VMcJ

My profile and my academic purpose are highly theoretical (liberalism in Latin America). In fact, I could be applying to Latin American Studies instead of PoliSci with minor changes in my applications. But I chose departments that have strong Theory subfields and Latin American interested scholars, precisely for this reason. Placement is not an immediate major concern for me, as I am foreign, although I understand it may be so for departments. Maybe I will need to adapt for the next cycle, if I end up trying again. One problem I might have brought upon myself was to avoid to communicate directly with POIs, hoping it would not be necessary and even might be undesirable. Another one is that my undergrad formation is not PoliSci.

And, to end all hopes for me, an admission from Columbia's Political Theory appears in the results page.

Nope. OP said: "More than 200 people have applied for the comparative politics program, and only six have been accepted." If 100 people applied to the other fields, and 6 were to be offered admission to each of them, that would make approximately 600 applicants and 30 offers of admission. Sounds consistent with previous years.

I applied to Political Theory. Still hoping, but...

I think it is possible.

How much I want that to be true... this cycle, preferably.

Only a rejection from Northwestern in the website (no email so far). But at least some NYU and Georgetown offers were issued and I received nothing. Now Princeton. And then only four are left, and they are CHYM.

Thanks, Josh Lyman. I really needed some Josh to my current Toby Ziegler.

Princeton always was my longest shot, so I almost feel no disappointment. Oh, wait. Of course I feel. I will have exactly zero offers this cycle, probably. I tried only very difficult programs; bad mistake. Life goes on, I guess.

True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings; Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings.

Let's say I am. I certainly do not think that right now. My application is not perfect (and maybe I will need to try again next cycle) and I fear for every aspect of it. With that in mind, I would never find out that, for some reason, Harvard thought of me as a potentially brilliant mind. You need a leap of faith. Of course, faith guarantees nothing, but without believing you can upset the odds you never will. I hope I feel like Kublai Khan at the end of this cycle, learning from Marco Polo about Invisible Cities and having conquered China. Or Yale, whatever.

I applied there with the sole intent of testing that theory. Imagine my wonder if that is proven to be a myth!

But seriously, I think the chances for Columbia and Princeton are bigger. Last year both released their admissions before President's Day. Yale, Harvard and MIT released them after.

I'd like to receive them all at once. Then I could finally cry without any hope whatsoever. Or maybe cry over joy, but let's face it.

Well, I think that is not bad news for me yet because I highly doubt any department will contact me by phone. Why spend the international call? Here's hoping...

Congratulations! Did your POI give some information regarding other acceptances?

Someone claiming that Georgetown acceptance by phone in the results page?

Interesting. Some rejections may come to me precisely in the incident's tenth anniversary. One shot at a time, gentlemen!

I already abandoned Literary Theory, made my MA in that field. Maybe that is why I am failing. If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, well, it will never be a goose.

Should've cracked jokes like that when explaining my otherwise uninteresting research topic in my SoP. "Hey, my Harvard fellas -- we both know I am wasting dollars on you. Might as well make us laugh."

We're talking HYPC. Here we got intense heat, all the more reason to drink!

Yeah. I am telling myself this, but perhaps now is the time when one sees only weak spots in one's profile. But, hey, stranger things have happened.

My question now is: after a Northwestern rejection and a highly probable rejection from NYU, how much of a chance could I have with my Ivy League applications? ( ) None ( ) No way in hell ( ) What were you thinking? ( ) Why bother, let's drink! ( ) Hope is the last to die. Wait for it.

How I would love that story. Especially if they did something about my sadness.

I gave up hope, probably less than 1% chance of receiving an admission from NYU now. Two rejections, six to go.