saltlakecity2012

Don't be too concerned by your GPA - that 3.8 in Physics is a very clear signal to most admissions departments that you can hack it in terms of the math, and if you did very well in your Poli Sci degree too you should be fine. I got into a group of top 10 schools with a somewhat similar profile. You really want to demonstrate at this point that you have interesting ideas and will be capable of providing some value in the field - and Bdeniso is right, if you're interested in quant you should really be looking at places like Stanford, Michigan, Rochester, NYU, UCSD, UCLA - what subfield are you interested in?

You're right, but I was just suggesting the OP try to get a feel for whether he's going to be scoring in the mid 600s or the high 700s ultimately. If you don't break 720 on both scores, you're at a disadvantage when applying to certain programs. If OP knows where s/he will probably fall on the GRE spectrum, s/he can start focusing on the schools s/he has a good chance of getting in to based on GRE and GPA, and then research what they like to see in terms of the background in incoming students. Also - OP: you might want to ask your schools career counselor what they think about all this, or a professor who likes you in the poli sci department. Nice! Yeah, I picked out my pad in June and I'm moving in about 10 days. Insane! What an incredibly torturous process it was getting to this point... I fear more tortuous processes are in store for us as we move into this next phase

First off, chill. If you haven't been studying political science but you were studying something like history, there are ways of spinning that into an acceptance. Before you know where to aim, you need to have a rough idea of where you're going to score on the GRE. I know it's a super shitty comparison, but where did you score on the SAT (the 1600 version from back in the day)? Have you taken any practice tests that might indicate a range of performance? Try to do so as soon as possible so you, if you decide to apply, can determine which schools you want to be targeting. Secondly, there are a lot of responses that are strongly encouraging you to take some time to get work experience after school before going back to school. Let's get this clear: you're entering your senior year at School X - cover your bases for your next step! That's what I did. Jobs, schools, internships, Americorps type stuff - I had no idea who was going to want me and how I really felt about my next career move, so I tossed a lot of things in the options bag. Seriously consider working options, Peace Corps, Teach for America, AmeriCorps, etc., and the different types of graduate options that you have. If you have all of a sudden decided that you must teach eager young collegiate minds about democratization, hegemonic war and the median voter theorem, then you should be shooting for a PhD in poli sci ultimately. Sometimes an MA in poli sci is the right way to achieve this goal - sometimes, it is not. This is where you need to think strategically about work experience (engaging, research-oriented, practical experience that relates to your area of interest) and whether it might not serve you better after you graduate than paying $50 grand for a year of learning that might not make you much more impressive when you apply to PhD programs. Second, Max Power, nice to see you hanging around the boards! You psyched to be starting your program? We'll practically be neighbors - perhaps I'll see you at a conference soon.

A lot of people start out with the MIA from Columbia and then go on to do the PhD in political science - I don't know as much about the MPA or MPP, but I think a fair number of people do that at the Harvard Kennedy School (MPA/MPP to PhD). I think the utility of the master's degree varies according to your research interests and your other experiences. You could also do Chicago's CIR or MAPSS, or Columbia's QMSS. All master's level programs that funnel people into poli sci PhDs. Obviously a master's is expensive, though, so be thorough in considering all the other ways to get into a PhD program. People come in from different undergrad focuses fairly often, so I wouldn't rule yourself out of the running just because your degree is in history. If you have some interesting work after undergrad and can put together a convincing statement demonstrating that you know what poli sci is, you should be fine. Good luck!

one other note - make sure that if you choose MN bc its theory placement is better than UCLA's (I have no idea if that's true), you're 95% committed to theory. don't choose the lower-ranked school if you think you might end up wanting to do some stuff in comparative or american - although MN is an excellent school, so I don't think you'd be in a bad situation either way.

turned down UCSD, UCLA, NYU, SIPA, and U Chicago MAPSS. will turn down one more today. comparative/pol econ.

look at the placement in theory. like orst said, theory is highly competitive, so you want to be pretty careful about maximizing your future job options. if program b's overall placement is slightly better but not in theory, program a might be a better choice (purely along professional lines). also look at who your advisor would probably be at both places. if you visited and connected with potential advisors, which did you like better? where do you think you'd produce more creative and rigorous work? good luck!!!

I've wrapped up my cycle and will be attending a PhD program in fall 2012, but I wanted to put it out there (for when this thread really kicks into gear) that I'm happy to pass on the information that helped me this cycle to anyone who's interested. PM me if you have any questions a recent applicant might be able to help with - I'm obviously no expert, but the offer stands. Good luck to everyone!

I think it depends on whether you mean a PhD through a policy school like SIPA or SAIS in ID or a PhD in Development Studies (mostly done in the UK). I'd say that if you want to teach in the US, unless you want to teach in a policy school (and even then, actually), do the PhD in political science. Most faculty I know at policy schools actually have PhDs in poli sci, econ, etc. There's also lots of dual degree options that could make you more palatable - depending on what area of development you want to focus on, you could try to go to a school with a good international law program, or with a good environmental studies school, or a good regional institute... I think as long as you take internships during grad school with INGOs, you'll be in good shape with a poli sci PhD.

Congrats to all who have made their choices

Of course, but this is true pretty much anywhere in the top 30 nowadays.

NYU. Also, there's a "political economy" thread somewhere on this forum - I think we went through this exercise. See if you can find it.

This.

I think something that people struggle with a lot on the GRE is the structure of the exam. If you didn't do any math, econ, or hard sciences in college, it can be difficult to get back into the groove of taking tests with lots of very short questions. It's very different from writing an exam. So whatever tool people use, I would strongly encourage you to spend a fair amount of time taking timed practice tests and simulating test conditions. Also - the important thing about the GRE is that the computer format can be confusing, and the scoring requires a different strategy than the SAT or ACT, for example. So buy a book and read up on overall test-taking strategies. I took it twice and my second score was up 100 points - I didn't study the material, but I did crack a book after the first test that told me how the test was structured, which I think made much more of a difference for me. If you're not worried about your skill set, focus on the specifics of the test.

Apply to as many as you can afford, but don't apply to schools you wouldn't be happy going to. So if you think that you would want to try another application round if you only got into School X, rethink your priorities. I'd also suggest you start a Fall 2012-2013 Application Cycle thread and post your stats there - that should help give you some feedback. I applied to 10 PhD programs and 2 master's level programs, and it worked out well, but I think the makeup of your list is just as crucial as the size. For example, applying to CHYMPS + the next 4 highest ranked schools is probably not a great plan if you're cash constrained, as you might end up facing another cycle. And since you're already in a master's program, that could be less than ideal for you. But again, apply to as many as you can afford and think you might go to, and structure the list carefully.