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Barry B. Benson

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    2020/21 Cycle Profile/Results/Lessons

    in Political Science Forum

    Posted · Edited by Barry B. Benson

    PROFILE
    Type of Undergrad Institution: International Student
    Major(s)/Minor(s): Political Science (Comparative Politics)
    Undergrad GPA: 3.86 (equivalent)
    Type of Grad: N/A
    Grad GPA: N/A
    GRE: 168V/168Q/6.0W
    Any Special Courses: Political Methods Course, Statistics Courses
    Letters of Recommendation: 1 Professor, 1 Associate Professor, 1 Assistant Professor (I've worked extensively with all of them).
    Teaching Experience: I've been an undergraduate TA for six different courses
    Research experience: Undergraduate thesis (which turned into my writing sample), RA for eight faculty projects

    RESULTS
    Acceptances: WUSTL, OSU, NYU, and MIT (all funded); Chicago (MACSS, 2/3 tuition covered)
    Rejections: Texas (Austin), Chicago (PhD), Michigan, Harvard, Berkeley

    I don't really feel like I "learned" a lot during this cycle, mainly because we get so little information about what we did "right" and why we did not get into the places we didn't get. Besides, we are working with such a small sample that it is easy to make unwarranted generalizations (for instance, looking at my results you could conclude that international students are guaranteed to get in at universities that are usually abbreviated using acronyms...) So, I'll echo some of the previous points that have been raised, as I feel they are sound advice.

    1) I think starting early is a good idea, it gives you time to go through your materials several times (although don't over edit! especially your statement, at some point it's just not worth it) and you give recommenders enough time. Also, going over the online forms is a pain, so dedicate some time to that.

    2) I would say that taking the GREs is mandatory for international students, even if they say its optional. I just cannot see them accepting an international student (that is not from a hugely famous school) without any frame of reference. One exception could be doing an MA in the US, but that is quite a lot more expensive than just preparing for the GRE.

    3) I got offers without doing an MA so I'm glad I did not postpone the process, but maybe in other cases it would make sense (e.g. a bad undergraduate GPA).

    4) I was glad of the amount of schools I applied to, I think nine is the sweet spot (as long as you diversify your pool).

    5) During the process I only spoke with one professor from the departments I applied to, and it was because we knew each other previously. I think contacting people you don't know just to say "hi I'm applying to your department" is probably not productive. If you have questions, just ask the graduate coordinator. Again, maybe it helps (how can we know, really), but to me it felt wrong.

    6) While we can do a lot of research about each department we apply to, some things are just out of our control. For instance, I later learned that one of my POI in one school had moved to a different school a year ago, without any sign of it a) in the original school's website, b) in his google scholar; c) even in his personal webpage. Lesson: academics suck at updating public facing portals, so just assume this will happen with at least one professor and don't worry about it too much (I doubt that was the reason that I didn't get in that particular place).

    7) I think fit may be somewhat overrated. I applied to places that had people that were close to my current interests, but at the end I still weighed how broad the place was when making my decision. And I believe the committee assumes you'll change your interests once you start the program. So I guess just apply to places you like?

    8/ When waiting for the results, assume that not hearing back is a rejection. I don't think there was a single case this year of someone getting an acceptance later (without being on a waitlist, of course).

    9) Finally, some stuff that helped me decide where to go: a) everybody loves the place they are in, so read between the lines for criticism and stuff that is not great about their departments; b) speak with current graduate students individually (for instance, I asked the professors I spoke with to contact me with some of their graduate students), and not only the ones that directly approach you; c) open houses are useful, if only to meet your potential cohort; d) during one-on-one interviews with faculty I usually asked them about their current and future projects, which was useful for gauging how much I wanted to work with them; and e) former graduate students are also a great resource, particularly what their dissertations were about (for instance, if no one has done anything related to your current interests, that is a red flag).

    I don't regred hanging around at Grad Café one bit, even if it was stressful sometimes. It really helped seeing other people in my same situation, and everyone are so nice. Take care, and good luck!

    2020-2021 Application Thread

    in Political Science Forum

    Posted

    4 hours ago, cheetah said:

    Hey all! Have a tricky question, which i'm not sure if anyone encountered before. I actually have two virtual visits with one day overlapped. Any tips on how to manage the time conflict issue? I don't think either univ is gonna change the tentative schedule as there are many stakeholders (faculty member, prospective students, current PhDs, etc.) involved. 

    This also applies to me! Now I'm wondering if we've been accepted in the same two departments hahaha. I was actually hoping that the schedules would not overlap too much (my two are in different time zones), so that I would attend the sections that interest me.

    In other news, finally got my rejection from Harvard! It was in the spam folder, of course. So, officially, my cycle is over.

    2020-2021 Application Thread

    in Political Science Forum

    Posted

    4 hours ago, pspr said:

    Congrats to all the MIT admits!

    On the other hand, it seems Harvard is going to be a grand finale for many people in this cycle! Apart from the two results on the result page, has anyone heard anything from them?  

    Yeah, I kind of want to get rejected at once just to get this whole cycle over with!

    2020-2021 Application Thread

    in Political Science Forum

    Posted · Edited by Barry B. Benson
    Grammar error

    48 minutes ago, BrownSugar said:

    Thank you :) I really appreciate everyone’s insights and I’ll certainly take them into account if USC v Chicago end up as my final decision!
     

    To be completely transparent - I don’t have any fixed plans to stay in the US long-term (partner is European) or necessarily pursue the tenure track. I have decided to pursue a US PhD in the first place given its overall strength and career flexibility on an international scale, so that’s why I was prioritizing fit over prestige. But like I said, I WILL take into account your insights. 

    With regards to working outside of the US, how recognizable a school is is also key. I am an applicant too, but at least where I live, the University of Chicago is one of the most well-known universities in the US (after Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and Berkeley, I think). I do not know how perceptions are elsewhere, but my feeling is that non-academic job prospects for a UChicago grad are better than a USC grad. (Sorry to butt in!)

    2020-2021 Application Thread

    in Political Science Forum

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Habermas said:

    Did anyone get officially rejected from UT Austin or are we still just assuming? My online portal says "under review."

    I still haven't heard from them (no email and portal says "under review."

    It's weird because it's been almost two weeks since they sent their acceptances. I've already assumed I'm not getting an offer, but a formal rejection would be nice.

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