PoliSci 2007-2008 Cycle

[PhDme]

Re: Georgetown---

I called yesterday and it appears the bulk of the admits won't go out for another couple weeks. I didn't ask about whether or not they've started sending stuff out. Since the school is ridiculous about funding (only providing fellowships to two people per subfield) my bet is that they'll contact those individuals early (perhaps what happened this week).

As for the question earlier today about hearing from people who have been through the cycle twice (now) with better luck, I'll sit down and type out what I learned in a couple weeks when the bulk of this craziness blows over...

Good luck to all this week.

Ah, and I also contacted GWU and it looks like it won't be until mid-March for them....

Thanks for that info. I have heard from reliable sources that Georgetown will fund fully only 12 people this year (they must be broke). So, it makes sense that the bulk of the unfunded admits will be sent later. I just don't understand why does it take GWU so long to make their decisions!

[Canadianpolsci]

Re: Georgetown---

I called yesterday and it appears the bulk of the admits won't go out for another couple weeks. I didn't ask about whether or not they've started sending stuff out. Since the school is ridiculous about funding (only providing fellowships to two people per subfield) my bet is that they'll contact those individuals early (perhaps what happened this week).

As for the question earlier today about hearing from people who have been through the cycle twice (now) with better luck, I'll sit down and type out what I learned in a couple weeks when the bulk of this craziness blows over...

Good luck to all this week.

Ah, and I also contacted GWU and it looks like it won't be until mid-March for them....

According to my friend whom I spoke with, this is exactly correct. The top 10-12 picks across sub-fields got emails. The rest, a sort of rolling pseudo-wait list thing, is going to start coming in waves soon.

[slickj07]

was hoping some of you could give me your thoughts, as i'm currently officially 0 for 2 (unofficially 0 for 4). i applied to an array of top 25 programs, and really hope to get into at least 1. i know how random this process can be, so i'm not shocked by the rejections so far. but, i'm also at a loss for how to improve my application. i ended up doing a hard science major in undergrad, knocking my gpa down quite a bit (still graduated w/ honors from a top 50 school, but below a 3.5). i have a policy degree for my masters from a top 5 school, with very high grades, and scored above the 90th percentile in all GRE sections - i teach the exam for kaplan. i also have taken 5 PhD-level poli sci classes at a top 25 school since then, getting one A- and the rest A's. i feel like i have a really strong SOP, very good fits with every place i've applied to, and strong LORs (albeit not from any famous profs). i still have 4 more programs to hear from, so i'm optimistic i'll get at least one, but do you think my lower undergrad gpa in an unrelated major will kill my chances at a top program? i have no idea what else i could do, short of getting another masters degree, which i don't think would help much, considering my grades in the PhD level poli sci classes already. being 0 for 4 has dented my confidence severely.

haha, you sound a lot like me. i started off in engineering then transferred out after freshman year. I didn't really have a strong upward trend in my grades, either, because I didn't suddenlly realize I wanted to do a PhD in political science. I decided that when i got into my master's program (also a top 5 public policy/admin school) where I've done exceedingly well. I ended up graduating undergrad with a 3.2, but am at the other end of the gpa spectrum for master's. I also have similar GRE's, all above the 95th percentile, except for math, which is above the 90th.

I've taken some hits so far, but I've also gotten into some pretty nice places. I think I have some recomendations from my graduate school professors are somewhat well known in the field (one guy, who more or less was my mentor, is pretty much a rising star in the political science world - i cowrote a paper with him last fall).

Hopefully everyone here who hasn't gotten in somewhere yet will do so. If it comes down to reapplying for next year, all I can recomend is really to spend a lot of time on the applications. I was pretty intensive on mine, perfecting each sentence and picking schools strategically along the spectrum that also matched my interests. Ultimately, it really comes down to selling your interests. I realize now that a few of the places I (probably) have been dinged at, I still could have done a better job with that.

[zephyr]

I am in a very similar situation, zephyr, but I can tell you if you have very good GREs, good grades in poli sci courses, good recs, and a great proposal all is not lost. I had a GPA under 3.5 at a top 5 school, due primarily to a hard science major, but did very well in poli sci courses. I've been rejected by Stanford and Yale officially, admitted at UChicago, and "unofficially" waitlisted at Columbia. Still waiting to hear from Harvard, Princeton, and MIT (though Harvard looks like a no). All is not lost! It should also help that you have a master's, again presuming that you did well. I am applying with just a B.S.

well, that's encouraging! i should also say i submitted a strong writing sample - from a PhD class. the prof was very impressed with it and wanted me to submit it for publication. anyway, i'm pretty sure i would make it to the last round or two of cuts at most places i applied, but its making the final cut that is so damn unpredictable. like i said, i'm really hoping to get at least 1 acceptance.

[slickj07]

Thanks for that info. I have heard from reliable sources that Georgetown will fund fully only 12 people this year (they must be broke). So, it makes sense that the bulk of the unfunded admits will be sent later. I just don't understand why does it take GWU so long to make their decisions!

good lord. why does anyone apply to georgetown?

[silencio1982]

anyway, i'm pretty sure i would make it to the last round or two of cuts at most places i applied, but its making the final cut that is so damn unpredictable. like i said, i'm really hoping to get at least 1 acceptance.

totally agree! that is the most frustrating part. good luck... i hope we both get accepted somewhere!

[polisciphd]

good lord. why does anyone apply to georgetown?

GW takes a long time because most of the poly sci faculty are also affiliated with the Elliott School, which sends out admissions early, and therefore have to get through the ESIA admits first.

Georgetown is a great school with some outstanding faculty, but they are to a large extent transient. Is the problem with all of the D.C. schools in my opinion, can't count on anyone being around for more than a couple of years. I kind of think that is why their ranking is as low as it is. It is also a pain in the butt to get to that campus, no metro stop in Gtown. You actually have to go to GW and catch a bus to take you to Georgetown, which I always found a little ironic...

[alanapsci]

Re: PoliSci 2007-2008 Cycle

by lenin333 on Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:48 pm

"Anybody else a Post-Communist Scholar here? I am a Russianist. It would be interested to see what everyone is interested in."

Yes! I am a Post-Communist Scholar but more in respect to Western Europe-Russia Relations. Last year I presented a paper at ISA entitled "Putin-Chirac: A Relationship". What are your general interests? I found it hard to find programs in with solid Post-Communist studies. It seems the field died out but was revived again under Putin... what do you think?

[Peter]

Good question about why one would apply to Georgetown.

I know when I was running through my list of potential schools w/profs Georgetown was almost always the one on my list that was discouraged. And I KNOW the ranking is low. And if they don't offer funding there is no way I'd attend, but to be honest, I feel torn about the GWU question. From what I hear they are better with funding, they rank, technically, the same as Georgetown, and most importantly, they're in DC. I must admit I miss it there, and I'm super attracted to the prospects of ACTUALLY doing something besides thinking and writing (i.e. continuing work in the gov't, think-tanks, policy formation, etc.) I, interestingly enough, only seem happy when I can have both worlds---academia AND the "real" one.

So, to be honest, even now I find myself torn between taking the significantly better ranked school or throwing rankings to the wind and running to DC (again, if funding at GWU works out). Anybody else feel this way? Perhaps not with DC but with another city? Anybody else tempted to take the "lesser" school?

[polisciphd]

Good question about why one would apply to Georgetown.

I know when I was running through my list of potential schools w/profs Georgetown was almost always the one on my list that was discouraged. And I KNOW the ranking is low. And if they don't offer funding there is no way I'd attend, but to be honest, I feel torn about the GWU question. From what I hear they are better with funding, they rank, technically, the same as Georgetown, and most importantly, they're in DC. I must admit I miss it there, and I'm super attracted to the prospects of ACTUALLY doing something besides thinking and writing (i.e. continuing work in the gov't, think-tanks, policy formation, etc.) I, interestingly enough, only seem happy when I can have both worlds---academia AND the "real" one.

So, to be honest, even now I find myself torn between taking the significantly better ranked school or throwing rankings to the wind and running to DC (again, if funding at GWU works out). Anybody else feel this way? Perhaps not with DC but with another city? Anybody else tempted to take the "lesser" school?

I am right there with you on going back to D.C. I went to the Elliott School for my masters degree and even worked there full time for two years during my studies. I LOVED IT. Then I got a job at one of the major think tanks in town. I LOVED IT THERE TOO. The three professors who wrote my LORs all wanted me to get my ph.d. in the Poly Sci dept. there so that I could continue to work with them. The problem, though, is that D.C. is, as I am sure you are aware, crazy expensive. So I decided to limit my search to places where I could actually afford to live without taking out another $40000 in loans just to pay the rent...

[hoopz]

any details on the MIT acceptance?

[lenin333]

@ Alanpolisci

I have two interests. One is East European democratization and integration into Europe. I was asked to present at a conference here at U of T but turned them down because I don't have the time to prepare the paper. Second is my interest in Russia's historical image in the West and how it shapes current relations. They both seem to dove-tale into each other. My program now is good for Russian Studies. But as a Political Science topic, it is hard to find a good concentration of scholarship. Columbia has one professor I would love to work with and so does Northwestern. But we will see.

I did have an interview at Starbucks today... How many lattes to pay off my student loans?

I feel abused.

[iulixa]

Come on MIT people! Details!!!

Was it a mass email? At least this way I'll get my mind off it..

Congrats, by the way!

[lenin333]

According to my friend whom I spoke with, this is exactly correct. The top 10-12 picks across sub-fields got emails. The rest, a sort of rolling pseudo-wait list thing, is going to start coming in waves soon.

Not true... Exibit A - 6PM EST Today,

Dear {Lenin333},

Thank you for your message, as well as for your application to our

Government program. To answer your question, the Graduate School has

not sent any decision letters to any of our Ph.D. in Government

applicants. However, these decisions will start to go out within the

next two weeks or so.

I hope this is helpful. Have a good rest of the week.

Stuart Schept

Office of Graduate Admissions

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Georgetown University

(202) 687-1539

schepts@georgetown.edu

[Canadianpolsci]

Not true... Exibit A - 6PM EST Today,

Dear {Lenin333},

Thank you for your message, as well as for your application to our

Government program. To answer your question, the Graduate School has

not sent any decision letters to any of our Ph.D. in Government

applicants. However, these decisions will start to go out within the

next two weeks or so.

I hope this is helpful. Have a good rest of the week.

Stuart Schept

Office of Graduate Admissions

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Georgetown University

(202) 687-1539

schepts@georgetown.edu

I guess you are right we have to wait and see.

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

RE: everyone talking about funding offers (or lack thereof)

Schools, particularly public ones, are likely to be pretty stingy about funding this year. Keep in mind that we are in the middle of a national downturn and possibly a recession. Grad stipends at some schools are directly financed by state funds. As sales, property, and income tax revenues are likely to be below expectations this year, that means fewer dollars available for our cohort of grad students. Other schools fund their grad stipends using the interest paid by investments, which will also be below expected values. The best places to hope for money are the ueber rich schools and those with very popular sports teams. Some of those schools are able to completely fund their grad departments with television deals for football and basketball. At my last grad school, the running joke was that we were grad assistants brought to you by NBC.

[flyingwalrus]

Rejected by WashU.

[slickj07]

i totally see the allure of going to GWU, since they fund and provide you with the DC experience. Georgetown, though...just not worth it without the funding.

As for me, I've had the DC experience twice now, and definitely feel I'm better studying politics from a safe distance.

[UMNdude]

i totally see the allure of going to GWU, since they fund and provide you with the DC experience. Georgetown, though...just not worth it without the funding.

As for me, I've had the DC experience twice now, and definitely feel I'm better studying politics from a safe distance.

Re: DC experience...DAMN STRAIGHT! I hear ya.

[zephyr]

Come on MIT people! Details!!!

Was it a mass email? At least this way I'll get my mind off it..

Congrats, by the way!

my impression about MIT is that some admits get calls/emails, others just get the DHL packages. so i wouldn't freak out just yet. but its a tough one...300 applicants, 30 admits for 12-15 slots. and unlike columbia/chicago/berkeley, i think fewer people randomly throw apps to MIT, so i'd bet a larger share of the 300 are well qualified, compared to others. man, the waiting sucks!

[slickj07]

you have to totally ignorant or a masochist to randomly throw an application to uchicago

:wink:

[Quarex]

good lord. why does anyone apply to georgetown?

Duh, because some of us applied to every reasonably-good-fit program we could find in the entire country! And then some! And still have not heard any actual Ph.D. acceptances yet! Still plenty of applications to go, though.

I am probably ignorant and a masochist considering my application process.

[zephyr]

you have to totally ignorant or a masochist to randomly throw an application to uchicago

:wink:

haha! yeah, what i meant was, plenty of people w/ GPAs under 3.5, GREs under the 90th percentile, and unclear research ideas (and i mean all of these combined, not just one part...i'm sure people could get in w/ some of these) apply to places like chicago, berkeley, and columbia because everyone knows them. MIT doesn't have the same mass appeal as some of these other places. whatever, all these programs take like 5-10% of applicants, who the hell knows what they do to figure out who gets in!

[hoopz]

has anyone heard anything about princeton? it looks like it should be coming late this week or early next from the past, but any insider info would be awesome.

[Canadianpolsci]

Update on Georgetown:

I checked again with an inside source. Those offered funded spots in political theory were notified already. All decisions concerning offers WITH funding (12-14, or 2-3 per sub-field), have been made; whether the individual professor who read applications in each subfield has emailed their picks is unknown, with the exception of the reader of theory applicants, who did email.

Regarding Georgetown funding: there are only 12 or so funded offers made with money from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. But some other funding is also available which is administered by individual professors, who use grant money they have.

Expect to hear very soon if you got in with funding. If you don't hear by the end of week, its not likely you got a funded spot.