Help! Chances and strategies for Phd?

[appleguy]

Hi all,

I'm writing this because I'm feeling really rather nebulous about my chances for getting into the programs I want to for a Phd in Polisci (IR security and theory). I'm currently an MA in Polisci student beginning my second year at GMU and want to move to the Phd.

The main spanner in the works for me is that I had a low undergraduate GPA at a top public Ivy from sickness. It was concentrated in my middle two years and my major GPAs were higher. It didn't seem to affect my MA apps, but it still worries me.

Apart from that, my MA GPA is 3.85. My GREs are 1350. I have strong classwork in research methods and quantitative analysis. I've also managed to get a peer-reviewed publication at a decent journal and about eight editor-reviewed short articles in various other publications, both online and in print, on security subjects. As a result, my writing sample should be great. My recommendations are strong I think (including a VP of a major think tank I worked with and some profs from my MA). I'm also an editor of a major online IR publication.

My target schools are UVA, UNC, Duke, UPenn, G'town and GWU. I know these programs are a step up for me, but really....any idea what my chances are? Or...and this is universally applicable...what approach should be taken for the Statement of Purpose?

[mv0027]

So, I'm not super qualified to anwser. I haven't applied to a program yet, and I might not even do pol sci. Nonetheless, I find it hard to believe you don't have a shot at those schools. I plan to apply to higher ranked programs with much lower GPAs!

What the story on the GRE? Looks a little low, could you improve it? Assuming if you write an intelligent SOP, I think you have a good shot!

If you are just posting on here for a little moral support (which I often do), here goes: you are a shoe-in!

[Penelope Higgins]

A strong MA GPA does a lot to make up for the undergrad GPA. If you are getting a letter from an undergrad professor, you could ask them (if you feel comfortable doing so) to explain the reasons for your lower GPA. If not, I think the MA GPA will serve its intended purpose of convincing committees that you are capable of performing well in graduate-level coursework.

[balderdash]

Yeah, don't worry about it. Write a good statement and I don't see any problem with your apps.

By the way, +1 for "I'm feeling really rather nebulous" - I laughed out loud.

[appleguy]

Thanks guys, that makes me feel a bit better about my apps now. My undergrad GPA does still get me down, but I've been working my butt off this year in my MA (successfully I think) to do everything I can to elevate other parts of my application. I mean, I know what subfields I want to work in and I definitely have been making my baby steps into publishing research in those areas, so I hope that is taken into account.

Penelope, yes, I think I'll retain one of my undergraduate professors as a recommender for just that purpose!

And mv007, thanks for the moral support! the story with my GREs is simply that I took them before my MA apps and chose not to retake them because the score is decent. The closer I get to Phd season, the more I think that I should have retaken them to get the higher score I now know I'm capable of, but....I think that will only happen now if I have to reapply next year.

Do any of you have any strategies for writing the SOP? Things that are more important than others to highlight?

[balderdash]

For that I can only offer the forum regular's refrain: search the board, there must be a hundred threads on that very subject by now.

[midwest513]

I would contact people who have done your program who went on to PhD programs, I bet many of them were in the similar straits you are in now.

[gradcafe26]

I guess it shouldn't be a huge issue since they are not your higher level major courses