<p>I am currently attending UCSB as a political science major. For years I was contemplating going to law school. However, recently, I have had a change of heart and thought I should go to graduate school for political science. This change in direction has left me worried. I do not know anything about the graduate school standards for accepting students. I have looked at students who are political science Ph.D students who have done extraordinary things to get into graduate school. I feel like I need to do something to the extent of bringing peace among the Israelis and Arabs in order to get into graduate school. How realistic is my interpretation of graduate school admission (ignoring my obvious hyperbolic example)?</p>
<p>I have had many personal struggles that has left my GPA in shambles. If I am able to work things out like I plan, I am going to double major in political science and history. My GPA at UCSB will hopefully be in the upper 3s. My GPA at my community college was around a 3.0.</p>
<p>Considering this, what do I need to do get into a graduate school? How are the demands perceived with each school? Are the demands obvious for MIT, NYU or Berkeley? How are the demands for lower ranked graduate schools?</p>
<p>First, ask your professors about your qualifications and appropriate programs for you. We don't have very many poly sci people on these boards. There have been previous threads so you might want to search on them to see if they hold answers to your questions. Then come back with more specific questions.</p>
<p>Departments vary in what they look at, but all do a quick cut of the files based on GRE scores, GPA, and who wrote your letters (and how strong those letters are). A very strong GRE score (over 700 on both parts) will get your application a good look most places, and then the letters come in to play. If you can get letters from prominent people at UCSB - whether from a course you have taken, doing summer research with them, etc. - that will help your cause. In addition, you need a clear idea of what you plan to work on in grad school, because fit matters - for example, MIT and NYU are VERY different departments in terms of how they approach political science...</p>
<p>I think that doing an MA is a good strategy when one's undergrad record isn't as strong as it could be - it gives you a chance to build a strong academic record, get to know some professors, and improve your chances of admission to PhD programs. The downside is the cost... but maybe it is an option worth considering.</p>