Political Science PhD chances/feedback

tpavone
Sun, 26 Dec 2010 02:07:09 +0000

I wanted to receive any feedback you have (especially if you relate your own personal experiences) regarding my credentials for admission into some top political science PhD programs

My credentials:

-Graduate from Michigan, 3.96 cumulative GPA (4.0 in Public Policy major)
-Political science minor (4.0 minor GPA)
-GRE: 590V, 720Q, 5 Analytic Writing
-Two published papers (in peer-reviewed undergraduate research journals)
-Very active on campus (research assistant for five professors, managing editor of an international affairs publication, writer/editboard of school newspaper, resident advisor, international affairs society member, etc.)
-Took graduate courses in statistics (two just attended, the other received an A grade)
Interned at a well-known social science data archive; became acquainted with research methodology and statistical analysis
-Born in Europe, traveled broadly, speak two European languages (other than english)

I want to focus on comparative politics (and W. Europe) and here are the schools I’m applying to:

Harvard, Michigan, Princeton, Stanford, UC Berkeley, U Chicago, Columbia, Yale

I think I am really strong, but my GRE scores (75th-85th percentile scores) are weak. Do you think I have a shot?