TTPB, what you described as a racism happens literally in every school and it is basically the result of a professor knowing the education in his country better and therefore trusting more to students from there. The actual reason why you are not accepted to MIT is that top universities (especially MIT and Stanford but Im sure some other schools are involved) have deep networks and communications that make being accepted simultaneously to all top schools impossible. I am accepted to MIT and Caltech but rejected from Stanford and Berkeley, for example. One of my reference providers is even from Stanford and I wasnt accepted there. I am also seeing some posts saying that they are relieved because of being far away from stress and competition. Well, you would take it wholeheartedly if you ARE accepted and assuming that your application is not a YOLO application you also applied to other top schools and the situation is definitely not better there.

TTPB: Have 3 1st author SCI journals and 12 1st authors conference papers (1 flagship top conference in my field where people die to publish) Masters from top university (out side USA) last year. I know my field very well and had more than 60 video lectures in YouTube with millions of views. Yes I am verifiable, knowledgable, and proven researcher but it is MIT, where networking and nepotism are at its best. My recommenders gave me super strong letters but since MIT profs are crooked, do they actually value a strong recommender who they do not know? The answer is no- I think. But I have been accepted in another top school, so it does not matter. But unfortunately networking, and many Iranian and Chinese MIT POIs prefer to accept someone with degree from their own country's universities. Seriously? Racism is at its best in academia.

Will continue as PhD. Several first-author pubs in top conferences. Fine GPA. As more and more people have papers, papers won't guarentee that one will be admitted. Therefore, papers, GPA and recs from US profs are all very important. Best of luck to next year applicants!

Maybe I should start looking for a job

Dream school, but not unexpected. Congrats to all those admitted! 2a/0w/4r/5p

Flawed candidate. OK GRE, bad GPA, hoped mediocre JD+ ~5y full-time nonpartisan law/policy research (& nat'l exposure) would've made a difference. Nope. 3r/1p for PhD, 3p for MPP.

1a/1w/4r/4p Jeesh, tough crowd. Congrats to those admitted :)

2a/1w/4r/3p

IR 2a/4r/0w/7p

Standard email, CP subfield. Congrats to those admitted!

IR 3a/3r/0w/4p

Expected and disappointed

cp