PoliPixie

Loved these. 
 
Brown University, MFA Creative Writing
 
Dear [FIRST LAST]: Once upon a time, there was a sad little applicant named [FIRST] who mistakenly believed that his neurosis was translatable into art."
 
 
University Of Oregon Philosophy, PhD (F14) Rejected via Phone on 11 Mar 2014 A 11 Mar 2014   So much for getting a PhD without having to buy a razor or shoes.  

Loved these. 
 
Brown University, MFA Creative Writing
 
Dear [FIRST LAST]: Once upon a time, there was a sad little applicant named [FIRST] who mistakenly believed that his neurosis was translatable into art."
 
 
University Of Oregon Philosophy, PhD (F14) Rejected via Phone on 11 Mar 2014 A 11 Mar 2014   So much for getting a PhD without having to buy a razor or shoes.  

I don't think I would take on that much debt for an MA, especially a theory MA. If I were in your position, I'd probably try to find a research position or other way of building up my profile over the next year and then re-apply, including some cheaper MA programs in the mix next round (such as U of T which has a large group of theorists and a political theory MA). Or you could also check out European programs, some of which are quite affordable and haven't finished accepting applications yet. 

Congrats on the York MA acceptance! I'm actually a current MA in Poli Sci there. Most of my cohort are studying Canadian politics, and I have heard nothing but great things form the faculty there. 
The MA Program is designed to be completed in one full academic year and there are three options to do so via the following: Major Research Paper + 5 courses; Thesis + 4 courses; Designated Research Paper + 6 Courses. 
The most common option that is usually pursued is the Major Research Paper. You are also advised to take courses across two or more subfields of Political Science, and you can take up to 2 courses outside of the department. 
Campus, however, is not very pleasant, based on its location in Toronto, but I have yet to run into any problems on campus. 
The people you will meet in your program, and generally around campus are awesome though. 
If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me, and I can hopefully put you in contact with some current PhD's that know more about the program.

Those are the schools I'm trying to decide between, the funding at queens is very attractive but I'm really unsure about moving to Kingston, I prefer the city vibe. Guess I'll be doing the homework PoliPixie suggested to learn more about my fit and make the best decision. Polis, let me know what you end up deciding. Also, which subfield at u oft did you apply to?

Usually schools will have students that you can reach out to to ask about the program and their experience with it. If they don't, you can see if anyone here has previously posted that they accepted to either of those programs and reach out to them. Ask for a campus visit, email the graduate chairs and ask your questions. Picking the right program is really important, especially for your MA. Your MA should push you beyond your comfort levels and push your understandings deeper. Program reputation and funding are of course very important as well, but you need to make sure it's the right program for you. I've heard that U of T is very Straussian (or at least it used to be), Queens has Will Kymlicka but also has some more conservative faculty. You need to make sure you're picking a program that fits you. McMaster is very critical theory which was perfect for me but wouldn't have necessarily been the right choice for someone else. 

Not sure if it's still the case, but I know from personal experience that (at least in 2013) you could get an 18 pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon for $9.99 in College Park, Maryland. We went to Washington DC and stayed in Cheverly. Beautiful area and very quick train ride into DC. Would absolutely move there if given the opportunity. 

Thats me! I applied to only one school and that too because my mom asked me to. I know it sounds too unprofessional -- but the end result is good as I made into one of the top 20 schools in the world and Australia's no. 1 -- So I would say, ''High risk high return!''

Just as I suspected, the U of Toronto post wasn't real. I just received this from their Graduate Administrator:
 
Dear PhD applicants:
Greetings from the Department of Political Science.  
Because many of you have been wondering, I am sending this email to confirm our timeframe for response to our PhD applicants.  We have our admissions meeting tomorrow and will send out our first round of offers early next week.  If you are being admitted in the first round you will hear from us by Tuesday of next week.    We will email  all remaining applicants between Tuesday and  the end of next week.  This includes applicants who are being waitlisted or refused admission.  Unfortunately, we won’t have a ranked waitlist so we are unable to let applicants know where you stand on the waitlist.  We give our admitted applicants  two weeks from the date of our offer to reply and at the end of this time the admissions committee will revisit the waitlist and decide on further offers. 
I hope this helps.   Unfortunately I may not be able to reply to responses to this email due to email traffic on other fronts but I just wanted to let you all know our timing.  If you for some reason you are no longer interested in being considered for admission please send a note to confirm.  Thank you for your patience.
 

It's been quiet this week. Hope everyone is holding up okay! 

I was in this position last year and the schools happily gave me extension! I just said I was considering ______ University strongly but wanted to ensure I had full information and had heard from everyone before making nay decisions. It's gonna be okay! And congrats on your offers!

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad Institution: Top 3 Canadian university
Major(s)/Minor(s): Political Science
Undergrad GPA: Between 3.82 and 3.92 depending on how you calculate it.
Type of Grad: Top 3 Canadian university (Political Science MA)
Grad GPA: None at time of application.
GRE: 168V 158Q 5.5AW
Any Special Courses:  
During undergrad: grad seminar in political psych, summer school on experimental methods. 
During MA: 2 PhD-level statistics courses, 2 independent studies on topics relevant to my substantive interests.
Letters of Recommendation: Apparently all very strong, from political scientists who know me well and work in fields relevant to my research interests.  Sent all four when possible, otherwise alternated #3 and #4 depending on who had better connections to the school.
1. Famous/respected senior scholar who co-supervised my Honours thesis. 
2. Rising star junior scholar who I am RAing for and co-authoring with during my MA. 
3. Untenured AP who co-supervised my Honours thesis and taught a seminar I took.
4. Tenured professor who I RAed for during undergrad and am currently co-authoring with. 
Research Experience: 
- Honours thesis (experiments, top grade in the thesis program)
- Several consecutive RAships spanning ~3 years
- 3 quantitative working papers with various faculty
- Research grant to conduct a survey at my undergrad institution
- Two undergrad publications
Teaching Experience: None
Subfield/Research Interests: Political psychology, political communication, experimental methods.
Other: former Editor-in-Chief of undergraduate journal, prestigious MA fellowship.

RESULTS:
Acceptances($$ or no $$): Harvard ($$), Michigan ($$), UCSD($$), NYU ($$), Northwestern ($$), Stony Brook ($), UPenn (*), Vanderbilt (*).
Waitlists: None
Rejections: Berkeley, Stanford, Princeton.
Pending: None
Going to: Will decide after visits.
 * Declined before they sent funding info
 
LESSONS LEARNED:
 
Many, have spent a long time thinking about this. 
 
While putting together your file:
 
-  Be strategic about your reference letters, if possible. If you have multiple people willing to recommend you, try to think about how they each bring something different to your file as well as have credibility with different groups you hope to reach.
 
- Not everyone will agree with me here but: de-politicize your file. I’m someone who has done a lot of activism and electoral politics in the recent past. I made a point to focus on my academic achievements in my file, and to try and make my google results more professional (to limited success). Why? Because (I’ve heard) ad comms are very wary of people pursuing graduate studies as a way to change the world who don’t understand what academia is like + because it's impossible to know who is on the committee and what they value/believe politically + because there’s already limited space in the application. 
 
- Do an MA. Whether this is a feasible option of course depends on where you are. In Canada, there are lots of well-respected & fully-funded MA programs, and I received a scholarship/RAship, which meant it wasn’t a sunk cost. Not only did my MA make me more competitive for PhD programs (by giving me way more research experience and methodological expertise) but it also was a great experience to spend a year working with new mentors. I wouldn’t have wanted to do my PhD at this school for myriad reasons, but I am very grateful to have had the chance to spend a year here to diversify my academic experiences, strengthen my application profile, and become that much more sure that I wanted to be an academic.
 
- Anticipate your weaknesses and try to counteract them. I knew that my methods background would be thin for a lot of top schools so, as much as possible, I spent the last 8 months before applications building up my stats chops. I think this helped in general, and I think it helped counteract my GRE Q. In addition - get your references to speak to your weaknesses in their letters. And, if your school doesn’t have an endemic of grade inflation, get them to mention that as well. N of 1, but I think this helped.
 
- If you have time, submit the January applications when you submit the December ones. This allows you to enjoy your winter holidays in peace instead of scampering last minute to remember how to do things. 
 
- Letters often do not come in on time. Don’t panic if your reviewers are a few days late, though of course send a gently-worded reminder.
 
- Start preparing early for both the GRE and the essays. The GRE sucks. Studying for the GRE sucks. If you do a little bit of studying every week over a long period of time, and take it early enough to allow a real take, you’ll save yourself so much anxiety. As for the SOP: it’s been said on previous versions of this thread but your first SOP will be total garbage. Start it (at least) the summer before graduating, and revisit every 2-4 weeks. Ask your letter writers to review it, and PhD students you trust. And - a mistake I made - don’t forget that it’s not just one long SOP. Some schools want a short one (~500 words). And some schools want a SOP that’s about research + a separate Personal Statement that’s about your personal journey. While I wouldn’t recommend sending out all 3 documents for frequent edits, you should draft all these separate documents early. 
 
While waiting for decisions:
 
- Personally, I don’t think its a good idea to cold-email POIs before getting a decision from the department. Every professor I talked to said they get hundreds of these e-mails and view them as a nuisance more than anything. There’s a good chance your POI isn’t even on the committee, and it’s unlikely that a professor will be willing to go to bat for you with the ad comm after just a few e-mails. If your letter writers know your POI, get them to e-introduce you or to just mention you to the POI (even so, this may have no effect besides making you feel more in control of your destiny). Otherwise, hold tight. 
 
- Limit your access to this site. I’m serious. This website is extremely useful during the pre-application process, as you put together your package. And while decisions are rolling out, it can be nice to commiserate with other applicants. However, so much of the information on these forums (and on the results page!) is simultaneously stressful and useless. Limiting your access to this site is the difference between getting an e-mail notification about your rejection (quick like a band-aid) versus agonizing for hours or days or even weeks over whether/when the rejection will come and if maybe, just maybe, you’re on a waitlist they didn’t tell you about yet. If I could do it all again, I would just look at these pages for tips while putting my application together, jot down rough timelines to hear decisions, and then never log in again. (Psst: https://selfcontrolapp.com/)
 
- When you inevitably ignore the above: try not to pay too much attention to when other people get their results. Sometimes other peoples’ results are a clue that bad (or good) news is coming. Sometimes they mean nothing at all. I was convinced I was rejected by Vanderbilt for several weeks, when it turned out they just didn’t feel the need to interview me. I got an interview by Stony Brook several weeks earlier than most people, but all of us got accepted at the same time. At my MA institution, I heard back 2 weeks later than the first round of admits because they were finalizing my scholarship. No news is not bad news - it’s no news. 
 
- Try to remember how idiosyncratic this process is. We have a tendency to assume everything is planned and down to an exact science. It’s not. Based on this site, I was worried my GRE scores would bar me from admission at CHYMPS, and then basically every professor I talked to said it depended who was on the committee. Similarly, some folks on this forum tried to predict the exact date admissions decisions would be released based on previous years. Realistically, the committees release decisions when they make them, and when they make them is based mostly on when they’re able to actually meet. Lower-ranked schools have an incentive to release early as to convince you early, whereas highly-ranked schools know they’ll fill their quotas no matter what so they can release whenever. Attempting to calculate the exact date of offers or the exact GRE scores you need to get in - these are futile exercises. All you can do is improve your file to the best of your ability and hope it works out.
 
 
SOP: Not comfortable sharing it but the structure was as so: opened with a vignette about becoming interested in political psych —>  discussed my general research interests —> discussed a specific set of questions I’d be interested in answering in my dissertation —> hinted at methodology I’d hope to use —> discussed my research experience and credentials chronologically —> discussed what drew me to the specific school including POIs, institutes/centres, and annual events —> ended with a line about intending to pursue an R1 TT position post-grad.
 
Good luck!

I am on NYU's waitlist. I contacted the director and was told there are 20 ppl on the waitlist and that my chance of getting off the list is very small (I suppose they overadmit and on top of that there is a waitlist). I was asked implicitly if NYU is my top choice (if so, it makes admission more likely, I think, because they don't want to extend an offer to somebody who will reject it - i think it is better sometimes to give an offer to a second best person and not first best because the first best might reject and at that point second best may have already taken another offer so you are left with a third best applicant). Anyway, the point is - if Yale is your top choice, contact the program and let them know. Tell them that you have other offers, even tell them what schools, but say that you prefer Yale over those schools (if this is the case, of course).

Claiming a Harvard admit

Yeah. I just got an admission email from Colton. I am really excited, and yeah, again, can't thank you guys enough. I would have had no idea where to begin my application if not for this board. I am grateful to all of you! 

Cornell is an ivy; OSU is not -- just in case you want to get a job in communications department or outside of academia, going to Cornell makes more sense to me. Also, they are both top 20. People might care about the top 5/10 difference because top 5 are Chymps, but top 15/20 is rarely distinguishable. If funding and POIs are similar in both departments, I would vote for Cornell for sure 

Congrats PoliPixie! University of British Columbia have also started admission offers today I noticed. So far I am torn between MA at Dalhousie or Western...

"I'm the Leonardo Dicaprio of grad schools. Year after year never getting recognized by white old dudes for my good work." (University of Toronto, School Psychology 2015) 
It could finally be Leo's year! Hope their luck has changed too!

Hey everyone! 
Just got an offer of admission from Western University, so those should be coming around now for those who applied there. Best of luck!

Lately, I feel like a bit like a dejected Disney heroine abandoned in a forest or locked up in the tower waiting for her decision to come: "Someday, my decision will come, Some day I'll find my reply And how thrilling that moment will be When the POI of my dreams comes to me He'll email, "We want you, And here's 20k, too." Though he's far away, I'll find my POI some day Some day when my decision comes through."

Got my fist acceptance ! Finally I need this !!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I have decided that the two cruelest words in the English language are "under review."

I jump to my phone every time I get an email, and I'm really starting to resent the Princeton Review and random admissions department emails from the schools that bought my name from the GRE. You guys don't get to put the words 'admissions' 'department' 'decision' in a subject line, OK?
 
It's so tough- the only two schools I have heard back from were my big reaches (swing and a miss, there). My husband is very supportive, but he was one of those first round draft students that heard back Mid to Late January when he applied so he doesn't quite understand my anxiety. Our lease runs out at the end of May and I just see this totally blank calendar and it freaks me out. Most of all, it makes it so difficult to concentrate on the work I actually need to get done this semester. I just feel very burnt out.

I have heard from people that sometimes the decision emails end up in spam folder.
 
Never in my life have I ever been so excited to have an unread spam email.