Political Science Grad Schools

Graduate School
1

<p>I've been looking into grad schools for political science. I am a freshmen and I know I have time, but I want to stay on top of it. (when I was in high school I was not until one day I woke up and realized I had no idea where I wanted to go, luckily it worked out), College is proving to be simultaneously easier and harder than I expected. Though I grasp all the material better than I did in high school, grading is a lot more nit-picky (And I really mean nit-picky). This semester I'll probably end up somewhere in the 3.1-3.3 range. I am at UW Madison. I've gotten involved by writing an editorial column for the herald (our newspaper), becoming a DJ for WSUM (our radio station) and doing a little research for one of my professors. I've been researching grad programs, and here are some I might be thinking about (Some are MA programs, some are PhD):
New School
CUNY
University of Washington (although that might be a little stretch)
University of Montana
Saint John's
USF
San Fransisco State
Depaul
UIC
UC Davis
Sacramento State</p>

<p>Regionally I am geared towards the New York, Chicago and Seattle areas, and the Northern California region. Montana is a definite exception, but I've been to Missoula and I love it. What should I do to get on track? Which programs would I be a good fit for? What is a good research source for all of these questions?</p>

<p>thanks very much.</p>

2

<p>Picking graduate programs based on location is an excellent way to get rejected. You choose based on research fit, not where you’d like to be. </p>

<p>Since you’re only a freshman, I’m doubtful you have a firm grasp of what you’d like to focus on in your research. The best things to do at this point are maintaining a good GPA and gaining research and/or appropriate intern experience.</p>