niabi

Thank you all so much for the comments!!! I really really appreciate the help.

Hello all, I will be applying to graduate school this fall and was hoping to solicit some advice from this very helpful community. The background: I entered undergrad interested in studying politics. Unfortunately, I simplistically assumed that political science was the only way to go about doing that. I ended up majoring in history and political science, not realizing until I was writing my senior thesis (on the 2012 Quebec student movement) that political sociology was my true intellectual home. My qualifications: I did reasonably well in undergrad. I was at a top 15 university and graduated cum laude, phi beta kappa, and received various awards including a prize for the "most distinguished honors thesis in political science." I also have a number of great recommenders lined up. However, none are sociology professors (1 is history, 2 or 3 are polisci). The question: How problematic is it that I want to apply to sociology graduate programs, but don't have any sociology professors lined up to write me a letter of recommendation? Should I ditch the sociology grad school idea and just look for polisci programs that are good fits? Is there a way to mitigate this disadvantage somehow? tl;dr I majored in political science and history as an undergrad, want to switch to sociology for grad school. Have great letters of rec from polisci and history profs, but none from sociology profs. How problematic will this be? What can I do about it? Thanks in advance for any help!

I'm graduating this year, and just got an email "congratulating" me on my "election to Phi Beta Kappa." Is this real/worth it? The wiki page looks legit, but not sure? Plus they ask for a $55 "one time fee." Thanks!

Hi jmu, Thanks for your response. I spoke with a professor today about the subject, and she really emphasized what you mentioned second. It's not just about your preferred focus, but it's also about being a political scientist (which might mean teaching polisci intro classes, discussing democratization with colleagues, emphasizing state structures, etc.) or a sociologist (similarly, teaching soc classes, discussing the social implications of inequality with colleagues, emphasizing culture, etc.). I'm leaning sociology Thanks again everyone!

Hello! Thanks to all for your responses. @ADLNYC, Indeed, that is one important question. It seems to me that sociology in general has a better approach because of its use of ethnographies and interviews (supplemented by demographic and other such data). This kind of methodology is especially important considering that social movement literature has now moved away from purely structural explanation and has begun to emphasize such things as "meaning-making" and "emotions." However, I am working with a political science professor at my UG institution who recently used the kind of methodology that I am most attracted to. Namely, she traveled to the Middle East and interviewed hundreds of participants in the Arab uprisings. So it seems to me that even methods are not clear cut within departments. Thanks again.

Hello! I will be applying to graduate school next year, and was hoping to get a little information/advice from the many helpful people on this forum! I am primarily interested in researching social movements. I am majoring in political science and history, and while there is a decent amount of research conducted by political scientists on social movements, sociology is the home of most of this research. So which department should I try and apply to? Has anyone gone through the same kind of process (one focus of research, could fit into both x and y departments)? Are there any strategic considerations to keep in mind (political science programs are easier/more difficult to get in to, etc.)? Brief bio: Senior at a top 15 university. GPA 3.8, Political science GPA 3.88. Senior thesis was on the 2012 Quebec student movement. Taking a year off, applying to graduate school next fall. Research experience with a professor. tldr: I majored in political science and history, but want to study social movements in grad school. Should I apply for political science or for sociology programs? Thanks so much!!!