ajayghale

The math checks out!

Update of the Banal Minutiae of Early Fall Application Season: Third LOR-writer got back with me and everything is on track. I've dropped about half the money I'll end up needing to on sending GRE scores and two applications that require the fee before the supplementary application. Now it's just a matter of customizing personal statements to the programs, waiting for any feedback on personal statements and writing sample from LOR-writers, sending official transcripts, gently reminding said LOR-writers periodically about deadlines, submitting and paying for remaining applications, and then waiting two or three months for any news. Side Note: This year's page is decidedly less active than last year's. Does this mean good things for us, in that maybe fewer people are seeking these positions, or does it mean nothing at all and there are just as many as ever and they just don't contribute to the forum? Let's get some quant people in on this. I need answers!

I live five hours away at the moment. What I'll end up doing if I don't get a response is my SO can leave a message in their inbox or at their office door. If you have the time, you can turn a section of your thesis into a standalone paper. I did that with mine. Good luck with everything!

For the sake of keeping the thread alive, I'll complain about my minor problems. So, I've edited final drafts of my personal statement (sans specifics about each program) and writing sample (and an additional, shortened version for one program in particular) and I emailed those out a little over a week ago to my LoR-writers. A week after I emailed this, I got a response from one of them apologizing for not getting back with me. I sent another email to the remaining two just as a reminder and got a response from one, so now I'm waiting. I can't complete an application until I have confirmed that the third person will in fact be writing a letter. Furthermore, I don't have a backup writer, at least not one as strong, in case they either never respond or end up declining. If I could start finishing applications, I could stagger payments and make this process a lot easier on myself financially. I know it's relatively early, but I'd rather get everything done. I've been working on this since I graduated in May. Obviously that's not their problem and I'll have to continue pacing around, but I figured I'd kvetch in a place that would understand.

I don't know what's up with the grad director, but I've had about a 66% success rate with contacting PoIs and PhD students. You'd probably be best served calling if it's an administrator you're looking for.

Congrats, cannedheat! May this be a sign of good things to come.

That's good to know. I'm also contacting current PhD students to get a feel for the programs I'm interested in. Forewarned, foreamed, etc. My fingers and toes will be crossed between now and April 15th, I think.

I suppose this would be a good question to ask here, given that lyrehc and other people who have successfully navigated this process come back and check the boards: How much of an impact does a low undergrad GPA make on admissions decisions? I have a 3.06 total undergrad GPA for reasons of my being in a major I was not particularly great at for the first half of undergrad, along with other factors, and also a 3.92 MA GPA. Can my grad GPA mitigate my relatively abysmal undergrad one, or is this already an uphill/lost battle? I've already been soundly rejected in one round of applications, but for PoliSci, so I've become inured to the results of gambling with low odds. Additionally, I know other factors contribute to admissions decisions, but I guess, in short, I'm wondering how negatively the low undergrad GPA will affect chances, all other things being above-board.

Well, I've read through last year's thread and have emerged no more knowledgeable about the future, though slightly disheartened.

I'm not. My problem was that my research relates to the intersection of popular culture and international relations. While there are places (precious few) that actually deal with that very thing, I've found my best fit to be in a media studies/cinema studies type program. At least from the people who are either students or faculty in said programs.

I applied to a number of Political Science PhD programs last year, made the mistake of not contacting any POIs in advance, as well as mistakenly thinking my thesis was even suited for PoliSci. Now I'm looking into Media Studies programs and places with clear Media/Cinema Studies components to their Communication programs. I've already contacted POIs at my prospective programs and have gotten positive feedback from them all, but nothing from Northwestern, weirdly. I contacted three people there and not a single reply. Either there's some sort of embargo or they aren't interested enough to tell me they're not interested. Where's everyone looking at?

Okay, out at Georgetown too. It's been real, y'all. Congratulations to those who made it.

Got my UCLA rejection. Fingers crossed for...Georgetown? *manic laughter*

Thanks for checking up on that. Fingers crossed!

Yeah, this is super frustrating.

Looks like that's what I should have done.

It's possible that it's like the Virginia admits and ND and UCLA et al. are taking care of fellowships first, then moving onto TA and RAships.

Guess we should all rethink this whole thing. Pack it in and see if we can get a gig managing a Wendy's.

That whole site seems to be filled with bitter, angry husks of former humans. Quite draining just to read any one of the threads and I went through about ten the other day. I don't suggest anyone go there at any point.

Yeah, I looked through CVs. I tried to spread my selections out geographically and within the top 30 or so and pick the person or people with the closest interests, which is essentially anyone working on Russia, be it IR or Comparative.

I think I have a lot of stuff working against me. Low undergrad GPA, research topic that holds little if any interest in poli sci (popular culture/international relations, and I know about Nexon, but the rest of the schools were a reach in terms of fit) and I didn't reach out to anyone in advance because I got too much conflicting advice about doing so prior to applying. *sigh* So I guess we'll see if I get lucky.

In other news, Columbia rejections have arrived in full force. Six left, just need one... With funding...

Yup. I've also made the same assumption.

Ah, gotcha... Thanks!