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Pino5

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Everything posted by Pino5

  1. PhD in Sociology. Are you in Manchester already?
  2. I figure those applying/attending UK sociology programs might need a consolidated page where we can talk about our concerns that may be UK-specific. If you are in the UK already or UK bound (or hope to be), please introduce yourself and hopefully we can help and encourage each other out. I'll start. I got accepted to Manchester for 2014. I'll find out about funding in March/April. I don't have any specific concerns yet, aside from the usual city/accomodation questions, which has its own (barely) thread. Btw, anyone else going to Manchester?
  3. I'm assuming you are applying in the US. I applied in the UK so this may not apply. Yes, it is always a good idea to email potential profs. In my case, I emailed several professors who I felt had the "best" fit for me in their departments. I received responses that were very positive, which indicated that I had a fighting chance in my application. I applied to one of these schools and got accepted. I had one response that said my research area was beyond their scope, and that if I was really interested in the program I would need to slant the study a certain way. This revealed to me that if I hadn't emailed the prof, I wouldn't have known that my research interests were not a good fit with the department. I didn't bother applying there. There were a couple of professors however who did not respond at all. I know that these profs get tons of emails, but I'm thinking if they can't be bothered to respond to an earnestly written email, then I probably shouldn't waste my time applying there. As to the content of my email, I just simply introduced myseld, indicated my interests in being supervised, summarized my research agenda, then attached my research proposal. Hope this helps.
  4. I got accepted into a PhD program in the UK as well, and won't know of funding until March/April. If I was doing my PhD here in the US, I will definitely NOT do a PhD without funding. That said, I heard from a few friends who did their doctorates in the UK that guaranteed funding (i'm in the social sciences) is extremely competitive the first first year, but gets easier to get once you are already in the program. So even if you "self-fund" (thru FAFSA, etc) the first year, there is a strong chance you'll get funding for the remaining 2 years, so the personal expense is mitigated somewhat. The way I see it, self-funding on my first year and studentships for the remaining two years is better than 5-6 years of (near poverty) wages from a funded US program. Hope this helps.
  5. Pino5

    Manchester, UK

    Hi there! Just got accepted to University of Manchester for the 2014 term. Any info you can share about what I'm anticipating to be a great city to move my family to? I'm interested particularly in "safe" cities to live in, what the general atmosphere is like, etc. Any general info will help as well. Thanks for your help!
  6. Dbrunton, thanks for the response. There was actually one who responded very faborably, a big name in the field, and also my first choice. I'll be perfectly happy if I get admitted in the program. I am just hoping I can have several other programs I can apply to as well. Do you think it would be OK if I write other professors in the same department as those who didn't reply?
  7. To those who have experience writing to potential UK phd supervisors: How long did you have to wait before they responded, if at all? I'm asking because I wrote several potential supervisors last week and they have not responded to my email yet (I included my phd proposal in the email as well). If I don't hear from them, does that mean they were not interested in the topic/proposal? How long do I have to wait before I email them again (just to be sure they didn't lose the email or forgot to respond)? I can imagine they get tons of emails from students all over, so I just need to get an idea of the "average" waiting time. Thanks!
  8. Thanks for this. I will incorporate my thesis research along these lines as well. Yes, I agree. Your post alone was a great start. Thanks.
  9. For those applying or who have applied for the Sociology Phd, what constitutes as research experience? I'm coming from an MA program and when I'm trying to map out my "research" experience, the most I can come up with are: 1) master's thesis 2) 2-3 course papers 3) research work for a former professor's commissioned book project (not in an official capacity) 4) some odd research work for a professor researching materials for his class (again, not in an official capacity, more of a favor) The funny thing is, I did "research" work in writing #1 and #2, as does everybody, and #3 and #4 are technically, "researching" for somebody, but I'm not sure if this is what the adcomms are asking for. So in our field, what counts as research experience? What did you identify as your research experience(s)? For those with less experience in this area, how did you address it in your application? Thanks for the help!
  10. Thanks for the insightful responses. I will request my former chair to write the letters for me. BTW, I need some clarity on the research experience bit. IF I am currently helping a former professor with a book project (I'm more well-versed in a particular area that he is covering in one of his chapters), would this constitute as research experience? He is also more than happy to write a letter for me. Thanks again!
  11. I'm working on my PhD application and have an LOR question. I'm currently a lecturer in the department where I received my MA several years ago. I'm thinking of asking the former chair of the department who hired me when he was still chair. He was my direct supervisor and was a great mentor to me. He is willing to write a recommendation, but unfortunately, I have not taken a single class under him. I feel he can write a strong recommendation with regards to my teaching experience/skills, but of course, would probably not be able to comment on my academic aptitude as a student, etc. So... How do you think would this letter be considered by adcomms? OR should I just ask another faculty who knows me academically but is less enthusiastic about it (because she is busy)? On a side note, my former chair is willing to write >10 rec letters, the other faculty would probably only write 5-6. Thanks!
  12. Thanks for the reply. I asked him but he said wasn't sure how I should do it. He will be saying something about our relationship in the letter though.
  13. My former professor is no longer teaching. On that section where they ask you for your recommender's info/position, should I enter my professor's former title and school where I studied, or do I enter his current title, e.g. Joe Smith, Phd. Manager, XX Company.?
  14. I was hoping PHD programs would have similar transcript requirements with my current MA program, where notations in my BA transcript were enough. Yes, I should definitely contact them about these. Thanks for the advice guys!
  15. Hi guys. Most (if not all) programs I am applying to require that I submit transcripts from all colleges I attended. If for instance, I took a quarter worth of courses from University A, took an online course from University B, etc. does this mean that I will need to have these universities forward my transcripts as well? Only a couple of courses I took this way were credited towards my BA. My worries actually center on University A, which is in a foreign country. I was hoping a reference in my BA transcript would suffice. What do you guys think?
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