readyforachange

With respect to ND, the faculty want to get a sense of who you are, how you'll fit into the program, and the things that interest and excite you. It sounds a bit daunting, but seriously be yourself. You don't have to have a straight up research agenda coming in, especially, especially from undergrad, bc your interests are going to change and grow through coursework and being exposed to different material. On Thursday night, you'll meet with grad students and a local bar. This is low key, but might be a good place for you to practice or get a sense of what will happen on Friday. The grad students are pretty tuned into the department and faculty members (as well as their quirks), and will ask questions similar to what you might experience on Friday. Why sociology? What about a particular subfield interests you? How did you decide to come to graduate school? There will be a lot of time to talk with grad students throughout the visit (at Brothers, throughout Friday informally or during sub-field sessions, Friday at the party), but be sure to ask questions! And, if you forget to ask something or think of it later, e-mail grad students or faculty. I found everyone to be helpful, particularly when it comes down to making a final decision (if you are admitted). You don't necessarily need to dress up, and I would say piercings and whatnot are okay. There are definitely, definitely conservative aspects about the university - too many to list here - but piercings have been fine (nose rings, studs, Monroes, labret, etc) in the department. Wear comfortable shoes you can walk around in. Events might take you from one side of the university to the other, and the campus is really big. After the visit, the faculty and grad students report on the recruits they spent a lot of time with - this goes back to the ad com before they make final decisions. I think a high proportion of people who attended the recruitment weekend were offered admission, figuring some would accept other offers. I think there were around 12 in this last cohort who enrolled last fall.

Notre Dame, Emory

Some sections complete their reviews earlier than others. I believe March 18 is the deadline to get reviews in, so you have a little more time. I would definitely hold off on contacting the session organizers until then.

It's not a straight-out acceptance. My understanding is that the visit is not only to get more information about the program, see the area, etc., but even more so for the faculty and grad students to get to know you and see how you'd fit in the program

Notre Dame. The sociology department has ties with political science (some jointly appointed faculty I believe), as well as the Center for the Study of Social Movements and Change, and the Interdisciplinary Center for Network Science and Applications. Mobilization is edited at ND, with Rory McVeigh, who is also the sociology department chair, as editor.

One thing to be aware of with River Park is that there are so, so many homes for sale there... think about resale - how many homes will may compete with in the area when you do sell (driving down prices), as well as how many of your neighbors will most likely be renters (which may also affect home values). That's one big reason why I didn't purchase my home in RP

I agree with above. Be formal until told otherwise. At my last grad program, all but one faculty member went by Dr. X (and the only time you could call them by their first names was after you had defended your dissertation), but in my current one, everyone goes by their first name. The latter definitely took some getting used to, and I only started using first names after my DGS specifically told me to not be formal.

Last year, first-round acceptances and rejections went out at the same time. Others were in a 'holding round,' mostly waiting for those accepted to reject. From my understanding, first-round acceptances have already gone out, as recruitment is scheduled for March 5. You may hear more closer to and after that date.

I can only speak to the last item you posted... as far as pet-friendly housing, there definitely are some apartment complexes you can look into that take pets - Indian Lakes is the one big one that DOES NOT take pets, but others like Regency Club, Candlewood, Remington Court, Runaway Bay, etc. do (these are all in Mishawaka, which is east of South Bend and about a 10-15 minute (max) drive to campus). In terms of buying homes, there are some good programs for low-income homebuyers in the area (and seeing as we're grad students, we fit the bill!), and housing prices are relatively cheap. Look into the REWARD and 80/20 program through the Community Homebuyers Corporation if you are interested in purchasing a home (Nancy at 574-235-5848 will get you the initial application). If you meet the qualifications and complete the requirements for the REWARD program, you can earn a $1000 grant to put toward closing costs. And depending on your income at ND, the 80/20 program will pay off up to 20% of your mortgage (after meeting the requirements like making on-time payments and attending housing classes). A number of first years in my current program are going through / have gone through this process.

Go to this link: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/FOTWWebApp/fotw1011/WorksheetServlet?locale=en_US&wstype=WSDEP and it will tell you if you are considered independent or dependent. Since you will be beginning a graduate program, though, the FAFSA will consider you an independent - which would mean you would not use your father's information to fill out the FAFSA. Basically, you'll fill out the form with all of your information and then at the end you can choose to send it to different schools - usually all of the ones to which you've applied. You will be able to look up the school codes then (at the end of the FAFSA) and it will automatically be sent to each school. Hope this helps clarify!

I think the biggest impact it has is on the initial weeding out process in determining which applications to just reject right off the bat. There is a cutoff somewhere, and GRE scores provide an easier way of doing it. However, there is some hope: when I applied last year, one program scheduled a phone interview with me to discuss my 'abnormally low verbal GRE score' compared to other parts of my application. Thankfully they gave me the opportunity (and thankful my quant score brought up my GRE as a whole). I didn't address my scores in my SOP but some suggest to do just that.

I applied there last year, and there were three separate things filled out on the online application: Application for Admission Office of Residential Services (to live on campus) Scholarship Application (which I filled out and submitted approximately 1.5 months after my application for admission) I know the Scholarship Application was not there when I initially applied for admission - perhaps I received an e-mail or notification it was available. I submitted it 1/21 last year, so perhaps they have not put it up online yet.

No - don't wait to get accepted. Fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible and have it sent to all schools to which you've applied. Many schools have early FAFSA deadlines for full consideration of awards, and it's best to meet these deadlines (some of them are even due as early as February). If you're planning on deferring, I still don't think it would hurt to fill out a FAFSA. It's free and only takes a bit of your time. This way, once you've filled it out this year, you will know what your expected family contribution is, and potential financial aid packages from the schools of your accepted programs. Look at it this way: if you plan to defer and fill out the FAFSA, you will have a whole year to look and apply for outside funding if you feel your program and school packages aren't enough. Basically, it all comes down to planning and knowing what your options are/could be. Good luck!

I am so glad and thankful I have my dog and brought him with me!! The first semester of a PhD program in a state I've never lived in and don't have any family close by... he's been my saving grace. Coming to the midwest and living on my own for the first time (I've always had roommates) was difficult, but it would have been so much worse if I didn't bring my pup. Having my pet is also a nice excuse to get away from the office for a few hours, set time limits for the library or try to get your academic life on a somewhat 'normal' schedule. The only difficulty I've found is in finding someone to watch him while I go out of town to visit family or go to conferences. However, having a cat is probably easier in that respect since they tend to be more self sufficient. My vote - BRING YOUR PET!! If he/she makes you happy now, you'll be 10x happier he/she is with you after the big move.

I just started a PhD program at a Catholic university, and this issue was something I was also concerned about. There is a religious tone to my program in general because religion is one of the main strengths - and many of those in this subfield are more religious than others. That being said - when I went to the admitted students weekend, I asked a lot of questions about religion, the role it plays in the program and where the grad students fit in with it. Talk with the people who are there, perhaps those you feel comfortable asking (if you have that opportunity) to get a sense of what goes on. When I got here, I found a niche of students who were agnostic, atheist or did not care if I was religious or not - and those are the people I've become close to. There is a clique of students who are more religious than others, and while I interact with them, I do not tell them I went out the previous Friday drinking and dancing with my friends (there has been talk of 'gossip' starting among this clique about others' extracurricular activities). At the same time, I still am faced with some aspects of religion in my daily life, but I'm coming to accept certain things. Like another poster mentioned, there is a crucifix in every classroom instead of a clock. We pray before every departmental meal. I have to 'work the system' to receive care for reproductive health issues. But on the whole, it's really been okay (for me anyway).