SansSociety

A lot of funded US programs in IR generally admit students with the intention of getting a PhD. It's a nuanced point but bear this in mind when you apply. A masters component is usually woven in, but its generally a formality for the PhD itself. Most good programs generally provide funding for international applicants. A good place to start is US News and World Report's Graduate Rankings.

I think the advice about the process being a bit unpredictable is valid. Since you're interested in the political economy of development, I think I can provide some advice, given that I'm about the pursue a PhD in that field as well. First, know that as a a sub-discipline, it's covered relatively less than the others out there by the "top 30" departments. Some places have people working on it, other places do not. So in this regard, fit is an absolute must. Secondly, make sure you indicate what you think political science's contributions to the study of economic development is, with regard to the relevant debates on this, etc. The development literature is fairly diverse and its easy to get mixed up, methodologically - I know I did. In terms of chances, it's difficult to say. I don't see any red flags, but know that there are many qualified applicants with amazing stats that get turned down. Much your success will come down to what kinds of questions you are interested in answering and how good you are in asking social science questions. The statement of purpose is so important in demonstrating this. Just know that it's a very competitive process at many places and that you will be up against some amazing people out there. Best of luck.

What's with the nastiness on this board? I don't know why people have the incentive to burn bridges at this point in the game. People like SOOT are your potential colleagues....

I was in your shoes last year. I got totally pummeled last year but thankfully got into a good masters program. I applied this year and got rejected almost everywhere again (goes to show you how competitive it is), but got into two fantastic programs. One was from a school that rejected me the previous, and its was much tougher this year (+100 applications this time). If I can do it, I think you can too. My advice is if you do decide to turn your offer down, make sure to spend your time doing something constructive for the year - besides just your applications. Maybe look into getting a job or internship close to your field, or something that might allow you to get more research experience. I flirted with the idea of being a research assistant (for free) for my advisor, while holding down a gig at starbucks. It also might be worthwhile to apply for Masters programs next year and wait it out 2-3 years before you apply again. Applications could be that bad next year, in which case a Masters would make you competitive for the programs you wanted to get into. Good luck.

The recent financial crisis and subsequent global policy response has demonstrated that the relevant interests of Political Science and Economics will continue to merge. Within this academic intersection, I wish to study the politics of economic development, focusing on the role of the state during the process of economic change. I examined this topic in my senior thesis (chapters of which are attached to my application). It was a case study on the state’s role in economic development in Vietnam. This project represents the culmination of an intellectual interest that stems from my early experiences as a child in Vietnam. Consequently, with this personal narrative in mind, my academic background (which includes postgraduate studies at the London School of Economics) and future research interests indicate that I have both the resolve and competence to pursue a PhD in Government at Cornell. Having spent part of my early life in Vietnam (a poor country only now undergoing economic transition), I developed an interest in understanding how politics shaped economic outcomes. Seeing the sharp material differences between the United States and Vietnam led to an intrinsic sense that more was at play than sheer chance. It was upon studying comparative politics (especially the political economy of East Asia) that I realized the importance of the state and government policymaking in facilitating growth and development. Personal experiences and coursework persuaded me to undertake a funded honors thesis that analyzed the capacity of the Vietnamese government to act as a “developmental state,” a lens of study borrowed from Chalmers Johnson, Ezra Vogel and Atul Kohli. I concluded that it did not act as one, even though the government claimed to provide a middle ground between capitalism and socialism. This project provided an important initial glimpse of the thrills of academic research and influenced my decision to pursue my intellectual curiosities further. I am now undertaking an MSc in the Political Economy of Late Development at the London School of Economics (LSE). The program is allowing me to deepen my understanding of the economic history and politics of development. In the development institute, I am fortunate to be studying under Robert Wade, who has provided me with a nuanced picture of the contemporary debates surrounding development. LSE has helped sharpen my understanding of the myriad of alternatives for growth and development – strengthening my resolve to pursue a PhD. Building upon theories encountered in prior research and courses, I want to be a part of the fascinating debate between neo-classical economics and state-led economic growth theories. I believe there is room for a middle ground that engages both sides. The examples of beneficial state-interventions in Japan, Taiwan and South Korea – where industrial policies also incorporated economic performance benchmarks – support a positive role for the state, while the recent demand for privatization in these countries demonstrates the salience of liberal economics. The space for academic inquiry comes from understanding the political incentives and conditions that support benevolent state developmentalism, as well as the sequencing of reforms in this process of economic transition. Regionally, I want to focus on the contemporary politics of development in Southeast Asia because it represents a terrific test-bed for research – it is a region with countries on the verge of rich-nation status, and I already have working linguistic and political knowledge of one rising country in the region. However, as my thesis also included comparisons with other countries, these interests could evolve into cross-national comparative studies that include Africa and Latin America, in addition to Southeast Asia. I wish to measure why states choose to guide the process of economic development, focusing on the international and political variables that induce policy and/or institutional reform, using the developmental state theorem as an analytical lens. Some states choose to be predatory or allow themselves to be captured by multinational interests; I want to understand how domestic and international political variables influence some governments to be growth- oriented, while dissuading others. Regarding policies, I want to decipher the causality and proper sequencing of reforms: Does liberalization coincide with development? Or does development lead to demands for liberalization? Patterns of interest group formation (consumer or business- oriented) could serve as indicators for understanding this process. To sum up, I want to pursue research concerning two possible relationships. In the first, my independent variables are international and political factors, with my dependent variable being the outcome of state developmentalism. In the second, patterns of interest group formation serve as the independent variable, with the dependent variable being economic liberalization. On top of coursework I will take at your department, I have taken courses in economics, statistics and social science research methods, which provide a good starting point to answer these possible research questions. The strengths of the department of Government in the fields of comparative political economy, Southeast Asian politics as well as the opportunities for interdisciplinary studies available through the university influenced my decision to apply to Cornell. These aspects, combined with the top-notch research training I will receive will allow me to become a strong scholar and university professor. The faculty also has scholars interested in Southeast Asian political economy (in particular, Thomas Pepinsky) and others who are interested in development and comparative political economy. Their expertise will allow me to accomplish my research agenda. Additionally, I am drawn to the opportunities provided through interdisciplinary studies at Cornell. The Southeast Asian program will allow me to utilize resources from the university that will add depth to my research. My academic narrative and prior research experiences should indicate that I have the competence and drive to succeed in your program. I hope to be able to join the vibrant academic community at Cornell. Thank you for the consideration. Hope this helps. LOL, SuddenlyParanoid, your SOP will be canonized as THE SOP by which all others are judged, given this year.

What a night. Came back from McDonalds (had the munchies) just after a night of drinking - to sort of celebrate my phone interview with Emory (just feeling good to go through with it) - and then to receive an email from Cornell. It's in comparative politics. Tally thus far. Rejected: Stanford, Berkeley, NYU (Likely), Princeton, Wisconsin, UC Irvine (from advisor back at alma mater), Northwestern, UPenn (likely), Columbia (likely), Chicago (likely). Interview: Emory. Waiting: Brown, MIT. So if my story can be an inspiration for anyone, all I can say is all it takes it one. Stay positive folks. I'm happy beyond belief.

I think buried in the OP's thread is the idea that the other thread has some individuals who moan their situations, even after receiving offers from top programs (in some cases top 10). People like that really discouraged me. Its interesting that more often than not, the posts that had encouraging comments for others, came from people who had the least options. Most people are fairly cordial (so the most people were pricks comment was a bit unreasonable), but I do agree that there were some who still wanted more and were ridiculously neurotic even after getting into places like Michigan, Stanford, Berkeley, etc. That was my impression anyways.

This cheered me up. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=470421985385 Seriously, I think there are doors open for us, even if we by chance don't get into any schools. I mean shoot, we all have or will have at least a bachelors degree. That's still something, I think.

I can empathize with the sentiment. I'd rather get an impersonal rejection letter sent along with the acceptances. They're playing with people's lives/sanity.

As someone who got one of those spots (that makes 4 here on gradcafe), I'm still a bit nerve-wracked at this point. They're going to schedule me for an interview, yet I've no clear idea the likelihood of being admitted. No matter how large the applicant pool was for Emory, getting this far hasn't made possibly being out at Northwestern, NYU and Berkeley feel any better.... I'm like in the biggest limbo - uncertain good news balanced with possible bad news Perhaps I'm being a bit pessimistic. Any other Emory applicants feel the same way?

I also struck out for all the programs I applied for. 9 PhD programs and 2 Masters. I even was rejected from Michigan Ford School for their MPP program. At this point, I'm grateful I got into LSE for their program in the Political Economy of Late development. I'm probably not going to be funded but at least its something. It's extremely frustrating to know you spent all the time and money to get out of it so little - but honestly, none of us would have grown as a result of this experience. This year has confirmed to me that one needs to work smarter, not harder, when it comes to this sorta thing. I'm in the same boat with you FenderPete. My thesis could have been better and my bank account would have been larger had I not applied but that's the nature of the beast. There are not too many avenues in life where you get paid to study what you love and so the competition is stiff for graduate school. All of us will end up where we belong and enjoy what we do. We might just have to take a path we never envisioned.

Ford School. Go Wolverines!

I applied to Yale, Cornell, UCSD, UCLA, Berkeley, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and USC. Oh well... We'll see what happens... Getting the axe from Cornell really hurt - it seemed to be the best fit of the bunch I heard from..

State Capacity and the Politics of Economic Development in Vietnam. .... And I've got nothing to be optimistic about on the graduate school front. I think I'm gonna need to start job hunting.