not@prof_yet

I mean I think the first thing you have to ask yourself is why do you want a PhD in political science? Are you familiar with political science research? Can you articulate a research question and position it in the existing literature? If not, then how can you say with certainty that this is what you want?

It means that political parties aren't taken as given (i.e. they are not exogenous), but rather they are determined by the strategic interaction of parliamentarians. So, one example you could think of is the following question: What impact does party size on MP voting behavior (i.e. does party size impact whether MPs vote with the party)? The endogenous part means that party size (i.e. MP party identification) may be determined by how much freedom the party gives to MPs. So, perhaps MPs prefer joining parties that give them voting freedom, leading to large, but weak parties and small, strong parties. This is just illustrative of course.

Did you go to MAPSS?

I know I asked earlier about the CIR program (and have received generally positive reviews for it). Does anyone have any opinions about the MACRM program at Chicago Harris? The program is longer (1.5 v 1 year) and requires a heavy dose of PhD coursework, has a research apprenticeship, and has smaller cohorts. So it seems more appealing (especially since I have an interest in political economy), but I only have a partial scholarship (compared to a full tuition scholarship to CIR). Any thoughts? Thank you! All of your advice has been so helpful!

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad Institution: Top 40-60 undergrad; big state school with a top 20 PhD polisci program Major(s)/Minor(s): Political Science, Economics, Mathematics Undergrad GPA: 3.785 Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: 161Q/159V/4.5W Any Special Courses: Undergrad econometrics sequence; math stats sequence; linear algebra, real analysis and other upper division math; two PhD seminars; PhD econ classes Letters of Recommendation: PoliSci Prof I've been an RA for 2+ years; Polisci prof I took a PhD seminar with; Econ prof I took a research seminar with Research Experience: Research assistant for 3 different profs in Polisci; seminar papers; co-authored conference paper with a prof; two conference presentations for my own papers Teaching Experience: tutor in econ for 2 years Subfield/Research Interests: Comparative; political economy; authoritarian regimes; populism Other: I've been working in the private sector in a non academic position for a couple years RESULTS: Acceptances($$ or no $$): Chicago CIR (full tuition), Chicago Harris MACRM (partial tuition) Waitlists: None Rejections: UM, Princeton, Yale, NYU, Columbia, Northwestern, Chicago Pending: None Going to: Not sure yet, one of the two masters programs (feel free to give advice on that choice); would prefer MACRM LESSONS LEARNED: It was really disappointing to not get into any PhD program and I've been trying understand why (that's not to say I'm not excited about getting into some amazing masters programs ad am not confident I can succeed in two years). I think my GRE was a little low, especially considering my math major, and I wish I had taken that more seriously. So, my advice is to keep slogging through practice problems even if its boring. My GPA was on the lower side (don't catch senioritis). Ultimately, I think I needed more independent research experience (I should have written a thesis). I may have perhaps shot a little too high and didn't apply to enough schools. I also wonder whether I should have had LORs from all polisci profs. I also think I could have made my SOP better with a couple more drafts and some more focus (I have two fairly different research interests). SOP: About 1300 words (so longer than the usual 1000 word limit). I started with why I wanted to get a PhD followed by research interest #1 and #2 (each with specific questions I wanted to answer and methods I wanted to use and a brief mention of who I would work with).

The ultimate goal is PhD. That's a good idea, I'll ask each about there placement record.

Sorry, I feel like I've been bombarding this thread with questions. But, does anyone have any comments for comparing MACRM at the Harris School (Chicago public policy) and CIR?

I imagine they would if you have little to no research experience, subpar letters of recommendation, a poor writing sample and statement of purpose, or an uninformed research agenda.

Wow looks like it really worked out for you! That's giving me some confidence and hope. How did most students fund their MA and pay for living costs? Are there fellowships available to apply for? I know I saw that RA and other work study programs are available but they only offer limited hours. If I end up attending, my intention is to only take PhD level coursework (outside of the, I think, 2 required core courses). Would you say you took 1 methods (formal theory, game theory, quant methods) per quarter and 2 seminars? Or sometimes 2 methods in a quarter? I'm trying to gauge how important the methods advice is (ie I should take at least 3 PhD methods courses or take up to 4 or 5 if possible). Do you recommend or do you know anyone that has taken courses in the econ PhD department? Specifically, I would mind taking the econometrics sequence and maybe the macroeconomics sequence (bc I have a bad grade from undergrad when I took PhD macro). Edit: I would love (as we all would) not to take out any loans. Right now I'm contemplating the prospect of taking 20-30k in loans (for living expenses) for the year and considering whether this program is worth it.

Do most people wait until the following fall to apply to PhD programs after completion of the masters? If so (which I assume), what do people do during that off year? Do people stay in Chicago, stay affiliated with the university, perhaps even work as research assistants?

How much can this advice be applied to CIR? Are they at about the same rigor? Are there any pros or cons related to CIR compared to MAPSS?

What is the general opinion of political science masters programs for admissions? Are they looked down upon? Do they credibly signal improvement? Are there any programs you regard higher than others? I didn't get into any PhD programs this time around, but did get into Chicago's CIR program with full tuition. Is this something worth doing? What do you think are the best alternatives to improve your application? I know this is a lot of questions, so pick and choose at your pleasure! Thanks!

Yep just got my rejection (0 for 6, one more to go)

Yeah full tuition scholarship. I received an email with a rejection from UChicago.

Rejected from Chicago (0a,0w,5r,2p), but got a full ride to CIR, so that's exciting!