somanytictoc

As an incoming Poli Sci PhD student whose wife is a social worker, I feel like I can answer this with *some* level of expertise. I majored in English, so I know for a fact that even at a mid-to-upper-tier school, your undergrad major doesn't HAVE to be Poli Sci. I would give these caveats, though: 1. I would hope that your minor was Poli Sci, or at least some kind of social science. If not, you're going to struggle. 2. The typical warning...if you can't get into a Top 25 program, DON'T ATTEMPT A PHD. If you're not familiar with why, then you're not ready for the crucible of applications, and you're CERTAINLY not ready to spend five years of your life in grad school. 3. I will try to say this gently...as someone who loves a social worker, and as someone who is well-acquainted with the world of social work and social workers, I can tell you that social work is not an intellectually rigorous field. This is not to say that social workers aren't smart, but...a lot of social workers aren't exactly rocket scientists, and the field doesn't expect them to be. They are expected to be compassionate and hard-working. I have helped three people get into Social Work Master's programs in the past couple of years (as I said, I have a BA in English, so I'm expected to proofread all my friends' work). None of them had the writing ability or the GRE scores to even be considered for a Poli Sci PhD. They were all accepted into the Social Work program, which is the top program in my state...some with advanced standing. I only tell you all of this so you know what you're up against. Being published is a huge advantage over your typical social worker, but if I were running an upper-tier program, I'd have to see some kind of advanced mathematics (super-high GRE scores, too) or a social sciences minor at an elite undergrad school before I'd consider anyone from a social worker's background. If I were in your shoes, unless I ate, drank, slept, and breathed political science, I'd look elsewhere. Since you're used to more practical, real-world applications to your coursework, I might look into a Master's in Poli Sci. Those are more professional-based degrees and they have a lower barrier to entry.

I will say this. When I was considering grad school, I read all sorts of books, articles, blogs, personal interviews, forums, etc. about getting your PhD. Nearly every one of them said the same thing: If you can't get into a top 25 school, don't apply to grad school. I personally believe there's a place for mid-tier and lower-tier programs, but the job prospects are so slim that the cost (financially and time-wise) are a terrible trade-off for the benefits that you receive from earning your PhD. Have you taken the GRE, or at least taken a practice GRE to see what your scores might be? My profile is pretty lackluster for ANY program, but I scored extremely well on the GRE which made me competitive at a couple of mid-tier schools. I would suggest taking a practice GRE test cold, with no preparation, to see how you might stack up. If your practice test scores are below 150 on either subtest, I might take that as a sign that graduate school isn't your best option in life. (Don't take this as gospel. I'm only proposing those scores as a cutoff because your GPA is pretty much already at the cutoff for any reputable program.)

Any updates on UC-Davis? I see several acceptances, so I assume no news is bad news, but they're the only school that hasn't made a decision on me. I've called once and they said "just keep checking the website," but it seems like the rejections are taking awhile.

I've spent some time at AcademicEarth.org. There's a lot of overlap with iTunes U, but I don't have iTunes on my computer.

I love GradCafe. This website has pretty much saved my sanity for the past several months. I love the community. But as a source of information, it's a bit difficult to navigate. I've been wondering for months "why isn't there a Grad School Wiki?" There isn't a grad school wiki. I checked. I even searched on Wikia. So I stopped asking the wrong questions and asked the right question: "Why am I not creating a Grad School Wiki?" I didn't have a great answer. So I made one. http://gradschool.wikia.com It's literally brand-new, and it's essentially empty. If you'd like, you can help. If it's a bad idea, just ignore it. That is all.

I love GradCafe. This website has pretty much saved my sanity for the past several months. I love the community. But as a source of information, it's a bit difficult to navigate. I've been wondering for months "why isn't there a Grad School Wiki?" There isn't a grad school wiki. I checked. I even searched on Wikia. So I stopped asking the wrong questions and asked the right question: "Why am I not creating a Grad School Wiki?" I didn't have a great answer. So I made one. http://gradschool.wikia.com It's literally brand-new, and it's essentially empty. If you'd like, you can help. If it's a bad idea, just ignore it. That is all.

I think it was determined that the Political Science rankings would remain unchanged this year. Other fields are getting an update, but our subject will update NEXT year.

Congrats to all the accepted. They did not see me as a good fit for their program, which is a shame. I did my initial school searches primarily by the USNWR rankings, which would have indicated that they wouldn't be a reach school for me. I was really surprised to learn later on that EVERYBODY seems to think of them as an underrated school. The acceptance stats seem to indicate that they're criminally underrated, and it appears that I never stood a chance, haha.

I reject Reduced Fat Cheez-Its. Dear Reduced Fat Cheez-Its, I regret to inform you that your application to become a regular snack food in my diet has been denied. I have received an overwhelming number of similarly qualified applicants, and while you made the decision very difficult, I am unable to offer you admission into my belly. After reading over your application, I would like to make the following suggestions for strengthening future applications: 1) add more fat to your resume. 2) the addition of other unique ingredients (for example, one applicant was very similar to your profile but added white cheddar cheese). 3) maybe working closely with other candidates, such as Goldfish or pretzels. 4) applying to other universities that may be a better fit; for example, Diet Soda University. Best of luck in your endeavors.

I have to say that my experience with Vanderbilt is very similar to this. I did get rejected by them, but I had been hearing horror stories from multiple professors (who knew from firsthand experience or very reliable sources) before I even submitted my application. I was probably going to accept if they had admitted me, since I live in the Nashville area, but I'm starting to feel like they may have saved me from an unpleasant experience.

I know absolutely nothing about the facts on the ground, but my undergrad advisor considered George Mason to be on the upswing (currently at 51 in USNWR). That's one of the primary reasons I applied there. Any truth to that, People Who Know Things? I also get the feeling that Florida State is a rising star, especially in political behavior/psychology. The most recent NCR rankings had them all over the map, which indicates to me that they're probably moving either up or down in the next few years. I'm hoping it's up because they're the only school that has accepted me so far lol. I would think that if a school's NCR rankings all congregate to a certain point (see Penn State), it means that the consensus isn't shifting anywhere in the near future. (for a graphic example of my explanation, see the histograms at the top of this comparison: http://graduate-school.phds.org/rankings/political-science/compare-programs?p1=2112&p2=2908)

I think the great philosopher Beyonce said it best..."If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it." I'm married, and my wife is willing to move ANYWHERE that accepts me. I've been with too many crazies in my life before I found her, and I can say this: if your SO isn't willing to listen to your concerns now, how will they react when you get your PhD and have to be willing to move anywhere in the country for a job? Boyfriends and girlfriends are temporary; your career is FOREVER (especially in academia). I would be scared stiff if my SO didn't provide 110% support for my career decision, especially if we weren't already married. This decision is too important to allow someone else to dramatically alter your choices, particularly if there's no promise of permanency in the relationship.

Not to quibble, but having received the same offer, I'm fairly confident that the TA money is NOT in addition to the stipend. Nearly $40,000 in Tallahassee would be obscenely huge for a grad package.

I applied to Emory and had the same problem. I finally just emailed my department. They said that they haven't made a single offer yet, and that I was not denied admission yet. They were very up-front about my current status. It seems as though your department will be in touch with you directly once a decision has been reached. Not sure that checking the website will do you any good.

Not technically a "top program," but here's my offer from Florida State: $17,000 during the school year $3,500 summer stipend after a successful first year Funding to present research at a conference each year They offer a fellowship to up to 4 students a year that boosts the stipend by $3,000 and gives you a non-duty research year after comps, plus $2,000 for research expenses. Hope that helps.

Thanks for all the encouragement, folks. About an hour after I posted, I received an acceptance e-mail from Florida State!!! I'm firmly in the American subfield, but my interests are kind of wide-ranging within the subfield. I minored in Poli Sci and majored in English (I'm a certified high school teacher in my home state of Tennessee). I also received a rejection e-mail from Vanderbilt, so all of you guys who are on pins and needles should be relieved in the near future. I have been wondering if GradCafe is representative of applicants across the board. I kept looking at the "will I get in?" posts thinking...man, there's no way I'm that much worse than EVERY person who is applying. lol

I've already been rejected by my only Top 15 school (WashU in STL), so I guess this thread is perfect for me. I'm waiting on 8 other programs, and it's driving me crazy. Here's the list: Emory Minnesota Northwestern Cal Davis Penn State Florida State Vanderbilt George Mason I didn't major in Poli Sci, and I went to Directional State U, so I don't feel very good about my chances anymore (especially after discovering GradCafe). I did do very well on the GRE, so I'm hoping that sways them in my direction. (740V/750Q/5.0 on the old system)