AuldReekie

Do you have spare time to improve it without neglecting your statement of purpose and writing sample? If so, then yes.

What do you want to after the degree? If an academic job in the US is your aim then a US PhD is pretty much the only realistic option. There's no point paying for a masters degree unless you're trying to make up for some weakness in your record to date. Good luck with the GRE. I also found the quantitative section a nightmare

https://www.wm.edu/offices/itpir/_documents/trip/trip_around_the_world_2011.pdf< Page 34. Quantitative analysis isn't so dominant - in IR at least - as you might think. Not that I really disagree with the advice above.. quant is definitely hot right now in the US. Just being pernickity. I've gone from being math-phobic to being excited about the possibilities it offers in just a few months. So keep an open mind.

What do you want to do after your degree? It looks like there's quite a divide between programs with many focusing on policy/practical issues in a way that the more 'academic' MAs won't. Knowing what you hope to do in the future will make it easier to narrow down your options

I'm starting with Moore and Siegel's book 'A Mathematics Course for Political and Social Research' + the accompanying youtube videos. So far I have found them quite accesibile. I suppose I better have a look at the online OSU calc course.. I left all of this behind age 16, so I'm in for a real shock! Trying to get through it before July..

Fantastic

Congratulations. You must be so relieved! Well done.

There was some discussion of this in the grad school supplies thread a few days back too.

Hello everyone! I'm in a good position having been accepted to somewhere I'd quite like to go, but also waitlisted at a couple of schools that I would consider. April 15th is approaching and I'm pondering how close to the deadline I should go before accepting my current offer. I don't want to muck them around, but there's also the fact they'll match other financial offers which perhaps incentivizes me to wait. Good luck to all of you and even more so if you're not in somewhere yet!

Seems like a good strategy, although I'm not sure how that'd work in my field. I know some programs have a culture of aiming exclusively for the 'top' journals and as such some people come out with nothing published by graduation.. not good!

I guess there are some advantages to being limited to 2 bags on a transatlantic flight!

Anyone go to the TAMU visit weekend?

My current Lenovo has held up pretty well. I've only owned two laptops, but each time I went for the 'business' model or through the business site. With many companies there's no difference, but with Dell I found there to be a massive increase in build quality for almost exactly the same price. Worth having a look at at least.

Bear in mind that this probably depends on your program and field. With the program I'll likely be attending you don't have a permanent adviser until the end of coursework, so there's time to get to know people.

In my second year of undergrad I stumbled across the website of a US PhD program (I'm from Europe) and pretty much from that point I decided it was what I wanted to do. However, I think having the odd *wobble* or a little bit of uncertainty is a good thing.. after all we're constantly bombarded by warning about the rigors of a PhD and then the academic job market. You talk of a sense of doom and I can really understand that. I wanted to do a PhD, but I also wanted to make sure I was going in with my eyes open. No what ifs.. In the end I decided to try working in area of interest and managed to get a decent job in that area. As it turned out I absolutely hated my work and of all the jobs I was doing something that should have been perfect! Maybe I 'wasted' a year or two, but I know I'm much less likely to doubt my choice having explored some other options and interests. So.. be aware of what you need to do to be competitive for a PhD program, enjoy your studies and continue to explore your interests, academic and otherwise.

Congrats Hopefully souwant2bcliche will hear good news from them too.

Don't worry about asking questions, it's normally quite a friendly place! To start with a good rule is to only consider attending if you are fully funded. What did you have in mind when you originally applied to these programs? I applied to a few programs ranked into the #50s, but only because they had an excellent fit, reasonable placement (relatively speaking ofc) and they could fit with my own goals (I do hope to go back to the UK, which is a bit less obsessed with program prestige). After that I guess it relates to your hopes and aspirations.. If an academic job is your goal then what is the placement record like and would you be happy with the kind of jobs that graduates - only a proportion of them- have managed to get from that program? We all know the academic job market is torrid/terrible/diabolical etc. etc. Smart people do seem to be able to carve out academic careers from lower ranked programs, but it's probably quite a small number and there's no denying it would likely be difficult. Good luck and I hope they come through with funding for you

There is a good blog by Dan Nexon (also from Georgetown) on applying . You might find parts of it useful. http://duckofminerva.com/2012/08/applying-for-phd-in-political-science.html Nowhere I applied go asked that I attempt to fit my grades into a GPA. You're unlikely to have to worry about that. My grades would have looked awful if converted straight into a GPA! I know fair few people from England and Wales who have started PhDs without a masters. The degrees might only be three years but that's all you need if you're focusing almost exclusively on Political Science. Unless - as has been mentioned - there is some compelling reason that means you need to do an MA beforehand you should seriously consider applying straight for PhD programs. FYI if you apply to the Chicago PhD program you can ask to be considered for the CIR program if you are unsuccesful.

Oh joy. A bill looks likely to pass the Texas senate to allow concealed carry on campus. This thread isn't for political issues, but it's hard not to let this unnerve me slightly. I accept it's my problem and if I didn't want to live in a gun filled society I should have stayed in Britain!

For those of you that are done with the cycle do consider contributing to this thread

The slow slide to poliscirumors...

You're both right. I think my idea of 'negotiation' in this regard really means 'a polite request'. Equally whether they are willing to even discuss the matter is perhaps quite dependent on what their current class yield looks like? The key thing is not create a bad impression as the DGS will probably remain an important person for several years within the program program and you certainly don't want to sour things from the beginning!

Before many of us disappear off into the ether I thought it would be a good idea to continue what has become a bit of a forum tradition. In previous years applicants have posted their stats, background, results and statement of purpose as well as any advice they might have for future applicants. If you're willing to it would be great to keep this going by putting up a post once your cycle is complete and you know your results, where you're going and a little bit more about your profile. Coming from the UK I found these old threads to be invaluable and the generosity and help from people on this forum has been fantastic. Links to the old threads. Template from previous years: PROFILE: Type of Undergrad Institution: Major(s)/Minor(s): Undergrad GPA: Type of Grad: Grad GPA: GRE: Any Special Courses: Letters of Recommendation: Research Experience: Teaching Experience: Subfield/Research Interests: Other: RESULTS: Acceptances($$ or no $$): Waitlists: Rejections: Pending: Going to: LESSONS LEARNED: SOP:

Useful advice. Most schools - school level fellowships aside - would appear to offer near identical packages when it comes to dollars and cents, but some departmental websites give you a hint of what they might be willing to negotiate over. For example, at one of the schools I've been admitted they mention that they cover fees for some students in addition to tuition + stipend. It didn't seem like a big deal until I realised that aforementioned fees could gobble up over 10% of the stipend. So if I wanted to try and negotiate their website gives a good idea of where to begin without appearing completely unreasonable.

If you use the search in this forum you'll see a couple threads on the topic from a Pol Sci perspective.