Serious/Blunt/Honest Advice Needed

Graduate School
1

<p>I have just completed my BSc (Honours) degree in Social Sciences (concentrations in Political Science and Development Studies).</p>

<p>I would like to teach in the long run and am looking for graduate degrees (in the US or the UK) in history/political history/political science.</p>

<p>I was President of the Publications Society at my college, was in the debate team at high school and at college and represented my uni at several national and international tournaments.</p>

<p>I have worked as a field researcher with the university and the World Bank in Earthquake-hit areas in Pakistan (after the October 2005 earthquake) and am currently employed with the same project. I have conducted research in social network dynamics in those areas.</p>

<p>I'm guaranteed excellent recommendations from my field research supervisors and other instructors.</p>

<p>I intend to take my GRE soon and my diagnostic test results have all exceeded 730.</p>

<p>Here's the catch, my overall GPA is 3.24, and my specialization GPA is 3.5.</p>

<p>What are my chances, in your HONEST opinion, of getting into a good university for a masters or a PhD?</p>

<p>I am from a lower-middle class family in Pakistan and therefore cannot afford to pay exhorbitant fees. Should I give up?</p>

2

<p>I think you still stand a good chance especially with some publications, perfect recommendation letters and solid GRE scores. If your ultimate goal is PhD, you should try to apply directly to PhD programs as you will be most likely funded if admitted. An alternative stepping stone is try getting into a masters program and then go from there.</p>

3

<p>If funding is a serious issue, you may be better off applying to Ph.D programs, masters programs tend not to offer a lot of funding, especially in the kind of fields you're talking about.</p>

4

<p>dudelove,</p>

<p>You have a shot at all of the top 15 political science programs in the English-speaking world.</p>

5

<p>If you want a PhD and wish to teach at american universities, then you need to get your degree at an american university since disertation and degree requirements are different overseas.</p>

<p>you might want to get some research experience before applying, that way you will have an "internship" and research experience.</p>