cjh19

There was a suggestion a few pages back that UNC could come out late in the day today, but I don't remember if that was based on information or hunches.

Gotcha. Negotiation is a phase of this process I know nothing about (I struck out last year). I don't know anything about Berkeley's endowment and state funding, but I do know that schools across the country are getting pounded, and I doubt they're immune. So I don't know much they'd have to spring, even if they wanted to. And a school as well-regarded as Berkeley might feel safe telling you to take it or leave it, since there are probably a few people who would take the opportunity, even at the smaller stipend. I guess what I would do is approach the issue non-confrontational-like. Email your contact and tell them you know someone who got a higher stipend; say you're very interested in the program, but are wondering why your award was smaller. The answer will probably be some boilerplate response, but at least you'll get the conversation started. But again, I have no idea whether talking about award packages with the school is a common or even occasional thing. Other folks on the board probably know better than I do. Or maybe you could ask a professor at your university what the etiquette is, if you're still in school.

I agree with flatcoat, although I understand the pull of the Minnesota program for you. But a PhD program is such an enormous opportunity cost in terms of time and resources spent pursuing it. Being a rather risk-averse person, I recommend going with the program that gives you a better shot at a career, after you've put all those years and all that energy into getting the degree. The reason that people generally pursue doctorates is because they want to do the kind of work that the PhD opens up to them that a masters wouldn't--usually a tenured professorship. If you're going to choose a program that gives you a narrow shot at that career, there need to be pretty compelling reasons to back it up. You might have a great five years in the CSDS program, but there's a long road ahead after that. Are you able to visit both programs? That might help you make the choice / put it off until you have a more solid feel for each program.

I agree that getting five thousand less than what it looks like other folks are getting is a crock. But getting paid to go to Berkeley is still pretty cool at any level, no? Anyway, there's still time if you haven't heard from some of your other schools. Maybe a more compelling offer will come along.

In at UT-Austin, but no funding. Financial crisis! *Fists*

Yes, it's beginning to look grim on the Stanford front. When do we call it? Last year it looks like there was an admit a few days after the initial rush, which I suppose is a good sign. I expect this prompted a flurry of spam checking. No luck on my end. Yet another desperate hope dashed.

Maybe somebody came in to work extra early this morning because there are so many acceptance calls to make! A guy can dream.

I think that if there had been any motion from UNC we would have heard about it--the gradcafe's web of informants is pretty broad this year. Congrats to all you Berkeley folks--I wasn't really expecting to get in, but nevertheless the silence in my inbox feels like the cancellation of Christmas.

I can confirm the business about Emory calling some folks in for interviews--they called me yesterday and asked me to visit sometime between Feb 19 and 21. I've had plenty of professional interviews and usually done pretty well, but I'm honestly not too sure what to expect from an academic interview like this. Any thoughts?

Hi everybody, I've been waiting for this thread to pop up, and here it is, sprung fully-formed from winter break! I've already posted my stats in another thread, but I want to get in on this action, so here goes: GPA: 3.92 from the University of Pittsburgh Honors degree, summa cum laude GRE: 800v, 660q, 5.5w I researched and wrote an honors thesis from 2006-2008. The topic is in the field I want to study (comparative politics, post-communist politics) and is being published by the University, though only electronically. I've also published a piece in the University's political magazine (competitive, but not faculty reviewed) and served as a senior editor of that magazine, and had a paper published through the university's Undergraduate Research Symposium. I just received a fellowship to work as a researcher in DC for the next six months, and have a couple other national and University-related fellowships and awards to my name, but nothing exceptionally prestigious. I've got decent Russian language skills, and spent a semester studying the language in Moscow. My LORs should be solid--respected faculty who know me fairly well. As far as I'm concerned, the statement of purpose is a complete gamble. But I presented my case as best I could. My writing sample is a chapter of my thesis, dealing with political parties in Russia. I'm applying to: Berkeley Stanford Washington University in St. Louis UT-Austin UNC-Chapel Hill Cornell Indiana-Bloomington Emory Iowa GWU Fingers crossed to get in to at least one. Good luck, everybody!

It's a tricky business, you know? Particularly the business about selling yourself to a particular professor or professors. I can deal with describing myself well enough, and my 'purpose,' but trying to write a statement that makes a particular professor want to go to bat for me on the admissions committee is a trick. How do you get beyond something like "this is what I want to do, which is very similar to what you do, and I've read your latest/most impressive work and it was pretty good."?

Longtime lurker (dating back to my casual, and fruitless, application to graduate school last year), and while I'm sitting here typing out statements of purpose, I thought I'd join the conversation. I'm applying for PhD programs in comparative (focusing on post-communist transitions), and I'm shooting pretty high. I only have two or three schools on my list that I think I have a fairly decent shot at, the rest are pretty much rolling the dice. My applications are going to UT-Austin, Emory, Cornell, Berkeley, Stanford, Indiana-Bloomington, WUSTL, Yale, UNC-Chapel Hill and U of Iowa. I'll be graduating from a decent regional university in December, with an honors research degree. My thesis, which I researched and wrote over two years, will be published electronically by the university. I have a few other lesser publications to my name, as well as several awards, scholarships, and fellowships. I've served on the editorial board of a student political magazine that holds itself to a pretty high standard. My GPA will be 3.92 overall, and 3.89 in my major (joint Political Science and Philosophy degree). GRE: 800 v; 660 q; 5.5 writing. Obviously quantitative is not my strength. I'm currently taking a graduate course on comparative politics methodology. My letters of recommendation should be decent, and the SoP is a struggle, but I have high hopes. I'd welcome any thoughts or suggestions, and I'll keep everyone posted when those rejections start rolling in. I remember that was the most interesting (read, frantic) part last year.