<p>Hi all,
I'm a senior graduating this August from (supposedly) tier 2 school. I have a 3.7 institution a 3.79 overall (the +, - system is the bain of my existence). I'm planning on my gpa going up, but only incrementally. I have a feeling admissions won't care, but I'm graduating 2 years ahead of time since I started college in high school.
Anyways I could really use your help because I'm a first gen college student, and know exactly zero people aside from my professors who went to grad school.
I'm wondering what kind of programs I can look into with my stats, resume, and plan to pad my application.
This year I was planning on post-baccing stats I & II, as well as some graduate courses to get to know my professors better (for letters of recommendation) and to have some nice, long writing samples. I'm also planning on volunteering at a local start-up library and doing grant-writing for them.
I firmly believe that I can score in the upper percentiles of the GRE. I'd shoot for 99th but a more realistic (but still lofty) goal is 90th. Given the information I've provided could I have a shot at getting into a good nyc/dc/east coast program with funding? I'm planning on a fall 2013 application.
I could use (and will take) any advice offered.
P.S. sorry for any typos I'm on my phone.</p>
<p>Your GPA is plenty fine. Volunteering and grant-writing will count for not much. Graduate courses and writing samples will be much more important. You should also develop a research direction of interest - it doesn’t need to be laser-focused at this point, but you should know, broadly, what you want to study as a graduate student. Where you apply to should be tailored to that interest - different programs and professors have different areas of strength.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input! That’s comforting… it’s just here’s a list of the type of school I’d like to go:
Columbia (dream school)
NYU
Georgetown
GU
American U
The New School
UCLA
Stanford
CUNY
But, I’m trying to be realistic…
Would anyone have a suggestion of how I could get some research experience in? I have research interests in organization theory, IR, and political theory.
Thanks.</p>
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<p>I disagree that the grant-writing won’t count for much - normally extracurriculars like volunteering don’t really count, but grant-writing is an important skill for graduate school, especially in a social science field.</p>
<p>Your GPA is fine and your GRE scores will be fine if you score where you expect, but do know that there’s no real way to estimate your “chances.” Graduate school admissions are holistic and GPA and GRE are often just markers, hurdles to get over - what they are really interested in are your research experiences, letters of recommendation, and your personal statement.</p>
<p>Ask your professors if they need a research assistant. You may also be able to get paid work as a research associate at a think tank or government agency, but only after you finish with your BA.</p>
<p>Careful with the New School, CUNY, and DC schools. Funding is very limited to absent at those places. Your other choices are all incredibly competitive for admissions, and I would talk to your professors about some other options based on a more specific version of your research interests. It looks like you are only considering schools in NY, DC, and California, which really limits your options. Assuming your test scores are in the 90+ percentile, your application’s chances rest entirely on the research statement and recommendation letters, and your ability to make a case that your interests fit into the departments to which you are applying. That’s where I would focus my efforts.</p>
<p>Thanks, guys. I feel less lost and know more where to focus now. I’ll expand my school list too. </p>
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