Waiting it out--Polisci

[Secret Squirrel]

There's one of these in the general waiting it out section of the forum, but let's have one for political science in particular.

I just submitted all my applications yesterday. It's going to be a long few months.

[Helix]

Between you and the other folks who have finished already, I'd love to know how you are able to recognize the diminishing marginal returns to additional edits (or in my case, obsessing over the SoP and whether or not my writing sample communicates anything) and just turn it in already. I almost can't wait to just be "waiting it out."

[balderdash]

8/8 submitted, 20/24 recommendations received, and the remaining four should follow by the end of the week. Transcripts and GREs were sent ages ago, so now just to follow up on their receipt.

As for the marginal returns: after I had all three recommenders and a few doctoral student-friends read the personal statement and give it their OK, I stopped fiddling.

[Secret Squirrel]

For diminishing returns: I worked on my SOP for about a month or so and stopped when it was approved by a few of my professors with no suggestions for revision. As for the writing sample, I had some of the mental burden lifted since it is coming out in a well regarded journal in December; I just got an advance copy of the article from the journal and am using that. I couldn't edit if I wanted (and I kind of do want to change how a few things are worded here and there, but whatever).

[balderdash]

For diminishing returns: I worked on my SOP for about a month or so and stopped when it was approved by a few of my professors with no suggestions for revision. As for the writing sample, I had some of the mental burden lifted since it is coming out in a well regarded journal in December; I just got an advance copy of the article from the journal and am using that. I couldn't edit if I wanted (and I kind of do want to change how a few things are worded here and there, but whatever).

Hey, congrats on that! You must be psyched.

Also, it's easy to stop working on the SoP when you have a wedding to plan, as I do. So if you want to be mentally able to "put down" your applications, just get engaged.

And for newcomers, bookmark this page. It will be very helpful in two months.

Edited November 9, 2011 by balderdash

[Secret Squirrel]

Thanks. I'm pretty excited to see it in print. What's especially nice is that it's a journal that people in the subfield tend to read for fun when it comes out, so the adcom member in my subfield may read the article before they get to my application. I imagine that might help--unless they hated the article.

I swear, I'm having nightmares about the SOP; it was so bad that it woke me up. I had a follow up nightmare about zombies, but slept right through that.

In the opposite vein of working on it until I bust, I'd like to also note Berkeley's diversity statement. I wrote that in 10 minutes, had my girlfriend and a friend look at it quickly, then submitted it. Perhaps I didn't take it seriously enough, but that seems like the type of thing that doesn't really matter.

[Penelope Higgins]

You published in The Onion? I'm can't think of another journal I read for fun.

[Secret Squirrel]

Then I feel bad for your subfield. Seriously though, 'fun' was probably a bad choice words. I should have said that it's a journal people keep up with (according to psjr) even if they aren't working on that particular topic.

[balderdash]

In the opposite vein of working on it until I bust, I'd like to also note Berkeley's diversity statement. I wrote that in 10 minutes, had my girlfriend and a friend look at it quickly, then submitted it. Perhaps I didn't take it seriously enough, but that seems like the type of thing that doesn't really matter.

I did the exact same thing. It took me about 20 minutes to write, had the fiancee read it, then sent it in.

"How have you helped advance access to higher education for women?" Gender equality is certainly worth societal/university attention, and its an admirable thing to work on or volunteer one's time for, but I doubt if many of the applicants have specifically devoted much of their lives to it...

Edited November 9, 2011 by balderdash

[kolja00]

The diversity statement for Berkeley is actually pretty important. The department has to get every applicant approved by the university before giving them an offer. I believe the statement is one of the criteria in deciding that.