Ivy Schools in US for PhD

Tupamaros

Hi Folks,

Just curious, has anyone here gone to an Ivy school for a PhD in the US, or know of anyone who has done so? I heard recently from an American, probably perception over fact, but they think Ivy schools like to see Europeans coming to them and therefore it's not as hard to get in as one would think. Obviously it would have to be funded given the cost. I'm into political science by the way! Just interested to know any people's thoughts:)

avalon68

The ivy league schools phd programmes are pretty multicultural, however, that said, they are extremely competitive to get into. Only a tiny fraction of applicants get a place. If you have good grades, some publications, lots of extracurricular activities then it won't hurt to apply. Interviews have already been held for the class starting 2012 though, so you would be looking to apply for 2013.

dambarude

How does funding work for postgrads in US colleges? Is it much the same as undergrads - i.e. that you're left with a mini-mortgage afterwards?

avalon68

That might depend on the field, but in the sciences students receive a stipend. They do take classes during the phd, but I don't think there are fees for those.

gutenberg

Tupamaros wrote: »

Hi Folks,

Just curious, has anyone here gone to an Ivy school for a PhD in the US, or know of anyone who has done so? I heard recently from an American, probably perception over fact, but they think Ivy schools like to see Europeans coming to them and therefore it's not as hard to get in as one would think. Obviously it would have to be funded given the cost. I'm into political science by the way! Just interested to know any people's thoughts:)

Most if not all of the Ivy League schools' graduate programmes include a funding package if you're accepted - though check this carefully, as some don't fund you for the 'writing-up' year of your PhD, and you'd have to find outside fellowships etc.

Also bear in mind that American PhDs take a LOT longer than British/Irish ones. They include a coursework element that is hard to get out of; some will allow you to reduce the coursework element if you already have a Masters, but you won't be able to get out of it entirely; this could be frustrating if you've already done a B.A/Masters. I remember looking at stats which said the average humanities PhD (including coursework) took SEVEN YEARS at Yale!! That's an awful long time...

Also, I wouldn't believe any stories that say it's easier for Europeans/non-Americans to get in. These schools are hyper-competitive and attract students from all over the world, so I don't think Europeans enjoy any kind of advantage- at the end of the day, they want the very best, regardless of where they're from.

southsiderosie

Tupamaros wrote: »

Hi Folks,

Just curious, has anyone here gone to an Ivy school for a PhD in the US, or know of anyone who has done so? I heard recently from an American, probably perception over fact, but they think Ivy schools like to see Europeans coming to them and therefore it's not as hard to get in as one would think. Obviously it would have to be funded given the cost. I'm into political science by the way! Just interested to know any people's thoughts:)

Top tier programs will fund you, and I would not recommend going if you do not have a full 5-6 year funding package (tuition and stipend). This is especially critical if you are not a U.S. citizen, because your access to certain outside grants and fellowships will be restricted.

I don't think being European makes a difference. Schools generally take the best applicants, regardless of where they are from; for example, at MIT (an Ivy equivalent), many of the engineering departments' PhD students are predominately international students.

If you are into political science, I would note that most American political science departments today are very quantitative, so a good background in math is critical. You don't need academic publications or anything, and some departments more than others will look favorably on work experience.

As another poster noted, your first two years will be classwork. Some programs will grant a MA at this point, others won't. On average, most people do coursework for years 1-2, year 3 they write their prospectus and apply for research grants, year 4-5 you do your original research, and in years 6-7 you write it up. If you do primarily quantitative work, this timeline may be shorter, but you will still spend a lot of time either building your own dataset or trying to do something original with existing data. So this is something to think about: US PhD programs are a lot more time consuming than in Europe.

HavingCrack

It's worth having a look at the Canadian universities also-they have a more European flavour to their PhD programmes and generally only take 3-4 years as opposed to the 5-7 more common in the US. McGill, University of Toronto and to a lesser extent the University of British Colombia are all up there with a lot of the top US universities. Funding is also a lot easier to come by from what I've discovered (this probably varies by subject however). Compared to Brown or Dartmouth or even Cornell I'd actually rank McGill and U of T as better universities.

However the most important thing as a PhD student is not the reputation of the university-it's your supervisor and your funding. Everything else is very much secondary.

[Jackass]

Very broadly speaking, it is easier for international students to get into certain courses than domestic students.

There are a vast number of reasons for this, extra funding, prestige for a university in attracting international students etc., but broadly speaking I would believe it to be true.

dyl10

International applicants have a good chance in the US universities but I would disagree with the poster who said we are more desirable than domestic applicants. Our tuition fees are generally higher, as we are 'out of state' and seeing as Ireland is a relatively rich country, we don't fall into any 'developing country' funding.

Generally, you are unlikely to get a 4 year package. 1-2 years of funding is a good offer and what you should hope to get, a 4 year package is a great achievement and not many will be distributed by each department.

For the top universities, expect to have three very good referees (who may know or are known by the faculty in the department you are applying to), good grades, good GREs (1250-1300 in the old system at least) and a good thesis/research background.

You are more competitive as an international student at a worse school as they care about increasing their international mix. Being a native English speaker is a big asset to have on your side (presuming you can write well)

boomtown123

anybody have any notion of where to look for a studentship in the US?

dyl10

Departments and universities usually their own funding in the US. Contact the school you're interested in, introduce yourself and ask about funding possibilities and your suitability.