2020-2021 Application Thread

[Muan1]

What's going on at Berkeley? Anyone hear anything?

[spotted]

Just now, Muan1 said:

What's going on at Berkeley? Anyone hear anything?

I'm sure this forum will explode with the news when berkeley releases decisions

[Muan1]

Fiat lux, said Cal, showering the night sky with a million acceptances.

[XXXXbe1]

24 minutes ago, tedneko said:

Anyone accepted at Mcgill? Got waitlisted there. Comparative Politics app.

Claimed an acceptence, CP

[ExileOnMainSt]

30 minutes ago, spotted said:

I'm sure this forum will explode with the news when berkeley releases decisions

Yes

[Mad Scientist Malfrost]

Congrats to all the people who got accepted at McGill! It's a really great school and a person in my Master's cohort got their undergrad there and loved it.

[XXXXbe1]

40 minutes ago, XXXXbe1 said:

Claimed an acceptence, CP

Sub-sub area: African politics / Ethinicity/ Governance/ Public Goods Allocation

First acceptance in this cycle, and also the past two,,, cycles. Feel excited ~ 

[foxcarnival]

Rejected from University of Virginia. I'm pretty bummed, but am trying to be patient and keep hope!

Congrats to all who were accepted; best of luck!

0a/1w/2r/8p

Edited February 3, 2021 by foxcarnival

[CynthiaM9]

Congrats on those admitted to UCSB. Such a great school at a great location. Community is great there, too. People is friendly as you may not imagine.

However, SB had a mass shooting situation a few years back, and I wonder: your decisions on where to apply are somewhat affected by these kind of events?

 

0a/1w/2r/3p.

[StarkDark1]

35 minutes ago, foxcarnival said:

Rejected from University of Virginia. I'm pretty bummed, but am trying to be patient and keep hope!

Congrats to all who were accepted; best of luck!

0a/1w/2r/8p

Sorry about that.  Did you hear back via email or the portal?

[nivy25]

3 hours ago, cbsag123 said:

In case anyone is interested, applications to Michigan almost tripled this year.

Probably because they’re not only Top 10 but they also weren’t considering the GRE this year. I was initially happy that the GRE was waived because it’s not the most ideal measure of student capabilities, but at this point, the effect of no GRE requirement has increased applications to many of the schools I applied to and I can’t help but wonder if my chances would be better if that wasn’t the case...

[piggylan]

Congrats to admitted to UCSB. I applied and had no interview until now. I assume a rejection but still a little hope. Finger cross.

[gradinho]

Hi all. I've been a lurker for long enough and wanted to share in this anxious experience of waiting for application results to come back. I must say that reading all of you has been comforting and humbling.

In the mean time, as I assume most of you here are likely to be quite engaged and potentially great political scientists I thought it'd be a good idea if we shared goodreads profiles? I'd like to follow some of you so I can catch better book recommendations.

[Mad Scientist Malfrost]

8 minutes ago, nivy25 said:

Probably because they’re not only Top 10 but they also weren’t considering the GRE this year. I was initially happy that the GRE was waived because it’s not the most ideal measure of student capabilities, but at this point, the effect of no GRE requirement has increased applications to many of the schools I applied to and I can’t help but wonder if my chances would be better if that wasn’t the case...

Out of curiosity was it waived completely or optional because at all the schools I applied where the GRE was still optional I asked how that would be factored in and I was told not really until the end of the process when they had already narrowed the field, if at all. While not needing to take the GRE likely did cause a spike the pandemic and economic situation is likely a bigger factor; people will flock towards academic when times are tough because it offers at least SOME stability. That is what a number of professors told me at least.

[Mad Scientist Malfrost]

2 minutes ago, gradinho said:

Hi all. I've been a lurker for long enough and wanted to share in this anxious experience of waiting for application results to come back. I must say that reading all of you has been comforting and humbling.

In the mean time, as I assume most of you here are likely to be quite engaged and potentially great political scientists I thought it'd be a good idea if we shared goodreads profiles? I'd like to follow some of you so I can catch better book recommendations.

I'll start, here's my goodreads profile: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/76666744-matias-faure

Feel free to add me!

My goodreads is a mess but here is mine, feel free to add me!

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10441134-michael

[Charleslee007]

9 hours ago, kmccorm327 said:

I'm an IR waitlist from UVA -- have we had any acceptances here yet? 

Upon my information, no one in IR subfield has received anything this year. I think the IR subfield comes out later than others this year, as I have seen some rejection from AP or CP subfields.

[DanTheGrad]

28 minutes ago, piggylan said:

Congrats to admitted to UCSB. I applied and had no interview until now. I assume a rejection but still a little hope. Finger cross.

Hey there - did you end up getting an interview for UCSB? Just curious to see if they were still holding interviews.

[Phd_Applicant2021]

Hey guys, Happy to find this place. 

Do you know if UIUC, Georgia Tech, Umich, and UT-Austin decided their accepted applicants, yet?

[gradinho]

32 minutes ago, Mad Scientist Malfrost said:

My goodreads is a mess but here is mine, feel free to add me!

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10441134-michael

Very interesting stuff! Request sent.

[SPN123]

Talking about books, I recently came across this book on PhD admissions called Inside Graduate Admissions by Julie Posselt, a professor at USC. She covers 10 top ranked PhD programs in different fields: social sciences, humanities, education, etc. I wish I had found it before applying. hahaha

There were moments where I was like, "Why am I torturing myself reading this after I've submitted my applications?" Nonetheless, I'm glad I'm reading it. It is calming me in a weird way while waiting to hear from programs.

https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Graduate-Admissions-Diversity-Gatekeeping/dp/0674088697

[Charleslee007]

11 hours ago, kmccorm327 said:

I'm an IR waitlist from UVA -- have we had any acceptances here yet? 

I don't know any. I even didn't receive waitlist from UVA. I think it is time to recognize the failure.

[nivy25]

1 hour ago, Mad Scientist Malfrost said:

Out of curiosity was it waived completely or optional because at all the schools I applied where the GRE was still optional I asked how that would be factored in and I was told not really until the end of the process when they had already narrowed the field, if at all. While not needing to take the GRE likely did cause a spike the pandemic and economic situation is likely a bigger factor; people will flock towards academic when times are tough because it offers at least SOME stability. That is what a number of professors told me at least.

I do agree that the current economic situation was also another factor! 
 

As for the GRE requirement at Michigan, their website said the GRE is NOT required at all this year. That’s all it really said.

What’s weird is that most other schools either said that the GRE is not required, but it is optional and people can still submit it, OR they said that the GRE is not required and will not even be considered if you submit scores. 
 

In the case of Michigan, they didn’t really specify the details of the GRE and just mentioned it’s not required. 

[nivy25]

1 hour ago, sara_phd_ee said:

Hey guys, Happy to find this place. 

Do you know if UIUC, Georgia Tech, Umich, and UT-Austin decided their accepted applicants, yet?

Not official of course, but UIUC and UT Austin have sent out acceptances and waitlists already, so it does feel like anyone who hasn’t heard from them would most likely get a rejection.

[Mad Scientist Malfrost]

I didn't apply there but anyone claiming those UC Davis admits for the sanity of people who did apply there?

[nivy25]

37 minutes ago, Mad Scientist Malfrost said:

I didn't apply there but anyone claiming those UC Davis admits for the sanity of people who did apply there?

Omg I just saw that! I did apply there. I really wonder if it’s legit.