The positives thread

[chocolate_blanche]

@ surprisecake

Its great to see someone else and also international applying to Yale FES this season.

If I may ask, were you successful at establishing contact at Yale FES? And do you know how much that will factor in the final admission decision at this place?

Thanks a lot!! Good luck to you (and to me!!)!

[Lizzla]

3.91 GPA, 4.0 in sociology

I was recognized by my department as the "Outstanding Graduating Senior" in my cohort.

Good GRE scores: 730 Q, 800 V (in keeping with the spirit of this thread, we're not going to talk about the AW )

AW notwithstanding, I'm VERY proud of my writing sample.

I had a second major in French and a minor in international studies--maybe someone on an adcomm has a grant pending in a francophone country?

By the time I start grad school, I'll have 15 months' experience as a research assistant at a federally funded research center, and 7 months' experience working on a longitudinal study, under well-known professors.

3 strong letters of recommendation--two written by alumni of a program that I'm applying to, one by the director of graduate studies at my UG institution

I wrote an independent honors thesis (a Marxist analysis of French family policy between the World Wars and during Occupation)

When I was studying abroad in France, I gave a guest presentation in French about American politics to an English class at a local high school (this was at the beginning of the 2008 primary season)..applying to grad school is mildly frightening, but there is NOTHING as terrifying as the prospect of teaching two dozen 16-year-olds in a foreign language!

I agree with an earlier poster--this is good practice for interviews. It's so hard to talk yourself up, even when you know you're supposed to! It feels impolite. Anyway, fingers crossed!

[katemiddleton]

Hey guys! Wow, I'm crazy impressed by how amazing all of these stats are. I know that all of you will succeed in whatever you do!

I'm definitely shaky in the confidence department right now, so here's hoping this helps.

-3.92 GPA at #1 public university (summa cum laude, pbk)

-GRE 800v 700q 6 AWA

-national debate champion

-published my research in 1 journal, presented at 2 conferences, won every research award offered at my university

-translator/researcher at major institution

-working knowledge of 6 languages

-LOR writers: 2 superstars, one very well respected elder statesman. For superstar #1, he is alumnus of the first choice school, and he told me he wrote me one of the best letters of his career. for superstar #2, possibly the most famous scholar in the world in my sub-field, I forced the school to re-open the academic program of which he is the chair, which the school had closed. for elder statesman, I've done graduate work with him, and he is my research advisor, and I've had straight A's in all undergraduate, graduate, and research coursework with him.

-I have a compelling 'interfaith' story which I wrote in my SOI's

cons

-no study abroad experience (looks good for my field) but will have it by this summer

-least known of my 6 languages is the language for this field, only have 2 years, 3 by the time I start the program hopefully

-very bad (2.9) gpa at my first school. then transferred to community college, did very well, and then straight A's in top public uni

-I only really did 'fit' research at my top 4 schools, the other 4 were more 'meh'

-My LORs all have the same very minor (but unprofessional) typo that it is too late to change

Wish me luck!

Edited January 10, 2011 by georgetownhopeful