kestrel18

Hello, guys! Those admitted to Michigan State University, huge congrats! Feel free to message me questions about the program. :) Current MSU Ph.D. student

NY admits 20-25 students every year. They demonstrate an outstanding placement (who is better, actually?) record across various subfields, not only in formal methods/stats. For instance, their Comparative placement is also rock-solid. NY does not appear to be a boutique program. At the same time, say WUSTL (an outstanding program, accepts much fewer people. Like NY, it is also heavy-quant oriented). However, WUSTL is quite-significantly higher in the ranking.

It seems there is some politics involved in this ranking: in my humble opinion, research output and the placement record are to be considered first and foremost. New York's Political Science Department placed 15th? Rochester is at 19th?...well, compare how many New York and Rochester alumni were hired as faculty by elite schools with some other higher-ranked programs.

Guys, really, do not be afraid of Quant stuff. - It is challenging, right. At times, Quant classes even resemble a survival game. But they teach you a specific way of thinking and highly beneficial skills.

Hello, First and foremost, congrats on being admitted into such great schools! I'd say the crucial thing to consider while choosing is the placement (recent!) record. In this sense, Maryland seems to be more successful. The attrition rate is the second essential factor: some (great!) schools admit, say, 10 persons, and only 3-4 out of them graduate. - It speaks a lot about the Department's culture and the overall well-being of the students. And about your odds of succeeding, of course. Third, the cohorts' size is vitally-important too: it is easy to get lost among hundreds of colleagues. Furthermore, in overcrowded departments, students struggle for face-time with their advisors. Fourth, the average graduation timing is very telling too. Fifth, funding opportunities for the summer workshops (like ICPSR) are another factor to consider. Hope it helps.

Meanwhile, your problem of choice is, in fact, a beautiful thing Enjoy the moment!

After reading the previous discussion, guys, here my 5 cents: Academia is not about money. No. It is about love-love to science, to the breathtaking feeling of discoveries and understanding that one is developing, doing something noble. It is about a fit between an inner (often innate) avid desire to learn and accumulating something that will always be with you. It is about a permanent journey and the spirit of the eternal youth. I'm not preaching, do not get me wrong: While having challenging stats classes, I'm asking myself quite often: " should I have swapped my highly paid job and quite relaxed way of life for the sleepless nights of a Ph.D. program?..." - But, when "that" paper is finally done, the semester is over, and I'm drinking a cup of coffee with a few sips of cognac, I feel fabulous. I feel I was right when I made a decision. And I understand that otherwise, I would be self-flagellating until the rest of the life if I did not try the taste of Academia. Academia is tough, transformative, and quite often painful, but the majority of you, I believe, will love it too. And yes, money...- In short: Be a good scholar, and you will have a well-paid job.

Guys, those of you who were accepted to MSU, congrats! Our DGS told us there was an absolutely insane competition this year, and you made it! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the program -current MSU Ph.D. student

I recalled tremendous nervousness at this point one year ago: I was hectically checking my mailbox every 5...well, at times every two minutes. It was really, really torturous... So, hang in, guys!- I'm sure, next year, in hindsight, the majority of you will be remembering these days with a smile while learning the bedrocks of theory building and examining linear regressions

The whole admission process depends on many variables: the structure and size of the Admission Committee, the size of the applicants' pool, specifics of bureaucratic procedures, etc. I do not exclude that some applicants might have already received offers from NW. Though, in my (subjective!) opinion, this probability is relatively low.

NW is one of the favorite targets among habitual trolls on this forum. So, at least at this point, do not be disheartened regarding your chances to get into NW!

Well...What can I say? - Congrats! I wish you success in your studies in such a great program! This part is quite arrogant. I'd recommend you to be less condescending towards future colleagues, though.

I highly doubt those Northwestern acceptances were real. I may be mistaken, of course. But it is too early for them.

U of T, McGill, UBC, Queens, McMaster, Western Ontario, Calgary...-the most prominent. But I'd say that any out of the top-20 Canadian Universities will make you a very competitive applicant. For instance, I graduated from U of Guelph (somewhere top-15), and now, in hindsight, I can say our MA program was simply excellent! (well, I may be slightly biased, consider it :)) But there is an important caveat regarding Canadian MA programs: some of them can kill your GPA, notably those located in Ontario.

And yes, regarding MA, I would strongly suggest considering Canadian schools for these purposes: they provide excellent funding, in most cases completely covering tuition, and provide excellent training.