ridgey Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Just thought we might like a general thread as we apply and wait...and wait and wait. Introductions, rumors about various programs, etc. I'm only applying to two poli sci programs; the remainder are public health/public policy. UPenn and Indiana, on the basis of particular faculty who do incredibly interesting stuff. Not the uber-competitive tier, thankfully. But then, political science is pretty popular and I have an unconventional background. Where are other people applying? How confident are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Certain_Entropy Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Hi, I'm applying this cycle as well. Applying for phd programs and am interested in South Asian politics. Uh the list huge at this point, 11 schools spanning the top 30 and brown. I'm a huge nervous wreck at this point, my gre scores were abysmal and I need to retake but the rest of application is solid. So yeah i guess the madness begins with the first set of deadlines approaching in like two days. where are people from geographically? Originally I'm from india, but my undergrad is in ny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readeatsleep Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 hi! i study political theory/philosophy, particularly, the history of political thought (esp. rousseau and hegel), models of democracy and deliberation, and critical theory. im applying to chicago, yale, harvard, princeton, duke, northwestern, and johns hopkins. i am finishing an m.a. in philosophy now at a school in NY. im from arizona originally, and did my b.a. in connecticut. im confident in my stats (3.83 undergrad with 4.0 major gpa, 4.0 grad gpa, phi beta kappa, high honors, thesis prize) and have recs from well known professors, but my gre scores are nothing special (710V, 680Q)) and i feel a bit hampered coming from a philosophy program. im also a nervous wreck! finishing my SOP and writings sample now, and looking for a few 'safety' schools to apply to (advice welcome). good luck everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziz Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 I want to study political theory but although I became interested in my topic while doing a masters in political theory, I have been told by several professors that my interests would be better served in a philosophy department. Unfortunately philosophy departments are iffy (to put it mildly) about accepting non-philosophy majors and are insanely difficult to get into anyway. So I am hedging my bets and hoping someone somewhere will take me. Undergrad GPA - no idea, but my degree was a 'First' and/or A average Masters GPA - no idea but degree was 'distinction' which is as high as it goes GRE - 710V/720Q/5.5 hopefully an adequate Q score for theory Work experience, field research experience (in development, not theory though) and a paper under consideration for publication. I have to say that not having a standard US GPA makes it very difficult to judge where I stand and what my chances in various places are. I've seen some comparisons between the UK and US systems, but the highest the UK goes is 'First' and the US makes that equivalent to a 3.7, however since there's nothing higher than a First, are we all just assumed to have 3.7 and no one any higher? I'm sure the schools are used to it and I"m not worried about that, it just makes it hard for applicants to judge their own chances. Rant over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brouhaha Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 hello applying for international relations. hardly any work experience but I've lived abroad, speak Chinese, traveled all over Asia, and I'm president of Model UN. focusing on China, international relations theory, security, and maybe feminism/gender in IR. 3.68 overall GPA, 3.83 in my major. 700Q 620V. my list of schools is in my signature. there are some big reaches and some more reasonable places. hopefully at least one will take me in! good luck to everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziz Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I'm so glad that someone started this thread. I was anal retentive and read through the entirety of last year's thread (and I'm sure there are others willing to admit to that too!) and thought it was great. Good luck to all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polecon09 Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 hello! i've been following this site for long enough that i am overdue for a post. i'm applying for international relations to do IPE. as for stats: Undergrad: top public, 3.9 GPA Grad: public, ag & resource economics, 3.7 GPA GRE: 720Q, 680V, 5.0A (this year) and 740Q, 630V, 4.5A (four years ago) Teacher's Assistant experience 2 quarters Experience: economic consulting 1 submitted econ co-author publication, top journal i am nervously applying to: georgetown, uc san diego, uc berkeley, stanford, nyu, harvard, princeton, mit advice on more safeties welcome!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndigoeoMar Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Hi everyone, Thanks for starting this forum! Im applying to a total of 15 programs in comparative politics. It's the second time Im applying but Im not feeling any better.... I was doing fine until recently - I have a Masters from the LSE in comparative politics, worked in the UNHCR, the European Parliament, had 112 TOEFL iBT, 700Q and 680V - but then I got 3.5 in analytical writing. Not good! So, Im putting all my energy in improving SOP and writing sample and hoping my CV speaks for itself. My favourite choices are Berkeley, UT at Austin and Harvard, but Im also applying to smaller, lesser know programs as safety nets. Cant believe I'll hv to wait till feb/march to hear the answers..i'll probably go mad by then.. Good luck everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladedodaday Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Hey all! This is my second year applying to grad schools, but first year with PhD programs! I graduated this past year and am looking to study comparative politics (with a regional focus). My quant and verbal GREs are within the 700-760 range and I have a 5.0-5.5 on the writing. I graduated with a high 3.9 from a flagship public in a small state and my recommendations are solid, but from lesser known professors. I have a couple of other things going for me (study abroad/awards/some languages), but let's be honest, it's a bit of a crapshoot :-) Oh, and last year, I applied/was accepted to the MPhil in Politics at Oxford (the only school I applied to), but didn't attend because of finances. I'm probably applying to far too many programs (10-12ish), but seeing as most of them are top 20-25, I'm just hoping to get into one of them! And as a last word of encouragement to everyone, applications have actually been declining to PhD programs over the past 4-5 years or so. Many schools (like Duke, UCSD, Minnesota, UNC) keep public statistics on admissions, and the average number of applicants/GRE scores have been declining recently, so your chances are probably better than you think. Good luck to everyone and I'm glad to see this board getting a little bit of life. I definitely read through the entirety of last year's posts while preparing my applications! lev calderon and pangur-ban 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuddenlyParanoid Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 hi! im also a nervous wreck! finishing my SOP and writings sample now, and looking for a few 'safety' schools to apply to (advice welcome). good luck everyone! A good safety might be Notre Dame. They're top ten in political theory but 30-50 overall, so you should be able to get in, but the subfield is still very well respected. You might want to try UCLA but their funding isn't the best. Notre Dame is very Catholic unlike most "Catholic" universities which could be good or bad for you. I would say if you're gay, a committed feminist, a Protestant who thinks the Church is the Whore of Babylon, or a New Atheist, you probably should not go there. Otherwise, it's a great school! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuddenlyParanoid Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 I'm a current senior at a large public "Ivy." 3.7 overall, 3.97 poli sci. 730 Verbal, 790 Quant, 5.5 AW. I'm interested in American institutions and elections. Solid letters from well-known, full profs. I'm applying to: Michigan, Stanford, OSU, Harvard, WUSTL, Duke, Rochester, UCSD, Berkeley, UCLA, Yale, Columbia, Princeton. I don't really have a safety right, which is part of the reason I applied to so many. Maybe I should add one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natofone Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 I am applying to programs in comparative politics. My BA is from a no-name state school (ten years ago), but my MA is recent and in a related field from a top 10. Mediocre GPA on both accounts (around 3.5 - but, lots of econ and stats). My combined GRE is slightly over 1500. I have two writing samples: a purely theoretical one for mostly qualitative schools and a largely empirical (using regression) one for mostly quantitative schools. I think that my statement is pretty solid at this point and I'm happy with my selection of target schools. I'm re-applying from last year. In addition to the lackluster GPA, I didn't have a clear enough focus, had a fairly weak statement, and didn't pick schools with the best faculty match. I was also working 70+ hour weeks while applying, so I honestly didn't put in enough time. I have rectified these areas and feel very good about my chances this year. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladedodaday Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 A good safety might be Notre Dame. They're top ten in political theory but 30-50 overall, so you should be able to get in, but the subfield is still very well respected. You might want to try UCLA but their funding isn't the best. Notre Dame is very Catholic unlike most "Catholic" universities which could be good or bad for you. I would say if you're gay, a committed feminist, a Protestant who thinks the Church is the Whore of Babylon, or a New Atheist, you probably should not go there. Otherwise, it's a great school! I'd be careful about using Notre Dame as a safety. Their admissions are actually more competitive than some of the "top" schools (in terms of test scores). For example, their medians (700V, 720Q) are about 100 points higher for each one than UNC! Also, UNC (and others like UCSD) accept 25% of their applicants, while Notre Dame accepts less than 10%! Just saying :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natofone Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 FYI, UNC didn't take anywhere near 25% last year. From the results of last year's cycle: Since I know there are several on the board like myself that are awaiting decisions on this I thought I'd share my findings. After speaking with their admissions director today I learned the following: They offered 6 spots (about a month ago). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladedodaday Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 (edited) UNC actually accepted 16.4% last year (44 out of 268 applicants). they provide a great deal of data regarding admissions statistics on their website. Ah, I was looking at the wrong number (the number of enrolled students, silly me), but still, they let in more students/a higher percentage of applicants than Notre Dame. Also, their average gpa was 3.5 and gres were 606v 628q, which is hardly daunting, and a bit lower than Notre Dame. Ah, and at least I was right about UCSD (a top 10 school!), where 24% and 25% were accepted the past two years! So I guess the point remains: it is hard to call any school a safety, since they all seem to take very different things into account. Ah, but as I was looking those numbers over again, a strange thing popped out at me. At UNC, the average GPA/GREs of students who were denied admission is actually higher than those who got in. I guess I should have spent a little more time on that personal statement Edited December 3, 2009 by great joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natofone Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 (edited) I believe that those numbers include their terminal MA applicants. It wouldn't really make any sense otherwise. I just looked at the year prior and they accepted 79 of 242, so those numbers must include the terminal MA as well. For that year the average accepted and average applied GREs are much closer. I bet the 6 accepted to the PhD program is correct. I remember people calling the department and all hearing that they were accepting a tiny cohort last year because of the state's budget problems. Edited December 3, 2009 by natofone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladedodaday Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 I believe that those numbers include their terminal MA applicants. It wouldn't really make any sense otherwise. I just looked at the year prior and they accepted 79 of 242, so those numbers must include the terminal MA as well. For that year the average accepted and average applied GREs are much closer. I bet the 6 accepted to the PhD program is correct. I remember people calling the department and all hearing that they were accepting a tiny cohort last year because of the state's budget problems. Ah, that'd make a lot more sense. And it would also explain why they rejected so many applicants with high scores (because they applied to the PhD program), while letting in people with lower ones (masters applicants). Now if only there was a way to figure out how Duke's average GPA for accepted students was 3.4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordNorth Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 (edited) Hey everyone - I'm applying this cycle too. My subfield is IR and I'm applying to a fair spread of schools both in the US and my native UK. In terms of stats: I have a BA (First Class) and MA (Distinction) from two UK universities (I suppose you'd call them Top 10 in the UK, but not sure that will count much towards my US apps!). One year of that BA was spent on exchange to North America. GREs were 700 verbal, 600quant and 6.0 analytical writing. I expect that weak quant score to weigh me down quite a lot, but I can only hope it doesn't prove to be fatal. I should be able to count on 3 very strong LoRs, although I am having problems with one referee submitting them on time, and I was satisfied that I wrote a strong SoP/research proposal. I also have some relevant internships under my belt but my impression is that these will count for very little (if anything). This process has been draining - especially the parts such as LoRs where you are relying on other people; I'll be glad to see the decisions start rolling in... Applying: USC, UT-Austin, Georgetown, NSSR, UVA; Aberystwyth, Cambridge, LSE. I'll be extremely disappointed if I don't get in anywhere, as I'm absolutely convinced that this is what I want to do with my life. However I am preparing myself for the worst as this is an extremely competitive process; you aren't owed anything in this world! Good luck to everybody - it's going to be very interesting indeed to see how this all pans out. LN Edited December 4, 2009 by LordNorth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applying12010 Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 I am applying to the IR/ Comparative stream with a concentration on IR theory and East Asia. My schools are Columbia, MIT, Minnesota, Cornell, Duke, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Chicago. I will probably add Hopkins too for Blyth and Deudney! Undergrad: Political Science and Economics with highest honors, Swarthmore. Studied at Yale briefly. Grad: LSE, Political Economy Conferences and publications: one working manuscript with a professor, two conference presentations. Fellowships and scholarships: 4 from LSE, Swarthmore and Kyushu University (I studied in Japan for a summer) RA: 4 research positions with professors from Swarthmore, Yale and LSE. Letters: 4 letters from professors who know me quite well. GREs: screwed up - v: 710, q: 690. Got sick right before the exam. Will retake on Monday - will update score soon. SOP: a lot like a research proposal - focused on theories of transnational networks, the relationship between material and ideational forces in IR, and how inter-ethnic dynamics may affect intra-ethnic dynamics. Writing samples: one conference paper on democratization in ethnically heterogeneous countries, one paper on theories of international monetary cooperation, and one paper on optimal American strategies towards Iran and Islamic terrorist network. Will report results in February/ March. Good luck with the applications everyone! applying12010 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustChill Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 I think Notre Dame is more reputable than UNC for PoliSci. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natofone Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 I think Notre Dame is more reputable than UNC for PoliSci. The rankings suggest otherwise: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-political-science-schools/rankings http://lawandcourts.wordpress.com/2007/08/21/ranking-political-science-doctoral-programs-by-placement-lets-get-ready-to-ruuumble/ http://graduate-school.phds.org/rankings/political-science/rank?w7=5 (old) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brouhaha Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 insanity good grief way to make me feel insignificant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applying12010 Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 I am applying to the IR/ Comparative stream with a concentration on IR theory and East Asia. My schools are Columbia, MIT, Minnesota, Cornell, Duke, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Chicago. I will probably add Hopkins too for Blyth and Deudney! Undergrad: Political Science and Economics with highest honors, Swarthmore. Studied at Yale briefly. Grad: LSE, Political Economy Conferences and publications: one working manuscript with a professor, two conference presentations. Fellowships and scholarships: 4 from LSE, Swarthmore and Kyushu University (I studied in Japan for a summer) RA: 4 research positions with professors from Swarthmore, Yale and LSE. Letters: 4 letters from professors who know me quite well. GREs: screwed up - v: 710, q: 690. Got sick right before the exam. Will retake on Monday - will update score soon. SOP: a lot like a research proposal - focused on theories of transnational networks, the relationship between material and ideational forces in IR, and how inter-ethnic dynamics may affect intra-ethnic dynamics. Writing samples: one conference paper on democratization in ethnically heterogeneous countries, one paper on theories of international monetary cooperation, and one paper on optimal American strategies towards Iran and Islamic terrorist network. Will report results in February/ March. Good luck with the applications everyone! Couldn't figure out how to edit the post! updated scores v: 770, q: 750. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natofone Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Congrats on the score. In related (self) congratulatory news, I just finished all of my applications! Whoo hoo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poli90 Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Well, here's my stats. I think I have a shot, but who knows. Going for political theory with comparative as a subfield. BA Honours PoliSci from a well-regarded Canadian program 3.64 overall GPA, 3.94 major GPA (which discounts multiple A+'s) Several awards and scholarships. Wrote a well-received honours thesis. Worked as a research assistant. 800 V, 730 Q, 4.5 AWA Very strong references, two from well-known profs. SOP: Strong, have already had interest from potential supervisors. Writing sample: Excerpt from honours thesis. I'm applying to Northwestern, Chicago, UCLA, Princeton, Harvard, Columbia, Yale, WUSTL and Toronto (MA and PhD). If anyone wants to swap SOP's, PM me. How are Canadian BA's generally viewed at the major American programs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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