wannabee

I am curious about this too. I scanned the acceptance thread from last year but there were so few numbers listed that it's impossible to do any real comparisons. Still, the very few listed represent a slightly downward trend.. U minn 250 (2010) 200+ (2011) GWU 450 (2010) 350 (2011) Cornell 450 (2010) 393 (2011) What is intriguing is that Cornell's rejection letter, despite the lower numbers this year, indicated that it was the "most competitive" pool they have ever had. I suppose they could just be trying to make people feel good, or it could be an honest statement that the quality of the pool is going up. This would make admissions tougher even without higher numbers. After all, if people end up applying two or three years in a row (which seems common now), I assume they are doing something to improve their credentials in that interim time. And others intentionally don't apply straight out of undergrad, because they know how competitive things are and want to improve their credentials first. That was definitely my situation. I decided to do an area studies or language program to strengthen my application in comparative. There were also several schools that indicated the number of students admitted was lower and/or that less funding would be available. All of these referred to increasing budget constraints. Not surprising, they were state schools. Given what is going on politically in various states, perhaps we can expect to see even more of this lowering of admit numbers or funding next year? Just a guess. Another possible complication is basic demographics. When does the last "bump" of the children of baby boomers kick through the system? I also wonder about federal funding. I've seen mention that there is a large cut proposed for Critical Language Scholarships, which is a summer program. Perhaps there will be similar cuts in Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships, which could also affect some comparative people. So while the sheer number of applicants plays the largest role in this process, I think we need to keep other factors in mind as well.

I've written you a private message. Austin, Texas is nothing like the place you are imagining it to be. It is vibrant and alive and overall leans left. Even the rest of Texas is changing. I grew up in Houston and am definitely to the left. It is just a matter of years until the entire state swings its political allegiance, because we are now the second state (along with California) where minorities are going to be the majority, which is just fine with me.

Yes, and no. Don't you have to look beyond the one school? I've been admitted to 4.5 programs (possibly 5.5 if I really luck out). If I accept one of those and turn down the rest (which is the goal I am working towards), won't someone hopefully get something out of that? If I had a decent math background, I could express this in quantifiable terms (sorry, I can't). Plus, some people have been admitted to a whole string of programs--many more than I have--and will be turning all those down shortly, except for one. I can't attend the recruit weekends because I am in Egypt. We are scrambling to make up four weeks of "lost" classes. So I am going through his process of making a final decision several weeks earlier than most. I've already withdrawn an application from one program. If it's like last year, we'll see more posts like mine--people declining offers--at the end of March and early April, and other people getting into their waitlisted schools or being awarded funding. At least, I hope so. For me, this whole process has been sobering. I got lucky but a lot of really good people didn't. Application numbers are crazy! I took some random notes through this process and jotted down the figures as to number of applicants... Harvard 450 Stanford 375 or 700, depending on what post you go by Berkeley 400+ Columbia 600 Cornell 350+ Brown 300+ Vanderbilt 200+ WashU 150+ UMinnesota 200+ British Columbia 200+ IllUrbana 130 From what The Realist told us, the admit committees are aware they are in "over their heads" in the sense that they are seeing many people who would make strong additions to their programs but not anywhere near enough slots. Too many people are getting crunched by these unreal numbers.

I received a funded offer from Brown (actually I beleve they fund everyone they accept)and I just turned it down today. I do this with some sorrow as the faculty I would have studied with are great people. I am in comparative with a concentration in the Middle East. I hope this will help someone here leap off the waitlist.

Received the expected Chicago rejection for the PhD. Offered admission for the MA in the Committee on International Relations with no funding.

If things don't work out this year (I hope they will!), have you considered the language departments at Georgetown and University of Texas?

There is an acceptance up for the PhD in Middle Eastern Studies at UT. There actually isn't a doctorate in Middle Eastern Studies at UT Austin, but there is a doctorate for several language programs: Arabic, Persian, Hebrew. I'm assuming this is what the poster meant. Has anyone else heard about admissions in Middle Eastern languages (especially Arabic) at UT. This isn't for me, but a friend.

Don't count on this. There are too many people applying for you to bank on getting in with a low score. Study like crazy and take the test again. You'll have the summer to do this. It is definitely worth it. Also use the summer to make a preliminary list of schools and even start working on the statement of purpose. I did not realize how time consuming the entire process is and, although I'm very happy with my results, I would have had a calmer life if I had started much earlier.

Congratulations! Melani Cammett seems like she would be a great advisor.

Many thanks for the suggestions and advice, especially Realist and Penelope. I have been pushing for so long to get into a program that it is hard to put "pushing" on hold! But I can definitely think of more pleasant things to do with my summer.

Perhaps the "hold" on Chicago rejections is that they are considering some students for the one-year master's programs, some with tuition waivers? This has happened in the past.

Rosie - Are you a Georgetown admit in American? I don't believe that was posted before. If so, congrats! I am still waiting to hear in comparative.

Last year I was admitted to UT Austin with a FLAS fellowship. I chose to attend CASA but the program and faculty sounded quite good. Be aware, however, that you have to file a separate application for "common funding",which is mailed to them by December 15 (in addition to the normal online application for admission). I was particularly interested because UT offers a doctorate in Arabic so they have some strong classes in that area. Because of the location, this program may be a little easier for admission than some of the others you've listed. I would definitely consider it to guarantee you have a range of schools, which I feel is essential in this market.

Need some help and advice. My quant background is minimal. I am in comparative with an undergrad degree in area studies. My gpa, language preparation, and references are strong, and I am fortunate to be admitted to two good programs. As far as I know,neither program has a "math camp" but I will check on that. My own future work and close advisors will definitely have a qualitative orientation, but I know I need to sharpen my background in terms of math to be able to read and understand the literature in the field. However, I only took basic college statistics and before that AP calculus. (Who knows how much I even remember?) My verbal GRE is much higher (99%) than my quant (66%), and I have not taken any formal econ. I am thinking that I should make time before grad school to strengthen my skills to make my path a little easier. I am uncertain which way to go and, since I have taken no real poli sci courses outside of those focusing on my chosen region, I don't even have an undergrad faculty member to approach. Once I determine where I am going, I will correspond with the Director of Graduate Studies to get his/her advice. Meanwhile I'd like to start thinking about my options. Should I take calculus at the local community college? Or a refresher in statistics? Or maybe linear algebra...if I can even qualify for that? What about MIT's online graduate level course?-- Quantitative Research in Political Science and Public Policy taught by Prof. Stephen Ansolabehere. http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/political-science/17-872-quantitative-research-in-political-science-and-public-policy-spring-2004/ I believe one poster said he worked his way through Simon's Mathematics for Economists. http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Economists-Carl-P-Simon/dp/0393957330 If anyone--prospective or current grad student, or a faculty member--has any ideas on this, I would appreciate some suggestions. I should be home at the end of May for the summer and will have time then.

Green Bean, Hope 313 and others still waiting, I want to second the sentiments expressed by Bukharan. This process is not over yet. You still have a shot. Plus, I know from experience that rejection at a "lower-ranked" school does not mean that you are automatically excluded from your reach. I have a mixture of applications in Poli Sci and area studies. I was rejected from several programs that I really thought were good fits in terms of my interests and credentials. Yet at the same time, I have been accepted with funding at the one school on my list that I never thought I could get into. I can not explain this and I am grateful but I do know it can happen. I also made it back to my program in Cairo. Yeah!

I claim the other Princeton rejection.

I guess what I would say is this. Deciding between "top programs" really isn't any different than deciding between any two (or more) progams that are roughly regarded as being at the same ranking level. This is true if the two programs are considered to be "top ten", in the twenty to thirty range, or any other range you can name. Basically, the whole issue of "rank" is removed from the equation and you are left to weigh other factors: fit in terms of program requirements and research specialists, accessibility of advisors, any physical resouces available in your particular specialty, past job placement records, and, to some degree, questions of desirability of location and the full social implications of that. I am not in your boat. I am still waiting on a number of applications. I am extremely grateful to have two great acceptance, but they are "further apart" on the ranking scale. Rank definitely has to count for something. Still, I believe that either offer could get me professionally to where I want to be. What has impressed me about my situation at one school is how accessible and welcoming the faculty have been. In my own case, I won't be able to make the campus recruit weekend but one professor is making arrangements to meet with me abroad in the midst of a very busy schedule on a short trip. Of couse, we've all heard "horror stories" about faculty who welcome you before acceptance and then do a disappearing act, but I am getting genuine good vibes from a number of professors at this school. That does make a difference to me and this will be a major factor in my own decision. So generally I'd say, use your common sense and don't get too hung up on a program's prestige. It's nice to have the "luxury" of selecting from highly ranked schools, since you are fairly certain that the programs can get you to your professional goals. However, all faculty (and grad students)are human beings, and you can't live on "prestige" alone. When schools are similarly ranked, you've got to figure out whether you are going to be comfortable enough to stick out the bad times and finish in a reasonable number of years. Good luck on your decision. P.S. Plane got delayed by hours yesterday so I had to be rescheduled for today to make my connections in Europe. Still trying to get back to my current program!

Hey, I will be headed to Yale this fall. I just got into the PhD. program in comparative politics. I plan to focus on the Middle East as I graduated with an MES major undergrad and I see that you have an interest in that area as well. I will be in Egypt until the end of May but will be visitng Yale in June. See you around.

Ditto here....

One of the Penn rejections is mine.

"Justifiable" and "Ineligible"? I do not even know what those words mean, given the context in which they were being used. Did they include any explanation? If not, I would write and calmly ask for clarification. Surely they owe you at least that much. If I was a student who had an acceptance at this school, I would seriously wonder if I would even want to go there. GPA is such an open and shut thing. How could this happen if the committee takes its work seriously?

One other question/comment about writing samples....that is the whole question of length. There is such variety that I had to keep scrambling to come up with something different. Yale, for example, said that if you do submit a paper, it should be no longer than 10 pages. Other departments to which I applied stipulated 20-25 pages. Finally, there was UChicago. I contacted them and they indicated I could send in my entire BA thesis by mail, which is what I did. Looking back (and considering my assumed rejection at Chicago), I wonder if the latter was not my best representation given that committee members have time limitations. I might have been better off selecting one chapter to polish as I did with other programs. But who knows?

I am also in an odd situation. I am happy and grateful to say that I received two acceptances--one of these programs has a recruit weekend in March. I am still waiting on five applications. This year I am studying in Cairo. I would normally be willing to fly back for 6 days in March (4 days in transit, 2 days on the ground), even if I had to pay for the ticket, but my schedule has been thrown into confusion because of the political situation. I was halfway back to school after winter break but never made it through to Cairo before our program was suspended. Our classes normally meet on Tahrir Square. Two days ago, I received notice that our program is resuming and I will be flying out this Thursday. Because the semester will be shortened, my course work will be condensed and concentrated. It was challenging to begin with and I am certain it will be even more so now! There is no way that I could miss so many days of classes. I hope my school(s) will understand. An interesting situation for someone to be in who wants to specialize in the politics of the Middle East!

Does anyone know when the admittances and/or rejections for the doctoral program at Columbia normally come out? This is for the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies.

My congrats to all the Harvard admits. But especially Tufnel! GopherGrad-- I have my fingers crossed for Marquette for you.