2019-2020 Application Thread

[sloth_girl]

44 minutes ago, SeriousDiver said:

Wow. From the language of this, I'm assuming you read that Gary King article on Harvard's admissions lol. 

I looked it up, and yes, I think I read that when I was first considering applying 2 years back (ended up taking a job so my spouse could finish a Master's). 

[captmarvel]

Claiming a Stanford rejection. Glad to see they're continuing their tradition of sending rejections on Valentine's Day ? I'm actually very happy because the Bay Area would have presented some logistical issues for me, so I now don't have to make that tough choice. Congrats to all who got in and condolences to all who didn't!

[HCE]

7 hours 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. 

I was emailed by a POI a few days ago. Also claiming a Stanford rejection email. 

Edited February 15, 2020 by HCE

[Hopefulpolisciboop]

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone has a good start to the weekend, some chocolate, and the chance to reload GradCafe in a different setting than usual 

[mathinduction]

Also got rejected from Stanford. As others have commented, it's interesting how much one's mileage can vary even among similar programs (i.e. I personally got into Princeton but rejected from Stanford but saw several people on the results thread who were the other way around (into Stanford but rejected from Princeton)). I'm definitely in a very lucky position right now, but it is interesting how much things seem to vary based on fit, and I think it is very very hard to predict anything in advance. Congrats to all who got in today though :-)! 

[HCE]

I’m not sure if this will be helpful for anyone, but for what it’s worth right now I’m working a job that I didn’t even know was a possible area of work when I graduated undergrad several years ago.

By taking some risks, investing in some key relationships, following up on opportunities, and being lucky I’ve been able to find work that’s incredibly personally fulfilling and intellectually stimulating. These experiences might have made my application stronger, and I think they’ll make me a better political scientist. All this also probably makes this application process a bit less stressful than it might have otherwise been. 

Sorry for being a bit vague, but this is all to say that there are many amazing things going on in the world! If you’re striking out with apps, you might find something else that you’d never dreamed of even as you set your sights on eventually reapplying. I’ve been surprised by how things have turned out for me and many of my friends - many of us have found a lot of fulfillment doing things that we couldn’t have predicted straight out of undergrad or even a year or two out of undergrad. 

[Marika8]

5 hours ago, shyareene said:

So I'm pretty sure my cycle ended with all rejections this time around. Probably because of low GREs and applying to AP even though my statements were more theory focused. I'm going to work on my applications again for next year. Someone told me that when I reapply to schools that rejected me once, they don't really consider your application properly again and it's kind of like you wasted your one chance. Is this true? Does anyone have success reapplying to schools that rejected them?

I just got accepted to three schools I was rejected from twice. Don’t give up hope. Get some additional work experience and apply again if it’s something you really want to pursue. 
 

good luck!

[GabriellaG]

11 hours ago, PolSci95 said:

Just got a call from Stanford. Admitted. I cannot believe it yet. Theory applicant

 

11 hours ago, Nichrome said:

Same!! IR subfield. Amazed and shocked.

Congrats to you both

[GabriellaG]

12 hours ago, harshz3792 said:

Got an email from University of Rochester with funding details!

Congrats

 

And actually congrats to everyone that got in yesterday! I'm on the European time zone so I always feel a bit delayed in issuing responses/congrats! And to everyone that was rejected, you've still got this! As someone who hasn't gotten any acceptances yet, one rejection and one waitlist, I'm trying to keep a positive attitude that even if I don't get in anywhere, it just means I get another chance to try next year and get some good work experience in the meantime. Also the weekend is here and since there (at least I would assume) won't be any acceptances/rejections over the weekend - we can all breathe a sigh of relief, step outside and chill for 48 hours. 

[Dwar]

27 minutes ago, GabriellaG said:

I'm trying to keep a positive attitude that even if I don't get in anywhere, it just means I get another chance to try next year and get some good work experience in the meantime.

Your positivity is awesome! You’ll go great places my dude. 

[GabriellaG]

19 minutes ago, Dwar said:

Your positivity is awesome! You’ll go great places my dude. 

Thanks @Dwar! 

[billk]

8 hours ago, captmarvel said:

Claiming a Stanford rejection. Glad to see they're continuing their tradition of sending rejections on Valentine's Day ? I'm actually very happy because the Bay Area would have presented some logistical issues for me, so I now don't have to make that tough choice. Congrats to all who got in and condolences to all who didn't!

Also rejected by Stanford, but I feel the same way. The Bay Area is ridiculously expensive, far from home, and filled with wannabe Elon Musks. Congratulations to everyone who was accepted! Solidarity with those who were not. Stanford is missing out on some excellent candidates this year for sure!

[cardinal35]

Anyone else still waiting on decisions from Michigan and Rochester? I am assuming they will finish sending out some of their decisions on Monday or Tuesday. What do you think? Also, has anyone heard from UNC?

[Clintarius]

Hi! First post but I've been following this thread for a while and I really appreciate the support and the positivity!
I received an email from the DGS at NYU Politics yesterday to let me know I'm waitlisted.
Anyone in the same boat? I'm trying to gauge the size of the waitlist. I'm an international student and I've been admitted to UCSD as well so far (rejections from Princeton/Stanford).

Additionally, I was wondering if you guys know roughly when most programs start. I've seen a few dates but I'm struggling to get a good idea of it, and need to notify my boss about when I'll be leaving my current organization.

Edited February 15, 2020 by Clintarius
Additional question on start dates

[e2e4]

23 minutes ago, Clintarius said:

Hi! First post but I've been following this thread for a while and I really appreciate the support and the positivity!
I received an email from the DGS at NYU Politics yesterday to let me know I'm waitlisted.
Anyone in the same boat? I'm trying to gauge the size of the waitlist. I'm an international student and I've been admitted to UCSD as well so far (rejections from Princeton/Stanford).

Additionally, I was wondering if you guys know roughly when most programs start. I've seen a few dates but I'm struggling to get a good idea of it, and need to notify my boss about when I'll be leaving my current organization.

Varies school by school, especially depending if school is on semesters, trimesters, quarters. You can check academic calendars for schools you are considering. Some offer optional training before orientation such as 'methods bootcamp' or 'math camp'; details on those can often be found on program websites or deep in these forums. 

[uchenyy]

7 hours ago, cardinal35 said:

Also, has anyone heard from UNC?

Not sure what's going on at UNC. I'd be really shocked if (some) decisions are not announced this coming week.

Edited February 15, 2020 by uchenyy

[uncle_socks]

6 hours ago, e2e4 said:

Varies school by school, especially depending if school is on semesters, trimesters, quarters. You can check academic calendars for schools you are considering. Some offer optional training before orientation such as 'methods bootcamp' or 'math camp'; details on those can often be found on program websites or deep in these forums. 

And for some schools, math camp is very much not optional. 

[Theory007]

On 2/14/2020 at 3:44 PM, sloth_girl said:

Claiming Stanford (via phone call) and Cornell (via email). I'm pretty shocked -- I didn't expect this. I think it just happens to be a year where my research interests align well -- I doubt I could replicate this any other year. There is a lot out of anyone's control on this (fit, faculty availability, funding, etc.), and I know they could recreate exceptional cohorts 5 times over easily. 

Amazing! You clearly had a great cycle. Since you've gotten into basically every top program I am curious about what you think made the difference for you? What is your secret?? haha

[sloth_girl]

16 minutes ago, Theory007 said:

Amazing! You clearly had a great cycle. Since you've gotten into basically every top program I am curious about what you think made the difference for you? What is your secret?? haha

Haha, I'm still trying to figure that out myself! I know I did a pretty good job at the main points that others have talked about (e.g. get good GRE scores, good uGPA, well-crafted SOP, etc.), and I'll be posting my profile and info once the cycle finishes. But honestly, I think I just got very lucky this round. When I talk to POIs, there was a lot of "oh, we just hired this person and this person straight out of grad school who you have great fit with!", which I couldn't have anticipated. I'm not confident that any other application season would have yielded the same results if that makes sense. 

[uchenyy]

40 minutes ago, sloth_girl said:

Haha, I'm still trying to figure that out myself! I know I did a pretty good job at the main points that others have talked about (e.g. get good GRE scores, good uGPA, well-crafted SOP, etc.), and I'll be posting my profile and info once the cycle finishes. But honestly, I think I just got very lucky this round. When I talk to POIs, there was a lot of "oh, we just hired this person and this person straight out of grad school who you have great fit with!", which I couldn't have anticipated. I'm not confident that any other application season would have yielded the same results if that makes sense. 

I think you're absolutely right. Fit, at least in my case, seems to have mattered more than many other aspects of my profile.

[Foctest]

17 hours ago, cardinal35 said:

Anyone else still waiting on decisions from Michigan and Rochester? I am assuming they will finish sending out some of their decisions on Monday or Tuesday. What do you think? Also, has anyone heard from UNC?

I heard back from UNC & got an admission on Feb. 5

[uchenyy]

5 minutes ago, Foctest said:

I heard back from UNC & got an admission on Feb. 5

Are you on the right forum? (I notice that your profile says you're in social work.)

[kestrel18]

Hello guys! I've been lurking here for a while and now decided to share my experience. In particular, I'd like to reach out those of you who have been rejected so far:
A few weeks ago, I was admitted by one of the solid schools in the top-30. The previous two application cycles left me with a bitter aftertaste. - I almost lost confidence in my ability to succeed and was depressed. However, I did not give up: kept reading literature, slightly improved the GRE score, took a few relevant courses, and thus attained the target from the third attempt. When I saw the offer, I could not believe my eyes - it was such a fantastic feeling! 
So, it is possible to break through the concrete walls of the admission committees. - Do not underestimate your capabilities, and do not allow depression to engulf you! Take a break, and keep moving ahead!

[billk]

11 hours ago, sloth_girl said:

Haha, I'm still trying to figure that out myself! I know I did a pretty good job at the main points that others have talked about (e.g. get good GRE scores, good uGPA, well-crafted SOP, etc.), and I'll be posting my profile and info once the cycle finishes. But honestly, I think I just got very lucky this round. When I talk to POIs, there was a lot of "oh, we just hired this person and this person straight out of grad school who you have great fit with!", which I couldn't have anticipated. I'm not confident that any other application season would have yielded the same results if that makes sense. 

Totally agree with your point about fit. One of my top choices, I was accepted largely because they're doing a big hiring push in my area this year. If I could go back and change my approach to the application cycle, this would be a major question I would ask of POIs: "What are faculty working on, and is the department making any new hires in any different areas?"

Of course, I am sure your application was stellar regardless of fit, but just reiterating that point because I was shocked by how important that ended up being.

[tjdnv37vz]

Any notifications from Cornell or Norte Dame theory?