UCD vs MAPSS(and try again)

[highelves]

Hi i’m trying to decide between a funded PhD offer from UC Davis and (half-funded)MAPSS at U Chicago.

This was my first cycle and got only one acceptance. Though I am enthusiastic about going to california and everything (really am thankful for this opportunity especially after all that rejections ..sigh) I’m just wonderig if it would be a crazy idea to choose the unpredictable route instead of taking the full funded offer.

I reckon the weakest part of my app was probably my writing sample...and Im sure i would be able to work on that part for the next cycle with my amended thesis. Also coming from a different field(econ and policy) i was wondering if taking more courses in polisci through MAPSS could improve my chances.

But then no oneknows if i will be able to get any promising offers next time i try.

Could anyone care to give me some advice on this??

Many thanks.

[eponine997]

Hi i’m trying to decide between a funded PhD offer from UC Davis and (half-funded)MAPSS at U Chicago.

This was my first cycle and got only one acceptance. Though I am enthusiastic about going to california and everything (really am thankful for this opportunity especially after all that rejections ..sigh) I’m just wonderig if it would be a crazy idea to choose the unpredictable route instead of taking the full funded offer.

I reckon the weakest part of my app was probably my writing sample...and Im sure i would be able to work on that part for the next cycle with my amended thesis. Also coming from a different field(econ and policy) i was wondering if taking more courses in polisci through MAPSS could improve my chances.

But then no oneknows if i will be able to get any promising offers next time i try.

Could anyone care to give me some advice on this??

Many thanks.

 

UC Davis is a good program, is it strong in your subfield? are there people you can work with within your field of interest?  

 

There are people (if you read the "welcome to the cycle" thread) that did infinitely better on their second cycles (typically after striking out the first time).  Sometimes this happened just by choosing more appropriate schools (read: fit) or by writing a more focused SoP.  

 

MAPSS, if I recall correctly, is only a 1 year program.  Which means you'll only have been there a very short time when you are asked to submit a writing sample, ask for letters, write a new SoP, etc. ...and you'll be balancing this with FT graduate coursework.  Alternatively, you could complete MAPSS, and reapply the following year, but then you have a year during which you will need to have a job/life etc that you won't mind abandoning after one year.  During that year your student loans (any you already have or any you take out to cover MAPSS which even at half tuition is still expensive, not to mention cost of living in Chicago) will not be deferred... this is something to consider.  

 

Also age, doing MAPSS and waiting two years for an acceptance to a better program might be fine when you are 22, but if you are 32, that means you'd be entering a PhD program at 34 and finishing at 39-40... and you might be fine with that scenario, others might not, personal choice only you can make.  

 

If you feel your research interests are clear, just taking more poli sci won't do much for you (econ and policy are both highly relevant).  There are many people who get accepted at top programs who were not poli sci undergrads.  If you are trying to completely shift gears (example: you studied econ and American public policy and now you want to study conflict in Africa) you will need to tell a story that makes sense for that interests in your SoP.  If you are unclear about what you want to study, MAPSS could help you define those interests.  Honestly, most people here seem to argue that taking math and stats is a better signal on application than extra poli sci - unless you are theory or area studies this is probably true.

Have a look at Davis's placements.  Could you be happy with the average placement in a given year?  With the worst placement?  

The risk you take with Chicago (I am just going to assume you are not independently wealthy, if you are you can ignore this) is that in addition to needing to cover the other half of tuition, you also have living expenses.  You will need to balance you school work against financial stress (whether that means working or loans) AND be a top performer academically.   Someone on here mentioned a horror story that a friend took the MA option in a situation basically identical to yours, fumbled academically (for whatever reason) and couldn't get in to the same caliber program upon completion of the MA.  Mostly it depends on your personal (financial) situation and your risk preferences (you seem to understand that MAPSS isn't necessarily a golden ticket to your top choice PhD program).  

 

Hope that helps, good luck!  

[ThisGuyRiteHere]

Give it a try. If you dont like it, jump ship with a free MA (if you already do not have one). I am assuming you do not because you are thinking about MAPSS.

[Cesare]

I agree with MarketMan. I have tons of student loans and this should be avoided if possible. If I were you, I would take the funded offer from UCD then transfer out if I really did not like it there. If you transfer out after your first year, you will have political science classes under your belt, which may or may not make you a more attractive candidate and you did not get into debt!

[highelves]

Thank you so much for your input guys!! It really helps. I think i’ll take the funded offer, commit myself and see how i fit into the programme.

Best wishes to you all!

[ThisGuyRiteHere]

Good...welcome to the phd student family