Welcome to the 2015-2016 Cycle!

[kaneross]

Has anyone got acceptance email from Harvard -- I'm just curious, what kind of applications make to Harvard...

 

[yasir8959]

  On 2/6/2016 at 8:07 PM, kaneross said:

Has anyone got acceptance email from Harvard -- I'm just curious, what kind of applications make to Harvard...

 

Expand  

Hey you know the answer!!! Mike Ross kind of applications, what were you expecting?

[kaneross]

  On 2/6/2016 at 8:08 PM, yasir8959 said:

Hey you know the answer!!! Mike Ross kind of applications, what were you expecting?

Expand  

Just wondering what brilliant minds win scholarships there -- I never could have applied there, out of shiver that there will be severe competition. So just thinking what kind of achievements are considered there.

[Sbrail2]

I got into UNT! Still waiting on responses from 6 other school. Fingers are crossed!

[yasir8959]

  On 2/6/2016 at 8:53 PM, Sbrail2 said:

I got into UNT! Still waiting on responses from 6 other school. Fingers are crossed!

Expand  

Congrats. Funded to be decided or confirmed with admission?

[Sbrail2]

  On 2/6/2016 at 8:59 PM, yasir8959 said:

Congrats. Funded to be decided or confirmed with admission?

Expand  

To be decided within the next two weeks. I was actually really surprised how quickly I got word back as the deadline wasn't even three weeks ago.

[VMcJ]

  On 2/6/2016 at 8:12 PM, kaneross said:

Just wondering what brilliant minds win scholarships there -- I never could have applied there, out of shiver that there will be severe competition. So just thinking what kind of achievements are considered there.

Expand  

I applied there with the sole intent of testing that theory. Imagine my wonder if that is proven to be a myth!

[Senioritis]

  On 2/6/2016 at 12:00 PM, yhorange91 said:

I received the phone call from Professor Christian Grose, who is the director of Political Science & International Relations (POIR) Ph.D. program at USC!

Expand  

Awesome! He's really great. I'm finishing my undergrad there right now and I've worked really closely with him for the last three years and taken a couple of graduate courses, so if you have any questions about the program from someone outside of POIR but familiar with it I'd be so happy to share! It's really a great place. (I just decided not to do grad and undergrad at the same school) Prof Grose in particular really really cares about his students and will do everything to help you succeed, so huge congratulations to you!!  

[kaneross]

  On 2/6/2016 at 9:47 PM, ViniciusMJ said:

I applied there with the sole intent of testing that theory. Imagine my wonder if that is proven to be a myth!

Expand  

Or may be you are a brilliant mind if you get acceptance there.

[yasir8959]

  On 2/6/2016 at 9:47 PM, ViniciusMJ said:

I applied there with the sole intent of testing that theory. Imagine my wonder if that is proven to be a myth!

Expand  

Yeah boyyyyy!!!!! Way to go, thats the spirit!! Now that you say it, i realize the truth of something i read a long time ago:

Nothing is more defeating that constant dampening of one's own inner initiatives. (Carol Shields in Stone Diaries) 

When mongols started rolling down the hills on their horses, bare footed and bare headed, i dont think they knew they'd trample half the known world under their feet! 

[VMcJ]

  On 2/7/2016 at 5:16 AM, kaneross said:

Or may be you are a brilliant mind if you get acceptance there.

Expand  

Let's say I am. I certainly do not think that right now. My application is not perfect (and maybe I will need to try again next cycle) and I fear for every aspect of it. With that in mind, I would never find out that, for some reason, Harvard thought of me as a potentially brilliant mind. You need a leap of faith. Of course, faith guarantees nothing, but without believing you can upset the odds you never will.

  On 2/7/2016 at 6:52 AM, yasir8959 said:

Yeah boyyyyy!!!!! Way to go, thats the spirit!! Now that you say it, i realize the truth of something i read a long time ago:

Nothing is more defeating that constant dampening of one's own inner initiatives. (Carol Shields in Stone Diaries) 

When mongols started rolling down the hills on their horses, bare footed and bare headed, i dont think they knew they'd trample half the known world under their feet! 

Expand  

I hope I feel like Kublai Khan at the end of this cycle, learning from Marco Polo about Invisible Cities and having conquered China. Or Yale, whatever.

Edited February 7, 2016 by ViniciusMJ

[aspiringivyleaguer]

Hi!

Please help me!

Does anyone know what a SPS Interview is?

Thank you and good luck with your applications!

[kaneross]

  On 2/7/2016 at 6:52 AM, yasir8959 said:

Yeah boyyyyy!!!!! Way to go, thats the spirit!! Now that you say it, i realize the truth of something i read a long time ago:

Nothing is more defeating that constant dampening of one's own inner initiatives. (Carol Shields in Stone Diaries) 

When mongols started rolling down the hills on their horses, bare footed and bare headed, i dont think they knew they'd trample half the known world under their feet! 

Expand  

 

  On 2/7/2016 at 12:38 PM, ViniciusMJ said:

Let's say I am. I certainly do not think that right now. My application is not perfect (and maybe I will need to try again next cycle) and I fear for every aspect of it. With that in mind, I would never find out that, for some reason, Harvard thought of me as a potentially brilliant mind. You need a leap of faith. Of course, faith guarantees nothing, but without believing you can upset the odds you never will.

I hope I feel like Kublai Khan at the end of this cycle, learning from Marco Polo about Invisible Cities and having conquered China. Or Yale, whatever.

Expand  

Yeah. faith is more powerful than realism, I have to agree with you both.

[yasir8959]

  On 2/7/2016 at 12:57 PM, aspiringivyleaguer said:

Hi!

Please help me!

Does anyone know what a SPS Interview is?

Thank you and good luck with your applications!

Expand  

Never heard of it. Where did u came across it?

[yasir8959]

  On 2/7/2016 at 12:57 PM, aspiringivyleaguer said:

Hi!

Please help me!

Does anyone know what a SPS Interview is?

Thank you and good luck with your applications!

Expand  

Looked up and down google but couldnt find it. All it can mean is specialty & program specific interview. 

[kaneross]

  On 2/7/2016 at 12:57 PM, aspiringivyleaguer said:

Hi!

Please help me!

Does anyone know what a SPS Interview is?

Thank you and good luck with your applications!

Expand  

As per my information, SPS- Interviews in academia known as ''School of Post Graduate Studies'' Interviews. But please confirm this from various sources before you actually trust this information.

[yasir8959]

  On 2/7/2016 at 1:45 PM, kaneross said:

As per my information, SPS- Interviews in academia known as ''School of Post Graduate Studies'' Interviews. But please confirm this from various sources before you actually trust this information.

Expand  

This explanation seems more plausible. 

[aspiringivyleaguer]

Thanks for your quick responses!

I found it at my application checklist at Brown. It was added a couple of days ago as a separate line (unit) at the bottom of the checklist. It is titled as "SPS Interview Status" and has three sub-units: Interview Status, Interview Scheduled Date and Interview Completed Date but no further information is displayed in my page. Moreover, they have not contacted me yet. If they wanted to interview me, wouldn't they contact me in order to arrange the date?

 

[yasir8959]

  On 2/7/2016 at 2:30 PM, aspiringivyleaguer said:

Thanks for your quick responses!

I found it at my application checklist at Brown. It was added a couple of days ago as a separate line (unit) at the bottom of the checklist. It is titled as "SPS Interview Status" and has three sub-units: Interview Status, Interview Scheduled Date and Interview Completed Date but no further information is displayed in my page. Moreover, they have not contacted me yet. If they wanted to interview me, wouldn't they contact me in order to arrange the date?

 

Expand  

Yeah, its the same interview with POI regarding your research motivation and preparedness for it. They eventually will. May be doing it in batches and your number is yet to come. Good Luck with it. 

[aspiringivyleaguer]

  On 2/7/2016 at 2:51 PM, yasir8959 said:

Yeah, its the same interview with POI regarding your research motivation and preparedness for it. They eventually will. May be doing it in batches and your number is yet to come. Good Luck with it. 

Expand  

So, if I get it right it means that the professor I mentioned in my statement of purpose is going to contact me and ask me about my future research plans and my academic preparation for it. Is that correct? How are those interviews typically conducted? Via skype? How do you think I should prepare for it? Any advice I should follow? Do you think this interview is going to be decisive in terms of admission/rejecetion? 

Thank you very much for your time and advice. 

[yasir8959]

  On 2/7/2016 at 4:07 PM, aspiringivyleaguer said:

So, if I get it right it means that the professor I mentioned in my statement of purpose is going to contact me and ask me about my future research plans and my academic preparation for it. Is that correct? How are those interviews typically conducted? Via skype? How do you think I should prepare for it? Any advice I should follow? Do you think this interview is going to be decisive in terms of admission/rejecetion? 

Thank you very much for your time and advice. 

Expand  

Skype or face-time. Read well into your statement and area of research interest, Research conducted by POI, academic background like quant preparation or awareness of research methods and methodology. If you come across question you are not so sure about, start with as i have mention in my SoP or writing sample, it usually works well coz they dont remember it. And be general and tell stuff in broad brush strokes so that you dont end up being too narrow for your POI to the point of alienating him. Usually very strong candidates are  interviewed and success rate in interview is very high. But some people manage to shoot themselves in foot. Like me. By oversleeping and being late for it like forty minutes. 

[aspiringivyleaguer]

  On 2/7/2016 at 4:18 PM, yasir8959 said:

Skype or face-time. Read well into your statement and area of research interest, Research conducted by POI, academic background like quant preparation or awareness of research methods and methodology. If you come across question you are not so sure about, start with as i have mention in my SoP or writing sample, it usually works well coz they dont remember it. And be general and tell stuff in broad brush strokes so that you dont end up being too narrow for your POI to the point of alienating him. Usually very strong candidates are  interviewed and success rate in interview is very high. But some people manage to shoot themselves in foot. Like me. By oversleeping and being late for it like forty minutes. 

Expand  

Yasir, thank you so much!! I will follow your advice! Don't let that little distraction take you away from your goals! After all, it was just an interview for one school. You have other great schools that are waiting for you. I wish you the best!!

[Syas]

HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS

“Hope” is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I’ve heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest sea,
Yet never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me."

- Emily Dickinson

Source: http://www.poemhunter.com/poems/hope/page-1/46140/

I am hoping for some acceptances this week for all.

[VMcJ]

True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings;
Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings.

[elw]

You call it hope — that fire of fire!
It is but agony of desire.