NYCBluenose

Hi Ccorc3! I just finished my Master's at Sciences Po last year (European Affairs), but had a few friends in International Security. I really enjoyed it; many of the professors are major figures in their field and the student body is from absolutely everywhere. That said, the experience is a bit different than a U.S style degree. First of all, the emphasis is on breadth, rather than depth. You take at least 7 classes per semester, so generally you will pick up a relatively shallow knowledge base but get to know your broader field really well. Many of the professors are also practitioners, rather than academics. Some people like that, other people don't, but the basic point is that the emphasis is more empirical than theoretical for many classes. But ya, it's definitely feasible coming from a U.S background, and don't worry about GREs (sciences po doesn't even ask for them). Let me know if you have any more questions!

Sure, to some extent. I recognize that American academia isn't overflowing with constructivists, especially in political economy. But while my core interest is in the role of ideas in shaping economic policy (especially during crisis), I have a regional focus on the EU, as well as more specific interests surrounding austerity politics and their impact on left-right polarization. I found that there were a decent number of departments that ticked at least most of these boxes, in their regional or substantive focuses, even if constructivist-heavy departments were few and far between. But if anything comes to mind, suggestions of departments to apply to this time around would be very welcome!

Hey guys! I'm coming back for my second cycle this year, after a tough one last year. I thought I had a pretty good chance (decent GPA at good BA/MA programs, RA experience, strong rec letters), but of course the competition is extremely fierce. One thing which stuck out was that I had kind of asymmetric results: I got into one excellent PhD program in the UK (sadly without funding), but completely struck out on American programs even going a fair ways down the ladder. This suggested to me two possible reasons for this could be 1) that my weak quant GRE placed me below the cutoff at American programs and/or 2) my statement of purpose was weak (for European programs I submitted research proposals rather than an SOP). That said, I wanted to ask a favor of the more experienced members of the board (especially those already started in PhD programs). Would anyone have the time to look over my SoP at some point? I know you're all very busy, but since the more experienced members have been very giving with their time and advice in the past, I thought it would be worth a try. Please PM me if so. Thanks!

mh3, thankfully I can help you on this one. I went to an American university for undergrad and finished with a 3.6 (below the stated cutoff for Oxford/Cambridge, like you said). That said, I got accepted at Cambridge last cycle, so it appears that they have some leeway on GPA issues.

Go to your self-service account, and next to your admissions status I'm pretty sure that there should be a button that says 'see offer conditions'. Mine was that I finish my MA 'with distinction', but I guess it can vary from specific grades to simply graduating from your current program. I'm also waiting on funding... I unfortunately missed the Gates deadlines so I'm just applying for international trust and a few specific ones linked to my college. Not holding out too much hope, though. From what I understand we're supposed to hear about funding some time towards the end of April.

IRToni, it is definitely weird, but this appears to be Cambridge's standard operating procedure. I found my offer just looking online at my account, and didn't receive an email until several weeks later. Also you might know this already (although I didn't), but you don't have to worry about the college. Even if you don't get your first choice of college, you will automatically get into one of them. So you're pretty much in! Congrats!

congrats Nords and Miroslav!

Thanks for the info, guys! I hope more people will share their experiences as they do their visits and make decisions. For those like me who are looking to try again next cycle, it's so important to have any and all information to get a better feel for the different departments.

It's for a PhD. I missed the boat on the main chunk of scholarships for Americans though, so I applied for scholarships where there are literally a handful of recipients among all the applicants. So it's a bit of a longshot; the tuition is atrociously expensive and there's no stipend/RA, TAship money so you can't really do it without some kind of funding.

There's a 99% chance I'll be joining you guys next year as well (unless I luck out a 1 in a 100 scholarship at Cambridge). As depressing as it is, it gives me a real boost to see all of the people this year who got great acceptances on their 2nd/3rd cycles.

Congrats Cazorla! Couldn't be happier for you, even if you are an Arsenal fan!

Ya, this is pretty much what I'm telling myself as well. Given the level of difficulty and randomness in the process, I feel a bit thick for having applied to only 7/8 programs. Anyway, I'll see you next year cupofnimbus! I only hope that we can emulate the 2nd/3rd cycle vets that had such success this year.

Brown rejection makes 3 in 2 days. I feel like a punching bag

I'd love to, but I missed a deadline for a huge chunk of scholarships for foreign students. So I'm only in the running for a handful of really competitive studentships. If I don't get one of those then the £35,000/year fees (with no stipend) are a bit of an issue for me. So I'm guessing gradcafe hasn't managed to get rid of me yet, and I'll be back next year .

just got the expected Columbia rejection as well; totally bummed as this was my top choice. But who knows, next year is another cycle. In the meantime, congrats to all the Yale acceptances!

Congrats wokeem! I'm not in political theory but i've heard JHU's department is fantastic for it.

Thanks for this post and for all the enlightening responses. I've had a similar issue this cycle, I think. I got a 168v/152q/5.0aw on the GRE. My LORs were strong and I have about 2 years of experience as a poli sci RA and within an IR-focused think tank, BA honors thesis, MA thesis, good grades. So far I've been rejected from all the American programs I've heard from and accepted at Cambridge, where I didn't have to send GRE scores. Given what people have said about the importance of quant GREs as a cutoff, I doubt I'll get in to any of my American programs. On the one hand, it's a real pain; I'm in CP, but am very qualitatively oriented. That said, starting from a really low baseline, I hope my quant score shouldn't be impossible to improve substantially with some hard work. Whether its possible for someone as mathematically challenged as me to hit that magic 160 credibility threshold is another question.

Huge congrats. Way to stick it out in Rocky-esque style, you deserve it!

Huge congrats to the Columbia admits!! I'd also love to hear your guys' subfields, as Columbia is my #1 choice by a long stretch.

No, I actually hadn't had an interview. Although I had already had an informal conversation with my POI and knew he would be interested in supervising me if I was accepted (my dissertation proposal is right in his subfield/niche). Anyway, good luck with your app! Would you be seriously considering Cambridge, or do you prefer the American programs you applied to?

I'm not sure whether to even post this in the results exactly, but I've got a conditional offer from Cambridge POLIS. It's a bit odd; I didn't even get an email, I just checked after someone else had posted an acceptance. Anyway, it's conditional on my being accepted by one of Cambridge's colleges and on receiving a 'distinction' in my current MA. There's also no information about financing. But hey, after two outright rejections, I'll take what I can get!

IRToni, from last I saw further back in the thread, someone had contacted Columbia's DGS a few days ago and been told that they would be releasing decisions 'either this week or next week'. So sounds like it might take a bit longer than last year.

Congrats on your acceptance! My brother used to be a grad student at UCSB, so I've visited a few times. The weather is literally perfect in Santa Barbara and the campus has its own freakin lagoon. I'd say paradise is an appropriate word.

Ugh, rough. The wait continues...

Congrats on UW, guys! Heard only great things about it