<p>I'm from China and I'm planning to apply to Phd programs in political science of an american university, focusing on international relations. My major in college is English and International Studies. My weighted average score is 89.5/100, but once these scores are transferred into GPA, it is only 3.68/4.0, which i think may be a little low. My GRE is 560(V),800(Q),4.0(A). I'm considering the following schools:</p>
<p>Pennsylvania State U. University Park
University of Florida
Texas A&M Univ. College Station
George Washington University
University of Virginia
Georgetown University
Florida State University
Washington State University
Univ. of South Carolina Columbia<br>
Indiana University Bloomington
Univ. of Missouri Columbia
Miami University Oxford (OH)
SUNY University at Buffalo<br>
University of Pittsburgh </p>
<p>I just finished a draft of my statement of purpose. it is the first time in my life that i ever wrote such a thing so i'm not quite sure whether i did it in the right way. please give me some suggestions on what to right and how to write a good statement of purpose~:)thanks~</p>
<p>Woah, you are shooting WAY too low, my friend.</p>
<p>Consider more along these lines:</p>
<p>UCLA
Michigan
Rochester
MIT
Cal Tech
Duke
UCSD</p>
<p>I looked at Duke's</a> page for average admits to their poli sci PhD program, and I saw that the breakdown was: 3.6-3.8 GPA, 672 verbal, 675 quantitative, 20% admit rate for foreign applicants. Duke is top ten, no doubt about it.</p>
<p>Don't sell yourself short. However, first off before you really apply, what the hell do you want a PhD for? I mean, which schools have professors that really interest you? What kind of work do you want to do? For example, UCLA is one of the top programs in Chinese politics, as is UCSD. For IR in particular, some standout people are at Harvard, Princeton, Stanford (although they're a bit on the conservative side if that bothers you), Columbia, Chicago, Michigan, Yale, as well as UCLA, UCSD, Duke, and others.</p>
<p>You really shouldn't be thinking safeties first. Think schools with standout profs first, then safties afterwards. </p>
<p>But really, tell me why you want that PhD. What interests you so much that you want to waste 6 years of your life studying it.</p>
<p>Hi, UCLAri,thanks very much for your suggestions. Of course I like those top schools but I'm afraid my GRE is a bit low that the verbal part cannot meet the minimum standard of 600. I asked some professors in those schools and they told me my verbal part is really low. ( you know, it is not easy for a Chinese to do well in the verbal) Besides, i need not only an admission but also a financial aid. One reason is that the expense in US is huge and the other reason is that it will almost be impossible to get the visa if i only get an admission. </p>
<p>I focus on PSU,TAMU,GWU,GU and USC. they are good in political science i think. what do you think? well, other schools may be for safty:)</p>
<p>as for why i want to studying international relations, well, i'm now studying at China Foreign Affairs University, in which i'm trained to be a diplomat for my country. i think it is a great job but i think i'm more interested in doing research on IR rather than practising it. and i think as a scholar i can contribute to china's diplomacy as well, just like Doctor Kissinger did in the US. Moreover, my particular interest is in security studies, in which i believe i can find my answer to war and peace. I dont understand why human beings cannot live peacefully together and they go kill each other. it is terrible. my father almost got killed in the sino-vietnam war in 1979. I also want to be a professor back in China after i got my PhD. i see a PhD in US a self-completion that will enable me to improve the study of Political Science in China. Once an American professor said political science, in china, is political, in the US, it is a science. I think it is ironic but true. Due to the unique political atmosphere in China, politcal science is not developing so well. i want to change such a situation.</p>
<p>so i do not consider it as a waste of time to pursue the PhD in political science.</p>
<p>Well, I don't know about the atmosphere of poli sci in China, and what it's like getting a job there, but if you ever wanted a job in the US, it's hard to get one without a PhD from a top 10 or top 15 school. Maybe it's a better job market in that sense in China, but still... I would consider trying harder to get the GRE over 600 and shooting for the top. Your scores and records are otherwise superb, and you have definite direction in your studies.</p>
<p>If not, I would still try top 15-20, no lower.</p>
<p>well,i will consider what you said. maybe try some top 20 schools. however, retaking GRE may not be possible if i want to apply for fall,2006. and i hate reciting these words just for an exam. </p>
<p>yes, it is much easier here in China to get a job especially when you have a PhD b/c political science is still new in china and a lot of experts are needed in this field.i can either teach at a university or go to a research institute.</p>
<p>Yeah, don't sell yourself short just yet. Remember that your below-600 verbal makes it HARD, but not impossible.</p>
<p>Some programs, like Columbia, will dump you into an MA-first track where you get your MA, prove your resolve, and then get bumped up to PhD-track. I think that's a great road for you to consider travelling.</p>
<p>Please please if you have any questions feel free to email me, okay? Poli sci is my passion, and I love seeing people going for PhDs.</p>
<p>I am now in a top 15 political science program (first year), and was accepted in a top 5 program (but with a less generous stipend). I am not Chinese, but I am an international student. My verbal GRE was 560 verbal and 750 math. The verbal GRE is not as important as you are considering. I heard from Harvard profs. that verbal GRE is not important when you have great math scores (with that they meant more than 750). You are aiming way too low</p>
<p>Lillian, you have very strong credentials...particularly on the quantitative side and most top Political Science programs are trying to delve deeper into the "science" part of the subject title. I would definitely look into programs like Michigan, Chicago and Duke.</p>
<p>Your verbal scoreon the GRE is not going to hurt you as much as you think since English is not your native tongue.</p>
<p>my internet connection broke up...just back.~~thank you all for your advice. well, based on your opinions on GRE, i decide to try Columbia and Duke. i just found out that they have programs that fit my interest very much~hehe`~i'm working on my SOP now~hard working~~</p>