Looking for some mid tier qualitative PhD programs! Suggestions/help appreciated!

[Helixxenos]

Hello fellow sociologists, 

 

I will be applying to various sociology graduate programs this coming fall. My interests are-- by far and wide--qualitative. I don't know my chances of getting into the top schools but I will be applying to some regardless, as well as, applying to some mid tier and "safety schools". If it helps, more specifically than qualitative methods, I am interested in ethnography, cultural sociology, environment, technology, and knowledge.

 

Currently my list of schools is as follows:

Top tier-

University of Wisconsin-Madison

UC Berkeley

Northwestern

UCLA

 

Mid tier-

UT Austin

NYU

Yale

???

 

Safety-

Texas A&M

Washington State University

CU-Boulder

University of Oregon

 

 

I am not sure if my mid tier and "safety school" selections truly fit into the categories I am putting them in. I want to be sure I apply to a range of schools with strong qualitative programs. Could anyone suggest some strongly qualitative programs that I should look into? Again, I think I need to confirm and/or adjust the mid tier selections. I can provide more info if need be (I would be happy to do so since you would be helping me out). Thanks in advance for any help y'all can provide!

 

[Anonymona]

Just from the way I'm constructing my own list, I consider Yale and NYU top-tier programs. I don't know as much about UT Austin, but I've heard it's a great program. Both Yale and NYU are ranked in the top 20, and have acceptance rates at or below 7% (based on the stats I've been able to dig up), so they're just as competitive as schools in the top 10. They also seem very well regarded with incredibly accomplished faculty. I'm sure some might disagree with me, but that's just how I'm going about constructing my list.

 

Have you consulted the ASA Guide to Graduate Departments of Sociology? If you have access to a college library, they might have a copy. They list departments with strong tech, knowledge, and environmental programs. It might be a good way to target your search. Good luck!

[Whatishistoryanyway]

The schools you have listed as mid-tier are definitely not that. I'm pretty sure NYU is even more competitive than some programs in the top ten. Also, there's no such thing as a safety school. The schools you have listed aren't going to accept any and everyone with good numbers on their application. Although they may not be ranked as high, they still want quality applicants. With that being said, it's all about fit. I'm not sure anyone can give you any advice without knowing more about your interests. An interest in X field can land you an acceptance at Northwestern and a rejection from Boulder. 

[strategicallyessential]

To add some more anecdotal evidence to this idea that there is no such thing as a safety school: I've watched a handful of people go through this process and I know multiple people who have been accepted at only one school out of the eight or nine they applied to--and the one school was ranked as one of the top schools in their field. 

 

That said, I do think it's a good idea to pay attention to acceptance rates, average stats (if they publish them), and--of course--fit. Just because this process often appears to defy logic doesn't mean you can't tailor your list. I just don't think you can use the framework of top and middle tier / safety. Maybe if you wrote a bit more about your interests some of the veterans floating around could direct you to relevant programs?

[breaks0]

If we're using the US News rankings, top tier, agreed, is probably top 20 schools, more or less. You do well there and get strong pro references and some published work, and you have as good a chance getting a tenure track job when you finish as anyone in the county. I think of mid-ier as in the 20s and (maybe 30s), below that is relatively low. The point about acceptance rates is good too. Oregon, at least according to their website for example, I think only expects an incoming class of 6 or so/year. And I believe that's out of 200-odd applicants/year. I wanna go there too, but w/those numbers the odds are still very long so I don't think that's a safety school.

[lyrehc]

What about Colorado State University, University of Delaware, or Oklahoma State University?  If you have an interest in the environment those three schools are leading programs in disaster sociology which has a lot of potential for future jobs.

[Helixxenos]

Thanks for all of your responses. I can see what y'all mean about there being no such thing as a safety school. I have much to think about.