IRToni

If your goal really is to become a FP analyst, I think career path 2 is the most straight-forward. Regarding 1: People make the transition from academica to policy all the time, yes. But entering a Phd program with the explicit goal of ending up in policy seems strange to me. Partly bc most PhD programs are supposed to prepare you for an academic job, and for most analyst position, you don't actually need a PhD. Also think about the gruelling 5 years at low pay that you'd have, and that's before you even try to move up the ladder to end up in your dream job. Not to mention the fact that interning/working outside of uni during a PhD is almost out of the question, so you'd be taking yourself off the radar for this time. If you do, at a later point, find out that getting a PhD might be beneficial, I suggest looking at Public Policy PhDs/schools. Most of these require a M.A. and WE beforehand anyway, and are a lot less academically-oriented, with PhD students regularly doing consulting gigs beside school. I know both SAIS and Fletcher have good IR/PP PhDs that you can do after having done your M.A. At the same time, getting a PhD is, I think, not necessary for the kind of job that you want. Just my 2 cents obviously.

I'm not sure how much we can actually infer from the average here. *Geek mode on* For the social sciences, e.g. we have an average of 164 for verbal. However, this means that there's only 6 points that you above, but 34 below. This mathematically means that it's likely that some outliers with very low scores (in relation to the average, obviously) are pulling the average down by a lot, wheras there's more people with higher scores. Intuitively, it would thus make sense that the median is higher than 164, which is a little scary to me.

Ok, thanks for your input. Guess I was just blown away that they want 25 US$ for sending one score. Monopoly at work :-(. I'll have to repeat the TOEFL, though, stupid two-year rule. How are y'all structuring your statements? Since I applied to MAs two years ago, I still have those statements, but at the same time, I'm not sure how to structure a statement for the PhD. Aside from that, I'm currently trying to figure out what to hand in in terms of my writing sample. Do you think it makes sense to hand in my undergrad thesis, or one of my grad seminar papers? Also, is it legitimate to rework/revise stuff before handing it in or do you have to hand in a piece of writing the way you originally submitted it?

I have a question regarding the GRE: I took the GRE a year ago for my M.A. applications, and just looked up that my percentiles got adjusted down to 93 for verbal, 94 for quant, and 96 for writing. Now, since I have to send the scores to a number of institutions, I would only be losing about 90 US$ if I retook it. Do you think it would be worth it, or should I just be happy with my scores and shut up? Regarding preparation: I am mainly finishing up my classes, and thinking about my SOP, I contacted some LOR writers, I'm trying to work up the nerve to actually write an email to a couple of profs I'd be interested in working with. Since I'm applying in Europe as well, I have to write a longish proposal, so I'm currently writing a term paper on an aspect of the topic that I want to explore in my PhD, and will then do some more research to get a good proposal going.

U of Washington at Seattle? One of my profs recommended it to me as a solid Comparative Politics Department, though I don't know about US/UK comparative.

Don't look at the institution, noone in Germany actually cares about that. Look at the people you want to work with! Because of the German system, professors tend to be quite spread-out, and you have people at not well-known universities doing amazing work and being very reputable in the field, while people at "better" universities sometimes don't know squat. Regarding 1: Make sure that you and your advisor mesh well wrt both personality and research interests. Especially in theory, many publications will be in German, and you will usually be expected to teach courses in German. Can you do that? Your advisor will indeed have a lot of pull in the German system, to the point that they decide when your thesis is ready for submission, they're first reader, so grade it etc. Also, academia is very much based on personal relations. so make sure to pick an advisor who knows people in the field you're interested in. Regarding 2: Knowing very good German will probably be a prerequisite for you getting a job teaching. Also be prepared to have to teach an undergrad seminar without any supervision. Most supervisors I know try to fund all their students, though theory is also difficult because there often aren't that many seminars taught etc. The other option would be to look at scholarships. Germany has 9 big "Begabtenwerke" that also give scholarships to foreigners studying in Germany. In addition, there's the DAAD. Last, but not least: Why do you want to do your PhD in Germany? From what I understand, political theory/philosophy isn't really an important subject of study at most German universities nowadays. Zurich has a large and good Political Philosophy department, but it all depends on whether you're doing contemporary stuff etc. Look for people who publish in your field, and then decide based on that! Hope this helps!

Also, remember that grades are very different at different schools. What will count more, ultimately, then the pure GPA numbers, I think, is how you compare to your class.

Incomplete list, also depends on MA/PhD, and of course interest Switzerland: ETH Zurich, Graduate Institute Geneva Germany: FU Berlin, Heidelberg, Ludwig-Maximilians-Uni Munich, a whole bunch of other places depending on topic! Most German unis only have one/two IR profs, so depending on what he/she does, applying might be worth it or not UK: Also look at Warwick Sweden: Lund Netherlands: Leiden

Hi, do you have the option of taking Stats/Political Science? Otherwise, I'd say it depends on what you're interested in. If you're into methodology, you likely won't be doing much political theory, so Stats/Economics might make more sense, I think. Do you know where your substantive interests lie? Are you interested in econ as a discipline? To be honest, with the stats major, there likely won't be much difference between economics and philosophy in terms of prereqs for graduate school, so I would suggest you choose whichever is more interesting to you. I will also say that some of the best/most useful/interesting classes I took were outside of my actual major ( and I had a triple major), so limiting yourself in that way might make you miss out on enriching experiences. Graduating time isn't nearly as important as it used to be, IMO. Also, do you know where you want to end up?

For me, just the fact that you were thinking of asking him for a lunch date (and yes, I am phrasing it that way on purpose), is a bad sign. Let's assume everything went down the way you perceived it, then he acted professionally (and nice, but that's beside the point), but obviously did nothing to encourage further communication. Somehow you ended up further communicating, and he seemed not nice to you. Now, mind that it's not actually his obligation to be what you perceive to be nice to his students, and dropping a class you petitioned to get into is not, as explained and mentioned here before, the best of conduct. However, your first instinct is to ask him out for lunch? That's questionable, even in the best of circumstances (i.e. a student asking a professor out for lunch), and even more so given your history. Also, let's take a step back and try to think of the reverse. Imagine you're a professor (or a teacher, or possibly just a person). You and a guy had flirted, but nothing had come of it, because you decided to step back. You still have to deal with him professionally, and you do, but you've made it pretty clear that you do not want to have a personal relationship. Now, this guy asks you out for lunch. Pretty uncomfortable, right? Now, my post doesn't actually talk about what the prof did (or, as children are so apt to put it, who started it), because to me it doesn't even matter, since you were the one asking for help. Even if the prof behaved badly, you're an adult, and just as responsible for your actions! I wish you all the best for your future endeavors, and hope you'll chalk this up as a valuable life lesson!

Also note that there's editors around that help you, especially at the beginning. I found TeXniCCenter amazing for the beginning, because you can do pretty much everything with the point-and click method, it will automatically display the LaTeX "code", and thus make learning a lot more natural, at least for me. After a couple thousand words, I didn't want to klick any more, because it was a lot faster/easier to just write the command. If you don't want to loose out all the WYSIWYG component, also look at editors with automatic compiling (where you see both documents on your screen) and LyX. That said, if you're thinking of only doing qualitative work, it might not be worth it. In addition, it can be a bit of a headache to collaborate, since many people don't use latex, and I haven't found a really reliable Tex to word convertor yet.

@RWBG: I am indeed international. and have heard that UCSD does not fund many non-Americans. But when I asked, they said they do have a number of fellowships for out-of-state tuition, and since it's one of the best fits for me, I thought I would risk it! If you have any more up-to-date information, I might rethink it though ;-)! Thanks for the offer regarding my SOP, I'll definitely be asking you at some point in time! I do know about the European system. One question: When should I approach them? And should I send my proposal to them directly?

First time applicant here, but currently enrolled in a M.A. program. I am interested in IPE, emerging powers (particularly China), and formal modelling. I have a research question down (that will likely change over time), and will try to write the first draft of my Statement sometime soon, so I can "let it stew". Since I'll be abroad next semester, I already have to start planning, approaching professors for LORs etc.! I am currently pursuing a M.A. at a well-respected European university, and will be spending my next semester in India to take some classes and do some research for my MA thesis. Looking at Michigan, UCSD, Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, NYU, Warwick and LSE, and trying to find a couple more for a PhD in Political Science. Focus fields will probably be IR and CP, or IR and PE, depending on the school!

So how about you provide us with some of the departments you've looked at? Then, people might be able to better grasp what kind of scholarship you're interested in, and point you to some other examples (plus, help you evaluate those that you've looked at). Also, notice that Sociology and Political Science are completely different, and in particular the kind of courses needed for it will be very different, so you should be really aware of what you're getting into!

I'd also say SOAS would be nice. A combination of general development and some gender stuff, so you'd have both. For South Asia, SOAS is also probably the best. How much of a cost difference are we talking? Is your UOttowa scholarship renewable? If so, under which sonditions?

As a German, I disagree that FU is comparable to Top 75-100. It all depends on what you want to do, and where you want to end up, but in Europe, I would say that a degree from FU is worth a lot more than a degree from a Top 75-100 uni in the US. Rankings are flawed anyway, in particular because they only take into account English-speaking publications, which is not always the most relevant aside from the US. That said, I know people that have done PhDs in Germany (and not even at particularly famous/good German universities), and now have TT positions at reputable US institutions, both Research and Liberal Arts. I would say, in terms of the quality of education and supervision, it depends a lot more on your advisor in the German system in general, since our PhDs don't include nearly as many classes. Regarding TA ships: generally, many (most that want to stay in academia= people doing the individual PhD get a TA-ship, though others do get (external) scholarships, or do some other work (e.g. Think Tank). In Germany, a TA-ship often includes teaching undergraduate (and sometimes also graduate) classes by yourself, without any real supervision. Since most universities are public, there's a "labor agreement" specifying how much your hourly wage is etc. The important factor usually is whether you have a 50%/75% or 100% position. When thinking about German stipends, do take into account that cost of living is ridiculously low in many German cities and that you usually don't need a car because of excellent and affordable public transport. Still, you're not going to get rich of the stipend. Another thing in Germany is that many contracts will only be for 6 months/a year, which can make it hard to plan, especially if your position depends on external funding. In Germany, there's no unified title for a PhD in Political Science (except that it's a doctor). I know some people who have a doctorate in Social Sciences, in Political Science, in International Relations etc.

FU Berlin definitely is the hub for PS in Germany, but I wouldn't say that Heidelberg is much worse. The first thing to remember wrt a PhD in Germany is that we have a dual system: we have graduate schools, like the BTS, which provide a structured PhD experience similar to the US (except that you're expected to already hold a M.A., thus decreasing your course load), and individual doctoral training, where you choose a supervisor, and work mostly on your own, with his help on your topic. In the second model, you often teach at his university, while in the first model, scholarships are a lot more prevalent. Which model you would prefer impacts where and how to apply!

Do keep in mind that this is Easter, so a lot of people might be out of the office. Also, it's that time of the year...

Except for the PTA stuff, I'd actually say a lot of that would be good in Comparative Political Economy as well (and maybe even better than in IR), since CP has really moved away from a very strong regional focus, IMO. Expecially stuff like Corruption and development would definitely not fall within my idea of International Relations, but the fields have become so overlapping that a meaningful distinction has been lost in many instances, IMO. I could definitely think of CP people doing stuff like that, but also know IR people that are, so I would look into both, OP. The question is also, how you want to go about doing your research. Are you more interested in formal modelling (which would mean Rochester and Michigan might be good choices), small-N case studies, large-N statistical work or a combination? Your initial comment sounded more like large-N, am I reading that right? Otherwise, I think narrowing down your research interests will be key. When applying to MA programs last year, one reason I did not apply to PhD programs was that my research interests were a lot too broad, and I really wanted that additional 1.5/ 2 years to get them together!

From what I understand, GWU has an amazing Russia and Eastern Europe program. Just food for thought ;-)

I just wanted to throw in the possibility of doing an MA in Europe. They're usually cheaper than MA in the US, often quite academically-oriented, and because in Europe you need a MA to get into a PhD program, you're not considered second/worse, and can get lots of good connections. I'm currently doing a MA at the Graduate Institute, Geneva, and found the experience here pretty good so far. Lots of research papers, good (US-educated) professors always willing to help you out, challenging classes. We only have 5000 CHF/year tuition, and a number of students are fully funded!

Question to the OP: What about the other schools you got accepted to with some funding? Looks like some of them are pretty much as impressive as HKS (SAIS, Gtown, also Berkeley, from what I understand), and they would not require you to specialize so early...

I think it depends on what kind of research you want to do and what your ontological/epistemological priors are. If you are doing large-N-quantitative studies, not focusing on specific countries/regions, it might not be necessary. Similarly if your research is closely aligned with neorealism as a theory, since it doesn't focus on specifics. However, if you're thinking of doing small-N case studies involving specific regions/countries, open the "black box" of the state, or are planning to have a strong regional focus, I think learning a language is absolutely essential, also in IR.

Since I turned down an Oxford MPhil offer last semester, and also contemplated LSE, here's my 0.02. Saying that Oxford is "better" than LSE is interesting... From what I've heard, while Oxford certainly has the stronger laymen recognition, both LSE and Oxford are fairly equal in the academic world (for Political Science, i.e.). Looking at the OP's interests, I would even argue that LSE might be a better fit, since it is more quantitative and more geared towards political economy, IMO. What is your funding situation like? And why do you feel you need another Masters, having already completed two MSc?

For me, the big differences were (1) quantity and nature of readings, (2) class discussions and (3) quantity and nature of assignemnts. About (1): Most of my classes have between 150 and 300 pages of reading per week, usually quite a lot of it technical and/or historical, making them harder to read and often requiring some background. Tying in with (2), it is generally expected that we depart significantly from them in class discussions, and add additional knowledge, contextualize them etc. One of the big new things for me in grad school was that instead of focusing on critiquing the articles, we are often supposed to comment on how to make them stronger, which other literature/methods etc. you could/should add to them in order to make the argument better etc. (3) In undergrad, I had both short research papers (15 pages) and exams to write, and a lot of presentation. In grad school, presentations are fewer, and often take the form of presenting your research instead of a pre-chosen topic. Just FYI: Last semester, I took 6 classes, together, I wrote four 3-page short papers, five 6-page short papers, three 25-page long papers, two Take Home exams (each 8-10 pages essay-style), had two research presentations, and one other presentation. This semester, also six classes, one of which is Statistics/Econometrics: one 6-page paper, two 10-page papers, one 20-page paper, two TH exams of 10 pages each, one 25-page research paper, one 15-page paper; one research presentation, two discussion leader presentations. In addition, the expected quality of assignments is very different to undergrad, at least in my experience