Chance of Being Admitted to Top Program with Peer-Reviewed Journal Publication yet Low GPA and Average Score

[cocadisney]

I am a Chinese student who plan to apply to top programs in political theory in U.S this fall.

 

Currently my master thesis (which mean I am the sole author) has been officially accepted by a peer-reviewed journal of the University of Chicago Press. It wont be published during the application but I know which issue it will be in (first issue next year and I have signed the publication agreement) and write this in the statement. The Editorial Board of the journal also has several prominent faculty members from places I am applying to. I am also applying to the place where the chief editor who decided to accept my essay for publication serves as a senior faculty member. The article itself is also related to political theory (about John Rawls, to be specifically) and I am using it as the WS. Besides this forthcoming peer-reviewed journal publication, I also have one publication in an official student academic journal of Princeton and am now serving as the translator one of Princeton's current faculty member's book and one of Hannah Arendt's books for their forthcoming publication in China. So I guess I have a pretty impressive experiences, especially for a foreign student and hence decide to apply for top programs in political theory in the U.S. All places I am applying to have a "faculty match" with me and I make it clear in my statement.

 

The only thing I worry is that I have a pretty average GRE score, V157, Q166. My GPA during my undergraduate years was low, 2.91 but I have received A or A- for all my courses in master years (Otherwise the quality of my master thesis will not be publishable, right?). 

 

The thing I worry is that those top places, due to the large number of applicants, may not take a look at my whole file, but just the GRE or transcripts (if they also pay attention to master degree's transcripts, that is also fine for me).I am looking forward to hearing from you regarding my chances of being admitted in top programs in theory in the U.S.

[cooperstreet]

has been officially accepted by a peer-reviewed journal of the University of Chicago Press

 

is it a good journal? in your field? do people read it? care about it?

 

People generally don't care about student run journals. 

 

but everything helps esp. if it shows you can do the work.

 

Everyone has a chance, but from what I understand it is VERY difficult to get into a top program in the US from china if you have no education in the states. Be sure to apply to the MA programs of these departments if it doesn't cost you extra.

[cocadisney]

has been officially accepted by a peer-reviewed journal of the University of Chicago Press

 

is it a good journal? in your field? do people read it? care about it?

 

People generally don't care about student run journals. 

 

but everything helps esp. if it shows you can do the work.

 

Everyone has a chance, but from what I understand it is VERY difficult to get into a top program in the US from china if you have no education in the states. Be sure to apply to the MA programs of these departments if it doesn't cost you extra.

It is in my field and is not a student journal. Besides, for the student journal thing, I have also mentioned I got a publication in an official student journal from Princeton and I also have one finalist experience in an essay context held by Carneige Council for Ethics in International Affairs (The winner is a PhD from Stanford and a Phd from Oxford, both of whom I could not compete with).

 

I am not sure whether people read it because it is d a pretty new journal, started in 2012. However, I do think it is trying to make it prominent as it contains senior professors (those who have the tenure position and have been teaching there for around 20 years  from several top programs on the Editorial Board. And for truly ensuring people know about this journal, I am also applying to the place where the journal's editor serves a senior faculty (probably even chair of the department). The acceptance process is like other peer-reviewed journal where you have to do revisions in order to suit the demand of three or four reviewers and I have gone through one major and one minor revision for this one. In fact, it is going to publish 4 issues next year compared with 2 issues per year during the previous three years.

 

The only thing I worry is that they will not read my SOP based on GRE or undergraduate GPA (Actaully my master is a political science major which got good grades while my undergraduate is not  related to political science at all. Which degree will they pay more attention in that case?). If they read my SOP, I will say I have a chance of being admitted considering I have those research experiences, some of which perfectly fit the deparment's dedications in several institutions I am applying to.