<p>Hey everyone, I know there are so many of these out there, so sorry to be another one of "those guys" out here. </p>
<p>Anyway, as the title suggests I'm wondering at what my odds are at gaining admittance into some political science PhD programs. </p>
<p>Some general information about myself, I am a junior and currently hold a 3.87 at PSU's Schreyer Honors College. I have held various extracurricular executive member positions (VP of one club, Editor of a college paper.) I have also held two positions in student government. As for research I have interned at a U.S. House Rep's office in Washington, D.C. where I did many typical intern duties as well as research legislation. I studied abroad at the University of Oxford-St. Catherine's College, I am writing a senior thesis as part of the Honors College requirement, and I have also been selected for a very competitive summer research program at Duke University. Additionally I am completing an internship with a think tank in which I have conducted research attempting to answer the question, "how can governments use social media to predict violence and civil unrest in the Middle East?" I am half-African American and half Puerto-Rican American, male which apparently is appealing to graduate schools due to low representation of minority males (not to play the race card, I hope my grades and experiences themselves are sufficient.) I have also guest lectured in a sociology class on summer breaks effects on "at-risk youths" educational attainment. I hold a 3.90 in my major, and 4.0 in my minor of sociology. </p>
<p>I have won various fellowships including a total of $2,500 to support my research at Oxford. And I have won about 5 scholarships from my university based on merit. </p>
<p>As far as how the universities I have selected "fit" in terms of interests, they fit quite well I have really gone out of my way with my advisers to make sure that these schools are solid fits for me. At each university there are at least a minimum of three professors whom I could research with. I plan on emphasizing Political Parties and Racial Politics, with American Politics being the general course of study.</p>
<p>I have not yet taken the GRE which I do know is going to make this tough in terms of telling me how well I can fit into the following universities. I plan on taking the GRE sometime in late July.</p>
<p>Anyway I hope to graduate with a +3.80 GPA which I think is going to be manageable at this point. </p>
<p>The schools I currently plan on applying to are:</p>
<p>Princeton 1
Harvard 1
Michigan 4
Yale 5
Duke 9
University North Carolina 13
Ohio State 17
Cornell 20
Michigan State 28
University of Pennsylvania 28
Brown 46
University of Florida 49</p>