Welcome to the 2012-2013 cycle

[Ahmadou]

Hey y'all,

 

Anyone applying to a Canadian University?

[ThisGuyRiteHere]

Long time lurker here.

 

Emory has emailed me about conducting a telephone or skype chat in late January or early February. They mentioned that actual admission offers are sometime in mid-February.

Congrats

[Miskina]

Hey y'all,   Anyone applying to a Canadian University?

I'm applying to mcGill!

[zzzzzz]

That moment when you’ve sent a professor TWELVE emails only to realize you’ve been spelling their name wrong the whole time…

I'm gonna go jump out the window now.

[TakeMyCoffeeBlack]

Hey everyone - been reading these forums for a few weeks now, dropping by with some info.

 

Called Pitt to see if it was too late to submit writing sample (it's optional and has to be hard copy). The secretary explained to me that I could still send one, but that the applications were already under review by committee.

 

Additionally received an e-mail from GWU. Apparently my writing sample was MIA, but the individual e-mailing me allowed to supply it for my application via e-mail (which is being sent for review to the department, is this the first hurdle?). That made my heart drop...

[Miskina]

Don't! If you sent twelve emails I guess the professor replied each time, so it means he/she didn't take offense! I understand how you feel but I'm sure it's no big deal.

[Miskina]

Has anyone here ever applied to the M.A. in Public Affairs at Cornell between November and January? They have a rolling admissions program, and they say they usually make a decision within 3 weeks. But they also say that it may take as long as 6 weeks when they receive a lot of applications (between November and January). Based on what some of you might have experienced, when do you think I can expect an answer?

[ThisGuyRiteHere]

So someone posted an acceptance to Texas A&M or UT on the results bored..

If its real, congrats!!!!!

[balledematch]

So someone posted an acceptance to Texas A&M or UT on the results bored..

If its real, congrats!!!!!

CONGRATS to whoever that is! I know from previous years that aTm typically notifies around this time, so it's probably real

[Ahmadou]

I'm applying to mcGill!

Great! What's your background?

[BornAndRaised]

Hi guys! 

 

I have a question. How much of a disadvantage is it to apply straight out of school for these Pol Sci PhDs? 

 

Worst case scenario, I'll be heading to Kings College, London for an MA in IR. (I just received an offer today. Phew. I'm going to grad school!) 

[student90210]

My applications have strong and weak points and I am not sure at all of my chances of getting in somewhere... 157 V, 159 Q, 3.66 GPA from a small, not-so-great university. Good SoP, good writing sample, good letters of recommendation. Applied to Georgetown, Maryland, Cornell, GWU, American, WUSTL, Brown, Claremont, UCSB, Texas Austin and Brandeis, comparative politics. Now just waiting... Maryland has been emailing me about 3-4 times a week about completing my application, I know it is automatically-generated, but still... 

[TTP25]

My applications have strong and weak points and I am not sure at all of my chances of getting in somewhere... 157 V, 159 Q, 3.66 GPA from a small, not-so-great university. Good SoP, good writing sample, good letters of recommendation. Applied to Georgetown, Maryland, Cornell, GWU, American, WUSL, Brown, Claremont, UCSB, Texas Austin and Brandeis, comparative politics. Now just waiting... Maryland has been emailing me about 3-4 times a week about completing my application, I know it is automatically-generated, but still... 

 

So this will be my introduction. Long time lurker, first time poster. 90210, I think you're going to be fine. Apps are in, and now we all just have to sit back and bite our nails. And we'll bite our nails together, because that is what this forum is for. To give you pointers, two of my letter writers, with whom I am close, both told me, "you're fine, you're stats are good, IT"S THE CHOICES YOU HAVE AT THE END THAT MATTER." My stats are rather similar to yours, higher GPA, but lower GRE Q. That said, it's a crapshoot. I'll direct you to Dan Drezner's "So you want a tenure-track job..." http://www.danieldrezner.com/research/jobmarket.pdf . While this is not about grad school apps, the point that he reiterates over and over is that the poli sci job market is a "capricious process." I believe the same holds true for grad applications. Stats alone are not going to get (most) of us into good programs, it's everything else. To me, you're stats are great, and if you SoP is good, then I wouldn't worry too much. But...since I spend every day worrying about these same things, I want you to know that you're not alone. I wish the best for you, and for everyone else on this forum, I also wish you all the best. Anyone who wishes to subject themselves to the rigors of a PhD program, is, in my eyes, a worthy candidate. So, I would hope you don't worry too much. I see a lot of worried hand-wringing on this site, and I just want to let it be known that the rest of us don't all have 4.00's and 170, 170, 6.00 GREs. We're all qualified and we're all willing and able. If it doesn't work out (for whatever reason) this year, there is always next year.

 

So...take a deep breath, be assured that you are both going to be fine as well as that you are not alone, and best of luck!

 

...and that is my rant.

 

Good luck everyone!

[Miskina]

Great! What's your background?

I got a Bachelor in Philosophy and a Bachelor in Political Science here in France (my home country). I don't have a GPA since papers and exams are not graded the same way as in the US. I've studied in the US as an exchange student last year though, and my GPA was 3.6. I am currently enrolled in a one-year master program in France. My toefl score is 103. About work experience, I interned in the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs last summer. I applied to the M.A Political Science at McGill! What's your background? You're not applying to McGill, are you?

[Ahmadou]

I got a Bachelor in Philosophy and a Bachelor in Political Science here in France (my home country). I don't have a GPA since papers and exams are not graded the same way as in the US. I've studied in the US as an exchange student last year though, and my GPA was 3.6. I am currently enrolled in a one-year master program in France. My toefl score is 103. About work experience, I interned in the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs last summer. I applied to the M.A Political Science at McGill! What's your background? You're not applying to McGill, are you?

Really good GPA though for a first-timer in the American system - I am myself! Here on academic exchange, originally from SciencesPo! Applying for a PhD at University of Toronto.

Tu suis un magistere sur un an, lequel ? Ca fait plaisir de retrouver un Francais ici.

[Miskina]

Check your pm

[ThisGuyRiteHere]

So this will be my introduction. Long time lurker, first time poster. 90210, I think you're going to be fine. Apps are in, and now we all just have to sit back and bite our nails. And we'll bite our nails together, because that is what this forum is for. To give you pointers, two of my letter writers, with whom I am close, both told me, "you're fine, you're stats are good, IT"S THE CHOICES YOU HAVE AT THE END THAT MATTER." My stats are rather similar to yours, higher GPA, but lower GRE Q. That said, it's a crapshoot. I'll direct you to Dan Drezner's "So you want a tenure-track job..." http://www.danieldrezner.com/research/jobmarket.pdf . While this is not about grad school apps, the point that he reiterates over and over is that the poli sci job market is a "capricious process." I believe the same holds true for grad applications. Stats alone are not going to get (most) of us into good programs, it's everything else. To me, you're stats are great, and if you SoP is good, then I wouldn't worry too much. But...since I spend every day worrying about these same things, I want you to know that you're not alone. I wish the best for you, and for everyone else on this forum, I also wish you all the best. Anyone who wishes to subject themselves to the rigors of a PhD program, is, in my eyes, a worthy candidate. So, I would hope you don't worry too much. I see a lot of worried hand-wringing on this site, and I just want to let it be known that the rest of us don't all have 4.00's and 170, 170, 6.00 GREs. We're all qualified and we're all willing and able. If it doesn't work out (for whatever reason) this year, there is always next year.

 

So...take a deep breath, be assured that you are both going to be fine as well as that you are not alone, and best of luck!

 

...and that is my rant.

 

Good luck everyone!

Thanks for the link and you are right. We are all in this together, whether people go to Harvard or University of Bob lol.

[PolyWonk]

But...since I spend every day worrying about these same things, I want you to know that you're not alone. I wish the best for you, and for everyone else on this forum, I also wish you all the best. Anyone who wishes to subject themselves to the rigors of a PhD program, is, in my eyes, a worthy candidate. So, I would hope you don't worry too much. I see a lot of worried hand-wringing on this site, and I just want to let it be known that the rest of us don't all have 4.00's and 170, 170, 6.00 GREs. We're all qualified and we're all willing and able. If it doesn't work out (for whatever reason) this year, there is always next year.

 

So...take a deep breath, be assured that you are both going to be fine as well as that you are not alone, and best of luck!

 

...and that is my rant.

 

Good luck everyone!

 

Well said.  

[Mnemonics2]

Thanks for the link and you are right. We are all in this together, whether people go to Harvard or University of Bob lol.

 

University of Bob...how did I not remember to reply to that hallowed institution?

[adaptations]

Well I am officially having a panic attack.

 

I applied to 9 PhD programs for American politics and included a spectrum across the top 25 programs. This is my first cycle.  I spent several weeks on my SOP and re-wrote it several times.  I looked at a lot of samples and took my time figuring out what things I wanted to include in it.  Going back and re-reading it after seeing your post, I think my SOP is pretty much what you describe it should look like for an MA program, with my study focuses definitely outlined more as two topics that I'd like to explore and why they interest me, as well as a short description of previous research I've done in those areas.

 

Am I completely screwed?  

 

I'm terrified of the possibility of straight rejections.  Not only for the obvious reasons such as, you know, fulfilling my dreams after having spent the last 2 years preparing for this.  I also hate my insipid job with a passion and am counting the days until I can put in notice, and to top things off, desperately need to move away to school this summer and make a fresh start in a new place after a recently failed marriage.  I would be completely and utterly crushed if I don't get accepted anywhere.

 

...

Quigley, don't despair. Although your SOP is a very important part of the application, there are many ways to write a good SOP. Even if you chose to write a more general statement that does not provide the same level of detail and direction as others, you may show enough potential (in the SOP and from other parts of the application) to be admitted. This process still has a long way to go, so try your best not to add to the stress by assuming the worst case outcome.

That said, as somebody who was rejected from every PhD program I applied to the first time, it is good to be aware that it can happen. I was in a somewhat similar professional situation at the time I first applied and really needed to be moving on. Even before hearing back from schools, I started searching and applying for other jobs. You may find that starting to work on a backup plan helps you feel like you're moving forward, and if the applications don't work out, having a new job to move to, or at least having made headway in searching for one, will allow you to take a step forward.

Lastly, it is worth noting for those that will inevitable experience the pain and disappointment of across the board rejections, it doesn't have to signal the end of your academic hopes/dreams. Having experienced that path, I can now reflect back on the experiences I had between then and now (I'm currently studying at one of the top institutions) and am certain that I would not be as good of a scholar or as confident about my desire to be in academia if I hadn't been forced to take the longer road and fight harder to get where I am today.

Best of luck!

[PhDhopeful2013]

Well I am officially having a panic attack.

 

I applied to 9 PhD programs for American politics and included a spectrum across the top 25 programs. This is my first cycle.  I spent several weeks on my SOP and re-wrote it several times.  I looked at a lot of samples and took my time figuring out what things I wanted to include in it.  Going back and re-reading it after seeing your post, I think my SOP is pretty much what you describe it should look like for an MA program, with my study focuses definitely outlined more as two topics that I'd like to explore and why they interest me, as well as a short description of previous research I've done in those areas.

 

Am I completely screwed?  

 

I'm terrified of the possibility of straight rejections.  Not only for the obvious reasons such as, you know, fulfilling my dreams after having spent the last 2 years preparing for this.  I also hate my insipid job with a passion and am counting the days until I can put in notice, and to top things off, desperately need to move away to school this summer and make a fresh start in a new place after a recently failed marriage.  I would be completely and utterly crushed if I don't get accepted anywhere.

 

For what it's worth, the rest of my application includes a 3.8 from a respectable liberal arts school, 165V / 162Q / 5.5, strong statistical research paper for my writing sample that was my senior thesis, and (I assume) strong letters from profs that I knew very well.  But if my SOP is garbage, none of this probably matters.

 

To echo what adaptations said - don't despair!!  it souds like you have a great background and stats, so I'm sure your SOP is good.  And worst case, you apply again next year with a whole new arsenal of experience.  I too was rejected across the board a few years ago and lived to tell!  hopefully I will have better results this time, but I definitely feel much more prepared to enter a PhD program now.  Despite how crappy it felt to get rejected, I did take comfort in the fact that going through multiple application cycles is actually very common; plus my application is stronger this time around because I learned where my weaknesses were.  If you are really worried, in addition to applying for jobs, you could apply for a few stand alone MA programs.  Some actually do offer funding, so it's better to apply now when funding decisions are being made rather than waiting until after all of the phd decisions are final and MA funding (if any) has been allocated.  Good luck to you!!

[zzzzzz]

Well I am officially having a panic attack.

 

I applied to 9 PhD programs for American politics and included a spectrum across the top 25 programs. This is my first cycle.  I spent several weeks on my SOP and re-wrote it several times.  I looked at a lot of samples and took my time figuring out what things I wanted to include in it.  Going back and re-reading it after seeing your post, I think my SOP is pretty much what you describe it should look like for an MA program, with my study focuses definitely outlined more as two topics that I'd like to explore and why they interest me, as well as a short description of previous research I've done in those areas.

 

Am I completely screwed?  

 

I'm terrified of the possibility of straight rejections.  Not only for the obvious reasons such as, you know, fulfilling my dreams after having spent the last 2 years preparing for this.  I also hate my insipid job with a passion and am counting the days until I can put in notice, and to top things off, desperately need to move away to school this summer and make a fresh start in a new place after a recently failed marriage.  I would be completely and utterly crushed if I don't get accepted anywhere.

 

For what it's worth, the rest of my application includes a 3.8 from a respectable liberal arts school, 165V / 162Q / 5.5, strong statistical research paper for my writing sample that was my senior thesis, and (I assume) strong letters from profs that I knew very well.  But if my SOP is garbage, none of this probably matters.

To quote a professor I spoke to at a well-respected program: "SOPs help us understand the applicant, but are nowhere near as important as applicants seem to think they are. *Students just obsess because that's the only part of the package they can really control when it's time to apply.*"

I understand the anxiety, but an SOP which is a little different shouldn't destroy your chances. Trust yourself.

[Quigley]

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone.  This is all helpful, especially the feedback on creating a contingency plan that will help me to feel in control of my life.

 

I have a feeling that time is going to slow to a crawl during the next 2-4 weeks.  My heartrate already spikes every time I hear the e-mail alert on my phone and I know that the absolute earliest I should expect to hear anything is the end of the week after next.

[PDCU]

I got an email from UCLA graduate advisor. I almost had a heart attack. "Your application has been marked complete" ... way to troll UCLA...

[Tupamaros]

I got an email from UCLA graduate advisor. I almost had a heart attack. "Your application has been marked complete" ... way to troll UCLA...

 

Got one from Stanford a while back, was too soon to be anything other than something like the email you received, so luckily no heart in mouth moment.