<p>I will be starting at Duke University next year. I am interested in their Public Policy program and may major in it instead of Poli Sci. </p>
<p>Public Policy is interdisciplinary and involves a lot of Poli Sci... so could I possible go into a Poli Sci PhD program out of it?</p>
<p>Also, what type of GPA and such should a shoot for if I really wanted to try and get into a top PhD program in Poli Sci or a related field? (Top 25)(Top 10) etc.</p>
<p>Any EC worthwhile? I'm guessing research could help a decent amount... anything else?</p>
<p>I'm sure you have had similar questions MANY times so thanks with bearin with me!</p>
<p>i am also wondering the same thing as i am applying this fall to phd and masters programs for poli sci. i was also wondering what a solid gpa for applying to top poli schools phd programs would look like.</p>
<p>I'm getting a PhD in poli sci at a top five program. I had a little over a 3.6 in undergrad, but my school didn't have high grade inflation and my grades got much better over the years -- 3.9 my senior year.</p>
<p>ECs aren't so much important. If you want to do something that involves other countries, traveling a lot will help. Research is key. Research with a prof is really great, if you can get it. I also think that work experience is pretty crucial -- this will help buffer doubts about your academic performance if you were borderline. This can come via internships or after college work.</p>
<p>Also, I personally think that there's almost no way that a 21 year old knows that they want to get a phd -- much less a high school kid. I didn't know until I worked for awhile. The people who are most likely to drop out of my program right now are the people who came straight out. </p>
<p>Oh, and a major in policy will be fine. One of my friends majored in physics in college. Another majored in engineering.</p>
<p>Yup well... I'm definitely not sure that I want to get a PhD... but I would love to be a professor and I just want to get a cursory understanding before I embark into the world of college. I just want to leave as many doors open as possible: PhD? Law? Business? Workforce? </p>
<p>I believe you can apply for a political science PhD program from a public policy major, provided that you have taken a reasonable number of poli sci classes. It would also help tremendously if you could participate in research -- even just writing a senior thesis. If you do pursue this path, you should check out an article by Suzanne Mettler and Joe Soss called "The Consequences of Public Policy for Democratic Citizenship: Bridging Policy Studies and Mass Politics." They write that political scientists should pay more attention to how public policy influences the public's perception of politics, concluding with the argument that political scientists and public policy students should work together on these questions. I believe you could make a similar case for your own application -- that your studies of public policy provide a good background for poli sci research.</p>
<p>That's my advice assuming that you don't change your mind, but I agree with the other posters -- think about your first year college right now! I thought I knew what I wanted to do my first year, but I had completely changed my mind by my senior year. The most important thing is to get good grades in whatever you study, so that you have a strong GPA for whatever you decide to do.</p>