I truly hope you can give me some kind of indication regarding my forthcoming applications to Political Science PhD programs.

I just took the GRE today. After practicing a lot, I did MUCH lower than my practice tests indicate I would (I had some test anxiety and ran out of time in the verbal). During practice, I consistently got 650-680 in verbal. But here are my actual GRE scores as of today:

690 Quant
580 Verbal
6.0 Analytical (don’t know for sure yet, but have taken the GRE twice way in the past and always get a 6)

Undergrad: University of Michigan (Political Science and Modern Western European Studies) - 3.86 GPA, High Distinction

Grad: M.A. from George Washington University in Political Management - 3.73 GPA

More Grad: teaching certificate from Pace University in adolescent education - 3.74 GPA

I have been teaching AP Government and Economics at a high school in Brooklyn for a few years through Teach for America

I have four additional years of work experience in the field of campaign politics in Washington, DC for prominent politicians.

I have some experience doing academic research in political science (worked for a few professors).

I have lined up three excellent recommendation letters from academic-types in political science.

I wish to apply to:
1) Yale
2) Columbia
3) NYU
4) Stony Brook
5) New School
6) CUNY
7) Fordham

Any thoughts? I can take the GRE again one more time–in November–before applications are due. While I feel I could score up to 60-100 points better in verbal, I’m not sure what to do.

Do I have a chance to get into those schools? Thanks.

Matt

Matt
Your credentials are excellent. If you are confident of raising your score than do take GRE again.
You should sail through

Good Luck
NBS

GRE(1st attempt):
quant: 750/800
Verbal 410/800
AWA not reported
Toefl: Not yet taken

Projects/Research
experience:
1. 1st place for design of “Radio controlled metal detector” at state level in the year 2005.
2. Designed an antenna with my Prof at Indian Institute of Astrophysics for Radio telescope application.
3. Designed low cost Amperometric Biosensors.
4. Publication of a paper pending.
5. Currently working in a govt Defense lab working on another project related to electromagnetics.

LOR: Can get it from scientists at Defence lab I am working in and from my college professors.

Field of Interest: Electrical Engineering-Electromagnetics

Kindly let me know if I can get into good universities with my current GRE score. I am particularly concerned about my
Verbal score. I did read your blog about getting into universities with low GRE score. But, Sir, kindly let me know if 410 in verbal is low or medium for Electronics stream.
I checked with one of the Ivy league institutes-Georgia Tech, which had a cut off verbal score of 400 and an average of 540.
I am not particular about retaking the GRE for I am not very sure of improving in Verbal.
I am planning to join for the fall 2010 term.
With the above profile can I target top 20 colleges in my stream.
Thanking you for this forum.

Seema
With your credentials I would have retaken GRE and tried for top 10 schools. There is an article in this blog suggesting situations when you should retake GRE. Please read it.
If you are confident that your GRE Q score will not come down in your second attempt please retake the test.
Good Luck
NBS

Ajit
There are two articles in this blog which can help you :
‘European MBA Programs with a GMAT Waiver or MBA without GMAT’
and ‘Business Programs with a GMAT Waiver Or MBA without GMAT’
Some of these schools offer PhD with finance specialization.
Good Luck
NBS

Tarun
Getting admission depends on several factors especially for a PhD program. These have been brought out several times in my earlier posts.
While your academics seem to be honorable you lack research experience which a PhD candidate is expected to have.
If you want to apply to the schools you have mentioned I suggest that you spend the next two years to develop your profile.
1.Spend time on academic research on which you want to work further for your PhD thesis.
2.Write some papers on the subject you want to further work on. Try publishing these papers and if that is not possible get peer reviews.
3.Contact professors who are doing research in the same subject at the schools of your interest.

Good Luck
NBS

Sriniv
In my view your GPA is low for Rice University.However you may slide through if your GRE is strong.
If your GPA for the last 2 semesters is above 3.5 and if your experience is in the same field you may try.
Good Luck
NBS

Anand

Good Chance
Univ of Florida, Gainsville
U of Connecticut
U of Tennessee, Knox
Clemson U
U of Suny-Buffalo
Reasonable Chance
U of Minnesota, Twin Cities
U of Maryland, College Park
U of Washington
U of Wisconsin Madison

Good Luck
NBS

The fact is that I already hold an MBA, with specialization in Finance. Also I’m a Mechanical Engineering Graduate from an engineering college of repute in India.

Now to further my education I want to pursue a Masters in Finance (or related courses) from a school outside India. I currently have a work-ex. of 16 months in a major firm in India in the field of strategy formulation.

My Credentials are -
B.E.(Punjab Engg. College) - 64%
MBA (UBS, Chandigarh) - 61%
GMAT - 680(Q50 V36)
TOEFL - 105
CAT(if it can help) - 99.37 pt
Currently Enrolled for CFA - LEVEL 1

Strong credentials in Maths throughout accompanied with a teaching experience of Mathematics as well as a couple of projects in the said field.

I have a few universities in mind, which do not require work-ex. as a pre-requisite but generally have an inclination for high GMAT scores(in the range 710 or above).

Courses I am aspiring for -

MFE - Oxford University
M.Fin. - Princeton University
M.Fin. - LBS
MFE - Berkeley, Haas

The thing here is that I do not want to have a collection of second-rung schools in my profile all my life. I want to make it big this time or try again with a better profile later.

I need your opinion in this concern that what are the odds in favor of me making it to the above said courses. And if you think things can be worked out, I think its time to take a flight with the application process.

Eagerly awaiting your reply.

Shekhar Dutt.

Here are my stats:

-BA, UCLA, MAJ International Relations, MIN Arabic and Islamic Studies

-CUM GPA: 3.7. MAJ GPA: 3.8. MIN GPA: 3.85

-GRE: 760V/640Q

-4 internships in policy sector. Currently working/studying in Amman, Jordan.

-Published in the UCLA Aleph research journal. Set to be published further in my current internship.

-Fluent in Spanish, proficient in Arabic

-A unique applicant, with international experience living abroad in 5 countries.

I will be applying to:

1) Harvard Kennedy School of Government
2) Columbia SIPA
3) MIT Security Studies Program
4) Johns Hopkins SAIS
5) Tufts
6) Georgetown
7) Monterrey Institute of International Studies

So what do you think? Do I stand a chance? I sincerely appreciate your advice.

Joseph

would appreciate it if you could clarify my doubts.