Where Should I Aim? Please Help!

[mrmirv]

Hello All,

Here is my situation.

I want to apply for a PhD in Political Science, focus on IR.

I have a 3.58 GPA undergrad, I will be at 3.6 when i apply to the various schools. I am a double major in Poli Sci and History.

I have a good amount of research exp. For my history degree, we had to do a Research Prospectus, Lit Review, and original scholarly research. I can use this as a good writing sample.

I am taking this fall a grad level Political Science Scope and Methods class so I can get some quantitative analysis experience.

I have a 700 math 700 verbal on GRE. Have not gotten the essay portion back.

I am looking at Brown, UConn, BU, BC for PhD.

I do have one blemish on my record. I had to start and stop school twice for financial reasons. I have 1 incomplete my record.

I have done my best to present myself as is. Any advice would be great.

[mrmirv]

Hello All,

Here is my situation.

I want to apply for a PhD in Political Science, focus on IR.

I have a 3.58 GPA undergrad, I will be at 3.6 when i apply to the various schools. I am a double major in Poli Sci and History.

I have a good amount of research exp. For my history degree, we had to do a Research Prospectus, Lit Review, and original scholarly research. I can use this as a good writing sample.

I am taking this fall a grad level Political Science Scope and Methods class so I can get some quantitative analysis experience.

I have a 700 math 700 verbal on GRE. Have not gotten the essay portion back.

I am looking at Brown, UConn, BU, BC for PhD.

I do have one blemish on my record. I had to start and stop school twice for financial reasons. I have 1 incomplete my record.

I have done my best to present myself as is. Any advice would be great.

Anything?

[GopherGrad]

Anything?

It's tough to get advice right now for a couple reasons. First, it's simply a slow time of year on these boards. Second, past a certain threshold of numbers, it's really difficult to tell anyone about chances as selection seems to rely more on SoPs and maybe letters of rec. Take all advice, including mine, with a grain of salt.

Your stats seem decent enough that you're probably in the running everywhere, although you'll be aware that at the most competetive schools, your GPA and Math score will be a tad lower than average. The balance of advice here will probably tell you to explain the interruption in your education. I for one would advise brevity and confidence while doing so.

[mrmirv]

It's tough to get advice right now for a couple reasons. First, it's simply a slow time of year on these boards. Second, past a certain threshold of numbers, it's really difficult to tell anyone about chances as selection seems to rely more on SoPs and maybe letters of rec. Take all advice, including mine, with a grain of salt.

Your stats seem decent enough that you're probably in the running everywhere, although you'll be aware that at the most competetive schools, your GPA and Math score will be a tad lower than average. The balance of advice here will probably tell you to explain the interruption in your education. I for one would advise brevity and confidence while doing so.

Thanks for the advice! I can tell its just the start of thinking about these things!

[expatbayern]

I don't think anywhere will hold it against you to have taken time off. In your Resume/CV, I'd just have:

Attended U of X, 97-99

Worked full-time at Y, 99-02

Attended U of X, 02-04 (B.A. May 04)

or whatever.

In terms of your stats, frankly I'd say you could aim a little higher. Apply to the schools on your list as well if they're good fits and places you'd be happy, but you should at least apply to a selection of top-25 programs where you can make a credible case you're a good fit and see what happens.

[mrmirv]

I don't think anywhere will hold it against you to have taken time off. In your Resume/CV, I'd just have:

Attended U of X, 97-99

Worked full-time at Y, 99-02

Attended U of X, 02-04 (B.A. May 04)

or whatever.

In terms of your stats, frankly I'd say you could aim a little higher. Apply to the schools on your list as well if they're good fits and places you'd be happy, but you should at least apply to a selection of top-25 programs where you can make a credible case you're a good fit and see what happens.

I was hoping having to stop school for sometime would not hurt me.

I do have an excellent reason. I got married in 2002. I found a job in the telecommunications industry to support us. I also ran for political office and started a buisness. So its not like I have been slacking lol. My wife was much further along in her studies than me. She then got a full scholarship to get her masters. So sadly with a house and bills, we could not afford for both of us to go into debt and with such limited income we would to have lived on a park bench. I think i can explain that very easily in my SOP. I went to school from 97 to 2000. Took some classes in 2005. Then finished part time in the last year. This semester I will be done basically. I plan to leave my job when i figure out where i am going.

I do have research experience. For my history degree, I had to do a year long research project. We had to create a research prospectus and create a 20 page scholarly work. This semester I am taking a grad level poli sci scope and methods class. I just have to weave all this togeather in a SOP...oh boy

[GopherGrad]

I don't know that adcomms will "hold it against you" if you have an absence, but attrition in some programs is an issue and the schools will want to be soothed about anything that could be a sign that you'll quit. They want to know you're the type of person that will follow through.

The advice about aiming "higher" is good, even if "higher" is very eye of the beholder. Take some time and indentify places with great fit, irrespective of rank. You'll have to think about your career when it comes time to decide where to go, but for now, don't let fear (or snootiness) curb your curiousity about programs.

[mrmirv]

I don't know that adcomms will "hold it against you" if you have an absence, but attrition in some programs is an issue and the schools will want to be soothed about anything that could be a sign that you'll quit. They want to know you're the type of person that will follow through.

The advice about aiming "higher" is good, even if "higher" is very eye of the beholder. Take some time and indentify places with great fit, irrespective of rank. You'll have to think about your career when it comes time to decide where to go, but for now, don't let fear (or snootiness) curb your curiousity about programs.

I am really torn about the "fit" concept.

I want a job when i get done with the phd. I am going to be leaving a 100k job to do this becuase this is my life dream. I want to know I have a chance at a tenure track job, just a chance as there is no guarantees in this world.

I guess this is an old debate. "Fit" vs. "Rank".

[Penelope Higgins]

You are only looking at schools in a very small geographic region. It seems like you're sacrificing both fit and rank for location now. But this will give you no more control over location after you finish the PhD, and indeed likely less. There may be good reasons to do this, and none of us can judge those for you. But you should be sure that you're willing to make that choice.

I am really torn about the "fit" concept.

I want a job when i get done with the phd. I am going to be leaving a 100k job to do this becuase this is my life dream. I want to know I have a chance at a tenure track job, just a chance as there is no guarantees in this world.

I guess this is an old debate. "Fit" vs. "Rank".

[mrmirv]

You are only looking at schools in a very small geographic region. It seems like you're sacrificing both fit and rank for location now. But this will give you no more control over location after you finish the PhD, and indeed likely less. There may be good reasons to do this, and none of us can judge those for you. But you should be sure that you're willing to make that choice.

Sadly I am stuck to the Northeast. I have a home I can't sell unless i would like to give it away.

So I am pretty much stuck here.

I would love to consider Uni Texas at Austin.

[GopherGrad]

Being a slave to real estate really sucks, but you should apply at all schools that seem to match your academic and professional goals and see to the personal circumstances when you know. Your specifics may invalidate the following reasoning, but:

1) It's possible to hire a management company and rent for anything from profit to a smaller loss, depending upon your mortgage.

2) Short to medium term finances are not a good justification for skipping out on a great school. A PhD is a money sink even with good funding. If you were going to have a decent job, opportunity costs (lost income and investment opportunity) are probably going to be over half a million, anyway. If you're willing to forfeit that kinda dough, is the bath you'll take selling really a deal-breaker?

Fit versus rank does become a sticky wicket at some point, but keep in mind we're counseling you mostly to look at higher ranked schools. Rank can be misleading in a couple of ways; both causing you to under-estimate your chance at a satisfying career at homely schools and over-estimate them at glamourous ones.

[mrmirv]

Being a slave to real estate really sucks, but you should apply at all schools that seem to match your academic and professional goals and see to the personal circumstances when you know. Your specifics may invalidate the following reasoning, but:

1) It's possible to hire a management company and rent for anything from profit to a smaller loss, depending upon your mortgage.

2) Short to medium term finances are not a good justification for skipping out on a great school. A PhD is a money sink even with good funding. If you were going to have a decent job, opportunity costs (lost income and investment opportunity) are probably going to be over half a million, anyway. If you're willing to forfeit that kinda dough, is the bath you'll take selling really a deal-breaker?

Fit versus rank does become a sticky wicket at some point, but keep in mind we're counseling you mostly to look at higher ranked schools. Rank can be misleading in a couple of ways; both causing you to under-estimate your chance at a satisfying career at homely schools and over-estimate them at glamourous ones.

Thank you for your kind advice.

I am going to going for the best fit with balance of rank. Sort of 50/50.

If I get into a school I love I am going to rent my house out and see if that works. This way I can move wherever I need to. My wife should be able to support us. Bottom line is....I want this. I guess its a question of how much I can sacrifice for it. That is the key. Brown would be amazing becuase I would not have to uproot my life. However, I don't really here a lot of good placement stories coming out of it. I don't want to go to school for 5 years, drop a 100k job I am in now, and end up as a 8.00 cashier somewhere.