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Hello world! Has anyone done the video response as part of SIPA's admissions package? I know it's being implemented as of 2017 application cycle, so I am wondering if there are any Spring 2017 candidates that have already done it. Helpful tips, feedback, etc. would be much appreciated!

Hey all! I haven’t seen a thread like this that is specific to Canada so thought I’d start one. I’ve applied to York, McMaster and UofT for 2020 admission to an MA in polisci. I hope this is an okay number of apps, I know some do a lot more. I’ve also got a few questions if anybody would be able to answer! How are the programs/depts at these unis, how do they compare to each other? York entices me due to it’s supposed left-wing nature but UofT is obviously much more prestigious. I’m unsure as to the quality of the specific programs, I find it’s hard to find info on this type of thing. Also anyone know about the competitiveness of admissions for the programs? What determines admission (ex is a really good GPA in my final year + distinction enough to raise my chances?)

Hello, I went through the DrPH 2019 thread and I found it quite informative. I will be applying for DrPH in Fall 2020 and thought to open this forum so others who will also be applying can join in. Looking forward to connecting to the others interested in this program.

I was looking for a post for others applying to Carnegie Mellon and haven't seen one, but since I just submitted my app I figured maybe some other folks have too! I applied to the Data Analytics track-- I've already been accepted to UChicago's MSCAPP, but since I heard CMU offers a lot more funding I think it might actually be my top choice. (I thought the MSCAPP was, but I their funding offer was seriously underwhelming when compared to their high cost of attendance.) Specifically, I'm curious if anyone else completed the video interview thing? I opted not to since I felt like the rest of my application was pretty strong I really didn't want to risk messing that part up and throwing myself under the bus! I'd be interested to hear from anyone who did try it and might share what they thought.

I am applying for my MFA in creative writing. my grades are great and i've been told I have a strong and impressive portfolio but gaining entrance to a creative writing MFA program is very difficult, competitive, relative, and highly selective so I am not a shoo-in anywhere. For one of my graduate applications I submitted the application but put off submitting the fee and then my application status said my fee was waived but there was no explanation. is this normal? does it mean anything? another school I applied to sent me a hand written letter saying they are "thrilled" I submitted my application. Is this normal? does it mean anything? thanks

I am applying for my MFA in creative writing. my grades are great and i've been told I have a strong and impressive portfolio but gaining entrance to a creative writing MFA program is very difficult, competitive, relative, and highly selective so I am not a shoo-in anywhere. For one of my graduate applications I submitted the application but put off submitting the fee and then my application status said my fee was waived but there was no explanation. is this normal? does it mean anything? another school I applied to sent me a hand written letter saying they are "thrilled" I submitted my application. Is this normal? does it mean anything? thanks

Hello, I'm currently a fresh graduate student in economics from reputable university in Indonesia. I have 3.48 GPA, scored 7.5 on IELTS, and scored 164 in GRE quant and 161 in my verbal. I have several working experiences, as teaching assistant for Introduction on Microeconomics, internship at a local social enterprise and currently I'm a research assistant at independent think tank. I seem to have chance for not relying on financial aid (self-support). My biggest consideration is time, as I have to start my master degree by 2020. I plan to apply into several universities, but I strongly prefer Boston: 1. Boston University-MA. Economics 2. Illnois-Urbana–MSPE 3. UCL, Warwick, LSE–Economics 4. Erasmus, UvA, Tilburg–Economics Do you think I have a chance to get into one of the program considering my low GPA and imperfect GRE? Thank you

Hi all, I thought this might be a helpful discussion to have. I'm planning on applying to PhD programs for commencement in 2020 and was curious what ya'll think. What are some advantages/disadvantages of doing a European/Australasian style PhD, which typically takes 3-4 years, rather than an American style PhD which typically takes 5-7 years? Here are some advantages I can think of: Less opportunity cost. If you get a PhD in 3ish years and either decide to leave academia or don't get a suitable academic job, you'll be younger and (presumably) more flexible about other options. You get to go straight into research rather than worrying about coursework. Granted, some non-US/non-Canadian places do require a bit of coursework in the first year (LSE, for example), but it seems to be mostly proseminars and things like that. Of course, going straight into research could be a disadvantage for those who feel underprepared. In my own case, I have a research-MA and an honours degree with a substantive research component, so I'm not worried about diving straight in. Relatedly, you can focus solely on the areas of philosophy that interest you. Most places don't seem to have the same sorts of distribution requirements as US universities do, e.g. there's none of this 'take 2 courses in metaphysics and epistemology, 2 courses in the history of philosophy, 1 course in logic, 1 foreign language' business. Again, this might be a disadvantage for some. Disadvantages of a 3-4 year PhD: Less time to publish, which is primarily what will get you a job. Concerns about being over-specialized or niche. I'm not sure how much of an issue this really is, but it seems as though coursework requirements might help one become a more well-rounded philosopher. The application process adds a layer of stress that isn't there in US-style applications: the research proposal and finding a supervisor. Most European and Australasian PhD programs require applicants to draft a research proposal and sometimes secure the support of a prospective adviser prior to applying. In most cases you probably can't just use a generic research proposal - you'll need to tailor it to each department's strengths. This is in addition to everything else (writing sample, LoR, SoP, etc). Of course, the GRE isn't required, so maybe it balances out. Would be great to hear what everyone thinks!

Hi! I know its early. But considering the success of Fall 2017 forum, I thought we should start Fall 2018 discussion thread early! Good luck preparing for your applications!

Hi all. I'm recently graduated with a BA in History from an R1 school. My major GPA was solid at around a 3.7, while my overall GPA was lagging behind at around a 3.1 thanks to certain STEM courses I probably should have avoided. I did however show a solid upward trend the last two semesters of undergrad. I'm applying for around ten top-ranked PhD programs on the East Coast this winter (all top 20, hopefully not a reach) and am trying to pad my application a little bit with good letters of recommendation (not a worry at all for me), a competent GRE score, and a publication of one of my undergrad papers from Spring. When I submitted the paper in the course, the professor said that it was worthy of publication and gave me some tips on certain undergraduate/graduate history journals that would consider publishing it. He went so far as to call it a "for sure publication", which made me feel a bit better at my chances to get into a program at a place like Columbia/Brown/Yale/etc despite a sub-par cumulative GPA. Has anyone here applied for a PhD from BA level with a publication already secured? Does it make any profound difference in the admissions process or is it not something that is really considered?

Hello, everyone! I'm a rising senior thay has just recently made the decision to pursue a MS in biostatistics rather than the original path I've been working at for the past couple years (PhD in Clinical Psychology). Clearly, this is a major shift in my plans so I have been attempting to familiarize myself with the field and what credentials I'll need in order to be admitted into such a program. The underlying question of this post: do I even have a chance of admission for Fall 2019 or I should apply for the following year? Undergraduate Institution: Large Public University (top 60 in national universities, top 20 in public universities) Major(s): Psychological Sciences, BS GPA: 3.92/4.0 (I had an "off" semester) Type of Student: Domestic URM Female GRE General Test: (TBD, expecting 165 Q and V) Programs Applying: MS Biostatistics Research Experience: 2 years as a research assistant for five laboratories in different areas of psychology (not all at once, currently in two), 1 year as a project manager for a large meta-analysis in clinical psychology, 1/2 year developing a senior's thesis pertaining to pathological personality under the guidance of a mentor as part of a research-focused honors program for a small cohort of PSY students (program will last until graduation, culminating in a potential publication and poster presentations), just started in a lab this summer in the area of quantitative methods lab and clinical psychology (I'm their only research assistant so I'm getting the opportunity for meaningful involvement in projects involving advanced quantitative methods) Activities or Jobs: (N/A for work in statistics but to give more background) 1 year as a mental health technician for a group home for adults with severe mental illness, 1 year as president of mental health advocacy organization, 1 year as crisis counselor for Crisis Text Line Letters of Recommendation: research mentor (strong), supervisor for meta-analysis (strong), quantiative methods lab supervisor (strong) Relevant Coursework: Psychology - Introduction to Statistics in Psychology, Research Methods in Psychology, Understanding and Analyzing Experiments (ANOVA and Research Design), Introduction to Bayesian Statistics, Honors Research Seminar I (all As) Math & Statistics: Calculus I (AP credit) Honors and Awards: Phi Beta Kappa, Office of Undergraduate Research Scholar ($1000 scholarship program), Psychological Sciences Research Focused Honors Student Skills: programming in R (developing skill under the guidance of the quantitative methods lab I'm in, hope to become proficient) Plan of Action: Fall - Calculus II Spring - Calculus III, Linear Algebra, Statistics Summer (considering) - Real Analysis, ODE, Probability Questions: 1. Unfortunately, I'm currently in a position of playing catch up on prerequisite coursework. I have a plan to take the classes I need, but my grades will of course not be finalized in time for the many programs that have application deadlines in early December. My concern is that the programs will have nothing to go on as far as my ability to take rigorous math courses and will thus not be able to seriously consider me for admission. For the programs that have early spring deadlines, they will only be able to see my grade in Calculus II. This is the primary reason I'm asking if I even have a chance of admission. Thoughts? 2. If I do have a chance, which range of programs should I be applying to? My worry is that many programs I've been looking into are out of reach given my background. 3. If I likely don't have a chance of admission, what kind of jobs can I pursue in a gap year that will be benificial on my application for the following year? 4. I'm truly trying to set myself up for success this next year, but I also have a lot on my plate given commitments I made prior to this change in post-graduation plans. From what I've gathered, grades and letters of recommendation are the strongest selling points on an application. Therefore, I've been thinking of stepping down from the research focused honors program in order to give myself the chance to study more for the math classes I need to excel in (I would have more time for studying without the significant amount of credit hours from research seminars, individual study, and meetings that will take up my schedule in the fall and spring). My concern is that I would me removing perhaps one of the few pulls, if there even are any, to my application. Is this experience even something admission committees would look at favorably to warrant the added stress? I don't want to stretch myself to thin and not perform well in my courses. I know this was long so I'm grateful for you sticking with me. Any and all feedback is appreciated. Thank you!

Hi! I am applying to MSW programs for Fall 2020. I have been trying to look into what I need to be a good candidate for these programs. I was hoping those who have been accepted to programs could give me some insight to what they had when applying to these schools. My info- GPA-3.4 GRE- not taking Volunteer experience- Director and President of an organization raising money and awareness for childhood cancer (3 years). Planned and coordinated my university’s Suicide Awareness event, was my sororities Philanthropy and Service director, volunteered at a school for 2 years with children who have special needs. Goals- I want to be a Pediatric Oncology Social worker. if anyone has recommendations for good programs that would also be super helpful!

Hi,I am a UCLA business economics undergrad, and would like to know if I retake the pre-req math classes after my undergrad for a better score, do they give a second consideration on the improvement? How would it affect my competitive admission? (I am sorry to ask these kind of questions on here; the admission office seems to automate the answers when I emailed them, and the speakers just recite the generic answer and refer me back to emailing).This is my first time trying to apply grad school. Many Thanks in advance if anyone with a slightest clue. Any thing helps. Would love to receive more opinions if you know anyone who knows about this topic.

Hi everyone, I just had a quick question, I applied to GWU last minute for Fall 2019 about a week ago. How long did it take for them to get back to you?

Since there is no forum for KAUST admissions for Fall 2019, I decided to open one. I applied on october 13th, still no response. Best!

I have received my admit for MS in Electrical from USC, CMU-Silicon Valley and University of Pennsylvania. Which one should I choose? WHICH HAS THE SAFEST ENVIRONMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

So I’m about to graduate and would like to eventually pursue a doctorate in political science. I’m an economics major with a math minor who has taken exactly one polisci class. my academic record is pretty uneven, due in part to long-lasting mental illness (anxiety/depression). I excelled in my junior and freshman year when I was in a good mindset and focused on my studies, but my sophomore and senior years have been pretty mediocre. I expect to graduate with an unremarkable GPA in the 3.3-3.4 range and no real research experience. To make matters worse, this final semester I expect to do poorly (C’s) in the two math classes I’ve taken. FWIW, I expect to do well on the GRE. I realize that with my profile, my chances of getting into a decent PhD program are rather slim. Any advice on how to move forward and make myself competitive? I’ve been thinking about doing either a master’s in econ or an MPA, thoughts on that route? I also plan on taking a year or two to work, which would give me time to retake classes I did less than stellar in. I’m particularly interested in political theory (philosophy is my real passion) and also American politics. I’d really appreciate any advice as I’m completely lost. At this point I’m considering abandoning my dream of becoming a scholar and just pursuing law school 😕

Hi everyone, I just had a quick question, I applied to GWU last minute for Fall 2019 about a week ago. How long did it take for them to get back to you?

Hey everyone, I'm a junior majoring in communication disorders and sciences, which means applying for grad school is right around the corner. However, I'm super stressed that no master's program will accept me! I keep hearing about the importance of internships and research experience, but I haven't had the chance to do these things, and I don't imagine I'll have enough time for them before it's time to apply in the fall. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of having an internship. However, I didn't decide on my major until about a year ago, and I'm also paying for college on my own...I just feel like I'm at a huge disadvantage. Any tips?

I graduated in 2015 with my Bachelor's neuroscience. I've been doing social science research for think tanks since then, and I'd like to make a transition into a sociology PhD program. I have a good GPA (3.9) and GREs (166V, 167Q) and lots of sociological research experience. However, I don't have any letters of recommendation from sociologists (I work mostly with psychologists and economists) and didn't take any sociology courses in undergrad. I'm wondering if there are any full-time jobs I could work at (or maybe a Master's, but those are expensive) that would improve my chances of getting into a top-tier sociology PhD program for entry in Fall 2020 or Fall 2021. I know there are a lot of Research Assistant, Lab Manager, and even Predoctoral Fellow positions in psychology, economics, and other disciplines. But I haven't been able to find many for sociology per se. Any ideas?

HI everyone, I am in my 3rd round of applications and i already have been rejected from my top school and waitlisted at another. I am still waiting to hear from 1 more school and still working on applying to a couple of more schools this round. I was talking to some family members who were asking why is it so hard to get accepted. I know a big part of my answer was because I have a low gpa from my bachelors degree, 2.7. I have worked really hard to raise my last 60 hours gpa to a still low 3.4 but I worked hard for it. I have retaken 2 speech courses that I initially recieved C's in and have also taken classes that are not required in the state of Texas to have a SLP assistance license. Oh and I have 4 years of experience as a speech assistance in schools. My question to all you wonderful speechies is if this is what is keeping me from being accepted. Is my low undergraduate gpa like a sore thumb sticking out? I have looked in to getting a second bachelors from ENMU in communication disorders and I believe I only need 3 more courses to achieve it. Will this help me become a better applicant? What do you guys think?

I had an underwhelming GPA in a difficult major from a top 10 but underrated public research university. I'm also in my late 30s - I've been thinking of grad/professional school for a long time, but I know it will be very challenging, and may not be worth it.For a while now, I'm been thinking of applying to the M.A. in Asian Studies at UC Berkeley and the M.A. in Asia Pacific Studies at University of San Francisco. I'd much prefer Asian American Studies, but very few schools offer an M.A. in that - the closest one seems to be UCLA, and I'd like to stay local and commute to school. There's an M.A. in Asian American Studies at SF State, but I know that SFSU doesn't have anywhere near the name recognition of UCB. My goals for those programs is to write, get published, be a "thought leader" (sorry if it sounds arrogant; it's not meant to be) in Asian or Asian American Studies, maybe lecture, and possibly teach in some capacity. My main goal would be to be a published author, whether through books, articles, journal papers, online digital content, etc. I just think of these master's programs as giving me a jumping point into what I want to do. I'd also love to go through the grad school experience - it would probably be very personally enriching. Also, like many people, I've always thought I would go to grad school, and it would be great to go to grad school at a top university. Any thoughts on the M.A. in Asian Studies at Berkeley, the M.A. in Asia Pacific Studies at USF, or the M.A. in Asian American Studies at SFSU? Has anyone gone through those programs, or know people who have completed them? How hard is it to get into those 3 programs? What is it like taking those programs, what do you learn or get out of it, what are the courses/students/professors like, and what do students do after they get their M.A.? Any other schools/masters programs you can recommend to me that are in the Bay Area, close to San Francisco? I'm also open to online masters programs, but there are hardly any offered in these fields, and they're from no-name and questionable schools.

Good day! I was recently interviewed by a faculty member in a university I applied for. The faculty member offered me a junior research assistant position for 3 months prior to my expected/desired start for masters, but both admission to the masters program and the position itself are not yet assured. I sent some additional info by request, and the faculty member said that "my documents are very clear" and that she was glad that I was open to the junior research assistant offer. I would just like to know if this is a good indicator for possible admission into the masters program. Thank you!

Who all applied for UW MHCID this year?

Has anyone else applied for the fall 2019 admissions at the School of public health, University of Alberta? Any progress on the applications? Any feedbacks you've heard from them or got any decisions yet?