unknow

People probably aren't responding bc it's August. Was admitted to UCLA this year with a middling funding package. Had a higher GRE than you in every section, lower GPA in every way, and less research experience. Also didn't have a senior thesis. I know of people who were admitted with far worse funding packages, so I'm guessing that your numbers and experience are more than good enough to give you a shot. Also, if looking at backup MAs check Chicago. They have several options geared towards building up your academic resume as I recall (don't recall too well) from my own research into this. Finally, of your 4, my understanding is that Stanford is a tier above. Excuse my bad grammar -- this is a brain vomit -- I just stumbled here. That's all I've got for what it's worth. Don't want to wade out of my depth.

@lordtiandaoNo, I went through that same process. I was told via email though that when housing contacts you in May/early July please give them your preference on the type of housing that you want. I don't know why the StarRezPortal also required me to fill out a preference list for types of housing too then? Very confusing, but I'm just doing as I'm told one step at a time.

@eeveeNo idea. I was told by an admin that they'd talk to us next in April/May, but she also told me that they wouldn't need me to list apartment preferences until after April 15th. So grain of salt. I'm hoping I can still make changes after April 15th because I'm still not 100% on just what my disposable income will be.

I wish this site would add a delete button, so that I could ask people's honest opinion without it being on the record for the next 25 years. Deciding is killing me inside, and I could use some specific input without fear.

I got accepted to CIR and considered but didn't finish applying to Elliot. The Elliot school just didn't appeal to me as much because I wanted to be an academic. Seems more of a personal question about what you want.

@TakeruK learn something new everyday

<<Would like to delete; cannot delete -- putting this here instead>>

@lordtiandaoI'd said that I'd prefer south because they're cheaper, and I can only get so much for selling platelets every month. However, I wouldn't be surprised to end up in north. Since I can still rearrange my preferences, I might do that between now and April 15. If you're looking for a potential roomie after April 15 in South feel free to hit me up here.

Hi all, Currently, I have an offer from a very good state school to attend their IR program. I also have some offers from more established (and higher ranked) IR programs for far less money. I was wondering what the general consensus is on this? I know the poli sci program itself ranks very high, but I also know that the strengths of the program are comparative and US government. How worried should I be about getting a job after graduate if the IR program there is fairly new? (But again, the overall school has a good, solid top-20 name overall) I'd appreciate any input.

Hi all, I was wondering if anybody had already begun looking for an apartment in LA (specifically near UCLA)? I'm trying to find an option in the $1000-1350 price range and man is it hard. I was hoping somebody might have a suggestion. Thanks.

Studying Political Science. 75% sure on UCLA, but the admittedly large nominal fellowship I got doesn't go as far in LA. If I am there, I'll be in the subsidized grad housing!

I went to college in Texas (grew up in Atlanta), and my parents both went to Columbia College, so I know something about generic prestige (nothing specific to engineering). 2 things - (1) UT Austin has a fantastic reputation. They have a top 8% rule in Texas for undergraduate admissions, and people outside of Texas (recently spoke to a Columbia grad) know it. I believe it’s the 5th best undergrad public university in the country. (2) UT Austin’s engineering program at the grad level also has some prestige to lay people. People know that the oil industry is there. The former head of Saudi Aramco went to A&M because of this. Texas schools have excellent reputations in chemical engineering because of this. Cornell has an excellent reputation as an Ivy, but I wouldn’t sell UT’s reputation short. Side note - Once you live in Austin you will never want to leave. I used to drive there in undergrad during weekends. (I did not attend UT.)

Hi all, So I have been accepted into several programs for a doctorate in political science. Many of these are solidly top 20/25 schools with excellent financial packages. However, I was also accepted into a top 10 school with a less generous financial package. Attending there would either require $50,000 in student debt. Has anybody been in this position before and is the difference between a top 20 and a top 10 school really worth the difference? I am shooting to become an assistant professor out of grad school. I'd appreciate any input from anybody who has had to make this decision before. On a side note, one of the top 20/25 schools was Emory, so I think it has more name value/prestige than a typical top 20 school in hiring (in the last year with data they placed their 2 grads at Cornell and U of Minnesota) because it is a private university with a strong undergrad program that is very well regarded regionally. Please factor this in.

0 (precondition): Is the stipend livable? (no loans) 1. ranking 2. stipend (amount) 3. TA/not TA 4. Cost of Living 5. Do I want to live there? (ie -- LA [culture] over Atlanta [much less]) 6. Friends / Support System (where are my family and friends right now) Right now, I have a school that wins on 0 and 2-6 that is a solid top 20 vs a school that wins on #1 that is a solid top 10. I'm leaning towards the top 20. Loans are hard to pay off on a professor's salary.

Thank you both for replying. It gave me a much better understanding of what I'm getting into. I think the sheer costs will probably force me to the east coast, but at least I have that option.

Hi all, im trying to decide between UCLA (doctorate) and an equivalent east coast program. I’d prefer UCLA, but they only offered me a c. $20,000 per year stipend, and the east coast school was far more generous. I don’t have any outside money, so my question was : can you afford to live in LA on $20,000? And if the answer is yes, how many roommates does this require? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi all, This is my first post. I applied to 12 PhD programs this year which is alot. Of these, 5 are what I'd call "tier 1" where they all have pluses and minuses, and I was just going to wait and see and then go visit if I got in to any of them. Of this tier, I got one acceptance pretty early in mid-january, got rejected by a 2nd 2 days ago, and have been waiting on the other 3. Of the 3 remaining, 2 have had bunches (3-5ish) of people post their acceptance results on this website on essentially the same day. If I did not get an acceptance at those 2 schools by now should I therefore assume that I have been rejected? I have checked their websites, but they say nothing. That said, I know acceptances are typically sent out first. I need to know because I need to begin to make moving/living/housing plans as soon as humanly possible, and I'd rather not be waiting another 2-4 months for rejection emails. I would appreciate any insight that anybody could provide. Best Wishes.

I have also had this conundrum. Ultimately, in your case it depends on what you mean by "OK." I'd look at the past placements of the program. Also, if "OK" refers to top 25 but not top 5 then always default to a top 25 school (although rankings vary the placements should give you a feel for this). Also, a key factor to look at is what you think is lacking in your application now that would be brought up by your MA. In your case your app looks balanced GRE-to-GPA, so I'm assuming it's research. If that's the case then there are easier (and cheaper) ways to get research experience then going for an MA. I'd start networking if thats the issue here. Finally, do not forget to look at where programs grads end up at down the road -- ie -- their second job in academia. That also speaks to what you can do with the degree.