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commtech

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Everything posted by commtech

  1. I'm so glad to read that others are having the same experience - after spending all summer studying for and then taking the GRE, then all fall/winter focusing on the application process, once I was offered admission and accepted I felt like.... now what? seriously, I have to wait until August?? I haven't told my job just yet because I work at a college and feel that it's best to let the semester finish. I will still be giving them a couple of months notice (I hope to work until just before I start school, to save up money), so that is fine, but it feels wierd to not be sharing this big news yet. Anyway, to help with the wait, I have been reaching out to people in the department I'll be joining. I live fairly close (1.5 hr drive) so I have gone to visit a few times and started getting to know other students, who have lots of advice and tips. I also have started getting to know my advisor and starting to figure out what I'll be doing in the fall, what classes to take, etc. It's still hard but it helps. If you don't live close by, Skype is another good option. I also liked the suggestion of reviewing old books and work from past programs, to refresh on theories and whatnot, so I plan to do that too. Best of luck to you all! As was already stated, they picked you for a reason so try to remind yourself of that when you feel anxious =)
  2. I applied to a program last year and was not accepted. I then retook the GRE this summer and did much better, plus I am much more prepared all around for this application process than I was last year. I recently asked two of the people that recommended me last year to write me letters again and they were happy to do so. I am applying to more programs this year than just the one, but they both seemed suddenly relucatant when I mentioned that one particular program from last year would be included (they were fine with writing me ones for the new programs I am interested in). This happened in two separate meetings, independant of one another. Is this because they would have to write an entirely new letter for just that one program? Can they not reuse the one they wrote last year? Or is there some kind of unwritten rule about reapplying to the same program that I am not aware of? I am just trying to decide whether to still ask them to write an LOR for that one program, or not. I don't really have anyone else that I think would give as strong and relevant recommendations, if I were to try to find new ones, so I'd really like to stick with them but I don't know if I am being rude in some way. Thanks!
  3. I, too, have a question about explaining a period that don't hold up to the level of the rest of my "package" - except it was in my final semester of my undergraduate degree, not early on. I had to withdraw from a few classes and had mediocre-to-poor grades in the ones that I did not drop. This was due to a number of things converging in my life leading to me becoming overwhelmed. The main reason was the increasing sickness of a loved one and my responsibility for them, and the emotional toll it had been taking for a couple of years catching up. However - just a couple of years later, in graduate school, I maintained a nearly perfect GPA while working full time which I think illustrates that I was able to fully overcome that difficult period. The low point I am concerned about was 8 years ago now, and I feel that the rest of my application will be strong - so, do I directly mention it and explain it (briefly) in my SOP or do I just let it be and hope that the dramatic rise in my work later on will be evident and speak for itself?
  4. Thanks, NOWAYNOHOW! You make a very good point about making a shift like that, especially when considering all-important funding. I think I am leaning toward just applying to Comm programs. Also, thank you for the suggestions of other programs to consider - I will definitely look into those as well. Duna - yes, I kept it pretty broad, but some of the areas I am interested in include the history of "hacker" culture and how it has begun to permeate the mainstream, aspects of online personal identity development (creating profiles, leaving comments anonymously), and the future of educational technology. Does that help? I appreciate your feedback!
  5. I am working on my list of programs to apply to this Fall (for Fall 2014 entry). My plan is to visit them and get a sense of "fit" before finalizing applications, so that I don't waste time on anything that doesn't make sense. I would like to describe my background here, and then my thoughts about where I want to apply, to see if anyone has any advice! Background/Qualifications: B.A. in Communication at a small, private liberal arts college - GPA 3.2, graduated in 2005 M.S. in Communications and Information Management at another small, private liberal arts college - GPA 3.97, graduated in 2009 Have been working since 2005, even while attending masters program. I am not in the communications field (although I was for a little while), but I am currently Assistant to the President of another small, liberal arts college with a good reputation. GRE - 168V, 160Q, 4.5A I believe that my recommenders will write me very strongly supportive letters, and they are all professors from my masters program I am currently working on my personal statement, and have been doing a lot of research into how to write an effective one Goals: Broadly, I am interested in studying the impact of communication technologies and new media on society and our cultural development. I am researching programs now to make sure that they have professors that are doing research in the more specific areas of my interest. I am not interested in leaving the Northeast, for personal reasons, so I am considering Communication PhD programs at the following schools: UMass Amherst, UConn, SUNY Albany, RPI. I am also considering the idea of applying to sociology programs (at pretty much the same schools, except for RPI), because my interests lie at the intersection of communication technology and society, but I am not sure if this is a good idea and would definitely be interested in hearing an opinions on this. Has anyone else tried this tactic? Please let me know if you would need more information to give me an assessment of my plans - and thank you for any advice that you may have!
  6. Thank you, everyone! I have decided not to retake the test, and instead start focusing on preparing for the applications and meeting with departments and faculty (as well as my potential recommenders). I appreciate your feedback!
  7. I graduated with an M.S. in Communications in 2009, but my program did not involve much actual research. Since then, I have been working, but not in my field. I am planning to apply to Ph.D. programs this Fall, but I am not sure how I can gain relevant research experience since I am not currently in school. Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!
  8. I took the GRE yesterday, and my unofficial scores given at the end of the test were: 160-Q and 168-V. I am planning to apply to Communications PhD programs this Fall (for Fall 2014 entry). I have a 3.97 GPA from my Master's degree. I know the Verbal score is solid, but I just don't know what kinds of Quant scores are considering acceptable for the kind of program I am interested in... I wanted to get at least 162 in Quant, so I am unsure as to whether to take it again. Any thoughts? Thanks!!
  9. I took the GRE yesterday, and my unofficial scores given at the end of the test were: 160-Q and 168-V. I am planning to apply to Communications PhD programs this Fall (for Fall 2014 entry). I have a 3.97 GPA from my Master's degree. I know the Verbal score is solid, but I just don't know what kinds of Quant scores are considering acceptable for that kind of program... I wanted to get at least 162 in Quant, so I am unsure as to whether to take it again. Any thoughts?
  10. Thanks, Ralph87, I appreciate the suggestion. I am currently studying on my own and trying to avoid taking a class, but I am researching the class options just in case I don't feel prepared as I get closer to my test date. I will take a look at some of these books. Thanks!
  11. Hi! I am new here, but I did a seach of the forums to see if anyone mentioned the Westfield State University GRE Prep course, or the people that run it (Education Testing Consultants - http://www.etctestprep.com/). I haven't been able to find reviews here or anywhere else online about them, and I want to decide whether it's worth my while. It's taught online over multiple several-hour sessions, and it's costs $700 - which seems like a decent deal compared to some other prep programs, but I'm concerned that that means it is not going to be good enough. Does anyone have any thoughts about this? Here is the site for the Westfield State program: http://www.westfield.ma.edu/neighbors/community-education/test-preparation/gre-test-prep-course/ If not, please let me know if you have any insights or opinions about other programs that might not be too much more costly. Or whether you felt that spending more than that was worth your while! Thank you!
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