Hello!
First time poster here, I was thinking about posting my background anyways since I have a somewhat unconventional background for these programs too!
So I applied full-time Fall 2021to GSPIA, NPSIA, and Munk for context. I got accepted into NPSIA (generous funding) and Munk (no funding), and got rejected by GSPIA.
My background:
Undergraduate Bachelor of Commerce graduating in April this year
CGPA of 10.3/12 (and have gotten some worse grades in my last two years if that helps at all
No international exchange or work experience
Co-op at big 4 accounting firm
Extensive volunteer experience in social entrepreneurship and cultural clubs
Fluent in urdu and semi-fluent in arabic
In general, I thought I had a non-competitive application and was shocked to have gotten accepted in the first round to both UofT and Carleton. I think some factors that boosted my application were firstly I was lucky enough to have some great reference letters. One was from a prof I TA'd for and had studied under having completed her courses with an A and A+. She spoke to my academic abilities but also my team work and professional skills since I had served under her as a TA. Second was a prof I did a year-long seminar course with where we worked on starting a business in Tanzania that boosts women's health and addresses environmental concerns. I think they both played a major role in my application package since I don't have the traditional academic background.
Secondly, when I wrote my statement of intent I actually had put off for quite a while so I wouldn't say its my best piece of writing, but I focused on a couple of different aspects of why I would be a good candidate. Firstly I have lived in several countries in my life, so I spoke about that since I know these programs take an international focus. I also talked about why I studied business at the undergraduate level, and that although it may not be a social science they're usually looking for, a lot of the skills I gained could be beneficial to my graduate degree. Through those two points, I rounded out my letter on the third point about why I was applying to all the schools, which is that I believe they're major skill is building diverse and qualified cohorts. Although I admire them for many reasons, I focused on this point because I was then able to say that although they make look at my application and think it a bit unconventional, at the end of the day I have a unique academic background and international exposure that I believe could bring a very diverse perspective to their schools, and since they pride themselves on diversity, I believe I would be able to not only gain significantly from there programs but also have much to offer to the conversation. I spoke about my research interests briefly but since I knew I didn't have an extensive research background I more or less glossed over my interests. I knew I could focus on the diversity aspect because that's where I could speak to what exactly drew me to the schools and why I thought I would make a good fit.
WOAH sorry for the information overload but I hope this helps other students applying in the future who are worried about not having a polisci background. I'm really sorry about your rejection but I'd say don't let your BCom background discourage you from applying again!
