Undergrad Stats...

[DrRockso]

Honestly, I'm not sure how much I'd improve in the quant department; I tend to work slowly in math, and I'm also juggling a full-time job. I'm aware that this is going to pose a problem at the higher-ranked programs, and will probably eliminate me from consideration at some departments entirely. (Mich, Illinois, SB, etc.) I'll see if I can try and present a more humanistic/qualitative approach to my fields of study, and hope it helps...

Thanks again!

[milkbaba]

BA, Political Science, Yale (distinctions)

Major GPA: 3.75, CGPA: 3.72

Quant: 550/Verbal: 760/AWA: 5.5

3 conf. presentations, 2 student publications (one peer-reviewed), 1 academic journal

State Dept. Critical Language Scholarship for Arabic, One Year Research Fellowship at top five Indian university

President of undergrad organization

Applied: Phd, Polisci- Yale, Columbia , Johns Hopkins, WashU, NYU

Mphil, Development Studies- Cambridge, Oxford, SOAS

Accepted: Cambridge, SOAS

(waiting nervously for Phd responses)

[dodger]

pretty sure you'll get into at least one of Yale/Columbia/WashU/NYU. based on other yalies who majored in poli sci, most of them have done pretty well for themselves

[HarrisonWinslow]

I'm not sure where to post this, but I think this seems like a good place, no?

Type of Undergrad: Private US University

Undergrad GPA: ~3.69

Type of Grad: N/A

Grad GPA: N/A

GRE: 600Q, 600V 5.5 A (I will retake it this Summer). :oops:

Undergrad: Political Science

Letters of Recommendation: "Amazing" they all said. Two of my professors said they absolutely loved me and I worked with them for two years+ doing independent studies in the history of political philosophy. The third professor is not in political theory, but he invited me to take his graduate seminars in jurisprudence. And a possible fourth, also in legal theory. In terms of Pedigree: Harvard, Chicago, Stanford, Oxford PhDs (respectively) all studied under top names in their fields. The Chicago and Harvard PhDs are specifically in Political Philosophy.

Research Experience: N/A (Unless you want to include my independent studies, which amounts to about 24 academic hours.)

Teaching Experience: I have TAed for three semesters in our University's General Education curriculum--All of them under the above professors.

Research Interests: The history of political philosophy.

SOP: I was told to expand on the "research" I did for the past two years. My professors helped me for the most part.

Other Info: I am applying to political theory programs next cycle (2009/2010). I have met with all of the big names in my specific field and subfields and will be applying to:

Chicago, Boston College, Harvard, Yale, Texas, Duke, Virginia, Toronto, Vanderbilt and WashU.

I have general questions about political philosophy applicants at these programs--what do these places weigh the most? What are "our" averages? Are they above/below/same as the general polisci departments?

I just previewed my post: I don't mean to sound pompous, I just thought it is important to know some real specifics--simply "Standard," etc. is not helpful to you, my potential reviewers.

[CatallaxisOfEvil]

Oh what the hell.

BA in History from a large, well known private school outside the US:

High 2:1 (somewhere between 3.6-3.7 GPA I think)

GRE: 640Q 640V 5.0A

Parliamentary internship, Research experience at think tanks

MSc in Political Theory from a top-tier private school outside the US

*still in progress*

I've applied to Brown, Brandeis and NYU. Reckon my GREs will kill my chances?

[southern_phd]

I'll bite

BA in Political Science and History from a small regional public university in the midwest

3.8 GPA overall,

4.0 in PS

3.9 in History

GRE: 570-V, 600-Q 4.5 writing (I hate standardized tests)

Two years as a community organizer/director of a political non-profit

Field: Theory

Applied: Virginia, WashU, Duke, Berkeley, North Carolina, Northwestern, Southern Illinois, UCONN, UMASS

So far::: In at Southern Illinois (full tuition reimbursement/stipend)

Rejected at UVA/Duke

Anxiously awaiting the rest.

Any feedback would rock.

[technocat]

I have met with all of the big names in my specific field and subfields and will be applying to: Chicago, Boston College, Harvard, Yale, Notre Dame, Texas, Duke, Virginia, Toronto, Vanderbilt and Claremont.

Does this mean you are a Straussian and have met all the Straussians? (Not intended to be snide; just wondering.)

[HarrisonWinslow]

Does this mean you are a Straussian and have met all the Straussians? (Not intended to be snide; just wondering.)

Yes. Do you have experiences with any?

[vacsoracsata]

After months of voyeurism I finally signed up. Here are my stats for the Fall 09 cycle that we are all waiting upon so anxiously.

BA Government and Philosophy, Magna Cum Laude

College of William and Mary

Overall GPA: 3.75, Govt GPA: 3.83

No honors thesis but an extremely challenging course load full of extra senior seminars and an unofficial third major in Post-Soviet Studies (basically Russian)

GRE: 740V, 720Q, 6.0A

LOR: Two extremely good ones, one probably very good but she's hard to read. All three are well known and from top 5 PhD programs.

I think that the weakest part of my application is the lack of real research. I didn't do an honors thesis and have never published a paper. On the other hand, I did take a number of research seminars as an undergrad, and since graduation I've lived in Eastern Europe learning another language and trying to prepare myself to study the region.

Good luck to everyone!

[AllFiredUp]

Yes. Do you have experiences with any?

I met a cadre of Straussians once. Who is your favorite Straussian? Mine is Manly Mansfield.

[technocat]

Yes. Do you have experiences with any?

Quite a few.

[jimcompx]

My stats:

3.43 Undergraduate GPA, dual major Political Science and History

3.99 Graduate GPA (master's degree from a respected liberal arts school)

610 Verbal, 640 Quant, 5.5 Essay (700 Verbal my first try, had to pee during 2nd and got the "experimental" section, sorry for TMI, but trying to be real).

Two publications, one article under review at BJPS.

Six conference presentations.

Three poster sessions.

One panel chaired.

One paid research position.

Two paid research positions with US govt. sponsored think tank.

Edited book chapter.

Two years of undergraduate teaching at local state college.

[bubbatubba]

<>

[vig180]

Int'l Affairs and History Major from a large southern state school

1580 GRE (800v, 780q, 6.0 writing)

3.99 GPA

Finalist for major national scholarship

Best Paper in State Award, several conference papers, a few minor publications, lots of other academic and extracurricular awards

Extensive study abroad including field research in Africa for thesis

3 glowing recs from the best professors in my field at my school.

IR/Security

Rejected: Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Yale, WashU

Accepted: UCSD

My take: The prestige of your school and professors matters more than we'd like to think. But I'll echo the above post and say that this forum has been wonderfully informative and very supportive, so I'm glad the people on here are getting into excellent schools as well.

[mwash]

vig180 said:

Int'l Affairs and History Major from a large southern state school

1580 GRE (800v, 780q, 6.0 writing)

3.99 GPA

Finalist for major national scholarship

Best Paper in State Award, several conference papers, a few minor publications, lots of other academic and extracurricular awards

Extensive study abroad including field research in Africa for thesis

3 glowing recs from the best professors in my field at my school.

IR/Security

Rejected: Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Yale, WashU

Accepted: UCSD

My take: The prestige of your school and professors matters more than we'd like to think. But I'll echo the above post and say that this forum has been wonderfully informative and very supportive, so I'm glad the people on here are getting into excellent schools as well.

UCSD is an excellent school. I'm seriously considering going there right now, and I think that they offer the combination of a great education plus an excellent quality of life that none of the schools on your list could match.

Regarding your general point about prestige, I really think that what matters more in this process is the relationships your professors have with people at other universities. Although my stats weren't quite what yours were, my rec writers knew people at Chicago and Duke, and that's what I think really gave me an edge at those places. The admissions committees are more likely to take the risk of hiring you if they have someone they know and trust backing you up.

[seraphita]

Political theorist

1470 GRE (750 verbal, 720 math, 6 AW)

3.9 undergrad GPA from a large state school in Florida (BA in social science)

3.99 grad GPA from a small religious school in the Midwest (MA in political science)

Recipient of National Merit Scholarship as an undergrad; research and teaching assistantship as a grad student

Three conference presentations (APSA, MPSA)

Taught one undergrad class

Very positive LORs, some from professors who are friends with adcomms

No publications yet--still under review at a bunch of journals

[tim]

Tier One Liberal Arts School (and all male, not sure if that played a role)

3.6 GPA, magna cum laude

double major: political science, classics

thesis: case study of Singapore's development theory.

phi beta kappa

GREs: 570 verbal; 610 quant; 5.5 AWA

One year teaching English (and thus living) in Taiwan.

1.5 years of paralegal work with an immigration law firm in DC.

no publications

In at South Carolina; Rejected at UT-Austin and WashU.

[Aubstopper]

2 AA's: International Studies and Liberal Studies from CC

BA: Middle Eastern and North African Studies, UCLA

-minor in Hebrew

-Overall GPA: 3.55 Major GPA: 3.65

-GRE=1100, 5.0 (crap but who cares?)

-lived in Jerusalem for a year attending Hebrew University in Middle Eastern Studies Honors program

-summer hebrew intensives (ulpanim)

-worked for top israeli think tank under an israeli ambassador to kenya

-tutored arabs in Ramallah and Darfur refugees in Jerusalem (in English)

-research on iran published in a book coming out next year.

-one year of arabic, 3 years of hebrew, one year of persian, 4 years of french

I thought that my low GRE would deter me from top programs since I didnt have time to study for it or take it multiple times, much less money to pay for the classes. I honestly don't think that admissions people take it as much into account as many of the people here seem to think it does. I was admitted to University of Chicago with half tuition scholarship and University of Michigan-Ann Arbor thus far and I think that for the most part experience, language acquisition, study/volunteer/work abroad, and the LORs are the kickers for IR/area studies programs. Also, knowing exactly what you want to research helps a bit :-) My best friend has an almost perfect GPA and a 1560/5.5 GRE (but no hand's on experience) and she has not gotten into any of the programs that she applied to.

[adaptations]

Aubstopper: were you applying for MA or PhD? I only ask because I was under the impression that Chicago did not offer 1/2 tuition for the PhD program, but I do know they offer such packages for the MA.

Thanks,

[Aubstopper]

Aubstopper: were you applying for MA or PhD? I only ask because I was under the impression that Chicago did not offer 1/2 tuition for the PhD program, but I do know they offer such packages for the MA.

Thanks,

ya MA...my ultimate goal though is the PhD.