Will serving in the military help my application to top Poli Sci Phd programs?

[Tsunami2000]

Say a candidate has a good GPA and GRE and has good research experience, would the fact that the candidate has served previously in the military, especially if it's an elite unit such as the Navy Seals or US Army Special Forces, help his application to graduate programs in Political Science, especially the top programs such as Harvard and Stanford?

[ARealDowner]

I'm merely a fellow applicant, so take what I say with a grain of salt. From what I've gathered on here and elsewhere about the admissions process, I think that anything outside of academics (the aforementioned GPA, GRE, research, throw in letters of rec from professors), while it may help you slightly, will have only a marginal effect on the outcome. That said, ceteris paribus I think coming from a military background (especially special forces of some type) would both make you a more interesting candidate as well as send strong signals about your discipline and work ethic. So while I don't think that's going to get your app thrown in the accept pile at an elite school if it wouldn't be there otherwise, if it's coming down to you and a similar applicant without it, I think it would give you the boost over that person. Just my two cents worth.

Edited December 27, 2014 by ARealDowner

[NWFreeheel11]

Say a candidate has a good GPA and GRE and has good research experience, would the fact that the candidate has served previously in the military, especially if it's an elite unit such as the Navy Seals or US Army Special Forces, help his application to graduate programs in Political Science, especially the top programs such as Harvard and Stanford?

 

Research experience and publication above all else will help you get in. If you were thinking of Public Policy or MBA, then military would DEFINITELY help, but PhD are all about research and Navy SEALs don't conduct research. 

 

I agree with ARealDowner, it would make you interesting if it came down to a tie in every academic way between you and another candidate, but it wouldn't help until that last decision. 

[AmericanQuant]

Is the military going to be paying for your tuition?  If you come with your own funding, that's a HUGE help.

[alphazeta]

No, it won't.  Experience in, say, intelligence would generally be a (smallish) point in your favor, but experience in special forces won't be.  Admissions committees are looking for one thing only: your ability to conduct research in political science.  Real world experience that involved, in a fairly direct way, the analysis of political phenomena helps (e.g., working in the foreign service, as an intelligence analyst, as a political reporter, or on a Congressional staff), but other experience is generally treated as irrelevant.  While service in special forces certainly indicates that you're determined, hard-working, etc., special forces soldiers are neither selected nor trained as political analysts, so admissions committees will ignore it.

 

Edit: Although, as above, if the military is paying your tuition that's an enormous plus.  When someone else pays your tuition, the bar for admission changes dramatically.  It's no longer a question of whether or not you're one of the best applicants and simply a question of whether or not you seem promising enough that you're reasonably likely to be able to write and defend an adequate dissertation.

Edited January 5, 2015 by alphazeta

[Tsunami2000]

So how does one show an ability to do research in Political Science? Is it adequate to minor in government and get good grades and write a few papers? Also does it make a difference if one has a graduate degree? For ex. there are many Masters of International Relations programs out there at JHU or University of Denver for ex. Does a degree from one of these schools make you more competitive? Or is just a simple undergraduate major or minor adequate?

[meteora]

The quality of your writing sample will indicate your research ability. If you can submit a good writing sample (and SOP), you do not have to have a MA in Political Science. 

[Tsunami2000]

The quality of your writing sample will indicate your research ability. If you can submit a good writing sample (and SOP), you do not have to have a MA in Political Science. 

Well but most people learn to write a good writing sample in college. That's why I'm asking in order to be competitive is it better to pursue a Bachelor's or Master's degree.

[letsgo2015]

Well but most people learn to write a good writing sample in college. That's why I'm asking in order to be competitive is it better to pursue a Bachelor's or Master's degree.

Another fellow applicant here so take my advice with a grain of salt.  From my understanding, a master's can definitely help, especially if your undergraduate performance was less than stellar; however, I know there are others on here that have gotten into phd programs without a master's, so it is not absolutely necessary.  I wonder what percentage of students possess master's when they enroll?  I'm currently completing a second master's, but I know that is not the norm.  Ultimately, I think it all depends on how well you performed as a undergraduate and how much promise you would show as a prospective graduate student.  I think that by already having a master's you can help allay some of those fears.  Of course, picking up a master's isn't exactly cheap.  Therefore, if you feel you will be a competitive candidate with only a undergraduate degree (strong LORs, test scores, GPA, research experience, etc) then you might as well give it a shot.  If that doesn't work out, pick up a master's and try again.  

[AmericanQuant]

Another fellow applicant here so take my advice with a grain of salt.  From my understanding, a master's can definitely help, especially if your undergraduate performance was less than stellar; however, I know there are others on here that have gotten into phd programs without a master's, so it is not absolutely necessary.  I wonder what percentage of students possess master's when they enroll?  I'm currently completing a second master's, but I know that is not the norm.  Ultimately, I think it all depends on how well you performed as a undergraduate and how much promise you would show as a prospective graduate student.  I think that by already having a master's you can help allay some of those fears.  Of course, picking up a master's isn't exactly cheap.  Therefore, if you feel you will be a competitive candidate with only a undergraduate degree (strong LORs, test scores, GPA, research experience, etc) then you might as well give it a shot.  If that doesn't work out, pick up a master's and try again.  

 

About a third of the people in my cohort at a top-6 program have master's degrees. They all got them because they were unsure of what they wanted to do and either got a professionally-oriented master's degree or one that fit with an interest they had. I don't think any were to enhance their application for a PhD program, though it's possible.