Law school to poli sci PhD route

[antoniusblock]

I had a few questions about the general strength of my application to a poli sci PhD program. I am a third-year law student who knows next to nothing about the process (so bear with me if any of these are stupid questions) but I was curious what opinions people who have gone this route may have. I also have not taken the GRE; I would just like some general idea about whether I will be able to put together a competitive application.

I went to a relatively well-respected state school for undergrad with a 3.95 GPA (4.00 in poli sci). I am now attending a roughly #30 ranked law school and I am top 10% of my class. I will be doing a judicial clerkship for the next year and hope to do another one after that. Particularly if I am interested in studying law and courts, how much of a benefit will this experience be on my application? I have also published a student article in the law review - how much weight is this given in admissions (esp. compared to an undergrad thesis or a peer-reviewed article)? Finally, how much of a disadvantage will I be at by using primarily law professors for recommendations (I will have one poli sci professor, one relatively well-known law and economics scholar, and another law professor)? Thanks to everybody in advance.

[polisciapp]

The rec's will generally not be a problem. Your law school experience will show schools you can do an advanced degree; however, it's not something that is particularly important. The clerkship, also, is probably not that important. Law and courts is a field typically devoted to empirical and statistical studies, rather than law-school-oriented publications--such as law reviews. I had certain professors tell me that law school can sometimes raise questions about applicants because PoliSci profs have had bad experiences with some law students (re: "I already know how to do research"). That being said, your experience will place you above certain applicants, but will not siginificantly bolster your application the way attending HYS would. Enjoy your clerkship(s)--they will be very rewarding I'm sure.

[socme123]

Wow, this is the same question I had. I'm graduating in 2009 and haven't taken the GRE (plan to take it sometime this summer.) I went to a liberal arts college and finished with a lower gpa than the original poster in poli sci and sociology. I have a masters degree in a social science subject and go to a top law school. Definitely want the PhD because I don't have the tools to study what I'm most interested in, the politics of legal and policy change. I'm not interested in courts though (part of the reason I don't see a point in clerking.) My interests lie more in legislatures. Honestly, I fear that it's easier for me to justify a Ph.D. than the law degree I'm about to receive...haha. I have a few publications in law reviews. I suspect that my application will get a second look if only because of where I attend law school, since academics can be such prestige whores I'm realizing. I'm more worried about my lack of a quantitative background (not since college, which was a while ago - I remember nothing.) Most important, I've had only a mediocre law school career grade-wise, and I wonder how much that will count against me. The letters from my law school profs will probably not glow the way I'd like them to.

How much do you think one or two questionable grades in law school will count against my Ph.D application? I probably should have done a Ph.D instead!

[polisciapp]

Not having a quant background really won't hurt you, or at least that what's I've been told my many profs--especially that the programs to which I have been accepted. Most profs won't go out and say it explicitly, but a JD from a top school definitely says something. Your publications may have an impact, depending on what you want to study. I think polisci is more quant focused, and programs DON'T want you write and research the same way you did in law school.

I don't really know how grades will factor in, but if you go to HYS or even CCN, you probably don't have much to worry about, so long as you have above a 3.0. Like I said, though, that is a guess.

Your letters will be fairly important--you want them to be as good as possible. Pick wisely.

The most important element of your app is your SOP--BY FAR. Concentrate on this, rather than factors over which you have no control. A good SOP goes a long way.

[bluewhenitsgray]

Not having a quant background really won't hurt you, or at least that what's I've been told my many profs--especially that the programs to which I have been accepted. Most profs won't go out and say it explicitly, but a JD from a top school definitely says something. Your publications may have an impact, depending on what you want to study. I think polisci is more quant focused, and programs DON'T want you write and research the same way you did in law school.

I don't really know how grades will factor in, but if you go to HYS or even CCN, you probably don't have much to worry about, so long as you have above a 3.0. Like I said, though, that is a guess.

Your letters will be fairly important--you want them to be as good as possible. Pick wisely.

The most important element of your app is your SOP--BY FAR. Concentrate on this, rather than factors over which you have no control. A good SOP goes a long way.

What's CCN?

[socme123]

CCN = Columbia, Chicago, NYU

[socme123]

Not having a quant background really won't hurt you, or at least that what's I've been told my many profs--especially that the programs to which I have been accepted. Most profs won't go out and say it explicitly, but a JD from a top school definitely says something. Your publications may have an impact, depending on what you want to study. I think polisci is more quant focused, and programs DON'T want you write and research the same way you did in law school.

I don't really know how grades will factor in, but if you go to HYS or even CCN, you probably don't have much to worry about, so long as you have above a 3.0. Like I said, though, that is a guess.

Your letters will be fairly important--you want them to be as good as possible. Pick wisely.

The most important element of your app is your SOP--BY FAR. Concentrate on this, rather than factors over which you have no control. A good SOP goes a long way.

Thanks - this is really helpful. I'm looking forward to writing the SOP. The letters - BAH! Wish it wouldn't be so bizarre to rely on undergrad profs. I haven't done terribly overall but I just fade into the background in most of my classes. Anyway.

[silencio1982]

I don't know that it would necessarily hurt you if you had, say, 1 rec from an undergrad poli sci prof, and 2 from law school profs. go with the most glowing recs you think you can get. i used 2 profs from my MA program and 1 from undergrad... others may have different opinions, though.