Welcome to the 2011-2012 Cycle

[orst11]

All of the programs balderdash is applying to have early to mid December deadlines, so maybe it's not too early. I know personally, I am sending out my December deadline apps out tomorrow and the others next week or so. It just seems so long to wait though.

[balderdash]

balderdash you are done so early, are most of your schools' admissions under rolling basis? This is my first year, and I just hope that I could finish everything by the deadline...

Negative, ghost rider. Just submitting them now gives me two weeks to make sure they mark all transcripts and GRE scores as received (I sent them out two weeks ago, so a full month to add them to my file). If not, I can then contact the offices and still have a few weeks to arrange for the materials to be sent again.

Also, there's definitely some diminishing returns to constantly going back over the files. I keep analyzing the personal statements, stressing myself out and wasting productivity. This is especially inane since I've been working on these applications year-round since around July 2010 and had my first draft of this personal statement done April 2011, which has since been read and reviewed by four professors and two doctoral student friends... so it's better to send them in, forget about it for a while, and look forward to (hopefully) getting an offer.

Anyway, it was lucky I held off submitting them until now. I apologize for the self-congratulations, but I just got word earlier this week that something I wrote would be published in a (well-respected) journal. Just a book review, but still. Chuffed.

[RWBG]

Anyway, it was lucky I held off submitting them until now. I apologize for the self-congratulations, but I just got word earlier this week that something I wrote would be published in a (well-respected) journal. Just a book review, but still. Chuffed.

Congrats!

[gradcafe26]

Wow, congratulations!

[balderdash]

Congrats!

Wow, congratulations!

Thanks, dudes. Also, 3 more recs came in, so we're up to 15/24 here. How're you all?

[polarbear0627]

I just finished all of my applications - w/ Fulbright's help, I don't need to pay my application fees this year - The IIE applied for 5 schools on behalf of me while I applied for another three by myself. I hope this will be a fruitful year - I deferred my admission from UCLA and will be automatically accepted this year, so I guess I still have some hope.

[saltlakecity2012]

Oh and 5.5 AW GRE.

[balderdash]

...

Like Sindikumva said, there's little anyone on here can tell you - you seem to have well-defined research interests, your background is strong, etc., but your personal statement/writing sample/recommendations will really decide your application. As for the MIA and MPhil courses, the government subforum will probably have a better sense of your chances - though as a Cambs grad (with many friends doing MPhils at Ox), I'd say you're definitely getting an offer to at least one of the two.

Well, we're officially in the waiting game now. Anyone want to create the Poli Sci "Waiting it Out" thread?

[saltlakecity2012]

Thanks to balderdash and sindikumva. Gah - I almost feel as if I would prefer to be told I've got no shot at any of the programs I'm looking at. It's the glimmer of hope that really gnaws at me.

Re: waiting it out - I've still got a whole round due in January that want individualized essays, etc., so I'll join you on that thread right around the time you're getting your acceptance letters

[saltlakecity2012]

Oh, and another question: does anyone have any tips on the personal statement U Mich Ann Arbor asks for or know of a good resource?

[CooCooCachoo]

I'll post my reply here as well, since you submitted your query in two threads:

Your choice for Oxford is completely nonsensical if you want to specialize in comparative political economy. You will be at the wrong department entirely. The department is also not known for its theoretical or methodological rigour. It also has no focus whatsoever on the USSR. This doesn't mean the MPhil isn't good - most people that I know in the MPhil are quite pleased with it - but it strikes me as out of tune with the rest of the programmes you listed. If you want a thorough grounding in methodology, applying for the MPhil in Comparative Government at the DPIR is a much more logical move. I can't tell you much about LSE or Cambridge, but I suspect that the same holds true there. Cambridge, in any case, is not held in high regard when it comes to Development Studies.

Other than that, your stats are difficult to perfect, but I presume you know this already.

[balderdash]

Does anyone know what's up with the Princeton status check? It has the message:

Thank you for applying to the Princeton University Graduate School! Our office will continue to update the applicant checklist as new required materials are received. This can take 5-7 business days after you submit.

NOTE: GAO Received Date means document was received by Graduate Admission Office

Then underneath, a whoooole lot of boxes for each item. For me, I have "RECEIVED DATE:" followed by, for instance, 2011-10-28, but then "GAO RECEIVED DATE:" with nothing next to it. This is the case for all materials, even things like recommendations (which they confirm they have received).

So the "note" means that if it says "GAO RECEIVED DATE," they have it? (And not that there will be a date listed next to it?)

You would think the answer is yes, and that it's simply poor interface design. But then, on items that I clearly have not sent in - ie, music sample - it says "RECEIVED DATE:" next to "GAO RECEIVED DATE," just without any numbers in the first box. So if it hasn't been received, then why does it have the GAO message?

Sorry for the really confusing post, but there's no easy way to explain it. I could do a screenshot and such, but that might be a bit too involved. If anyone else has applied this year and could enlighten me, I'd appreciate the help.

[Adornopolisci2012]

Good to see this thread getting going! Just finished my applications last night. Good luck to all this cycle!

[CooCooCachoo]

Does anyone know what's up with the Princeton status check? It has the message:

Then underneath, a whoooole lot of boxes for each item. For me, I have "RECEIVED DATE:" followed by, for instance, 2011-10-28, but then "GAO RECEIVED DATE:" with nothing next to it. This is the case for all materials, even things like recommendations (which they confirm they have received).

So the "note" means that if it says "GAO RECEIVED DATE," they have it? (And not that there will be a date listed next to it?)

You would think the answer is yes, and that it's simply poor interface design. But then, on items that I clearly have not sent in - ie, music sample - it says "RECEIVED DATE:" next to "GAO RECEIVED DATE," just without any numbers in the first box. So if it hasn't been received, then why does it have the GAO message?

Sorry for the really confusing post, but there's no easy way to explain it. I could do a screenshot and such, but that might be a bit too involved. If anyone else has applied this year and could enlighten me, I'd appreciate the help.

A possible interpretation would be that the 'Received date' indicates whether electronic receipt of these documents has been registered (i.e. an automated process), whereas the GAO Received Date could indicate whether the admissions office has actually opened your application folder. Not really sure what else it could mean. But if it's any consolation, my screen is exactly like yours.

[balderdash]

A possible interpretation would be that the 'Received date' indicates whether electronic receipt of these documents has been registered (i.e. an automated process), whereas the GAO Received Date could indicate whether the admissions office has actually opened your application folder. Not really sure what else it could mean. But if it's any consolation, my screen is exactly like yours.

I suppose, but it seems a bit silly, right? Their application checklist was easily the best last year - a simple list of all the things needed, and a check next to those received - and it has to be the worst this year. Puzzling. But it's good to hear it looks the same for you.

By the way, February 1st is 7 weeks from today. Generally that's right around the time that acceptances start coming out. Hard to believe it's less than 50 days away.

[AlphabetSoup]

A possible interpretation would be that the 'Received date' indicates whether electronic receipt of these documents has been registered (i.e. an automated process), whereas the GAO Received Date could indicate whether the admissions office has actually opened your application folder. Not really sure what else it could mean. But if it's any consolation, my screen is exactly like yours.

I suspect the GAO Received Date will be December 15th for all of us (if so, I take this as proof that a. they aren't using a rolling admissions process and b. submitting our applications early gave us nothing but peace of mind (followed by weeks of unavoidable post-submission anxiety). Alternatively, the GAO section could remain blank until admissions recommendations are made by the department (accepted students having their applicaitons forwarded to the university).

[saltlakecity2012]

Anyone know which schools are known for using a rolling admissions process, even if it's not explicitly stated?

[Penelope Higgins]

Public universities that rely heavily on university (rather than department) fellowships for funding grad students often operate with rolling deadlines in one sense. They admit a very small group of candidates early and nominate them for university competitions for funding. Because those competitions operate across departments, GRE scores tend to be the most important criteria. So if your GRE scores are high, and you applied to state schools that are not ranked in the top 40 or so (think places like UMass, Penn State, Temple, Georgia, not Berkeley, Michigan, Wisconsin), you may hear something as soon as late January.

Other schools use rolling admissions in different ways; I don't know enough about the specifics to comment.

[balderdash]

Happy holidays, everyone.

Today is one month until the first results should start trickling in, as Stanford has led the way for the last few years in late January. It's crazy to think the waiting has passed this quickly.

[RWBG]

Happy holidays! It's getting a little weird how quiet this forum is this year, relative to last year...

[balderdash]

Happy holidays! It's getting a little weird how quiet this forum is this year, relative to last year...

Actually, thought the same thing until I looked back to last year's thread. As of a few days ago, we were ahead by about 20 posts, year-over-year. So it seems that you and I are thinking back to early February activity and applying it to what is a typically quiet December.

[Secret Squirrel]

Stanford is tied (with Princeton) as my top choice, so I've already entered freak out mode. Both are really good fits for me... gah.

[RWBG]

Actually, thought the same thing until I looked back to last year's thread. As of a few days ago, we were ahead by about 20 posts, year-over-year. So it seems that you and I are thinking back to early February activity and applying it to what is a typically quiet December.

Interesting! I haven't looked at this rigorously, but it still feels like there was more activity in the political science subforum as a whole, even if not in the analogous thread; I only joined thegradcafe in mid-December, and I seem to recall a lot of replies to the thread I started, and generally more discussion than this year. There definitely seem to be fewer "regulars" (so to speak) on the forum this year.

Edited December 27, 2011 by RWBG

[balderdash]

There definitely seem to be fewer "regulars" (so to speak) on the forum this year.

Probably true. Lurkers generally turn to regular posters in early January, no?

By the way, any Africanists out there keeping track of what's going on in Nigeria?

[edost]

I've submitted all but one of my applications, and for some reason, I keep checking on the status of the previous applications instead of working on my final one. I mean, I know there won't be any admission decisions yet, but I keep checking if they got my test scores, recommendation letters and transcripts.