Positioning Myself for MA Application

[theboringest]

Hi all,

I'd appreciate some advice. I'm a poli-sci undergrad looking to come back into the field. It's been about 4 years since I took any undergrad poli-sci courses though. I've kept up with the field since graduating but my post graduate work has not been poli-sci related. I have good undergrad grades (3.8+) and have very solid practice GRE scores. I'm curious what I can do to better my application for MA programs, given the break since my last academic experiences. I've been looking at taking graduate level poli sci courses online or at local schools. Would that be helpful? I was thinking of using those courses to create my writing sample. Any other suggestions for things I can do to make myself a viable candidate? 

 

re: cost, I know MA programs are non funded. I'm using the MA as a means to commission in the military, and the services I've spoken to confirmed they generally pay tuition for MA degrees if you contract through ROTC, so cost isn't a huge concern. I'm also fortunate enough to have some family funding available. 

[Ayerbender]

FYI some top ma programs aren't necessarily unfunded (MAPSS, Oxford, and Cambridge all have funding opportunities for example - don't know about others)

[MrsPhD]

The best thing is start contacting letter writers early and try to get people that know you best to write your letters. The worst are letters of people that do not know the applicant enough.