Profile Evaluation/Suggestions?

[krapp]

Hi everyone -

I'm a former lurker, turned first time poster by the growing stress of the search and application process looking for advice on my chances and ideas for possible safe-er schools to look at (aka, schools where I might actually stand a chance of getting accepted). I'll start with my profile, then a bit on where I'm looking currently and what I'm hoping to do. Any feedback/advice/suggestions would be immensely appreciated!

 

Undergrad: Small Unknown LAC (~100th, USNWR Regional Universities rankings)

Major: BA History (minors: Music, Sports Coaching) [My undergrad didn't offer poli sci/IR as a major - I took the 4 available poli sci courses]

Undergrad GPA: 3.6/4.0

Graduate School: Large European Research University (~175th Times Higher Ed rankings, poli sci department ~75th globally)

Graduate Program: MSc Human Rights (in the Politics/IR Department, but the program includes classes from the Law School)

Graduate GPA: 3.7/4.0 [1st Honors, GPA is pending my thesis grade, which I'll have in a few weeks]

GRE: 162V, 153Q, 5.5W [Planning to retake in early November and hopefully improve the quant section, since I know it's pretty rubbish right now]

Letters of Recommendation: One from my MSc supervisor and course director, one from an undergrad professor (I took 6 classes with him and he recommended me highly for my masters program), one from the teacher I TA'ed for. 

Research: Undergraduate thesis (optional - my school didn't actually require a thesis so I created an independent study module for it), Masters thesis

Publication: 1 peer-reviewed publication [very small journal. I have an article I'm working on now that I'm hoping to have at least in review before finalizing my applications]

Presentations: Two during my last year of undergrad - a state poli sci conference and an undergrad poli sci conference

Teaching: 1 year as a TA/Tutor for an introductory poli sci module

Other/Misc: Assistant Editor for a student law publication; remote internship (research heavy) with the US State Department; Peer Reviewer (was invited to become one post-publication). Also, not sure if it will matter, but I took five years to complete my undergrad (athletic reasons).

Programs I'm Looking At: Columbia, Cornell, Ohio State, Georgetown, George Washington, American U., Boston Univ., Northwestern Univ.

 

Besides that I have plenty of useless work experience (administrative/office assistant sorts of jobs). I know there are a few glaring weak spots on my application - unknown undergraduate school with no research output/culture, unremarkable GPA/GRE numbers, etc...

 

Basically, any advice on what I can do to strenghen/polish my application in the coming months or ideas on what level of school I should be looking at? I'm primarily interested in IR - specifically humanitarian intervention/R2P, the use of force, and international criminal law/courts. 

 

Thanks for your time, help, and input!

[resDQ]

GRE score and stellar SOP. I also recommend decreasing the amount you reveal about yourself on here. 

[changeisgood]

On 9/13/2016 at 9:41 PM, resDQ said:

GRE score and stellar SOP. I also recommend decreasing the amount you reveal about yourself on here. 

I'm kinda curious as to why you would say that.

[resDQ]

40 minutes ago, changeisgood said:

I'm kinda curious as to why you would say that.

 

Because it is the internet? idk. Do as you wish.