Undergrad Stats...

[Peter]

For what it's worth:

BA: English/minor Spanish (unknown state school--they offered a full ride for four years)

GPA: 4.0 (cumulative), summa cum laude

Also studied Ancient Greek (year and a half), French and Latin (only a semester each), Spanish (many years, and studied in Spain)

MA:Political Science (unknown state school--also, lots of scholarships)

GPA: 4.0 (cumulative), summa cum laude

GRE: 650v/720q/5.5AW

White House intern, interned in the House of Reps, MA thesis in progress, have taught my own GE pols class for four quarters (picked my own books, wrote my own lectures, tests, etc. etc.) which was the first time this was allowed (to my knowledge) for a POLS class at my university.

LORs were from nobody notable but from kind profs who knew me well. I think my SOP was solid.

My topic was a problem. I study the politics of hunger. There are no professors who do this exactly.

My advice: practice for the GRE (I actually ran out of time and just had to pick random answers for the last six questions on the quant. section), try to write an SOP that conveys that you understand what being a PhD student is about (you know how to do a research project, pick a research question, have the tenacity to see it through, etc.) and make sure you can detail one specific research interest. If you're super fragmented in your interests I'd pick one/maybe two and only focus on those. As for the name of your school, I applied to 9 undergrad schools (fortunately accepted to all, but took the full ride at a no-name school), turned down MAs at NYU and UChicago for a no=name school as well) and it worked for me. BUT, it will make it harder for you to get into a top-10 even if you excel in your classes,etc.

Good luck and remember the PhD should be a means to an end. Your research should be a means to an end of actually helping the world (I think), so in light of that, take the process with a grain of salt and realize that a vote of confidence/or no confidence from a big name school really means (I think) very little.

Accepted: Univ. of Washington, UVA, UCDavis, GWU

Rejected: WashU, Harvard and NYU (I assume since I haven't heard anything), Chicago, UCSD

Waitlisted: USC

Waiting on: Georgetown

[shuniankuaile]

For posterity's sake ;-)

BA from a top ivy

3.4 cumulative, 3.7 major

GRE: 730Q/720V/6.0W

Accepted: Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, Columbia

Rejected: Yale

My numbers=it's about a lot more than numbers.

Good luck to all the future poli sci graduate applicants of the world!

[Ferrero]

For posterity's sake ;-)

My numbers=it's about a lot more than numbers.

[Pegona]

He means it's ALSO about going to a "top ivy" for undergrad.

[applicantZERO]

Well, his numbers are perfect except a low CGPA (with 3.7, a solid GPA, in major).

So we can never really know how much of a bump he got.

Are you going to Harvard ivy league dude?

[shuniankuaile]

There's no doubt that the training and guidance I got from my department helped, not to mention letters of recommendation from prominent faculty, but I think that has more to do with being at a top department than my school's name brand. Just to illustrate this point, on these admit weekends, I've been finding that many non-Ivy admits come from places like WUSTL, Rochester, UCSD, UCLA and Northwestern.

Anyway, I've had classmates with higher GPAs and test scores fail to get into any graduate school when they applied, which is why I think numbers are far less decisive than the focus of this thread implies. I think the strength of your previous research, your statement of purpose, your letters of recommendation, your letters of recommendation and lastly, your letters of recommendation matter a lot.

At least, that's my guess. Who really knows? But maybe that's why this process seems so opaque: letters are the one part of your application over which you have absolutely no control, and which you will never be able to read!

[applicantZERO]

As a person who was not at an Ivy league school who was accepted to some top programs including Harvard, I back what this statement about letters of reference. Additionally important is senior level coursework -- like cross listed graduate undergraduate seminars that you took. Also good is if your profs writing letters have names that committees at least recognize. Finally, the statement of purpose should really be designed to make a potential advisor of yours, sitting on the committee, have as easy a time selling you to the others as possible. Political science, with its subfields, has a lot of horse trading in the admissions process. So make it easy on them: show fit, but also that you can work well with a few profs. Show preparation. Show you want to be a researcher and scholar, that this is your central goal, above all others.

[aparets]

Undergrad

Marquette University: Double Major - Political Science and Economics

GPA overall 3.523, Econ Major 3.77, POSC Major 3.79

GREs: V550, Q720, AW5.5

one publication in undergrad peer reviewed journal

Merit Undergrad Half Scholarship, graduating w/ honors, 5 semesters on Dean's List

Three great LOR from relatively well known full professors with either endowed chairs or DGS titles (two POSC and one Econ)

URM

Accepted: UNC-Chapel Hill, FSU, Florida, Pitt, UMass

Rejected: Emory, Brown, BU, WUSTL

Waiting: Vanderbilt

[adaptations]

Small Liberal Arts College:

GPA: 3.8 - International Relations

GRE: 770 quant. / 690 verbal / 5.0 writing

Many extra curriculars. Internship with International Trade Administration. 1.5 years work experience with top DC international trade/regulations firm. 2 articles published in small trade newsletter.

Accepted: U.Chicago CIR Masters (partial funding) and GW Ph.D. (no funding)

Rejected: U. Washington, UCSD, Stanford, Berkeley, Princeton, MIT, Michigan, Duke, Yale

[iulixa]

I've just received my last letter (a rejection, but it doesn't matter anymore) so here are my statistics:

BA Political Science (Eastern Europe)

Grade average: 9.65/10 (graduated 2nd/200+)

MA Political Science (Political Economy) - international program (Central Europe)

GPA: 3.86/4.00

Some research experience (I've been working for my undergrad institution and a think tank).

Undergrad exchange student in Italy (Erasmus scholarship).

GRE scores:

first time (2006): 550V, 780Q, 4.5AW

second time (2007): 740V, 740Q, 5.0AW

Accepted: NYU, Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) , SUNY Stony Brook (full funding from all 3)

Rejected: Yale, Michigan Ann Arbor, Columbia, MIT, U Penn, Boston University, Maryland-College Park (UMD)

Going to NYU. And extremely happy about it!

[jr77msu]

Undergraduate Education

GPA: 3.93, Summa Cum Laude

Majors: B.S., Economics and Finance

School: Public Third-Tier State University

Graduate Education

GPA: 3.81

Program: M.A., International Affairs

School: Private Top 15 University

GRE

620 V, 670 Q, 5.0 W

Additional Information: Before applying to PhD programs, I spent three years working for a major aerospace corporation, two years of which I spent in a highly selective leadership development program

Accepted: Michigan State, Indiana-Bloomington (Public Policy)

Waitlisted: Colorado-Boulder

Rejected: Wisconsin-Madison, Minnesota-Twin Cities, Northwestern, Illinois-Urbana, WashU

Enrolled: Michigan State University

[ampersand]

*

[GradHappy]

Quick Profile of Myself:

I am a 4th year political science major at a public university.

I expect to graduate either magnum cum laude or suma cum laude.

Overall GPA: 3.91 Major GPA: 3.88

GRE: 1390 = Q: 740 + V: 650 AWA: 4.0 ?

*How important is the AWA score?

I am looking for a comparative program with a focus on electoral studies.

Anyone have an idea of where I have a good shot of getting in?

I am trying to determine "safety schools" I can apply to.

[rlayla]

I'm applying for Fall '09:

Undergrad: University of Chicago, B.A. with honors, Political Science

GPA: 3.82, major gpa: 3.89

GRE: 710v/800q, AWA TBD

Phi Beta Kappa, several grants and fellowships

A few publications

Took a year off after undergrad to do research for an NGO

[flyingwalrus]

rlayla said:

I'm applying for Fall '09:

Undergrad: University of Chicago, B.A. with honors, Political Science

GPA: 3.82, major gpa: 3.89

GRE: 710v/800q, AWA TBD

Phi Beta Kappa, several grants and fellowships

A few publications

Took a year off after undergrad to do research for an NGO

If you have a good statement and good letters, you'll be fine. I'd consider adding one or more fall back options; you don't really have any as it stands.

[DrRockso]

First post, here goes....

Top 40, Southern Undergrad Institution

BA in History

3.17 Overall GPA, 3.3 Major

Active in club sports (team co-captain for last 2 yrs), member of 2 honors societies

Law Degree from Top 30 Program

JD

3.0 GPA

Exchange student during first semester of 3rd year w/a university in Northern Europe

Received public service award, member of interscholastic trial advocacy team

1260 GRE (720 V 540 Q)--->Not impressing anyone, I know!

Have been practicing as an attorney for about 3 years, including work as a public defender in one of the largest cities in the USA, and appellate practice.

Looking to get into PhD program with a focus on American Politics/Public Opinion. Have a pretty well defined scope of research, which I've received favorable comments about from faculty with which I've been in contact.

Looking at Brown, WUSTL, UVA, Vandy, UNC, Maryland, Stony Brook, Michigan State, Illinois, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, UGA, TAMU

Any comments? Suggestions?

Thanks, all!

[flyingwalrus]

DrRockso said:

First post, here goes....

Top 40, Southern Undergrad Institution

BA in History

3.17 Overall GPA, 3.3 Major

Active in club sports (team co-captain for last 2 yrs), member of 2 honors societies

Law Degree from Top 30 Program

JD

3.0 GPA

Exchange student during first semester of 3rd year w/a university in Northern Europe

Received public service award, member of interscholastic trial advocacy team

1260 GRE (720 V 540 Q)--->Not impressing anyone, I know!

Have been practicing as an attorney for about 3 years, including work as a public defender in one of the largest cities in the USA, and appellate practice.

Looking to get into PhD program with a focus on American Politics/Public Opinion. Have a pretty well defined scope of research, which I've received favorable comments about from faculty with which I've been in contact.

Looking at Brown, WUSTL, UVA, Vandy, UNC, Maryland, Stony Brook, Michigan State, Illinois, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, UGA, TAMU

Any comments? Suggestions?

Thanks, all!

You might consider dropping Brown; they don't appear to be strong in public opinion. You should consider adding Texas, Ohio State, and Michigan, as well. Maybe Minnesota and Wisconsin, too. Are you interested in doing this primarily for the teaching or the research component? If it's the latter, Oklahoma should probably be last on your depth chart. They don't place people well at all and have only ever produced one Americanist of any note that I am aware of.

As for your GRE score, don't worry about it too much. I applied to three of the schools you listed and got fellowships from two and wait listed by the last with a 1280.

[oly]

Although I am applying to several other programs, I mostly want to know what my chances are at Michigan:

Undergrad

GPA: 3.86 (Political Science/German double major; minors in Philosophy and Int'l Development); Cum Laude and with Honors (including an Honors Thesis); large, decent university

GRE: 590v, 610q, 6w

Graduate

MA in IR

Small, but prestigious (I think) IR program in Europe (with an incomprehensible grading scale that will probably put me near the top of my class)

Full fellowship

Several internships

Multiple scholarships, grants, awards, fellowships

5 or 6 international conference presentations (including an invited presentation by an NGO formed by the Prince of Monaco)

5 or 6 publications (though the peer-reviewed one is forthcoming)

One LOR from former high-ranking UN official; one from a well-known American political scientist

I also have a pretty good relationship with (and advocate in) the professor I have proposed to work with at Michigan (though I don't know if this will help).

In the end, I'm most concerned about my GRE score; I'm considering retaking it in the next few weeks, but I read slow and I'm not sure how much I could improve it.

Any conjectures on a Michigan application?

[flyingwalrus]

Michigan is ranked third overall and fifth in IR, so they'd be tough for anyone to get into. You should definitely try, though; it's worth the application fee. I'd consider taking the GRE again if you think you can improve your quant score.

[cjh19]

Longtime lurker (dating back to my casual, and fruitless, application to graduate school last year), and while I'm sitting here typing out statements of purpose, I thought I'd join the conversation.

I'm applying for PhD programs in comparative (focusing on post-communist transitions), and I'm shooting pretty high. I only have two or three schools on my list that I think I have a fairly decent shot at, the rest are pretty much rolling the dice. My applications are going to UT-Austin, Emory, Cornell, Berkeley, Stanford, Indiana-Bloomington, WUSTL, Yale, UNC-Chapel Hill and U of Iowa.

I'll be graduating from a decent regional university in December, with an honors research degree. My thesis, which I researched and wrote over two years, will be published electronically by the university. I have a few other lesser publications to my name, as well as several awards, scholarships, and fellowships. I've served on the editorial board of a student political magazine that holds itself to a pretty high standard.

My GPA will be 3.92 overall, and 3.89 in my major (joint Political Science and Philosophy degree).

GRE: 800 v; 660 q; 5.5 writing. Obviously quantitative is not my strength.

I'm currently taking a graduate course on comparative politics methodology.

My letters of recommendation should be decent, and the SoP is a struggle, but I have high hopes.

I'd welcome any thoughts or suggestions, and I'll keep everyone posted when those rejections start rolling in. I remember that was the most interesting (read, frantic) part last year.

[AllFiredUp]

How is the SOP a struggle. What plagues you, best of men?

[cjh19]

It's a tricky business, you know? Particularly the business about selling yourself to a particular professor or professors. I can deal with describing myself well enough, and my 'purpose,' but trying to write a statement that makes a particular professor want to go to bat for me on the admissions committee is a trick. How do you get beyond something like "this is what I want to do, which is very similar to what you do, and I've read your latest/most impressive work and it was pretty good."?

[rising_star]

It's a tricky business, you know? Particularly the business about selling yourself to a particular professor or professors. I can deal with describing myself well enough, and my 'purpose,' but trying to write a statement that makes a particular professor want to go to bat for me on the admissions committee is a trick. How do you get beyond something like "this is what I want to do, which is very similar to what you do, and I've read your latest/most impressive work and it was pretty good."?

You stop thinking about that. If you're qualified and a good fit, you don't need one person to "go to bat" for you, the department will want you.

[DrRockso]

You might consider dropping Brown; they don't appear to be strong in public opinion. You should consider adding Texas, Ohio State, and Michigan, as well. Maybe Minnesota and Wisconsin, too. Are you interested in doing this primarily for the teaching or the research component? If it's the latter, Oklahoma should probably be last on your depth chart. They don't place people well at all and have only ever produced one Americanist of any note that I am aware of.

As for your GRE score, don't worry about it too much. I applied to three of the schools you listed and got fellowships from two and wait listed by the last with a 1280.

Thanks for the advice!

[flyingwalrus]

Thanks for the advice!

I just took a look at your GRE scores again. I must have inverted them before; I thought you had scored a 720 quant, not verbal. So your verbal kicks ass, but your quant is weak. If you think you can improve it, I think you should take the GRE again. The quantitative score is pretty important for people interested in American politics.