Lilac13

I don't see a problem with it as long as it is brief and doesn't go beyond thanking them for speaking/meeting with you, letting them know you submitted your application, and that your excited about the process and the program. I sent an email to one of the POIs I met with in person. One of my recommenders actually suggested that I do it (he is a professor at a university). He thought it would be a good way to make sure my name stays fresh in the memory of the POI. Of course, each person and scenario is different though.

I think I am beyond losing my mind. I have been checking the websites of the schools I applied to daily, thinking I will find some additional information about the admissions selection process that will help ease my anxiety (that has yet to happen). I check my application status multiple times per day even though I don't expect it to change since schools are closed for the holiday break. I just want to fast forward to February already.

I am applying to PhD programs in Education Policy and have a similar issue (lower undergraduate GPA and great graduate GPA). I don't know if the following statement would also apply to Sociology admissions, but I spoke to an admissions officer at one of the schools I am applying to about my undergraduate GPA and she said "Your graduate GPA is more telling than your GPA from undergrad". This helped to boost my confidence.

I also think you may be reading too much into it. The admissions committee is still deciding and wishing someone "good luck" with the process seems pretty standard to me.

I just submitted my application and I am so relieved and excited. Now on to the hardest part, the waiting game :/ Anyone else feel the same way?

This may not be the most appropriate forum for this question, but I figured I would give it a try. What is the difference between a lecturer and professor? What I really want to know is, can lecturers serve as advisors for PhD students? My guess is no, but maybe I am wrong.

Two applications have been submitted and now I have two left to complete. One will be done tonight after I do a final proofread. The other will be finished before the upcoming holiday. It will be a little weird not having applications to work on and I imagine my time will now be consumed with endless thoughts about the notification process.

Thanks!

I am facing a bit of a dilemma. I reached out to a POI a month or so ago to see if I could speak with her about her research in the program. I never heard anything back from her (from what I understand this is actually quite common), so I proceeded with my application. I did as much research as I could pertaining to her work and made the decision that I would apply to work with her. I even told my letter writers about her and the program. All of my letters of recommendation have been submitted and I believe each writer mentioned her name in my letters for this particular school. Fast forward a few weeks, I heard back from the POI today (she was out on maternity leave) and she informed me that she thought my work may be better aligned with the work of a new professor in their department. I did some research on this other professor and actually do see a better fit (although I do think there is still considerable overlap between the original POI). The problem is, my recommendation letters mention my desire to work with the original POI and the university does not allow the letters to be resubmitted. How big of a problem do you think this will be? Any thoughts about what I can do at this point? Thanks!

I am applying to PhD programs in Education Policy and have a similar issue (lower undergraduate GPA and great graduate GPA). I don't know if the following statement would also apply to English admissions, but I spoke to an admissions officer about my undergraduate GPA and she said "Your graduate GPA is more telling than your GPA from undergrad". This helped to boost my confidence.

GRE Score (Revised): 155 V, 145 Q, 5 AWA GPA: Undergraduate: 3.00, Graduate: 3.9 Undergrad Institution (Public, Private, Ivy, etc..): Private Work Experience/Research Experience: Five years of research experience at tier 1 research institution. Research has been in the areas of education policy, children's mental health policy, and juvenile justice policy. I have participated in nearly every aspect of the research process. I have publications and conference presentations. I spent a year working as an in-home counselor for youth with emotional and behavioral problems. Recent volunteer experience has included tutoring low performing students in STEM areas, working with local YWCA to assist women and children, organizing financial literacy workshops for members of local community, and mentoring and supporting students of my undergraduate alma mater. Applying for PhD or Masters: EdD Program: Education Policy, Leadership, and Instructional Practice What Other Schools Are You Applying To: Stanford, University of Washington, and Vanderbilt

Good luck to you Ray! I am curious about your application process. Were you able to get any feedback regarding why you weren't admitted? How did you go about improving your application? Are you applying to the same programs? I applied to PhD programs straight out of undergrad 4 years ago and didn't get accepted. That experience showed me that I had I still had a lot of work to do. This time around, I feel more confident about my application.

Thanks for starting this thread. I saw the one from 2012 and it was very active. I am hoping this one will be as well. Stanford University- Social Sciences, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Policy Studies (PhD) University of Washington- Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (PhD) Harvard University- Education Policy, Leadership, and Instructional Practice (EdD) Vanderbilt University- Leadership, Policy, and Organizations (PhD)