PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad Institution: University of London Major(s)/Minor(s): Political Science Undergrad GPA: N/A Type of Grad: MPhil in Hong Kong Grad GPA: N/A GRE: 162/160/4.0 Any Special Courses: Mandarin Chinese Letters of Recommendation: 3 tenured profs, 1 well-known Research Experience: BA and MPhil theses, conference presentation, book review in a peer-reviewed journal, couple of think-tank publications unrelated to pol science Teaching Experience: 3 semesters as TA Subfield/Research Interests: International Relations/ IR theory, US foreign policy, Sino-American relations, non-traditional security issues RESULTS:
Acceptances($$ or no $$): UGA ($$)
Waitlists: ND
Rejections: Penn, USC, UMN, OSU, UVA, American, Syr, Uconn, Colorado
Going to: UGA
LESSONS LEARNED:
Admissions are extremely competitive, keep in mind that hundreds of qualified applicants compete for a handful of offers.
The entire application process is quite an experience; it takes lot of time, effort and money.
It is even more challenging for international students as we often have to overcome a lack of pedigree or mediocre GRE scores.
Take your time when researching universities and make sure to apply widely.
It's depressing to collect so many rejections, but remember, in the end you only need one offer
Good luck !