Phd in Political Science

scrapiron215
Thu, 06 Jan 2011 23:49:24 +0000

I am going through this process myself now so I understand why you’re second guessing yourself–I am too. I’ve applied to 7 doctoral programs in Political Science (comparative politics of the Middle East) and a few in area studies and am sweating it out to see what happens. I also have two back-up master’s if things don’t work out. I don’t mean to sound harsh but I can tell you that the application process is very competitive. At the schools you have mentioned, I believe the acceptance rate is 10 percent or less for all but one program on your list (and that one program is limited in terms of fellowships). I’m also applying to three of the same schools on your list.

The most important thing is finding programs where you really are a match. What’s your main field of study–comparative, IR, theory, U.S, or something else? Do you have a regional or thematic interest? Do you want a department that stresses quantitative work? I have a sinking feeling we may end up doing this application thing more than once. A lot of people I know are in the same boat. If we have to do it again, I’d make sure to look for programs and professors that are a match and make that argument in the statement of purpose. That is just as important as your credentials.

My own record has strong and weak points so I have my fingers crossed. I’ve dug a lot and tried to come up with a range of good programs with various rankings. Your math background will help for sure and your gpa is good. Ideally, I would work on pulling up the verbal GRE if you find yourself applying again. Good luck, and we’ll both see what happens!