<p>I have a 3.3-3.4 GPA and I plan on applying to Phds @ Hopkins, Stanford, Vanderbilt and Duke. I'm a Romanian citizen and I have been studying Law in Spain for the last 4 years which is why my GPA isn't that impressive ( the language barrier ). I was wondering:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>does it make sense to apply if i dont meet the gpa requirments? can i prove that im a good candidate with my gre, toefl scores and my extra-curricular activities?</p></li>
<li><p>how important is the SOP and how much of yourself should you reveal in it? can a convincing sop get you in?</p></li>
<li><p>is it better that teachers recommend you or ex-employers and staff you've been working with in different occasions? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>im pretty nervous about my gpa but i was hoping i can get in with a good gre and some pretty fancy letters of rec. what do you think?</p>
<p>The Ph.D is a research degree; therefore, recommendations from professors are important because they can attest to your research ability in a way that employer-type recommendations cannot.</p>
<p>We don’t do a lot of research in Europe during Undergrad. I guess most of my teachers would say I’m a fast learner but they can’t really asses my research capabilities. On the other hand, i have a recommendation from an embassy, another public institution in Romania, a newspaper… do those count?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Short answer: no. Long answer: only if you are really close. If the GPA requirement is a 3.5 and you have a 3.45, plus a really outstanding package in other ways, then I might apply. But extra-curriculars don’t count unless they are research experiences.</p></li>
<li><p>Very important. An SOP is like an academic cover letter; in it, you discuss your reasons for undertaking graduate study in the field, why you are well-prepared for graduate study in your field, and what you plan to do with the PhD. A convincing SOP on its own cannot get you into graduate school; you have to have the appropriate preparation, strong recommendation letters, and strong research experiences. It’s a holistic and competitive process, so everything in your file needs to be strong. But a weak one can keep you out.</p></li>
<li><p>Professors. Graduate admissions committees are interested in whether or not you will succeed in undertaking a PhD in political science. People who do not have PhDs cannot comment on that, because they haven’t done it. People who do not do research cannot comment on your research abilities, because they don’t do it and you don’t do it for them. Conversely, graduate admissions committees are not really interested in whether or not you can do the corporate grind well.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>It’s okay to have perhaps one employee recommendation IF you are doing work there that is related to scientific inquiry in your field. Let’s say that for your political science PhD, you are interested in doing research on consular affairs and embassies. Then the recommendation from the embassy may help. Sometimes a politically-related employer may make a good supplemental recommendation - you can get three recommendations from professors, and then if your school will accept a fourth one, a fourth one from your most important employer. The recommendation from the newspaper will not mean anything.</p>
<p>If you didn’t do any research in undergrad, then your chances of getting admitted to a competitive political science PhD program are slim. Consider applying for some MA programs and getting research experience first.</p>
<p>thank you for your answer. i guess i should consider applying to some non-ivy schools and do some research this summer. also, i’m kinda in between polisci and sociology, i’m equally attracted to both fields and i have questions and enthusiasm for both. how should i chose? should i apply to both? is it easier to get in a sociology grad program or u’d say they’re equally competitive? also, can someone name some non-ivy’s that offer funding during graduate even for internationals?</p>