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Thanks for the advice. I guess I shouldn't include the philosophy thing, and the one about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will only be on the CVs I send to the more conflict-oriented programs I'm applying to.

What kind of extracurricular activities should be included in my resume, if I'm applying for Political Science and Communications programs? I have two activities in particular that I wonder whether or not to include - one was a group that combined studying Jewish and general philosophy with volunteering, and another is a group focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Also, if I do include them, how much space should I devote to describing what I did as part of these activities?

Thanks for the advice. I will e-mail them. Too bad not all universities accept scanned transcripts.

Here are some things you can do to find a program that fits you: My first step was checking out where the people whose articles I used for my thesis are faculty members. Do a Google search for your research topic, and add "site:.edu", so it will only give you results from universities. Consult with professors at your current program. Visit communications programs' websites and look at the faculty's interests. You might find people you didn't find during steps 1-3. You can definitely apply before your MA is done.

Here's a problem I have because of certain universities requiring that transcripts be sent to them directly from my former university's registrar: If I have my transcripts sent before I fill out the online application form (and even before some programs' applications are available), will my trascripts be saved by the admissions office, or will they discard them because they won't have my name on file, and I'd have to send the transcripts again? I'm asking because I need some transcripts right now. Because of the way the university charges for transcripts, I'd save approximately the equivalent of $100 if I order all copies at once.

I'm an Israeli, and I've never heard of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism. As for the IDC, it's a well-known private college. It isn't a university - and in Israel, there is a big difference between colleges and universities. Colleges are more focused on teaching undergraduates and aren't as good academically as universities, which focus on research. So if you want a respectable Israeli degree, go to a university. Hebrew University and Tel-Aviv University are considered the best universities in Israel (other than the Technion and Weitzman Institute, but those two only have exact sciences). You'd have to check field specific rankings, but I know that in social sciences generally Israeli universities are very good. They're not Harvard or Cambridge, but they are at the same level as other first-tier American and British universities. Hebrew U. and TAU are are in the 101-150 range in PoliSci, for instance, according to this ranking.

Let me ask more specific questions: Would an article in the International Journal of Communication look good on my resume? What about the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media? What tiers would you say these journals are in?

Here's the thing: I have two Masters degrees, one in PoliSci and one in literature (creative writing). I thought it might be odd if none of my recommenders come from the literature department, since that is the latest degree I've achieved. Besides, I want to emphasize the fact that I have two MAs and have a wide range of knowledge from different disciplines. Of the Lit faculty members who taught me, the writer knows me best, even if he isn't familiar with my research capabilities. Even the Lit professors for whom I've written seminar papers don't know my research capabilities beyond that one paper each one read, so I thought it might not matter much whether it will be the writer or a full-on Lit academic. In short, these are the three possibilities for recommender No. 3 that I have to choose between (keep in mind that recommenders No. 1 & 2 are from PoliSci and communications): 1) The prose writer with the rank of professor 2) A Lit professor who gave me a great grade on a paper but doesn't know me much beyond that 3) Another PoliSci professor who is more familiar with my research (meaning, no letter writer will address my time in the Literature MA program).

I'm applying to PoliSci and communications programs. Would it be appropriate to ask a well-known literary figure to write one of my recommendation letters? He knows me quite well from writing classes, and he hold the title of professor at my university, though he doesn't have a Ph.D. and he isn't a researcher (neither is he familiar with my own research). However, since the other two letter writers know my research capabilities, maybe it's okay. What do you think?

During my MA, I was a TA in a statistics for PoliSci class, and I was no expert. The students whose other major was economics or psychology had already taken much more advanced statistics courses in those departments and often seemed to know more than I did. Here's what I've learned - if you don't know an answer, just say that you'll have to look into it to make sure, and really do look into it and give the answer a few days later. Don't make things up, for two reasons. One, the smart students will notice you're wrong. The other reason is that if they use what you said in a paper or test and get points deducted for it, they'll complain. Now, it seems your situation is much better than mine. My only background in statistics was taking that same course as an undergrad a few years earlier. In your case, you have a whole degree on the subject under your belt. You'll probably get the hang of it pretty quickly. You'll also see how much time you need to dedicate to the TAship and how much to your own studies. I can't say how you should divide your time, since it is very different from person to person and from course to course.

I have an MA (with a thesis) in PoliSci and an MA in literature (creative writing), and am now applying to PoliSci and Communications Ph.D programs. I've already decided to ask two people to write letters. One will be a communications professor who taught me as an undergrad and who later judged my PoliSci thesis, the other will be my former advisor. Now the big question is who my third recommender will be. Would it look odd if none of my recommenders are from my other Masters, especially since it is the more recent one (though I finished them just one year apart)? Since it was a creative writing program, they didn't really get to see my research capabilities as much as the PoliSci people did.

I've written to a few professors and most of them have answered, saying that my research interests fit their program. One gave me a very detailed answer, including an attachment, so I'll definitely answer him. The question is this - am I also supposed to reply to those who have written me short answers, thanking them for their reply? Also, one person said to keep him posted about how my application proceeds. Does this mean he just wants me to let him know if I get accepted, or let him know when I've sent the application materials?

I'd like to publish an article based on my MA thesis. My advisor told me I should submit it to a second-tier journal in communications, but since she herself is from PoliSci, she can't recommend any journals. Are there any reliable Mass Comm journal rankings? Also, how do I know what the cutoff between tiers is (if the rankings themselves don't indicate the cut-off)?

Are you referring to the 2004 doctoral reputational study? As far as I know, even though seven years have gone by, it is still the most recent ranking of communication programs available. I couldn't find any others - and believe me, I've searched far and wide. US News & World Report does not rank Mass Comm programs.

I want to submit an article to a second-tier communications journal, but I have no idea what qualifies as second-tier. What's the cut-off between first-tier and second-tier (or between 2nd- and 3rd-tier)? Do you know of any reliable rankings available?

I have a B.A with honors and two M.A. degrees (one with honors, one without) from an Israeli university. The official transcripts provide a list of courses plus grades and my average, but there is no mention of the fact that I finished with honors. Does this mean that I also have to send an official translation of my diplomas?

What is the difference between Secondary Faculty and Adjuncts? Can members of either group serve as PhD advisers?

I'm visiting the United States soon and would like to meet potential advisers in departments of mass communications and PoliSci. I should stress that I haven't even applied yet. Would I be considered out of bounds if I e-mailed someone asking to meet with them? If this is acceptable, then do you have any tips about what I should write? Should I attach a CV?

I'm visiting the United States soon and would like to meet potential advisers, mostly in mass communications but also some in PoliSci. I should stress that haven't even applied yet. Would I be considered out of bounds if I e-mailed someone asking to meet with them? If this is acceptable, then do you have any tips about what I should write? Should I attach a CV?

I'm visiting the United States soon and would like to visit some of the universities I'm thinking of applying to. I would like to meet a few potential advisers as well. What is a good approach to getting professors interested in meeting me? Should I e-mail my CV or just describe my interests and how they fit their research (a kind of mini-Statement of Purpose)? Is it even common practice in political science and mass communications to do such a thing before even applying?

TOEFL is good for two years, so if you took that around the time you took the GRE, you'd need to take the TOEFL again, unless they're willing to wave it because you have an MS from an American university.

I'm not an engineer, but I can tell you that the cutoff date seems to be different at every university. I recently retook the TOEFL test because some of the universities I'm applying to wouldn't accept my scores while others would. For some, the cutoff is the application deadline, for others it is the beginning of the first semester. Since you took the GRE in September 2007, I'd guess you don't have to retake it. But to be safe, e-mail the admissions officers and ask.

I just retook the TOEFL test, both because my previous scores expire in November and because I wasn't happy with my speaking section score. I improved my score from 20 to 24 in this section. The question is whether this would be enough to allow me to work as a teaching assistant.

Thanks, I hope you're right.

The TOEFL test is good for two years. However, the question is what's the date that counts - the date you submit your application or the application deadline? In other words, let's say a school's application deadline is January 1, 2012, which is more than two years after I took the TOEFL, but I submit all application materials in September 2011, before the two years are up, is that alright?