rogue

I'm 35 and applying now, so I'll be 36 when I start. Like others have said, I'm in a much better position to pursue a Ph.D. now than I would've been 10 years ago. It's nice to see there are plenty of other older students/applicants.

From what I know, GPAs tend to be lower at highly competitive MBA programs. Whether it's true or not, I'm clinging to this theory since my MBA GPA is also a 3.4.

I've been told that it's not a good idea, because it makes you seem unfocused. Many of the schools I'm looking at specifically state that you can't apply to more than one program per cycle. The obvious exception would be joint programs like a Ph.D./J.D.

There's some honorary reception Sunday night (6:30 - 7:30) that struck me as a good networking opportunity. Maybe we can all meet up there and then head somewhere after?

I might be, depending on when people want to meet up. I don't arrive until tomorrow morning though, and I've got plans tomorrow night (also Saturday, but not til much later, so that's doable). If someone wants to pick a time and a place, I'm happy to tag along and would love to meet some folks.

I'm in a similar situation, though I've been out 10 years. The professors and DGSs that I've talked to have all suggested including a recent professional reference from someone who can attest to my current accomplishments, skills, etc. The consensus seems to be that it's good to have a well-rounded picture of the applicant, even if that means getting a non-academic reference. (I assume, however, that if one has only been out of school a couple of years, they'd be less amenable to this.) I'm going with letters from my undergrad adviser, the professor I was an RA for in grad school, and a VP at my old company who can talk about some recent research and writing I've done. Granted, this recent work has nothing to do with sociology, but it's still statistical analysis and a large volume of writing. Fingers crossed that it works, and of course, YMMV.

I actually didn't intend to study for the verbal section. But since I've been out of school for so long, I knew I had to relearn some of the math concepts (use it or lose it... and I'd lost most of it at that point). Once I got the review books and realized that there were vocab words that I sort of knew but didn't really know (i.e., I could get the gist when I read them in context, but couldn't give a dictionary definition), I figured I might as well study those, too. I know that many people don't bother studying for the GRE, and if I had taken it 10 years ago, I probably wouldn't have either. (I didn't study at all for the GMAT, which I took the year after undergrad.) At this point I was rusty and needed to review. I guess I just don't see anything wrong with trying to do the best I can on something that affects if and where I get into grad school, even if that means cramming for a test that really only measures how well a person takes standardized tests. Plus, you know, all that studying was a handy excuse for not being able to go out when I was flat broke anyway. Sigh...

Yes! That too. I used to carry a little dictionary with me, and now I have a dictionary app on my phone. It's a great habit to get into.

US News & World Report is one of the more popular rankings. I'm not really sure how the tiers work for grad school; I think for undergrad tier one is like the top 20 or 25, tier two is down to 50, and then tiers three and four are unranked but just grouped as a tier. Here's a link to the cognitive psych rankings: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandr ... psychology I'm in a different discipline, but I would think the APA would probably provide info on programs and their rankings as well. The Carnegie Foundation has a classification system as well. It's not really the "tiers" people talk about it, but it groups schools by degree types granted, research activity, etc. So if you hear R1 or R2 (the old designations) or RU-VH, RU-H, etc., it's the Carnegie classification. http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/

I guess I'll be the uber nerd who confesses to doing this. I went through all the word lists in the Kaplan flashcard deck and the Princeton Review book, and I played Freerice religiously for two months, up to level 55. Did it pay off? Well, I got a 770 on the verbal section, but my time may have been better spent working on my SoP or doing something else. I knew almost every word they threw at me, but I was miffed that more of the words I studied weren't on the test. I did cram as many as I could into my AW essays, which probably made them pretty obnoxious to read. And now, two months later, I've probably forgotten half the words.

If it makes you feel any better, I have *nothing* I can use for a writing sample. I've been out of school forever and the few MBA papers I still have are completely inappropriate for applying to soc programs. I'm floundering about trying to figure out what the hell I can write 15 pages about in the next two to three months, especially since I have no data to work with. As for schools that say the sample is optional, I'm going to send them one anyway. Once it's written and being sent to other schools, why not?

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. It sounds like a straightforward, factual approach is best. I think part of my problem is that I've been working in marketing and/or as a journalist (mainly covering arts and entertainment) for so long that I keep reverting to those styles of writing instead of adopting a more academic approach. I like engaging stories and vivid language and themes, but I suppose when I only have 500 - 1000 words to sell myself, I shouldn't waste any on window dressing. Back to the drawing board...

I'm starting to work on my SOPs and I can't decide which route to take. Some people (including Donald Asher, whose book I thought must be the definitive source on such things) advocate starting with an anecdote to grab the reader's attention. Others, including those on various fora and a certain professor whose blog I stumbled upon (and his/her commenters), seem to think that's the worst possible thing you can do. So, I'm curious to hear from those of you who have already been accepted. Which tactic did you employ?

I think professors in any discipline do, since there are plenty of reasons to be away from your email during the summer (vacation, research trips, etc.). Of the profs who are writing my recommendations, most mentioned that their replies might be delayed throughout the summer because of this. And not everyone will bother writing back to you anyway, though so far almost everyone I've contacted has.

Free books? Sweet! How does that work? I've never been to an academic conference before (just lots of horrid corporate ones), so I have no idea what to expect. Any tips for a newbie?

I'm going. It'll be my first time and I'm such a nerd that I already made a whole schedule for myself of all the sessions I want to check out. Now if only I could see other people's schedules so I know where I should hang around to casually bump into the professors I want to meet...

Most of the schools I'm looking at that have language requirements just stipulate that you have to have reading proficiency in a foreign language in order to graduate. From what I've heard, this just means you have to take and pass an exam at some point. If you already know that language--or if you learn it on your own, say with Rosetta Stone--then it sounds like you don't have to take any classes in it at the school. If that's the case where you're applying, then mentioning your summer intensive course couldn't hurt.

Excellent recommendation--I'm just starting the application process and have already found the book to be worth the price and then some.

Your advisor sounds like an academic snob. Plenty of people graduate from community colleges, transfer to earn a bachelor's degree and then go on to graduate school. I work at a community college and we have many alumni who have done just that (and saved a bunch of money on tuition, which is one reason they do it). As long as your academic performance was solid at both schools, I see no reason why you shouldn't apply. As for references, schools ask for letters from professors who are familiar with your work and able to attest to your scholarly potential. If the professors who best fit that description are ones at your first college, ask them. It might look odd if you had no letters from your baccalaureate institution though, so if you can manage one from there it would probably be helpful. I would imagine that being a stand-out student in a semester-long course (produce top-notch papers, ace your tests and participate in the class) would give a professor enough to write about even if s/he hadn't known you for several years. Good luck!

I lived in the GLC for the first year of my master's program. It wasn't that bad, but I moved to an off-campus apartment as soon as the school year was over. Granted, this was 10 years ago so things could've changed by now, but the main "con" that I remember was that the furniture was horribly uncomfortable. My brother lived there too, when he was an undergrad (so the "G" in GLC isn't always true) and he liked it OK. It's been 8 years since I left Atlanta, but I spent 14 years there and the best place I lived was a house near Piedmont Park that had been converted to apartments. It was a great area, quiet and really convenient to campus and restaurants/bars/etc. There are a lot of similar properties around, so I'd recommend checking some of those out before signing a lease at a complex, unless you're going for that Melrose Place, 20-somethings hanging out around the pool experience.

Try to do research with professors while working on your MA, especially ones you'd like to work with long term (assuming you want to continue at this school). Personally, I'd hesitate to rack up $40K in debt for a one-year master's program and would consider just waiting this year out and trying again next year for a funded Ph.D. But then again, I've become a real cheapskate in this economy.

I've heard/read that if your overall GPA is not stellar but your major GPA is, it's a good idea to highlight your major GPA on apps/SoPs/etc. But I'm wondering if this holds true when one is switching fields. For instance, my overall is 3.58 but my major is 3.8. I majored in Communications with a strong Writing minor (almost all of my Com courses were listed as Writing, but my school didn't offer a major in it; go figure) and am now applying to Sociology Ph.D. programs. Will they even care to see the .2 difference? [And to make matters even more complicated, I earned a dismal 3.37 in my MBA program. Business school and I were sort of like oil and water. Any ideas on how I can make this look better?]

I just registered--so excited! This will be my first time going. Anyone have any suggestions for a newbie? Also, if anyone wants to meet up for drinks or something one night, let me know. I'm flying solo, so it would be nice to have a familiar face or two in the crowd.

I found Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way into the Graduate School of Your Choice by Donald Asher to be incredibly helpful (if somewhat intimidating). It actually made me sort of excited to write my SoP. http://amzn.com/1580088724

I have a friend who is a professor at a relatively well-ranked psych program (not top 10, but top 25). He's been on multiple admissions committees, so I've been asking him for advice as I embark on the application process (even though we're in different fields). He told me that if an applicant had not bothered to make contact with professors in the program, he didn't seriously consider that person's application. Obviously, take that with a grain of salt as he's just one person in one program. Still, it was enough to make me start reaching out to professors at my target schools. One of them was impressed enough to speak to the head of the committee on my behalf, so it can certainly be helpful even if it's not strictly necessary. As for whether it's too early, I'm applying for fall 2010 as well. If you maintain occasional contact between now and the application deadline, it might have a bigger impact than just a brief exchange when the deadline rolls around.