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Posted (edited)

Hi everyone!

I am a relatively new member but have been following your crucial insights on profile evaluations for two months. I wanted to post my own profile for your consideration :) I am a prospective applicant for Ph.D. programs in Political Science (Comparative Politics is prioritized) for the Fall 2017 application season. Please have a look at my profile:

Undergrad Institution: Bilkent University (Among the best 3 universities in Turkey)

Major: International Relations

Minor: History (I don't really think it will help so much)

GPA: (3.50/4.00, WES)

Grad Institution: Lund University (Among the top-100 in the world)

Degree: Political Science

GPA: (3.50/4.00, WES)

GRE: Will be taken next month. According to the practice tests, I am somewhere around V/155-158, Q/160+, AW/4.0/5.5

IELTS: OK (I only looked for the colleges accepting IELTS)

Letter of Recommendation: One from an undergraduate institution, one from a graduate institution, one from an academic network (research center focusing on the ME)

Master Thesis: Comparing Turkey's and Israel's Security Culture (in the Ph.D., I wanted to expand it)

Research/related experience: I have been an editor of the Lund University's foreign policy magazine more than a year, published 5 op-eds; and a research associate at the online research center located at Royal Holloway University, UK.

Research Interests: Peace and Conflict, Security Studies, COIN strategies, Ontological Security, Israeli Studies, Turkish Studies.

Peer-Reviewed Publications: One paper from a journal, published in the Wiley Online Library (highly connected to my Ph.D. agenda). One paper from a journal published by Turkish War College. One paper will be published by British Society for Middle Eastern Studies soon. 

Grants and scholarships: During my undergrad and grad, I was awarded two different merit-based scholarships. In addition to that, I was lucky enough to get three various grants (30000$+) in total.

Given these, I am planning to apply some colleges (UIC, Pittsburgh, Brandeis, Syracuse, ASU, UC Santa Cruz, FIU). I have sent several e-mails to professors in these universities if they would like to work with me. Two from each (UIC, Pittsburgh, Brandeis and Syracuse) seemed very positive about my project and offered to be my supervisor. Do I stand a chance to be accepted by one of these institutions?

Any insight is welcome.

Thank you so much!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Pacem Eter
typo
Posted (edited)

You have a good file, although if you can get your verbal above 160, that would be better. That being said, you really should shoot for higher ranked schools. You can apply to those you mentioned as sort of "safety schools" (some say there is no such thing as safety schools in graduate admissions, but I disagree), but you should really consider adding at least 3-4 top-20 schools and a few more top-40/50 schools. I think you definitely are competitive for higher ranked schools and would be doing yourself a disservice if you don't apply to at least some. 

Edited by PizzaCat93
Posted

Hi PizzaCat93,

Thank your for your message and encouragements :) As you mentioned, reaching 160 and even plus at the verbal section would be great. I will reconsider my choices and narrow my scope in terms of school selection. Again, I felt very much obliged to you.

Kind regards

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