NBM

Applying to 25 programs would cost you a fortune. But if money is not an issue, I suppose it won't hurt. Remember only to apply to schools that you wouldn't mind attending.

I second that. Can't emphasize enough the importance of fit in the admissions process!

I am thinking that if there's a good faculty fit, being specific won't hurt you. The upside is that you'll be able to show your ability to frame, structure, and develop an idea properly. That said, since your POI might not be on the ad comm (in my case, my POI had never read my application), it is to your advantage to write at least part of your SOP in a way that would appeal to a wider audience. E.g. Before you dive into the specifics, do mention the broader theoretical puzzle/debate and how your project could contribute to that discussion. Lastly, given that there's usually a page/word limit for the SOP, the actual difference between a "more general" and "specific" approach might not be as vast as you've imagined. (I might be wrong, though.)

We have ~15 this year. I was surprised to learn that attrition rates vary quite a bit: as high as 50%-60% at OSU, and as low as 15% at Stanford (for example).

Not sure if anyone has shared this foreign policy article ("So you want to get into a political science Ph.D. program") before, but that looks like sensible advice. Oh, and maybe this as well, if you've been out of school for a while. Good luck guys!

I might be wrong, but I think I read it somewhere (one of the posts by faculty members) that US programs are more traditional "feeders" for US PhD programs.

Travel a bit. Learn basic computer science. Read... read some more. And ^ this (although rather unwillingly).

Congratulations on UW, it's a wonderful program! And, good luck to all those who are on waitlists.

My two cents: (1) It might be useful to consider getting a MA first to make up for your undergrad GPA, and more importantly, to figure out if a political science PhD is really for you. It also helps overcome points #2 and #3 in your post. (2) I don't think work experience matters, well, at least it won't be used against you. Having "academic" RA experience might be nice, but not necessary. (3) What about Mainland-Hong Kong politics excite you specifically? Given that it is difficult these days to only be an area specialist (and HK isn't really an "area" [think of areas such as the post-Soviet region, China, US]), you might want to think about the broader theoretical debates that fascinate you. From what I learn this application cycle, fit is hugely important. The mere fact that very few, if not none, study Hong Kong in American poli sci departments makes admission even more difficult. It is thus doubly important that you frame your puzzle in ways that are not only interesting, but relevant to broader political science debates.

Oops, my bad for the careless diction! Those are useful responses given to an unclear question. "A letter from someone who recalls you fondly as a fine student who always came to class prepared" was PRECISELY how I described the "imagined" LOR, from the big name, to my friend when I was soliciting for advice. A common fear amongst applicants (at least I've seen the same question every now and then on the Internet) is that, on top of the content, who wrote their letter matters a great deal too. My case was* to choose between a lesser-knwon prof who knew me well (3 classes, some TA work) but not THAT well (e.g. didn't know about the changes in my methodological inclination), and a big name who knew me not so well, but well enough to promise to write a letter. In a game of imperfect information (students can't read the LORs), it's good to know at least how ad coms read recommendations. And, I thank you both for that. (* yes, my cycle is over, but this question still bothers me (and perhaps some future applicants to come).)

I'd start off by saying thank you to the faculty members who spent time in illuminating the rather mysterious admissions process. Thanks also goes to RWBG who proposed organizing this into a thread - it will be a great resource for future applicants. A question regarding the letters of recommendation - Despite the small sample we have here (BFB/irfannooruddin v. dnexon), I guess it is safe to conclude that different schools place different emphasis on LORs. Having said that, we still want to do the best we could. Which hypothetical letter would ad coms like better - a formulaic letter by a big name or a better written letter (more detailed, less generic) by a junior faculty - assuming that some of us can't get the best of two worlds?

I just had the opportunity to pay a short visit Berkeley, and against the advice of others, I took an evening stroll OUTSIDE the People's Park. It scared the heck out of me. A case in point: I saw a weird-looking man literally chasing a pedestrian, while making horrid noises (echoing, unintentionally, the ones inside the park). Since I was halfway through the block, it wouldn't make much sense just to turn around. At last I decided that walking on the road (despite the traffic) was (/felt) safer than walking on the sidewalk next to the park. ** That said, I think that was just the experience of a very inexperienced visitor. ** As you asked about crime, here's some (mapped out) data: http://www.crimemapping.com/map.aspx?aid=3f1738a8-6160-4c68-998a-ae00f597613a And, on general safety: http://police.berkeley.edu/ BellJarred, as her previous posts show, will be capable of giving FAR better answers.

BellJarred, thanks a lot for the detailed reply! That surely helped me (and probably others on the board, too) understand Oakland a little better!

All Michigan admits received a pretty persuasive email from the DGS, asking us to decline their offer as soon as we can IF they are not among our top choices. While I'll most probably not be rejecting the offer, someone might! Hope this (tiny bit of) info helps! Edit: letter sent on Mar 1

The latest GW entries on the results board are, for the lack of a better word, fun to read. (Edit: To avoid sounding insensitive - I was one of the rejects. Looks like we are not THAT upset by the news, but pissed about how the news was delivered.)

The first school that came to mind was Cornell (Pepinsky).

A lot of people have cautioned against living in Oakland, and some go as far as to suggest staying clear of the area... Is that advice legit?

Thanks for pointing us to the site! With that, I'm officially done with this cycle. Certainly wish I did a better job this application season, but after reading the conversation above, I figure that we should all take some time to look at how far we've come. Rejections might be demoralizing, but they don't determine your worth. Way too many factors come into play, and some of them are just simply out of our hands.

I'm on the same GW boat. But hey, chin up - Penn is a fantastic program, and Philly a great city! Good luck with your decision.

As far as I know, Dartmouth doesn't even have a grad program in political science (?). Edit: http://graduate.dartmouth.edu/programs/

Jcross9, do you mind PM-ing me the email? I'm deciding if I should go, having more info'd be awesome. Thanks loads!!!

Re: emailing departments prior to apppying Instead of bothering faculty members with my stats, I actually emailed a few administrative staff regarding standardized test scores, and I found that to be helpful. This, apparently, only applies to people who don't have near-perfect scores. In cases when immediate info isn't available online, they supplied me with averages and general standards that faculty members adopt. What the person said convinced me that I should not apply to that top-30 school. In one other case, I was able to infer that standardized test scores are not an extremely important part of the admission calculus. Administrative personnel could provide good info.

I trust that good news awaits. All it takes is one acceptance, then you're all set! Even if things don't work out as you'd hoped, just keep in mind that a lot of people went through multiple cycles, and were pretty successful in the end. Don't worry too much over the weekend.

I like your optimism better (than my active expectation management)!

I'm assuming that myself... I knew from the very beginning that I'm a really bad fit for Cornell. That said, you never know. Best of luck to you!