mrmirv

Interesting. I am looking a lot at MIT now. Not sure if I have a shot though

UC Davis?

I am more interested in Missile Defense and Non-Proliferation issues. Thanks for your help.

I am not sure what I am going to do. I am thinking about going to my state undergrad school I am in now for my masters and bulk up a little. I want to go to a top 25 school in IR so i figure the more background I have the better shot I have. Speaking of IR, what would you guys say out there are the best IR school out there?

Balderdash...you are applying to the who's who of schools..wow...what are your stats?

WOW! I may take you up on that! I was curious though if you could either post your SOP or give us some basic tips on what you feel works and does not work. You got into a great school, so I would be curious what you did on the SOP. Thanks!

Hello, My questions is sort of an interesting one. I have a feeling more and more people may fall under this situation. I started my undergrad in 1997. I stopped in 2000. I had good grades at the time, 3.5 gpa. I took 2 classes in 2005. I started again in 2009 and will finish May,2011. Only reason I stopped was I married very young and we could not afford to both be in school so she finished 1st and went on to get her masters. Anyone have any experience with a situation like this? I have a 3.6 gpa as of now and 700 and 700 gre's. I want to move on to a PHD program for IR. Not sure where I should aim. I could go to my state university in the Northeast and get a masters to boost myself up. Thanks

YES! I would mention that! Was there a large amount of years when you went for the 1st degree? Also, its not likes its a related degree so the weight on that may not be as much. You are not out of the running. You are just not a clear cut case either way. I would also try to get the verbal up a little...but that is minor.

The low GPA will hurt...hurt bad... I would go for a masters then apply to a PHD program. They will look much more at the masters. The low GPA will hurt but use the masters to really show your skill and show it was just a fluke.

Hello and Welcome! I think your questions depends on a few factors? Do you need financial aid? What are your grades/GRE score?

typo...I have a 700 each and I would not apply anywhere in the top 30 without that sort of score. I studied a good 2 hours a day for 2 months. Its just dedication and getting the right books. You can do it

I have done a lot of reading on what it takes to get into a top ten program like a harvard or MIT. You need to get that score into the 600's at a minimum. I am aiming at Brown and I want a 700 each before I even put in the application.

Thank you for your kind advice. I am going to going for the best fit with balance of rank. Sort of 50/50. If I get into a school I love I am going to rent my house out and see if that works. This way I can move wherever I need to. My wife should be able to support us. Bottom line is....I want this. I guess its a question of how much I can sacrifice for it. That is the key. Brown would be amazing becuase I would not have to uproot my life. However, I don't really here a lot of good placement stories coming out of it. I don't want to go to school for 5 years, drop a 100k job I am in now, and end up as a 8.00 cashier somewhere.

Something I always wanted to know...if a school has a Feb 1st deadline for application...does that mean it is less competitive for admission? Just curious!

Hello, I am also applying for the same semester. In doing hours and hours of research on what you need for various programs, I would say you are very competitive. Your GPA is great and the school you recieved the grades in matters very little. I would retake the GRE though and try to boost your score as you are a little low in that are for the schools you have targeted.

Sadly I am stuck to the Northeast. I have a home I can't sell unless i would like to give it away. So I am pretty much stuck here. I would love to consider Uni Texas at Austin.

I am really torn about the "fit" concept. I want a job when i get done with the phd. I am going to be leaving a 100k job to do this becuase this is my life dream. I want to know I have a chance at a tenure track job, just a chance as there is no guarantees in this world. I guess this is an old debate. "Fit" vs. "Rank".

I think your advice is outstanding and give a true "inside" perspective. Thank you.

I would look to see if your school has a scope and methods grad level poli sci class. You will do some quantitative work which will have some math. Its more basic algebra. Also, get some research background. You could persue these more but it depends on how far up the latter in grad school you wish to aim for. I good stats class would help.

Hello There, Great thread...i am somewhat in the same position. I am applying for a PhD in IR this fall. My wife is going to have to support us. I make a good salary right now. She won't be able to make what I make. I am going to try and work part time while I am in school but even that will be challenging. I am not sure how you will be able to work full time especially if you are fully funded from your school. They are going to have a lot of work for you to do to get your degree. I would say some of it will rely on the program

I think in your ROC I would explain it but not dedicate the ROC to it. Mention...explain...briefly...move on... I would talk more about why you want to get an advanced degree. I think that would be more compelling. Give examples. Show them you really want this. The GPA will hurt you a little. What school are you looking at?

Any idea what school take interfolio?

I would look at GW in DC

I was hoping having to stop school for sometime would not hurt me. I do have an excellent reason. I got married in 2002. I found a job in the telecommunications industry to support us. I also ran for political office and started a buisness. So its not like I have been slacking lol. My wife was much further along in her studies than me. She then got a full scholarship to get her masters. So sadly with a house and bills, we could not afford for both of us to go into debt and with such limited income we would to have lived on a park bench. I think i can explain that very easily in my SOP. I went to school from 97 to 2000. Took some classes in 2005. Then finished part time in the last year. This semester I will be done basically. I plan to leave my job when i figure out where i am going. I do have research experience. For my history degree, I had to do a year long research project. We had to create a research prospectus and create a 20 page scholarly work. This semester I am taking a grad level poli sci scope and methods class. I just have to weave all this togeather in a SOP...oh boy

Thanks for the advice! I can tell its just the start of thinking about these things!