in the GRE. They know that, too. So keep it in mind. Good luck, homie. We're gonna make it.

Hey, guy, let me pitch in and give you a preview of what most everyone is going to tell you: 1. Your GPA is very low, and it's good that you're self-aware enough to understand that it's going to be your biggest challenge when you apply to any university over here. It will raise a very red flag, and you'll have to do a lot of work to take focus away from it. 2. Your work experience is going to be extremely helpful. I guess you're about 5 years removed from your last university class? If so, you have that advantage. The further away you are from a lousy GPA, the less weight it will hold when the admission committees are combing through your application. 3. You most certainly have a chance to get into a great university. You have to put a lot of focus on everything that isn't your GPA, though. So, do your damndest to get a high GRE score (know which universities you're interested in? Many will have the median GRE score of incoming candidates), get some LORs that can amplify your most important messages (do you want the schools to know how bright you are, despite your uGPA? Make sure that your LOR writers make note of how intelligent you are, etc.), write an outstanding Statement of Purpose, etc. 4. Anything you can do to show determination and capability in your field (CS project, etc) will definitely boost your candidacy. I'm applying for an MA in International Relations, but am in the same exact boat as you are. I've only been in the workforce for 3 years, so you've got me beat, bro. Look for other advice, but I bet that everything you'll read will be somehow related to what I wrote above. Good luck. You are a contender.

From my homesick heart to yours: The Ashokan Farewell.

Hey bruh, You and I have similar credentials and hurdles, so I'm going to give you my experiences so far. I'm 25, and graduated from a large, public university with a 2.68 GPA, and applied to graduate schools in my last semester at school. As an undergraduate, I studied Arabic for 2 years and spent a summer in Cairo. That's all I had, okay? You've got some extra credentials in there that'll make you more competitive than I was coming out of undergrad. Right now, I'm applying to GW's Elliott School and AU's School of International Service. First piece of advice, homie? Go into the schools' websites and fish out those stats you need. In our field of study, most schools will never say outright what their required "stats" are. It's the most frustrating thing on this planet, but that's just how they do things. Instead, they'll say shit like "Oh, our admissions process is holistic," or "we look for well-rounded candidates who can fit in well." They will, however, almost always give a candidate profile. For example, they'll give an average age, average uGPA, average GRE scores, average years of work experience, etc. Use that to measure your odds. Second piece of advice: I was just not competitive coming out of undergrad. That first round of rejections hurt, man. I don't know the specifics on the programs you're looking at, but I can close-to-guarantee that they'll be all about some relevant work experience or work abroad. Your foreign language creds will help a lot, but you may want to think about putting some time into the work sector. With my uGPA, that's what I've had to do. I graduated from my university in 2010. Since then, I took a year of graduate level courses in International Affairs at my old university, worked for a year on the 2012 Presidential election, and am now teaching English in South Korea. I've had to pay my dues, but I'm also applying to some hot-shit programs. Your last question is telling: when I graduated from college, I knew that I wanted an MA, but I didn't really know what in. My time in the workforce has given me some perspective on the world, and I now have a very specific interest in what I want to study. I'm sure you know that these schools ask for a Statement of Purpose in which you have to take all of your experiences and future plans and tie them together into a subject of interest. I hated hearing this shit when I was applying at first, but you may need some time outside of academia to figure out exactly what you want to do. Or not. I'm just some text on the webs, homie. I hope this helps a little, bruh. It's good to know what you're getting into and what your odds will be. If you want it as bad as I do, you'll do anything to get it.

Don't quit, bruh. I don't have much experience in the Ph.D. department, but I do know that prospective Ph.D.s don't quit because their GRE score might be too low. Now, get on your feet and take that hill.

I haven't read the other responses, but I'm gonna go ahead and post my bit. This is my 3rd go at it, bruh. The summary is as follows: 1st shot: I was a bullshit candidate, and I knew it. I had graduated from my undergraduate institution, but had lousy GRE scores and a worse GPA. I didn't know what else there was to do, and all I'd ever known was academia. That rejection hurt, man. 2nd shot: I had finished a year of post-bacc courses in my undergraduate University's MA in International Affairs. I did really well, but the schools still said no. I was upset, but understood. This is my 3rd shot at the goal. Since my previous attempt, I worked on the 2012 Presidential Election and I'm currently teaching English in South Korea. I've learned a lot since I graduated from University and am a much better candidate than I was before. Right now, I spend most of my time carving away at my Statement of Purpose. And if I get rejected? I'm applying again, because I don't give a fuck. I've been paying my dues and I want that Graduate-level education. I've put the work in and will keep going at it until I get what I want, because I've put in way too much work to quit now.