Coindinista

Whatisyourhistory--I don't believe you can accuse one of fortune-telling, then pose an alternate future.
 
If you guys truly think that your only hope upon PhD completion is hopping from adjunct to adjunct position, it would seem idiotic to continue pursuing a PhD--yet you are and do not seem to be idiots, which makes your argument unserious from a critical realism standpoint.
 
Perhaps you're right.  Good luck with the searchcoms.

It's true, right now it's a bit rough.  States are cutting funding, the slow pick up from the recession, etc--but demographically, the baby boomers are preparing to retire which should open up a significant amount of jobs in the future.  It'd be foolish to base your job prospects 7 years from now on the job market of today.

I love how you corrected him in the snottiest way possible, even italicized "the America's."  Quick question though, what is America possessing in that statement that requires the apostrophe?
 
Perhaps you should relax your response to someone who likely isn't a native English speaker, when you're still struggling with grammar.

I love how you corrected him in the snottiest way possible, even italicized "the America's."  Quick question though, what is America possessing in that statement that requires the apostrophe?
 
Perhaps you should relax your response to someone who likely isn't a native English speaker, when you're still struggling with grammar.

I love how you corrected him in the snottiest way possible, even italicized "the America's."  Quick question though, what is America possessing in that statement that requires the apostrophe?
 
Perhaps you should relax your response to someone who likely isn't a native English speaker, when you're still struggling with grammar.

I love how you corrected him in the snottiest way possible, even italicized "the America's."  Quick question though, what is America possessing in that statement that requires the apostrophe?
 
Perhaps you should relax your response to someone who likely isn't a native English speaker, when you're still struggling with grammar.

I love how you corrected him in the snottiest way possible, even italicized "the America's."  Quick question though, what is America possessing in that statement that requires the apostrophe?
 
Perhaps you should relax your response to someone who likely isn't a native English speaker, when you're still struggling with grammar.

Well, my Fall 2015 season is over. Looks like I'm moving to either Ann Arbor or San Diego. I wouldn't wish this application process on my worst enemy! I'm glad it's over, happy to get back to real work, and very excited and pleased with my prospects.

I think, in the end, thegradcafe made me feel anxious more than anything else. Either way, I'm excited to see what this next generation of sociologists has to offer and I hope to see you all at ASA over the next years.

5) Are humorless

I love how you corrected him in the snottiest way possible, even italicized "the America's."  Quick question though, what is America possessing in that statement that requires the apostrophe?
 
Perhaps you should relax your response to someone who likely isn't a native English speaker, when you're still struggling with grammar.

If your school doesn't post placement records, you can use google search to help you get an idea of where PhDs from your department wind up.
 
Enter this in the search bar:
 
 
For example, I was trying to find Sociology professors who got their degrees from UC Santa Cruz, so this is what I entered:
 
 
(Entering site:.edu makes sure only university pages come up in the results. Entering -site:ucsc.edu makes sure the results aren't bogged down with pages from UCSC.)
 
The results are faculty pages of Sociology professors with degrees from UCSC who are teaching at other universities.
 
Hope this is helpful to someone else!

5) Are humorless

5) Are humorless

I think the key take away is to be strategically oriented, and ask yourself if this is a stepping stone in that direction.  If I did not get accepted into my preferred programs (and even if I got accepted into programs I wasn't really in love with), I'd opt for the MA if it kept me in the trajectory toward those goals. At the end of the day, it's Columbia--and despite the nay-sayers in the soc forum, it's an elite establishment with a selective MA. You have accomplished something by being admitted into that program--but the important thing here is to make it mean something as well.  You do that by ensuring that you're not taking it because you don't know what else to do, and coming at it with everything you have.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about what the soc forums say.
1) Soc people are generally the most pissy bunch of bratty students (look at the rejection results for comments to qualify that)
2) Most of the people downing your accomplishment have racked up a healthy load of rejections and bitterness
3) "Elite" anything gives them the willies
4) MAs aren't 'money making schemes,' it's how a lot of universities pay for the PhD students' funding--and we don't see anyone with funding complaining about the ethics of that
 
So go, research, write, publish, learn and thrive in a wonderful location with outstanding faculty.  Good luck--and you should probably stay off these boards if you're seeking some sort of positivity in your life or any sort of relief from anxiety.

I think the key take away is to be strategically oriented, and ask yourself if this is a stepping stone in that direction.  If I did not get accepted into my preferred programs (and even if I got accepted into programs I wasn't really in love with), I'd opt for the MA if it kept me in the trajectory toward those goals. At the end of the day, it's Columbia--and despite the nay-sayers in the soc forum, it's an elite establishment with a selective MA. You have accomplished something by being admitted into that program--but the important thing here is to make it mean something as well.  You do that by ensuring that you're not taking it because you don't know what else to do, and coming at it with everything you have.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about what the soc forums say.
1) Soc people are generally the most pissy bunch of bratty students (look at the rejection results for comments to qualify that)
2) Most of the people downing your accomplishment have racked up a healthy load of rejections and bitterness
3) "Elite" anything gives them the willies
4) MAs aren't 'money making schemes,' it's how a lot of universities pay for the PhD students' funding--and we don't see anyone with funding complaining about the ethics of that
 
So go, research, write, publish, learn and thrive in a wonderful location with outstanding faculty.  Good luck--and you should probably stay off these boards if you're seeking some sort of positivity in your life or any sort of relief from anxiety.

I have no idea. You can check the results search and construct your own explanation: you are a sociologist! 

After carefully reviewing your offer, I am sorry to inform you that I are unable to attend your program. You should not view this as a reflection on your ability, but rather as a comment on the limited size of me and the record number of programs I was admitted to this year.
 
Best of luck in your future endeavors,
FreddyDoug

Accepted to UCSD!! What a day!

Waitlisted for Michigan... is this good?

@grrlfriend - No you are correct.  If you do not come out of a top program in your discipline, you will more than likely not be teaching in a top program.  As you said, there are exceptions to the rule, but it is rare.  More than likely you will be teaching/working at a University that is of the same rank or below the one you graduated from.  That's still not a terrible gig though....a 9-month salary for a Mid-west state University would be about 55,000-60,000 and go up to 70,000 in 5 years.  While you might say that's not great money return....it's not the worst and you get more say in your schedule than someone who works 9-5.  Not to mention there is less pressure at many "lower-tier" schools than ones in the top 10.  There is very high pressure at Research 1 institutions. 

In recent years there has been a large amount of talk about tenured positions being cut and turned into adjunct positions.  Despite this, graduates are STILL getting tenure track jobs.  I am in a lower PhD program for Sociology ranked in the 70's and over the last two years, just about every graduate who was looking for a tenure-track position got one prior to graduating.  Yes, they will have to publish quite a bit, but that's part of the job. If it's really something you want, consider all factors, talk to professors in the field, talk to graduates on the market, and even people in the legal field who are also looking for a career change.  Don't pay too much attention to the pesimists of the interwebs though.  There are jobs out there for motivated individuals.  And at the very least, if you have your PhD, there are a number of private firms who would love to have a PhD on their team - public opinion/survey firms especially.  Having the legal background will be a plus.

Tenure is only diminishing now because it can--right now, what used to get you tenure might not even get you a job, just like UGs are half expected to publish before applying to grad schools.  When the boomers retire there will be a sudden flux requiring lucrative offers to attract the best qualified candidates.  The quickest way for academia to implode is to resort to adjuct dominant policies which would ultimately cut out their own source of revenue.  Bear in mind, students pay money to schools to ultimately work at schools--if working at schools is no longer an option, then they will likely not pay the money to schools.  Any pessimistic claim on the future of academia is likely espoused by embittered candidates. 

It's true, right now it's a bit rough.  States are cutting funding, the slow pick up from the recession, etc--but demographically, the baby boomers are preparing to retire which should open up a significant amount of jobs in the future.  It'd be foolish to base your job prospects 7 years from now on the job market of today.

Whatisyourhistory--I don't believe you can accuse one of fortune-telling, then pose an alternate future.
 
If you guys truly think that your only hope upon PhD completion is hopping from adjunct to adjunct position, it would seem idiotic to continue pursuing a PhD--yet you are and do not seem to be idiots, which makes your argument unserious from a critical realism standpoint.
 
Perhaps you're right.  Good luck with the searchcoms.

Claiming an Indiana acceptance! Indiana is probably my top choice, so I'm very excited. Who else got in?
 
re: the Columbia acceptance -- it was a phone call, apparently, so I'm guessing that it was a call from a POI and that admissions have generally not been finalized. This would be pretty early, indeed.