2024-2025 Application Thread

[Omkar Poojari]

 

Just read this article about Penn reducing grad admissions this year due to the NIH cut::Penn to reduce graduate admissions, rescind acceptances amid federal research funding cuts (cannot share the link here)

While the Trump administration is the culprit, I also cannot help but feel angered and frustrated by the preferential treatment given to the physical sciences and the stepmotherly treatment that is reserved for humanities/social sciences. It has been the case forever and here too it appears that ultimately the social sciences/humanities would have to bear the "indirect costs". Honestly, the funding in STEM/Physical Sciences program is much more than social sciences, so it is absolutely abominable to see that the response is to take away the very modest funding that social science programs have.

Edited 19 hours ago by Omkar Poojari

[tiredgrad]

Hello! Just wanna ask if anyone can claim pol theory subfield acceptance from Cornell? And has anyone received waitlist from Cornell yet? Am still having a lingering hope sigh...

[polisci001]

On 2/20/2025 at 10:03 PM, polisci001 said:

Does anyone know if Yale will hold a visit weekend? All I got from them was the portal update, still haven’t received any sort of (vaguely) personalised email.

In case anyone still hasn't heard from faculty: the visit days will be 26-27 March. 

[jaliren]

10 hours ago, Omkar Poojari said:

 

Just read this article about Penn reducing grad admissions this year due to the NIH cut::Penn to reduce graduate admissions, rescind acceptances amid federal research funding cuts (cannot share the link here)

While the Trump administration is the culprit, I also cannot help but feel angered and frustrated by the preferential treatment given to the physical sciences and the stepmotherly treatment that is reserved for humanities/social sciences. It has been the case forever and here too it appears that ultimately the social sciences/humanities would have to bear the "indirect costs". Honestly, the funding in STEM/Physical Sciences program is much more than social sciences, so it is absolutely abominable to see that the response is to take away the very modest funding that social science programs have.

Man, this is depressing. Penn was one my remaining hopes for getting into a program I really wanted to attend. I have one acceptance, but it's from my last choice -- and I'm seriously wondering whether I should be considering reapplying next year, or whether the landscape for next cycle may be even worse than this one. 

 

Anyone in a similar position? 

[garmit]

19 minutes ago, jaliren said:

Man, this is depressing. Penn was one my remaining hopes for getting into a program I really wanted to attend. I have one acceptance, but it's from my last choice -- and I'm seriously wondering whether I should be considering reapplying next year, or whether the landscape for next cycle may be even worse than this one. 

 

Anyone in a similar position? 

Not in a similar position, but if *this* is what we get after 2 months of fuckface von clownstick, it will almost certainly be worse after a year. Do you mind me asking where you got in?

[PolSciComp]

21 minutes ago, jaliren said:

Man, this is depressing. Penn was one my remaining hopes for getting into a program I really wanted to attend. I have one acceptance, but it's from my last choice -- and I'm seriously wondering whether I should be considering reapplying next year, or whether the landscape for next cycle may be even worse than this one. 

 

Anyone in a similar position? 

I am also in a similar position as I received one offer about which I have question marks. But I am also worried about whether my professors would write letters of Recommendation etc. and to what extent I would be able to submit a better application file.

[jaliren]

1 hour ago, garmit said:

Not in a similar position, but if *this* is what we get after 2 months of fuckface von clownstick, it will almost certainly be worse after a year. Do you mind me asking where you got in?

I tend to agree that things are likely to be more difficult next year. And yes, I got into American University's PhD in International Relations program (housed within the School of International Service). The curriculum and faculty seem like a good fit, but I have some concerns about the funding as well as potential placement following the program (given they aren't all that highly ranked). 

 

1 hour ago, PolSciComp said:

I am also in a similar position as I received one offer about which I have question marks. But I am also worried about whether my professors would write letters of Recommendation etc. and to what extent I would be able to submit a better application file.

I also don't think my application would change much next year. However, I've head from others that your results applying to schools one cycle are not necessarily predictive of your results the next cycle, as the composition of the admissions committee changes considerably from year to year. I'm not all that sure how true this is, though. 

[PolSciComp]

1 minute ago, jaliren said:

I tend to agree that things are likely to be more difficult next year. And yes, I got into American University's PhD in International Relations program (housed within the School of International Service). The curriculum and faculty seem like a good fit, but I have some concerns about the funding as well as potential placement following the program (given they aren't all that highly ranked). 

 

I also don't think my application would change much next year. However, I've head from others that your results applying to schools one cycle are not necessarily predictive of your results the next cycle, as the composition of the admissions committee changes considerably from year to year. I'm not all that sure how true this is, though. 

Is there any statement concerning whether you would receive 4-years or 5-years funding from SIS?

If you plan to stay in academia, their ranking might not be good but for non-academic jobs; SIS would be good I think.

[smoothoperator77]

58 minutes ago, jaliren said:

I tend to agree that things are likely to be more difficult next year. And yes, I got into American University's PhD in International Relations program (housed within the School of International Service). The curriculum and faculty seem like a good fit, but I have some concerns about the funding as well as potential placement following the program (given they aren't all that highly ranked). 

 

I also don't think my application would change much next year. However, I've head from others that your results applying to schools one cycle are not necessarily predictive of your results the next cycle, as the composition of the admissions committee changes considerably from year to year. I'm not all that sure how true this is, though. 

I am in the same situation as you.I got one offer from AU and on the waitlists of Rutgers and UCIrvine. I would prefer both over AU for the same concern as yours, but I seriously doubt I would be better off if I let this one go and reapply next year. I think it is going to be harder and harder in the foreseeable future, especially given all the trends of current students asking for stipend raise and the Trump fuckery. I would say if you have a job that could make you feel better off than AU, you could probably consider reapplying, but if you are determined to do a PhD anyway, I don't think it is safe to reapply. It is not ours problem frankly, it is just getting too hard, for me personally. Last year I was on the waitlist of Duke, and I thought okay, I probably could be getting into some really good programs given another year's improvement, but it is just getting harder I guess. 

[jaliren]

1 hour ago, PolSciComp said:

Is there any statement concerning whether you would receive 4-years or 5-years funding from SIS?

If you plan to stay in academia, their ranking might not be good but for non-academic jobs; SIS would be good I think.

Only 4 years unfortunately -- and a pretty small stipend relative to other schools. While I am probably leaning more towards non-academic jobs at this point in time, I am interested in keeping my options open, so it would be nice to go somewhere where getting an academic job seems like a real possibility. 

16 minutes ago, smoothoperator77 said:

I am in the same situation as you.I got one offer from AU and on the waitlists of Rutgers and UCIrvine. I would prefer both over AU for the same concern as yours, but I seriously doubt I would be better off if I let this one go and reapply next year. I think it is going to be harder and harder in the foreseeable future, especially given all the trends of current students asking for stipend raise and the Trump fuckery. I would say if you have a job that could make you feel better off than AU, you could probably consider reapplying, but if you are determined to do a PhD anyway, I don't think it is safe to reapply. It is not ours problem frankly, it is just getting too hard, for me personally. Last year I was on the waitlist of Duke, and I thought okay, I probably could be getting into some really good programs given another year's improvement, but it is just getting harder I guess. 

Thanks for sharing -- is your offer from AU SIS, or is it the Political Science PhD from the School of Public Affairs? In any case, I think you're right that it's only likely to get harder in the years to come, so it's probably best to just take the best offer we get this time around. It's just a bit difficult to handle from an ego perspective, frankly, as I really thought I was competitive for top schools. Still, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, I suppose...

[PolSciComp]

1 minute ago, jaliren said:

Only 4 years unfortunately -- and a pretty small stipend relative to other schools. While I am probably leaning more towards non-academic jobs at this point in time, I am interested in keeping my options open, so it would be nice to go somewhere where getting an academic job seems like a real possibility. 

Thanks for sharing -- is your offer from AU SIS, or is it the Political Science PhD from the School of Public Affairs? In any case, I think you're right that it's only likely to get harder in the years to come, so it's probably best to just take the best offer we get this time around. It's just a bit difficult to handle from an ego perspective, frankly, as I really thought I was competitive for top schools. Still, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, I suppose...

As far as I know, AU SIS gives 2700$ stipend per month but I had heard from one of my friends there that the union would start negotistions for possible increase.

I think Johns Hopkins University gives the highest stipend to its PhD students in DC. I also had heard that the Union at GW would also try to start negotiating for increase. 

Note that this kind of stipend increases tend to have negative effect on the cohort size for PhD programs 😞

[smoothoperator77]

20 minutes ago, jaliren said:

Only 4 years unfortunately -- and a pretty small stipend relative to other schools. While I am probably leaning more towards non-academic jobs at this point in time, I am interested in keeping my options open, so it would be nice to go somewhere where getting an academic job seems like a real possibility. 

Thanks for sharing -- is your offer from AU SIS, or is it the Political Science PhD from the School of Public Affairs? In any case, I think you're right that it's only likely to get harder in the years to come, so it's probably best to just take the best offer we get this time around. It's just a bit difficult to handle from an ego perspective, frankly, as I really thought I was competitive for top schools. Still, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, I suppose...

Yes I am CP subfield so it's from SPA. Like @PolSciComp said, if you are leaning toward non-academic jobs, SIS is a fine place to be, I really think so. And I understand perfectly about the difficulty as I am dealing with the same. So I am trying my best to get off of the waitlists from Rutgers and UCIrvine, which would make me feel a bit better. But since you are still waiting for JHU, I think you could still end up being there. Hope we could all receive better offers eventually.

Edited 5 hours ago by smoothoperator77
typo

[polisciad]

An update for those who applied to the University of Pittsburgh, the university has halted to admit new students this year across all programs. 

[PolSciComp]

33 minutes ago, polisciad said:

An update for those who applied to the University of Pittsburgh, the university has halted to admit new students this year across all programs. 

Yes, I have seen that today which is very bad news because I had applied there.

Sent them email but couldn't get any response.