soc_guy_2013

Congrats to the Indiana admits. Hope to see you soon!

It's every bit as amazing as it sounds.

Officially accepted my offer to Indiana. It was a tough call at first, but it proved to be the best! Very excited!

Noooo! Our cotton candy explosion meant nothing to you?? Good luck man!

So...what does everyone think? Did anyone attend the visit day?

Interesting to have a more inside perspective. Thanks!

Well, if I were you I would start with your own university. Indiana is a great Social Psych. program, and they have several faculty members who went to Cornell. They'll be able to help you feel things out. I guess you're taking a year off?

I can't pretend to know about the field in general, but I'll make a couple predictions based on my experience: 1. Cornell goes up. Every professor I've talked to says they're getting better and better. 2. Duke goes down. Losing some people like David Brady hurts. They're rebuilding. 3. Notre Dame moves up. There's been a pretty good buzz about that program. 4. Berkeley drops from #1. The state budget there is a mess and the program is suffering. They won't drop far though. Again, this is just speculation based on conversations with faculty at different programs. Don't take it too seriously.

Are you planning on working with Daniel Lichter?

I'll put my two cents in on this one. You're applying to specific programs, not to a field in general. In my feedback and discussions with different programs, your fit in the program becomes the most important aspect once you clear cuts for GRE and GPA, etc. When "tailoring" the SOP, you need to explain why you are a good fit for THAT program, not just any program. Discuss why you would benefit from being in that program, and how you will contribute to them. Mention specific research centers or programs at the school that interest you. I didn't mention specific faculty (I was advised this can be risky for various reasons), but I did mention specific areas that faculty worked in. You may be "good enough" for a certain program, but if you don't fit (and if you don't tell them how/why you fit) then you won't get it.

Easily worth the price. You can get info from the Orgtheory blog, along with comments, but $3 isn't much to pay for having the convenience of having it right there whenever you want to refer to it. Plus, the additional chapters come in really handy for planning ahead! Once you're admitted into a program you'll be asking questions about the next step. This book can help!

I got accepted to Cornell too! GREAT funding right?? I haven't decided where I'm going. It'll be very hard decision. Are you visiting?

You might be a geek if you're really excited about this... (I'm reallllly excited!)

Do you know if there is anyone ahead of you? I'd say it's very likely that at least one person declines. Don't worry!

I got my funding offer yesterday. It's the lowest I've gotten from any school. Are they all pretty bad?