profile evaluation

[andromedutch]

i'm currently trying to decide whether to apply next fall or the fall after my graduation (thus incorporating additional classes and my senior thesis). following are my stats should i apply as is:

 

gpa: 3.85 (3.95 in major: political science/data science)

gre: 168 both

letters of recommendation: should be excellent, including from t10 cited-all time professor (in political science)

research experience: research with six different professors; three of those will be writing letters

 

i currently attend a t3 university in the u.s.; my gpa is comparatively low as a consequence of a full year of biology courses, which i took in order to better understand climate change. i'm looking at unc, stanford, berkeley, harvard, mit, and princeton; if i were to wait until post-graduation to apply, my gpa would be ~3.9. 

Edited August 27, 2020 by andromedutch

[BTF]

any presentations. posters, or publications from your research experience? Did you write an undergrad thesis? I ask because these are things many applicants do not have that would set you apart from them.

[andromedutch]

8 minutes ago, BTF said:

any presentations. posters, or publications from your research experience? Did you write an undergrad thesis? I ask because these are things many applicants do not have that would set you apart from them.

i do have a poster, and would have a thesis (~100 pages) completed if i waited until after my graduation to apply.

[Theory007]

You're competitive for any program anywhere. If you make a great SOP and have an awesome writing sample there is no reason why you wouldn't get into a top-10 program. I'd not apply outside the top-15 if I was you, so your list is great.

[uncle_socks]

yeah you'll be fine.

• Stanford/Harvard/Princeton admissions are kind to their own and love each other's undergrads as well.
• Having a poster or a 100 page thesis isn't a big deal, (especially the thesis, no one wants to read it) especially with your profile -- they're not really that much of hooks. You can mention them in your SOP as significant research experiences but that's primarily what they're good for.
• Don't wait unless you want to (I waited, and I think it was a legitimately good idea for me, I took a job, matured a bit, made some money, etc.).
• Admissions might be tight this year but I'd be really surprised if you didn't bag at least one CHYMPS. Like really, assuming your recs are good, you're gonna be so good. Do apply widely in the top 10-15 just because this year might be kinda fucked up and departmental fit will probably be really important (and unfortunately, your idea of fit might be very different from a department's idea of fit), but echoing what was said above, you're not going to need to apply below somewhere around UNC's ranking. 
• Assuming the 3.85 is nearly all A/A- and then some B's in biology, it'll be fine. The bio grades won't be held against you very much. 

 

[Theory007]

21 hours ago, andromedutch said:

i'm currently trying to decide whether to apply next fall or the fall after my graduation (thus incorporating additional classes and my senior thesis). following are my stats should i apply as is:

 

gpa: 3.85 (3.95 in major: political science/data science)

gre: 168 both

letters of recommendation: should be excellent, including from t10 cited-all time professor (in political science)

research experience: research with six different professors; three of those will be writing letters

 

i currently attend a t3 university in the u.s.; my gpa is comparatively low as a consequence of a full year of biology courses, which i took in order to better understand climate change. i'm looking at unc, stanford, berkeley, harvard, mit, and princeton; if i were to wait until post-graduation to apply, my gpa would be ~3.9. 

One question; did you take the GREs this year? Unfortunately the GRE from this year is kinda useless if you took it this year and many programs will not require the test for their applicants for the 2021 cycle. If you got that score at a test center you are golden since adcoms will actually consider your score, which they wont do for many other applicants. 

[sloth_girl]

You're set to have good placement -- just be sure to get good LORs (sounds like you're set, but just give them an early head's up) and to really polish up a well-crafter SOP