Alun

Thank you so much, JLRC for your information. I was only looking at Comm. program before you mentioned the other one. I just had a look at its website and was trying to compare the two programs.

Anyone who knows anything about the Communication Ph.D. programs at these two universities (their strenghs, ranking and reputations etc.) Which one is better? Thanks a lot !

Asking for help from people with experience...I'm targeting at 2013 fall admission, and the application cycle will probably start in Sept. My TOEFL score is gonna expire on 28th, August, shortly before the cycle officially starts. Can I still use it for 2013 fall admission if I have ETS delivered my score before it expired? Will the score be considered valid during the material-reviewing process (when the cycle is closed)?

Thanks so much. But how could I know the general research interest /field of a department? By going over the profiles and articles of the professors? What if the professors' interests differ greatly, or professors' publications are not shown on the school's website...?

Does Cornell have a program officically called International Relations at all? Or does IR in Cornell only mean regional studies like East Asian politics?

Hi, everyone. I'm a new poster who's now struggling to make a decision as to which program I should apply. I'm an international student from China with a IR major from a nationally recognized university, and an average score of around 90/100 for all major courses. I've got several awards from national and international collegiate competitions, but no research experience so far... My GRE score: 680 V, 740 M, W 5; Toefl is 117/120...In general, my academic performance in college is outstanding among my classmates, but there's nornally no research opportunity available for undergraduates in our school. And so I'm asking the question: 1, Is there any chance of getting into a decent PhD program without prior research experiences? 2, Is a Master's Program in Poli Sci relatively easier to get into than a PhD, particularly when an applicant lacks research experience? As you all know, many prestigious universities simply don't provide M.A programs in Poli Sci or IR ( Despite the fact that MPA or MPP programs are numerous...), and even if there are any, generally no funding is accessible... What should I do?? I'm really confused. Btw, I heard some say that an applicant should try to establish connections or at least contacts with professors from the targeting programs. Is it a must? If so, it seems that it's even harder for me to get into a PhD program...