2019-2020 Application Thread

[DrPepperGuy]

Does anybody have any advice on what to do when you're on the Wait List? 

I got an email from the DGS at WashU (which I am incredibly excited about potentially attending) and she let me know that I wasn't rejected but she'd let me know over the coming weeks.  Is there anything I can be doing in the meantime and is there even a chance that they actually accept people off the Wait List?

Appreciate any insight folks have. 

[Dwar]

3 minutes ago, DrPepperGuy said:

Is there anything I can be doing in the meantime and is there even a chance that they actually accept people off the Wait List?

Express your continued interest in the program. If it is your first choice, like if you’d accept their offer of admissions should they make one, let them know. Schools would be more likely to accept you off the wait-list if they think you’re a sure thing. 

[DrPepperGuy]

1 minute ago, Dwar said:

Express your continued interest in the program. If it is your first choice, like if you’d accept their offer of admissions should they make one, let them know. Schools would be more likely to accept you off the wait-list if they think you’re a sure thing. 

I responded to the DGS letting them know I was still interested.

Is it worth it to reiterate that interest to the faculty I would like to work with as well?

[Dwar]

2 minutes ago, DrPepperGuy said:

Is it worth it to reiterate that interest to the faculty I would like to work with as well?

It couldn’t hurt. Not sure how much power they may have over the decision, but it definitely can’t hurt your situation.

[allben]

12 minutes ago, uchenyy said:

Anyone claiming the Michigan rejections?

Assuming they’re fake posts based on what @Mixedmethodsisa4letterword said earlier. My status is still “submitted” on my portal, for what it’s worth. 

[weast]

13 minutes ago, allben said:

Assuming they’re fake posts based on what @Mixedmethodsisa4letterword said earlier. My status is still “submitted” on my portal, for what it’s worth. 

Seconded. Hopefully we'll hear back tomorrow. 

[DwayneCarter93]

Is it normal for schools to fly you out for a visit after admitting you?

[Dwar]

5 minutes ago, DwayneCarter93 said:

Is it normal for schools to fly you out for a visit after admitting you?

Yes. That’s the recruitment event where they try and convince you to attend their school.

[Hopefulpolisciboop]

The DGS for a program I applied to emailed me earlier with some information and told me he'd be happy to chat if I wanted. I said yes, the conversation is tomorrow, and now I'm running out of questions to ask. Does anyone have any suggestions for something useful to ask during a conversation beyond things like funding? It doesn't seem so much like an interview as much as informal chat but that's making me even more stressed than I would otherwise be

[vierzigste]

2 minutes ago, Hopefulpolisciboop said:

The DGS for a program I applied to emailed me earlier with some information and told me he'd be happy to chat if I wanted. I said yes, the conversation is tomorrow, and now I'm running out of questions to ask. Does anyone have any suggestions for something useful to ask during a conversation beyond things like funding? It doesn't seem so much like an interview as much as informal chat but that's making me even more stressed than I would otherwise be

Placement, mentorship, curriculum, professional development opportunities, collaboration with faculty, teaching opportunities, summer/research/conference travel funding could all be issue you would like to talk about depending your priorities. Also intellectual climate of the program/university, diversity, methodological variety, availability of interdisciplinary collaboration with other programs or institutes in the university might be things to talk about.

[Hopefulpolisciboop]

5 minutes ago, vierzigste said:

Placement, mentorship, curriculum, professional development opportunities, collaboration with faculty, teaching opportunities, summer/research/conference travel funding could all be issue you would like to talk about depending your priorities. Also intellectual climate of the program/university, diversity, methodological variety, availability of interdisciplinary collaboration with other programs or institutes in the university might be things to talk about.

Thank you so much!! This is incredibly helpful

[S-Kyo]

Does anyone know anything about Maryland-College Park? Supposed to release results around this week. Any insight from the department/friends/POIs? 

[Marika8]

6 hours ago, S-Kyo said:

Does anyone know anything about Maryland-College Park? Supposed to release results around this week. Any insight from the department/friends/POIs? 

Yes, I received an email from a faculty member this week to set up a call. This person told me decisions will be sent out soon. 

[Artifex_Archer]

13 hours ago, Hopefulpolisciboop said:

The DGS for a program I applied to emailed me earlier with some information and told me he'd be happy to chat if I wanted. I said yes, the conversation is tomorrow, and now I'm running out of questions to ask. Does anyone have any suggestions for something useful to ask during a conversation beyond things like funding? It doesn't seem so much like an interview as much as informal chat but that's making me even more stressed than I would otherwise be

In addition to the suggestions above, I'd also ask him about his work. Doing so helps you in multiple ways. First of all, you do want to get a better sense of 'fit,' and secondly, people tend to enjoy talking about themselves, especially vis-à-vis the things they really care about. I'd also ask about faculty outside the department who may be studying topics that correspond with your interests—someone in the history department who writes on X, someone in the philosophy department who studies Y, etc.

Remember—because people tend to forget these things when they're nervous—to thank him for his time both before and after the call; immediately afterward [if you don't take notes during], jot down a list of key items from the conversations; and then send a follow-up, thank you email that refers to at least one of those 'key items' [e.g., 'thank you for the book recommendation on____'; 'I was very encouraged when you mentioned the opportunities to ______ because ________ is very important to me,' etc.].

 

If you search elsewhere on GC there's a fairly extensive thread where people provided these and other suggestions.

 

And good luck!

Edited February 14, 2020 by Artifex_Archer

[ecps]

Just got an acceptance from Rochester! 

[CooperSly]

20 hours ago, Mr_Spock2018 said:

A great question.  I also couldn't find a more relevant threat for public policy PhDs.  I applied to WWS, Duke Sanford, and HKS, and haven't heard a peep.  Scrolling through the results of previous years, this doesn't seem to be abnormal.  I think we'd be lucky to hear something by March 1st.  

Yeah, it really sucks how late our cycle is compared to other programs. Which cluster did you apply to for WWS?

[sloth_girl]

Claiming a Michigan admit

[Mixedmethodsisa4letterword]

1 minute ago, sloth_girl said:

Claiming a Michigan admit

Congrats! Automatic emails or...?

[are-you-f'ing-serious]

3 minutes ago, sloth_girl said:

Claiming a Michigan admit

Bloody hell please choose somewhere else. I would not fancy be in the same environment with people like you.

[sloth_girl]

1 minute ago, Mixedmethodsisa4letterword said:

Congrats! Automatic emails or...?

It included my funding info in an attached doc, sent from the Graduate Program Coordinator, so a little bit personalized but still generic. 

[Mixedmethodsisa4letterword]

2 minutes ago, sloth_girl said:

It included my funding info in an attached doc, sent from the Graduate Program Coordinator, so a little bit personalized but still generic. 

Thanks! 

[PoliSci4FlyGuys]

Have any Princeton admits heard from POIs? The only communication I've had with them has been from DGS and to coordinate the visit and am getting antsy. 

[sloth_girl]

2 minutes ago, PoliSci4FlyGuys said:

Have any Princeton admits heard from POIs? The only communication I've had with them has been from DGS and to coordinate the visit and am getting antsy. 

So I didn't hear from POIs until yesterday -- I think it's maybe depending on the schedule/specific POI? 

[SDMSK]

I’m very confused by Michigan now...

[niceward]

Just got my JHU rejection. I'm going to stay in today. Happy Valentine's Day.