GradSchoolTruther

Avoid talking about your passion for your research. Everyone writes that. Write about what you see your future contributions to the field are and how the program can help you contribute.

You'll just have to deal with the age and life experience difference and the fact you may not be befriended by many in your cohort. I would be careful about throwing the term "bullied" out there. Do you try to spend time and/or socialize in your department's graduate student lounge? As for faculty, I don't expect more than a nod and a smile sometimes. One important thing is whatever you do, always be friendly to department secretaries.

What does "more radical" mean? Is that code for "telling it is?"

Assuming you're applying to the same school, I'd think the committee would know about his upcoming book. You probably should know this professor well enough to know if they would want to work with you and write an LOR.

Depends on the field. http://www.slate.com/articles/life/education/2014/08/abds_all_but_dissertation_ph_d_candidates_who_can_t_quite_finish.html

Talk to someone, but also don't discount leaving the program. It's not worth several years of stress and potential breakdowns if you are struggling. No shame in getting out sooner rather than later if you decide a Ph.D. is not for you..

I'd try to branch out and go somewhere else for your Ph.D. As for the GRE, you need to be in the 75th percentile to get funding from the graduate school without needing a departmental waiver. Departments at IU only have so many waivers to give.

Most Ph.D. students don't finish, so there is a lot of so-called "wasted" funding out there.

Job market isn't great, which is why you need to be one of the best in your program. The ones I see struggling to find TT jobs are the ones who struggled in coursework, exams, and at the dissertation stage, as well as failing to even present at conferences.

I read those articles and find a lot of authors of those columns have holes in their CVs. They don't have publications, they took longer than normal to finish, they're aiming to R1 institutions coming from lower-ranked programs, among other issues. There was one a month or so ago where the author quit two tenure-track jobs about a year into both because of a spouse's desire to work elsewhere, and the author was wondering why they didn't a third shot at a TT job.

It seems everyone mentioned in a Slate or Chronicle of Higher Education column who couldn't get a tenure-track position have a few things that immediately stick out in their CV as to why they haven't found a job.

If there is a cut-off, then you have no chance.

Because the quality of the vast majority of undergraduate research is not close to what is expected at the graduate level. You don't get much methods training as an undergrad. Heck, most professors who are realistic about the field expects grad students to even present at conferences until their second or third year of a Ph.D. program.

You're a graduate student. The advisor shouldn't have to do the legwork for you.

Nice trolling.

Research experience as an undergrad in political science is not that useful.

If you have a 2.90 GPA by American standards, you could get into a really low-tier master's program at some small college who could use the tuition money. Doubt you'd get a scholarship with that.

No one here knows if it will hurt you.

I'm guessing the OP is leaving a lot of things out to garner sympathy.

People have moved on to other programs. You'll have to get a least one letter, though, from a professor in your current program.

Are these schools not offering funding?

Harder to overseas scholars to compete in the U.S. job market, especially when they complete three-year programs.

Pretty much any Ph.D. program. You don't need to be your advisor's clone. Any half-decent IR scholar could work with you.

You do have to be flexible in academia and that means working with others. Why is this professor the "only" one that can possibly supervise you?

Not the best approach to ask if a university is selective.