JPYSD

Final rejection (rutgers) came in today - wild it took them so long! 
Thrilled to say I'll be attending UW - Madison in the fall, wishing you all the best of luck  

Congrats!!! I'm glad there is a happy ending to the story. Best of luck with everything!

Dear all, I'm thrilled to share with you that I've been accepted to CU Boulder! Thank you all immensely for your unwavering support throughout this time. I wish you the best, and perhaps our paths will cross someday. Take care. GO BUFFS!

 🖤

Hi everyone, I hope you all heard good news or will hear soon. I just wanted to update you that I got an offer from Princeton and will be attending in September. It was a lovely ride here and thank you all for your support and solidarity throughout the process. I hope to see you all as wonderful future scholars!
I'll make sure to write a long and detailed Lessons Learnt when the post is up.
À la prochaine!

Dear all, I trust you're having a good and productive week. Since the deadline is here, I want to gently remind you to formally decline any offers from schools you won't be attending (if you are reading this before April 15th at 11:59 pm).

Finally, I want to extend my heartfelt wishes for success to each of you, no matter where your journey takes you. Personally, I'm hopeful that this will be my last admission cycle. Regardless of the outcome, sharing this experience with you all has been a pleasure. G-d bless.

💚

I am sure many people are still waiting on some results and waitlist outcomes, so let us respect their outcomes and not announce the cycle as closed, but since you asked:

I am fairly happy with my (first) cycle, although the outcome was "soso". I applied to only T10-15 US schools and to one UK school (13 in total) and was rejected by 10 (among them my 2 dream schools), although many POIs told me I would have great chances at their programs.

The unsurprising learning was: Fit really matters the most. I was accepted at a good program, where I honestly also had one of the (if not the) best fit, but never talked to anyone before the application. The surprising learning, however, was: The GRE still matters a lot at the top programs. It was the one major thing that (I think and was told) made my application look slightly bad, since I had really awful scores and an admissions committee member (also my POI) at my preferred program actually reached out after the decision to tell me that the low GRE score was the main factor why the committee remained skeptical in the end. I assume good enough scores / "just" above average scores are almost as sufficient as perfect scores, but if any one of your application materials really is surprisingly "bad", it won't make an otherwise perfect application stand out anymore. That was a sad learning, since my dream programs failed probably quite significantly due to that score. Currently, I am deciding between my US and UK options, and will most likely have to delay that process until UK funding decisions are made. It looks like the US, however.

Good luck to everyone!

Disappointed but undeterred. I applied to a relatively short list of top programs and struck out. It was my first cycle, and I learned a lot. Over the past few weeks, I've talked with people from the political science world and know where I went wrong. I was expressing my research interests and fit from an attorney POV, rather than a political science perspective. From talking to political scientists, I've gotten great advice on how to speak the right language when conveying my interests and on books and articles to read to enhance my fluency. (I've also received advice on how to better determine which programs fit with my interests.)
If I apply again next cycle, that advice will be invaluable. And I am leaning towards giving it another go. I will also have gone from zero publications to at least two publications. (I have two forthcoming pieces and anticipate publishing more between now and November/December). That should make my application stronger. All this to say, I'm not letting a little rejection stop me from continuing to pursue this.

I am sure many people are still waiting on some results and waitlist outcomes, so let us respect their outcomes and not announce the cycle as closed, but since you asked:

I am fairly happy with my (first) cycle, although the outcome was "soso". I applied to only T10-15 US schools and to one UK school (13 in total) and was rejected by 10 (among them my 2 dream schools), although many POIs told me I would have great chances at their programs.

The unsurprising learning was: Fit really matters the most. I was accepted at a good program, where I honestly also had one of the (if not the) best fit, but never talked to anyone before the application. The surprising learning, however, was: The GRE still matters a lot at the top programs. It was the one major thing that (I think and was told) made my application look slightly bad, since I had really awful scores and an admissions committee member (also my POI) at my preferred program actually reached out after the decision to tell me that the low GRE score was the main factor why the committee remained skeptical in the end. I assume good enough scores / "just" above average scores are almost as sufficient as perfect scores, but if any one of your application materials really is surprisingly "bad", it won't make an otherwise perfect application stand out anymore. That was a sad learning, since my dream programs failed probably quite significantly due to that score. Currently, I am deciding between my US and UK options, and will most likely have to delay that process until UK funding decisions are made. It looks like the US, however.

Good luck to everyone!

I am sure many people are still waiting on some results and waitlist outcomes, so let us respect their outcomes and not announce the cycle as closed, but since you asked:

I am fairly happy with my (first) cycle, although the outcome was "soso". I applied to only T10-15 US schools and to one UK school (13 in total) and was rejected by 10 (among them my 2 dream schools), although many POIs told me I would have great chances at their programs.

The unsurprising learning was: Fit really matters the most. I was accepted at a good program, where I honestly also had one of the (if not the) best fit, but never talked to anyone before the application. The surprising learning, however, was: The GRE still matters a lot at the top programs. It was the one major thing that (I think and was told) made my application look slightly bad, since I had really awful scores and an admissions committee member (also my POI) at my preferred program actually reached out after the decision to tell me that the low GRE score was the main factor why the committee remained skeptical in the end. I assume good enough scores / "just" above average scores are almost as sufficient as perfect scores, but if any one of your application materials really is surprisingly "bad", it won't make an otherwise perfect application stand out anymore. That was a sad learning, since my dream programs failed probably quite significantly due to that score. Currently, I am deciding between my US and UK options, and will most likely have to delay that process until UK funding decisions are made. It looks like the US, however.

Good luck to everyone!

I am not knowledgeable enough to give you a proper answer, but I guess every opinion helps in those decisions: I have heard from many more people that BC is seen as a niche program for certain areas of theory and know of a handful of people that were placed decently. Now, I don't know about funding and the specific campuses, but BC would for most people be in a much more desirable location. Not just Boston vs. Bloomington itself, but also the fact that as a theory student, you pretty much stay at your program for most of the 5 years (rarely fieldwork etc.) and the Boston area would give you the chance to be a proper part of the theory community with conferences and events at Harvard, MIT, BU, Northeastern, Brandeis etc. Connections seem so important in academia, and I believe this could be easier to achieve, so you could have a more diverse academic life at BC/living in Boston. But as always: funding and personal fit should be the most important factors!

(also: since you might have posted there - don't listen to PoliSci rumors - that page is just full of awful trolls that don't want anything good for you)

Dear everyone. I apologize for bringing this up again. But the deadline is approaching, and I've been on the waitlist for about a month. I would appreciate your prompt refusal if you have a better offer. Thank you once again. 🤗💚

I just got my last applicant decision (another rejection). All in all, two acceptances and five rejections. My choice between the two schools is pretty easy, since one is fully funded and one is not. I was waiting until all of the cards were on the table to make my decision, and now I think the path is pretty clear. 
This whole process has been nerve wracking! I have had to fight for my self esteem, since I can be a little sensitive to rejection. However, I think this process taught me a lot about myself- and probably a lot about a future working in academia, too. 
Now I have slightly less than five months to pack my stuff and move across the country for a new adventure. I wish all of you amazing luck and success in the rest of your application decisions, choices, and futures! 

Thanks for the info! May I ask how Nuffield might release extra slots to your knowledge? I don't think colleges can set up any waitlist, but do you know any cases that someone does not get into/is rejected by Nuffield initially but is offered a place later? thx

Waiting for Oxford IR DPhil results to come in with extreme baited breath (its the last decision I have to wait for, really hoping for a W here). 

I second the idea of going straight for the PhD, if you know you want to go into academia. I went the master's route because I did not think I wanted to go into academia (to make a long story short, after grad school I worked in the field for about 7 years. I started teaching community college to make extra money and fell in love with it, and felt like I wanted to contribute rather than just regurgitate other peoples' research, and eventually realized I need to go for the PhD. Thus, applying for programs in my 30s with a bunch of extra student loan debt. 😁
If you have a clear idea now that this is what you want to do, go for the PhD. I applied this cycle to seven programs and only one required a master's as a prerequisite. You are also much more likely to get a fully funded PhD, since most master's programs don't offer that level of funding. 
Don't sell yourself too short on where you will be competitive. If I've learned anything over the last few months, it is that fit is everything and there really isn't a "safe" school. I was rejected from my safe school that doesn't fully fund their PhDs (I got into the master's program during my first round of grad school apps), but I got a really generous funding package from a more prestigious school that I thought was a long shot. It was a better fit and better timing, and probably some luck! If you see a school you really like and is a good fit, just go for it- you never know if it might be your time. 
At the same time, it won't be an effective strategy to just go down the list of "top" schools and apply to them all. I agree with JPYSD about being selective regarding fit. You should be very clear on which professors you want to work with and why their research interests match yours, as well as what the program offers that resonates with you in a very specific way. If you can contact professors ahead of time and make a connection, even better. Go to virtual recruitment fairs, ask questions by email, etc. If you make a good impression, the name recognition could help your application chances (I think. I don't have any data on this, but it stands to reason and if not true, it won't hurt your chances either). 
Good luck with your applications! It sounds like you are getting a good early start.

Congratulations -that's awesome! Also DPhil in Politics? Let's wish each other luck for funding...

Thanks! A bit happy as it is my first offer. 

Also just got an offer at Oxford, no mention of the college though.

Hello 🙂

It is indeed a good idea to apply to PhDs directly, especially if you have a political science background already. If your GPA is decent, can score a high GRE result, have access to decent LORs and enough time to create a serious research narrative in your SOP, thats all you need. Most US master programs are cash cows and only really make sense if you can find funding for those, which is really rare. The name will not carry, everyone knows what they are for. I only saw people really increasing their chances with a master from for example Chicago or Columbia (both rather common for that purpose) if they did not have a political science background in their undergrad or if they really had bad grades and needed to create a better "impression" of themselves. UK master programs are a bit of a different story it seems, since they are usually more competitive themselves to get into, don't have the grade inflation and make the candidate more interesting. Especially Oxbridge, LSE and King's would be the options here.

In terms of rankings: It sadly is true that the US News Ranking is the only really trustworthy ranking for US graduate programs in political science. Its subfield rankings are decent for ranking the T10, but as you can see yourself, they don't go very far down, so take them with a grain of salt. It is also true that while theoretically everyone has a shot at academia, the vast majority of placements stem from T10-15, max. T30 schools. There are a few exceptions of good programs outside of those here and there, but it's really tight. If you are interested in political science schools globally, the Shanghai subject ranking is not too bad. Among the top 30 schools globally, Oxbridge, LSE, King's and the European University Institute definitely should be included as well. Maybe even Zurich and some of the English programs in Scandinavia.

In terms of chances, it is all about the "fit". Your topic has to fit to the research focus of ideally not just one professor and the department as a whole. Yes, a statement of purpose will be a research proposal with maybe one paragraph about the specific university you are applying to and yourself in the end. The "purpose" is your topic and not who you are. Here and in your statement, you have to be as specific as possible, although not one person has to fit it all. Remember, you will build a committee, so its the synergy of several people you should be interested in. On the flipside, if there is one perfect faculty for your topic, but the rest of the department is very far away from that subject area, it is not a good sign. Of course it is not about the subfield you should match faculty with but about the subfield in the subfield. Try to get as close to your actual research as possible. Comparative politics and theory are really big fields, e.g., and you could still have a horrible fit in a department that is usually known for those fields. Most of the T10-15 programs will be really good for most subfields. Then there are some departments that are clearly specialized in one subfield or research focus, but rather weak in most of the other classic ones. This will reflect in the rankings of course. Brown, e.g., is top-notch if you want to do comparative work with a South Asia focus or political theory. It is ranked at place 41, however. NYU is probably the top school for formal and quantitative methods, but is much lower. Chicago might be the best in country for political theory, but has no substantive people in American Politics. So it really depends and you have to do your research.

A general rule is (and you should stick to it, because it really shows the quality of the program): Where there is no good funding included in the program, it will not be a good program. The more you move yourself away from the T20, the less money or even no money will be guaranteed. Avoid those programs by all cost and don't even bother applying. T10 programs all pay a stipend of above 40k USD. But it decreases rapidly from there and of course depends on the area you would live in.

Also, apply broadly. There is no such thing as a safety school, since most programs max. take in 10-20 students, even the "low-ranked" ones. It really is about fit and fit only if your stats are right. If you don't have an obviously bad GPA and GRE, then still apply to the T10-schools, even if you think you would never have a chance.

Placement records are usually published by each department and show where people might end up with the degree. They could be read as a ever-changing "ranking". For T15 schools, they don't really matter because everyone really has a shot if they do good research. Of course the top of the top schools have it much easier producing those kind of students with their connections. If you are looking at schools ranked lower, definitely check their placement records. They won't be great but take them with a grain of salt - it will be about you in the end, so a good fit and funding is much more important for now.

Go through every single university from the top to the bottom of the US News List and filter by fit and funding. Then narrow down. 

Feel free to PN if you have specific questions regarding programs etc. 🙂 

All the best!

If you’re set on a PhD after your MA, CIR is essentially a pre-PhD program and sets you up very well for acceptance into a well ranked PhD program following the program. I wouldn’t look at the MA in IR as a drawback because of your previous degree in the field, the rigor of the program shows PhD programs that you have what it takes to succeed in a PhD program. If you have any questions about CIR, I’m free to answer questions.

This is, again, very helpful. Thank you. 
Somewhat amusingly, I received an offer between sending my post and your reply (10pm UK time). I guess I got fished out of the pool. 

As per my knowledge, it has sent out offers for all viable internal applicants. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this also rings true for external ones, but alas, with only a small N known to me, no significance can be claimed. I believe some Nuffield offer holders would reject their place and enable the college to accommodate other candidates, thus more Nuffield slots could be on the way in either scenario. Moreover, DPIR is a rich department compared to other social science counterparts in Oxford, they have various fully-funded options for DPhil candidates (though not everyone), so stay tuned!

According to my knowledge as a student, internal applicants and external applicants are informed together, and the first bunch of offers has been made for both politics and IR. There are excellent candidates left in the pool waiting for final selections from the faculty side. Nuffield has made their invitation to offer holders before all other colleges (and private halls) but it may release extra slots if admitted students reject their place. Clarendon is always one of the last to issue its decisions but there are more funding opportunities in DPIR under active and automatic consideration for each non-Nuffield offer holder.

Hi all, I hope you’re doing well. With just under a month from the April 15th commitment date, I’m pleased to say I’ve tentatively decided where I’ll be attending for my PhD. I applied to 15 PhD programs and was admitted to 2, rejected by 11, and have 2 decisions pending, though given my current acceptances I would decline them even if admitted. The two schools I was admitted to were Rice and Cornell. I’m going to be accepting Cornell’s offer, and I will decline the offer from rice soon, to hopefully allow for waitlist movement.   

Claiming Oxford DPhil in Politics acceptance! 

Upload button disappeared in the portal about two hours ago. Supervisor/POI mentioned in the application was copied to the e-mail, funding information is pending.

Really happy, although I am not sure if I would end up going or prefer my US option...