Getting a Ph.D.

I wasn't so sure about Dan Drezner's first list of dos and don'ts for those who want to pursue a Ph.D. (e.g. go ahead and email professors) but this second list is spot on. It is really hard to get into good Ph.D. programs. As someone administering one of the terminal Master's degrees he mentions (in my case it is Latin American Studies) I am experiencing these issues firsthand with my students who are applying to Ph.D. programs. I am also convinced that getting our MA was essential for them getting accepted into those programs.

And yes, publish, publish, publish. I talk about this with my Ph.D.-leaning MA students. You need to start thinking like a professor in that regard as early as possible. Incidentally, it is also incumbent on professors to socialize the students they advise in this regard, and also to co-author with those students as a way to teach them how it's done.