grantman

I am in the same boat. I have checked the app status link through the Graduate College, and all I see is that my application is "In Review." Kolja I am also in the IR field, any partcular area of IR you are focusing on? Mine is Int'l Development. Also, does anyone have any idea with what is going on with Pitt. I see one acceptance and one wait-list. I would think I would have heard something by now even if it is a rejection.

Based on these trends it looks like I am not going to be getting my doctorate anytime soon.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I still feel that I am going to have to start looking for a job.

Congrats to you, I am sure you will do great things. However for me this looks like thusfar I am 0 for four, with Illinois, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, and Penn State looking like they will reject me.

What makes it much worse is seening people get acceptances from schools you have applied to and yet I have recieved nothing. Makes the whole sense of uncoming doom all the more worse and pronounced. tergellianfrom what I tell from your background you stand a better chance that I in getting in somewhere. Hopefully you hear from someone this week, send you postive waves.

Alright, I am on the precipice of an full blown anxiety attack if I do not hear from someone by this time next week. Anyone in the same boat?

My interest is mainly in the structuring of their government and how that impacts overall stability. I am currently working on a thesis that examines the role Afghainstan's provincial governors play in the reconstruction process and how in many cases their policies have allowed for further Taliban infiltration into the country. Another country I am interested in studying is India and how they have structured their government regionally to account for the plethora of different ethnicities and nationalities. I am interested in your work in the area. How was your experience, did you have to deal with any of governments in your dealings with energy policy?

My focus is on international development, with particular interest in state-building. I am keenly interested in the creation of a states bureaucracy and how to build a state's capacity to govern. Furthermore, I seek to concentrate in East and Central Asia as well as the Middle East.

Tell me about it, it is going to set me back roughly a grand for my flight and hotel accomodations.

Congrats on getting the invite. But unfortunately it does not help quell my anxiety, it just makes me feel more worthless. Best of luck in your interview I am sure you will do great.

I agree with Dr. Higgins. I feel if you sound disingenuous towards the director, he/she will see right through it. If you are open and honest with them, your conversation will become all the more fruitful and should you decide to attend this university in question you will be on a much better footing that by lying right from the get go. They understand that you have more than likely applied to other schools and they will understand that you wish to hear back from all the schools you have applied to, remember these professors went through this process themselves. While I completely understand you would be nervous at this juncture, trust me I would be as well, just be yourself and remember my personal motto "Keep Calm and Carry On." Best of luck to you in your future endavors.

Well I am always the pessimist, plus to be honest I felt in terms of my "fit" with the Vanderbilt faculty was pretty weak when I compare it to the other schools I applied to for admission.

Looks like I am out of the running then, I remember I put Giacomo Chiozza as an POI for me.

Priceline has a nice map feature which places the hotels in Chicago. It should be useful when finding a nice inexpensive hotel for your stay. Trip Advisor also has a feature that allows you to do that as well, both links are pasted below. I know a place called the Silversmith Hotel is right across the street from the Palmer House. It is cheaper, but not by much. http://travelc.priceline.com/hotel/listings.do?selectedTab=2&key=gxuk2t8j&jsk=5064010a6f1410ac2012012516152866c021633883&plf=PCLN http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g35805-d111501-Reviews-The_Palmer_House_Hilton-Chicago_Illinois.html I hope this helps.

Congrats to brent09, RWBG, and balderdash for gaining admission to Wisconsin. I am sure where ever you three end up I am sure you will be all great scholars in your own right.

I always felt graduate schools picked their applicants like Madeline Khan selects her escorts in History of the World Part I. Here is the link to the scene if you have never scene it before (you have to go forward a little in the video to get to the scene in question):

Yep, MPSA. I am only presenting a poster, but hey I get funding from my department either way.

Chin up, stupid phone.

Keep your chin you, based on my observations you have a better chance at getting in somewhere than I do.

I am also going to that conference in Chicago, if my quess is correct, and I am much looking forward to it. Furthermore, I would serious think about doing the Fulbright because not only are able to go abroad for one year, you will be able to network with some great individuals which may be useful if you write a dissertation that focuses on China. But anyway the best of luck to you!

Orst11, While I do not necessarily feel the upmost confident about my prospects, that is my pessimistic nature so I am always cautious. Furthermore, while you do make a valid point that I can apply to some schools with later times, I unfortunately do not have a great deal of time available to complete another application just because I am just engrossed with my thesis at the moment. Secondly, if I do not get into any programs I feel I will be okay overall. I will be graduating with my MPA which will allow me to pursue a career in the public or non-profit sector. Combine that with both my gpa as well as the projects I have done, I hope I could obtain a job, granted it might take some time. Finally, while the questions I am pursuing are more quantitative in nature, I am not letting that limit my search. I know a number of academics who prefer the qualitative method approach, and since I minored in History as an undergraduate I understand that it can be just as rewarding.

Dear Orst11, Thank you for your response. I appreciate the feedback that you have given me, and I would say that my strategy is similar to yours and my hope is that I can gain entry into a nice range of programs. To be honest however, I do believe I should have applied to more lower ranked programs rather than applying to such schools as Ohio State and Texas, since I believe I do not have a good chance of getting in. I know I will probably try to Arizona State if I do not get in to any programs I have listed above, but I just wont have the oppurtunity to get any funding for the first semester/year. The answer your second question, my GRE scores are probably low by most peoples standards. But again, thank you for your feedback I greatly appreciate it.

Good Evening Everyone, Since I have seen a number of topics that address this area, I was interested in gauging thoughts on my chances in gaining entry into the schools I have applied to for admittance for Fall 2012. While I feel me G.P.A. is relatively strong 3.7 undergrad, with a 3.9 in my major, and a 4.0 at the graduate level, my GRE's well to put it bluntly are low, really low. This stems from an anxiety disorder I have had since I was little for from then one I have tended to do very poorly on standardized tests. With that in mind, I have not applied to any Ivy, or elite schools for the most part and have tended to pursue entrance into mid-to-high level programs. The schools I have applied to are as follows in no particular order: -Maryland -Vanderbilt -Penn State -Pittsburgh -Ohio State -Michigan State -Illinois -Texas -Washington, Seattle -Denver, program is Ph.D. in International Studies As it pertains to my research interests, they tend to focus on two areas. The first is state-building, particularly state-building as it relates to building the government bureaucracy, and yes I know I probably have pick the most boring aspect of state-building, but nonetheless important research area. I am applying my interest in my graduate thesis which examine Afghanistan's central government’s role in state-building. The other area of interest to me is the examination of non-state actors, specifically how they administer any territory that they might control and how it differs from the state, also how they used and adapt to new technologies and how it may further their operations. I would appreciate any feedback you may be willing to give. Finally, I would like to wish good luck to all those who are in the process of hearing back from schools they have applied to and wish to congratulate those who have gained entry into any Ph.D. program thus far. Anyways I must get back to writing my thesis.