Pol Sci 2024-25 / Waitlisted Candidates

[Omkar Poojari]

A forum for waitlisted candidates to share their anxieties and make the wait a bit easier.

[edwardsaid]

Thank you for making this thread! I’ve never been happier in my life to be waitlisted LOL

[01anonymous]

Appreciate having this thread. Following the conversation.

[XYZ_GU]

Like this idea of a separate forum for the waitlisted! I’m currently on the waitlists of UCLA and UC Davis. Good luck to everyone else! 

[smoothoperator77]

Wanna share some bad news first, but also wanna complain about how much schools are cutting their class size. Got confirmation today that GWU could only admit 5 PhD students for Fall 2025. They only admitted 4 PhD students for Fall 2024, so it's nine new students combined for two years. This is kind of insane, given that a lot less wealthy universities are still not cutting their size to this level. 

[PoliSciAm1512]

1 minute ago, smoothoperator77 said:

Wanna share some bad news first, but also wanna complain about how much schools are cutting their class size. Got confirmation today that GWU could only admit 5 PhD students for Fall 2025. They only admitted 4 PhD students for Fall 2024, so it's nine new students combined for two years. This is kind of insane, given that a lot less wealthy universities are still not cutting their size to this level. 

I’m sure it won’t make you feel better, but I went to GW and transferred out, in part because of how poor the TA quality was. I get that larger universities require TAs- heck! We’re all gonna be one- but my introduction to international politics TA was the most miserable and unhappy woman I’ve ever met. Friends reported similar low TA quality in the department, so I think that speaks to how PhD students are treated and their experience, if only from a periphery view. 

[smoothoperator77]

6 minutes ago, PoliSciAm1512 said:

I’m sure it won’t make you feel better, but I went to GW and transferred out, in part because of how poor the TA quality was. I get that larger universities require TAs- heck! We’re all gonna be one- but my introduction to international politics TA was the most miserable and unhappy woman I’ve ever met. Friends reported similar low TA quality in the department, so I think that speaks to how PhD students are treated and their experience, if only from a periphery view. 

This sucks, which might actually make me feel better for missing this opportunity. 

[Omkar Poojari]

47 minutes ago, smoothoperator77 said:

Wanna share some bad news first, but also wanna complain about how much schools are cutting their class size. Got confirmation today that GWU could only admit 5 PhD students for Fall 2025. They only admitted 4 PhD students for Fall 2024, so it's nine new students combined for two years. This is kind of insane, given that a lot less wealthy universities are still not cutting their size to this level. 

Hopefully, it is specific to only a few schools and not a general trend this cycle. I just get the feeling that waitlists would mean slightly more chance than usual years. I do not see why schools would waitlist if they are not interested to go to the waitlist. A sentiment echoed by a current grad student at a T10 in the other forum.

[smoothoperator77]

4 minutes ago, Omkar Poojari said:

Hopefully, it is specific to only a few schools and not a general trend this cycle. I just get the feeling that waitlists would mean slightly more chance than usual years. I do not see why schools would waitlist if they are not interested to go to the waitlist. A sentiment echoed by a current grad student at a T10 in the other forum.

I get what you mean. I partially agree. I mean, if they want to make the class size smaller, and we still make some waitlist, that should mean the weight of these waitlists are heavier than the years before. They used to over admit a lot, but if they do not over admit so much this year, it should theoretically mean that waitlists have better chances now. But maybe fewer people would turn down their offers, and it's always different with different programs. Let's hope for the best!

[Omkar Poojari]

Anyone here who is on the Brown waitlist btw?

[PolSciComp]

Hi everyone, wish you best of luck. In my previous previous application cycle, I have been waitlisted at 4 political science phd programs; now so far I received three waitlists and still no admission offer yet. But I think I have become the veteran of waitlisted applicants

[JPYSD]

And I just want to share again the hopeful news that my program works with a waitlist this year, which will be used right away once someone admitted does not take up their offer. I made the experience that a waitlist usually means the program did not (overly) overadmit, so there is actual use for it. Almost no program has a 100% rate of admitted students taking up their offer, so waitlists do have a meaning for most cycles. 🙂

Edited February 13 by JPYSD

[01anonymous]

7 hours ago, JPYSD said:

And I just want to share again the hopeful news that my program works with a waitlist this year, which will be used right away once someone admitted does not take up their offer. I made the experience that a waitlist usually means the program did not (overly) overadmit, so there is actual use for it. Almost no program has a 100% rate of admitted students taking up their offer, so waitlists do have a meaning for most cycles. 🙂

This is such a nice thing to hear, thank you!

[set.seed123]

Tips for waitlists from a source I wouldn't name:
 

"If you are extended a waitlist offer to a program that you prefer compared to the other offers you have at the time, your first response should come within 24 hours.

Write the department’s Director of Graduate Admissions (DGA). Express gratitude that you’re still under consideration, offer to send any additional materials that might help your chances, say that the department would be your top choice if admitted, attach any funded offers from other programs that you’ve received, and provide your contact information (email and phone).

Write that department’s DGA every 10-14 days afterwards, to restate your continued interest, attach any new offers you’ve received, and remind that person of the earlier offers you forwarded

...

Every cycle, we have applicants accepted from waitlists at UChicago, Yale, Princeton, and other highly ranked schools. The only way for that to happen is if you stay in regular (biweekly) contact with that department’s Director of Graduate Admissions (DGA), apprising that faculty member of other funded offers you’ve received.
 

Without those competing offers you have no way to come off any wait-lists, and no leverage to negotiate your financial award."

[smoothoperator77]

20 minutes ago, set.seed123 said:

Tips for waitlists from a source I wouldn't name:
 

"If you are extended a waitlist offer to a program that you prefer compared to the other offers you have at the time, your first response should come within 24 hours.

Write the department’s Director of Graduate Admissions (DGA). Express gratitude that you’re still under consideration, offer to send any additional materials that might help your chances, say that the department would be your top choice if admitted, attach any funded offers from other programs that you’ve received, and provide your contact information (email and phone).

Write that department’s DGA every 10-14 days afterwards, to restate your continued interest, attach any new offers you’ve received, and remind that person of the earlier offers you forwarded

...

Every cycle, we have applicants accepted from waitlists at UChicago, Yale, Princeton, and other highly ranked schools. The only way for that to happen is if you stay in regular (biweekly) contact with that department’s Director of Graduate Admissions (DGA), apprising that faculty member of other funded offers you’ve received.
 

Without those competing offers you have no way to come off any wait-lists, and no leverage to negotiate your financial award."

Very helpful. Thanks!

[PolSciComp]

26 minutes ago, set.seed123 said:

Tips for waitlists from a source I wouldn't name:
 

"If you are extended a waitlist offer to a program that you prefer compared to the other offers you have at the time, your first response should come within 24 hours.

Write the department’s Director of Graduate Admissions (DGA). Express gratitude that you’re still under consideration, offer to send any additional materials that might help your chances, say that the department would be your top choice if admitted, attach any funded offers from other programs that you’ve received, and provide your contact information (email and phone).

Write that department’s DGA every 10-14 days afterwards, to restate your continued interest, attach any new offers you’ve received, and remind that person of the earlier offers you forwarded

...

Every cycle, we have applicants accepted from waitlists at UChicago, Yale, Princeton, and other highly ranked schools. The only way for that to happen is if you stay in regular (biweekly) contact with that department’s Director of Graduate Admissions (DGA), apprising that faculty member of other funded offers you’ve received.
 

Without those competing offers you have no way to come off any wait-lists, and no leverage to negotiate your financial award."

Thanks for this information. But what if this might be perceived negatively by the professors in the admission committee? Sometimes,professors receive so many emails from applicants that they might react negatively towards constant email coming from waitlisted applicants.

[set.seed123]

3 minutes ago, PolSciComp said:

Thanks for this information. But what if this might be perceived negatively by the professors in the admission committee? Sometimes,professors receive so many emails from applicants that they might react negatively towards constant email coming from waitlisted applicants.

You are absolutely right. 

Be extremely discreet and courteous. Do not spam their mailboxes. 

So, it is important to space your communications apart. First in 24 hours (a thank-u email, which is quite appropriate). Another one in 10 days, which is quite acceptable imo. 

I would argue admission committee would appreciate if you let them know what offers you receive. Remember, the ad comm makes decisions with constraints given by higher up, and offers you get from elsewhere might help them persuade whoever higher up to open up an extra spot / fight for a fellowship that can fund your spot. 

[Helpingboy]

Hi everyone,

 

First of all, congratulations on being waitlisted, it's a great achievement, trust me! 

I'm an applicant from last year, who had been waitlisted by a top-3 school, and then admitted. Now that I'm in the program, I certainly have many insights and valuable information that I'd like to share. I want to preface, that not everything is 100% information given to me by faculty, but things I concluded, observed, and heard.

1) The supposed faculty member who writes in the main thread yearly to say that there is no reason to ask people to decline their offers, as it wouldn't mean it takes a person in, is somewhat wrong, maybe they're speaking about their department. While it doesn't mean, that it's 1-for-1, one applicant declines the offer, one in from the waitlist. In some cases it is true. Firstly, it depends on the institution, as wealthy schools can often negotiate their class size with the graduate school, whilst others are given a pre amount. The more notable fact is that it actually depends on an uncontrollable fact (post-application), that is, profile and research interests. Say you are CP and work on Africa, there are typically few Africa applicants, if one is admitted, but they decline, and the school has 2/3 faculty members on Africa who want a student, your chances are very good. If you are a CP working on China, and 3 students working on China have accepted their offers, you're unlikely to get in. This is even more likely if they hadn't admitted someone last year with your profile, a top school without a CP on Africa for 2 years? Not acceptable. This is what happened to me, and the DGS had told me. I was in an orientation Zoom call with the other five waitlist people, and none of them got an offer, likely because each had someone with their profile already admitted. 

2) If I had to strategize on how to push my application, I would do something of the following: As the deadline to accept offers is typically the 15th of April, I would wait till something like mid/late March if you haven't heard back to reach out. In the meantime, you have a month, and it has been 3/4 months since you applied, hopefully, you have achieved some other things that have strengthened your profile. Attended a methods school? Nice. Did you present at a conference? Great. Won a research grant for the summer? Impressive. Did you get an award for best master thesis? Stunning. Co-authored on a paper? Lovely, Cold as Chicago. Published in a reputable journal? Gorgeous, just like Bologna red. Take any of this information, write a letter of continued interest (1-page should be enough), discuss all your new accomplishments, and send it to the DGS, and any senior professor who you mentioned you'd like to work with alongside a short email (professors are busy people). Oh, and I would mention that I have other offers but I want this school (do name-drop if you have a top school).

Lastly, be proud of yourselves, don't worry whatever the outcome is, and the light is very pretty on the other side. It is somewhat of a long wait, but think positive and try to secure a predoc just in case, this way you can come back next year with a stronger profile!

I'm happy to answer any questions if I come by the website again.

 

[PolSciComp]

I would like to ask to what extent PhD admission committees really focus on GPAs of applicants; do they tend to determine a cut-off level for waitlisted applicants? I saw one applicant who posted his or her admission from George Washington University with GPA level 3.22; probably Undergraduate GPA. Couldn't be sure how they assess different GPA levels from American applicants and applicants applying from the US; if there were applicants having been waitlisted. 

I wanted to ask this because it is difficult for me to understand how the admission committees can prefer Undergraduate applicants who applied straight out of Undergraduate programs with maybe lower GPAs; but they put the ones into waitlist who have great GPAs from their MA programs. I wonder how they balance this.

[edwardsaid]

1 hour ago, PolSciComp said:

I would like to ask to what extent PhD admission committees really focus on GPAs of applicants; do they tend to determine a cut-off level for waitlisted applicants? I saw one applicant who posted his or her admission from George Washington University with GPA level 3.22; probably Undergraduate GPA. Couldn't be sure how they assess different GPA levels from American applicants and applicants applying from the US; if there were applicants having been waitlisted. 

I wanted to ask this because it is difficult for me to understand how the admission committees can prefer Undergraduate applicants who applied straight out of Undergraduate programs with maybe lower GPAs; but they put the ones into waitlist who have great GPAs from their MA programs. I wonder how they balance this.

It is all really up in the air. For your example it could be they were taking very hard courses and it's from a school with grade deflation like Princeton. Anyhow, GPAs are not a perfect measure for academic achievement as the norm can vary widely between institutions. It could also be institutional interests like the program needing a methodology-heavy candidate?

[Shawn Sun]

Anyone on the UTA waitlist?

[PolSciComp]

1 hour ago, Shawn Sun said:

Anyone on the UTA waitlist?

I didn't apply to UT Austin but I know one applicant who has been waitlisted for UT; CP subfield.

[mobstinko]

anyone else waitlisted at Michigan? and if so have you heard anything??

[01anonymous]

2 hours ago, mobstinko said:

anyone else waitlisted at Michigan? and if so have you heard anything??

I am on the waitlist too and eager to hear. 

[polisci8989]

Anyone waitlisted for UPENN?