bigmood

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad Institution: R1 Big state school
Major(s)/Minor(s): BS Political Science, minor in Economics 
Undergrad GPA: 3.2
Type of Grad: n/a
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: V162/Q168/AWA4.5
Any Special Courses: computer science and advanced math coursework, advanced research methods 
Letters of Recommendation: one professor who's my research adviser, professor who's the head my my undergraduate thesis program, professor who taught my methods class 
Research Experience: independent undergraduate research and a senior thesis, department award for top undergrad research paper
Teaching Experience: n/a
Subfield/Research Interests: American, political methodology
Other: Started school as a computer science major so my math and coding skills are above average 

RESULTS:
Acceptances($$ or no $$): Princeton $$, TAMU $$, Emory $$, URochester $$, WUSTL $$, NYU $$
Waitlists:
Rejections: Harvard, Stanford, UCSD, UNC- Chapel Hill
Pending: 
Going to:
 
LESSONS LEARNED:
1. Fit and research matters more than your numbers 
2. Talk to as many faculty members as you can about where you're thinking of applying, what their experiences were like (esp. if they went to a program you're interested in)
3. Apply to schools even if you question if you have a shot; PhD admissions are unpredictable and mildly arbitrary sometimes 

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad Institution: R1 Big state school
Major(s)/Minor(s): BS Political Science, minor in Economics 
Undergrad GPA: 3.2
Type of Grad: n/a
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: V162/Q168/AWA4.5
Any Special Courses: computer science and advanced math coursework, advanced research methods 
Letters of Recommendation: one professor who's my research adviser, professor who's the head my my undergraduate thesis program, professor who taught my methods class 
Research Experience: independent undergraduate research and a senior thesis, department award for top undergrad research paper
Teaching Experience: n/a
Subfield/Research Interests: American, political methodology
Other: Started school as a computer science major so my math and coding skills are above average 

RESULTS:
Acceptances($$ or no $$): Princeton $$, TAMU $$, Emory $$, URochester $$, WUSTL $$, NYU $$
Waitlists:
Rejections: Harvard, Stanford, UCSD, UNC- Chapel Hill
Pending: 
Going to:
 
LESSONS LEARNED:
1. Fit and research matters more than your numbers 
2. Talk to as many faculty members as you can about where you're thinking of applying, what their experiences were like (esp. if they went to a program you're interested in)
3. Apply to schools even if you question if you have a shot; PhD admissions are unpredictable and mildly arbitrary sometimes 

I got into MIT. They said that over 350 people applied with a less than 9% acceptance rate. Sorry to everyone who got rejected from them. You all are amazing applicants; I think I just happened to both get very lucky and to be well aligned with the faculty's research interests. 

It is my birthday today, and while I am not asking for acceptances, I am asking for no rejections, at minimum. 

Anyone hear anything from UNC? I’m just antsy to get some sort of answer at this point. Considering they had an earlier deadline than a lot of my other programs, I’m a little bummed to have not heard anything by now. 

Also rejected by Stanford, but I feel the same way. The Bay Area is ridiculously expensive, far from home, and filled with wannabe Elon Musks. Congratulations to everyone who was accepted! Solidarity with those who were not. Stanford is missing out on some excellent candidates this year for sure!

I got admitted to a top 5 school with a <3.4 GPA, but I had good research experience, pretty solid LoRs, and a good fit with faculty in the department. I think things like GPA and GRE are less important than people think they are sometimes. 

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. Sub 3.5 GPA and so far I have acceptances from two top 20 and two 20-25 schools. I think research fit makes such a difference when departments are reviewing applications. 

It might be a bummer to tell you this at this point, but my college GPA is below 3.5 and I got admission from a top 20 school. I think the research fit was the most important thing in my case

I can't think of 23 schools I would want to go to. However, my desire to get in somewhere far outweighs any reservations about going to a school I'm not familiar with, lol. 

Claiming another acceptance for Princeton! 

Claiming another acceptance for Princeton! 

Claiming another acceptance for Princeton!