[LSU poli sci (theory)]

Very frustrating. The department will have to decide *something* soon, even if they don't have the kind of money they hoped for.

@Molchanov - I'll be attending Georgetown for theory...can't wait to start. Best of luck to you!

[LSU poli sci (theory)]

justntime - If you don't mind my asking, did you hear about funding? I never heard a thing, despite sending several emails.

[LSU poli sci (theory)]

I turned down the offer from LSU this weekend. Hopefully that will free up what little funds they have.

[Georgetown Govt Open House]

Is anyone going to Georgetown's Open House for admitted students next Friday? Is anyone familiar enough with the area to offer hotel suggestions?

[LSU poli sci (theory)]

Ah, great. I kind of figured as much, though. I'll post when I hear something about funding.

[LSU poli sci (theory)]

I received an acceptance letter last week, but no word on funding. How did you find out that you were on the waitlist?

[Political Science - Fall 2011 Cycle]

Received an email about an hour ago from professor/graduate advisor at LSU notifying me of acceptance. She said they haven't determined assistantships or funding yet, but the committee will be meeting over the next few weeks to decide. No mention of a visitation day for admitted students.

[Political Science - Fall 2011 Cycle]

lasthope - Did the grad coordinator at LSU agree to give you your status over the phone? I emailed last week and tried calling yesterday, but had to leave a voicemail.

[Political Science - Fall 2011 Cycle]

I received an unfunded offer of admission from Georgetown about two weeks ago via email. Official letter to follow soon.

[Political Science - Fall 2011 Cycle]

Also waiting on LSU for theory. According to the results board, acceptances came out around this time last year.

[Political Science - Fall 2011 Cycle]

Woke up this morning to back-to-back rejections via email - Chicago and WashU. 

[How important is an Open House for admitted students?]

Ack, my earlier post made it seem like I was only interested in attending for the possibility of getting money, which isn't the case. Just wondering if events like this one are worth attending, even if it means changing some big plans.

[How important is an Open House for admitted students?]

I just received an acceptance email from Georgetown and an invitation to their Open House for admitted students. I didn't receive funding, so I thought attending the open house and meeting a few professors might help my chances in securing funding. Unfortunately, I'm scheduled to be out of the country for the next few months to study Italian in Florence and will have to miss the scheduled open house day. How important are these days for admitted students? Is there any chance I could network a bit for funding? My program in Italy is purely for enjoyment, interesting experience, etc. It's something I've been looking forward to, but I recognize that it might be better for me to cancel my plans overseas, visit Georgetown, and figure out if it's the right place for me.

Thoughts? Advice?

[Political Science - Fall 2011 Cycle]

No mention of funding at all. Does that mean they have no more to offer? Have other Georgetown admits received funding info yet?

[Chances at MSU, Boston, Claremont, Toronto, etc.]

I heard from a few grad students at Toronto that Orwin has altered his research focus over the past few years. He now does Old Testament and Jewish thought almost exclusively (Jerusalem over Athens for my Straussian friends out there).

[Political Science - Fall 2011 Cycle]

Just got into Georgetown for theory! Received an email from the graduate coordinator. No word on funding though, but I'm still ecstatic!

[Boston College F'11 Political Theory]

Same result as above: rejected from PhD, admitted to MA.

[Boston College F'11 Political Theory]

I also applied to BC for theory but haven't heard anything yet. I know they rarely accept applicants directly into the PhD program; most qualified applicants are offered a place in the unfunded MA program.

[Writing sample in subject outside of field]

Thanks for the replies! I feel much better about the writing sample now.

[Writing sample in subject outside of field]

This might be a dumb question, but I'll ask it anyway.

I've got 2 options for my writing sample:

Option 1 - 12 page undergraduate term paper related to specific area of interest. I wrote it roughly four years ago, early in my undergraduate career, but I've been editing and rewriting a bit here and there. Nonetheless, I think the paper still reads very much like undergraduate work. The scope is very limited, and it's clear to me that I've grown a lot in my thought and writing since then.

Option 2 - 20 page paper submitted for coursework in MA program. I attended a MA program in Liberal Arts that is fairly well-known and has a good reputation within the academy. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary work, and all subjects sort of bleed into one another. This specific paper was nominated for the school's top paper prize, but while I treat "politics" in the paper, the subject is out of my field. Still, it's well-written and well-argued, and I'm proud of it.

What should I do? Will adcomms fail to take me seriously if I submit something only tangentially related to my field? Is it better to submit the better paper regardless of the subject matter? I have been working to fix up my undergraduate paper, but now that we're down the wire I really don't know that it's good enough to submit.

[Please address both strengths and weaknesses...]

One of my schools asks that each applicant "address both strengths and weakness in preparation for graduate study" in the SoP. I've got a pretty solid draft of my statement, but I didn't mention anything about weaknesses. Does anyone ever actually answer this question? Do admissions committees really expect an answer?

i wonder how often they get a SoP about how the candidate is "too motivated" and "too focused."

[sample SOPS?]

Thanks, strokeofmidnight. This advice was very helpful. I applied to PhD programs a few years ago before entering my MA program, but my SoP wasn't very forward-looking. I pretty much reiterated everything that was on my CV, and I know now that that's the wrong approach. I'll focus more on present and future projects this time around.

[sample SOPS?]

I know many of you may be wary of doing this, but I'm looking to read a statement of purpose or two from humanities applicants. I'm applying for Fall 2011 for political theory. I've read a few SoPs from poli sci applicants, but all the paragraphs about quantitative methods and research approaches don't really offer me much guidance. What kind of things do humanities applicants highlight in SoPs? How much should I discuss potential research projects?

Does anyone have a SoP he/she would be willing to share? I've got no interest in plagiarizing a statement of purpose (is that even possible?). I'm just looking for a bit of guidance from applicants with similar interests.

Thanks.

[sample SOPs?]

I know many of you may be wary of doing this, but I'm looking to read a statement of purpose or two from humanities applicants. I'm applying for Fall 2011 for political theory. I've read a few SoPs from poli sci applicants, but all the paragraphs about quantitative methods and research approaches don't really offer me much guidance. What kind of things do humanities applicants highlight in SoPs? How much should I discuss potential research projects?

Does anyone have a SoP he/she would be willing to share? I've got no interest in plagiarizing a statement of purpose (is that even possible?). I'm just looking for a bit of guidance from applicants with similar interests.

Thanks.

[Low quant scores for theory applicant]

Thanks for the responses. I'm studying GRE math right now and will be taking the exam at the end of October.