saltlakecity2012 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I only applied to a few top schools that have either a Pol. Econ. PhD or a Econ. PhD with Pol. Econ specialization since a professor from my home country already offered me a PhD position. Applied to: - Princeton (Sub-Field: Methods, intended field of research: Pol. Econ.) - Stanford (Pol. Econ.) - Harvard KS (Pol. Econ & Gov) - Georgetown (Economics - intended field of research: Pol. Econ) - MIT (Economics: ok, I really do not think I have the slightest chance of getting accepted there but I applied because my Master thesis provides empirical evidence for Acemoglu's theoretical model) What about you? Only NYU, Harvard, Princeton and Stanford? Unfortunately, I have a very low verbal GRE score (but high TOEFL), which makes me doubt that any of these schools will accept me. I applied to several of the same programs as well as a bunch more - I'm a comparativist and IPE. I also added Yale, Duke, and several other programs that offer PE as a subfield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohsnap Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I'm applying for normative theory. What I hope to do is look at the political theoretical tradition and see what it has to say about current American politics and just war. Kind of a cross-over between two/threeish fields. whirlibird 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gradhorn Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 RE: The UT-Austin page. Last year I saw the application page do the same thing with new tabs popping up. I don't think it meant anything about my status, since it was another 10 days or so until I received an admission decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balderdash Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 I applied to several of the same programs as well as a bunch more - I'm a comparativist and IPE. I also added Yale, Duke, and several other programs that offer PE as a subfield. Did you end up applying to Oxbridge? And if so, can I ask who you want to work with, and at what colleges? PM me if you want to keep it on the dl. I'm still so anxious about Stanford, largely because it's one of the 3 that could make me decline a Madison offer. I'm thinking offers come today, but then what do I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helix Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I'm still so anxious about Stanford, largely because it's one of the 3 that could make me decline a Madison offer. I'm thinking offers come today, but then what do I know. I'm in the same boat--there are a few that could make me decline Madison, but also Stanford seems like a good bellwether for determine if/where I might get offers in the next few weeks. I applied all over after getting burned last year so I'm grateful to have an acceptance under my belt, but the waiting is painful nonetheless. That said, I'm not sure if offers would come today. Seems like from the last couple years, they send out offers ~3.5 weeks after the start of the quarter, and since (as someone remarked earlier) their quarter started a week late this year, I'm wondering if we won't get put off til next week... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balderdash Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 That said, I'm not sure if offers would come today. Seems like from the last couple years, they send out offers ~3.5 weeks after the start of the quarter, and since (as someone remarked earlier) their quarter started a week late this year, I'm wondering if we won't get put off til next week... It's a good point. We'll know in 7 hours either way. Apologies, and I'm not trying to humblebrag, but: I wrote an article for small news outlet on Wednesday. Today I found out it had been copied and reprinted on another site, including my bio, picture, etc. without my (or the news outlet's) permission. So today has been spent trying to track down the "editor" and convince him that it's wrong to pretend to readers that I wrote an article for his very, very sketchy website. Nightmare... CML55 and WorldMan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balledematch Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Also eagerly awaiting Stanford. I have plenty of things to do other than just sit on this website and panic, but I can't seem to bring myself to do any of them. Oh well....if this cycle doesn't work out, my step-brother has a job waiting for me----driving a semi truck. whirlibird 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deleteduser0333 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Just wondering, if my decision status for UW-Madison is still "pending", when will I receive the rejection letter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balderdash Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 Just wondering, if my decision status for UW-Madison is still "pending", when will I receive the rejection letter? I'm sorry to hear that you didn't receive an offer. Based on last year's results, it seems rejections will be sent out in about 2 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwouldpreferanonymity Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 So today has been spent trying to track down the "editor" and convince him that it's wrong to pretend to readers that I wrote an article for his very, very sketchy website. Nightmare... I experienced a similar problem in the past, so I understand that this sort of thing can be maddening. If the site has infringed upon copyright (and it presumably has), you could file a DMCA notice against them, or their hosting company. Just an idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icedance Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Mine of Wisconsin is also pending~~ So it means rejection, right? Just need to wait longer time to get a confirmation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potbellypete Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Most of you have probably seen this but I just found "So you want a PhD in Political Science" Good luck staying sane! saltlakecity2012 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brent09 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Mine of Wisconsin is also pending~~ So it means rejection, right? Just need to wait longer time to get a confirmation No idea, but I assume that the first wave are accepts. I haven't seen any waitlisters yet, though, so it's possible that the remaining pool is being considered for the waitlist. If I were you, I would just call the department (608.263.2414) and ask. Probably better than the uncertainty, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWBG Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I'm a Roc. app. Good luck! Great! The more applicants who are on this board, the greater the likelihood that >=1 of us will be accepted and will be able to let the others know when offers have gone out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whirlibird Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Most of you have probably seen this but I just found "So you want a PhD in Political Science" Good luck staying sane! Don't you love how this doesn't dissuade any of us? Maybe there's just something wrong with us all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Secret Squirrel Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 As a theorist, this doesn't affect me. I do just get to shout my insights about politics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whirlibird Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 As a theorist, this doesn't affect me. I do just get to shout my insights about politics! Haha! True, true! For what it's worth, I'll care what you have to say/shout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kem140 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Of the Madison acceptances, what are your subfields? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 i too am still pending from wisconsin. while it would be better to be accepted, i don't think its necessarily an automatic rejection. everywhere is playing yield games and accepting students in waves. inevitably some of the people who got into wisconsin will get better offers and that will free up spots to admit a few more people and it will continue to cascade this way at all schools. I'd be willing to wager that some people who are pending from Wisconsin today will get offers at a later date remember, even if schools know that their historical yield is X, they don't really want to count on it holding constant. unlike a law school where if two extra people accept, they just cash some big checks and slide an extra two chairs in their classrooms, having an extra person or two accept funded offers can blow a total hole in a department's budget for the year. the goal is to get to the exact number without going over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kem140 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Jsclar--what is your subfield? Have you heard back from anywhere as of yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 i'm American (behavior) and methods. so far i've had a phone interview with MIT and have one scheduled with Vanderbilt, plus I got some fairly encouraging news through back channels about Columbia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWBG Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 (edited) I don't want to discourage anyone, but political science Ph.D admissions tend to try to avoid admitting students in waves, and instead start off by admitting more people than they expect to enroll using previous yield rates as a guide. A small number of waitlists go out each year, and if you are on a waitlist, you will likely be informed of it shortly. In the past two years, Wisconsin appears to have informed waitlisters at the same time as admitted applicants; three years ago, it looks like someone was waitlisted a few weeks after the main round of admissions. In any event, I wouldn't be too discouraged by any individual decision, as each committee has highly idiosyncratic ways of evaluating candidates. It is not uncommon for lower ranked schools to reject applicants who get accepted to schools in the top five. Edit: Re Kem140: As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm interested in formal IPE/methods. Edited January 27, 2012 by RWBG twenty-twelve and iwouldpreferanonymity 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 there's a good chance thats more accurate than my guesses. i know more about the machinations of departments in other fields than political science. my dad is in another field and has never been allowed to send out more acceptances than he can fund. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kem140 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Congrats on interviews and encouraging feedback, Jsclar--good luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balderdash Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 I don't want to discourage anyone, but political science Ph.D admissions tend to try to avoid admitting students in waves, and instead start off by admitting more people than they expect to enroll using previous yield rates as a guide. A small number of waitlists go out each year, and if you are on a waitlist, you will likely be informed of it shortly. In the past two years, Wisconsin appears to have informed waitlisters at the same time as admitted applicants; three years ago, it looks like someone was waitlisted a few weeks after the main round of admissions. In any event, I wouldn't be too discouraged by any individual decision, as each committee has highly idiosyncratic ways of evaluating candidates. It is not uncommon for lower ranked schools to reject applicants who get accepted to schools in the top five. This. I'd add that I was waitlisted at Princeton last year the same day that the acceptances went out. My earlier guess that there were multiple waves at Columbia was mistaken; I had repressed forgotten that people posted fake results ahead of time last year. Although I was explicit about the fact that this was a guess, mea culpa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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