Do my GPA and GRE scores disqualify me from a top school?

[OxfgrdMovement]

Hello,

 

Recently I've been considering getting either an MPA or an MA in Political Science. I graduated from Boston College in 2011, with a GPA of 3.78. So far, so good. My GREs, on the other hand, are less stellar, though I don't believe they're exactly terrible:

 

I got a 163 v, 156q and a 4.5v. According to the conversion chart, this gives me about a 650 verbal (ouch), a 720 quant (okay, I can live with that) and a...well, underwhelming writing score.* 

 

Basically, I don't know my scores are good, bad or middling. I know that there's only so much we can know about how any school determines a candidate is accepted, and I also know that admissions is generally holistic and weighs other factors considerably. I think I can muster some solid statements and even a good statement of purpose, but beyond this I don't have much to offer besides my academic & standardized testing record.

 

Anyway, any insight into this is welcome. 

 

*I was so nervous about my GREs that I didn't get a wink of sleep the night before. Seriously, I stayed up the entire night in a fretful delirium. Sometimes I like to tell myself that my score would have out of the ballpark if I was able to sleep!

[midnight]

It's really important to look at your GRE score percentiles. 163 on the verbal falls in the 91st percentile; it's not a low score, especially for a program outside of the humanities! Meanwhile, your quant falls in the 68th percentile.

 

Both of your scores are likely fine for most MPA programs, but you can check schools' websites to see if there are recommended ranges or other guidelines (e.g., UChicago's site provides a lot of great info and accepted applicant numbers). You can also check the results board here to get an idea of accepted applicant scores, but that's not an accurate representation per se.

 

MPA programs value experience above all else, so I think it's a good idea for you to focus on your CV and SOP; there's not much need to worry about your GRE scores, although if you feel you can score significantly higher on retake, there's obviously no harm in doing so.

[cunninlynguist]

More importantly, you need to decide which degree you'd like and why you need it. An MPA (or MPP) and MA in political science are entirely different. The MPA/MPP is a professional degree; the MA an academic one. As midnight streetlight mentioned, MPA programs will look for prior work experience demonstrated in your personal statement and resume.

 

Your numbers look sufficient for most good programs. If you decide to re-take, however, hitting 160+ Q would be a priority. No shame in admitting your first effort wasn't under ideal conditions. I did it after poorly planning my first one and was pretty satisfied.

[OxfgrdMovement]

I'm beginning to realize how different these programs are. Hell, an MPA seems much closer to a MBA and similar degrees than an MA or PhD. in Poli Sci. I guess I find myself torn between staying in academia or perhaps pursuing a career in public service. 

 

Does anyone know if its worthwhile for a person to pursue an MA in Poli Sci, by the way? I mean, if you're interested in Political Science academically why not pursue the full doctorate? Is there any advantage or utility to a Poli Sci MA?

 

EDIT: Also, perhaps this is futile question without more context, but does anyone have an idea of what Poli Sci programs I might be able to get into with my score/GPA? Top 50 programs, 30, 20? 

Edited February 26, 2013 by OxfgrdMovement

[spacezeppelin]

Hey, I just finished applying to MPP programs, so I totally feel you’re pain with stressing over all these things. However, I also think that saying "ouch" to a verbal score in the 91^st percentile is a bit silly and panicky. This is a long hard process, so its probably best to at least begin with a bit of perspective. If that is the worst thing you have going for you right now then you are a VERY fortunate human being.

 

If you think you can do better, by all means, go for it. My scores were quite similar to yours (a point lower in each category and a 5 on the AW), and I considered retaking the test. I ended up sticking with my scores and am very happy with how my application process has panned out thus far. I decided what was good enough for me, even though I’m sure others would have retaken them. Thats all you really can do. If those scores weren’t you’re best you should totally retake them. I don’t think your in dire straights or anything though. I’d maybe save my "ouch’s for maybe the 70^th percentile, lol.

[cunninlynguist]

I'm beginning to realize how different these programs are. Hell, an MPA seems much closer to a MBA and similar degrees than an MA or PhD. in Poli Sci. I guess I find myself torn between staying in academia or perhaps pursuing a career in public service. 

 

Does anyone know if its worthwhile for a person to pursue an MA in Poli Sci, by the way? I mean, if you're interested in Political Science academically why not pursue the full doctorate? Is there any advantage or utility to a Poli Sci MA?

 

EDIT: Also, perhaps this is futile question without more context, but does anyone have an idea of what Poli Sci programs I might be able to get into with my score/GPA? Top 50 programs, 30, 20? 

 

Re: the MA in political science instead of applying directly to PhD programs. An MA would be useful if:

 

1) You didn't have a lot of research opportunities in undergrad.

2) Your research interests aren't fully developed as of yet and the MA would allow you to better explore your subfield(s).

3) It wouldn't cost much money due to initial low cost or an excellent funding package.

4) A fair amount of credits could be transferred to a doctoral program, so that your MA coursework wouldn't be redundant when you start the PhD.

5) You're absolutely sure you want to continue in academia. The MPA is a known quantity -- a professional degree that will set you up to enter the workforce with a strong network and marketable skills. (Though if your career path isn't crystallized yet, the benefits may not be as great).

 

Given your GPA, you can go straight to doctoral admissions if you feel so compelled and articulate a clear direction in your personal statement. Sometimes applicants apply to MA programs to mitigate a mediocre undergrad record -- you have no such problem. For MA admissions, your GRE wouldn't be a deal-breaker, but for competitive PhD programs, a re-take would be wise.

[OxfgrdMovement]

 I don’t think your in dire straights or anything though. I’d maybe save my "ouch’s for maybe the 70^th percentile, lol.

 

Thank you for the kind words and reassurance. I'm debating retaking my GREs....standardized testing ranks only slightly above "torture by North Korean secret police" in my grand list of undesirable experiences. 

 

Re: the MA in political science instead of applying directly to PhD programs. An MA would be useful if:

 

1) You didn't have a lot of research opportunities in undergrad.

2) Your research interests aren't fully developed as of yet and the MA would allow you to better explore your subfield(s).

3) It wouldn't cost much money due to initial low cost or an excellent funding package.

4) A fair amount of credits could be transferred to a doctoral program, so that your MA coursework wouldn't be redundant when you start the PhD.

5) You're absolutely sure you want to continue in academia. The MPA is a known quantity -- a professional degree that will set you up to enter the workforce with a strong network and marketable skills. (Though if your career path isn't crystallized yet, the benefits may not be as great).

 

Given your GPA, you can go straight to doctoral admissions if you feel so compelled and articulate a clear direction in your personal statement. Sometimes applicants apply to MA programs to mitigate a mediocre undergrad record -- you have no such problem. For MA admissions, your GRE wouldn't be a deal-breaker, but for competitive PhD programs, a re-take would be wise.

 

Thank you for that run-down, very informative. As you said, the chief appeal of an MA in Poli Sci is my desire to compensate for a lack of research (or a thesis) as an undergraduate. Given that I'd probably like to study Political Theory, however, I wonder if I'd be doing much 'research' at either the MA or the PhD level anyway! 

 

If I decided on an MPP/MPA, I think I'd have to accumulate more policy-oriented experience to be a competitive candidate. So far I've done a little bit of desk/office work at a health-care focused legal practice, but not much else. Maybe I need to join a campaign, or try to get entry-level work with a think tank?