Thinking about re-application

[deleteduser0333]

I know it's still a little bit too early, but since most of the schools I applied for have already sent out notifications I would just readily assume that I am out of the game for this year.

Anyways, I come from a totally different field (BA in English and Animation from a Top 5 Chinese university) and I am now finishing a MA in Political Science at a local university in Texas.

GRE scores are mediocre, mainly in the 86%~89% range, verbal>quant, UG is infamous for low GPAs around 3.4~3.5, and my LOR writers are definitely not big names.

I am primarily interested in Internet protest mobilization and Chinese civil society (social media, collective action, and democratization), and there aren't many professors in this area to begin with.

Research experience include, undergraduate research project at codified online (political) expressions, RA at my current institution and one upcoming conference paper.

Relevant work experience zero, and I did not participate in any social movements XD

The only highlight in my application would be language proficiency in German and Japanese (lived in Germany for 7 years during childhood, and I am a big fan of Japanese culture).

I applied mainly for the Top 30 schools this year (let's call it a strategical mistake), with my safety school at the Top 50~60 range, but I don't think I was able to stress my fit for the program in my SOP plus my writing sample was definitely hurried because I couldn't obtain enough data on the topic I was writing about.

I feel I have wasted most of the time on my fruitless application and anxiety issues. By this time of the year, my graduate thesis won't turn out very desirable.

So yeah, I am pretty much depressed right now and unsure what to do next, or whether I should try for another application cycle.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

PS: I heard that the most pro-active applicants will start to bombard their POIs with emails and phone calls by June and won't stop lobbying the adcomm till April...

How much harm did my socially anxious/introvert personality inflict upon my application?

Edited February 17, 2012 by dec4rhapsody

[adaptations]

dec4rhapsody - I'm sorry to hear that this application cycle is not going well for you. The first thing I will note, is that there are plenty of examples of people who did not get in their first time (myself included) who then went on to be accepted to top institutions. I think the most important thing to reflect upon is the specific weaknesses of your application and the steps you can take to improve upon them.

In previous posts, I have spoke of the benefits of receiving a MA as a means of further developing your research interests, building relationships with faculty, etc. To see my comments on how to get the most out of an MA, check this out. In your case, I think it will be important to focus on finishing strong in your program and taking the time to turn your thesis into a strong writing sample (don’t stop working on it just because you’ve graduated). You might also want to try to present it at a conference, and eventually get it published. Both processes provide good experience and also add another level of engagement with the poli sci community that you can put on your CV.

I would also caution against under-valuing the importance of the letters of recommendation. Having LORs from people who can really speak to your excellence in political science (or specifically related methods) is a key component of the application. If your MA program has any faculty that are well known and that you have good relations with, be sure to have the provide you a LOR.

In your situation I think you’re at a good place to seriously evaluate the importance of earning a PhD to your career path and the goals you have. For example, it is not foolish to focus on top 30 schools, assuming you are hoping to become an academic. (Yes – it is possible to get a job from lower ranked schools, but much harder). So, if you’re really committed to earning a PhD in poli sci, you have to find ways to strengthen your application. I’ve outlined a few possibilities, but in the long run – you may find that you need more mentoring, education, etc. It may sound unreasonable, but if you are really really committed, perhaps a related MA at a top program would allow you to build your credentials (of course, this may not be financially feasible for many people). The few that jump to mind are Columbia's MA in Quantitative Methods, or Chicago’s CIR for example.

Lastly, you asked about the importance of contacting POIs prior to admissions. From what I know, this matters much more in the hard sciences or in programs where you will be working a lab directed by a POI. I have also heard that some of the smaller, and typically lower ranked, poli sci programs might be more open to corresponding with students prior to application, but in general I do not think contacting POIs is of much importance to the application process. You have to remember that there are only a few faculty on the admissions committee each year, so the chance that the faculty you are contacting is on the committee is slim (and very slim at the larger programs). Additionally, most faculty are exceptionally busy and can’t afford to take too much time to invest is potential students, who might get screened out by the committee anyway.

I hope you find these thoughts helpful. Best of luck!

[deleteduser0333]

@adaptions

Thank you so much for your input!

I was reading it with a mobile device this morning so forgive me for the delay in replying.

My family is relatively poor so I am really not in the position to ask for further support in my education. Since my department does not have any famous faculty members I will go with what I already have.

But still, I will be presenting in conferences this year which I hope will provide me with one last chance in getting familiar with this field.

I am also starting to move over to plan B. Since my research interest is closely related to social media and internet, what kind of internship or job can I find to strengthen my application? I will also continue working on my own dataset, but I heard that independent work is not regarded highly by the adcoms.

[brent09]

But still, I will be presenting in conferences this year which I hope will provide me with one last chance in getting familiar with this field.

I am also starting to move over to plan B. Since my research interest is closely related to social media and internet, what kind of internship or job can I find to strengthen my application? I will also continue working on my own dataset, but I heard that independent work is not regarded highly by the adcoms.

(Emphasis mine.)

To preface, I'm not an expert but I did re-apply this year with more success than last time. From what I learned, I would urge you to consider a few things:

1. Your stats are actually pretty good, assuming your GPA at your Texas school is high. Your UGPA should not be detrimental if you've done well in your MA program.

2. The range of schools is good. You don't really want to dip too low or placement will be very difficult. The more important question is how those schools fit with your interests. This is where strategy comes in. Don't apply to NYU, Rochester or WUSTL if you don't want to do methods/formal theory. Don't apply to UVA or Boston College if you want to do quantitative methods. This is best discussed with advisors and, if you're not getting sufficient guidance there, reach out to some POIs. Especially during the off-season, when faculty aren't being bombarded with prospective students, POIs can be helpful. And at the end of the day, most political scientists like being mentors, and will often give you guidance.

3. In the portion of your post I've quoted, you mention getting "familiar" with the field. That is very important. Adcoms want to be sure you know what you're getting into -- that you won't drop out because you thought political science was something it isn't. Your SOP should make clear that you understand the discipline and can place yourself comfortably in it.

4. I do not think job experience is that necessary. What is necessary is showing creativity and research potential. So independent work is a big deal -- it's the currency of academics. Collect your data, write papers and submit them to conferences. Prove to adcoms that you have what it takes to produce valuable research.

5. "Famous" LOR writers are overrated. Plenty of people from small, liberal arts schools with less focus on research manage to get into top-10 programs. Plenty of people with LOR writers from Harvard have been rejected at top-10 programs. In short: don't let LORs be an excuse. If you can ensure that your LOR writers are emphasizing your intellect, creativity and research potential, that's all you need.

Ultimately, you'll need to take time to figure out if academics are what you want. If you decide in the affirmative, then yes! give it another shot. Plenty of us have, and it works. In that case, take the next year to perfect your SOP, find programs that fit your interests well, and keep churning out high-quality (and if possible, solo-authored) conference papers. If you can do that, and keep your graduate GPA very high, I think next time will treat you better.