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2023-2024 Application Thread


Theory007

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8 minutes ago, tp19467 said:

So if nothing is updated at this moment, then it's a rejection? 

You never know until it's official and it might vary by subfield. But I would think so by this point in the cycle. Hoping for the best for you!

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Hi guys! I got waitlisted from UC San Diego and their Ph.D. program in Political Science on February 16th. I am truly and genuinely asking in the nicest way that if you are not going to attend to reject the offer so I and others can move up the list and get in, especially with the April 15th deadline coming up soon.

I also wanted to ask if anyone has heard anything from UC San Diego and their waitlist lately.

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1 hour ago, m82a said:

How's everybody on here feeling about where they're ending up/going after this application cycle?

Pretty decent and glad I applied now instead of trying to improve my application for a few years. I knew I was a lower half of the top 10 kind of candidate and ended up getting into places around there. Short of Harvard or Stanford, I don't think getting into slightly higher-ranked programs would've made much of a difference anyway. 

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11 hours ago, m82a said:

How's everybody on here feeling about where they're ending up/going after this application cycle?

I am sure many people are still waiting on some results and waitlist outcomes, so let us respect their outcomes and not announce the cycle as closed, but since you asked:

I am fairly happy with my (first) cycle, although the outcome was "soso". I applied to only T10-15 US schools and to one UK school (13 in total) and was rejected by 10 (among them my 2 dream schools), although many POIs told me I would have great chances at their programs.

The unsurprising learning was: Fit really matters the most. I was accepted at a good program, where I honestly also had one of the (if not the) best fit, but never talked to anyone before the application. The surprising learning, however, was: The GRE still matters a lot at the top programs. It was the one major thing that (I think and was told) made my application look slightly bad, since I had really awful scores and an admissions committee member (also my POI) at my preferred program actually reached out after the decision to tell me that the low GRE score was the main factor why the committee remained skeptical in the end. I assume good enough scores / "just" above average scores are almost as sufficient as perfect scores, but if any one of your application materials really is surprisingly "bad", it won't make an otherwise perfect application stand out anymore. That was a sad learning, since my dream programs failed probably quite significantly due to that score. Currently, I am deciding between my US and UK options, and will most likely have to delay that process until UK funding decisions are made. It looks like the US, however.

Good luck to everyone!

Edited by JPYSD
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15 hours ago, tired999 said:

probably not

Best of luck with wherever you end up!
 

I’m hoping I get off the waitlist 🤞. If you do decide to reject the offer, please let them know so there’s movement in the waitlist before April 15 (asking in the nicest way possible 😅

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15 hours ago, Samzz said:

A query here: Can one get off waitlist after April 15 (16th-17th, for example) or it has to happen by the 15th? Thank you and hope it all works out for you all.

To the best of my understanding, waitlist candidates may continue to get offers after April 15, although this is subject to the regulations of each university and department. Thus, in a technical sense, it is possible; in what way is it possible? It is possible within highly narrow margins. For example, the university that waitlisted me hinted that everything shut on April 15. So, the quick response is "yes," but it can differ.

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On 4/4/2024 at 12:14 AM, m82a said:

How's everybody on here feeling about where they're ending up/going after this application cycle?

Disappointed but undeterred. I applied to a relatively short list of top programs and struck out. It was my first cycle, and I learned a lot. Over the past few weeks, I've talked with people from the political science world and know where I went wrong. I was expressing my research interests and fit from an attorney POV, rather than a political science perspective. From talking to political scientists, I've gotten great advice on how to speak the right language when conveying my interests and on books and articles to read to enhance my fluency. (I've also received advice on how to better determine which programs fit with my interests.)

If I apply again next cycle, that advice will be invaluable. And I am leaning towards giving it another go. I will also have gone from zero publications to at least two publications. (I have two forthcoming pieces and anticipate publishing more between now and November/December). That should make my application stronger. All this to say, I'm not letting a little rejection stop me from continuing to pursue this.

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On 4/4/2024 at 4:29 AM, Polisci882 said:

I’ve already committed to Cornell for my PhD, but I find it fascinating that I still haven’t gotten a decision from Georgetown lol. Are they really taking this long just to send me a rejection email? 

I'm also still waiting on an outcome from Georgetown's PhD in Govt program. So ridiculous that they haven't shed any light at this point. Just give us a God darn rejection!!! Can't be too hard to press a button and send out an automated notification. They're leaving us all hanging...

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On 4/4/2024 at 10:19 AM, ayguey2024 said:

Hi guys! I got waitlisted from UC San Diego and their Ph.D. program in Political Science on February 16th. I am truly and genuinely asking in the nicest way that if you are not going to attend to reject the offer so I and others can move up the list and get in, especially with the April 15th deadline coming up soon.

I also wanted to ask if anyone has heard anything from UC San Diego and their waitlist lately.

Hi! I got accepted off the waitlist on Feb 24th but I decided to accept elsewhere so I declined my offer from UCSD in early March. I think the DGS said that they will move to the next applicant on the waitlist. 

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8 minutes ago, 2024_IR said:

Hi! I got accepted off the waitlist on Feb 24th but I decided to accept elsewhere so I declined my offer from UCSD in early March. I think the DGS said that they will move to the next applicant on the waitlist. 

I wonder if there's been any movement since - knowing that this is the last week before the 15th is nerve wracking. 

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24 minutes ago, m82a said:

I wonder if there's been any movement since - knowing that this is the last week before the 15th is nerve wracking. 

I think there should have been some movement since then because after I emailed the DGS about my decision, she specifically asked me to decline formally on the portal "so that they could move on to the next person on the waitlist" 

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Since folks are mentioning waitlist movement, I'll just take the moment to (respectfully) make one final plea for anyone with admitted to UPenn who has better options to let them know that you will decline. With a week left to make a decision, I (and no doubt many others) would be truly grateful for your help in getting a shot on the waitlist. 

Thanks for your understanding and congrats to all those accepted so far!

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