2020-2021 Application Thread

[Habermas]

1 minute ago, Aydemiru said:

That is the fastest sadness for me LoL 

I wasnt called for an interview so I will probably be rejected soon, and I feel like I wont get any admission because I did not get into Albany. It was the last one I applied in terms of rankings

We've actually been chatting about this on the forum. I think the consensus is that getting rejected from a lower ranked school isn't an indication you won't get in somewhere else--so its far too soon to despair! You got this!

[icemanyeo]

4 minutes ago, Habermas said:

We've actually been chatting about this on the forum. I think the consensus is that getting rejected from a lower ranked school isn't an indication you won't get in somewhere else--so its far too soon to despair! You got this!

Exactly! @Aydemiru if you want to feel better, check out the 2020 cycle thread. There were quite a few people who didn't get admitted to lower ranked schools but got into Harvard, Yale, etc. 

You have to remember that the more money a department has, the more faculty they can employ, which means they can take in students who might have a more niche fit because there's broad expertise among the faculty, compared to a smaller department that might require tighter fit/already has enough students studying what you want to pursue.

[polisci_gal]

15 minutes ago, Aydemiru said:

That is the fastest sadness for me LoL 

I wasnt called for an interview so I will probably be rejected soon, and I feel like I wont get any admission because I did not get into Albany. It was the last one I applied in terms of rankings

I wouldn’t worry too much about the rankings- most programs are primarily concerned about fit, so sometimes a lower ranked program might not offer you admission solely on that factor. That being said- don’t rule out Albany yet- and keep your head up for the other places you applied! You got this

[HolyGinger]

 

22 minutes ago, Aydemiru said:

That is the fastest sadness for me LoL 

I wasnt called for an interview so I will probably be rejected soon, and I feel like I wont get any admission because I did not get into Albany. It was the last one I applied in terms of rankings

I agree with what others said, ranking isn't everything and I should also note that rankings does not necessarily mean that university, say, ranked 65th is better then the one ranked 70th. I think it really comes down to your research interests and how it fits with their faculty. 

Edit: I is also important to note that rankings change depending on what you're looking at, I mainly used usnews ranking when looking but when you check timeshighereducation rankings or qs world rankings, most of the rankings change especially in world rankings.

Edited January 29, 2021 by HolyGinger

[polisci_gal]

9 minutes ago, HolyGinger said:

 

I agree with what others said, ranking isn't everything and I should also note that rankings does not necessarily mean that university, say, ranked 65th is better then the one ranked 70th. I think it really comes down to your research interests and how it fits with their faculty. 

Edit: I is also important to note that rankings change depending on what you're looking at, I mainly used usnews ranking when looking but when you check timeshighereducation rankings or qs world rankings, most of the rankings change especially in world rankings.

I second this. I think especially in PhD programs, you need to take the rankings with a grain of salt. Like yes they are relevant, but sometimes a program could be ranked say, 60th in the country but their faculty in your sub field might be top notch- which could be worth much more to you as a doctoral student. It really all depends. Either way, don’t get too bogged down on the rankings I guess 

[Beezy]

Hey guys, I'm sorry but I was just wondering if anyone had spoken to professors ahead of the applications and I was wondering if those individuals had gotten interviews again during the application cycle? 

[Richelieu]

35 minutes ago, Aydemiru said:

That is the fastest sadness for me LoL 

I wasnt called for an interview so I will probably be rejected soon, and I feel like I wont get any admission because I did not get into Albany. It was the last one I applied in terms of rankings

Also, you have to consider the specific faculty member you mentioned to work with. They might not be accepting new students (due to having too many PhD students or the ones that deferred from last year due to Covid (this was the case for me for Wisconsin)), they may be retiring soon or they may be changing the research area that they have focused for a while. Good luck with your applications! Fingers crossed for all of us!

[polisci_gal]

18 minutes ago, Beezy said:

Hey guys, I'm sorry but I was just wondering if anyone had spoken to professors ahead of the applications and I was wondering if those individuals had gotten interviews again during the application cycle? 

I spoke to at least one faculty member at each place that I applied to either via email, phone, or zoom. I haven’t heard back from any school about admissions yet though! 

 

Edit: Im not sure if it’s any help to connect with faculty beforehand or not because sometimes they’re not on the admissions committee so it might not make a difference. I mainly reached out for my own sake to learn more about the intricacies of the program and was able to get answers to some of my questions that weren’t available online.

Edited January 29, 2021 by polisci_gal

[Beezy]

Just now, polisci_gal said:

I spoke to at least one faculty member at each place that I applied to either via email, phone, or zoom. I haven’t heard back from any school about admissions yet though! 

I had in depth zoom calls with profs about my research interests and whether it was a good fit to what they were doing and only applied to those schools that seemed to think so. I even had email exchanges about new publications recently with some of them. But no interview invitations. So I'm feeling quite lost. 

[icemanyeo]

If you're feeling GradCafe anxiety, especially right now, I would suggest putting the website on a block list so you can't access it. There are many browser extensions that can facilitate that process. Trust me, your mental health and peace of mind is worth more than being able to check this website.

[polisci_gal]

8 minutes ago, Beezy said:

I had in depth zoom calls with profs about my research interests and whether it was a good fit to what they were doing and only applied to those schools that seemed to think so. I even had email exchanges about new publications recently with some of them. But no interview invitations. So I'm feeling quite lost. 

Maybe just give it some time. Sometimes the departments have to get approval from the graduate school etc. Out of curiosity- what are you planning to research and where did you apply? 

[icemanyeo]

6 minutes ago, baby__yoda said:

I’m applying to study racial and ethnic politics and due to various factors the faculty I’m most interested in working with tend to be junior faculty. In multiple departments, I found out some faculty members were not receiving tenure and were leaving the department soon although that information was obviously not posted anywhere nor would I have been able to figure that out had my advisor not told me. So things like that could also put applicants at a disadvantage. 

One thing I wish I did much earlier in the process was get in contact with more faculty. I don't think it does any good to do so right in the middle of application season, but reaching out to professors/POIs around March-April might be worth exploring for future cycles.

[Maguire]

10 minutes ago, Beezy said:

I had in depth zoom calls with profs about my research interests and whether it was a good fit to what they were doing and only applied to those schools that seemed to think so. I even had email exchanges about new publications recently with some of them. But no interview invitations. So I'm feeling quite lost. 

Same for me - had very positive emails with profs but have not heard back yet so don't know quite what to think. I've seen before where people have gotten in that talked previously with profs but did not receive an interview come January so I wouldn't despair too much. 

[Beezy]

2 minutes ago, polisci_gal said:

Maybe just give it some time. Sometimes the departments have to get approval from the graduate school etc. Out of curiosity- what are you planning to research and where did you apply? 

I'm applying to predominantly i-schools, focussing on how technology affects agency in the labour force, specifically how care workers are affected by technology in being able to negotiate for better working conditions.  I've applied to Michigan, Cornell, CMU, Syracuse, IUPUI and Toronto. 

[Beezy]

1 minute ago, scarletwitch said:

Same for me - had very positive emails with profs but have not heard back yet so don't know quite what to think. I've seen before where people have gotten in that talked previously with profs but did not receive an interview come January so I wouldn't despair too much. 

Thanks so much. Truth be told I've asked professors if they've got funding and whether they liked my topics and most of them did. It just so annoying because you are a person and all this uncertainty makes it hard to concentrate on the present, you know? I know applications is a crapshoot. But still 

[Mad Scientist Malfrost]

2 hours ago, Indeed said:

I started feeling like I shouldn't have joined this forum and checked the results of previous cycles. As it's the last Friday of January, I am refreshing my e-mail account like crazy. I hope Berkeley, Princeton and Emory release their results today...

As a fellow Emory applicant, I am with you there. Here is hoping we both get positive news soon! 

[tryingherbest]

50 minutes ago, Beezy said:

Hey guys, I'm sorry but I was just wondering if anyone had spoken to professors ahead of the applications and I was wondering if those individuals had gotten interviews again during the application cycle? 

I spoke with a handful of people at Boston before applications. The first conversation I had with a professor felt like an interview and it went quite well, but I did not get a formal interview after my application had been submitted, but I don't think BU does formal interviews. I hope that helps!

[animal_whisperer]

Yeah guys keep in mind it's not common to interview for the vast majority of PhDs in US political science programs! There are some schools that have held interviews for years (OSU, UW-Madison), and those will most probably continue with having interviews this year. As for the others, it is unlikely they will start having interviews this year.

 

 

[til1996]

The Princeton bloodbath is coming. I can feel it in my bones.

[Habermas]

3 minutes ago, til1996 said:

The Princeton bloodbath is coming. I can feel it in my bones.

you think today?

[animal_whisperer]

Just now, til1996 said:

The Princeton bloodbath is coming. I can feel it in my bones.

It is one of the most competitive programs unfortunately. We should all hope for the best, but a rejection from a top 3 program hardly means you're unqualified/unprepared for grad school (and maybe this is me just telling myself that to feel less anxious). Best of luck to all today and these coming three weeks!!

[macska]

1 hour ago, Beezy said:

Hey guys, I'm sorry but I was just wondering if anyone had spoken to professors ahead of the applications and I was wondering if those individuals had gotten interviews again during the application cycle? 

I reached out to 2-3 professors at the schools that I applied for back in November. Some professors didn't respond or gave responses like "sounds great!", while others gave some pretty in-depth feedback on my proposal. The ones that gave the most feedback are so far the places that I've had positive responses from. When I was applying last year, I found it helpful because even when professors were retiring or leaving the department, they often gave solid advice on other people to reach out to either in their university or elsewhere. But I also agree with others that reaching out now is probably too late! If you end up applying in a future cycle, I'd recommend to avoid reaching out during school breaks (summer/winter) and instead reach out late spring (if you're really ambitious) or in early fall (if you're just regular ambitious).

[til1996]

2 minutes ago, Habermas said:

you think today?

I think within the next week. I have no evidence for this - just my foreboding! 

[Maguire]

4 minutes ago, macska said:

I reached out to 2-3 professors at the schools that I applied for back in November. Some professors didn't respond or gave responses like "sounds great!", while others gave some pretty in-depth feedback on my proposal. The ones that gave the most feedback are so far the places that I've had positive responses from. When I was applying last year, I found it helpful because even when professors were retiring or leaving the department, they often gave solid advice on other people to reach out to either in their university or elsewhere. But I also agree with others that reaching out now is probably too late! If you end up applying in a future cycle, I'd recommend to avoid reaching out during school breaks (summer/winter) and instead reach out late spring (if you're really ambitious) or in early fall (if you're just regular ambitious).

Same here - at a few places I actually reached out to several professors (4+) as one who provided positive feedback said it would maximise my chances. I emailed back in late August and had responses quite quickly, so I think that was a good time to get in touch. 

Edited January 29, 2021 by scarletwitch

[macska]

Also anyone claiming the Delaware acceptance? I saw someone else in here mention they were applying to Delaware, so wondering if it was them