brent09

(Emphasis mine.) To preface, I'm not an expert but I did re-apply this year with more success than last time. From what I learned, I would urge you to consider a few things: 1. Your stats are actually pretty good, assuming your GPA at your Texas school is high. Your UGPA should not be detrimental if you've done well in your MA program. 2. The range of schools is good. You don't really want to dip too low or placement will be very difficult. The more important question is how those schools fit with your interests. This is where strategy comes in. Don't apply to NYU, Rochester or WUSTL if you don't want to do methods/formal theory. Don't apply to UVA or Boston College if you want to do quantitative methods. This is best discussed with advisors and, if you're not getting sufficient guidance there, reach out to some POIs. Especially during the off-season, when faculty aren't being bombarded with prospective students, POIs can be helpful. And at the end of the day, most political scientists like being mentors, and will often give you guidance. 3. In the portion of your post I've quoted, you mention getting "familiar" with the field. That is very important. Adcoms want to be sure you know what you're getting into -- that you won't drop out because you thought political science was something it isn't. Your SOP should make clear that you understand the discipline and can place yourself comfortably in it. 4. I do not think job experience is that necessary. What is necessary is showing creativity and research potential. So independent work is a big deal -- it's the currency of academics. Collect your data, write papers and submit them to conferences. Prove to adcoms that you have what it takes to produce valuable research. 5. "Famous" LOR writers are overrated. Plenty of people from small, liberal arts schools with less focus on research manage to get into top-10 programs. Plenty of people with LOR writers from Harvard have been rejected at top-10 programs. In short: don't let LORs be an excuse. If you can ensure that your LOR writers are emphasizing your intellect, creativity and research potential, that's all you need. Ultimately, you'll need to take time to figure out if academics are what you want. If you decide in the affirmative, then yes! give it another shot. Plenty of us have, and it works. In that case, take the next year to perfect your SOP, find programs that fit your interests well, and keep churning out high-quality (and if possible, solo-authored) conference papers. If you can do that, and keep your graduate GPA very high, I think next time will treat you better.

Hey all: just wanted to say thanks for making the waiting game bearable. My season is over, just have to decide on a school. I'll check back in on everyone because I'm very excited to see how things turn out for all of you. After obsessively reading and posting for the past couple of months, though, I need a nice breather. Good luck, all! And don't let this tergellian take any more of your time. This whole affair crossed the line into ridiculous a long time ago. Stay strong!

The dynamics of this process are amazing. I've heard from everyone at this point (one rejection unofficial). Stay strong!

My advice: go to FSU and do really well. After you finish your first summer in the program, think about how happy you are. If you want to move up, then confide in an advisor and try to transfer. If you're happy, stay and enjoy it. FSU is a really incredible program with some wonderful people, and my money is on FSU making big moves in the next few years. Chances are good the FSU brand will be even stronger by the time you graduate than it will be when you begin in the program.

That MIT posting officially doomed me to a restive night.

That's... what she said...

I also agree that "spoilt kid" is a bridge too far in this conversation. That said, I can imagine this thread will generate a good bit of frustration amongst applicants who are getting mixed results, or really hoping for just one top program to accept them. Not to blame anyone for being successful -- many congratulations are in order! -- but I think the thread threatens to generate some resentment.

I would second a lot of the sentiments above. I am in the process of transferring right now, but from a top-50 to a top-10/15. In general, I've had more success than failure, but I've also learned that there can be some political elements to transferring. For your case, it seems like you have one DREAM school that you really want to attend. That sounds fair to me, so I say go for it. Remember two things, however: 1. Given your high quality as an applicant, it's unlikely that you'll do much in your first year to become more competitive; this might not be the case if your initial application were weak (e.g., methods deficient) and you could get through part of a methods sequence in Year 1. But as a strong applicant already, the first year coursework probably won't help that much. And in any case, it's unlikely that the benefits of a year at Michigan would outweigh costs of being a "transfer" applicant. 2. If there's one thing worse than having to ask for letters in your first year, it's coming back in the second year because you failed. Your new letter writers don't want to feel like you've "used" their program to springboard somewhere else. They might write good letters, but if (and this is always a chance) your transfer fails, you're stuck in a department for four more years with faculty who see you as someone who tried to jump ship (and couldn't even pull it off). As with anything, this is a question of how much risk (and for how much reward) you're willing to accept. If you decide to go for it, I'd advise you minimize the downside risks. The two things I was sure to do: 1. frame the case as fit, not prestige. You arrived at Michigan with certain interests, but now realize those are better served elsewhere. 2. Don't advertise your interest in transferring. Discuss it with the faculty you need, nobody else. Don't advertise it to your fellow students. Essentially, don't brand yourself as a defector. If the transfer doesn't work, you'll be stuck with the name for the next four years. I know that stuff probably sounds kind of cloak-and-dagger, but that was the advice I received from my advisor, and it's proved quite valuable.

I just got a call from UMd. I think they're trickling out...

Looks like Maryland acceptances are trickling out.

I can claim UNC. Can't tell if it's a mass e-mail or not. Not from my POI.

#yes.

Have to disagree. Writing samples and statements of purpose could communicate your skills (as a researcher, as a scholar and as an English speaker), but there is no guarantee that you wrote the paper, or didn't have it exhaustively edited. I personally would not want to admit someone based on a writing sample alone, for fear that it better represents the skills of an applicant's editors than those of the applicant him/herself.

Don't know if anyone here was looking at North Texas, but I think a wave of offers are going out now.

This looks very much like the offer from PSU -- 17.5 + summer + health care; more if you get the fellowship.

My take (however inexpert) is that you choose the place you're happiest. You have three great programs, so go to the place you'll be happiest for the next five years. The only times that would be an issue is trading a top school for a mediocre school, since that might have long-term implications for your ability to get a job in a place you'd like to live. But with three top-tier programs... choose on whatever merits you want!

It does seem low, but if funding is tight... And even in Madison, 11k would be tough to stretch. We'll know by next week (according to an e-mail), so I guess I'll keep my fingers crossed that it's substantially higher than 11-14k.

On a slightly different note... anyone have information about the kinds of funding UW-M tends to offer? I've gone trolling through old threads and it seems that (at least as late as 2009), Madison was offering $10-11k stipends to grad students. With the big labor and spending battles in Madison over the past couple of years, I'm a bit concerned that UW-M might just be on the low end of stipends. Anyone operating on better information than I?

Same boat. Uber-bummed.

Big day for a lot of people! Congrats all around!

I'd say your chances are good. I'm not sure that the school you attended matters that much, as long as the rest of the app is strong. And don't forget that a lot of the process is random. So far this cycle, I'm into top-15 programs and have been rejected by top-40s (sad, too, because I really liked Vandy). Just the way it happens. You have a good season ahead, I'm sure.

Meh, you have better options Anyone else seen a rejection, though? Surely we would have seen more on the survey if even most had been posted. Right?

I'll put a blue chip on MIT and Vandy. Vandy should come out, and MIT is more optimism than realism.

Seems like many programs are sending notices as they process them instead if all at once (Duke, UCLA, PSU, Maryland).

^ Last year it seems like people heard on the website. My guess is that they say decisions are only by mail but the letter posts online before it lands at your address.