Sad Politics

In my (limited) experience, if you share research interests, it is nice to ask them about their current projects. You may end up working for them, so it is nice to get a sense of what they are doing.

From your profile, I can tell that you are definitely a talented person, so I have no doubt that with adequate preparation you have everything you need to succeed. I see two areas where your application could be improved. The first is the GRE, it would be nice if you improve your scores a bit, especially in the quant section. Your scores were good, so it should not be hard for you to bring them up if you devote more time to studying. Second, it may have been a problem that 2/3 LORs were not from poli sci professors. Perhaps you should consider getting another letter from someone at LSE so that you have 2/3 letters from poli sci/IR professors. Apart from that, it is always useful to review your materials (SOP and sample). Ask your poli sci LORs to read your materials and give you feedback. I wish you good luck in your future applications.

PROFILEType of Undergrad Institution: International universityMajor(s)/Minor(s): EconomicsUndergrad GPA: 3.7 Type of Grad: European universityGrad GPA: 4.00GRE: 168 Q, 165 V, 5.5 AWAny Special Courses: Lots of statistics and econometrics courses. Teaching Experience: Worked as a TA for two courses last year. RESULTS (PHD)Acceptances (all $$): NYU, Duke, Yale, Rochester Waitlists: UChicago, WUSTL Rejections: Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, UCSD, Cornell, Georgetown, Michigan Going to: Still don't know LESSONS LEARNED 1. Take the GRE if you want to do quantitative research. Getting a good quant score will be good for your chances, and it is still a requirement for some good quant-oriented programs (e.g. Rochester). 2. Fit matters. I applied to some places where my fit was very bad, and they all rejected me. Interestingly, fit was a far better predictor of where I got acceptances than ranking. 3. Work on your SOP early. It is much more time-consuming than it seems. I left it for the last moment and it was very stressful. Also, ask your POIs and any academically-oriented friends you have to read it. The input from these people can be extremely valuable. 4. If you are still an undergrad, also consider getting an M.A. before applying. 5. I did not contact any POIs before applying, so I think it makes little difference overall. If you have a good reason to contact them, it may be useful, but I would advise against contacting POIs just because you feel pressured to. Always happy to connect with future applicants.

Probably. I expect to hear back in late February/early March.

I think that you have a strong profile. Getting a good GRE score would be very good for your chances. Even though the GRE may be optional for some programs, good scores would allow you to apply anywhere. Some places (e.g. NYU) still require the GRE. Apart from that, focus on writing a very good SOP and having a good writing sample. Ask your LORs and any academically inclined friends you have to read your file. Regarding where to apply, ask your POIs and check the kind of research done by the department to see if there is a fit with your interests. Rankings matter (it is obviously very hard to get into Stanford) but your fit with the department is also very important. In my experience this year, fit has been a far better predictor of where I get admitted than the ranking of the school. Start preparing your file early and you will have great chances. I wish you good luck in your applications next year.

Also waitlisted by Chicago. Congratulations to those admitted!

Claiming a Duke admit in Political Economy.

Claiming an NYU admit in Political Economy!

Claiming a Rochester admit in CP/Methods! This is my first admit of the season.

I was interviewed a couple of weeks ago and have not heard back since then.

Also rejected from UCSD. I was not a good fit so I cannot say I am surprised, but it is still sad to start the process like this. Congratulations for those who were accepted!

Yale, Princeton, Duke, NYU, Chicago, Rochester, Georgetown, Cornell, UCSD, WUSTL. All pending ?

I also had a Duke interview and I felt the same way. I would add that I am not sure if all fields are doing interviews.

Keep in mind that the acceptance rate also went down because of the high number of (presumably) marginal applications from students who are not ready to start a Ph.D. This year will be hard, but at this point, we should stay optimistic and wait.

Take my opinion with a grain of salt because I am also an applicant, but I think what you did makes sense. Presenting letters from professors is the safest option, and many programs explicitly ask for letters from your professors, so I think you will be fine. Regarding Duke, it sounds like the letter from your workplace will also be very good because they do research there.