Imperator_Taco

UC Irvine for me too. I'm applying with Comparative Politics as my sub-field.

From what I know, the AWA score really isn't that important. Given your verbal score, I think you should be fine especially if your SOP and writing sample are in good shape. Btw, your question is answered in the stickied "Faculty perspectives" thread:

Makes sense. To be honest though, I'm probably less concerned than the average applicant about placement records because I'm ok with the idea of pursuing an academic career somewhere in Asia (where I'm from). In that case, I think either Amhest or JHU will suffice. Still, your point regarding placement (especially in North America) is well taken. Thanks.

Thanks for the feedback. They are definitely among the political scientists I'd like to work with. And yes, that's what I figured. I'll try to improve on that score during my retake. Thanks for the feedback! Yes, I've been workshopping my Statement of Purpose with one of my LORs and with professors/PhD students from some of the schools I'm applying to (was lucky enough to make their acquaintance during MPSA). Why wouldn't you apply to Amherst or JH? Too lowly ranked?

School: A university in the Philippines Major: Philosophy GPA: 3.44/4.00 Graduate School: Private research university in the East Coast Degree: International Political Economy GPA: 3.9 GRE: 170 V, 154 Q, 4.5 AW (will retake) Subfield: Comparative politics- qualitative methods with focus on democratization and political violence in Southeast Asia Graduate Courses taken: Applied Econometrics (B+ mentioning this because I'm worried that this grade will keep me out of the top-tier departments), Qualitative Research Methods, Comparative Politics, Political Economy, and Economic Policy Letters of Rec: 1 tenure-track assistant prof (taught me in 2 courses and my research supervisor), 1 professor (2 courses, both As), 1 associate professor (1 course, A)- All from the political science department at Fordham Research Experience: (1) received a $4000 university grant to conduct field research in the Philippines last summer (preparing article for publication now), (2) in the beginning stages of a co-authored field research project with an assistant prof and PhD student from other US universities, (3) presented at MPSA (with funding from university) and a bunch of other conferences in Southeast Asia, (4) 1 published co-authored study (for a Southeast Asian journal though so I don't think this means much), (5) 1 invited co-authored journal submission (also a Southeast Asian journal), (6) employed as a data analyst for a leading research center of political violence, (7) research assistant for tenured political science professor, (8) summer research intern at a policy think tank in DC, and (9) political theory undergraduate thesis. Important to note that all of these projects are connected to my research interests (democratization and political violence in Southeast Asia). Professional experience: Worked for two years as a political reform advocate/analyst for an NGO; co-founded and managed a data analytics start-up that received some funding Target Schools: 1: Cornell 2: University of Michigan 3: Northwestern 4: Emory 5: Johns Hopkins University 6: University of Notre Dame 7: University of Maryland 8: University of British Columbia 9: McGill University 10: UCSD 11: UC Irvine 12: UC Davis 13: UMASS Amherst I have three questions: 1: What do you think about my profile? What should I emphasize and de-emphasize? 2: In terms of my target schools, am I being too conservative? Should I aim for more higher ranking schools or did I do a good job of "hedging" my bets? What are my chances of getting into a top-10 university? 3: I'm planning to retake the GRE and get a Quanti score of 160. Let's assume, however, that I'm unable to improve on my Q score of 154. Will that doom my chances of getting into universities like Northwestern or Emory, for example, which are ranked by US News as 23 and 24, respectively?

Hi everyone! I'm currently working on my MA in International Political Economy, but am planning to apply for PhD in Political Science when I'm done. My political science grades are good, but got a B+ in Econometrics. I didn't do as well as I would've liked because this is my first time taking up any classes in statistics/economics. I'm asking because I've heard that MA students are expected to have straight As in grad school. Will this B+ kill my chances of getting into a decent political science grad program? Keep in mind that all of my other grades are pretty good.

Bumping my. Would appreciate some feedback.

Just a quick question: does the admission committee read our listed published articles, or do they just limit themselves to reading the writing samples? sorry if the question's a bit silly, just want to better understand how the application process goes.

Got it. Thanks for the helpful responses. Will just edit and improve my undergraduate thesis.

I'll specialize in Comparative Politics and make Political Theory either my second major (if possible) or minor. Given that, do you think the Arendt paper would suffice? And definitely, I have plans to policy the paper. Thankfully, my undergraduate thesis advisor has agreed to help me out a bit.

Hi everyone, I graduated with a degree in Philosophy and am now applying for a PhD in Political Science. I'm having a hard time deciding what to submit as my writing sample. I don't have any solo-authored papers that'll show the admissions committee my proficiency in quantitative methods. I've published in a peer-reviewed journal before, but don't think I can submit that piece because it's co-authored. However, I did write a senior thesis on Hannah Arendt and democratic theory, which received an A. Should I write a new and more 'quantitative' article, or merely revise and improve a section of my undergraduate thesis? Will doing the latter be a dealbreaker for PhD programs? I'd prefer to focus on the other aspects of my application, but will write something entirely new if needed. Thanks.

Hi everyone, I'm currently applying to PhD in Political Science programs and Masters in Public Policy programs. I need some help deciding on my third recommendation letter. Option 1: My old philosophy teacher. He has a PhD in Philosophy. I've taken him in two classes. I did excellently in his classes and I consider him to be a mentor. Option 2: A political science instructor who has been my teacher and colleague. I've worked with him on different advocacy campaigns. He has an MA in Political Science. Again, I did well in his class and I consider him to be a mentor. The advantage of the philosophy teacher is that he has a PhD while the political scientist has an MA. I'm assuming that, in general, recommendation letters from PhD holders hold more weight than MA holders. The political scientist, on the other hand, can talk about both my academic and professional performance. He is also a political science, which is especially relevant given that I'm applying for a degree in political science/public policy. What do you guys think? Thanks.

^^^One more thing to add: Quant background: Got Bs in Basic Social Science Statistics course and Quantitative Methods course; co-founded data analytics company

Hi everyone! Would like to know what my chances are of getting accepted by AND receiving some funding from my target schools. What other programs/universities can I aim for? Should I aim higher or lower? Program: MPP/MIA/MPA Interests: International Development, International Relations Schools Applying To: Columbia (SIPA), Tufts (Fletcher), Syracuse (Maxwell), Carnegie Mellon (Heinz), Duke (Sanford), Cornell (CIPA) Undergrad Institution: Highly-ranked Philippine/Asian university Undergraduate GPA: 3.44 Undergraduate Major: AB Philosophy, but took 11 social science classes (mixture of economics, sociology, political science) GRE: 170V, 154Q, 4.5W Years of Work Experience: 2 1/2 years Languages: English (Native), Filipino (Native) Work Experience: 2 years as a development researcher and campaign officer in the Philippines. Has had leading roles in nationally significant human rights/democratization campaigns. Has worked closely with a variety of grassroots communities (farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous people, urban poor, etc.). Am also the co-founder and COO of a data analytics company. International Experience: Spent 9 years in the US, 16 years in the Philippines, and 3 months in South Korea Research Experience: I've published an IR-article in a peer-reviewed journal. I've also presented in a number of national and international academic conferences. LORs: Three strong ones from 2 undergraduate professors (the present and former chair of the Philosophy department) and my former boss at the NGO I used to work for

Thank you! One more question: what about University of Maryland? Would you know if my GRE scores are ok for UMD?

Just a follow up question: which departments would likely be ok with my quanti score? Thank you!

Just a clarifactory detail: the journal that published my article is edited by academics (not students) and it is in English.

Greetings! I'm hoping to gain some insights into my chances as a candidate given the information provided below. I'm thinking of applying to Cornell, Northwestern University, John Hopkins University, University of Notre Dame, University of Pennsylvania, University of Washington, and Boston College. PROFILE: Research Experience: One IR-paper from a peer reviewed journal published by Ateneo de Manila University. I've also presented papers on rural social movements, and voter education at a number of national and international conferences. Work Experience: Since graduating university 2 1/2 years ago, I've worked as a development researcher and human rights campaigner. I've played a crucial role in a number of nationally significant social movements. I am also a co-founder and COO of a data analytics company. Undergraduate institution: Ateneo de Manila University (highly ranked university in the Philippines and Asia) Major: Philosophy GPA: 3.44 GRE: Verbal: 170 Quanti: 154 AWA: Expecting at the very least a 4.5 Should I apply to more higher ranked universities? Should I apply to more lower ranked universities? Or are my target schools ok, given my profile? Will my low quanti scores kill my chances of getting into a good program? Should I retake the GREs? Would appreciate some feedback. Thank you!