ollie cromwell

Both of the schools I'm looking at have accepted me, but neither gave any word about funding. Both of the schools I'm looking at encouraged me to fill out a successful application before I did any real communication with potential advisors. Now that I've got in, I'm not sure who to direct questions towards and whether its too soon to start questioning. Do I need to chill for another week?

Don't trip. I scored a 490 on my Quant and still managed to get into a top-ranked geography program. Hell might freeze over for you too!

While I was home for winter break, my mother told me, "I miss you not being in college. You talked normal." I'm sure it was meant as lighthearted, but it probably stung worse than most anything she's ever said. Got me thinking a whole lot about sacrifice.

Accepted -- University of Washington, Seattle, Ph.D. No word on funding.

UMich's NR program just let me in for a master's! I'm so stoked! I thought for sure they wouldn't take someone from a sociology department. I'm so excited.

If you actually have time to read, I highly recommend This Fine Place So Far From Home, edited by C.L. Barney Dews and Carolyn Leste Law. It's a collection of essays from working-class academics in the field. It has helped me so much through applications and trying to sort through what's going on. I'm working class too, and this book really spoke to my experiences and offered some excellent advice (especially dealing with parents that no longer understand you). Just remember that it isn't a hinderance -- its an advantage. If you've been struggling all of your life just to succeed, you're pretty well equipped to deal with struggling. That's a quality that's infinitely more valuable than any trust account.

Yeah, it sure is. My mentor at my undergrad is actually a graduate from there, so I really have my fingers crossed. Seems like it would be cold though -- I'm originally from San Diego, so the snow is terrifying. Environmental justice is definitely the topic in which I have the most research experience, but I'm actually interested in any spatial distribution of inequality based on socioeconomic class, race, or gender. I really felt that space was the missing dimension in my sociology studies. I'm a computer geek and I love GIS -- I see this as a way I can best benefit society and fight institutionalized oppression. I'm actually oddly calm about the whole thing, because even if none of my schools pan out, I've learned a lot about myself in the crucible of applications. I feel as though I know what I'm "supposed" to be doing. It's a great feeling.

I have a third in a natural resources department that does environmental justice issues. It's not so much guts as it was finding faculty members that I felt would "fit" my interests. I found three departments, but usually multiple faculty that I'd like to work with in each department. Maybe I'll cast the net a little wider should there have to be a next time, but the cost of applications was a pretty large concern for me as well.

I'll extend the date of my graduation, pick up a GIS certificate while I can still get interest-free loans, and apply again. It'll be a bit more interesting with another year of research under the belt, and at least one pub in the field I'm actually looking at. I'd also have time to drill the quant section with a lighter classload.

I haven't heard from either of my schools yet.