Profile Evaluation Request (Comparative Politics, Political Economy)

[Sad Politics]

Hello everyone,

It is already too late to change any of my options but I would still like to hear your opinion on my chances (COVID anxiety I guess). Thank you for your time!

 

Undergrad: Latin American University (among the best in LatAm, relatively well known in the US). GPA: around 3.8 on a 4 point scale.

Graduate: Good European University for Political Science. Also relatively well known in the US (compared to other European Universities at least). GPA: 3.9 on a 4 point scale

Undergrad Major: Economics

Grad Major: Political Science

GRE: 165V/168Q/5.5AWA

Research Experience: Research with one LOR (the project did not go anywhere though), Undergraduate thesis. My M.A. is research-oriented, so I have written many seminar papers there.

SOP: Trying to focus on research experience, interests, and fit. I left out almost any information that can be found in my CV.

Writing Sample: A seminar paper for an M.A. class.

Extras: Exchange semester at Columbia University (3.77 GPA). I have been working as a T.A. this year.

Subfields: Comparative Politics, Methodology, Political Economy (Duke, Princeton, NYU, Yale). A am mostly interested in Latin America, so I like schools with a strong Center for Latin American Studies (I don't want to do area studies though).

Schools: Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Chicago, NYU, Duke, UCSD, Cornell, Michigan, Washington University in St. Louis, Georgetown, Rochester.

 

If anything, I feel like my options are excessively ambitious. I should have applied to OSU and maybe Wisconsin. I am still considering Vanderbilt or Texas-Austin.  I will also apply to a couple of European programs just in case everything falls apart. 

 

 

[PoliSciGuy00]

Nothing wrong with shooting for the stars.  Of course, everyone could've always applied to more school, but I think you have a strong profile.  With my limited knowledge of your situation, I'd say apply to Vanderbilt or Texas-Austin only if you can really imagine yourself going there.  Both are strong programs, but I don't think it's worth "anxiety applying" if you're not serious.  I'm not sure about European schools.  Ultimately, at this point, most of your work is finished.  Take a few days off this weekend, and keep away from this forum, and then see if you feel like you really need to apply to more schools.  

[Sad Politics]

On 12/16/2020 at 7:33 PM, Mr_Spock2018 said:

Nothing wrong with shooting for the stars.  Of course, everyone could've always applied to more school, but I think you have a strong profile.  With my limited knowledge of your situation, I'd say apply to Vanderbilt or Texas-Austin only if you can really imagine yourself going there.  Both are strong programs, but I don't think it's worth "anxiety applying" if you're not serious.  I'm not sure about European schools.  Ultimately, at this point, most of your work is finished.  Take a few days off this weekend, and keep away from this forum, and then see if you feel like you really need to apply to more schools.  

Thank you for your reply, I think it is really good advice and I appreciate it a lot. GradCafe is a great forum but browsing it every day is probably not healthy given my current situation. Unfortunately, I cannot take days off (Duke deadline!) but hopefully, I'll be able to take a break during Christmas and think about this seriously. By the way, you always give good advice in these forums, so thank you for that.  

[PoliSciGuy00]

18 hours ago, Alfonso Galicia said:

Thank you for your reply, I think it is really good advice and I appreciate it a lot. GradCafe is a great forum but browsing it every day is probably not healthy given my current situation. Unfortunately, I cannot take days off (Duke deadline!) but hopefully, I'll be able to take a break during Christmas and think about this seriously. By the way, you always give good advice in these forums, so thank you for that.  

Thank you for your kind words.  Glad I was able to find a way to make my procrastination socially responsible.  Good luck with the process!