Political Science Graduate School Admission Results

Always look on the bright side of life!

It's a bummer to be rejected because whether or not we all buy the criterion, Columbia is a "top" program. The implication is that those of us who are rejected don't deserve to be "at the top." But look (and this is response to the mini-fight below): some of us react by defending our own records (which we are fully aware, in many cases, are comparable to those admitted), and some of us react (whether admitted or accepted) by attacking those who become defensive (becoming, therefore, a defense of the system, no?). To me the bottom line is that it's an incredible competitive process, it's a mix of both aptitude and crapshoot, and those who recognize it (on either side of where the chips fall) may well be the wiser and the happier. I almost regret posting this long a message for Columbia, as it adds to the mystique (sorry, Columbia peoples) of an acceptance or rejection, and as I am, personally, completely thrilled to accept the great offer I've been offered elsewhere. Frankly, I'll look forward, in the next 5 years or so, to meeting my peers-- both in the conference and placement process-- from a wide variety of programs.

It's also an incredibly abstract process. Plenty of people applied to Columbia with very high GREs and GPAs but were still rejected. Good numbers will never guarantee admission. I imagine nobody who was accepted to Columbia (or Chicago, or Princeton, or Harvard) was confident of getting in.

Full funding.

not exactly a surprise..

via USPS - letter dated March 4, 2008.

Accepted via the status checker on the website. Letter is in the mail. No mention of money yet.

I had emailed Kathy previously, and she was gracious enough to let me know I had been rejected.

Happy Valentine's Day

Great News

Bummer

Directed to website for the rejection.

Was a bit surprised at this one.

Clearly not fans of my proposed thesis topic.

Expected