Welcome to the 2016-17 cycle!

[TheWalkingGrad]

I'm claiming a JHU acceptance! Got an informal email from a POI, but no info on funding or any specifics yet.

[magicdonhuang]

  On 2/18/2017 at 12:20 AM, TheWalkingGrad said:

I'm claiming a JHU acceptance! Got an informal email from a POI, but no info on funding or any specifics yet.

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That's awesome! Congratulations! You had prior contact with the professor who emailed you?

[The0ry]

  On 2/18/2017 at 12:20 AM, TheWalkingGrad said:

I'm claiming a JHU acceptance! Got an informal email from a POI, but no info on funding or any specifics yet.

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What's your subfield?

[TheWalkingGrad]

  On 2/18/2017 at 12:28 AM, magicdonhuang said:

That's awesome! Congratulations! You had prior contact with the professor who emailed you?

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Thanks!

I had no previous contact with anyone there, it was pretty out of the blue.

  On 2/18/2017 at 12:38 AM, The0ry said:

What's your subfield?

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To be completely honest, I'm not sure. I kinda changed it around depending on the application and I've been on mobile all day so I can't check, but if I had to guess it would be something like comparative/international relations.

[magicdonhuang]

  On 2/18/2017 at 12:43 AM, TheWalkingGrad said:

Thanks!

I had no previous contact with anyone there, it was pretty out of the blue.

To be completely honest, I'm not sure. I kinda changed it around depending on the application and I've been on mobile all day so I can't check, but if I had to guess it would be something like comparative/international relations.

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Thats....impressive. I admire your lack of try-hard 

[TheWalkingGrad]

  On 2/18/2017 at 1:25 AM, magicdonhuang said:

Thats....impressive. I admire your lack of try-hard 

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Lol I admit it was a last minute application in what was a very intense and tiring cycle. 

[Mike_Novick]

  On 2/17/2017 at 11:32 PM, AsymptoticallyUnbiased said:

In the last 24 hours I've received rejections from Stanford, Stanford GSB, and Michigan and no acceptance from Yale with credible claims in the thread.

Needless to say, my ego is well-bruised. Thank god it's the weekend.

Only waiting on Harvard now. Not feeling optimistic given recent rejections so I'm pretty much calling this cycle a wrap for me. Overall I hoped and expected I would do better this cycle but I have offers in hand that I'm happy with so it's hard to feel too down in the dumps.

Subfield: American Politics (Public Opinion)

Stats: 162Q/168V 4.5 AWA, 3.74 GPA (Poli Sci major, Stats minor), co-authored paper under review

Accepted: Berkeley (TBA), Chicago ($25k for 5 years)

Wait-listed: Princeton

Rejected: Stanford, Stanford GSB, Michigan, Yale

Pending: Harvard

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Today I've received formal rejections from MIT, Cornell and Stanford. Yale was probably my best fit, and it seems that I won't even be waitlisted there. So far, I'm all rejections this cycle: 10/10, with 5 more to go (Penn, Harvard, JHU, LSE and Oxford). As it seems obvious that my chances of being admitted at these schools are definitely slim, I'm wondering whether I'll apply to other programs (Blavatnik School at Oxford, Brazilian Studies at King's College, perhaps The New School).

[GradNYC]

Anyone here waiting for NYU and didn't ask to be consider for the MA?

 

[magicdonhuang]

  On 2/18/2017 at 2:18 AM, Mike_Novick said:

Today I've received formal rejections from MIT, Cornell and Stanford. Yale was probably my best fit, and it seems that I won't even be waitlisted there. So far, I'm all rejections this cycle: 10/10, with 5 more to go (Penn, Harvard, JHU, LSE and Oxford). As it seems obvious that my chances of being admitted at these schools are definitely slim, I'm wondering whether I'll apply to other programs (Blavatnik School at Oxford, Brazilian Studies at King's College, perhaps The New School).

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In the same boat. :/ Trying to keep my spirits up this weekend as I wait to hear back from JHU, University of Washington, UCSB, and UCI. UIUC hasn't sent a formal rejection yet but I've crossed them off in my mind. The only true rejection I've gotten is from UW-Madison but I'm so crushed by not hearing any good news that all seems lost. Looks like I'll be heading back to my directional state school for a masters.

[resDQ]

  On 2/18/2017 at 2:33 AM, GradNYC said:

Anyone here waiting for NYU and didn't ask to be consider for the MA?

 

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I have not received a formal rejection, but all acceptances are out. 

[Mnemonist Kenny]

  On 2/18/2017 at 3:53 AM, resDQ said:

 

I have not received a formal rejection, but all acceptances are out. 

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I have not received anything from NYU as well, online application is still shown 'under review'

[oakeshott]

Alright team: after this roller coaster of a week—and with my official Yale rejection en route—I am now only waiting for Harvard, which I know when to expect. 

With that in mind, I think it is best for my nerves (and for the general level of conversation in this thread ) for me to check out of GC for the rest of the cycle. I might pop in occasionally if I have any useful intel / results to share, but other than that I'll do my best to stay away.

I'll be forever grateful for the camaraderie, advice, and solidarity. And I sincerely hope everyone here ends up in a place where they feel happy and proud to be—whether that's in a PhD program or not. ¡Hasta la victoria siempre!  

[draft99]

Yale might not be done yet? After all, it seems like only comparativists have received admissions so far?  

[dih2]

  On 2/18/2017 at 11:07 AM, oakeshott said:

Alright team: after this roller coaster of a week—and with my official Yale rejection en route—I am now only waiting for Harvard, which I know when to expect. 

With that in mind, I think it is best for my nerves (and for the general level of conversation in this thread ) for me to check out of GC for the rest of the cycle. I might pop in occasionally if I have any useful intel / results to share, but other than that I'll do my best to stay away.

I'll be forever grateful for the camaraderie, advice, and solidarity. And I sincerely hope everyone here ends up in a place where they feel happy and proud to be—whether that's in a PhD program or not. ¡Hasta la victoria siempre!  

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You sure Yale is done?

[dih2]

  On 2/18/2017 at 11:52 AM, draft99 said:

Yale might not be done yet? After all, it seems like only comparativists have received admissions so far?  

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someone in IR did too

[draft99]

  On 2/18/2017 at 11:58 AM, dih2 said:

someone in IR did too

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who? all claims in this forum have been in CP

[dih2]

  On 2/18/2017 at 11:59 AM, draft99 said:

who? all claims in this forum have been in CP

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Someone posted an IR result--doubt it's a troll at this point 

[draft99]

seems like that person emailed his or her POI directly? it says "late response from POI"

[ugurcanevci]

  On 2/18/2017 at 2:37 AM, magicdonhuang said:

In the same boat. :/ Trying to keep my spirits up this weekend as I wait to hear back from JHU, University of Washington, UCSB, and UCI. UIUC hasn't sent a formal rejection yet but I've crossed them off in my mind. The only true rejection I've gotten is from UW-Madison but I'm so crushed by not hearing any good news that all seems lost. Looks like I'll be heading back to my directional state school for a masters.

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I am sorry to tell you these news but UCI is probably done. The visiting day is on March 3, and the last day to RSVP was February 15

[magicdonhuang]

  On 2/18/2017 at 2:59 PM, ugurcanevci said:

I am sorry to tell you these news but UCI is probably done. The visiting day is on March 3, and the last day to RSVP was February 15

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Yeah I'm resigned to that fact...

[StrengthandHonor]

Slightly off-topic question...

I applied to all of my programs as a theorist-- usually with either American or Constitutional Law/Development as my minor (though I did methods at a couple of schools). However, a couple of the programs I am looking at have relatively weak theory creds, but are very strong in American or methods (say, 10-15 spot gap  in the ranking). Is it weird or unusual to swap over and focus on American politics instead?

[GradNYC]

  On 2/18/2017 at 4:23 AM, Mnemonist Kenny said:

I have not received anything from NYU as well, online application is still shown 'under review'

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Yeah same here.. what field?  

[Mike_Novick]

A question to more experienced fellows here: is it worth to ask departments why they have rejected my application? I mean, I really would like to know what major flaws I'd need to handle if I ever apply again. In Stanford's case, they've explicitly mention that would not answer specific inquiries in this regard. But what about other programs? What strategies would you consider to be the most adequate to gather impressions about what needs to be improved? Thanks.

[VMcJ]

  On 2/18/2017 at 5:07 PM, Mike_Novick said:

A question to more experienced fellows here: is it worth to ask departments why they have rejected my application? I mean, I really would like to know what major flaws I'd need to handle if I ever apply again. In Stanford's case, they've explicitly mention that would not answer specific inquiries in this regard. But what about other programs? What strategies would you consider to be the most adequate to gather impressions about what needs to be improved? Thanks.

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I did not do that, and I regret it. I don't think most programs would answer, but if you don't try how can you know? Perhaps the Faculty Perspectives topic may be of help in that regard, although I don't remember seeing a question about that.

[resDQ]

  On 2/18/2017 at 5:07 PM, Mike_Novick said:

A question to more experienced fellows here: is it worth to ask departments why they have rejected my application? I mean, I really would like to know what major flaws I'd need to handle if I ever apply again. In Stanford's case, they've explicitly mention that would not answer specific inquiries in this regard. But what about other programs? What strategies would you consider to be the most adequate to gather impressions about what needs to be improved? Thanks.

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I don't think there is a single program (that I can think of) that would answer that question. Putting aside qualities of an applicant, there may be internal restraints. For example, maybe too many people accepted offers the previous year and they can only admit a limited number this year, maybe your main POI is not taking on new students, maybe the POI is leaving, etc.