So I am currently finishing my last year of undergraduate study for a BA in Social Sciences Education which includes a BA in History. I also have a minor in Sociology. I was wondering which "tier" of schools I should be applying to with my stats if any at all. I have a 3.5 undergraduate GPA (3.8 in the last two years.) GRE score of 310 (160 Verbal 150 Quant) 5.0 AW. I am actually retaking the GRE in about a month I did zero studying for it the first time around and I already feel like I can improve my Quant score to around 160.
I have 3 great letters of recommendations and a great writing sample. As far as research experience goes, I am confused as to what counts towards "research experience." I am currently a research assistant for a Professor in my department. I had a senior thesis paper that was 25-30 pages in length. I am also doing an independent study this semester that will culminate into another 25-30 page paper.
I will also have a decent amount of teaching experience, I am currently a TA at a local high school and occasionally teach a class here and there. Next semester I will be student teaching, which means I will have a whole semester of managing my own class room. How much will these experiences help?
My almost Alma-Mater is very well known for its educational research and teacher preparation. The History faculty is pretty well established also. But... it is not known as a "top-notch" school in general, definitely not a top 50 school yet. Also, how are my chances coming from History?
As of right now I am just aiming for middle to lower "tier" schools. A few examples are: University of Illinois, University of Illinois Chicago, MIchigan State, Iowa State, Colorado State, and Southern Illinois University. Interests are sociology of education, technology, and social stratification. Any recommendations would be appreciated.