captiv8ed

I know we have talked about the fact that people get into programs without contacting faculty. But what about the other side? How much does it help to have a faculty member who is interested? Let's put on our speculative caps, or for those who have been through the application process, please give your insight. Let's say you are a candidate who has a strong application, with maybe one or two weak spots. How much weight does it have when a faculty member says they are very interested in the research you want to do? What if there are two people who are interested in your work at one school? Or if a dean or a chair wants to work with you? Anyone care to speculate, add their own scenarios, or their own tales of hope and rejection?

Thanks for asking this! On the other thread, I had said I am wearing a suit. That is only for an Ivy. The other schools, I am planning to wear a dress. But is a suit too much even for an Ivy?

Do grad students even see the applications? That is tough. Since it is online and you haven't submitted yet, it might look like you lifted. But then again it might not and since there is more than one person with those interests, that shows a strength, and it could be seen as a positive. How is that for completely unhelpful!

We dodged a bullet on that! We bought a house five years ago. My dh and I both started school after that and I got worried about bursting bubbles and being stuck with a house. We sold it after a year, and got out just before the market in that town collapsed. Now we rent.

YAY! I read through the maiden name thread and emailed the grad secretary at Indiana back. She found the transcript that is listed under my maiden name, and she found the other missing one, that is under my married name but was also missing. While I was typing this, I just got an email from UW, and they foudn my maiden name one but not the other one. The good news is that the missing one is from a school that sends transcripts for free.

Thank you!! It turns out I was having this issue and just found out about it (the missing transcripts) yesterday. I read this thread today and got in touch with the schools. One school has found the transcripts!

I mailed in the forms for all my transcripts about a month ago. I got a letter from the University of Washington today saying the hadn't received two of them. One isthe local community college. I had emailed the person at Indiana about something else and had received a reply, so I shot her another email to ask if she had received all my transcripts. She is missing the same two. I went over to the local CC. They were able to tell me they mailed UW's on the 20th of November. The only thing her screen showed was out of state for the others, so she couldn't tell me if they had sent one to Indiana or not. So, how weird is this? Two schools' transcripts are missing at two schools. One shows it has been shipped. It is so weird. So, how would you handle this? I am planning to write the grad schools and ask each one if they have received them, and then what?? Do I just keep on the schools and ask them to resend?

I am on the quarter system. Next quarter I am taking: Religion and Society (which will be focused on contemporary US religions. The first quarter was about world religions) Statistics For the last quarter, I will be designing an independent contract on sociological theory and taking another stats course.

I was having out at the math center at my school one day and I heard one of the students ask one of the tutors if he is applying to grad school. He said yes, in a few months. She told him to let him know when he was applying because she would write him a letter of recommendation, as someone who had been tutored by him!! So I guess ad-comms will see letters from all sorts of folks.

I should give a bit more of an explanation. I am coming from an extremely non-traditional background, and highlighted some of those non-traditional experiences as strengths in my app. My mentor wants me to make sure I show the interview panel that I can indeed transcend my past to give a middle class appearance (which I have all sorts of issues with, especially since I am applying to sociology programs, but I know why she is saying it). So she wants be to be super duper polished. She does a lot of TV interviews, so I am guessing that is why it is so apparent to her. It never even crossed my mind until she mentioned it.

No, she didn't mean a cut or color, just a style. I don't know about you, but my hair ALWAYS looks better and more together when a stylist does it. I am not saying this is the right approach for everyone, just saying the specific advice I got.

I dunno. I have never "had my hair done." But my mentor told me specifically that she wanted to give me some guidance if I wouldn't be offended. And that is what she told me, buy a suit. Then she said, "And I would never go to an interview without having my hair done." So I am assuming I will be going to a salon the day of the interview to look super polished. Great! More money out!! I have no idea about bringing things. A bottle of wine to bribe them? Probably just yourself and your fabulous ideas.

That is so awesome!! CONGRATS!!! My mentor told me I should wear a really nice tailored suit and have my hair done for interviews.

It seems like you have already made up your mind, so why are you asking?

reprint. it sucks, but there ya go. Was it the printer's mistake? They should do it for free. Even if it was your mistake, they may fix it for free. Worth asking.

This is one of my biggest fears! I did that in a very early draft so hopefully I have been hyper-aware of it enough to avoid it. That totally sucks. Was it a program you really wanted to get into?

When programs are choosing 5% of the applicants, I would think there are going to be quite a few who are well qualified and matched that still don't get in. Also, as far as competitiveness, it is tricky because in saturated markets, you have to look at the other side of graduate school, and that is getting a job.In certain fields, you need to apply as highly competitive as you can if you want a job in the field after graduation.

I am sorry for you folks. That sucks so bad

I had figured it awhile ago, but I don't remember what the exact number is But I spent $50+ on GRE prep books. $225 on the test. I got a fee waiver the first time but then had to take it a second time. Add another $50 for the gas to get to Seattle once and Puyallup once, plus tickets for my family to see AstroBoy while I was taking the GRE and Denny's lunch for them. I asked my hubby to drive me the second time because I was such a mess of nerves. My transcripts are probably about $200. Now I have to add in $20 for the Kinko's scanning fee. Which is funny because when I saw that Princeton wants unofficial transcripts, I thought that would actually save me some money. And then there are the application fees. I was thinking of going to law school. I applied for the fee waiver and got it. I got an awesome prep book for free. I could take the test twice for free,and there were a certain number of score reports for free. AND once a school saw I had a waiver, most automatically waived their application fee. So, the law school application process is more need blind than graduate school in sociology. hmmm

I was looking at some CVs online. On the cover page of a big, well known professor: Dr. so and so Ph.D. And it is a separate cover page, so it really stands out. That sort of thing fills me with relief!

OK, we are at the down-to-the-wire, let's-stress-about-everything stage of the game. 1. How long is your fit paragraph? 2. Does this sound stupid or unnecessary: I have also developed a professional relationship with Dr. X through the Really Awesome Board, and she has been very supportive during my decision and application process. I have a couple of other profs whose work I am stating an interest in, but this prof has been more mentor-ish to me. I want to mention her, but I don't think that our research interests align closely enough for me to put her down in that fashion.

I have been obsessively watching my word count (on Word 2007 there is a constant count on the bottom of the page): Take out a sentence. Yes!! 989 Add a sentence. Crap!! 1023. OK got it down to 994 And so forth. It is a sickness with me now, I think. What I have heard is it is okay to go a little tiny bit over, but professors want to know that you can follow directions and that you can write with conciseness.

I was an RA for a professor while she was working on her book. I listed as work experience, listed the teachers names and then gave a few bullets Assisted in research for her forthcoming book, blah blah blah Searched newspaper and magazine archives from the 1950s and 1960s to discover blah blah blah Created a bibliography on blah blah blah But maybe that is different because she had hired me specifically to do some research for her book? I have a head cold and am pretty foggy today, so maybe I am missing something

Only one of my schools is asking for unofficial transcripts, and they are very clear on the fact that the do NOT want any transcripts mailed. If an applicant gets an acceptance, then they want official transcripts mailed. They are trying to be as paper free as possible.

Good point! Thanks