La_Di_Da

MimiG,
 
I was once more pondering your comment, "I am utterly clueless as to what I want to do after that. I have always been very interested in the social sciences, so I'm thinking about applying to grad schools for Sociology next year," and a few additional thoughts came to mind.
 
1) Why the rush to go straight from your BA to grad school? If you are feeling clueless, uncertain about what program or discipline is right for you, then consider taking some time off from academia to enter the job market, join the Peace Corps, teach ESL abroad, apply for an internship, or engage in some other venture that offers you invaluable work/life experience and the time you need to clarify and cement your academic/research interests.
 
2) Sounds to me that you are in a state of emergence, a point of reassessing and redefining who you are and what you want. These are the points in life when it is important to step back and take stock. When uncertainty abounds, making intermediate plans or taking intermediary steps may serve your present and future self best. (I speak from experience and as someone who has professionally helped high school and college students in similar situations.) Are you intending to apply exclusively to doctoral programs? Under the circumstances, you may want to consider an MA program in the social sciences or the humanities. It would give you time to dig into the scholarship and an opportunity to raise your GPA before applying to doctoral programs. An MA in Cultural Studies might be an excellent (side) stepping stone, given your writing background. And you can always push your research in CS toward a sociological horizon, making the transition to a PhD program in sociology that much easier. As previously noted, an anthro program might also be an excellent fit, and moreover, depending on the scope of your research interests, a better fit than sociology.
 
3) Echoing the above, and once more reiterating Rising Star's recommendation, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of taking the time you need right now to get to know yourself, your research interests, and ultimately, acquainting yourself further with your chosen discipline, whatever it turns out to be.
 
P.S.: I hope these thoughts do not come across as patronizing. I realize I do not know anything about your background or work/life experience. And I do not wish to underestimate the estimability or force of either one. But your comment gives me urgent pause and raises, if not a red flag, a bold yellow caution sign. Hence, I strongly advise giving yourself the time you deserve to sort this out, muddle through, and get clear about the course of study that would serve you -- and the multidimensional person that you are -- best. If you are a younger, traditional undergrad who is in good overall health, believe me, you have plenty of time. Use it to your advantage.
 
P.P.S: The average GPA of admitted applicants at the two top 20 programs to which I applied was 3.8. At the top 30 program to which I applied, the average GPA of admitted applicants was somewhere between 3.5 and 3.7. It's not impossible to get into a top flight PhD program with a lower than average GPA, but if you're going to try to make that work, the rest of your application, most especially your SOP, will have to be airtight. You will have to demonstrate to the adcomm that you are committed to 5-7 years of sociological study/research, have developed a strong, thoughtful sociological vision, are capable of conducting research, and are an excellent candidate for program completion. Also, what will you contribute to the program...the department, and what are your plans beyond the PhD? You'll have to address all these questions and then some.
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NOTE: Edited for typos. Getting used to this new 11" touchscreen interface is rough.

MimiG,
 
I was once more pondering your comment, "I am utterly clueless as to what I want to do after that. I have always been very interested in the social sciences, so I'm thinking about applying to grad schools for Sociology next year," and a few additional thoughts came to mind.
 
1) Why the rush to go straight from your BA to grad school? If you are feeling clueless, uncertain about what program or discipline is right for you, then consider taking some time off from academia to enter the job market, join the Peace Corps, teach ESL abroad, apply for an internship, or engage in some other venture that offers you invaluable work/life experience and the time you need to clarify and cement your academic/research interests.
 
2) Sounds to me that you are in a state of emergence, a point of reassessing and redefining who you are and what you want. These are the points in life when it is important to step back and take stock. When uncertainty abounds, making intermediate plans or taking intermediary steps may serve your present and future self best. (I speak from experience and as someone who has professionally helped high school and college students in similar situations.) Are you intending to apply exclusively to doctoral programs? Under the circumstances, you may want to consider an MA program in the social sciences or the humanities. It would give you time to dig into the scholarship and an opportunity to raise your GPA before applying to doctoral programs. An MA in Cultural Studies might be an excellent (side) stepping stone, given your writing background. And you can always push your research in CS toward a sociological horizon, making the transition to a PhD program in sociology that much easier. As previously noted, an anthro program might also be an excellent fit, and moreover, depending on the scope of your research interests, a better fit than sociology.
 
3) Echoing the above, and once more reiterating Rising Star's recommendation, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of taking the time you need right now to get to know yourself, your research interests, and ultimately, acquainting yourself further with your chosen discipline, whatever it turns out to be.
 
P.S.: I hope these thoughts do not come across as patronizing. I realize I do not know anything about your background or work/life experience. And I do not wish to underestimate the estimability or force of either one. But your comment gives me urgent pause and raises, if not a red flag, a bold yellow caution sign. Hence, I strongly advise giving yourself the time you deserve to sort this out, muddle through, and get clear about the course of study that would serve you -- and the multidimensional person that you are -- best. If you are a younger, traditional undergrad who is in good overall health, believe me, you have plenty of time. Use it to your advantage.
 
P.P.S: The average GPA of admitted applicants at the two top 20 programs to which I applied was 3.8. At the top 30 program to which I applied, the average GPA of admitted applicants was somewhere between 3.5 and 3.7. It's not impossible to get into a top flight PhD program with a lower than average GPA, but if you're going to try to make that work, the rest of your application, most especially your SOP, will have to be airtight. You will have to demonstrate to the adcomm that you are committed to 5-7 years of sociological study/research, have developed a strong, thoughtful sociological vision, are capable of conducting research, and are an excellent candidate for program completion. Also, what will you contribute to the program...the department, and what are your plans beyond the PhD? You'll have to address all these questions and then some.
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NOTE: Edited for typos. Getting used to this new 11" touchscreen interface is rough.

I firmly believe that one's future job prospects are determined more by the spirit and quality of one's work than program ranking. Likewise, your work will shine brightest as a result of choosing the program where you, yourself, may shine brightly -- i.e., were you will do your best work, become your best self. And that equation is not linear. My only (unsolicited) advice: trust yourself, for no one else knows you--your needs--better than you. Wishing you all the best as you make your final decision.

I firmly believe that one's future job prospects are determined more by the spirit and quality of one's work than program ranking. Likewise, your work will shine brightest as a result of choosing the program where you, yourself, may shine brightly -- i.e., were you will do your best work, become your best self. And that equation is not linear. My only (unsolicited) advice: trust yourself, for no one else knows you--your needs--better than you. Wishing you all the best as you make your final decision.

I firmly believe that one's future job prospects are determined more by the spirit and quality of one's work than program ranking. Likewise, your work will shine brightest as a result of choosing the program where you, yourself, may shine brightly -- i.e., were you will do your best work, become your best self. And that equation is not linear. My only (unsolicited) advice: trust yourself, for no one else knows you--your needs--better than you. Wishing you all the best as you make your final decision.

I may have some thoughts we can discuss via PM if you are interested - I was in your shoes last year in an identical situation in regard to USN ranking versus subdiscipline versus quality of life - but I would echo what has been mentioned so far. 

If you are a qualitative person - and if you operate close to any of Northwestern's core strengths: ethnography, symbolic interaction, culture, critical theory (particularly with race/ethnicity or gender/sexuality), I would choose Northwestern given that the only thing attracting you to Wisconsin seems to be its USNWR ranking - I personally don't think Wisconsin is as strong as NU in the areas mentioned above (though admittedly, it would be great to learn ethnography from Alice Goffman at Wisconsin, and she was not there when I was looking at programs).  
 
Keep in mind the rankings are really based on department peer review that will heavily favor large departments (large department=more graduates=more publications=more successful faculty) - and someone once told me to view the rankings as two separate lists, a top 5 for large public programs:  Berkeley, Wisconsin, Michigan, Chapel Hill, UCLA, and a top 5/6 for smaller private programs: Princeton, Stanford, Harvard, Chicago, Northwestern, UPenn.  And then to think about what type of program you want to be at (larger/public, smaller/private) and then look at the rankings.  It might be easier that way, since then you aren't only looking at the numerical gap between #11 and #1, but actually taking the structural differences of the programs more seriously - and then viewing the rankings as a top 5 private program vs. a top 5 public program.

scatterplot figured out what would probably be the rankings for this year based on the averages:
 
http://scatter.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/the-actual-201314-us-news-rankings/

I agree with a lot of what has been said here, but I do want to point out that it's entirely possible to get into Top 15 and Top 10, and indeed, Top 5 schools with a GRE score below 1300. I got into Yale, Michigan, NYU, and Harvard and only had a 1290. I really do think that the "total package" is all that matters during the process... once you reach a certain threshold, I don't think a school will reject you. SOP and LORs are much more important. And I agree with the previous poster--don't apply to "safety schools." Apply to where you want to go and have a back up plan if you don't get in--why waste your time in a program that you don't like?

I'm in an entirely different field, but this thread is still incredibly helpful and informative.
 
Thank you so much for starting it and answering everyone, FertMigMort, and thanks to everyone else for asking great questions and giving good advice as well.

Some schools won't let you do this (Berkeley wouldn't let me apply to their anthro and soc programs). Most universities, especially if the schools are located in different faculties, won't know and so have no way of caring. However, don't advertise this. When I was applying, I was considering applying to both Harvard's soc département and their committee on religion (in the end, I applied to neither). I emailed the DGS of the soc department to ask if this was ok, and he told me they would have no way of knowing, but that applying to different types of programs like that was the mark of an "unserious student". I had the same basic statement of purpose for every program I applied to with the same project proposal but I think that dude was right, in some ways. Though we talk about "interdisciplinary work", the disciplines still really matter. I would have been less happy in an anthropology or religion department, I think, even though my peers would have had projects substantively more like mine than my current colleagues do. As of now, I work on religion and politics so I see a lot of my colleagues as folks in poli sci departments. I like them, I like their work, but I am glad I'm in the sociology department because I think a lot of the things they have to care about are stupid. People on this board often say "oh I don't care where I go as long as I get a degree and teach!!!" but it's definitely not that simple. I think it's fine to apply multiple places but it will effect your work and your career in a very big way.

If you have the time and resources, and you do not have a another sample that you feel reflects your current ability to compose a paper, it really couldn't hurt. In fact, it might be a benefit in unforeseen ways. 
 
Last year, I applied to 7 programs. I did not get into a single one. I took a really critical look at my dossier of materials and identified every weakness that I could. I saw my writing sample as a big weakness, so decided to write a new essay over the summer. Because I was intent on creating a really convincing narrative arc for my academic experience and transition into sociology, I looked for ways to make all the pieces of  my application fit together. But I was also really concerned with demonstrating that I could put together an essay that more or less fit the form that an essay in sociology might typically fit. So, beyond showing competence, the writing sample I produced linked in directly with the research program I outlined in my SOP, as well as with a number of activities that I had been engaged in that I pointed to in order to demonstrate my commitment to advanced studies in the field.
 
I was really surprised by how successful I was in my applications this year, and I think the cohesion with which I constructed and arranged my application materials was a big factor in realizing that success. At least one DGS mentioned that they found the writing sample really impressive, and then jumped into how the social problems and processes that I started in on in my essay might play out in research at that program.
 
Bottom line, if you have a really solid piece, you should probably follow Amlobo's advice. If you don't feel confident about what you have, you should know that you will only become a sociologist by doing sociology, so you might as well dig in and start building a larger research program for yourself.

I have two programs that will take the visits for me to decide, and one visit is at the end of the month, so I foresee an April decision for sure.  I am also waitlisted at one of my top choices, so I expect to hear a "final" decision in April.  I am considering all of the normal factors (fit, placement, etc.), but I also have to factor my spouse into the decision.  I am trying to figure out what will be best for my future and for my spouse's future.  He is incredibly supportive, and I want his career to be a priority for us, as well; it's very much a "joint" decision for us.

Done and accepted the offer! 

Only have to take care of the emigration process now... 

The closest equivalent here is a pinned topic, which I just did!

MORE QUESTIONS:
 
What surprised you most about the process?

What surprised you most about your fellow reviewers' opinions?

What's a quesion that we should have asked, but haven't?
 
Knowing what you know now, what two or three things of your own application would you have changed?
 
How much did you think about about "distribution" in your selection?  Beyond the fit of the individual for the department, but the composition of the group of people for the available number of spots and resources.  That is, lets say your department is great in Urban Ethnography, and Social Networks, has a couple of quality people in Sociology of Health, a noted about Historical Socioogist, two old strat guys who should retire, and the department is moving towards more hiring more young scholars who do Race.  How much does the disribution of specialities of applications affect who gets in?  Like if you have 10 great urban ethnography applications and two great ones in social networks and one good one, might you let in three and three?  (Okay so I was aiming for clarity with my imaginary department, but I think I may have made it more confusing). 
 
This is awesome, by the way.  If there were such a thing as GradeCafe Gold, I'd give it to you.

Just figured I would chime in here and say that there are several PhD programs that do allow you to fast-track your program if you have an M.A.  This is the option that I got from the school that I will attend and I have an MA in demography.   The "adding two years to the whole process" is understandable as I, myself, am pushing the upper-limits of the 20s but I tend to think of this as an end product as much as a path to greater things.  

Re: MA Programs - I agree with socgrad2013. Faculty want their students to succeed and understand that might mean that they will move elsewhere. We're used to writing letters to students who want to go bigger and better places, even from highly ranked programs. Terminal degree programs generally come in two stripes. One prepares their students to get jobs immediately afterward (e.g., teaching at community colleges, doing applied work) and the other prepares them - and some quite well - for going on to a PhD program. Some are able to do both (e.g., UW-Milwaukee was this way, and now offers a PhD). PhD programs that have students reapply might end up with both types of students and simply want a natural path out early on to dissuade students who aren't as interested, or as capable (for various reasons, including life circumstances or fit), of earning the PhD. Like others who are weighing places based on job placements, If you choose to pursue an MA program, you should do your research on where they've placed those MA students.
 
Re: Visiting - I would not spend money to visit someplace that I was waitlisted. Waitlisted for funding could be a different story, but could also signal a school that is having problems funding their students more generally. I would explore how funding is determined at Rutgers for continuing students. Is there a guaranteed amount for a set number of years after someone gets funding, or is it more precarious than at other schools? You have two funded offers from tremendous programs. I would think of them as your options until you hear otherwise. 

Just sent out a blaze of inquiries... expecting a lot of rejection. Which I shall refer to exclusively as "closure" henceforth.

Just received an official offer of admission from Yale. And wouldn't you know, their 'Visiting Days' event is scheduled the same weekend as Northwestern's Open House! (Well played, Yale.)

If you somehow find yourself in the Chicago area, you're always more than welcome to set up a visit with the faculty and graduate students (this has happened in the past). 
 
Let me know if you have any questions - now is a good time to be asking.

In regards to sociology and video games, William Sims Bainbridge wrote "The Warcraft Civilization" and its pretty much an enthnography of the World of Warcraft. So while it'd be tough, it does seem doable to study video games from within sociology. Also, you'd get to write the most awesome grant proposals ever "Why do I need money to play WOW 20-40 hours a week? Well, let me tell you"

While I agree that communication (or anthropology) might be better places to look, there is actually other sociological work on online environments. You might check out the work of Simon Gottschalk on "SecondLife" and "Videology" (both in Symbolic Interaction), Mary Chayko, or Dennis Waskul for starters. It's a good idea to acquaint yourself with some of what is going on. You can read through their references and see who they cited and use scholar.google.com to figure out who cited them. Even though many of the people working in the area might not be at places with grad programs (save Gottschalk, who is at UNLV), looking over some of that research will help you get a lay of the land and learn some of the key search terms in the area.   

Sorry to hear about that brinut. Don't be discouraged, though. This might be awkward, but you could reach out to the department chair. Tell her/him that you were a sociology grad, you worked for professor so-and-so, just learned about his/her passing, and need to find other recommendation writers. Departments usually want to promote their UGs in the application process-- it reflects well on them to have UGs at strong grad programs. Ask if you can set up informational meetings with some faculty, explain your situation, offer to show them a draft of your SoP and some of your writing, and then request if they could recommend you. If it's possible, actually going to your UG campus for a day to have meetings will make a huge difference. I did that before I applied and it helped tremendously. Face to a name sort of thing. Some people might say no, but you don't want them writing letters for you anyway. 
 
This means you'll need to do extra preparation. Draft an SoP, update your CV, and maybe write out a goals statement (which is not required for grad school applications, but helps letter writers figure out what to say about you.)
 
Remember that part of our "service" requirement as professors will be to write letters of recommendation for people we hardly know. It's basically in the job description. Just present yourself as well prepared and do your research, and I'm sure you can pick up some letter writers. You'll need three. 

One thing people do is apply for PhD programs and MA programs in the same cycle. You might surprise yourself with the programs you get accepted to, but never underestimate the competition in admissions. My view is that, if you know you want a PhD, don't pay for a masters unless you've already been rejected from PhD programs. @socgrad's advice of going for a professional degree or a applied research degree makes sense to me, and often programs will bump you to these MA tracks if they reject you from their PhD program. Put simply, don't assume you can't go straight into PhD and don't assume you definitely will. Applying to a couple MA back-ups is a good strategy. People around here have done that, and you may want to search around for past threads.
 
Just on videogame culture, I recommend you seriously look into communication programs. They'll be much more amenable to the culture of videogames than sociology is (unfortunately). Even Anth programs would be more open to that, if you found a department with sociocultural digital anth people. Sociology is, in my opinion, way way behind in anything related to technology or the internet.