hj2012

Just ask. Explain that you have another offer and that while Georgetown is your top choice, the cost is prohibitive. The worst they can say is no, and you'll be in the same position that you are now. P.S. "funding" is not plural.

OK. "Asia" is still huge. What country are you interested in? And what are your language capacities currently? FYI, in many places you would have better luck finding a teaching position after graduating from a university in the States. That said, a PhD is a huge commitment - and a PhD in a different country is an even bigger one. If I were you, I would select the country of interest and apply to shorter-term fellowships (Fulbright, Princeton-in-Asia, teaching programs such as JET or EPIK, etc) to get a sense for the place and to start language acquisition.

I think you'll need to say a little more. "Outside the US" hardly narrows things down. Where do you want to end up eventually? What do you want to do with your degree? Do you already have a master's degree? Are you looking to study in Asia?

https://sweduc.wordpress.com/2009/09/13/msw-and-phd-admission-rates/ Mind you, the data is somewhat dated so take it with a grain of salt. But this should give at least a general idea of program competitivity.

Hi, While these samples are for anthropology, not sociology, you might still find it useful to read through for examples on how to organize a statement of purpose. A few thoughts: 1. Forefront your future dissertation research. Your introduction paragraph should give the reader a good understanding of the kind of research that you want to do, the methods you might employ, and why your topic is important. Why is the intersection of work/labor, gender, and mental health an interesting area of inquiry? 2. I wouldn't bash your undergrad education. Try to spin everything positively. Instead of stressing your dissatisfaction, say something like, "My undergraduate training in psychology at the University of X gave me the opportunity to become acquainted with A, B, C and furthered my interest in Z and Y. In order to strengthen my academic training and gain international experience, I continued my studies at University blah blah.." That you worked and saved up for two years to fund your grad studies is irrelevant, unless this work experience somehow contributed to your research trajectory (e.g. "After graduating from University of X with honors, I worked for two years as a health professional at Y hospital, an experience that furthered my interest in the intersection of gendered labor and mental health.") 3. You're changing fields from psychology to sociology. Why? This should be addressed. Why do you want to pursue a sociological line of inquiry instead of a psychological one? There's also very little in this statement that indicates that you understand the differences between the two fields, or how you might use your training in psychology to further an innovative interdisciplinary project in the field of sociology. Hope this helps.

Read earlier comments in this thread, and @complit cites the Columbia English dept website that advises students to have a 95% or higher on the verbal section. I'd say that is a good target for the other schools you've mentioned as well.

You might be able to study education from a historical or sociological perspective, but I doubt that curriculum and instruction would be a good fit for any program outside of an Education department. Since Chicago closed their school of education nearly 20 years ago, it seems that education research is not the university's priority. I personally wouldn't waste the money to apply when there's absolutely no fit at all.

I see. Yes, as an international student I think it might be especially helpful for you to enter an MA program first. If you're relying on outside funding, I think Columbia, UVa, Northwestern NYU, Georgetown and Wake Forest would be good places to consider.

Well, it depends. Some of the more "prestigious" places to get a master's degree in English would be Oxbridge in the UK and Columbia, Georgetown, and UVa in the U.S. But these programs are very expensive and offer little to no financial aid, so you would have to be independently wealthy to pay for the degree. There's also the question of your preparation. Why do you want an MA in English? Is it because of poor undergrad performance, because you're switching fields, etc? These factors will also impact "suitability." Usually the recommendation is that an MA degree is not worth exorbitant loans, considering the limited functionality of the degree. There's a list of MA programs that give funding (usually through teaching assistantships) floating around here somewhere if you use the "search" function.

I actually think a 143 -> 151 is a substantial improvement, though you're right that the scores will not likely be the strongest aspect of your application. I would go ahead and apply if you feel that UVA or UMD is a really good fit for your research interests and the application cost is not a serious burden.

Are we talking Master's or PhD programs? I don't think your GPA and GRE will keep you out of the running for either level, but if you're applying to PhD programs I'm slightly concerned that you have two industry letters and only one academic letter. Really, it should be the other way around -- and only if your supervisor has a PhD in your field.

I have friends and colleagues who transitioned into PhD programs from Georgetown's Arab Studies MA program and UT Austin's Middle Eastern Studies MA program, so perhaps those schools will be of interest? For PhD programs, the recommendation usually is that the writing sample supplements one's stated research interests, but I don't know to what extent that matters for MA admissions. My only concern with your stated writing sample is that it might not demonstrate your language skills nor your growing familiarity with the Arab World. I don't think a writing sample needs to be in excess of 10-15 pages; actually, that range sounds about right for MA applications. Are there other, more relevant papers that you might be able to revise? Best of luck with your transition!

If you choose to reapply, I would definitely think strategically and tread carefully. It will likely be difficult for you to gain admission to "a better program" without a letter of recommendation from your current school attesting that you are not leaving due to your inability to flourish in doctoral-level work. Staying in your current program may become more difficult -- as you very well might strain relationships -- if they hear that you are trying to leave. I wouldn't take the decision to reapply so lightly.

When you say "apply out," do you mean apply to different PhD programs? Considering that you're concerned with time to completion, I can't imagine shifting to another program (with all the adjustment that entails) would somehow help speed things along. Switching PhD programs based on this one factor alone seems a bit crazy, assuming you don't have other significant complaints about your department. FYI: there's nothing stopping you from making progress on your own. What are your program's qualifying exam requirements? Since you've already taken a significant amount of coursework, I imagine at least some of the work is review. Can you get a head start on putting together your lists and assembling your committee? In my department, there are always a couple enterprising individuals (many of whom come in w/ MAs) that take the QEs early.

This is quite good. You'll have opportunities to brush up on French as a grad student, but you seem well-positioned to take a translation exam (and I would mention your French education in your SOP). I think you should definitely apply directly to PhD programs and throw in a few MA programs into the mix. Check out earlier threads for funded masters programs: https://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/40233-funded-masters-programs-in-art-history/ https://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/39410-funded-masters/ In your SOP, I recommend that you emphasize one area of the world over the another, and since your senior thesis was on Yinka Shonibare it might make more sense to talk about African diasporic art & visual culture, though of course you can mention your interest in drawing parallels to other British postcolonies throughout the world. The conversations emerging from South Asian cultural and visual studies are quite distinct -- though related, of course -- to conversations in African/African diaspora cultural and visual studies, FYI.