focused

If you want a job at an R1, I think there is a difference between T10 and T25. I wouldn't discount the likely better connections of the faculty in general in the T10, even if not in your specific subfield. Also, the other students in the program and general quality of training is typically better in the T10 than in the T25.

A few top program acceptance rates (based on last year) were as follows: Harvard 3%, Stanford 5%, Berkeley 10%.

Just FYI - Thorne is retiring soon. I'm not at Berkeley, but she told me during the admitted students visit last year that she would be retiring soon and stepping down in many of her duties in the meantime.

I personally think 12 is a little high because you may start to sacrifice the ability to customize each application. Of course, this depends on how much time you have. I was working 12+ hours per day at my current job, so I think the final few applications would have suffered if I tried to apply to 11 or 12. For what it's worth, I applied to 8, which I think was a good (but definitely max) number. I think you should consider how well you fit at each of the programs to which you're planning to apply. If based on your subfields (and even more specific interests), you think you're an excellent fit at several of them and a fairly good fit at several more, then I don't think there is a need to apply to 12. If you have unique interests that only somewhat fit at most of the schools, then you may be better off applying to the upper end of your 8 to 12 range.

Congratulations, and good luck with your move.

I think that when you make a big life transition, you will often be uncertain, nervous, and uncomfortable no matter how much you truly want the thing to which you'll be transitioning (in this case, grad school). For over the past two years, I have been working in a job that provides no intellectual stimulation or meaning to my life. I have been working the entire time to begin a PhD program (that meant after very long work days, working on grad-related things until very late at night). I couldn't wait to begin my academic training, my career, my "real" life. I have now been accepted to a dream school with full funding. But no matter how excited I am to move on, there is, indeed, a little part of me that feels comfortable with where I am now. These past 2 years have been an important period of growth for me in terms of determining my personal and career preferences. So even though I don't particularly like the town I'm in or my job, there will be some sense of loss for the experiences I've had in this place during this time. That said, I don't think that idling in a comfort zone is a way to live life. It's not that you should feel miserable, but I think you should always push yourself to do something important (to you), something that stretches you. Sure, it's not easy, but nothing truly worthwhile ever comes easily. If I have misinterpreted your feelings about the decision, please feel free to disregard. But especially based on your last post, I got the sense that fear, rather than true personal and career preferences, is somewhat contributing to your reluctance to begin the program this year. I think the important thing is to be honest about the reason you're making the choice and feel that you're making it for the right reasons. Good luck making your decision.

That's it - it's titled "Graduate Admission Essays." I do not know anything about Soc of Religion, so I can't provide any specific school recommendations. However, assuming those schools are relatively good fits, they are definitely not too high. You have solid stats, so aim high (with some "back-ups"--knowing that nothing is really a back-up). I think that, as deckard mentioned, you need to be sure to craft your SoP to demonstrate the relationship between your interests and the respective programs to which you ultimately choose to apply. Good luck!

I'm actually interested in these types of phenomena from an academic perspective, but I do not believe that class reproduction is as prominent in academia as in other, especially professional, fields. Perhaps my perception is flawed, and I am certainly not suggesting that everyone has equal opportunity. Indeed, those with more social/economic capital likely attended more prestigious undergraduate schools, allowing them to both interact with leading professors in their respective fields and learn about real academic research. So although class is undeniably reproduced through education, I don't think that the stratifying processes are actually occurring at the time of graduate admissions; I think they happened long before this point. Adcomms are investing in those they believe are good thinkers and researchers. To the extent that money, your undergraduate education, and your close networks (often a function of social class) affect your ability as a thinker/researcher, adcomms may appear to be the catalyst of class reproduction in academia. Personally, I came from a working class family and lived in a declining town with one of the lowest-ranked high schools in my (then) state. However, I attended an Ivy university for undergrad. So while I was not originally culturally or financially privileged, my undergrad opportunities strongly influenced both my decision to pursue grad school and my ability to be accepted. It's an important topic, and I would be interested to hear others views. I know this can be a sensitive issue, so let's try to play nicely.

I "showed" my fit throughout by discussing both my past research and future research plans. I then followed-up on this "showing" by explictly "telling" of the fit in a designated "fit" paragraph. Here I discussed specific professors and any centers from which I could benefit. But I think the key is really the showing. By the time the adcoms get to the actual fit paragraph, they should already know generally what you're going to say and/or be nodding, thinking "Well of course this applicant wants to work with Profs A and B and in conjunction with Center Z." Just my two cents; I'm sure other strategies work equally well or better. However, this was advice that was given to me and helpful in my SoP, so I hope that applicants next year can also benefit from it.

These figures are directly from the respective programs listed below: Stanford - about 240 applicants for a cohort of 9-10 (they didn't indicate how many they accepted, but I'm guessing around 14-15), for an acceptance rate of approximately 5-6% depending on exactly how many were accepted. Harvard - 268 applicants, actually accepted 11 (indicated this is in anticipation of a cohort of 8-9), for an acceptance rate of 4% UMichigan, Ann Arbor - accepted 8% (I don't know the # of applicants - a prof on the admissions committee just noted this percentage in a personal e-mail)

The follow-up e-mail (after the acceptance call) indicated that they didn't conduct interviews this year because they were "trying something new."

I'm not in your field, so it may vary. However, I received a phone call from a professor in the department to which I applied informing me of my acceptance. Then, about two weeks later, I received a large envelope with all of the brochures, official funding details (which I already knew from the call), housing info, etc. Good luck!

I'm not the original Cornell poster, but I completed my undergrad degree at Cornell, as well. I don't think many grad students live in the apartment complexes in Ithaca. To my knowledge, there aren't that many to begin with, and the ones that do exist are heavily populated by undergrads. I believe that most grad students share houses in the Commons/downtown Ithaca area. There is also collegetown, which is right at the edge of campus, but that is heavily populated by undergrads. As an in-between option, you could try to find a house that is a few streets down from the main collegetown street. I'm not going to Cornell for grad school, but feel free to PM me if you have any questions about Cornell or Ithaca. I'd be glad to help if I can.

First, let me reiterate what others have said above: don't rush yourself into an important career decision as a "courtesy." Only notify schools when you feel absolutely comfortable. Second, do not let people sway your decision by talking about the "Harvard name." I don't know whether Harvard is/is not the right program for you, but certainly don't let people who likely know little about grad school (if they knew about it, they wouldn't be suggesting a place based on its undergrad/medical/law school ranking) influence your decision on the matter. This is not to say anything bad of those people--I assume they are your friends and family and merely want the best for you. I come from a working class family, so they do not understand how this process works much either. They just want what is best for me, but I have had to listen to the same type of thing. In my case, it's even more odd because they can't understand why I might select Stanford over Harvard. Bottom line: go with what you know is best and don't worry what others think about it.

That will be me when I'm on an adcom! (though I VERY rarely miss my morning coffee!)