Sigaba

and that being its IRPS School requires a GRE AW of 5.0 or above!
My impression is that most people here agree that the AW score is quite irrelevant to the application. But apparently IRPS doesn't think so.
My GRE verbal and quant are both at 94%, GPA at 4.0 from a top-5 school in the field, with a master thesis on Korean political economy. So I guess a reputable school like UCSD with 'Pacific Studies' as part of its name should be a good place to apply for. Yet, years of hard work and achievement are worthless just because I get a 4.0AW in GRE. Is is just me who think that this policy is not very intelligent?

MOO, I would give myself and the readers the benefit of the doubt. That is, I would assume that they know that I know that they know that I know that they know that I know that I am going to take advantage of a program's diverse curriculum and do coursework relevant to my interest. Instead, I'd use the space to develop further a point in my SoP or to make a new point altogether.

Just my $0.02.

My wife and I (who met in Davis) found these statements were silly.

Davis is a socially liberal place. Sure, you'll have to drive an hour to the Castro Street Fair, but I can't imagine your sexuality ever being an issue there. If you want gay bars, you'll have to go to Sacramento or San Francisco, but if you're happy drinking with straight people, you'll be fine. It's a non-issue.

Great insight.

I myself am pondering whether to return to academics for a PhD in environmental science (climate/energy focus) after 2 years out in the real world working in energy policy/renewable energy. Any specific insights on the application process for someone coming back into the academic world? How much should I focus on my current work, and how much do I revert back to my master's work in terms of application and.

I don't think I would be applying until next yr, for Fall 2013 but I have been cruising these forums. I trust that getting references from my Master's program would be most vital, but maybe having 1 from the professional world (related to my degree) would be use to have.

I will likely take the new GRE and could use to improve my 4.5 year old scores (I think expiring soon at the 5yr mark).

The programs listed above are largely the ones I am targeting.

ETA: Due to the time-sensitive nature of the request, some of the recommendations that follow are geared specifically towards the OP.
Use a land line, not a cell phone, for the conversation.
Make a call of nature ten minutes before the call.
Have an idea of where you want to draw the line between conversation and chit chat.
If that line is crossed, have ready a way to get the conversation back on track.
During the call, have handy a glass--not bottle--of water.
When necessary, sip the water, but do not drink.
Use your existing email correspondence as the basis for your phone conversation.
Given the preparation time, your interests may be best served by focusing on ways to convey who you are rather than developing a to do list.

Ideally, the way you write is close enough to the way you talk so that there is not any awkwardness.
As the correspondence has already covered a number of topics, let the phone conversation be a continuation of the conversation.


[*]Even if you're not, convey an air of confidence.

[*]By this stage of the process, you've been having these kinds of conversations for years. (And if you haven't, act as if you have.)
[*]Avoid the appearance of reading from a script.
[*]If you use a script, have no more than five talking points.
[*]If the course of the conversation means you don't cover all five, do not stick to the script.
[*]Just as she's figuring out how you'd fit in at her department, you're figuring out if you want to go to her school.

[*]Remember how to say two important things "I don't know." and "I don't understand."
[*]Upon finishing the conversation, sit down and write a "memorandum of conversation," and then draft a thank you note (card, letter, email) that you will send after a suitable interval.
[*]Remember to have fun.


HTH.

You have a great profile and ought to be a shoo-in. I'm a little concerned for me. Yale averages about a 20% acceptance rate, which is incredibly competitive. Its a great school and program but what are your thoughts on the small cohort? Its a positive when learning because of the extra attention afforded but for networking and access to an alumni base, its a definite negative. Thoughts?

I've narrowed down my list for recommendations and have been set for my applications.

I had one recommender nor get back to me so I guess that is out. Unprofessional to the extreme to not even respond, but that's his prerogative.

Basically, one of my recommenders sent me a very peculiar email. He moved from one university to another recently, so I have been giving him some breathing space before I bombard him with requests to write my letters. I tried a few time but didnt get a response so bided my time. I had sent him all the relevant material several weeks ago.

So I asked him today if he has reviewed the material I sent (resume, list of universities, writing samples, etc) for my recommendation.

This is his response:

"Afraid I haven't had time as yet. I am sure they are interesting, but why do you need me to read them?"

Should I be worried about the strength of this LOR?

No its definitely clear. I am pretty worried, that he just has a template for references and fills in the blanks.

Tried about 5 times since August. Havent heard from even once. If it was my first effort I would understand but 5 emails, and no reply seems like he has no intention of writing it. Thats fine though, but at least he could respond telling me as much. I even gave him an out in my last mail, asking him whether he feels comfortable providing me with a recommendation.



Well he was my advisor for my thesis. We got on reasonably well. I got a great mark and I published the work in the end so that should be enough. But that was 18 months ago so I wanted to give him a refresher as to my ability and where I am at currently. Yeah, I would prefer him to be more engaged but you're right. I tried to arrange a meeting with him but he didnt respond. Do you reckon its worth me persisting with this reference? I think I need two solid recommendations from professors.

Just checked the ETS website and although scores aren't supposed to be officially released until Nov 17, somehow my scores are up...

164 V (670 on old scale)
153 Q (680 on old scale)
4 AW

I'm really surprised at my low AW score... I was expecting at least a 5. Also, the ranges they gave me after the test were 650-750 Q and 690-790 V so I'm pretty surprised that my verbal ended up 20 points below the projected range. Anyway, my GPA is 3.9, very strong letters of rec (one from a professor I'm co-authoring a paper with), and my statement or purpose and writing sample are very good as well. I'm applying for Comparative Politics, and I really want UCLA!!!

Do I have a shot, or do my low AW and Q keep me out of the running??? Also applying to Columbia, MIT, Chicago, NYU, Northwestern, and a few other lesser ranked schools.

ALCON--

Consider the utility of confining one's fantasies, fears, and vents to a password protected file on an encrypted HDD--that is, at least until you get accepted and are attending a doctorl program. Then, you can just melt down during a seminar and/or in a professor's office. . (Or so I heard. )

It is so cool to know that you're willing to reward with continued hard work not only those who gave you the research internship but also the qualified applicants that were turned away so you could do your thing..

It is so cool to know that you're willing to reward with continued hard work not only those who gave you the research internship but also the qualified applicants that were turned away so you could do your thing..

If it helps, prepare an outline for you to look at.

First, because you'll get so caught up over the fact you're actually talking to this professor, you may forget the simply courtesies. So on the top, write "SAY HELLO AND ASK HOW THEY ARE" (yes, in caps). On the bottom, write "REMEMBER TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THEIR TIME AND YOU WILL FOLLOW UP" (yes, with a follow up thank you note and another follow up that you've submitted your app).

So my outline would usually go like this: (based on over 15 interviews and this is going to be the order of their questions)
(some here will ask "why do you want to get a PhD" just to unnerve you because most people don't think about this so carefully and thoroughly)
1. Research interests
2. Current thesis project
3. Languages/preparation (archival work, travel, etc)
4. Specific questions for the professor
5. Specific questions about the program
6. Any other general questions

You'll want to keep your statements short and sweet so the conversation bounces back and forth. Leave them hanging for more information from you if you can. They are interviewing YOU.

You will definitely want to ask about their graduate students. Do not be afraid or shocked if s/he actually starts talking about the job market. You want this professor in your circle, even if you don't get in the program. Be very calm and show that you understand. Don't be afraid to ask related questions because, clearly, this professor is concerned about her job placement rate and the future of academy that s/he wants to make sure that his/her graduate students get good jobs at the end, no matter what. S/he wants to prepare you the best she can if you are open to the possibility of getting a non-academic job. If s/he is getting a student who won't look at other options, it's going to be a difficult relationship. Do mention that you've seen the recent commentaries about humanities PhDs, especially history, coming up with Plans B and C. (Like this one: http://chronicle.com/article/No-More-Plan-B/129293/). Use this opportunity to ask him/her what s/he thinks and whether or not they've discussed it in the department. This is an excellent way of finding out how serious the department is about their students' successes. It's not a bad sign at all, given this day and age.

Stand up when you talk. Be confident, sound confident, even if you don't. Put on nice clothes and shoes if you have to to get in the mood.

I do remember your prior post JustMe, and think that people really did try to help you figure out how to deal with your situation. Unfortunately for you, you refused the advice given, and now have the nerve to take up unnecessary space venting about a program's structure. Thing is, it isn't the school that is at fault, it is you. I'm sure there are many MFAs in your program that are happy and thriving...because they want to be there. Since you don't want to be in school for a MFA it makes sense that you would hate everything about the school.

My advice for you given your situation is to change your attitude so that you can at least finish this program with great work. I have a feeling that you will go through your program with terrible work (stemming from a terrible attitude), then go back and blame your mother for "forcing" you to go to school in the first place. I doubt any employer you go to for an interview will take that as an excuse. Take responsibility for your actions....as someone who is at grad school age, you should know this by now.

I'm not sure (since I was told in my Orientation Seminar that Americans don't joke and don't have a sense of humor - seriously!), but I thought the posting by Aaron McDevitt was a joke or at least an attempt to provoke people. I don't think anybody can be that arrogant and not noticing it ;-)

So far I've only noticed crushes on males in this thread. So maybe this is a female thing to do (or a homosexual male). I know as a guy I never had a "crush" on any professor or girl in a class in college. I'm normally to focused on the material to think about anything else (wow I sound like a nerd).

for what it's worth, i was trying to be rude to tittywriter83. whenever i read/hear someone complaining that they are unfairly graded because they're so brilliant and their peers with higher grades are let off easy, i think they deserve a bit of rudeness. people think too damn highly of themselves. and while i appreciate sigaba sticking up for me, i can also handle myself and any negative recs that may come my way. sometimes delusional people need to be told that they're delusional, and i'm always happy to provide that service.

FWIW, I think you should post more, not less. You consistently offer sound guidance.

I think perhaps this is the wrong place to ask for a sample SOP (IMO, you shouldn't be asking anywhere for an SOP)- I'm sure the people here would be more than willing to help discuss what should go into a SOP, content-wise (dig around in the forum specific to your field), and maybe even help you revise it (again, see your forum for potential SOP swaps), but the writing of the statement itself really ought to be both personal and original (and not, therefore, designed off a sample).

I want to apply for business, operation management. However, my background is Electrical Engineering.
I was wondering if anyone can send me a sample SOP for operation management.

I think the disadvantage of hiring a consultant for the application process is that it adds a "layer" between you and what you can learn from going through the process first hand.

As an example, when it came to developing the list of schools I wanted to attend, I learned a lot about other departments and established professors. The specific knowledge proved useful when I was doing coursework because I had a wider understanding of who were the significant players in the field--even if they seemed obscure at first glance. Also, the skill of doing this kind of research is useful to this day.

Moreover, I'm very ambivalent about the privatization of this kind of knowledge. Yes, one has the right to spend one's money as one likes. But what are the long term consequences for one's own field--and the Ivory Tower in general-- if personal wealth becomes an even bigger factor in the admissions process than it already is?

My $0.02.

I suggest emailing to set up an appointment, and asking for the letter of reference in person. This way you can ask for a strong letter and see the person's reaction. Also, you might get some useful advice on where to apply or how to apply.

Of course I'm talking about the funding.
It's interesting that the political science department in most universities say that everyone admitted into the Ph.D. programs will have fund, still the UCSD says that international student will not have fund there. Who would like to spend 5 years and hundreds of thousand on Ph.D. of political science, you can't even earn the money you spend on your study in the rest of your life.

Consider the utility of extending your undergraduate career so that you can participate in your department's honors program (that is, if you've not already done so) or, if possible, fulfill the requirements for a double major.

The extra year will give you time to do more research on graduate programs, to prepare your applications, and to request LoRs.

Another option is finding schools that have application deadlines in early 2012 rather than later this year.

HTH.

ETA:


MOO, one should not assume bad faith on maximumride's part merely because he/she is not as far along in the application process as one would like.