Political Science - Fall 2011 Cycle

[Gerri]

Did anyone hear back from USC? I'm still waiting to get off their waitlist.

I'm on the waitlist for USC POIR too... still haven't heard anything since Veridiana inquired as to whether we would like to remain on the wait list.

[azure]

Anyone not going to Maryland & UMass Amherst, please decline ASAP.

I'm on the waitlist on both and the wait is, well, almost unbearable.

@Slacktivist: did you decide where you'll go?

I also applied to Amherst, but still have no information from them.

Is anyone who also hear nothing from Amherst like me?

[mormegil]

I also applied to Amherst, but still have no information from them.

Is anyone who also hear nothing from Amherst like me?

I enquired the graduate secretary and she said she has processed a lot of denied applications but my application wasn't one of them & the faculty still hasn't made any decision on my application. I think they're still waiting for some people to accept/decline their offers before they make a 2nd and final round of admits off the waitlist. The 1st round was way back in early February.

Edited April 9, 2011 by mormegil

[flyers29]

Got an acceptance at FIU, which was my only IR app (I also applied to 2 public policy programs). Guess on this board I get to claim I went 100% then

[mormegil]

Got an acceptance at FIU, which was my only IR app (I also applied to 2 public policy programs). Guess on this board I get to claim I went 100% then

Congrats flyers29! PM me and let's talk about the program. There's a good chance we might end up as colleagues at FIU assuming you haven't made up your mind yet about choosing where to go (i haven't).

[Aunuwyn]

Got an acceptance at FIU, which was my only IR app (I also applied to 2 public policy programs). Guess on this board I get to claim I went 100% then

Congrats man! I might have to come visit for the Miami game in two years.

[flyers29]

Congrats flyers29! PM me and let's talk about the program. There's a good chance we might end up as colleagues at FIU assuming you haven't made up your mind yet about choosing where to go (i haven't).

I am waiting on one more decision on the public policy side, but even so I'll likely be choosing FIU. Feel free to give me a shout if you end up doing the same.

[FireHouse]

I haven't heard a single thing from Georgia State yet and I applied two months ago.

Should I contact somebody in the Poli Sci Department? Because I tried the person in the office of graduate services and she was no help

[firefly28]

I just turned down one super great package to accept another. Both departments were really good, slightly different strengths but both suited toward my interests. With the departments and financial offers roughly even, I ended up considering the respective locations, and this is where one school prevailed over the other: one location is definitely nicer than the other. Also, one location is much easier to get by on public transportation than the other, which is a major issue for me since I don't drive.

But turning down a terrific offer from a school that made a wonderful presentation is still very hard to do

[YAGSA]

I just turned down one super great package to accept another. Both departments were really good, slightly different strengths but both suited toward my interests. With the departments and financial offers roughly even, I ended up considering the respective locations, and this is where one school prevailed over the other: one location is definitely nicer than the other. Also, one location is much easier to get by on public transportation than the other, which is a major issue for me since I don't drive.

But turning down a terrific offer from a school that made a wonderful presentation is still very hard to do

Which school did you reject? What package did they offer?

[mormegil]

Well folks, my cycle is over. Got turned down by all 3 of the wait listed programs. What's with the wait lists this year? I expected to get at least one if not more offers from the waitlisted places. Either I've been incredibly unlucky or everyone accepted their offers. Been a tough and underwhelming admissions cycle but kind of expected since it's my first year in my MA program. Time to choose between my two offers. I'm nominated for a sweet presidential fellowship at one of the places. Hopefully that turns up. Anyway, thanks for the camaraderie guys!

[YAGSA]

Well folks, my cycle is over. Got turned down by all 3 of the wait listed programs. What's with the wait lists this year? I expected to get at least one if not more offers from the waitlisted places. Either I've been incredibly unlucky or everyone accepted their offers. Been a tough and underwhelming admissions cycle but kind of expected since it's my first year in my MA program. Time to choose between my two offers. I'm nominated for a sweet presidential fellowship at one of the places. Hopefully that turns up. Anyway, thanks for the camaraderie guys!

I just rejected FIU's presidential fellowship (which I'm assuming is the one you're talking about), so hopefully you'll get it.

Edited April 14, 2011 by YAGSA

[flyers29]

I just rejected FIU's presidential fellowship (which I'm assuming is the one you're talking about), so hopefully you'll get it.

I'll take it if mormegil doesn't need it. Which leads me to a question--better to accept the offer I have asap in case some other funding magically shows up (I got the standard tuition + stipend package, which is pretty decent, but you never know)?

Edited April 14, 2011 by flyers29

[mormegil]

I'll take it if mormegil doesn't need it. Which leads me to a question--better to accept the offer I have asap in case some other funding magically shows up (I got the standard tuition + stipend package, which is pretty decent, but you never know)?

I'm not sure if this is too personal but how much did they offer you with the TA package? I guess I should like to know beforehand in case the fellowship doesn't get through for some reason.

[mormegil]

I just rejected FIU's presidential fellowship (which I'm assuming is the one you're talking about), so hopefully you'll get it.

Yes, it's the FIU one. YAGSA, do you know how the grad school selects students nominated for the fellowship? Is it an election or rather they just rubberstamps the departmental nomination?

[flyers29]

I'm not sure if this is too personal but how much did they offer you with the TA package? I guess I should like to know beforehand in case the fellowship doesn't get through for some reason.

$18,800 (though they said around $800 in fees aren't covered each semester). That kind of seems like the median amongst programs so no complaints.

[mormegil]

$18,800 (though they said around $800 in fees aren't covered each semester). That kind of seems like the median amongst programs so no complaints.

Thanks. Good to know. Did they also offer health insurance?

[Penelope Higgins]

Just a note of caution here: presidential and university fellowships are a different creature from standard funding. The department nominates applicants for a competition across departments within the university. Because nominees in political science are competing with those in art history (for example) the main criterion is GRE scores. If a recipient of this sort of scholarship turns it down, the waiting list is comprised of students drawn from many departments, not from within a single department. My department, for example, had our recipient of this fellowship turn us down to go elsewhere. We simply lost the funded offer to another department as a result.

[balderdash]

Princeton took one person from the waitlist, in IR, and it wasn't me. This concludes my cycle. See you all in September when the apps heat up.

Edited April 15, 2011 by balderdash

[mormegil]

Just a note of caution here: presidential and university fellowships are a different creature from standard funding. The department nominates applicants for a competition across departments within the university. Because nominees in political science are competing with those in art history (for example) the main criterion is GRE scores. If a recipient of this sort of scholarship turns it down, the waiting list is comprised of students drawn from many departments, not from within a single department. My department, for example, had our recipient of this fellowship turn us down to go elsewhere. We simply lost the funded offer to another department as a result.

Thanks for the info! Of course getting the fellowship would be sweet but can't complain even if i don't get it.

[flyers29]

Thanks. Good to know. Did they also offer health insurance?

It didn't say anything specifically about that (I was also wondering); however, that might be included in the extra fees I mentioned. Did some searching and found this link: http://www2.fiu.edu/~health/internationalStudent.htm. If you scroll down to the grad assistants portion it says you only pay 25% of the premiums listed there, which comes out to $40/month (assuming I'm reading that correctly). Not bad!

[YAGSA]

Yes, it's the FIU one. YAGSA, do you know how the grad school selects students nominated for the fellowship? Is it an election or rather they just rubberstamps the departmental nomination?

As Higgins said, it sounds like it is a university-wide election, so you'll be competing with applicants from other departments. Then again, I get the sense that they give out a good number of them, so as a nominee your chances still improve as one person opts out of it (and at FIU I don't think it boils down to GRE as my scores were not that impressive--680V, 720Q). Even then, the TAship at FIU doesn't sound bad at all. Good luck.

[wtncffts]

Well, congrats to the recent acceptances and decisions, and to those whose cycle didn't end happily, all the best and better luck for the next cycle or whatever you decide to do! I guess I did have something to 'wait for' April 15th, even though I'd already accepted an offer: my final two official rejections, from Colorado and Toronto! I would not have gone back on my acceptance in either case, but I was surprised to get them. For a second they pulled me back into that anxiety-inducing trepidation of opening e-mails of so long ago (February, March)...

[gjason]

I could be wrong, but doesn't MSU place better?

Picked FSU in a very close decision between the two. Placement is about the same. FSU is a slightly better fit.

[Count de Monet]

Well, I'm officially done as official word Toronto came in...rejected. No surprise.

Going to Catholic University in DC.