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davet73

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Everything posted by davet73

  1. No kidding, especially from a Top 10 program!!!
  2. So, my question is about potential supervisors. After being accepted to a university, how should I go about approaching prospective PhD supervisors? I have heard nightmare stories about professors hijacking a students research and that research basically mimicking the research interests of the professor instead of that of the student. I want to make sure that I have a great level of autonomy with guidance. Can I be direct in asking about autonomy, or would it come across badly? Thanks, Dave
  3. UCLA is my program of choice, so I am interested in hearing the responses. However, my focus is on voting behavior and the impact of media (so I am looking to work with Vavreck or Zaller).
  4. As far as a MA, I think what matters is what you get out of it. I wouldn't do a MA simply to improve my application to PhD programs. But even with that said, there could be some benefits. As for me, I decided to do my MA at McGill University. The reason I decided to do a MA first was because I wanted to see if I really wanted to spend 4-5 years doing a PhD. A MA degree gives you the opportunity to decide if you want to do this as a career, if you want to spend hours reading literature and playing around on Stata, or if you can handle a PhD. So, if you are absolutely sure you want to do a PhD, I would just spend all of my time studying for the GRE. If you can replicate your GRE scores, then you should be fine. One of my friends was just accepted to Princeton with a 154Q/158V/5A GRE score, but their SoP and recommendations were strong. Your GRE will probably make up for you letters or recommendations. However, as I said, the MA can have great benefits, even if you know that you are going to do a PhD. At McGill, my supervisor is well known in the voting behavior community. Not only will he be giving me a strong letter of recommendation for my PhD applications, he also asked me to co-author a book chapter with him (which will be published later this year or early next year). So, my MA has already given me a publication. So, overall, my MA experience will probably help my PhD application, especially when competing with applicants who are coming straight out of a BA program who probably do not have a well defined area of study. Therefore, I would recommend finding a MA program that will give you the most bang for your buck. That is just my two cents.
  5. So, simple question (which usually never has simple answers)...is the current job market in the US more favorable for comparativists or Americanists? In addition, how is the market for behavioralists regarding voting behavior? The reason why I am asking is that I am filling out my PhD "statements of purpose" and I really have two research ideas that I am interested in. The first one is looking at American voting behavior, which will primarily, if not exclusively, look at attitudinal data (mostly ANES). The second research interest is looking at political parties in a comparative manner (Europe and North America for now) which will use both attitudinal and aggregate-level data. I don't want to get into the specifics regarding my research ideas, but as you can see, there is quite a bit of difference between the two research proposals. Of course, I want my statements to be extremely focused in one area. And regarding "which one do I enjoy more", they are probably about the same. Also, I do have my MA from McGill, so I already do have some comparative experience. So, thoughts? Does the job market favor one over the other, or is it six of one, half-a-dozen of another? Thanks.
  6. PoliticalOrder is right. Gidengil and Belanger (who is my supervisor) are not just some of the best in Canada, I would argue that they are among the most respected worldwide. The problem is that McGill's Canadian politics field has very few classes, and none of them deal with voting behavior or any aspect of elections. In fact, I had to create a reading course with Dr. Belanger just so I can get something on voting behavior. So, if you attend McGill, you will have great professors to do research with and that can advise you on your thesis or dissertation, but you will have to take a lot of classes that do not relate to your subject at all, which is the problem.
  7. I can only speak for McGill. As far as Canadian politics, McGill is getting weaker. Out of the 100-120 graduate students that we have here, only a handful (including myself) focus on Canadian politics (and I am an American). If you do want to focus on public policy, Richard Schultz is a great prof here at McGill. However, he is really the only one regarding policy. McGill is becoming more of an IR-Comparative university, unfortunately.
  8. It would only be the part that I had written, not the entire thing, but I get the point.
  9. I was wondering what is the main purpose of a writing sample? Is it to primarily (or only) examine an applicant's writing ability, or is it to see how an applicant can structure a paper, or both? The reason I am asking is because I am deciding on what type of writing sample I want to send with my applications. I have a "regular" paper with an intro, lit review, methods and data section, results, and conclusion. However, I also have a literature review that I wrote for an upcoming chapter in a Sage handbook (that I am coauthoring with my current supervisor). I think that the literature review is significantly better written than any of my "regular" papers I have done. If I want to show my writing skills, I would want to send the literature review. So, basically, I'm confused on which one I should send. Cheers, Dave
  10. I would actually like to add a question to this question...does an unfinished MA in Political Science hurt? So, here is my situation...I started my MA in Political Science at Eastern Illinois University in the Fall of 2013. In my first semester, I had issues with the professor I was a GA for, and decided to apply to a different program (but everyone had run ins with him, and he is no longer at EIU). So, I applied to McGill for a MA in Political Science (figured what the hell, even if it seemed like a shot in the dark). During my second semester at Eastern Illinois, I was admitted to McGill. Of course, I accepted. During the spring and summer semesters, I finished my course requirements for EIU (finishing my coursework with a 4.0), and all I had to do was write and defend my thesis. But when I came to McGill (which was only a few days after finishing the summer at EIU), my time was limited, and I ignored my EIU MA degree and have spent all of my time on my McGill work (which also includes a RAship and a TAship). I will have my McGill MA finished in May of 2016 and I plan on applying to PhD programs starting in December. Will the non-completion of the EIU degree hurt? I would hope that they would see that I left EIU to go to McGill, but could it still hurt nonetheless?
  11. Hello everyone, I am applying to American University for my PhD (my focus is voting behavior,campaigns and elections). Just seeing if anyone has applied there before and their experience. Also I am wondering how much weight they put on GPA, GRE, fitting into the program, etc. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Dave
  12. I'm actually Dr. Waller's TA for his American Govt class. We have a good working relationship.
  13. Hello everyone, So, I have a little bit of an "issue" with selecting a PhD program. I wanted to get some advice from, well, basically anyone to see what they think. Here is my situation. I am currently at McGill doing my Masters. For my PhD, I want to focus on American Politics (with a specific focus on voting behavior in the South). I am an American student and have a lot for practical experience in American politics (worked for a US senator, on presidential campaigns, yada yada yada), and most of what I worked on as an undergrad was in American politics as well. Anyway, I have considered asking for a fast-track here at McGill, where I can start as a PhD 2nd year in Fall of 2015. The problem is that there isn't an American track, and my major would be in comparative politics, and I would not take any American government courses while at McGill. But even with that, I have a supervisor who is highly respected when it comes to voting behavior in general and has agreed to take on my research, even though it is American politics. My other option would be to look at other PhD programs. I have looked at UBC, especially since they have an American major for their PhD program and an expert in southern electoral behavior. Of course, I have looked at American universities as well. If I take this route, I would start as a PhD 1st year student in the Fall of 2016. But, of course, I would have a major in American politics. I would like to apply for the fast-track here at McGill, but I am worried that if I look for a job in American politics back home that having a major in comparative might hurt me. On the other hand, if I can stay here at McGill, I can be two years ahead on my PhD, which is just as important. So, thoughts?
  14. Well, I do think my letters of recommendations were a big factor in my admissions to McGill.
  15. That video is funny!!! Actually, I will be starting my MA at McGill in 10 days and can't wait. I also got the differential fee waiver, which makes going to McGill way, way, way more affordable. I was going to pay $18k for my McGill tuition, but now I will be only paying $5k. So if you get accepted into McGill, find out about that. I think a lot of people go to universities in Canada just so that they can go to Canada, which should not be the criteria for applying to a school. If that is the case, people might not get into the programs that fits them best. Therefore, I think your goal and area of focus is extremely important. For me, I specifically said that my research was going to focus on the 2011 Canadian federal election, especially the Orange Wave in Quebec. I think that being an American with a strong interest in Canadian politics did help. But in my case, McGill provided the absolute perfect fit for my specific research goals. Also, the faculty at McGill for voting behavior (Gidengil, Soroka, Belanger, etc.) as well as working with other faculty through the CSDC will give me the connections I need regarding voting behavior. Therefore, for what I am specifically studying, McGill is not just the best school for me in Canada, but one of the best in the world regarding my field of study. What is the focus of your study? McGill is good with voting behavior and methodology, as well as IR. I hear U of T is really known for its Political Theory. I already have a MA from Eastern Illinois University with a focus on Arctic politics, and UBC (with Michael Byers) and Calgary (with Rob Huebert) are best for that specific area. Therefore, before you decide McMaster because you think it might be easier to get into, size up what you want to do with your research, the direction that you want to take your research, and find the school that best fits that research. Even though U of T is "ranked the highest" in Canada, I think it would have been an uneasy fit for me. I think this is an extremely important factor when selecting a university, anywhere.
  16. Well, maybe I will run into you and we can possibly collaborate on some work. Will you be working at the CSDC at all?
  17. Interesting, I will be working with them both on RAship assignments. As far as who I want as my adviser, I am not totally sure yet. I have some time since I start in September. Since I am concentrating on Quebec, I will probably work closely with Belanger. If I stay at McGill for my PhD, and work on voting behavior in the ROC, I might work closely with Gidengil. I haven't started yet anyway, so I have time.
  18. I agree with Victorydance. The reason I think that I got into my school of choice is because I was a good fit for their program (my focus of study was Quebec voting behavior, so McGill fit perfectly). Find those faculty members that you wish to work with and say in your statement of purpose that you wish to work with them. I also think that having a clearly defined area of studies also helps. In my case, I said I wanted to study voting behavior in general, but specifically wanted to target the 2011 election in Quebec. If you can show that you are focused, I think that will help.
  19. Actually, question to PhD McGill students.....what GRE score did you have when you applied? I am just trying to get a feeling how much emphasis McGill puts on the GRE compared to American universities.
  20. Oh, on the other hand, funding depends on which university in Canada you go to. I have to take out a big loan for McGill (Stafford Loan) because I have to pay international tuition fees, which will cost around $16,000 a year. Also, unlike most American universities, Canadian universities rarely offer a tuition waiver. In the case of PhD programs, they give you enough funding that it is almost like a tuition waiver, but still that isn't the case always.
  21. Take Jeetlebuice's advice and look at Canadian universities. I did horrible on my GRE (I suck at standardized tests) but got into McGill's MA program because of my college GPA and resume, as well as my program goals. There are only two programs that I know in Canada which require the GRE. Any program at UBC requires the GRE (unless you have previously attended a Canadian university), while only McGill's PhD requires the PhD. I am going to study for it again. I did absolutely horrible (150/150), but never, ever studied for it and had never had any type of algebra education (dropped out of HS at the age of 15, 25 years ago). Canada gives you the perfect opportunity to go to a quality school if you have proven yourself at your undergraduate institution.
  22. Of course, it all depends. I don't plan on getting something published in APSR or anything of that caliber, but at least something respectable. I don't even try for student journals. As far as co or sole authorship, we will see. Sole authorship would be great, but I think that a co-authorship could help as well, especially if the co-author is respected in the field. I guess there are a lot of "ifs".
  23. Straight up question...how much do you think pubs influence admissions to PhD programs? Are pubs expected from MA students going into a PhD program? This is more for students coming from a MA program than a BA (as I would assume that recent BA grads wouldn't have any pubs). If you have any pubs, do you think it was a deciding factor in your admission? Would love to hear from faculty on this as well. During the next two years at my MA program at McGill, I am trying to get one pub. My GPA will be fine but, honestly, I am horrible on standardized tests. I am hoping that having a pub might offset any poor GRE score. Thoughts?
  24. davet73

    Chicago, IL

    I don't think this is the case. You have to prove residency for one year, but you also have to provide proof that you are a resident and not just someone coming here for education. Even though I was born in Illinois, I lived in Florida for a while, but kept my Illinois DL. Still, I had to prove where I was staying. I think this is something that a person should discuss with admissions. It is funny because I am on the flip side...I am a Illinois resident moving to Canada (going to McGill). I wish I could get Quebec tuition rates there And Sayjo, congrats on SIUE. That is where I did my undergrad. If you have any questions about the campus or Edwardsville, feel free to ask.
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