Chances for Poli Sci Phd Programs?

Graduate School
1

<p>Hi Everyone,</p>

<p>Apologies in advance for the long question.</p>

<p>I'm in the process of researching poli sci phd programs and I'm having trouble figuring out how high to set my sights. </p>

<p>I graduated from the University of Missouri in 1995 with a B.A. in classical archaeology. My gpa was about a 2.7 (I worked my way through school, what can I say). Since then I've spent a few years working overseas teaching English, and for the past 8 years have worked in communications for a big international law firm. Over the past couple of years I've been working on a certificate in international relations at Northwestern University. Once I'm done (this Fall), I'll have 9-10 upper level poli sci courses under my belt and a gpa (hopefully) of around a 3.95. I took the GRE last fall and wound up with 650 verbal, 550 math. I'm working on preparing for another go at it in the next couple of months. I'm pretty sure I can raise the math score quite a bit, I wasn't as prepared as I should have been the first time around. </p>

<p>One issue - None of my professors from undergrad even remember me, let alone my academic performance. I've got three instructors lined up from my classes at Northwestern who've agreed to write letters for me, but they're all upper-level grad students, not profs. They all seem serious about sitting down with me and writing a letter that's tailored to what I need, but I'm not sure if schools will take them seriously coming from someone who hasn't finished their phd. </p>

<p>Another issue - Obviously my undergrad gpa isn't stellar. I'm hoping that schools will overlook that given it was 13 years ago and look at my gpa from Northwestern, but I've heard conflicting thoughts about that. A few people have told me that I should address the issue in my personal statement, which I plan to do.</p>

<p>At this point I feel like I should really focus on the parts of my application that I can change, namely my statement of purpose and writing sample, so I'm spending a lot of time polishing those up. Luckily I've got quite a few friends in academia who're helping with these so I'm fairly confident that they'll be in good shape.</p>

<p>So the big question is, where should I shoot for? I'm really focused on Comparative Politics/IR programs, particularly those that focus on the historical aspect of the field, as opposed to strictly quantitative programs. A fair amount of my work experience has involved business development in the Pacific Rim area, particularly China, so I feel like I've at least got some practical overseas experience I can tout. Obviously I want to aim as high as possible, but I can't get a straight answer about what my chances at various schools might be. Any ideas?</p>

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<p>Despite the fact that Kathy Thelen is apparently leaving Northwestern, it is still a (very) good place to do comparative work that is historical in nature. And you have some connections around there. But it is hard to suggest other programs with similar emphases without knowing more about the regional interests in comparative or IR that you have. You'll need a lot more on that in the statement of purpose than what you write here.</p>

<p>In terms of undergrad GPA, I can tell you that I had a trajectory like yours: mediocre undergrad, but strong MA grades. And I got into most places I applied. What I had, though, in my favor (which you can work on) were GRE scores and letters from people that admissions committees had heard of... The letters are a problem - those folks aren't going to be a great deal of help. Is there really no professor that you've taken a course with there? Seems strange that you've done so well at Northwestern but without getting to know any faculty. I would try to get to know a few in your courses in the fall (choose courses accordingly if you can) and see if they would be wiling to write you a letter.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the response porkypig. I've had a couple of people recommend Northwestern to me, but in the next breath they've mentioned that admissions are also insanely competitive, which is sort of my problem. </p>

<p>Regarding my interests, I'm specifically focused on development and democratization, particularly the role that nations like China and Russia will play in the larger developing world as they gain more stature on the international stage. In a nutshell, it seems as if we went through a long period of bipolarity during the Cold War, then a brief unipolar moment after the fall of the Soviet Union, and now a new dynamic is emerging. It's this new dynamic that I'm interested in. China seems like an obvious choice to focus on, first because it's seems to be asserting itself more independently every day in international affairs, and second because I've got some practical experience dealing with the Chinese government and culture.</p>

<p>It sounds as if you got your MA before applying to a phd program. I've considered that option as well. Was your program funded? The impression I've gotten is that most terminal masters programs aren't, which is a huge obstacle for me. Unfortunately it has been pretty much impossible to get much interaction with profs at Northwestern. All of the classes required for the certificate program I'm in have been taught by grad students, so the opportunities are pretty limited.</p>

4

<p>Yes, I was lucky enough to get my MA partially funded, and it let me interact with professors (unlike your certificate program) who wrote me what I guess were effective letters. If classes that will provide the opportunity at Northwestern to get to know professors are open to you, I would prioritize that. If not, there isn't much you can do about it. </p>

<p>As for other schools that address your area of interest, here I don't know a ton. Toronto has some good people working on Russia and democratization in the post-Soviet region. So does Notre Dame. And Emory is a hidden (or not so hidden) gem in Asian politics. These are purely off the top of my head: this is not a part of the field I know much about. You can find other programs by posting on the poli sci board at gradcafe, or by looking to see where people whose work you like are teaching...</p>