2017-2018 Application Cycle

[deutsch1997bw]

  On 1/19/2018 at 8:48 PM, not@prof_yet said:

So I think I've checked this forum like 10 times today for admissions news. I think I'll take a break for the weekend

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Yeah, I tried to take a break for a couple of days, too . . . didn't work out very well for me!

[buckinghamubadger]

Its the time to be anxious. We're all going to find out a lot over the next six weeks.

To whoever got accepted to Madison, I did my undergrad there and there are a lot of amazing professors there, but also a few who may leave something to be desired. I took enough classes in their Poli Sci department to major in it twice and worked closely with faculty as an RA, in a grad class and on an independent study. Message me privately if you want to know more. 

Edited January 19, 2018 by buckinghamubadger
To give more information

[Hobbesian10]

I just received an acceptance e-mail from UW-Madison (for all those who applied there). 

[deutsch1997bw]

  On 1/19/2018 at 10:33 PM, Hobbesian10 said:

I just received an acceptance e-mail from UW-Madison (for all those who applied there). 

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Congrats! Which subfield?

[megabee]

  On 1/18/2018 at 4:28 PM, Sheldon2017 said:

What does it mean if you get an email from a department you have applied to, saying that the faculty admissions committee may request a Skype interview next week?

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I got a similar email today. What confuses me is that the email stressed multiple times that this interview was optional and would have no bearing on my admission. Can I trust this, or am I just overthinking it? I can't imagine something like this not having an effect on decisions if the adcomm hasn't made them yet.

Partial text from the email (bolding and italics not mine, it was included in the email itself):

"As part of our review process, the faculty committee mayrequest a 15-minute Skype meeting with you. This is an opportunity for our faculty to get to know you and your research interests, and also for you to be able to ask questions of our faculty. This experience is not mandatory, and you will not be penalized if you choose not to or are unable to participate in a Skype meeting."

I mean, unless decisions are already made and this is just for admitted students, I can't imagine any interview having no bearing whatsoever on admissions.

I'm asking because I'll be in rural Honduras with limited WiFi, and the program gave me very little notice about this interview (less than a week).

[deutsch1997bw]

  On 1/20/2018 at 12:13 AM, megabee said:

I got a similar email today. What confuses me is that the email stressed multiple times that this interview was optional and would have no bearing on my admission. Can I trust this, or am I just overthinking it? I can't imagine something like this not having an effect on decisions if the adcomm hasn't made them yet.

Partial text from the email (bolding and italics not mine, it was included in the email itself):

"As part of our review process, the faculty committee mayrequest a 15-minute Skype meeting with you. This is an opportunity for our faculty to get to know you and your research interests, and also for you to be able to ask questions of our faculty. This experience is not mandatory, and you will not be penalized if you choose not to or are unable to participate in a Skype meeting."

I mean, unless decisions are already made and this is just for admitted students, I can't imagine any interview having no bearing whatsoever on admissions.

I'm asking because I'll be in rural Honduras with limited WiFi, and the program gave me very little notice about this interview (less than a week).

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Which program, if you don't mind?

[zomgliekwtf]

Just got my acceptance to both UW-Madison and OSU within 3 minutes of each other! International applicant, American subfield. 

Sorry guys, I looked at my phone notifications immediately after waking up and in my half-asleep state I misread the notification for an email from my friend about OSU as an acceptance letter - only UW-Madison has accepted me, ignore the part about OSU!

 

Email was sent about 3 hours ago.

Edited January 20, 2018 by zomgliekwtf

[deutsch1997bw]

  On 1/20/2018 at 12:42 AM, zomgliekwtf said:

Just got my acceptance to both UW-Madison and OSU within 3 minutes of each other! International applicant, American subfield. 

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Congrats! Did you actually just now get the acceptances, or a couple of hours ago?

[toad1]

  On 1/20/2018 at 12:13 AM, megabee said:

I got a similar email today. What confuses me is that the email stressed multiple times that this interview was optional and would have no bearing on my admission. Can I trust this, or am I just overthinking it? I can't imagine something like this not having an effect on decisions if the adcomm hasn't made them yet.

Partial text from the email (bolding and italics not mine, it was included in the email itself):

"As part of our review process, the faculty committee mayrequest a 15-minute Skype meeting with you. This is an opportunity for our faculty to get to know you and your research interests, and also for you to be able to ask questions of our faculty. This experience is not mandatory, and you will not be penalized if you choose not to or are unable to participate in a Skype meeting."

I mean, unless decisions are already made and this is just for admitted students, I can't imagine any interview having no bearing whatsoever on admissions.

I'm asking because I'll be in rural Honduras with limited WiFi, and the program gave me very little notice about this interview (less than a week).

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Technically, they said you wouldn't be penalized. They never said it would have "no bearing whatsoever." In other words, it can probably help but not hurt your admissions chances.

[toad1]

  On 1/20/2018 at 12:13 AM, megabee said:

I got a similar email today. What confuses me is that the email stressed multiple times that this interview was optional and would have no bearing on my admission. Can I trust this, or am I just overthinking it? I can't imagine something like this not having an effect on decisions if the adcomm hasn't made them yet.

Partial text from the email (bolding and italics not mine, it was included in the email itself):

"As part of our review process, the faculty committee mayrequest a 15-minute Skype meeting with you. This is an opportunity for our faculty to get to know you and your research interests, and also for you to be able to ask questions of our faculty. This experience is not mandatory, and you will not be penalized if you choose not to or are unable to participate in a Skype meeting."

I mean, unless decisions are already made and this is just for admitted students, I can't imagine any interview having no bearing whatsoever on admissions.

I'm asking because I'll be in rural Honduras with limited WiFi, and the program gave me very little notice about this interview (less than a week).

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  On 1/20/2018 at 1:59 AM, toad1 said:

Technically, they said you wouldn't be penalized. They never said it would have "no bearing whatsoever." In other words, it can probably help but not hurt your admissions chances.

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Actually, they said you wouldn't be "penalized if you choose not to are unable to participate." Therefore, it doesn't exclude the possibility that it could hurt you if you do choose to participate and don't give a good interview. Either way, I'd participate as long as it's possible to.

[Sheldon2017]

  On 1/20/2018 at 12:13 AM, megabee said:

I got a similar email today. What confuses me is that the email stressed multiple times that this interview was optional and would have no bearing on my admission. Can I trust this, or am I just overthinking it? I can't imagine something like this not having an effect on decisions if the adcomm hasn't made them yet.

Partial text from the email (bolding and italics not mine, it was included in the email itself):

"As part of our review process, the faculty committee mayrequest a 15-minute Skype meeting with you. This is an opportunity for our faculty to get to know you and your research interests, and also for you to be able to ask questions of our faculty. This experience is not mandatory, and you will not be penalized if you choose not to or are unable to participate in a Skype meeting."

I mean, unless decisions are already made and this is just for admitted students, I can't imagine any interview having no bearing whatsoever on admissions.

I'm asking because I'll be in rural Honduras with limited WiFi, and the program gave me very little notice about this interview (less than a week).

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It becomes more confusing when the email ends with "Please know that you may or may not be invited to participate in a Skype meeting with the faculty committee.  If requested, you will be contacted via email..."

[Positivist]

  On 1/19/2018 at 10:33 PM, Hobbesian10 said:

I just received an acceptance e-mail from UW-Madison (for all those who applied there). 

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Congratulations!! UW-Madison is also one of the top schools on my list. Hoping to hear some good news from them soon

On a separate note, I'm claiming the West Virginia acceptance! No word on funding yet, told it will be somewhere later in February.

Hang tight guys, this cycle is just getting started. All the best.

[JMCrawfordNJ]

Hey, just made an account, been lurking here for a couple weeks now after failing to stop thinking about "what are my chances" and what I'll be doing for the next 5 to 6 years of my life. I see a couple acceptances are trickling in. I know I've got another week or two minimum before I hear anything from the schools I applied to. Best of luck to everybody and I hope you all get into your dream schools, unless it's my dream school of course, then I hope you choose somewhere else haha.

[encyclopediabrown]

The results from Harvard, Columbia, Yale, etc. are trolls. I'm on an admissions committee this year, and unless I am greatly mistaken these three schools, and in general most others, will have results closer to mid- to late-February. I know we're still reading files. Of course there are a small number of exceptions. I'm impressed Wisconsin moved so quickly! 

[deutsch1997bw]

To those who have been accepted to Wisconsin, which subfields are you in?

[CandyCanes]

  On 1/20/2018 at 2:26 PM, encyclopediabrown said:

The results from Harvard, Columbia, Yale, etc. are trolls. I'm on an admissions committee this year, and unless I am greatly mistaken these three schools, and in general most others, will have results closer to mid- to late-February. I know we're still reading files. Of course there are a small number of exceptions. I'm impressed Wisconsin moved so quickly! 

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Can you share how your school ranks the following in admissions decisions, in terms of importance?

 

GPA, GRE, rec letters, personal statement, writing sample

 

Thanks!

[jstor&chill]

 

  On 1/20/2018 at 2:32 PM, deutsch1997bw said:

To those who have been accepted to Wisconsin, which subfields are you in?

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I was accepted at Wisconsin, my subfield is IR

[deutsch1997bw]

  On 1/20/2018 at 9:45 PM, jstor&chill said:

 

I was accepted at Wisconsin, my subfield is IR

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Alright, that is good to know. My subfield is CP, and I've yet to hear anything. Did you get interviewed? 

[guest56436]

  On 1/20/2018 at 9:45 PM, jstor&chill said:

 

I was accepted at Wisconsin, my subfield is IR

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Hahaha nice username.

[Hobbesian10]

  On 1/20/2018 at 2:32 PM, deutsch1997bw said:

To those who have been accepted to Wisconsin, which subfields are you in?

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Theory

[jstor&chill]

  On 1/20/2018 at 9:47 PM, deutsch1997bw said:

Alright, that is good to know. My subfield is CP, and I've yet to hear anything. Did you get interviewed? 

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Nope

[deutsch1997bw]

To those who applied to UT-Austin, I think there's a strong possibility that decisions will go out this week, perhaps on Thursday (based on last year's decisions).

[gradcafe71]

  On 1/15/2018 at 8:19 PM, Cutaway said:

I didn't post mine to the board, but I just interviewed with my POI at OSU. He said the committee is meeting next week.

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I also did not post mine to the board, but I interviewed with my POI at OSU last week as well. Mine told me that we should begin hearing decisions within a week and a half. 

[Hamb]

  On 1/21/2018 at 5:49 PM, deutsch1997bw said:

To those who applied to UT-Austin, I think there's a strong possibility that decisions will go out this week, perhaps on Thursday (based on last year's decisions).

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To add another school to look out for, Northwestern might send out admits towards the end of the week. Given past years it might be the week after though.

Still waiting on GWU, anybody know if they're switching up their system this year or just running a bit late?

[deutsch1997bw]

  On 1/21/2018 at 7:02 PM, Hamb said:

To add another school to look out for, Northwestern might send out admits towards the end of the week. Given past years it might be the week after though.

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Another school might be WashU.