2020-2021 Application Thread

[Homeless]

1 hour ago, loiewo said:

Seeking advice! Would you go to a 40s ranked PhD or a T10 ranked masters?

I think it depends, but like others have said, think about the money. One thing you could do is get you MA at the phd programs and (assuming it's not a great fit) transfer after your first year. That being said, I would also think about what your specialty is and how the PhD program reflects that.

[brickinthewall]

4 hours ago, poliscihopeful2021 said:

Just curious if they are gradually sending out offers or all at once?

Hey, I can also claim UCLA this afternoon. But I think they're slowly rolling out, as @NotaDoctorShh posted the other day claiming an admit, and at the time I totally thought that meant I was out of the running... so it is still possible that there are more to come. 

[NotaDoctorShh]

22 minutes ago, brickinthewall said:

Hey, I can also claim UCLA this afternoon. But I think they're slowly rolling out, as @NotaDoctorShh posted the other day claiming an admit, and at the time I totally thought that meant I was out of the running... so it is still possible that there are more to come. 

Yeah, not sure what is going on with UCLA. I got an email to check my portal status on Tuesday, but I also got a formal offer today with funding information as well. Hard to say what's really going on, but it is definitely not over until you get a real rejection! 

[HazyKingdom]

I'd recommend doing an MA if you want to strengthen your application.  

Edited February 14, 2021 by HazyKingdom

[Crossed_fingers]

47 minutes ago, Homeless said:

I think it depends, but like others have said, think about the money. One thing you could do is get you MA at the phd programs and (assuming it's not a great fit) transfer after your first year. That being said, I would also think about what your specialty is and how the PhD program reflects that.

What are others thoughts on doing this? How are transfers like this received by the admitting schools, how much does it set you back in time to degree, and is it super frowned upon?

[uncle_socks]

10 minutes ago, Crossed_fingers said:

What are others thoughts on doing this? How are transfers like this received by the admitting schools, how much does it set you back in time to degree, and is it super frowned upon?

It's not common. I know of (not well) a couple of people who have transferred in the past. I think it's most common to transfer in between schools of similar ranking (for example, Arthur Spirling went from Oxford to Rochester), so that it's really a fit thing instead of a climbing up in the rankings thing. Most top programs have very stingy transfer credit policies, and would make you essentially go back to year 1 when you transfer, though obviously you might have a leg up on your research relative to your peers. I certainly would not recommend going to a program with the pure intent on transferring out after a year or two: there's certainly no guarantee that you'd even be a successful transfer, and it's two years lost and possibly some bridges burnt in a small field. 

[uncle_socks]

4 hours ago, poliscihopeful2021 said:

Might be worth checking if TA/RA money is over and above this or this amount is tied to teaching.

this is ucla lol...that money is tied to teaching. NYU is the only place that unconditionally gives extra money for TA work. Literally everywhere else, unless you win a fellowship, your funding is from teaching at least a few semesters. 

[Crossed_fingers]

12 minutes ago, BunniesInSpace said:

It's not common. I know of (not well) a couple of people who have transferred in the past. I think it's most common to transfer in between schools of similar ranking (for example, Arthur Spirling went from Oxford to Rochester), so that it's really a fit thing instead of a climbing up in the rankings thing. Most top programs have very stingy transfer credit policies, and would make you essentially go back to year 1 when you transfer, though obviously you might have a leg up on your research relative to your peers. I certainly would not recommend going to a program with the pure intent on transferring out after a year or two: there's certainly no guarantee that you'd even be a successful transfer, and it's two years lost and possibly some bridges burnt in a small field. 

Would you recommend an unfunded masters over transferring phd programs?

[Theory007]

2 hours ago, loiewo said:

Seeking advice! Would you go to a 40s ranked PhD or a T10 ranked masters?

Yes, I'd go to the PHD program. There has been a lot of talk about this already and I'm sure others will chime in, but in most cases even a prestigious MA degree will not help your future PHD application much (assuming that's your goal). Of course if you spend the time in your MA to publish papers in competitive journals then that's a different story. But most people do not even if that's the intention. And even with a good MA degree in two years, the admission process is always super random and you could end up in a situation where you received no PHD offer even if you technically were better prepared than now. If your long-term ambition is to do a PHD I'd take the offer you have in hand and not feed the cash cow that most MA programs are (thinking Chicago, Columbia, and others...).

[guest789]

18 minutes ago, BunniesInSpace said:

(for example, Arthur Spirling went from Oxford to Rochester)

Spirling is also a really good example of someone whose research interests notably changed from starting PhD program #1, then went to Rochester to presumably do formal theory (otherwise why would you go there...), to the work he does now in methods. FWIW for those who think their research interests will stay the same...

[uncle_socks]

1 hour ago, Crossed_fingers said:

Would you recommend an unfunded masters over transferring phd programs?

I mean if I were rich, sure. I go to a top 10 school now and if I were rich, I'd go to an unfunded master's just to ease myself into the academic lifestyle. I'm not rich, I didn't do that, I don't know your financial situation. For all the arguing about an economic case for a PhD that I just made, dropping 150k in hopes of getting into a better PhD program is a much harder sell. 

Neither an unfunded masters nor a MA-> transfer application are likely to drastically improve your school prospects beyond what you can do for much much cheaper. 

If you want to get into a better school in a year or two, here's my advice:

1. Apply next year. It's very likely much worse this year for admissions generally than next year. Even in non-awful years, there are people who get into the top programs who were totally shut out from admissions the previous year. 
2. ace the frick out of the GRE 
3. rework your statements/writing sample with your professors/smart friends/someone who will give you honest, critical, and helpful feedback
4. read more political science. it will make your statements and writing samples more convincing
5. Maybe go to an MA program somewhere where the money is actually good and where you're not secondary in importance to the PhD students, and work the frick out of making relationships with the professors. i probably wouldn't do this unless my GPA was bad or unless my letters were (possibly) bad. schools don't really care about the MA per se, but rather about grades and what your professors say about you.

[musicaflores]

Does anyone know when Georgetown SFS is releasing their admissions decisions? 

Thanks!

[Uberfloweret]

Speaking of /possible/ n+1 application cycle, I got curious: I keep seeing lots of posts (not on this thread) about how people who got rejected got feedback and - using it - improved their sop/sample, applied again, and got offers. Who do they ask for comments? I mean, if you get a rejection letter, and your POI is in the committee, and you are in contact, then yes, asking him/her sounds like a good thing to do.
But what if this is not the case? Who to reach out to? Or it is not a common thing to do, and there is no one (except for the situation I briefly sketched above) a rejected applicant could ask for feedback? ?

[sherlock holmes/M]

Hi. anyone hear from UGA (Georgia state), Kentucky, Kansas??

[heyheyheyheyhey]

18 hours ago, flb1997 said:

I got an interview there too. I'm CP. When did you schedule yours? I'm super nervous. 

Congratulations! Mine is early next week. You’ll be great! They are clearly interested in your research and what you’ve done so far. I hope they are just looking to see if we are a good fit. I’ve heard the DGSs are super nice. 

[Aydemiru]

claiming northwestern rejection via portal

[nivy25]

3 minutes ago, Aydemiru said:

claiming northwestern rejection via portal

Did you get an email to check portal? 

[NeedaMormon]

3 minutes ago, nivy25 said:

Did you get an email to check portal? 

I also got a rejection from Northwestern. I got an email to check the portal.

[nivy25]

Since so many acceptances have gone out for Northwestern it is going to be rejects and I know it but a part of me just doesn’t wanna see it cause then it makes it real 

[ExileOnMainSt]

Northwestern hasn’t sent me an acceptance but there’s no rejection letter either. I wonder what’s going on?

[crf1981]

4 hours ago, heyheyheyheyhey said:

Congratulations! Mine is early next week. You’ll be great! They are clearly interested in your research and what you’ve done so far. I hope they are just looking to see if we are a good fit. I’ve heard the DGSs are super nice. 

Mine too. Hope we both do great! 

[gradpumpkin]

11 minutes ago, ExileOnMainSt said:

Northwestern hasn’t sent me an acceptance but there’s no rejection letter either. I wonder what’s going on?

Ditto. 

[nivy25]

1 minute ago, gradpumpkin said:

Ditto. 

Same. I think when I called them they talked about their system and how it personalises letters and then once it’s ready it emails people. I’m guessing that they’ve begun, and it’ll keep rolling out until all the 600 people have been reached.

[Mad Scientist Malfrost]

4 hours ago, sherlock holmes/M said:

Hi. anyone hear from UGA (Georgia state), Kentucky, Kansas??

I emailed the DGS at Kentucky, was told they hope to have decisions out by this coming week, the week of the 15th. 

[sherlock holmes/M]

34 minutes ago, Mad Scientist Malfrost said:

I emailed the DGS at Kentucky, was told they hope to have decisions out by this coming week, the week of the 15th. 

Thanks for the info buddy.