2026-2027 Application Thread

[PS2026]

On 3/13/2026 at 6:51 PM, erm said:

Hey guys! Popping in here with a little bit of good news! 

Earlier this week I was accepted off the waitlist to Michigan State with a fully funded offer, my top choice!!! I applied to 14 PhD programs in AP straight out of undergrad and it has been nothing but rejections and three waitlists. I had given up hope completely when this came into my inbox. For all of you other waitlisted people, do not give up hope! this cycle has been so brutal and your admissions results do not define your worth. Hoping for good news for all of you soon!

If Mich state is your top choice I guess its good you have no hope of doing research at a college...more job openings for harvard yale princeton people i guess...

https://polisci.msu.edu/graduate/placement.html

[erm]

good luck to everyone this week, hopefully good news!

Edited March 17 by erm
accidentally posted when it wasn't finished

[erm]

1 hour ago, PS2026 said:

If Mich state is your top choice I guess its good you have no hope of doing research at a college...more job openings for harvard yale princeton people i guess...

https://polisci.msu.edu/graduate/placement.html

no need to be an asshole.... lets try being happy for others instead of tearing people down. you've downvoted multiple posts and I haven't seen you posting about getting in anywhere. looks like youre the one having trouble coping...

[PS2026]

49 minutes ago, erm said:

no need to be an asshole.... lets try being happy for others instead of tearing people down. you've downvoted multiple posts and I haven't seen you posting about getting in anywhere. looks like youre the one having trouble coping...

Im not coping im reapplying so i actually can get to a department where i can get an academic job. Your top school, highest ambition, places no one in half decent professor jobs. I just dont get why people who want to do research get excited about jobs which at best place people into low ranking departments and at worst into jobs you can do with a masters

[IceSheep]

28 minutes ago, PS2026 said:

Im not coping im reapplying so i actually can get to a department where i can get an academic job. Your top school, highest ambition, places no one in half decent professor jobs. I just dont get why people who want to do research get excited about jobs which at best place people into low ranking departments and at worst into jobs you can do with a masters

 

Good for you for reapplying. I hope the next cycle goes better. That said, there’s no need to put down other people’s choices.

Your posts overlook the many people pursuing a PhD to do research in think tanks or government, where institutional placement is not the primary determinant of success.

In addition, while program prestige matters for job placement to some extent, the quality and trajectory of your research ultimately carry the most weight. At the end of the day, the work you produce is largely driven by your own initiative and ideas, which your institution does not define. As long as you have access to faculty members whose interests align with yours, you can succeed.

[brumingdales]

5 hours ago, PS2026 said:

Im not coping im reapplying so i actually can get to a department where i can get an academic job. Your top school, highest ambition, places no one in half decent professor jobs. I just dont get why people who want to do research get excited about jobs which at best place people into low ranking departments and at worst into jobs you can do with a masters

chill out. Extremely strange decision to lash out at literally complete strangers on the internet for being excited over getting into a grad program. Live and let live. What's it to you? If you're anything like this irl you're not making it in academia no matter which program you get into

[erm]

1 hour ago, PS2026 said:

If Mich state is your top choice I guess its good you have no hope of doing research at a college...more job openings for harvard yale princeton people i guess...

https://polisci.msu.edu/graduate/placement.html

no need to be an asshole.... lets try being happy for others instead of tearing people down. you've downvoted multiple posts and I haven't seen you posting about getting in anywhere. looks like youre the one having trouble coping...

[jyfgyi]

What happened to NYU? Just send me the rejection broo

Edited March 19 by jyfgyi

[Unobtrusive Owlet]

On 3/17/2026 at 3:51 PM, PS2026 said:

What's with everyone in this thread coping that they got into their top choice?

@Unobtrusive Owlet, you were applying to SIPA and actively waiting for Georgetown-you did NOT get into your top choice.

@PoliSci2026 You didnt get into Harvard and were waiting to hear from Georgetown (very different ranks), you did NOT get into your top program.

Let's all face it, this was a hard cycle. Most of us didn't get offers and those who did received them at schools that were not their top choice. But everyone here trying to smile and say that they got into their top choice is lying. Even more so than usual the top 5 departments admitted the same students who get all the choice while the rest of us have to beg for a place at a poorly paid program where we wont ever place into academia. 

The whole thing's a sham.

Wow! I'm so glad you can provide such incisive commentary on my life and priorities, thank you! 

Not that you deserve any information and I'm sure you'll just write it off without any introspection, but people can actually prioritize something other than an Ivy admission, ranking, or name brand. Some of us aren't even trying to place into academia. If you are curious, I'm accepting the lowest ranked school of my four acceptances and the difference isn't marginal- I am accepted into the golden 12 for TT, but not going. 

I get you are hurting, it sounds like your dreams are delayed at least a year. But given how you act regarding others' successes, personal decisions and lives, nobody here is surprised that programs didn't want to take you on. 

 

 

Edited March 20 by Unobtrusive Owlet

[ComparativeScholar]

Hi everyone, wish you a nice weekend ahead 🙂

I see some WashU waitlisted applicants who could get admission offers, are there anyone here who has been waitlisted but later received offer?

I applied for Comparative Politics and I also wonder those who received offers from WashU; what is your major? I saw that many Phd students are from Economis BA or MA degrees there; that's why I would like to ask.

[poliscicomm]

5 minutes ago, ComparativeScholar said:

Hi everyone, wish you a nice weekend ahead 🙂

I see some WashU waitlisted applicants who could get admission offers, are there anyone here who has been waitlisted but later received offer?

I applied for Comparative Politics and I also wonder those who received offers from WashU; what is your major? I saw that many Phd students are from Economis BA or MA degrees there; that's why I would like to ask.

 

Hi, I posted that I got the offer today. 

I was not on the waitlist, which means I have not received any emails saying I am on the waitlist. 

I did my undergrad and MA both in Poli sci and applied for comparative politics at WashU.  

Are you on the waitlist? 

[ComparativeScholar]

1 hour ago, poliscicomm said:

 

Hi, I posted that I got the offer today. 

I was not on the waitlist, which means I have not received any emails saying I am on the waitlist. 

I did my undergrad and MA both in Poli sci and applied for comparative politics at WashU.  

Are you on the waitlist? 

Yes; I am on the waitlist.

[ws45hju]

Anybody waitlisted at UPenn joining PhD visiting day next week?

[Lorne Malvo]

On 3/17/2026 at 11:26 PM, PS2026 said:

If Mich state is your top choice I guess its good you have no hope of doing research at a college...more job openings for harvard yale princeton people i guess...

https://polisci.msu.edu/graduate/placement.html

Mich State has a very decent historic placement. More about it in the paper called "Where you earn your PhD matters" (2025). Yeah, they seem to be having a somewhat worse placement in the recent years, but this could be explained by the market/overall cohort strength or research interests, funding etc. 

[OBD]

Anybody joining UNC Chapel Hill PhD visiting day this weekend?

[OBD]

Hi, if you have offer from WashU and you are planning to go there please decline them. I am on their waitlist.

[OBD]

12 hours ago, OBD said:

Hi, if you have offer from WashU and you are planning to go there please decline them. I am on their waitlist.

*NOT TO GO THERE

[M1nT]

Is WashU notifying via email? I haven't even been rejected and it's stressing me out, just reject me already!!!

[poliscicomm]

13 minutes ago, M1nT said:

Is WashU notifying via email? I haven't even been rejected and it's stressing me out, just reject me already!!!

better check the portal

[M1nT]

8 minutes ago, poliscicomm said:

better check the portal

the portal hasn't budged an inch since my payment was received, just awful to go through

Edited March 24 by M1nT

[smoothoperator77]

On 3/17/2026 at 8:35 PM, PS2026 said:

Im not coping im reapplying so i actually can get to a department where i can get an academic job. Your top school, highest ambition, places no one in half decent professor jobs. I just dont get why people who want to do research get excited about jobs which at best place people into low ranking departments and at worst into jobs you can do with a masters

A piece of advice for you and others: with this attitude of yours, even if you get into a "top program" as you think, I guarantee you won't go as far in this field as you imagine. You need to respect your colleagues, your students, and even people you don't like.

[M1nT]

3 hours ago, smoothoperator77 said:

A piece of advice for you and others: with this attitude of yours, even if you get into a "top program" as you think, I guarantee you won't go as far in this field as you imagine. You need to respect your colleagues, your students, and even people you don't like.

isn't there a mod for these kind of scenarios? no one needs to be reading this, at a certain negative reputation you shouldn't be allowed to post anymore

[KBO Master]

On 3/18/2026 at 9:35 AM, PS2026 said:

Im not coping im reapplying so i actually can get to a department where i can get an academic job. Your top school, highest ambition, places no one in half decent professor jobs. I just dont get why people who want to do research get excited about jobs which at best place people into low ranking departments and at worst into jobs you can do with a masters

All that text just to say you're insecure? Take a lap, buddy. The jealousy is leaking through the screen. WOMP WOMP

[marzipan001]

For anyone waiting for Pitt, I got my rejection from them on Friday. (not sure if that helps)

Also, if you've been accepted to NYU or UIUC and don't plan on accepting, please please please send in your decisions so us poor, unfortunate waitlist folks might have a chance. I've only gotten rejections and haven't heard from them since being waitlisted.

[ComparativeScholar]

Hello everyone, I hope everyone has a good application cycle and for those who wait responses would get  acceptance offers 😊

During previous cycles; there was a seperate section "Application Cycle: Profile & Lessons"; applicants sharing their profiles, experience and their overall results.

It would be great if we can do the same as this application cycle went quite competitive and it can be also informative for applicants who would apply in Fall.