PoliSci 2007-2008 Cycle

[obsessing]

from what posts by supposed students in the program right now have suggested, columbia is still finalizing decisions this week and will contact accepted folks next week. it might be the epitome of randomness...700 applicants, 50-60 of which get accepted. while i bet most of the applicants aren't really qualified, but applied because columbia is their dream school, i suspect about 100 applicants are absolutely stellar and would unquestionably get in if not for the limited number of spots.

Who knows whether this is true or not....I guess we will all keep our collective fingers crossed and hope for the best as soon as possible! good luck to all!

[slickj07]

yeah, i'd imagine columbia probably has more like at least 200 people who really deserve to get in

at least

[ShamPain]

i was expecting more news today. it's been pretty quiet, from what i can tell.

to UNC admits: have you gotten details of your offers yet? they told me in the e-mail i got that they would be sending that info in "several weeks," but that was 3 weeks ago and I still haven't gotten the specifics.

[Purgatory]

Out of all the top tier theory schools, I had the highest hopes of getting accepted into WUSTL because there is a lot of faculty there that match my interests. On top of that my department has hired three of their PHDs in recent years (one whom I have worked very closely with), so it is something of a shock to get rejected there. Guess I was obnoxious too about my own chances . 

[mox]

UCriverside and UMass-Amherst

The people who have heard from them do you know if all decisions have been made? I applied to both and havent heard anything yet, hoping it isnt a bad sign =(

[PhDme]

to UNC admits: have you gotten details of your offers yet? they told me in the e-mail i got that they would be sending that info in "several weeks," but that was 3 weeks ago and I still haven't gotten the specifics.

I am still waiting for further info from them as well. As far as I understand, they are deciding whether to give us more money . Email Carsey and he will give you the most up-to-date specs.

[ShamPain]

well, they can take as much time as they want if they end up sweetening the pot.

perhaps they are waiting to see how many folks accept, and therefore how many people they have to support?

anyway, no big deal. i was just curious.

[silencio1982]

Purgatory said:

 

Out of all the top tier theory schools, I had the highest hopes of getting accepted into WUSTL because there is a lot of faculty there that match my interests. On top of that my department has hired three of their PHDs in recent years (one whom I have worked very closely with), so it is something of a shock to get rejected there. Guess I was obnoxious too about my own chances.

hey there, are you just assuming you didn't get in because you haven't heard yet? none of us who post regularly here have heard anything... that i know of... not that i am expecting to get into WUSTL. but are you assuming they notified all of their acceptances already?

[polisciapp]

There is one school that I am pretty sure I won't get into, despite it being the best program for my interests. What does everyone think of this:

Dear X:

Thank you for considering my application for admission. Unfortunately, this year I submitted applications to other schools, and the silence from X has presented serious emotional and psychological challenges. I was impressed with your faculty and program; however, I am unable to wait any longer and am withdrawing my application. Please remit my application fee and my dignity to the following address:

2468 Whoo Doweeappreicate

Tired, State 00001

I appreciate X's efforts to overcharge me for my application, blithely review it, and dismiss it without alacrity. I wish you the best of luck.

Sincerely,

Y

Director of Application Coordination and Emotional Response

[futureprof]

Dear X:

Thank you for considering my application for admission. Unfortunately, this year I submitted applications to other schools, and the silence from X has presented serious emotional and psychological challenges. I was impressed with your faculty and program; however, I am unable to wait any longer and am withdrawing my application. Please remit my application fee and my dignity to the following address:

2468 Whoo Doweeappreicate

Tired, State 00001

I appreciate X's efforts to overcharge me for my application, blithely review it, and dismiss it without alacrity. I wish you the best of luck.

Sincerely,

Y

Director of Application Coordination and Emotional Response

Hahaha. Mind if I lift this and send it to one of my programs? Very nice

[lenin333]

You know who is paying for my admissions application fees? GW Bush and our stinking tax rebate! Yahoo! Mortgage that future, baby!

[slickj07]

so i guess no email from wustl today means thanks, but no thanks

also, i don't think the verdict's out on chicago yet. it still seems only one person has posted their acceptance (real or not).

[JordanJames]

UCriverside and UMass-Amherst

The people who have heard from them do you know if all decisions have been made? I applied to both and havent heard anything yet, hoping it isnt a bad sign =(

I would assume that UC - Riverside hasn't made all decisions yet. The email I got was on a different day then the other poster's. I think that the applications of some of the people who haven't been notified yet are in the hands of the grad div, some may be awaiting funding decisions, and some may be on hold for a second round of decisions.

I can't help with UMass, but good luck.

[Quarex]

You know, if I get rejected from any of those schools with the like $100 application fees, they had BETTER at least send me a letter. I am going to frame my beautiful $100 pieces of paper. I have surely paid more for less valuable things in my life (how much did I spend on that Magic: the Gathering card at Gen-Con '97 again? $75?).

that was all "rainbows and cupcakes" for me. With the hope of dancing on the rainbows and (at the same time) devouring numerous cupcakes taken away from me, I feel a little barren.

Understandably so. When it seems like everything finally makes sense, and you found the school that is perfect for you, and are ready to just only send in one application with the knowledge that everything will work out ... and then ... that.

My girlfriend and I both had great meetings last summer with the faculty of our respective departments at one school, spending hours on end talking business and personal with equal aplomb. We decided that was our five-star university, that we would be perfectly happy going there together, and that at least if everything else failed we knew that was a sure bet for our future.

We finished applying there at the end of November. By the second week of December, she received their rejection letter.

Now, I can talk at great length about what is wrong with my own academic background, and why I might not get accepted to many programs, but she is a full-ride-scholarships-galore-near-4.0-GPA-achieve-achieve-achieve-and-years-of-relevant-work-experience kind of applicant. And she still got shot down three months before the application deadline even passed. We still have no idea what the hell happened there, as they are pretty mum about the process. Once she started getting excited invitations to audition left and right in January, things definitely started picking up. You just have to remember that as long as there is one more application out there, everything could well work out great. Even the most incredibly qualified candidates might get randomly ignored for something that you could never anticipate ahead of time ... and even someone thinking their application is a stretch might perfectly fit a niche he/she does not even realize he/she fills!

[Purgatory]

hey Silencio,

I called the grad admin at WUSTL yesterday, and she said they've finished sending out most of their acceptances. She then went to check the status of my application and it was a reject. She wanted to comfort me over the phone by telling me they had more than 220 applicants and accepted only 22 people... I was too discouraged to talk to her over the phone.

[Canadianpolsci]

slickj07 said:

so i guess no email from wustl today means thanks, but no thanks

also, i don't think the verdict's out on chicago yet. it still seems only one person has posted their acceptance (real or not).

Is it safe to assume if I did not get an email from WUSTL that is a rejection? Or could they be sending out more acceptances next week?

[hoopz]

ammar said:

 

there has only been one person from UMass--so I would assume that things are still happening... or has anyone else gotten in there?

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

You know who is paying for my admissions application fees? GW Bush and our stinking tax rebate! Yahoo! Mortgage that future, baby!

Pfff... the tax rebate will end up covering about half of what I actually spent. And if you still file taxes as a dependent, I don't know if you get anything at all.

But apparently it used to be MUCH more expensive than it is now, because they used to actually have to hire extra people to deal with the paperwork. But now that so much of the system is automated, it really costs them nothing to review an additional application, so now the fees are pretty much just there for revenue. So far only Vanderbilt seems to have realized this and removed the application fee altogether.

[AllFiredUp]

Does one person keep bashing Columbia/praising Michigan on the results page?

[iulixa]

Does one person keep bashing Columbia/praising Michigan on the results page?

I think that's a conversation! Two guys that have nothing better to do.. And one of them is being sarcastic..

[PhDme]

Since today has been a slow day, I thought of asking a question that might be of interest to many of us. Why did you choose to apply for PhD in PolSci? Is it because you want to become a professor and/or be in the academia or is it something else (e.g. jobs outside the academia). I am particularly interested in hearing from those who have been working for a while and now find themselves wanting to go back to school and pursue a degree in Politics. I, for example, wouldn't necessary want to work in the academia, so how well do you think PhD in PolSci prepares you for other non-research jobs?

Thanks.

[JordanJames]

Since today has been a slow day, I thought of asking a question that might be of interest to many of us. Why did you choose to apply for PhD in PolSci? Is it because you want to become a professor and/or be in the academia or is it something else (e.g. jobs outside the academia). I am particularly interested in hearing from those who have been working for a while and now find themselves wanting to go back to school and pursue a degree in Politics. I, for example, wouldn't necessary want to work in the academia, so how well do you think PhD in PolSci prepares you for other non-research jobs?

Thanks.

Because I'm brilliant and the world will be lost without my ideas being published in journals with circulations less than the average high school newsletter. Obviously, I'm kidding. After talking to some of my professors and others, I realized that my place is in academia. So yeah, like most, I hope to land that sweet sweet tenure track job and dedicate the next 30-40 years doing research.

If you would like to find a job outside of academia, it might be better for you to get an MPP or MPA. First of all, those degrees focus more on the practical than the theoretical. Second of all, MPP admissions (especially if you have good work experience) is a lot less competitive than PhD admissions. Third of all, you can finish your degree in 2 years, and at some schools, gain work experience while you study. Finally, more often your professors will be well connected in the areas you'd be most likely to enter. They have a lot of adjuncts who work in the field teaching, and many find jobs through them.

But, there are positions in the private sector and politics working in advisory and policy consulting roles for those that graduate with a PhD in poli sci.

[MissingVandyCandy]

I'll attempt to give a brief response that sums up why I'll be crushed if I don't get into a program that can place me in a TT position. But let me also preface this with saying that I don't want to become an obscure professor. I'm looking to launch a career as a public intellectual (e.g. Posner, Alan Wolfe, Mansfield)

I seek the PhD in Political Science because I can't envision a life--or at least a career--that is not tied to the pursuit of knowledge for no other purpose than expanding my own mental capacity. 99 percent of jobs outside of being a professor have a purpose that does not complement that description and instead are based on expanding someone else's wealth, corporate profits, or what not. Don't get me wrong, I also want to be a professor because I love passing knowledge on to hungry minds and think that developing relationships with students and inspiring them to see value in the academic career would be rewarding.

Bottom line: I can't compartmentalize my career from my passion for reading and writing. Instead of reading the Atlantic Monthly, American Prospect or New Republic imagine being a contributor from Academia.... perhaps even getting reviewed in the London Times Book Review.

It truly is the luxury profession. A bitch to get there (tenure) but laid back once you are.

[Peter]

Since today has been a slow day, I thought of asking a question that might be of interest to many of us. Why did you choose to apply for PhD in PolSci? Is it because you want to become a professor and/or be in the academia or is it something else (e.g. jobs outside the academia). I am particularly interested in hearing from those who have been working for a while and now find themselves wanting to go back to school and pursue a degree in Politics. I, for example, wouldn't necessary want to work in the academia, so how well do you think PhD in PolSci prepares you for other non-research jobs?

Thanks.

I believe it is a human responsibility to make the world a better place. I believe serious problems require extensive knowledge to propose even a-long-shot-in-the-dark solutions. To understand the world enough to actually respond to these problems, I think a graduate degree is very helpful. Is it necessary? No, but it is helpful. Also, of course, your potential solutions would be better received if you have a PhD attached to your name.

I also believe academia in and of itself is a squander of talent and responsibility. I believe it's time that the sages of the world (professors and the academy) got their hands dirty and left just theory and merged to practice. To steal someone else's words, it's time for the sages to work with the technicians...and for some of them to become them, I believe. Imagine what could happen if the academics of the world--those priviledged few who are paid to think---actually rose to the challenge of merging theory and practice?

So I want the PhD to go back and work on effective policy (but don't tell PhD programs that or they sure as heck won't admit you---"policy" and "practical" are dirty, low-class words to the "intellectual elites"). Eventually I will teach but not until I have exhausted myself in using my mind to make a real mark. I agree that the life of an academic is extraordinary---but I believe, to quote Spiderman's grandpa (?) that with great power comes great responsibility. If you're born with a gifted mind in a gifted country I believe you are required to do something more with that than publish articles that the bulk of the world will never read. I think it's time we stepped out of the Ivory Tower, so to speak.

In short, I don't believe you need to want to be a prof to have a PhD. I think you just need to want to learn and be willing to use the gift of your education for something more important.

[MissingVandyCandy]

"Marx famously said that our job is not to interpret the world, but to change it. In the academy, however, it is exactly the reverse: Our job is not to change the world, but to interpret it."

-Bruce Robbins

-Chronicle of Higher Education, August 2007