Hi everyone.
I've been looking around this forum for awhile as I've been researching Ph.D. programs in political science, and I have a few questions regarding admissions. First, let me give you some background information on myself. I attend a decently ranked regional liberal arts college in the Northeast, and I have a 3.8 GPA. I'm majoring in history (3.93 GPA) and minoring in political science (4.0 GPA). I have not taken the GREs yet. I have, however, taken a practice test without studying to see where I need the most improvement, scoring a 152 V / 153 Q. I understand these scores are not great as I am not a strong standardized test taker. After a few months of preparation, I hope to score between 157 and 160 on both sections. I have zero publication experience and minimal research experience. I've presented research at two regional conferences and recently applied to present poli sci research at a third this November. Also, I've written a 40-page thesis paper (although it was a history paper). As for work experience, I've interned for political nonprofits and legislative offices and done archival work. I've heard that work experience doesn't matter much to admissions committees, though. I plan to apply to programs with exceptionally strong political behavior programs this fall. That being said, I have a few questions.
1. I'm worried about my GRE scores. Even though I haven't taken the official test yet, I can't see my score being above 315/320. I know various admissions websites claimed to look at the application as a whole, but I'm nervous that my application will be immediately scrapped. How influential are GRE scores in the overall decision?
2. What are some strong political behavior programs? As of right now, my list of schools include Duke, Columbia, UC San Diego, OSU, UC Davis, Minnesota, Northwestern, UVA, UFL, and UC Irvine.
3. While my current undergraduate institution is a decently ranked regional liberal arts college, I'm worried that it won't be prestigious enough to get into any of the schools listed above. Is this justified?
4. Because I go to a liberal arts college, it's difficult to find open research assistant positions. Is my minimal research and publication experience a large issue?
5. Like I said, I've heard that work experience doesn't count for much when applying to Ph.D. programs. Is this assumption correct?
If my GRE scores exceed my expectations, I think I could be considered a strong candidate. Regardless, I would appreciate any advice. Thanks!