lyrehc

What social science? I'm in an excellent (and underrated) program with strong faculty emphasis in political and intercultural/interethnic/international communication which you might find interesting based on what you've written. I would not have a letter that evaluates your proposal for exactly the reason you mentioned: It pigeonholes you. It is one thing to have a clear idea about where your interests fall and it is another thing to come in determined to do one specific thing. I wanted to research the same thing for 14 years and last year in my program my interests shifted. The graduate liaison told me that this is what programs want, because shifting interests demonstrate being open-minded. A letter discussing your project shows a determination to do what you want, and while you very well may do that project the departments you apply to want to know that you are willing to learn from them. By all means, weed out programs which are light-years away from your interests, but wait for the "this project is valuable" argument until you're in a program and working with faculty to articulate why one research emphasis is better than another. Based on your description I would go with Option B for a letter writer because you do have two strong faculty recommendations. Or I would go with Option E and have the UN supervisor letter and an additional faculty letter.

Honestly, I've never encountered a hard spring deadline. That's probably because a large number of programs only admit in fall.

Often this is determined by the tier a school is in. It gives students turned down by Tier 1 institutions time to apply elsewhere if their first choices say now.

It sounds to me like you've done enough studying and what you need to do is give yourself and your brain a break. Go out for drinks. Go bowling. Play laser tag. Spend a day at the museum. See a concert. Do SOMETHING that you enjoy that does not require you to think about the GRE. Don't open a practice guide or take a practice test or use a flashcard between now and Thursday. If you've been studying yourself crazy, you're better off rejuvenating mentally so that you can access the knowledge you already have.

Response from POIs really depends on the person. I had some amazing responses that followed up on things discussed and I had duds. If anyone is interested in OU send me a PM and I can tell you which professors you're most likely to get responses from.

I'm linking you to my post in sociology. The professor who I wanted to work with was not on the adcomm but mentioning wanting to work with him allowed them to see if he had talked to me and wanted to work with me.

I have not read that book. My attitude is that a SoP should introduce you to the graduate committee. Why do they want to accept you? Why are you a good fit? It doesn't have to be cut and dried and boring. I told the committee where I applied that I wanted to attend because a) I wanted to work with a specific professor and I wanted to be in tornado alley because I wanted to conduct studies about risk perception in a place where there was perception of risk. I made sure that my personality came through what I wrote. And I got in, with funding.

I think briefly mentioning that you want to study at x school because it is quantitative or qualitative or something along that line is fine but I wouldn't spend a lot of time giving details beyond that.

I would not address weaknesses because you might draw attention to things they are okay with. I posted my SOP in the sociology forum. It was brief, conversational, and explained why I wanted to study in that program. I truly believe that is all you need - and something that sounds like you is much better than being one of many who don't let personality to shine through. JMO.

I like pen because a) I write faster with a good pen than with a pencil. And for me, handwriting is just as neat as printing, plus it goes faster. and I copy my notes sometimes and pencil is too light to copy well.

Not me. I used the service and received nothing but messages from for-profit universities in fields outside my interests.

You can focus on technology and feminism most places. It's probably better to either find a specific faculty member you want to work with OR find a program that has a really good methodological approach for you that will support your research.

I think some of those definitely want a higher quant score but it really depends.

Political

Pedanticist, have you thought about the program in Minnesota? I have a friend in my program (she's an MA student and wants to focus on rhetoric for the doctorate, which is an emphasis we don't have) who is looking at UW, KU, UT, and Illinois for rhetoric, but Minnesota is her top choice.

When I was applying I was told to have one recommendation from my undergraduate, so that I could demonstrate consistent commitment to scholarship. Whether or not that was good advice I can't say but I got into the program I wanted to attend.

Some graduate liaisons are faculty. But they should still be willing to answer the question.

To me that's a red flag that there's something the department doesn't want you to know. Much as we love learning (and the vast majority of us in PhD programs do) we have to be able to make it in the real world after graduation. I addressed my question to the graduate liaison and I asked outright where students end up working after they graduate and what percentage of students complete the degree.

The standard rule of thumb is that it takes 2 years for the master's if it isn't part of the PhD. May doctorate programs require that same 2 year investment. As far as PhD programs go, 3-5 is fairly common. In my program I have 3 years of classes and will take the comprehensive exams after I complete them. That sounds like a lot of classes, but with only taking 2-3 per semester (and work load is such that you really can't do classes justice if you try to go over) it is likely that you'll want to take more than what you can fit within the program. This is especially true if you try to learn a variety of methods which I highly recommend. I then have one year of funding to research and write my dissertation if I finish in 4 years. If I go over funding without fellowships is much more limited - but qualitative dissertations by their very nature take longer. Definitely look at how much funding is offered. Look at how many methods courses you'll get. My graduate liaison likes to say that you can learn lots of topics after graduation but that methods are much harder to pick up later. Look at whether your program offers classes in areas of research or whether you're expected to read and learn theory outside of the classroom. All of that will factor into program length.

I use Pilot Acroball pens and a variety of mechanical pencils. I used to use more expensive ones but found that with writing a lot I like being able to switch between different styles to give my hand a break. The one thing I'm adamant about using are my notebooks. I use Tops FocusNotes only.

I believe it takes time to build mentor relationships. I have a professor from my undergraduate program who has been very encouraging about my pursuit of higher education and I consider him a mentor, but we only correspond 3-4 times a year now. My husband's mentor is much more hands' on and sends him messages through Facebook or email several times a month. Established graduate students can also mentor. I had a couple who I asked a billion and one questions my first year who were always willing to take the time to answer and help me look at the possibilities. Sometimes that peer relationship which can guide students through the political pitfalls that all departments have is invaluable. I'm just starting my 2nd year. I have an advisor who I adore and 2 other committee members with whom I regularly converse with about my program, my research, and my goals. Each of them is acting as a guide and supporting me - there is definitely mentorship.

I have a 15" Lenovo Thinkpad Work Station that I love, but I usually use a tablet in my classes. I find the tablet gives me the internet access I sometimes need, allows me to have pdf files in electronic form so I don't have tons of paper, is light weight, can have notes taken on it if I plug in a portable keyboard, and I'm less likely if a professor gets a bit dry to distract myself with other options. At my desk in the TA office I have a 2nd monitor to go with my laptop, so that I can read SPSS on one and have my papers open in another, for example.

You might want to check out these programs based on what you posted: http://sociology.la.psu.edu/graduate/programs/soc/religion-social http://www.newschool.edu/m/nssr/?source=grsch

What fascinates you about social movements? What research questions do you have about them? Different programs use different approaches, so until we know what you are wanting to study not a lot can be said about which one is best. Also, what criteria are most important to you? Do you want the program to be #1? Do you want funding (most of us do)? Do you want a program with a large number of faculty or do you want a program with a few faculty who are very hands on?

Boomer Sooner.