blogstarphd

I was perusing the website when I got the phone call. My initial reaction was, "Who is calling me from Los Angeles?"

While I was out to dinner celebrating, I got a call from my POI. Santa Barbara will be contacting accepted applicants that way. Good luck to all.

Got into Santa Barbara. On the phone with the director now.

I'm just reposting to make sure that we can remember the focus of this topic.

They do. People can be really disrespectful...

On your CV, list your major GPA. Put it in bold font. You don't need to send average scores of your university.

Congratulations!!!

For Notre Dame, Rice, and Emory interviews... I am advised by a faculty member at one of these schools (won't tell you which to remain anonymous). The faculty member said that they fly their top applicants (Congratulations!) out to see if they're actually going to be a good fit for the department. This faculty member said that they generally look for people that fit within the culture of the department. You're being judged not only on your research interests and how you perform in the interview--your overall character and behavior will be evaluated. Simply put, be yourself. They want to accept students that they can endure being around for at least 4 to 5 years. Be friendly and personable. Take from this what you want.

PM me. I'm trying to keep private.

I got a Rice invitation, too.. I'm going to try my best to make plans to get there.

Surprisingly, I have one the invitations. I did not, however, report it. It's on the 22nd of February, so I'm still trying to figure out if I can make the plans to attend. Congratulations to all of those who got the invitation.

Ahhh! I hope so man! See you at the visitation weekend!

I have been accepted into Ohio State, too! Straight from undergrad!

I answered this question in the other topic.

Essentially this question is asking for you to specifically discuss what your objectives (plans or intentions) in the concentration that you choose and to discuss how that concentration will help you to reach your target population. It's a very involved sentence, but here is an example of an answer they are looking for: I want to learn why homosexual African American men are more at risk for contracting HIV than any other demographic. In the clinical concentration of your social work program, I will be able to have a higher sense of consciousness and can create a culturally responsive approach to remedy the negative effects of this problem. The example above is a very trite and unsophisticated way to answer this question. It's not thoughtful, and I drafted it off the top of my head. You want to (1) explain what you're aiming to do in the field of social work, (2) explain how training in the clinical and/or administrative concentration will help you reach your goals, and (3) name a population or concentration of people that you're looking to work with and improve their lives. Make sure you think about this issue complexly and thoroughly explain how this school's concentration will provide you with the training and knowledge to reach these populations and attain your goals.

What are your goals in graduate school? Why are you trying to obtain an MSW? What are your life goals? What resources (faculty, research centers, internships, field placement) does the school you're applying to have that will help you to reach your goals? It's all speculative and definitive at the same time. It's simply asking how the program will fit your career plans. If you can answer the four questions above, then you have an answer to the two questions you posed.

I was contacted by a graduate coordinator of a school the other day. The coordinator said that the department is making their final decision, and I need to have my recommendation in if I am to be considered for acceptance. Is this a good sign? The email was rather informal, too.

I'm not stressed. Before applying to these programs, I put it in my mind that everywhere I applied would be a crapshoot. I cannot stress about a part of the process that's out of my hands. I can only focus on my statement of purpose, improving relationships with recommenders, and finding out where to get fee waivers. Those are things I can control. Those are things that I have allowed myself to stress over. I have sent in 3 of 14 PhD applications. If I am rejected from all 14, then that was a decision made from someone else, not mine. At best, I get into all programs. At worst, I get into none. I'm satisfied with an acceptance from any of the 14, no matter the ranking.

Also applying for PhD

I have a combined two years of research experiences, strong letters of recommendation from two sociologists at the top of their field, and have presented my own research at an undergraduate conference.

I attend a prestigious school. What are my chances at a program within the top 50?