Thinking of applying to PhD programs this fall for Pol Econ - for what programs am i competitive?

[inforitnow]

Hey, so I want to study comparative political economy, political ideology and political psychology. I'm not sure I want to do it unless I can get into a top 25 school.

 

I'm about to finish the first year of a two year MPA program right now with a 3.72 GPA. It's a top 10 school. My GRE scores are 164/160/5.5. I have no prior research experience. My undergrad gpa was 3.43 (3.67 last two years) with majors in political science and economics. 

Should I bother applying?

Also, I don't see much attention on this board going to the University of Washington. I live in Washington and around here it has a strong reputation. What do you think of it?

Thanks in advance.

[cooperstreet]

For PhD programs we generally don't care about the reputation of the university, we care about the reputation of the department. University of Washington is a top 30 department. I don't know how they place and I am only familiar with one scholar's work in IR.

[victorydance]

There is a lot more to Ph.D. admissions than GPA and GRE.

[slacktivist]

Washington's funding situation is horrible. If you have outside funding or help from your family, then it's doable.

 

When I applied to PhD programs out of undergrad, one of my letter writers was a UW PhD and he recommended against applying, even though my research fit well with the department.