Please evaluate me

[Gargoyle]

I am a math and government major with a economics minor at a top 30 University. I am a junior now (senior in hours) and thinking about Political Science Graduate School. I am very interested in Methodology and Political Economy. I would like to know how if I could get into the top ranked programs.

 

I plan on applying to in order of preference

1. Columbia

2. Rochester

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

4. New York University (NYU)

5. Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL)

6. Duke

7. University of Texas-Austin

8. Johns Hopkins University

 

My GRE score is amazing, I got a 800 quant 780 Verbal.

 

I have 3 great recommendations 2 are from government professors (full professors) and one from a professor emeritus in the economics school. I would rate all of these letters between a 9 or a 10.

 

I worked for a public policy think tank for a year and focused on aid allocation.

 

I am graduating with honors in government

 

I coauthored a article on that got published.

 

My stats in terms of GPA are what worry me

 

My first year I screwed up and got a 1.6. My cumulative GPA now is a 3.1. My last 60 hours is a 3.7. My goverment GPA is a 3.8: brought down by my freshmen year.

 

Also do they take into account classes taken because my undergrad schedule was grueling

I have taken the following math and economic classes.

Microtheory

Macrotheory

Econometrics (A, set the curve in the class, teacher is writing me recommendation)

Decision Theory (A, Had the high grade, took in the government department, teacher is writing me a recommendation)

The three calculus set

Differential Calculus

Linear Algebra and Matrix Theory

Applied Linear Algebra

Applied Statistics

Probability

Real Analysis 1 & 2

Both Introduction to and Advanced Symbolic Logic (A, had high grade in both classes, I could get a recommendation from the teacher but don't want to because it is in the philosophy department.)

[Bukharan]

I'd say you have excellent chances!

And your GRE score IS amazing!

[Kitkat]

My stats in terms of GPA are what worry me

My first year I screwed up and got a 1.6. My cumulative GPA now is a 3.1. My last 60 hours is a 3.7. My goverment GPA is a 3.8: brought down by my freshmen year.

Also do they take into account classes taken because my undergrad schedule was grueling

I have taken the following math and economic classes.

Microtheory

Macrotheory

Econometrics (A, set the curve in the class, teacher is writing me recommendation)

Decision Theory (A, Had the high grade, took in the government department, teacher is writing me a recommendation)

The three calculus set

Differential Calculus

Linear Algebra and Matrix Theory

Applied Linear Algebra

Applied Statistics

Probability

Real Analysis 1 & 2

Both Introduction to and Advanced Symbolic Logic (A, had high grade in both classes, I could get a recommendation from the teacher but don't want to because it is in the philosophy department.)

I would have to say that you will probably be fine. Many schools give less weight to the first two years, then the final two years, based on the fact that the last two years tend to be harder (as your course work shows). Therefore, that you improved so much is a good thing. They will probably take that into account. All I have to add to that is maybe mention your improvement in your SoP, and if there was a good reason for it mention that as well.