Sad Politics

me checking my email and refreshing the berkeley website every 20 mns:

also me when the berkeley website doesn't load anymore on my laptop:

it's a false alarm tho, it loaded on my phone ?

GIVE ME STRENGTH THIS WEEK! ? Sending positive vibes to everyone~ ❤️
 

As we prepare to go into the first week of Feb where many of us are likely to at least get some decisions one way or another I just want to say you all are great and amazing people. Look to this scene from one of my favorite renditions of Henry V to inspire you throughout this trying week!

For there is none of you so mean and base, That hath not noble lustre in your eyes. I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips ,Straining upon the start. The game's afoot: Follow your spirit, and upon this charge Cry 'God for Admits, Funding, and Saint Thomas!' (I have edited the end here to be a bit more relevant to our current circumstances!)
   
 

Can give a few suggestions based on different streaming services  
Netflix (may be different based on location) - The Politician, The Good Place, Grace & Frankie, The Kominsky Method
Apple TV - Dickinson, The Morning Show, Ted Lasso
Disney Plus - Wandavision (it's so good) 
Also Euphoria is great (HBO) but a bit intense. 
(My weekend is mostly uni work - as is every day these days! - but I give myself a break in the evenings to watch Gilmore Girls or Wandavision & Dickinson when they come out on Fridays.) 
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE THIS WEEK!!! 

I feel like Monday will be a day when we hear back from several schools.  Feb 1 just sounds like a good time to release decisions

Just got a phone call from Texas A & M! Accepted with full funding!

In the past month alone you guys have been using the app for a total of 320.88 hours as of today ?

I just want to appreciate all of you guys! It feels great knowing there’s so many people out there feeling the same anxiety, fears and hopes that I feel.
I have learned a lot about so many of you’ll on here, and definitely gained so many valuable insights!  
I hope we all get into someplace of our choice eventually. For me- I’m waiting on a lot of decisions, and I have two waitlists (no acceptances yet, unfortunately). But knowing that I’m not alone, helps so much.
Best wishes to everyone on here.

I've seen people in other fields create a signature that keeps track of their applications. Maybe we should do that too!

Where all did y'all apply?

Hey - I'm not sure a message from a stranger even has the potential to impact how you feel but chin up! Sounds like you've still got places to hear from, and this whole process is such a lottery. From 'fit', to potential spaces, to students in your subfield and with your interests graduating, one rejection doesn't necessarily signify more to come. So cliche but I'm sure you have your strengths and that a programme will see that! Good luck for the rest of the cycle. 

Just got my official acceptance from Madison! Very excited and hoping the best for all of you!

Claiming UW Madison acceptance (theory subfield). 
I can't believe it happened lol. I'm an econ major so I thought I was disadvantaged. 
 

Yes, I interviewed on the 20th.
Also, to give the info I usually ask people for -- I received an email notif from the department chair and I'm in the IR subfield.

Also claiming an acceptance at Madison! Interviewed last week as well. I am nicely surprised and super stoked. 

I'm also claiming UW-Madison. Very relieved to get in somewhere atleast
Had an interview as well

I just checked and saw no decision either way. It seems more and more that the Princeton decisions are fake. 

Hey all, I am a current grad student, I've been active on this forum in the past, not so much this year. I just wanted to quickly jump in and say that every year there are trolls who post random schools (Princeton, Harvard, Yale, NW, Columbia). It never makes any sense and is unfortunately just something we all have to live with. 
The internet is full of bored, lonely, and mean people who have way too much time on their hands. Unfortunately, one of them picked this specific community to troll. They do it every year. 
On another note, I wish you all the best of luck during this process! It is stressful as hell, I can't imagine what its like doing this during a pandemic. You all are amazingly smart and talented. 

I just have no idea what type of person would do this. Adding gasoline to the collective bonfire of grad application anxiety. On another note, I'm totally fine with being rejected from Princeton. I just don't want my cycle to start with an L. 

As another week of decisions starts in just a few hours (and February, when a lot of decisions are released, is soon coming as well), I want to wish you all best of luck! It’s really comforting to know that I’m not alone in this process and journey and that there are so many people I can reach out to. I also want to remind you to make sure to put yourself first and do whatever you can to minimize your anxieties and stress. I know that whatever happens all of you amazing and brilliant people have great things ahead, and I really hope that we can continue to share great news on this platform!

Haha I know! I'm excited to see where you (and everyone else) gets in. The solidarity from this online community has helped to keep me (somewhat) sane during this waiting period. lol

Congratulations to those who received acceptances from UT Austin and Rice! To those wo are still waiting, I am with you... Based on previous cycles, Berkeley and Princeton decisions should be rolling out after the weekend ? 

Thank you for your kind words.  Glad I was able to find a way to make my procrastination socially responsible.  Good luck with the process!  

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. 

Claiming one too.

I'm thinking specifically about things that you do in everyday political science, but if you come from a lower ranked undergrad you might not encounter (where going to a PhD is highly uncommon) :
how to write a research paper, like how to structure it, how to write like an academic  having methods training beyond like very basic OLS or chi-squared tests  knowing what to say in the statement of purpose (ie no "I want to change the world through my research" lmao) having read political science papers before (lots of undergrads just read textbooks/an occasional monkey cage article for example) knowing where the field is, methodologically (ie "causal inference" or "identification strategy" means something to you) knowing what the current frontiers of research are in your subfield (and importantly, whether the questions you pose in your SOP are "solved")