Welcome to the 2011-2012 Cycle

[PoliSciPirate]

Got into nyu! Aaaaaaaaaah!!!!!

Congrats Bauhaus!

[shavasana]

Hi everyone,

I unfortunately just discovered The Grad Cafe, this is really a wonderful resource. Congratulations to everyone for their acceptances.

One thing I was wondering about [and for which I haven't seen an answer here]:

How many of you were in contact with the relevant professors at the schools you got accepted into BEFORE sending in your application? Did you talk with them about your research interest and your application?

I'm under the impression that this matters substantially less in the social sciences than in the hard sciences. I'm sure it can't hurt to have a prof that is interested in your work in the department, but I don't think that it will get you in on its own merits.

(I say that because I didn't have contact with really anyone in the department while applying, but my cycle went well regardless.)

Edited for inability to type.

Edited February 29, 2012 by adblanche

[Jwnich1]

I'm under the impression that this matters substantially less in the social sciences than in the hard sciences. I'm sure it can't hurt to have a prof that is interested in your work in the department, but I don't think that it will get you in on its own merits.

(I say that because I didn't have contact with really anyone in the department while applying, but my cycle went well regardless.)

Edited for inability to type.

According to my profs, it's actually frowned upon in some circles. It really depends on their personality and if you have a REALLY good reason to contact them (you want to base your work off of their previous research etc) but multiple professors told me independently that if I contacted professors beforehand there would be one of three reactions i) they would ignore me (most probable result), ii) prefunctory reply, iii) They would see me as someone who didnt understand the process (admissions comittee model).

Apparently this is a newish phenomenon. What I heard was that professors used to be MUCH more open to pre-app contact, but this declined when some eager beavers started emailing everyone on a departments contact list with little to no real reason for doing so.

Edited: for gibberish

Edited February 29, 2012 by Jwnich1

[bauhaus]

Ok my cycle has ended! I declined two waitlists (duke & caltech). I allmost surely declining an mit offer soon! Good luck to everyone (and gonna stay in the forum, of course)!

Gabor

[CairoKid]

Saw some Chicago rejections out there. Who's exciting to get theirs?? This girl. =P

My adviser told me I wouldn't want to go there anyway because they're all elitists. I'll just agree with him to cover my sorrows. haha

[goodluck]

anyone claim the Georgetown waiting list?

[saltlakecity2012]

@SLC2k12: Today is the alleged day for us to hear from Berkeley, so lets get excited

I don't know, man. I'm not holding my breath...

[politicsgirl]

According to my profs, it's actually frowned upon in some circles. It really depends on their personality and if you have a REALLY good reason to contact them (you want to base your work off of their previous research etc) but multiple professors told me independently that if I contacted professors beforehand there would be one of three reactions i) they would ignore me (most probable result), ii) prefunctory reply, iii) They would see me as someone who didnt understand the process (admissions comittee model).

Apparently this is a newish phenomenon. What I heard was that professors used to be MUCH more open to pre-app contact, but this declined when some eager beavers started emailing everyone on a departments contact list with little to no real reason for doing so.

Edited: for gibberish

I'm finally going to de-lurk because I want to address this topic. I think it goes to show that every department is different/there is no universal truth to the app process, but just as an anecdote... I actually went to visit two schools before submitting my applications. I sat down to meet with a few different professors at both schools and even sat in on a class. And those were the two schools I got into. Now, I will offer the caveat that I've been out of school for a long time and am a pretty untraditional applicant, but because I sat down and talked with my POIs, I made great connections with them that I was able to talk about in my SOP. And almost all of the professors I contacted were very responsive.

[jasonmonty]

Second year in a row with a Wait List from WashU. Yay...?

[grace246]

I still haven't got my rejection from Chicago. Surely they sent out a mass email? Why must they drag it out even further?!

[Jwnich1]

I'm finally going to de-lurk because I want to address this topic. I think it goes to show that every department is different/there is no universal truth to the app process, but just as an anecdote... I actually went to visit two schools before submitting my applications. I sat down to meet with a few different professors at both schools and even sat in on a class. And those were the two schools I got into. Now, I will offer the caveat that I've been out of school for a long time and am a pretty untraditional applicant, but because I sat down and talked with my POIs, I made great connections with them that I was able to talk about in my SOP. And almost all of the professors I contacted were very responsive.

Hi Politicsgirl,

Congrats on a sucessful cycle! I'm glad this strategy worked for you. I have a feeling that showing up in person may have made the difference? The advice I got was pretty universally against contacting professors, unless I had a REALLY compelling reason (beyond: "I liked you work, and I think you could be a great advisor")

Both professors who really mentored me directed me (independently) to this website: http://kuznets.harva...ey/gradadv.html - which contains advice from Prof. Susan Athey, an econ professor at Harvard. Granted this is for econ, but since our fields are increasingly similar in some areas and both in the social sciences, they told me to take the advice pretty much as given. (This also contains some great advice for the rest of the cycle, and for visiting if anyone's interested)

Edited February 29, 2012 by Jwnich1

[Doorkeeper]

I still haven't got my rejection from Chicago. Surely they sent out a mass email? Why must they drag it out even further?!

Mass emails take a really long time to generate and send out. I'm sure we'll be getting the emails at random points throughout the day.

[saltlakecity2012]

I'm eagerly awaiting my Chicago rejection, and perhaps even one from Berkeley, too! This is going to be a lovely day.

[Doorkeeper]

I'm eagerly awaiting my Chicago rejection, and perhaps even one from Berkeley, too! This is going to be a lovely day.

Easy for you to say with your 5 acceptances already! haha.

[PDCU]

So I see that some people got their mass emails from Chicago... I am waiting for my rejection as well. Would the consolation masters be coming out around this time as well?

[politicsgirl]

Hi Politicsgirl,

Congrats on a sucessful cycle! I'm glad this strategy worked for you. I have a feeling that showing up in person may have made the difference? The advice I got was pretty universally against contacting professors, unless I had a REALLY compelling reason (beyond: "I liked you work, and I think you could be a great advisor")

Both professors who really mentored me directed me (independently) to this website: http://kuznets.harva...ey/gradadv.html - which contains advice from Prof. Susan Athey, an econ professor at Harvard. Granted this is for econ, but since our fields are increasingly similar in some areas and both in the social sciences, they told me to take the advice pretty much as given. (This also contains some great advice for the rest of the cycle, and for visiting if anyone's interested)

Thanks! I was really happy with how this cycle turned out for me considering I didn't have anyone advising me and I apparently did everything "wrong" according to the conventional wisdom. (I only applied to three schools, among other things...) And you're right, a personal visit almost certainly does have more weight than an email exchange, but at least in my case, none of the professors I contacted seemed to think I was a pest for my initial emails or wanting to sit down with them, which really you could argue was even more of an intrusion into their time than just exchanging a few emails. My guess would be that it probably does depend a lot on the professor. Dr. Athey is clearly not a fan! But I don't think that means it's always (or almost always) a bad idea.

[Jwnich1]

On 2/29/2012 at 12:56 PM, politicsgirl said:

Thanks! I was really happy with how this cycle turned out for me considering I didn't have anyone advising me and I apparently did everything "wrong" according to the conventional wisdom. (I only applied to three schools, among other things...) And you're right, a personal visit almost certainly does have more weight than an email exchange, but at least in my case, none of the professors I contacted seemed to think I was a pest for my initial emails or wanting to sit down with them, which really you could argue was even more of an intrusion into their time than just exchanging a few emails. My guess would be that it probably does depend a lot on the professor. Dr. Athey is clearly not a fan! But I don't think that means it's always (or almost always) a bad idea.

I don't think there's a wrong way since we both did things in an opposite manner, and had sucessful cycles. In the end, that's what matters. Congrats again!

 

[PoliSci27]

I am also on the waitlist! but I heard about 2 weeks ago, are they still sending our new waitlist positions?

Yep. Maybe they are just adding new names to the bottom of the waitlist. But who really knows?

[saltlakecity2012]

Easy for you to say with your 5 acceptances already! haha.

You may have a point there

[potbellypete]

Syracuse acceptance is up -- anyone claiming?

[Jwnich1]

Haven't gotten Chicago's rejection yet....maybe this means they've forgotten to accept me !

[whirlibird]

DUDE the internet around here has been WACK! Whaddid I miss?!

[potbellypete]

Haven't gotten Chicago's rejection yet....maybe this means they've forgotten to accept me !

That is what I told myself with Stanford -- then I was reminded by my partner that I didn't apply there

I just assumed that they would know how awesome I was and would offer me a tenured position.

[Jwnich1]

That is what I told myself with Stanford -- then I was reminded by my partner that I didn't apply there

I just assumed that they would know how awesome I was and would offer me a tenured position.

Didn't think of that....maybe they've got 2 positions? I'd like one!

DUDE the internet around here has been WACK! Whaddid I miss?!

Just saw this again, still one of my favorite lines...just so slick - maybe it'll make awful internet less painful:

Mycroft: Fire her. She's got it the wrong way around. You're under stress right now and your hand is perfectly steady. You're not haunted by the war, Dr Watson. You miss it.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Jwnich1

[Bdeniso]

Claiming a rejection from chicago. Still have to hear rejections from Columbia, GT, and GW but havent heard anything about the public policy PhD's from the Kennedy School.