polisci

A poli sci phd program primarily aims to train future political scientists. Georgetown isnt a great bet in that regard. What you describe isn't the world of political science; it's the world of policy jobs in DC. It's a different thing.

This is not the case in academic programs, since professional experience is not a stand-in for intellectual and academic merit. Assuming, of course, your goal is an academic path rather than a professional one.

Not all places uses waitlists. Columbia wants a smaller class size than last year anyway.

Comparative, occasionally bordering on IR, with political theory coming in at the end. Think long and hard about what you really want to study. By all means apply for PhD programs (apply widely, and look for places that are good at BOTH quant-oriented comparative and pol theory), but make sure you can write a more concise statement of academic purpose for the application.