CWilliam

Hello everyone, This seems like an appropriate place to tack on my questions, seeing as I will also be applying for sociology PhD programs for entry in fall of 2015. Any answers are appreciated. I share many of the same concerns as others who have posted. Specifically because my background is not in sociology. I hold a B.S in Business Administration with a Finance Major with a 3.83 cumulative GPA and 4.0 in major. I also hold a M.S. with Distinction, in Finance and Investment from a top UK university. I will have three years of work experience prior to the program, including a year in wealth management and two years in investment banking. I also completed a research dissertation for my Master's program, and earned a mark of Distinction. My concern is the seemingly one track direction of my prior study and work experience, that on first glance does not seem aligned with that of sociology. I am hoping that my SOP will allow me to explain my research interests and make a compelling case regarding my background. My research interests lie in the field of economic sociology, with an emphasis on herd behavior, and collective decision making as it pertains to markets and economic systems. This should tie in with my dissertation research, considering that I examined explanations for the value premium and posited evidence for systematic behavior and cognitive errors in decision making across whole groups of market participants. With this in mind, are there any suggestions for certain programs I should consider? How I can make myself stand out in the SOP? And how many programs I should apply to in order to almost guarantee acceptance? As a note, I have yet to take the GRE but let's assume I earn average scores for PhD candidates. Thanks for all the comments, and best of luck to others.