La_Di_Da

Sent you a PM.

My experience stands in contrast to this advice. My initial query letters were several paragraphs long. They included an introduction, a brief summarization of my professional and educational background (one paragraph), followed by a paragraph or two about my sociological interests, my main inquiry (am I a good fit?), and lastly, a request for additional info that might benefit my academic goals. I received positive, robust, informative responses from all of the faculty members I contacted. Some chose to continue an intermittent correspondence thereafter; others wrote one substantive response and left it at that. After my initial contact, I made sure not to pester with follow-up emails. I only wrote when I had an important update, such as when, in 2011, I had to notify a school that I wouldn't be applying until the next application cycle, or when I had an urgent question that only my POI could answer. In the end, I was accepted to two of the three programs to which I applied. In my opinion, a few lines of correspondence would neither have been sufficient to introduce nor distinguish myself. I opted for a longer serve. Thankfully that serve made contact and my recipients volleyed. Personally, I didn't want to waste my time or anyone else's by applying to programs that may clearly not be supportive of my research goals.

Ah, I see. Thanks for clarifying. Seems that you have a good handle, then, on what you're wanting to do. Financing may be the only major hurdle. Will depend on the university. I have a friend who attended the University of Berlin as a philosophy doctoral student. He lived there for 10 years. If you want to ask him some of these questions, PM me your email address and I'll forward it to him. He lives in Seattle now.

A forewarning, many August 1st apartments come available in April. Also, I've been searching since February, and have noticed rents increasing each month; what I could get for $950 in Feb. is now listed for upwards of $1100. Relative to other places, Elm Campus is expensive, and personally I didn't find any of their apartments aesthetically to my liking. But that's me and a purely subjective matter. Chelsea Co. (http://www.chelseaco.com/) has a good deal going on at 80 Howe street, but their 1 bedrooms were just too small for my needs (only 400 square feet). You might want to check them out as well, though. They may still have a few apartments left for August 1st. There was a nice one also available August 15th. 110 or 106 Dwight street is decent. Do a Craigslist search for those addresses and contact Everlena. It's a few blocks from Arts/Architecture part of campus, but a 20 minute walk from where I needed to be, so I passed that one up as well. Nice 1BR with studio available for $1065, including heat and hot water. On-street, residential parking is also available in that area on Dwight.

Guten Tag, Spade. Wie geht es ihnen? The University of Minnesota and Yale, as well as other Universities in the US, participate in the German Exchange Program (DAAD). I'm hoping to a do a year at the University of Konstanz. Generally, with respect to fluency, an international program may expect you to take a language intensive course, a language proficiency exam or attend a summer field school prior to enrollment. If what you are wanting to do is attend a German University by way of a US program, I would recommend identifying sociology programs in the US, at institutions that participate in DAAD, that fit your sociological interests first and then contact DAAD to make additional inquiries regarding language requirements. I found the following information on the FAQ page at http://www.daad.org helpful: Must I speak fluent German to study in Germany? Not necessarily. The International Degree Programs at German universities let you take German language courses parallel to the degree course itself, because these degree courses are partly or even completely instructed in English in the first academic year. For all other degree courses you will be required to take a German language proficiency test for admittance. Students without strong German skills who are interested in short-term programs should look into German University Summer Courses, some of which are in English and almost always have a language-learning component. But regardless of program requirements, any experience in Germany is bound to be more fulfilling if the student has – or is willing to acquire – at least a basic level of German ability. If you follow the DAAD route, your choice of program will be limited to participating institutions, stateside and in Germany. Of course, the Fulbright Program is another option. If your goal is to obtain your graduate degree from a German University itself, then you will need to do your research and contact each institution directly, or at least visit their websites, to determine admission requirements. For sociology, I would check out the University of Freiburg and the University of Konstanz. Both are interdisciplinary, and I believe you can do a terminal MA at either institution. I'd also recommend reviewing the scholarship of German sociologists whose work appeals to your interests. Identify scholars you would like to work with, see if their institution participates in DAAD and take it from there. Hope this helps! Viel Glück!

Feels almost redundant to post this now, but as noted elsewhere in this forum, I accepted my invitation from Yale.

Swagato, Have you visited Pike International's web site? They have a couple 1BR (500 sqft+) apartments at 25 Lynwood Place, which is close to everything and includes on-street, residential permit parking (only $20 dollars annually). Rent runs approximately $1195/mo and includes heat and hot water, and maybe even cooking gas. http://www.pikeintl.com/building.php?b=6 [Links to available apartments are listed at the bottom of the page]

The writing sample does not have to align with your current research interests, but it should suggest an ability to conduct research and clearly demonstrate an ability think critically about a topic, construct a cogent argument, write well, etc. You don't necessarily need to retool your thesis; a chapter or two, depending on length requirements, will suffice. Along with your submission, you can provide a brief explanation regarding the submission (I suggest no more than half a page), with reading suggestions or helpful background information. Some people submit their entire thesis, but direct the committee to a specific section/chapter. As for length, when in doubt, contact the director of graduate studies. Good luck with your applications! It's an exciting, albeit taxing and sometimes frustrating, process.

I have a friend who switched from nursing to anthro (medical/gender related research) in her forties. Her nursing background positioned her perfectly for admission to a medical anthro program. She is now in a tenure track position at a top university on the East Coast. Without question, it can be done. Familiarize yourself with the research, if you haven't already, and begin contacting faculty at programs you feel would be a good fit. Try UT-Austin. I'd write more, but am at work. Feel free to PM me.

When are you looking to move? I'll PM you if I come across anything.

No idea what you're referencing, but I consider the image of a cotton candy explosion hilarious, tasty, and worthy of an up-vote.

In spite of having a couple New Haven friends visit apartments on my behalf, I have still had no luck finding an affordable 1BR apartment, 500 square feet or slightly larger, in Wooster Square, West Chapel district or East Rock that is fit to live in. My friend's wife thought the entrance to my initial top-choice apartment was too dark and dangerous (though in East Rock) due to its configuration, and the other two apartments I liked ended up having some serious structural issues; e.g., bad plumbing, water damage, etc. I didn't think apartment hunting would be this difficult, not even from afar. What is everyone looking for? I could keep an eye out and post leads. Who is willing to share? I come across great apartments all time that would be perfectly affordable for a couple of students splitting the rent. I, myself, prefer to live alone; I have too much stuff and a daughter who will visit me during the summers.

Congratulations, Aaron!

Does your landlord have any 1BR units coming available around August 1st, virmundi? I'm still searching. :/

There was a communal household that recently advertised in Craigslist. Looks really nice. Lovely East Rock home with several rooms, shared cooking, cooperative gardens out back. http://newhaven.craigslist.org/apa/3715247402.html Other resources: http://webdev.yale.edu/livingnh/community/rental.html Yale Off-Campus Housing Search Listing (you can even look for a roommate): http://offcampus.yale.edu/search-listings Neighborhood profiles: http://webdev.yale.edu/livingnh/community/nhprofiles.html Where to live: http://miriamposner.com/blog/?p=420 http://www.city-data.com/forum/connecticut/955212-dwight-st-new-haven.html http://www.city-data.com/forum/connecticut/901707-student-moving-new-haven-where-live.html Area schools for families: http://kidhaven.com/schoolhaven/ Will add more later.

Looking for monthly parking near Chapel and Park. Any grads park at the Howe Street Garage? Is it safe?

Congrats! Love the city and UT-Austin's campus is gorgeous. Wonderful place for a scholar.

Might the following also apply to the Free-Standing MA program deadline of March 15th?

This is the same advice I gave myself. Not going to happen, though. This house remodeling project of mine is a behemoth (lament, moan, whine) and the one day a week my work schedule allows me to attend to it is simply insufficient. For those who can move sooner rather than later, I envy you. Think, you'll have a little time to unpack, get organized, and then relax a week or two before classes begin. (Is it the Everly Brothers who sing "All I have to do is dream..."? I am playing that song in my head right about now.)

I'm with you in that sentiment, OilandVinegar. I don't even have a day off between now and moving day. Just hoping there is enough time between now and late July to pull all the loose ends together in time for liftoff.

If you haven't already, visit the survey results page for sociology. Highlight reported GRE scores by rolling over the red diamonds with your cursor. You may want to look at scores reported for previous years, too. http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=sociology

I would say, yes, especially if English is not your first language and the rest of your application is stellar. If English is your first language, then I think you might want to try for the equivalent of at least a 600 on the verbal, which is, I think, around the order of a 160 by the new scale; but like I said in my previous post, a 158 can work, based on what I've seen from the stats. A 160V with a 155Q and a stellar application would make you a perfectly viable contender, in my lay opinion. For soc programs that are NOT quant heavy, upwards of 160 (600+) for verbal and 153 (680+) for quant is acceptable. For quantitative programs, you'll want a strong verbal score plus a quant score that is upwards of 160.

p.s.: Keep in mind that I'm writing with respect to sociology programs, StephChristine, not oceanography.

Yes. Though programs will state that there is no minimum GRE requirement for admission, in practice it appears that each program enforces a cutoff. I was told by my POIs that the GRE matters most during the first pass, when the grad school whittles the pool of applicants down to those its going to forward to the adcomm for review. Your GRE scores must be high enough to make this first cut. Unfortunately, 139/144 is, to my knowledge, way too low for most programs, that is, unless you intend to apply only to programs that place no weight on GREs (which programs that may be, I haven't a clue) or to schools that allow you to waive the GRE requirement on philosophical grounds, in which case you typically write an essay explaining why you philosophically oppose the GRE requirement* (I know an English PhD who did just that, but that was for an English program). Adcomms may also refer back to your GRE scores later in the review process to make additional, narrow determinations between two prospective admits, but I don't know how much of an impact GRE scores make beyond the initial cutoff. To gain greater insight into the inner workings of an admissions committee, and how GRE scores factor into the review process, you will want to read this thread: Most schools will tolerate moderately low verbal scores (I'm not sure why). In any case, I would say shoot for at least a Verbal near 158, approximately 580 on the old scale, or higher (preferably 160), and a 155 (700 on the old scale) or higher for Quant. Although, if you're wanting to specialize in quantitative sociology, best to have a Q score in the 160s. If you're one or two points below 160/155, and the rest of your application is strong, I'd rest with that. Also, check the GRE stats for previous applicant pools. Some schools, like Northwestern, post the average GRE scores for the previous year's applicant pool as well as for students admitted. And, if you're an international student, a program may tolerate lower than average verbal scores. I would assume the TOEFL becomes the more meaningful verbal marker for international students. It will be in your best interest to retake the GRE. Additionally, if you have not previously taken a GRE prep course, and can afford to do so, I highly recommend registering for one. Edit: Well, just now read Blogstar's post above. As noted, probably varies by program. *You still take the GRE and submit your scores, but essentially request that the adcomm ignore them.

You can always frame and adjust your narrative as need be, to make it work, as much as any SOP narrative can, in your favor. That said, if the point of returning is to enter a program you feel fits you well, then go for it. Apply only to those programs you know you want to attend. Otherwise, what's the point? Anticipate and address in your SOP any possible concerns faculty may have. As for stronger or weaker 8 years later... I would guess, both. Which perception will ultimately dominate is a matter, as I'm sure you probably already know, of how you present those strengths and weaknesses. Just my humble opinion.