in praxis

This is encouraging news--thanks so much! My grades, then--which are not low but neither are they impressive for a PhD applicant--shouldn't deter me from applying to some elite programs? UCSC looks great for my interests, and I'd actually been doing some research on their Politics Department recently. I'll check out the other places you mentioned (I'd written off Brown, UCLA and Berkeley on account of my relatively mediocre grades). This program looks super interesting, thanks for recommending it!

Hey all, I'm a would-be transplant from philosophy to political science (looking to do theory and IR). I'm starting to get a list of schools together for next cycle and was hoping some of you kind souls could point me in the right direction--not merely for my interests (which I will mention below), but also in light of my undergrad performance. I'll try to keep this brief. CGPA: 3.71 PHIL GPA: 3.84 GRE: not yet applicable (haven't taken it) Awards: highest grade on junior and senior theses (both topics in political theory); departmental award; departmental scholarship; campus-wide scholarships. no academic publications, no conferences. Relevant (?) experience and non-academic publications: (i) currently a journalist in the most highly covered conflict zone in the world (I don't want to say where, but I'm sure it's obvious); (ii) volunteered in a UN refugee camp for two months; (iii) interned for a city council campaign, conducting political research; (iv) interned for a non-profit law firm, conducting research and contributing to a report that has been delivered directly to the state legislature and governor's office; (v) research assistant to a philosophy professor. (Not sure any of these will mean shit to ad coms.) AOIs: broadly, social and political theory (mostly anti-capitalist, -imperialist and -racist thought) and political conflict (primarily conflicts per se, but also their potential resolutions). EDIT: Right now, I'm considering programs like Northwestern (no surprise), Minnesota, and Johns Hopkins. Do I prima facie have a chance at any of these places? What sorts of programs am I competitive at (that would be good for my interests), given my profile?

Thanks for this!

Has anyone who applied only to UofT's MA heard back from them?

Where did you do your MA, if you don't mind me asking? And was it funded?

So happy for you!

What thinkers are you referring to when you say "the Post-Modernists"?

This is a lovely response, and now it seems that I am the mistaken one. My philosophy department was filled with (analytic) social and political theorists, but perhaps that was a provincial view of the discipline. On another note, I'm also thinking about transitioning to political science for graduate study--would you mind if a PM'd you?

Could you back up your claim? Better not to spread misinformation, and this seems to be badly mistaken. (I graduated with a BA in philosophy and my main AOI is political phil.)

PhD, I presume?

Thanks for the candid response, JGradSchool! I figured my chances at Oxford are slim, but it's reassuring to hear that it's at least worth applying to the program. Do you have any insight into whether Oxford considers overall GPA at the expense of one's academic trajectory over their four years? I had a lousy freshman year, and if those grades didn't count I would have a ~3.91GPA. To be sure, I don't expect that my freshman grades will be discounted. But I would hope that admissions folks might look kindly upon the fact that I've done quite well in my last three years of undergrad. My greatest hope would be that the application reviewers might put more faith in my academic ability than they would into a student whose grades have remained consistently at 3.7 throughout their time in undergrad.

Hi all, I'd appreciate some insight into my chances for Oxford's MPhil in Politics (Political Theory) and LSE's MSc in Political Theory. Undergrad Institution: a top 65 liberal arts school according to US News (i.e., a middle of the road school)Major(s): PhilosophyMinor(s): N/AGPA in Major: 3.84Overall GPA: 3.71Position in Class: Near the top, I'm assuming--but no data availableType of Student: Domestic non-under represented minority, male Research Experience: - An 18,000 word senior thesis - A 10,000 word junior thesis - Conducted research with a non-profit on housing policy in state X. Co-authored a report that will be published and read by state X legislators in the next state X legislative session - Research assistant for my school's department of philosophy; contributed to work that will be housed at the University of Texas at Austin--but I probably will not have a by-line Awards/Honors/Recognitions: - Awarded highest grade on senior thesis - Awarded highest grade on junior thesis - Awarded a departmental prize for showing outstanding promise as a philosopher--one of two recipients - Awarded a scholarship particular to one upperclassmen philosophy major on the basis of academic excellence and demonstrated financial need - Dean's Scholarship all four years - Dean's List all years except freshman year (first two semesters) Pertinent Activities or Jobs: - TA x2--not in philosophy or political science, unfortunately - Founding member of two student-led social justice organizations - Senior Intern for the Office of Admissions; interviewed prospective students and wrote reports assessing their worthiness for admittance Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: - Invited to speak on a student and faculty panel for the college's Board of Trustees - Gave a speech to hundreds of incoming first-years in a summer orientation session - Organized and co-led an on-campus event on consensual sexual and romantic relationships