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firecrasher

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Everything posted by firecrasher

  1. Not me since I'm applying for American Studies. I ran into one of my professors when I dropped off a physical copy of my transcript (which Apra says is still not received.. ha ha ha) and they're finalizing their Ph.D. cohort before they look at Master's apps. So it could be a long wait for me...
  2. I'm in a state of shock and sitting here shaking. The department secretary has received 2 out of my 3 transcripts but nothing was updated. I sent an unofficial copy to her of the third transcript and am driving to the the third university now to raise h*** and try to get them to release an official copy to me today so I can hand deliver it. I've spent a year and a half taking courses to get in this M.A. program... please cross your fingers I don't get knocked out because of bureaucratic ineptitude! Note: My Apra is now updated showing that one transcript is still missing. I had no idea.
  3. You've got a PM! Every time I check the Apra I feel like I lose a day off my life!
  4. I did a LOT of digging on these forums and it looks like an applicant in a previous year had this issue and was able to confirm with the department secretary that Apra is not always updated. I have transcripts from three different universities thanks to post-bacc and grad coursework; it seems very unusual that none of them have been received when they were first sent in November. I'm also wondering if UMD only looks at Master's applicants (e.g. me) after they finalize their Ph.D. cohort. Cross your fingers for me - I love it there!
  5. Are any other applicants having issues with the application supplemental form stating that items have not been received? I've sent my UG transcripts to the Graduate School TWICE (early November [submitted mid-December] & again in early January when I noticed that Apra stated they were missing. I received personal copies from my UG schools w/o a hitch) and the Apra still states that they have not been received. Contacted the department (American Studies) by email a week ago and no response. I'm a post-bacc student at MD now and will most likely stop by the dept office tomorrow or email one of the professors I have communicated with regarding my application. The only possible hold-up that I can think of is that my UG GPA is below the GS's admission standards, but the GS told me in December that the department can override it and it's not a bar to acceptance.
  6. Anyone interested in swapping SOPs for a final once-over? Deadline for submission is in 5 days! Send me a PM if you'd like. Thanks
  7. Thank you! Here are the specific directions. Mine is two pages by necessity because I've taken post-bacc coursework at a few universities. My categories are Employment Experience, Academic Experience, Performance Experience, Volunteer Experience, and Memberships (Phi Theta Kappa, ASA etc). I don't have teaching or research experience... which is what I'm going to graduate school to obtain "In requesting a resume, we are interested in your work history, not just in any scholarly work history you might have. Feel free to send us a resume that includes description of the kinds of responsibilities you have held in previous employment, especially if it presents skills or knowledge not already represented in other parts of your application. Resumes often give evidence of other qualities that are highly correlated with success in graduate school, such as maturity, time management skills, etc."
  8. Hi, I'm pursuing an academic Master's in American Studies as a change of career after 10 years in another industry. The department specifically requests that resumes focus on work history. I'm working as a musician in addition to my day job, and I mention in my SOP that my experiences as a musician have specifically informed my research topics of subcultures and music. Do you think it's appropriate to put my musical experiences on my resume in addition to my employment experiences? I've been performing on and off solo for 15 years, am currently in a few bands, and have been on a few studio recordings. Just nothing "prestigious." I don't want it to come off as amateurish or foolish since I'm not making a living off of it, but I want to quantify what's on my SOP. (As for the rest of the application, undergrad GPA 2.88 in 2004 due to illness, 4.0 GPA in grad/undergrad coursework taken in the past year at my target schools, GRE 161 V, 5.0 AW, quant not taken into consideration, LORs all profs in target programs).
  9. Hi, a few questions regarding SOP and a change of field ten years after graduation. I'm applying to Fall 2014 M.A. programs ten years after receiving a B.A. in Sociology from a Christian honors college. I have also almost completed a community college post-B.A. paralegal program. I recently lost my day job in an unrelated industry and used the opportunity to take non-degree day classes in sociology (graduate) and American Studies (undergraduate) at state universities to nail down the topics which I would like to focus on in graduate school, and I'm leaning towards American Studies/popular culture/music studies. My current profs are very supportive and are encouraging me to publish (!) what I have been working on in their courses. 1) What is the best way to mention the unfinished paralegal program in my statements of purpose? I won't complete it by the time applications are due and don't want to wait another year to apply when I am no longer interested in a legal career. My legal profs were blunt about the realities of being a paralegal and recommended that I go to law school or graduate school. 2) Will I look foolish trying to change topics of study? American studies/popular culture studies wasn't offered in undergrad and are completely unrelated to the topic of my quant thesis, so my knowledge is based on years of independent reading and experience (my other job is songwriter/musician) and the courses I am taking now. It is possible to get a 2nd B.A in American Studies if I must, but I don't want to rack up debt and put off grad school since I'm still jobless. 3) GPA Woes! My undergrad GPA dropped to 2.88 due to illness over one semester, but I have a 3.75 in my major (Sociology), studied abroad at Oxford, and have a 4.0 GPA in all courses since then. Although my undergrad GPA is a serious concern, I can't go back and change the past. My unrelated former job is not something I wish to dwell upon or even mention, and they do not write letters of recommendation anyway. I'd appreciate any advice anyone on the forum can give me, and thanks for putting up with the parentheses.
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