Hi guys,
I'd really appreciate it if someone could evaluate my profile for PhD applications at Political Science Departments. My background isn't exactly traditional (just left corporate job in finance) and I'm worried it will hurt my chances.
Let me know what you think, please!
Program/Institution: PhD, Political science/ political economics, HKS, Stanford, MIT, Princeton, Brown, Rochester, Ohio State, NYU, Chicago Harris
Interests: Political economy of development, economic growth in South Asia, Governance and role of private sector in economic policy
Undergrad Institution: non Ivy top 10 LAC in the US, but international applicant
Undergraduate Majors: economics, international relations
Undergraduate GPA: 3.8, major gpa 3.9
GRE: 167 V, 170 Q, 5 AW ( not retaking)
Age: 24
Research: 2 undergrad theses ( 1 in each major), $6k grant junior year for individual research (involving fieldwork)
Quant: multivariate calc, econometrics, mathematical economics, statistics ( apart from normal economics courses)
Years of Work Experience: 2
Work Experience: Currently engaged in freelance research and consulting for a public health university and a health policy NGO in India. Spent 1.5 years working at a top 4 management consulting firm in NYC (developed market strategy for big banks), hated my work and realized my professors were right and I needed to be in academia.
Volunteer Experience:Current work at health policy ngo mentioned above,student volunteer helping rural poor cope with bankruptcy
LORs: Econ thesis advisor ( endowed chair), IR thesis advisor (associate professor in political science), Chair of IR department ( I helped him write his last book)
Concerns: My corporate experience is a huge red flag, I haven't talked about it in my SOP but it's in my CV. Advice on tackling this?
Some programs require 2 semesters of calculus, but I was advised to just take the most advanced course in college ( I was pre-engineering in HS and curriculum included advanced calc, linear algebra and differential equations) and now I only have one semester :((
Since I wrote 2 undergrad theses my senior year, my last semester was horrific and I got a C+ on a political science course for not submitting a paper on time. I really don't want to draw attention to it, but should I ask my LOR to address it anyway?
Any feedback would be highly appreciated! What should I highlight/ avoid?Should I be setting my sights lower? If yes, any program recommendations?