eve2008 Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I thought it might make sense to start a thread where political science applicants could celebrate their acceptances and weigh their options. As someone who is still waiting to hear from her dream school, but who has already been accepted by some fabulous programs, the anxiety level of the main 2007-2008 apps thread was starting to make me, well, anxious!! To everyone who hasn't heard yet, you won't know all your options until mid-March, so keep heart. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingwalrus Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 eve2008 said: I thought it might make sense to start a thread where political science applicants could celebrate their acceptances and weigh their options. As someone who is still waiting to hear from her dream school, but who has already been accepted by some fabulous programs, the anxiety level of the main 2007-2008 apps thread was starting to make me, well, anxious!! To everyone who hasn't heard yet, you won't know all your options until mid-March, so keep heart. Best of luck! I'm in at UNC and TAMU. I've been guaranteed funding for five years at the former and four at the latter. UNC is also considering me for a fellowship. I'm primarily interested in American behavior, elections, parties, and methods, so I'm not suffering from much indecision right now; UNC is my choice for now and, since I doubt I get into WashU, will probably be the school I attend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve2008 Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 Is UNC your top choice because of money or because of fit? Also, how does funding work at the latter stages of your dissertation. A lot of schools offer five-year funding packages, but most people in comparative take six. A few take seven. Does your funding for fieldwork then necessarily come from government fellowships? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polisciphd Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 In at Illinois, which has some great IR/Security folks, with full funding. Am pretty excited about this one, nice city, low cost of living, professors have been contacting me left and right, so feel like they really want me to come... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingwalrus Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Is UNC your top choice because of money or because of fit? Also, how does funding work at the latter stages of your dissertation. A lot of schools offer five-year funding packages, but most people in comparative take six. A few take seven. Does your funding for fieldwork then necessarily come from government fellowships? Fit and placement record. TAMU is guaranteeing more money, although I could get more at UNC. I think funding works differently at different places, but I know that if you get outside funding for a year or so, most departments will defer their own funding of you to the next year. Some will also hire you on as instructors when you become an ABD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarex Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 I will be posting in this thread for the next sixteen months while waiting for all these applications. Oh, sure, it might only look like one month to all the people who are not involved with the graduate school application process. But I assure you: it will be at least a year, and possibly ten years, in application waiting time before I hear back from all these schools. So far, I have an exciting choice of three M.A. consolation acceptances, each 1,300 miles apart: Arizona State, the University of Kansas, and the University of Connecticut. I am not honestly sure what I will do, especially since I still have plenty of other applications out there to hear back from. If it ended up being a choice between those three, well, it is hard to say. Kansas sounds like the best scholastic bet, but Arizona State was much more upbeat and chipper about wanting me there and implying that I am a shoo-in for the Ph.D. if I perform as well as my POTENTIAL indicates. Connecticut, meanwhile, has a great ice cream bar. Oh, and I met with their faculty, and they were all amazingly helpful and knowledgeable and everything, and they actually suggested a potential advisor in my acceptance letter--that does not sound completely like standard M.A. acceptance fare (at least, not to me), so it seems encouraging. I will sadly not be able to show Tidefan around to all the best coffee shops at UIUC, now that my alma mater shot me down. I can finally start ignoring their donation requests with a clear conscience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Congrats to you all for some great options w/what appears to be solid funding. And I'm glad, Eve, you started this tread. I was meaning to ask some people about how to go about picking schools when push comes to shove. As for me, I've only heard back from 4 schools (fortunately with three acceptances---UVA, UCDavis, and UW-Seattle). The bummer is the funding issue. Davis offers tuition plus about $16.5K per year, guaranteed, for five years (but yes, there is some department service required). UVA offers funding for years 2-4, but currently nothing for year one. And the school I like the most, UW is offering about 12.5K plus tuition waiver per year for five years but it's contingent on a TAship and that TAship is decided on a quarter by quarter basis. No guarantees. However, they say in the past five years there have only been two occasions when they couldn't give the TAship each quarter to students. But I'm an out-of-stater, which means if there isn't a TA position available I'd be stuck with out-of-state tuition.... I'm still waiting on 8 schools, but I'd really like UW to work out. Any advice on what to do when the funding offers are less than ideal? I know Davis is the wiser choice financially, and so I'm torn about picking a potentially "better" school that doesn't guarantee funding....which would you pick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve2008 Posted February 23, 2008 Author Share Posted February 23, 2008 I have no idea if this would work (and I've received contradictory advice) but you might try telling UW that they are your first choice, but that you've been accepted into these other programs with better financial packages. In other words, negotiate. The worst they can do is say no. You should also ask if students in the past have been successful applying for outside fellowships, like the Javitz. In fact, I have no idea what outside fellowship options exist. I know in CA, you are out-of-state the first year, but I think by the second year you can count as a resident? Or something? At what point would you count as a resident of Washington State, and therefore be eligible for in-state tuition? Congrats on all your acceptances! I'm sure you'll have a few more before the cycle's over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve2008 Posted February 23, 2008 Author Share Posted February 23, 2008 I will be posting in this thread for the next sixteen months while waiting for all these applications. Oh, sure, it might only look like one month to all the people who are not involved with the graduate school application process. But I assure you: it will be at least a year, and possibly ten years, in application waiting time before I hear back from all these schools. So far, I have an exciting choice of three M.A. consolation acceptances, each 1,300 miles apart: Arizona State, the University of Kansas, and the University of Connecticut. I am not honestly sure what I will do, especially since I still have plenty of other applications out there to hear back from. If it ended up being a choice between those three, well, it is hard to say. Kansas sounds like the best scholastic bet, but Arizona State was much more upbeat and chipper about wanting me there and implying that I am a shoo-in for the Ph.D. if I perform as well as my POTENTIAL indicates. Connecticut, meanwhile, has a great ice cream bar. Oh, and I met with their faculty, and they were all amazingly helpful and knowledgeable and everything, and they actually suggested a potential advisor in my acceptance letter--that does not sound completely like standard M.A. acceptance fare (at least, not to me), so it seems encouraging. I will sadly not be able to show Tidefan around to all the best coffee shops at UIUC, now that my alma mater shot me down. I can finally start ignoring their donation requests with a clear conscience! If you perform well, it sounds like you have a change of advancing to doctoral candidacy at any of those programs. So you should definitely pick the best fit for you. Will you be getting funding at any of them? Also, I don't know how long you've been out of school, but an MA could be a great chance to strengthen your credentials before applying to Ph.D programs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarex Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 If you perform well, it sounds like you have a change of advancing to doctoral candidacy at any of those programs. So you should definitely pick the best fit for you. Will you be getting funding at any of them? Also, I don't know how long you've been out of school, but an MA could be a great chance to strengthen your credentials before applying to Ph.D programs. Thanks, Eve. Yeah, I certainly hope that excellent performance (which I am absolutely going to achieve, as I have never been more enthusiastic about something academically) will make me all but a shoo-in for the Ph.D. when that time comes ... but worst case scenario, if I have to apply somewhere else, I will have a whole new set of positives to add to my application. It sounds like Kansas and Connecticut will not offer much if any funding, but Arizona State sounded less negative in that regard. Still got another billion applications to hear back from, though, so who knows? Also, I have been out of school for all of 9 months now! :!: I actually just completed a master's degree in Criminal Justice, which I am considering my "real bachelor's degree," considering my terrible performance in (and the poor fit of) my English Literature undergraduate degree. Many programs said that if you did not have a political science degree, you would have to do the entire M.A. coursework (though potentially minus electives) anyway, so I was still expecting this work load--just hoping for the "big" acceptance right off the bat. Meanwhile, are you content with your options, or will you be disappointed if you do not get into your super-deluxe-stars-and-cupcakes schools? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rising_star Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Quarex, maybe we'll see each other in Kansas? Peter, UW may not be the easiest to negotiate and I think 12.5K in Seattle is a bit low. The Davis offer sounds better financially. Where would you be happier and more productive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve2008 Posted February 24, 2008 Author Share Posted February 24, 2008 Thanks, Eve. Yeah, I certainly hope that excellent performance (which I am absolutely going to achieve, as I have never been more enthusiastic about something academically) will make me all but a shoo-in for the Ph.D. when that time comes ... but worst case scenario, if I have to apply somewhere else, I will have a whole new set of positives to add to my application. It sounds like Kansas and Connecticut will not offer much if any funding, but Arizona State sounded less negative in that regard. Still got another billion applications to hear back from, though, so who knows? I think Arizona is a really cool place to live...I mean, just really, really beautiful. Also, I have been out of school for all of 9 months now! :!: I actually just completed a master's degree in Criminal Justice, which I am considering my "real bachelor's degree," considering my terrible performance in (and the poor fit of) my English Literature undergraduate degree. Many programs said that if you did not have a political science degree, you would have to do the entire M.A. coursework (though potentially minus electives) anyway, so I was still expecting this work load--just hoping for the "big" acceptance right off the bat. To be blunt, a lot of top programs don't look favorably on a Criminal Justice degree, which is generally considered to be very practical/applied. So it sounds like an MA is the way to go. Congrats on your options! Meanwhile, are you content with your options, or will you be disappointed if you do not get into your super-deluxe-stars-and-cupcakes schools? Oh, I already got into a super-deluxe-stars-and-cupcakes school, so I'm a mix of dazed/shocked and happy as a peach. The school I'm still waiting for I may or may not go to if I get in, but a hotshot prof. at that school wrote three of the five books I read as an undergraduate that made me want to become a political scientist, so I'm still crossing my fingers for that one :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JordanJames Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 So far I've gotten in at UC - Riverside and Florida State. If those are the only schools I get into, I'll be perfectly happy, and I guess I'll most likely choose Florida State. My potential mentor at UCR seems like he would be the greatest person to work with (the bio on his webpage talks about Woodstock and shoplifting as a child...he's also very accomplished), but their placement record worries me. They claim that they are up and coming, and from the looks of it, they're right, but I'd like to go to a school where I can feel comfortable in knowing that when I graduate I'll be able to find a job. Also, FSU's heavy quant emphasis suits me more. Whatever happens, I feel very lucky to be where I am considering my undergraduate record. I'm still waiting to hear from a few schools, but as I've said before, as long as I have a desk, a stipend and the luxury of dedicating my life to my mind, I'll be an extremely happy man. Quarex, one of my professors (not a poli sci professor) was talking to one of her friends (a poli sci professor) about me and asked her what schools I should consider. Her friend said ASU had a great program, and that I should consider applying there. I wanted to apply there, but I couldn't figure out how I could possibly make a case that any of the faculty members research interests fit mine. So, congrats on getting in there. By the way, ASU may top Illinois in the looks department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarex Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Quarex, maybe we'll see each other in Kansas? Oh, could be! Their offer is definitely tempting, and the three hours I spent in Lawrence a few years back did show me that it was a pretty awesome area. Plus, if my girlfriend ends up going to Ohio State, Skybus totally has cheap daily flights between Kansas City and Columbus! What is your general research interest? You probably got accepted directly to the Ph.D.!! ADMIT IT!! I think Arizona is a really cool place to live...I mean, just really, really beautiful. To be blunt, a lot of top programs don't look favorably on a Criminal Justice degree, which is generally considered to be very practical/applied. So it sounds like an MA is the way to go. Congrats on your options! Oh, I already got into a super-deluxe-stars-and-cupcakes school, so I'm a mix of dazed/shocked and happy as a peach. The school I'm still waiting for I may or may not go to if I get in, but a hotshot prof. at that school wrote three of the five books I read as an undergraduate that made me want to become a political scientist, so I'm still crossing my fingers for that one :-) I was in Arizona and New Mexico for a few weeks when I was younger, and other than not yet being able to comprehend how anyone could want to live in weather like that, I liked it. It really is stunning. Always a plus! Criminal Justice, yeah, these things happen. The worst part is that I was at one of the most academic-leaning Criminal Justice programs in the country, with essentially no professional/practical coursework even available beyond a management seminar; compare this to another Illinois' schools entire series of courses on firearm training, and you start to see the difference. One of my thesis advisors was always pushing to have the program renamed to "Justice Studies" as he felt it more appropriate for their focus, but he also realizes that would drop their enrollment by about 80%. And in any case, without putting in my application "please do not hold my degree against me," I was not really sure how to bring up that it was not a "cop shop" (as applied programs were called so derisively by some of the professors there). Also, I really cannot get enough of the "stars and cupcakes" theme. Congratulations on your acceptance, though; who was the professor? What were these books? WHERE CAN WE FIND THEM? My own quest to apply to the schools where all the academics who got me really solidly interested in my field, and who I extensively quoted in my thesis, led to me realizing that unless I went to Harvard I was not likely to be in a department with them. Plus, half of them are law, economics, or sociology professors, so that nixed things right there, and several are retired. Go figure. Oh, Amitai Etzioni, why are you so out of reach? Quarex, one of my professors (not a poli sci professor) was talking to one of her friends (a poli sci professor) about me and asked her what schools I should consider. Her friend said ASU had a great program, and that I should consider applying there. I wanted to apply there, but I couldn't figure out how I could possibly make a case that any of the faculty members research interests fit mine. So, congrats on getting in there. By the way, ASU may top Illinois in the looks department. Hey, thanks! Yeah, it is totally uncool when it seems like some school is a great place to apply, or sounds like a fairly easy program to get into, or something similar ... and then you examine the faculty interests, and think "is this even the same field I want to study?" And you are likely correct about looks. I enjoyed my time at UIUC and all, but that was also back when only being an hour's drive from my hometown sounded like a great plan. Glad to hear things are looking up for you at Barbizan School of Hair Design! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JordanJames Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 If the Barbizan School of Hair Design is where I get in, then the Barbizan School of Hair Design is where I will go. It's not Harvard, but I'm willing to settle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve2008 Posted February 24, 2008 Author Share Posted February 24, 2008 actually, now i wonder what "stars and cupcakes" means.... i took it to mean "dream school" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessing Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 Super excited about getting into Columbia!!!! Anyone going to the recruiting even March 30-April 1?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenin333 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 Obessing, which scholars where you interested at columbia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessing Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 Obessing, which scholars where you interested at columbia? I'm interested in studying w/ Richard Betts, Virginia Page Fortna, and Robert Jervis. Also Jack Snyder but he was my thesis advisor there as an undergrad, so I'd like to get exposed to some different people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve2008 Posted February 25, 2008 Author Share Posted February 25, 2008 congrats on columbia!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silencio1982 Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Just got into Johns Hopkins. I am on cloud nine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polisciapp Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iheartplato Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 silencio, congrats on JHU--that is fantastic news! gives me some hope that i might still have a chance somewhere! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silencio1982 Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 silencio, congrats on JHU--that is fantastic news! gives me some hope that i might still have a chance somewhere! thank you! and, definitely don't give up hope- i totally psyched myself out and convinced myself i wouldn't get in anywhere. keep the faith! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polisciphd Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Congratulations on JHU, it is a great school and Baltimore is a very cool place to live. You can get housing at some pretty amazing prices, especially when compared to the surrounding area. And D.C. is only 50 minutes away... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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