polisci_gal
-
Posts
128 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
1
Posts posted by polisci_gal
-
-
8 minutes ago, icemanyeo said:
Truth be told, I am becoming less optimistic as the days pass by.
Honestly same @icemanyeo I'm trying to keep the faith but with tweets from various professors across the country expressing how qualified candidates won't be admitted due to budget cuts doesn't really boost my confidence. All I can say is February is going to be an excruciating month waiting to hear back from the various programs. Ugh. C'est la vie, I guess.
-
11 minutes ago, icemanyeo said:
doing extra work on my master's thesis to distract myself from the admissions releases.
Good luck with your thesis! I'm taking some course right now which are keeping me busy, but I can't help myself from just opening up a new tab on chrome every now and again to check the portals..........
-
11 minutes ago, icemanyeo said:
We basically did the same thing haha
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
- icemanyeo and Sad Politics
-
2
-
Just now, AmiadHD said:
I applied to 17 polisci programs - 4 Californian, 2 southern, 3 in the UK and the rest in northeast US. I don't think any of them are safe but most were recommended by my advisors and I am eying that one admit that will make it worth it. Although I definitely do not recommend applying to so many schools, its was probably way overboard...
That is a lot, wow! I only applied to 8..... 7 in the USA and 1 in Canada. I probably would have applied to more but it gets $$$$
-
40 minutes ago, Indeed said:
Hi everyone. Following a waitlist decision, I received an additional e-mail from a professor in the admission committee stating that I am on the top of the waitlist and she would very much like to admit me. Do you think I will be admitted for sure or is there still a chance that I won't be?
and I hope we will hear from above mentioned schools next week. Waiting is killing me
This seems pretty promising. I mean don’t schools kind of plan for at least some of their admits to not accept? So if you’re at the top of the waitlist it seems plausible that you’d get admission, but you can never be 100%. I have hope for you though!!!
- ExileOnMainSt and Indeed
-
1
-
1
-
17 hours ago, PolNerd said:
Guys, the waiting is killing me.
SAME. I know we're all in the same boat. It still feels like each day is soooo long waiting to see if you got an e-mail or not. I know it's still too early to be panicking as a lot of programs will probably send out admissions in February, but i can't help myself from refreshing all day
- Maguire and NotaDoctorShh
-
2
-
Anyone claiming the Boston University acceptance?
-
42 minutes ago, KayCee said:
Western is awesome! I wanted to apply there as well, but they were a bit outside of my commuting zone. I'd have loved to try some of the US schools, but price of tuition as an international student + having to relocate my family was a huge barrier for me.
I'm definitely enthusiastic about Western - they've got amazing faculty. I understand that relocating your family to the US would be difficult for sure - however, most of the US programs are fully funded and come with healthcare plans which makes going to the states a really attractive option for PhD programs! Thats actually the reason I applied to mainly US schools and only 1 Canadian!
Edit- to give some context, I did my bachelors in Canada and my masters in the US.
-
-
33 minutes ago, nivy25 said:
Quick question:
My NW application statement mentioned one professor who I’m incredibly looking forward to work with. They’re currently on sabbatical for this year, but they’ll be back by Fall 21. However, it’s clear they’re not on the admissions committee, or even around to discuss applications generally.
Would that hinder my chances of being accepted at all? Since someone I’m inclined to work with specifically is not around to sorta “okay” this decision?
I don't think that this will make any difference to your admission decision - if they feel that you're a strong candidate it's possible that they'll connect with that professor to see if they'd be interested in working with you, but it would depend on their process. Many professors I expressed interest working with and/or had chats with prior to applying mentioned they weren't on the admissions committee this year and might not find out about admission results until I do. That being said, some also mentioned that even though they weren't on the committee, they were still permitted to give input on applicants and it was helpful to know me and my research interests. All in all, I think that each place is different- and I wouldn't sweat it too much! Try not to overthink
-
28 minutes ago, BrownSugar said:
Anyone claiming Princeton? Seems quite early!!
I didn't apply to Princeton, but it looks like there have been quite a few recorded admissions! Congrats to everyone!
-
This is an interesting thread.
I am like @icemanyeoin that i went into a masters straight out of undergrad and am currently in the process of completing it while applying to PhD programs. I will say that even though I had some research experience and relevant employment experience during my undergraduate degree, my masters has kind of made me feel like I was even more ready (and capable) to pursue a PhD. For example, I have had the opportunity of working with more relevant figures in the subfield that i'm interested in because of the school I'm currently attending, and was able to obtain LOR from both undegrad + grad profs who could speak to my growth, potential and suitability for the programs. For my case too, getting an MA was a necessary step in this process and I think that my undergraduate profile alone wouldn't have made me a very competitive candidate.
One thing I will say that I have heard is that having a masters degree over just an undergraduate degree when applying to PhD programs could help is that both your LOR writers and your success in your graduate courses can demonstrate your ability to thrive (or not) in graduate studies - which is ultimately what a lot of admissions committees are looking for (i.e., will you actually be able to succeed here).
All in all, I think a lot of this depends on you and your individual profile as a candidate. Everyone goes through different things in their life and I feel like the timeline of being ready to pursue a PhD could vary for everyone. Just remember to be confident in yourself and try not to compare yourself to others too much - we' are all different but all of us will bring a lot to the table, regardless of what our journey was to get here. You've got this!
edit: my masters degree is in political science and I majored in political science in my bachelors too
-
15 minutes ago, NeedaMormon said:
Anybody have tips on preparing for an interview?
I watch a lot of this girls youtube videos (shes a PhD at Yale), and she just put one out on PhD interviews....might be helpful? *Disclaimer I did not watch the whole thing lol*
- NeedaMormon, ovejal and NotaDoctorShh
-
1
-
2
-
23 minutes ago, NeedaMormon said:
Just an update, Madison has just asked me to interview with them! This is the first response I've gotten so far, and now I am scared out of my mind.
You've got this!!! You're going to do amazing. Best of luck and hope you get in !!
- funfetti, NeedaMormon and Sad Politics
-
3
-
11 hours ago, icemanyeo said:
I keep having a heart attack every time I hear the notification sound for my email.
I feel this big time. Next few weeks are going to be rough lol
-
Other thing I want to get other applicants input on....How many of y'all reached out to profs/potential supervisors at the schools that you applied to for PhD programs? I connected via e-mail, phone, or zoom with at least 1 professor from each school I applied to, but I was wondering if its also common to just submit applications without connecting with faculty beforehand? Im only really asking out of curiosity and Also perhaps am second guessing everything about my application process? Lol
-
Just now, plus said:
I imagine that this cycle, given that the GRE was optional, they used some other metric for the same purpose.
This is comforting. I would think so as well - since i presume a lot of people chose not to submit scores this year as it could potentially hinder their application (unless they were really confident with their scores).
-
Ok thoughts on not submitting GRE scores this year? I will disclose that I didn't actually take the GRE ( for various reasons) and thus did not submit scores to any schools. Some of the potential supervisors I spoke with said it really wouldn't hinder an application to not have them, as the scores would just be considered an extra/supplemental document. What do y'all think? Do you think that it is *essential* to submit or not submit? Even though the schools waived the requirement will it hurt an application to not submit them? Why am i second guessing my whole life lol
-
@guest12345678the fact that you've been published as a sole author in a political science journal is impressive. I also think that you grad GPA is attractive to admissions and faculty as well. Having experience in research and teaching is another great boost. In terms of the SOP- I know thats a big part of admissions, did you have any of your LOR writers review it? If you got the go-ahead from any of your mentors or profs then that would be helpful too! Seems like you've got a pretty good profile overall though. I hope you get in somewhere!! I"m sure you will. All the best
-
1 minute ago, _nutella_ said:
Of course MIT and Yale are only two cases, and we don't have a counterfactual.
Fair enough. I think because these are some of the top schools perhaps more people applied because they waived the GRE this year and felt as though they had more of a shot at getting in than if they had to submit GRE scores? Just a thought. I'm curious to see if other schools (more lower ranked ones) had an influx in applicants or not...
- Sad Politics and funfetti
-
2
-
3 hours ago, andromedutch said:
Do you think PhD applications will increase or decrease in number next year then?
Hard to speculate, but I think (and have read) that historically during recessions people tend to go back to school. I'm guessing if the COVID-19 situation remains similar throughout the year then application numbers will continue to increase (as guaranteed funding for 5 years is valuable/attractive in this economy)
-
From each of the faculty that I spoke to prior to submitting applications, most of them still stuck by the previous years standard of hearing back anywhere from mid Jan to mid Feb. So i'm hopeful that even with the influx of applicants, we will still hear back in the next few weeks! Im obviously checking my e-mail way too much tho.....cant help it!
- Sad Politics and funfetti
-
1
-
1
-
11 minutes ago, andromedutch said:
I've heard from a trustworthy source that UNC might not be admitting this Fall--any other thoughts, ideas, or predictions?
They're not. See website (or below I have copied and pasted their announcement): https://politicalscience.unc.edu/graduate/admissions/
"Prospective Students:
We regret to announce that UNC’s Political Science Department will not accept applications to our graduate program during the 2021 admissions cycle. To ensure that the department has resources to adequately support its educational mission during the Covid-19 pandemic, we will hold off on bringing new students to the program until 2022. The decision to eliminate a cohort of future graduate students was a difficult one, and we apologize for any inconvenience. We look forward to reading applications again in the fall of 2021 for the 2022 cohort."
-
On 12/27/2020 at 2:22 PM, Aydemiru said:
Hey all!
One of my recommenders did not upload my letter and he said that he will do it after the break, on 5th of january. The deadlines were 15th December. I am worried now about my applications. Do the universities review applications during the break or not?
Plus, how does it affect my application if I add a new recommender now, after almost two weeks from the deadline?
Thanks
I think this really depends on the program and they should specify on their website. However, I am under the impression that most programs require all supplemental docs (incl. LOR) to be submitted on/by the deadline.
2020-2021 Application Thread
in Political Science Forum
Posted
Thoughts on when Boston University will sent out acceptances/rejections/waitlists? I have seen in prev. years its generally this week.......