Admission chances - PhD PoliSci

<p>Hello, </p>

<p>Just stumbled upon this site - wish I had found it sooner! </p>

<p>I'm a British student, and I have applied for the PhD programs in PoliSci (political theory concentration) at the following institutions: Yale, Harvard, Princeton (inter-departmental political philosophy program), Columbia, NYU, Chicago and Georgetown. No decisions yet, but they can't be far off!</p>

<p>Anyone know what my chances are? I have an LLB in Law from King's College London (we Brits may study law at undergrad) and an MSc in Political Theory from the London School of Economics (highest distinction in the year). GRE scores are 700 verbal, 660 math (oops), 5.0 essay. </p>

<p>Cheers, C</p>

<p>Hi,
I am also applying for Ph.D's in Political Science, but my concentration is International Political Economy. I'm also international (Mexican). I'm applying to Chicago, Duke, UCSD, and WUSTL (accepted). I think your curriculum is great, but your math score is not very competitive for the places you're applying, but maybe because you're going to Political Theory it's not such a big deal.
My GRE scores are 560 verbal (It's not my native language, so universities told me they won't even consider it), 750 math and 5.5 essay. My TOEFL was 277/300.
Good luck colleague!! I think you will be accepted in some program, they are all fantastic, maybe I'll see you at Chicago, who knows.
Mariana</p>

<p>Mariana, </p>

<p>Thanks for your feedback. Yes, my math score was a little disappointing especially since I got an A in "A-Level" maths when i was at (high) school -but that was years ago! Just have to hope that when the colleges say that they consider the whole of a candidate's application, of which the GRE is just one component, they really mean it! </p>

<p>Anyway the GRE is such a bogus test! It is beyond ridiculous. Luckily we have no such system in the UK, where admission is based only on past academic achievement and the strength of the personal statement, and I was really shocked when I initially realised that I'd have to do the damn thing if I wanted to apply to the US. It's really very silly (as is the amount of competition and jealolusy that these scores seem to generate between candidates!)</p>

<p>Good luck with your applications, hope you get in somewhere too!</p>

<p>Craig,
I completely agree with your opinion about the GRE. I just wold like to know how solving a geometry problem is a determinant of my capacity as a political scientist? I just hope I won't need to do another standarized test ever again ion my life!
Good luck,
Mariana</p>