Welcome to the 2013-2014 Cycle

[TheGnome]

Well, from what I hear from current students and my professors, Berkeley's problem is that they often only give out funding for one year, and then you have to recompete. At UCSD, funding for internationals is problematic, but, I hear, if you get funding, you're in and have funding for the full 5 years (usually).

Anyway, now it's too late, but in addition to funding, UCSD is also a much better fit in terms of research interests, methodology etc. for me than Berkeley.

 

Are you a conflict person then? If so, I heard Powell does not take students anymore at Berkeley. So if he was the reason why you considered applying to Berkeley, you are probably better off keeping that application fee in your pocket. 

 

Also I thought UCSD did not provide funding to internationals at all! I am positive this was the case last year. Did they change their funding policies?

[TakeMyCoffeeBlack]

 

When I wake up : Feeling pretty confident. "I have a kick-ass SoP with research questions that will make the adcoms think. It will help me stick out from the pack. They will realize that I love research and can work independently. I will get in somewhere."

 

After reading gradcafe and realizing what awesome applicants there are:  "I'll be lucky if I get ANY acceptances. I don't have a BA/MA in Math, Statistics, or Economics. I just re-read the SOP I submitted - What was I thinking when I wrote that?!?"

 

 

 

I hear this. I've actually been wondering whether, if something doesn't come through for next year, I should consider doing a Masters in Econ. That's definitely the great dark spot in my app (both in the form of my Q score and past training). But I did alright last year (one acceptance no funding, one wait list, both top forty), and I've come a long way since then (the only thing that isn't changing at least a little is my GRE score)...so hopefully something?

 

And some of the applicants here (you included!) are just really outstanding. I did some SOP exchanges, and it makes me feel...incompetent at times. I have to keep reminding myself that where I *might* stand out in such a great crowd are my somewhat different, off the beaten path interests (well, more like parallel to the beaten path). 

 

I wish I could just not think about any of this until the end of January. It's just not realistic. Especially with my gf bugging me about figuring out where we're going to live next year (she'll be done with her master's and I'll be back in the States).

[catchermiscount]

It only gets worse when you get to grad school.  You look at the people that got admitted and you're like HOLY CRAP WHO WAS ON THE SEARCH COMMITTEE MY YEAR AND WHY HAVEN'T THEY BEEN FIRED?!?!?!

[ajaxp91]

It only gets worse when you get to grad school.  You look at the people that got admitted and you're like HOLY CRAP WHO WAS ON THE SEARCH COMMITTEE MY YEAR AND WHY HAVEN'T THEY BEEN FIRED?!?!?!

 

I know you meant this as a negative...but embarrassingly, it's giving me hope. 

 

 

When I wake up : Feeling pretty confident. "I have a kick-ass SoP with research questions that will make the adcoms think. It will help me stick out from the pack. They will realize that I love research and can work independently. I will get in somewhere."

 

After reading gradcafe and realizing what awesome applicants there are:  "I'll be lucky if I get ANY acceptances. I don't have a BA/MA in Math, Statistics, or Economics. I just re-read the SOP I submitted - What was I thinking when I wrote that?!?"

 

 

 

If it makes you feel any better, know that coming from the Economics field affords me absolutely no confidence in this situation.   

And I've been doing the exact same thing with my SOP. It improves with each go, albeit with diminishing returns. But it does bother me because then I worry about the quality of what I've already submitted. Who knows, eventually it may devolve into a crayon scrawled note saying "admit me, thanks."

[TheGnome]

I think coach was indulging in some good old self-deprecating humor

[jazzrap]

Are you a conflict person then? If so, I heard Powell does not take students anymore at Berkeley. So if he was the reason why you considered applying to Berkeley, you are probably better off keeping that application fee in your pocket. 

 

Also I thought UCSD did not provide funding to internationals at all! I am positive this was the case last year. Did they change their funding policies?

There is no such a thing as "not at all". IMHO, maybe one or two of the 35 students they admit could be international students. Of course, these international students would be superbly spectacular. 

[jazzrap]

I hear this. I've actually been wondering whether, if something doesn't come through for next year, I should consider doing a Masters in Econ. That's definitely the great dark spot in my app (both in the form of my Q score and past training). But I did alright last year (one acceptance no funding, one wait list, both top forty), and I've come a long way since then (the only thing that isn't changing at least a little is my GRE score)...so hopefully something?

 

And some of the applicants here (you included!) are just really outstanding. I did some SOP exchanges, and it makes me feel...incompetent at times. I have to keep reminding myself that where I *might* stand out in such a great crowd are my somewhat different, off the beaten path interests (well, more like parallel to the beaten path). 

 

I wish I could just not think about any of this until the end of January. It's just not realistic. Especially with my gf bugging me about figuring out where we're going to live next year (she'll be done with her master's and I'll be back in the States).

Ok I am going to respond something irrelevant. But I am just so depressed that I had two typos in my last paragraph to UCLA. Missing two apostrophes. The errors look obvious. 

If I was gonna say I love Coffee's research, it now reads "I love Coffees research". Two errors like that. UCLA has the methods I want to employ and the substance I want to study. But these two errors look a little too obvious. It is worse than grammar mistakes, or spelling.

[Penelope Higgins]

I'm on the admissions committee in my department yet again this year. I can assure you that nobody cares about that sort of thing even if we do notice. We've admitted people addressing cover letters to the wrong school. Actually we've hired a job candidate who did that in recent memory as well. Quality of work wins out.

[jazzrap]

I'm on the admissions committee in my department yet again this year. I can assure you that nobody cares about that sort of thing even if we do notice. We've admitted people addressing cover letters to the wrong school. Actually we've hired a job candidate who did that in recent memory as well. Quality of work wins out.

Hi Professor,

 

Thanks so much for the response. I feel relieved now. Thank you! 

[TorrentOfArdentPathos]

 

When I wake up : Feeling pretty confident. "I have a kick-ass SoP with research questions that will make the adcoms think. It will help me stick out from the pack. They will realize that I love research and can work independently. I will get in somewhere."

 

After reading gradcafe and realizing what awesome applicants there are:  "I'll be lucky if I get ANY acceptances. I don't have a BA/MA in Math, Statistics, or Economics. I just re-read the SOP I submitted - What was I thinking when I wrote that?!?"

 

 

 

I oscillate between those two extremes in fractions of a second.  

[steedyue]

Some people are saying they are applying UCSD...more pressure brought on my shoulder honestly.

I am a current IRPS master student, and i happen to know something about the funding in PolSci department.

UCSD started to grant international students with 5-year funding package since last year, and it looks like ~22,000 USD per year while at the same time you must serve as TA.

[TheGnome]

[TakeMyCoffeeBlack]

Ok I am going to respond something irrelevant. But I am just so depressed that I had two typos in my last paragraph to UCLA. Missing two apostrophes. The errors look obvious. 

If I was gonna say I love Coffee's research, it now reads "I love Coffees research". Two errors like that. UCLA has the methods I want to employ and the substance I want to study. But these two errors look a little too obvious. It is worse than grammar mistakes, or spelling.

 

Something like that is really minor. Even my best published (now emeritus) professor has frequent typos. Yet, he's published several times with Oxford, gets flown down to the state capital every time there's a constitutional crisis, etc. The point is that it's obvious he knows where the apostrophe should be, and if it's missing every now and then, oh well. His work is still superior to a lot of others.

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that if UCLA decides that you're a good fit for them and match their ideal candidate profile, they're not going to knock you off the list because of typos. But that's just my two cents.

[TakeMyCoffeeBlack]

It only gets worse when you get to grad school.  You look at the people that got admitted and you're like HOLY CRAP WHO WAS ON THE SEARCH COMMITTEE MY YEAR AND WHY HAVEN'T THEY BEEN FIRED?!?!?!

 

I'm anticipating this haha. But even right now, I'm taking master's seminars at a top German Uni, and I fluctuate between two thoughts: 1.) Holy crap, these people really know what they're talking about, I feel so inferior and 2.) Well... maybe they know this particular content better than I do, but I'm able to synthesize the information just as well (if not better) than they are.

 

And I guess that's one of the purposes of grad school, no? I mean, you would be able to offer insight into that. Ideally, the new grad students will have considerable knowledge and past experience, but what's more important (I think?) is that they have what it takes to handle the work and learn everything necessary to become the best researchers they can. 

 

At least that's what I'm hoping. I'm sure I'll go through periods where I'll feel completely incapable (should I be lucky enough to begin a program next year).

[jazzrap]

Some people are saying they are applying UCSD...more pressure brought on my shoulder honestly.

I am a current IRPS master student, and i happen to know something about the funding in PolSci department.

UCSD started to grant international students with 5-year funding package since last year, and it looks like ~22,000 USD per year while at the same time you must serve as TA.

This is encouraging. Thanks, Yue! I heard they are admitting fewer people (in general), though. Is this true? 

[jazzrap]

I'm anticipating this haha. But even right now, I'm taking master's seminars at a top German Uni, and I fluctuate between two thoughts: 1.) Holy crap, these people really know what they're talking about, I feel so inferior and 2.) Well... maybe they know this particular content better than I do, but I'm able to synthesize the information just as well (if not better) than they are.

 

And I guess that's one of the purposes of grad school, no? I mean, you would be able to offer insight into that. Ideally, the new grad students will have considerable knowledge and past experience, but what's more important (I think?) is that they have what it takes to handle the work and learn everything necessary to become the best researchers they can. 

 

At least that's what I'm hoping. I'm sure I'll go through periods where I'll feel completely incapable (should I be lucky enough to begin a program next year).

I agree with you. 

[steedyue]

This is encouraging. Thanks, Yue! I heard they are admitting fewer people (in general), though. Is this true? 

That is true. and UCSD is not friendly to international students.

[zudei]

That is true. and UCSD is not friendly to international students.

 

I got the same impression...

[Poli92]

Well... maybe they know this particular content better than I do, but I'm able to synthesize the information just as well (if not better) than they are.

 

Bingo! I feel like so much of the anxiety about not knowing enough about X simply comes from being around highly specialized individuals with disparate research interests. It's not that you couldn't figure X out, you're just more interested in Y. 

[TakeMyCoffeeBlack]

Bingo! I feel like so much of the anxiety about not knowing enough about X simply comes from being around highly specialized individuals with disparate research interests. It's not that you couldn't figure X out, you're just more interested in Y. 

 

Which, surprisingly, I got to demonstrate today when our discussions headed into US/EU relations and China/EU relations (and normative power, economic partnership, etc.). It felt good to be able to contribute substantive information to the debate.

 

Well folks, I submitted application #9. Now I can't even distract myself from waiting by still having more work to do...

[astreaux]

 

When I wake up : Feeling pretty confident. "I have a kick-ass SoP with research questions that will make the adcoms think. It will help me stick out from the pack. They will realize that I love research and can work independently. I will get in somewhere."

 

After reading gradcafe and realizing what awesome applicants there are:  "I'll be lucky if I get ANY acceptances. I don't have a BA/MA in Math, Statistics, or Economics. I just re-read the SOP I submitted - What was I thinking when I wrote that?!?"

 

 

 

Oh, bless your heart. I vacillate between glorious fantasy interludes in which I have to sort through multiple acceptances, and maudlin fits of despair in which I have to tell everyone I know that I didn't get in anywhere.

 

Fourteen applications. It's like buying fourteen Powerball tickets. The odds are better, but they're still frightening close to zero.

[TheGnome]

I think this can be read as with whom you (have spoken + wish to study) = with whom you have spoken + with whom you wish to study

 

So It seems fine to me

[silver_lining]

I think this can be read as with whom you (have spoken + wish to study) = with whom you have spoken + with whom you wish to study

 

So It seems fine to me

Damn. I think you are right. My 8th app. It is beginning to get to me. 

[TheGnome]

I feel you. Though I am so behind on getting the apps done - and that UCSD thing did not help one bit...

[TakeMyCoffeeBlack]

Damn. I think you are right. My 8th app. It is beginning to get to me. 

 

Breathe, brotha! (or sista?)