Theory007

Have you thought about OSU and UCSD? I think you can do formal theory both of those places.

I applied to 6 carefully selected programs last year.

The truth is, I think, that you can study critical theory in almost any department that has scholars who focus on race and gender stuff. And almost every department has folks who do. I agree that a place like Berkeley would be ideal, but of course everyone in your position is applying to Berkeley for that reason. So I'd encourage you to apply broadly instead. Also, in case you are not aware of this, phd applications in the US are incredibly competitive. So even if you are a good fit with Berkeley and very smart, etc., it is very hard getting in.

You are right and I am wrong. I was almost sure, but must have confused it with something else. So it looks like Duke is indeed going forward with applications this year. Sorry for the confusion.

Also, Duke is not accepting new applications this year.

Does this mean that you are applying to MA programs in addition to the phd programs. Yes you are right that many programs weigh the verbal GRE less for international students, but I don't know how much is an acceptable score for internationals. It strikes me as a bit low but maybe others will disagree? Yes I would retake the GRE if you could improve on the verbal section, but maybe it's too late for this application round. I don't know if you'll be better off not sending GRE scores at all.

You have the kind of profile that does not necessarily exclude you from any of the schools you are considering. But very many of the students you'll be competing against might have a stronger profile than yours. So whether or not you get in depends on, I think, if you can demonstrate outstanding potential to succeed in the program and beyond in other ways. You should basically try to ensure that you have a great SoP and writing sample. One concern is your low Verbal GRE score - that will be a red flag to any adcom. I'd probably apply to at least two less prominent programs that are easier to get into. Look in the lower top-50.

Welcome everyone to the 2020-2021 application thread for political science! Discuss the application process, ask questions, post results when they come out, and anything else related to admissions this year. Good luck to you all!

Hello Erica. There are exceptions of course, but as far as I can tell you have a very little chance of being admitted to phd programs given what you have said about your profile. Both your GPA and your GRE will be in the (about) lowest 10% of applicants while less selective programs accept something like the highest 10% of applicants. But if you could get a near perfect score on the GRE you might actually have a chance. Keep in mind that almost all programs require an at least 3.0 to be even considered, but most admitted students have an at least 3.7 GPA or even higher. This is your route to a phd program: 1. Find an MA program that would accept you. So will, but they will likely be outside the top-30. 2. Get a 4.0 there, impress your professors + get killer recommendations, have a paper out for publication, get a GRE in the 320+ neighborhood. 3. Then apply and get accepted to a phd program. If you are interested in an MA program alone then the process will end a point 1. I know it is a bit harsh and I am sorry for that, but this is an honest answer at least. Grad school is tough and hard to get into, and as far as I can tell you need to improve on several (if not all) aspects of your application. And finally, yes you absolutely have to improve your GRE score!

I dont think it matters for the success of your applications that you reach out to professors beforehand. And yes it is too late either way - it will (I think) seem a bit insincere that you reach out last minute at least for the December applications.

I think the best think you can do is to apply widely in the top 50-75. Worst case you'll get into a lower ranked program and then you can use the two years of coursework as prep for the kind of phd program you want to go to.

Yes, theory programs (except a few places) consider only the verbal score so I would go ahead and submit it if I was you.

Have you ever made a positive contribution to this forum or has it always been like this?

Totally agree with Smug here. You have a good profile and would be competitive for a top program - even with the lowerish quant score

I'd add UCSD to that list, and agree with everything else said above.

I'll just add that I remember you had another offer at another really competitive program, which confirms to me that you must be one of those very rare outliers who had comparably (to most) weak GRE scores while there must have been something in your application that made you amazing basically.

I will say this; if you are applying with a degree from a select few foreign top-universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, SNU, and a few others I will encourage you not to submit your scores. Schools like LSE and SNU place a very high number of students in US phd programs and US adcoms will know what to look for when they receive applications from students with that background. That means that even without a GRE score adcomes will know what a competitive student looks like from those programs. If one the other hand you are applying from an unknown non-US university, and this seems to describe your situation, I agree with your advisor; you will need to submit GRE scores. Your verbal score is clearly extremely competitive and should catch the attention from virtually anyone who sees it. Your quantitative score is the exact opposite and will almost certainly disqualify you from many programs in the US top-50. But I should say that I do know of at least one person who has gotten into a good phd program (in the top 25) who had a quant score in the mid 150s and a verbal score in the high 160s. Every other aspect of that person's application was perfect. I am sorry to say this, but the program at Yale (and any other school in the top-10) simply will almost certainly not take a student with a quantitative score of 147. Of course I cannot completely rule it out, but I would say that it is close to impossible. Maybe if you had several publications in internationally recognized journals at this point you would have a chance. This is not to discourage you, but to encourage you to apply to programs that are more suitable for your profile. Maybe you are already planning on this, but I would apply broadly if I was you in the top-50. I still think you need to submit your GRE scores even to lower ranked universities A better alternative would be this; wait a year, brush up on your math, and do decently well on the GRE quant. It is tough but you can do it. And spending time on learning basic math is actually a really good use of your time and will benefit you even as a theorist going forward. If you get a quantitative score around 160 (or even mid-150s) I think your GRE scores would in fact make you competitive for top 10 programs and Yale would no longer be out of reach. Again I say these things to encourage you such that you do not have to go through a failed application round.

Can you say more about how you are bullied? If you are (which I do not doubt) there are important ways in which you must proceed. It really matters how you move forward. Also note that this forum is public so maybe you would like to hide your identity if you have not already. Or you can send me a personal message and I promise to give you advise.

My advise is not to engage with this guy, he's a troll. He shows up once in a while just to be rude and upset people. It's just not worth it.

I did say "But no one knows how much the GRE weighed to begin with" and all I am saying is that it will weigh even less this time.

It sounds like you know more about this than myself. You are probably right that the take-at-home test is made a safe from cheating as possible, but I don't think that challenges the idea that people could still cheat easily if they wanted to. You took the test; do you believe that it would have been impossible to cheat on it? And if it is not signaled anywhere on the test that it was taken at home, I simply can not think that the GRE will play a major role in admissions at least in the United States, which means a hard admission cycle for students without US degrees and outside the US. But no one knows how much the GRE weighed to begin with. I do not know how familiar you are with the American university system or if you are interested in studying in the United States, but admission to top-phd programs in the US is incredibly prestigious and comes with a host of advantages that are reserved for a very small group of people. And adcomes will not extend these privileges by taking serious account of a test that anyone can cheat on. Another way to put it is like this; maybe a low GRE score will still lead to a rejection from a program and programs may still accept people only above a certain GRE-threshold. But the number of applicants above the threshold will likely be higher this year because it is easy to cheat, and this means that stuff like the writing sample, the SOP, and letters will matter more this time around because adcoms need to distinguish between more applicants in a larger pool. This effectively downplays the weight the GRE score can carry compared to previous years. So even though I clearly cannot tell what individual programs will do next cycle, I am saying that the GRE will be less important/not important at all since it cannot be any other way. That's all I have to say on the topic but I'd like to hear more about this if anyone has insider information

I am simply observing that very many programs do not require the GRE score for the next admission cycle, and probably many other programs will follow in the coming months. The test really is useless now; anyone who is willing to cheat can cheat with ease. Cheating is as impossible as anything can be at a real testing center. When you take the GRE at a center your finger prints are taken, you need to bring official identification with you, you cannot leave the building, you are monitored by cameras at all time, when you take a break between sections you will be examined with a metal detector in order to spot fraudulent equipment, etc. Given this, I find it hard to believe that there will be nothing that indicates on the test if it was taken at home. There must be a way to distinguish the two tests since they are very different indeed. Say you are right that the reports for the two tests are identical (which I still doubt) then I expect that any major program will make the GRE score optional as many have done already. There is simply too much at stake for programs to admit students on the basis of tests where a large proportion of them will or may be fraudulent. That's my take, but I'm interested in hearing what others think about this.

Hi NewFrequency. One thing I'd say is that most universities have a 2.0 or 3.0 GPA institutional requirement for incoming grad students' undergraduate degrees. If you fall a little below 3.0 you may, unfortunately, be excluded from a lot of programs on that basis alone. Your background a very unusual with really outstanding GRE scores and a very low GPA for a graduate program. If you spent two years on pre-med, I take it that you have only done coursework in the social sciences through your junior and senior year. And you have two Cs in political science courses. Students are not required to major in political science in order to be competitive for political science graduate programs, but usually background in the social sciences or strongly mathematical subjects is an advantage. I will say however, that the following speaks against you as an applicant; 1. low GPA, 2. non-extensive background in the social sciences, and 3. those Cs in political science courses. And of course, your extraordinary GRE scores speak in your favor. Overall I would say that you most likely should look for programs in the top 35-50. It would not surprise me if you got admitted to a program in the top 20-30 range, but it would surprise me if you got into a top-10 program. I would still apply to 2-3 top programs just so I had no regrets but I probably would not count on getting admission to these. Note also that next admission cycle will be particularly competitive due to all this covid-business. I should also say that if you took your GRE test this year then it is virtually useless since it's not taken at a test center. If you took it from home I think, unfortunately, that the test counts for nothing and I do not think that adcoms will even consider it. Many programs do not require the GRE for the upcoming cycle. If you took the GRE at a test center, then this is to your advantage since you will stand out for that reason while the test of many other applicants will not be considered. I hope I have not discouraged you. You have a shot at very many great programs in the ranges I mentioned above. In my view a top-10 program is outside of what you might expect, but fortunately you can get really excellent training in programs in the top 20-35 and that is the range I think you should aim for.

One question; did you take the GREs this year? Unfortunately the GRE from this year is kinda useless if you took it this year and many programs will not require the test for their applicants for the 2021 cycle. If you got that score at a test center you are golden since adcoms will actually consider your score, which they wont do for many other applicants.

You're competitive for any program anywhere. If you make a great SOP and have an awesome writing sample there is no reason why you wouldn't get into a top-10 program. I'd not apply outside the top-15 if I was you, so your list is great.