Mike_Novick

Thanks for the update, @Jazahmia. I wonder what kinds of obstacles are preventing them from releasing the remaining letters of rejection ...

My naïve interpretation is that those of us without any formal answer are in a "B-sided" waitlist... haha. Honestly, they may be just trickling their rejection letters (there are a few ones posted during the weekend, I think).

Thanks! Best of luck for you as well!

Same here. But I thought Brown was my best bet. Harsh letter, btw. Having a fantastic performance so far. And what annoys me the most is that a have absolutely no idea why things are going so terribly wrong.

I'm still waiting as well.

So, did anyone already get officially rejected by Columbia? Or does everyone that have received e-mails to check the gsas website were in fact admitted? Nothing came to my e-mail so far.

Thanks everyone for replying and sharing your valuable experiences. I have the feeling that being at the same time 1) an international applicant, 2) outside of Academia for five years and not being 3) a purebred political scientist (my background is in public policy and in international relations, and I'm interest in comparative as a subfield) may be hampering my chances so far. I wish you all good luck and congratulate those that already got admitted somewhere.

Hello, everyone. I would like to hear from you guys about the following: with very few exceptions, a did not contact any POIs during this entire cycle (and I have received only one - very polited and formal - answer). I know that one of my recommenders contacted a POI, but I don't know if he replied. So far, I was formally rejected by two universities, and very likely by other two. I have not been contacted by any POIs or by anyone else from other programs I have applied to. 0. I would like to know if is it anyone else in this very same position? Is this a sign that no one is really interested in my research agenda? I'm trying to figure it out what is going on, as I'm alrady freaking out with my results till now.

Obrigado, @VMcJ. Considering your trajectory over these two cycles, you already have established as a role model for me - and certainly for many others. Let's wait and hope for the best. That's is what in our reach at this moment.

Yeah, absolutely! Actually I didn't feel ofended by you, I was just complaining loudly... Best of luck through this process!

I wish I could at least be waitlisted somewhere. Then I could realize this effort wasn't in absolute vain. So far, I have received 0 e-mails in my inbox. None. Niente. I guess some of you guys dealt with that over the last cycle. Huge congrats for being so resilient. This feeling of being rejected everywhere is almost unsurmountable, honestly.

Very sad news, but thanks for the info.

I'm waiting for other 12. Actually I didn't receive any e-mails from UCLA, Princeton and Berkeley, but I'm counting them as rejections. I really thought I had a chance at Berkeley (one of my dream schools); now, as I'm already feeling kinda devastated, perhaps I'll need to start preparing for another cycle ...

Good luck! I Definitely will get some tips with you if I'll need to go for another cycle ...

Yeah, I never thought this was going to be easy, but receiving three rejections in the same day was particularly harsh.

Parabéns! That is great news!

Hello, I'm 31, currently applying to PolSci programs (international student). I've completed my MA 5 years ago, and I've been working at government for 6+ years. What is particularly challenging in my case is that my wife is also applying to PhD programs (Education, Public Policy). If both of us get admitted, we'll have to figure it out how to handle distance (we are applying to programs in CA, NY, PA, MA, MD, RI, NJ, CT and even in UK ...)

Hello! Are you refering this website https://hgsas.askadmissions.net/Vip/Vip.aspx? In my case, below the bolded "Standardized Test" text is written "GRE General Official - 11/2016" (the date I took the test), but no scores are mentioned. Considering the lack of details concerning other elements cited in this checklist, I wouldn't expect anything else.

Hello, everyone. I've following the thread for a while (and GradCafe for months now), and although I didn't finish all of my applications, the anxiety is starting to become almost unbearable (). So I'll post in here and join you guys in this neverending waiting process. I'll introduce myself below: Background: International student from Brazil, with six years of experience working in the public sector (four years as an auditor at the federal government). Undergraduate studies: BA in International Relations, top university in Brazil. GPA: 3.21 (3.6+ in last two years). Graduate studies: MA in Public Policy and Management, top university in Brazil. GPA: 4.0, Master's dissertation approved with distinction. TOEFL: 112. GRE: 163V, 161Q, 4.5AWA (1st attempt: 157V, 157Q, 4.5AWA) SoP: I took about two months to write it (I guess I have 8 or 9 versions of it). It was reviewed by two friends, both studied at top 10 schools in US. LoRs: 3 letters from renown faculty in Brazil (1 from Undergraduate, 2 from Masters); 1 from former Minister, with whom I have worked (I thought it was necessary because I completed my Masters five years ago). Publications: 3 books (1 as an editor), 2 book chapters, 4 journal articles (under review), 1 article in a national newspaper, 3 papers in Lat Am conferences. Teaching experience: only in professional contexts (workshops and training courses for civil servants on transparency, ethics and public planning). Awards and fellowships: one national prize (best article about public planning), one year of undergraduate research fully funded by a state institution (studied modernization processes in Iraq). Other elements: 1st-gen, coming from an adverse environment. Self-taught in English. I've been leading advocacy movements promoting equality in public policies; acted as a director of civil servant's and student's unions. Member of an editorial comm of an journal about public administration. Weaknesses: 1) Writing sample was a translation from one of the book chapters I wrote, and consisted on a methodological proposal on public planning according to open government principles, reflecting on the need of democratizing State's structures after massive protests that happened in Brazil (not perfectly a pol sci article, I think); 2) none of my LoRs come from US professors; 3) Other than online professional courses, I have no prior international academic experience; 4) GRE scores are not impressive (didn't have time to try once again); 5) Perennial doubt of whether my unorthodox profile could be a possible fit to pol sci departments (where I think I could develop a more thorough research), instead of perhaps the more obvious choice of aiming for public policy PhDs (where I probably couldn't stand a chance of being admitted because of my lack of quantitative training). Interests: comparative (Br, Lat Am), with an emphasis on theories of justice and approaching corruption and inequality. Applying to: 15/16 programs (13 in US, 2/3 in UK). I'm currently finishing my research proposal for UK programs ... Thanks and good luck for us all.