meowth

Hey all! My first applications are due December 1 so I might as well make my first post in this forum I've be stalking the last few weeks.
 
I've got decent GRE scores (87% percentile on V & Q, 50% on writing), 3.6 overall GPA, 3.9 major(s) GPA, summa cum laude for gender studies and also majored in psychology. Only took a few sociology classes though, which went towards my gender studies BA. I volunteered in some psychology labs during senior year and had to drop all but one when I started working, so the one I'm still in I suppose it's been nearly a year now. Most of my research experience was probably for my thesis, but it was archival / literary with an English professor advisor, so not super relevant.
 
I really don't even know what rank list people are looking at in terms of top tier, second tier, etc. and I'm not sure I actually want to know because I don't need more to be worried about. I know some of the programs I'm applying to are more competitive than others, but I chose them more based on having programs that fit my interest in gender and sexualities, and located somewhere I wouldn't mind spending several years or where I already know people.
 
My current list, all PhD programs: University of Chicago, Northwestern, Boston University, SUNY Albany, University of Florida, University of South Florida. I'm also applying to five more programs that are mixes of psychology, gender studies, PhD and master's programs.
 
The hardest part for me right now is working two part-time, barely above minimum wage jobs at the moment leaving not much time, energy, nor money to apply to grad school. Oh well. I hope one I get the first few applications in that the rest won't be as hard. And the statements of purpose and/or personal statements have been the things that bother me the most! They're so hard to write. I also need to get my writing sample ready. I want to use my gender studies honors thesis, but that's 39 pages or so, so I was hoping I could just take out part of it to use.
 
I actually started scoping out this forum wondering if I even had a chance at getting in these places, but what I've seen gives me hope that it's competitive, but doable. And I really just have to get accepted into one, right? So hopefully that happens.