Fall 2010 Admission Results

[macintosh]

Does someone want to do me a HUGE favor and call Jennifer Evangelista at UCSD and ask if we can be sure we'll hear this week? I would do it but I called last week and have a pretty distinctive boomingly deep voice so am afraid it'll be recognized from last week. Doubt it but I'm paranoid and don't want to take any risks with that place. It's 858-534-7381.

Yes, can somebody call UCSD?

[CrimsonBlue]

Something's strange at Duke, because this describes me as well. And I'm Mearsheimer's Minion! Don't they know who they are messing with!?

Personal networks matter, too. For instance, whether Duke's committee members know your recommenders matters a bit. Plus, the "fit" is incredibly important regardless of how excellent you are...

[backstreets]

does anyone here know how indicative one admissions decision (i.e. duke) might be of other admissions decisions (i.e. columbia, yale, washu, texas)? it doesn't seem to be based on numbers, and i wasn't sure how worried i should be...

[CrimsonBlue]

On 2/8/2010 at 2:20 PM, backstreets said:

does anyone here know how indicative one admissions decision (i.e. duke) might be of other admissions decisions (i.e. columbia, yale, wash u, texas)? it doesn't seem to be based on numbers, and i wasn't sure how worried i should be...

No worries. I can testify against your myth. Also, as I said, it really depends on the fit and which faculty members are willing to take your research interests. I wouldn't stress out about it too much. For instance, people get into Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, etc but still get rejected from other top institutions like Chicago, WashU, etc.

[Yes]

That's definitely true...!

(Though I hope, of course, that my Stanford offer is a good sign.. )

[Yes]

Princeton receptionist said admit weekend would be March 21-23. Haven't gotten ahold of anyone at Harvard yet.

Any news from Harvard?

[Yes]

None here. We should probably be expecting news from them during the last week of February, based on years past and the email I got from Thom Wall.

I was actually referring to SuddenlyParanoid's attempt to find out when the Admit Weekend *would* happen....

But yes, I am mentally preparing for being terrified during the last week of Feb...

Remind me, what concentration did you apply for again?

[Keller65]

Disturbing post about Duke on the results page, maybe the ad coms. better lock their doors?

[Ziz]

Disturbing post about Duke on the results page, maybe the ad coms. better lock their doors?

Yes, I was going to say that I didn't apply to Duke but if I did and went there, I'd be quite relieved that that person did not get accepted!

[Tan]

Yes, I was going to say that I didn't apply to Duke but if I did and went there, I'd be quite relieved that that person did not get accepted!

Going 0-6 has to be brutal, however, so let's give the poster a break... though yea obviously very excessive.

Also, for all those who got rejected from Duke, it is very possible that the department is accepting a smaller cohort this year... The Philosophy Department, for instance, entirely closed its applications this year (as in they aren't accepting anyone), so perhaps there was a general effort to reduce the number of students...

Edited February 8, 2010 by Tan

[APGradApplicant]

So I'm guessing that barring some people who come home and open mail (which is usually bad news anyhow), we've probably crossed another day off the calendar. So to summarize- an exciting Michigan acceptance, and just a lot, a lot, a lot of rejections from Duke. Let's hope tomorrow is a little more positive! On my end, haven't heard anything one way or the other.

[Keller65]

So I'm guessing that barring some people who come home and open mail (which is usually bad news anyhow), we've probably crossed another day off the calendar. So to summarize- an exciting Michigan acceptance, and just a lot, a lot, a lot of rejections from Duke. Let's hope tomorrow is a little more positive! On my end, haven't heard anything one way or the other.

Not sure. Just after lunchtime here on the west coast.

[Yes]

I'm a Comparative Politics applicant, with particular interest in the institutional nuances of semi-authoritarian, post-communist regimes, an area in which Harvard is particularly strong. I'm cautiously, cautiously, cautiously, optimistic. When all is said and done, regardless of what happens, I will sleep well knowing that I have done absolutely everything I can to make this work.

What about you?

I'm an IR applicant; but most of the issues I am interested in are on the IR-Theory border - just war theory, international law, security norms, global justice... etc.

What makes you cautiously optimistic? Have you had some positive signs from the faculty?

[APGradApplicant]

Yeah, I'm on the west coast. I guess I was just thinking UCSD would more likely send stuff out in the earlier part of the day.

[Yes]

Yes. I emailed 4 professors and heard back from 3 of them. The primary faculty member I would be working with spoke with me on the phone for 35 minutes and said "I truly hope this works out." The other two said things like "you would have no problem finding faculty members who share your interests ... we form discussion groups about these issues all the time ... yours is, of course, a terrific topic ... the issue of multiple political parties in non-democratic regimes is really interesting (I said that that was my honors thesis topic); in our book we look at its impact in Russia, Moldova, Armenia, and Ukraine."

2 out of my 3 LORs did post-doc fellowships there and the prof I spoke with on the phone said that my undergrad institution has probably the best cohort of faculty members studying my issues of interest. he then proceeded to list my LORs as people I'd probably have worked with.

SO - if i don't get in, I don't know what the heck I could have done more.

Sounds great! I really hope things work out for you there!

I got some (tentative) positive signals too, so let's hope, sit, wish, wait and waste plenty of time on GradCafe... haha

[Mearsheimer's Minion]

Personal networks matter, too. For instance, whether Duke's committee members know your recommenders matters a bit. Plus, the "fit" is incredibly important regardless of how excellent you are...

The weird part is that my GPA and GRE scores were the weakest part of my application, or at least I felt that was the case up until two hours ago. Duke and I would have been a good fit.

[LordNorth]

I wish I had a result just so I could contribute to discussion! Although I am expecting to hear from Aberystwyth and (perhaps) UT-Austin this week...

[Yes]

Yes. I emailed 4 professors and heard back from 3 of them. The primary faculty member I would be working with spoke with me on the phone for 35 minutes and said "I truly hope this works out." The other two said things like "you would have no problem finding faculty members who share your interests ... we form discussion groups about these issues all the time ... yours is, of course, a terrific topic."

2 out of my 3 LORs did post-doc fellowships there and the prof I spoke with on the phone said that my undergrad institution has probably the best cohort of faculty members studying my issues of interest. he then proceeded to list my LORs as people I'd probably have worked with.

SO - if i don't get in, I don't know what the heck I could have done more. My fate is in the hands of the PhD admissions gods, now

Sent you a message

[backstreets]

ugh, just got my rejection letter from washu. seriously panicking (and confused).

[Tan]

ugh, just got my rejection letter from wash u. seriously panicking (and confused).

I'm sorry about your very rough day. This is clearly an insanely competitive year, and you still have many schools to go so don't lose faith!

Edited February 9, 2010 by Tan

[blumenrat]

My first post on here and unfortunately an unhappy one, but I thought might help for others to see how much of a terrible crapshoot the application process can be!

Just been rejected by the LSE. I'm an LSE graduate, having got not only a first class degree in July but also receiving university prizes for best results in second year, best overall degree results in the politics dept., and also the politics undergraduate dissertation prize as well as having LORs from the head of the politics dept. and from the Prof who heads the PhD course I applied to and yet I STILL get rejected! Honestly, what more can I do?!!

Also rejected by Stanford today (though that was more expected) so now feeling really rubbish!

Ah well, always next year I suppose...

Good luck to all.

Edited February 9, 2010 by blumenrat

[scpol]

I'm sorry about your very rough day. This is clearly an insanely competitive year, and you still have many schools to go so don't lose faith!

It certainly seems that way. I have strong GRE and GPA (and thought also SOP and recs) and was also rejected at WashU today. I can't complain too much since I've got a couple acceptances and have a lot more decisions waiting, but with the rejection at WashU and likely rejection at Northwestern and Emory, I'm a little nervous about the more highly ranked schools on my list.

[scpol]

scpol! you're another madison buddy! yay! are you seriously considering it? i definitely am, but of course i'm waiting on a few more decisions to come in. are you planning on going to the admit weekend?

OSU has it's admit weekend at the same time. My field is public law/judicial, so OSU and Wisconsin are both really strong. I'm definitely considering it, but I too am waiting for a few more decisions. It's kind of all up in the air! But I think we all are feeling that right now.

[DJ_CA]

It certainly seems that way. I have strong GRE and GPA (and thought also SOP and recs) and was also rejected at WashU today. I can't complain too much since I've got a couple acceptances and have a lot more decisions waiting, but with the rejection at WashU and likely rejection at Northwestern and Emory, I'm a little nervous about the more highly ranked schools on my list.

I guess I'm banking on you being in particular subfields, but in all likelihood, you have a very bright side to look at. (I'm guessing you're in AP based on where you applied...) WUStL, Northwestern, and Emory are all great universities, but for most polisci subfields, Madison and Ohio State are rated more highly than those places that aren't going to be lucky enough to count you in their next year's class. There's a good chance I'll be at Madison next year, and I'm pretty stoked about being at a top-10 for American Politics that's doing great research in my areas of specific interest. And I'll still be stoked, even if I go 0-fer for the "big" schools sending out letters in the coming weeks.

Anyway, my point is that you got into some great schools that are probably rated more highly than some of the ones that rejected you, so don't read too much into where you're going to get in based on decisions you already know. And for the time being, you can at least know that you've got some good options on the table, which makes a lot of folks around here envious. Hope to see you in Madison in April!

[mn06556]

Howdy everyone - I'll likely be attending the Madison visitation weekend as well.