Sorry for the title! I actually have several questions regarding PhD applications.
I'm a rising fourth-year undergraduate student currently attending one of the top public universities in the US. I'm an international student, and I'm planning to apply for PhD programs in the US, with the CP subfield. As I didn't decide to apply until my third year, I don't have RA experience in polisci... My research experience mainly consists of my coursework (research papers for classes) and my honors thesis (which I will be doing in the next academic year). Currently, there is one RA opportunity available, and the professor's expertise aligns with my regional focus, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea to pursue an RA position in the application cycle......
Also, as I am doing my school research, I realized that my topical interests are not popular within my regional focus. Most of the faculty focusing on my regional interest are not doing my topical interests. Usually I'm faced with a trade-off... In considering "fit" to a department, do regional or topical interests matter more?
Thanks to anyone replying to my questions!!!
