gingin6789
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Posts posted by gingin6789
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Just submitted the last of my applications today! What an exhausting process. Two years ago, I only applied to three MA programs. This round, I've applied to eight PhD programs!
All I need to do now is submit my GRE scores to three programs. One of those three programs noted that they've already received my GRE scores? How? I didn't send them to that program, and I didn't apply to their master's program two years ago. I think I will send them my scores regardless, in case it is a mistake.
Now, all that's left is ... grading. Grading many papers and exams.
And then waiting!
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I realized I posted here before starting grad school, asking whether I should carry an extra outfit in my backpack, as my campus is on a mountain and I sweat easily. Ha, that didn't happen! I just learned to wear lightweight clothing and NEVER wear heels! I'm a TA, so I usually wear black, stretchy pants and a nice top. Comfy and makes me look semi-professional. I also have a lot of dresses because I love dresses O_O
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If they ask you to upload official copies of your transcript through scanning them, then the watermarks and VOID notices will appear. That is inevitable. The folks on the adcomm are likely aware that this will happen. I believe that they ask for your official copies to be uploaded because they are harder to tamper with than the web-displayed unofficial transcripts.
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In terms of "when will I hear back?" I've looked at last year's acceptances/rejections thread, and I've also checked searched the Results page. Now, I have a nice little timeline of when I *might* hear back from the programs I've applied to.
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Students: read directions and submit everything you need to submit on time please. I'm having major surgery on Friday and you do NOT want me grading during recovery. GRRRR.
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3 hours ago, EdNeuroGrl said:
She submitted all 3 of them at like 2am today...
*sigh*
The presentation went great and the paper is done... it is actually really good and with some refining and elaboration could lead to a pub in the near future :-D Woot!
VICTORY!! Yay! So happy for you!!
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7 hours ago, EdNeuroGrl said:
Man I'm sorry :-(
For me, tho, Friday would be the end of my semester. The end is neigh!
I got out last Tuesday and I should be back in class tomorrow. Actually I HAVE to be back in class tomorrow (final presentation and paper due) *shrug* But I'm doing well now and pushing to get all of my stuff done for tomorrow!
BTW the last LoR writer who agreed to write letters for me, has less than 24 hours to submit most of them... still no sign that she's doing it. :-( Have sent reminders, one like 5 days ago. Should I email her again? Would it kill her to respond to my reminder and say she's working on it?
Yeah it's the last day of classes! All things considered, it's pretty sweet timing for being during the semester.
Glad you are going to be able to go back tomorrow! Are you feeling up to the presentation? Let us know how it goes!
Ummm I think you should email her again. Couldn't hurt. I had to send an email to one of my letter writers, but I hadn't sent her a reminder before today because I was under the (probably mistaken) impression that the programs sent out automated reminder emails to them. I think you should email her, especially if she didn't reply to your initial email!!
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On 11/26/2015, 5:45:33, EdNeuroGrl said:
No, I've been sick on and off since this summer (has a 4 week hospital stay in May). I was hoping I would be able to put off my surgery until after the semester ended, but no luck here.
However, I do have Bipolar and all this stress did throw me into an uncontrolled fast-cycling thing, had to double my meds :-(
I was hoping to not have surgery before the end of the semester either, but saaaaaaaaaaaaaame. I get mine on Friday. What does your hospitalization time/recovery time look like?
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On 11/25/2015, 11:18:53, MelSoc said:
Hi gingin6789, thanks for the reply. I've been spending less time on the Internet lately - getting ready for the GRE. I got 162 on verbal (around what I expected) and 164 on quant, which is surprisingly good. TOEFL is also fine (113/120) so I'm more or less ready to apply now, all I need to do is work on revising SOPs. I've added a few more schools to my list and decided to give up on Stony Brook (they require an evaluation of my transcripts which would cost me a huge lot) and include Notre Dame, possibly Emory and Columbia (though my chances seem pretty slim). How are you (and others) doing with the application process?
So, I'm assuming those GRE scores are for practice tests? Those scores are AMAZING. Keep it up!
Revising SOPs takes a while, but you'll get through it! Besides Notre Dame and (maybe) Emory and Columbia, which places are you applying to?
I'm doing ok with the application process. Trying to keep ahead of the deadlines. UC Davis/Brandeis deadline is the 15th, so I want to finish those applications before this Friday, since I'm having surgery, and I don't want to worry about those applications during recovery.
I'm also kind of upset with myself because I've already submitted three applications, and I noticed a few typos/a missing Works Cited entry in my writing sample! Grr! At least I noticed those mistakes before submitting ALL the applications though!
Keep us updated with your application process, MelSoc =)
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11 hours ago, TheMonkeyOnMyBack said:
First I hope everything goes well.
Have you thought about virtual office hours? I have a class where the Prof. holds office hours by skype. If you feel up for it it maybe an option.
Thank you very much!
Yes, I am thinking of either doing office hours over the phone or on-line ... when I'm not under the influence of pain meds, of course!! Thank you for your suggestion!
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Surgery in exactly two weeks... it'll take about a week to recover.
Academic Pros: The only thing I have left to complete this semester, as a student, is a paper that is mostly done already. The deadline for this paper is December 11th, but I should be able to complete it before my surgery. Thesis timeline is flexible, too.
Academic Cons: My students have their final paper due the day of my surgery! 37 papers, 6 to 8 pages, and I know I won't be able to start grading them right away. Luckily, grades aren't due until the 18th. Also, students in the *other* class I TA for have their exam on December 11th ... I know they'll want to meet with me a week or so before the exam, but I'll be in surgery/recovery during that time. I feel bad because that means they'll have to go to the prof, who is already swamped beyond belief!
So, we'll see how this goes. I'm nervous, but happy about the potential results of the surgery.
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23 hours ago, SocIsCool said:
I don't think you've wasted your time. Lots of people apply to PhD programs after having worked for a few years, sometimes in professions that have little or nothing to do with what they want to study (although in your case it seems that your research interests do align with your professional experience). You have solid GRE scores and impressive GPAs at the undergrad and grad levels.
And given that you were a PBK English major, I have a feeling that your writing sample is more than "decent"
Exactly, I agree with all of this.
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13 hours ago, Yiwan_Soc_2016 said:
Thanks. How many pages you have in your abridge thesis. The writing sample I had is a completed empirical work on urban family (25 pages), which is my proposed areas of interests. I don't know if this paper will be better choice than my thesis. By the way, my Master is in quantitative research not sociology.
Well my writing sample is my thesis proposal rather than an abridged version of my final thesis. My writing sample is around 17 pages without references. I have a further abbreviated version of 10 pages because one of the programs I applied to has a 10-page limit.
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17 hours ago, Yiwan_Soc_2016 said:
That's my concern too. Our MA program is 1 and half year. We started writing thesis this spring, and it's too long for WS 50+ pages. Undergrad GPA is 3.7
My thesis will be too long to use as a writing sample, too, so I'm using my thesis proposal as a writing sample. It has an abstract, intro, literature review, [proposed] methods section, and conclusion. It still demonstrates my knowledge of my thesis subject and the proposed methods section demonstrates that I know what I'm doing, methodologically.
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Are you coming straight from undergrad? Or are you applying with an MA?
How's your research experience? Does your writing sample demonstrate your abilities as a quantitative researcher? Did you have good grades in stats, social stats, quant methods, etc? If you have the actual quant experience and/or an MA, that could overshadow the low quant score.
We're pretty much score twins. I got a 164 (V) and a 152 (Q). I'm applying as is, but my programs range like 20s to 60s in terms of rank.
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It's really tough for me to pick from the list, but if I had to, I would choose your Intro to Soc professor, Nutrition professor, and maybe your politics professor.
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On 10/30/2015, 12:37:35, MelSoc said:
Greetings everyone,
I'm planning to apply to some programs for Fall 2016. I have a BA in English Literature (from a prestigious university in Turkey - though with a relatively low GPA [3.19]). I'm currently doing my masters in Cultural Studies and Media (my GPA is fine, around 3.8). So I'm a little worried about my background, which is slightly irrelevant to pursue a PhD in Sociology. I'm mostly interested in political sociology and class with a particular focus on the changing working class, immaterialization and feminization of the labor process and I intend to conduct a research on how the *new* working class relate to these changes. (I'll also integrate the notions of cultural capital, governmentality and neoliberal ethics - with some reflection on Bourdieu and Foucault) (I know it sounds a little vague but it is more complicated than I tried to summarize here - I don't want to bother you with too many details).
I have checked several schools (including South Carolina, Stony Brook, UMass, New School and Boston Uni.) I only took a few sociology classes in the grad school. I'll take the GRE in two weeks (I'm a little late I know). I have good writing samples (mostly on cultural theory), more than 5 papers presented at undergrad and grad student conferences, a long-term engagement with political activism (which shaped my sociological interests), 5 years of experience as a freelance translator (hence my interest in changing labor processes) and strong recommendation letters. But I'm not sure if my academic background -and a low GPA- will have a negative effect on my application. I know it is possible to compensate for the GPA, but still. Should I rely on my other credentials and go for it (the application process is too costly and I don't want to shoot for the moon just for the sake of it)? Do I even have a chance for the schools Iisted above?
I think the whole process of searching for the schools has already discouraged me. I also checked some programs in cultural studies but it is really hard to find a fully-funded program which is not a 'top-tier'. I would love apply to Cultural Studies PhD in Southern California but you know it would be nothing but a waste of money and time.
Thank you all and wish you the best luck with applications!
Hi, MelSoc! It seems to me that your sociological interests are well-developed and that you have a good grasp on theory as well. I don't think that having an English BA and a Cultural Studies Masters will ruin your changes of getting an offer of admission to a sociology PhD program. Your grad GPA, academic experience, and activism experience will reflect your abilities as a strong candidate. Undergrad GPA might be a deterrent to adcoms though, who knows?
As for whether you have a chance at the particular schools listed above, I really don't know enough about them to be able to give you a helpful answer.
Don't grow too discouraged. I say just go for it!
Let us know how your GRE goes, too!
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*waves* Hi, Hillary!! I can attest that Hillary is, indeed, very helpful!! She encouraged me to apply to CU - Boulder and answered all of my questions!
While I am also applying for PhD programs, I am currently finishing my terminal MA program. So, if there are any questions I can answer, I'm also happy to!
Hillary, I have a question about the 10-page writing sample page limit for Boulder. Since it's a Boulder-specific question, should I PM you instead?
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Not dead yet - which is always a bonus in my book.
I hope you're all well...Clicked this thread from the Forum directory page because I saw your picture and username and thought "Munashi?! I remember Munashi!!" ... although I don't think we ever really knew each other. You're one of the regulars I'd see all the time nearly two years ago!
As for how I'm doing ... I'm doing pretty well! Applying for PhD programs (my program is a terminal MA), and I'm engaged now and getting married a soon after graduation. Also doing my master's thesis, part of which I'll be sending out for publication, and I'm co-authoring three other pieces including a book chapter! Woo!
But I've also been living off of coffee in the process. It's ok though, cause coffee is a hug in a mug.
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the sociology department doesn't admit you to the sociology PhD; they can only recommend you for admission, and a pencil pusher in the Dean's office will eyeball your scores and compare them to the institutional average before giving the final go ahead for admission.
How did I not know this?? Is this the procedure everywhere? And does the person in the Dean's office overrule the department recommendations often?
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Yes I'm Asian but I was in a multi-racial gang. It actually has helped me see and understand things that other sociology majors were not able to catch during my undergrad. If I decide to add that to my SOP I'll most likely explain how it helped me sociologically.
This is exactly why I think you should talk about your gang experience in your SOP. They want to know how your sociological interests formed, and if this is what helped to sharpen your sociological lens, then it's a strength to your character and portfolio.
I have a chronic reproductive illness that forced me to drop out of high school, and through my experience living with that illness, I lived gendered inequalities of illness, shaping my interests in medical sociology and gender. I know it's personal information, but it helped shape my broader sociological viewpoints and areas of interest in research.
So, I say be bold and just go for it. Talk about how that experience has been a source of sociological strength, showing where you came from and where you are now. You shouldn't have to write as if part of your sociological life doesn't exist. I think your story is absolutely amazing.
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True Story:
I graduated with a 2.0 (overall) in biochemistry from a mid-sized land grant university. I actually dropped out, relocated back east, and finished my degree 3 years later. After I had already been in school for 7 years prior to that. Long story short, I was totally lost and didn't know what I wanted to do.
Back east, worked dead end jobs while taking undergrad classes, filled out 300 + job applications, finished my BS, and interviewed 3 separate times with the same PI before being offered a job scrubbing dishes. I was the lab bitch for 8 months, while taking graduate level classes on my own dime and sometimes working 2 jobs, until my lab manager left our group in the spring. I was offered her job full time, or I could take her job part time and work towards getting into grad school. In those 8 months, I learned how to basically run the lab. If it didn't involve the lab credit card, I could pretty much do it. I turned down the full time job, took my GRE over the summer, and applied for admissions in spring 2016 for a MS. My GPA over 23 credits since my undergrad degree is a 3.6, with a 3.2 in 11 grad credits. GRE scores were 162,150,4.5. If there is anyone with longer odds than me, I have never seen it posted on any forum in 4 years of looking.
I just got admitted to my top choice yesterday.
The facts are these: no one gives a shit about your education or future like you do. People can give you opportunities, but you have to recognize the good ones and be willing to work to earn them. There is no substitute for hard work, not even talent can trump it. I know I didn't succeed because I'm brilliant, but I do know I will fail and have failed because I didn't work hard. Seek out people who will take a chance on you, give them a reason to take a chance on you, and work your ass off to show them you are worth a shit. Because there is always someone better out there. I cannot stress this enough; you have to find something you are truly passionate about. Something that is the last thing you think of when you go to bed and the first thing you think of when you wake up. Once you find that thing, you know you are on the right track. Just keep working.
And also, don't forget to smile. No one likes an asshole. No matter how hard they work.
Best of luck.
Bravo!! That, friend, was such a moving and inspiring story.
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Went out on Saturday afternoon to go for a nice hike in a nearby national forest and collect some agates from the river. It was a bit of a steep climb to get back up to the trail from the river bed, so I thought I'd see if there was a trail nearby that was a bit easier. I found one that was looked fairly easy but the bottom had been washed out a bit and I needed to climb up a fallen tree to access it. So I started to pull myself up and pushed a rotting log to the side so I could get a good grip... then I felt some pickers poking me in the stomach, which was odd because I didn't remember seeing any plants. I then saw a yellowjacket land on my shoulder and I immediately thought back to the time I stepped on some fire ants and thought I was walking through pickers... and I realized there were no thorny plants around. I jumped back with a small swarm of yellowjackets buzzing around and a few stinging me, so I ran towards the water, preparing for the worst and thinking about the scene from "My Girl" when Macaulay Culkin goes looking for the lost mood ring. Thankfully, they returned to their nest at that point and I was left with my entire torso on fire. Hiking back to the car was miserable, and today I am very itchy.
Oh noooo!!! I got stung by a bee for the first time in my life about a month ago ... I'm 26! I was holding onto a railing while walking down some stairs outside, and I felt something sharp pierce my right hand. I thought I got a piece of metal stuck in my skin and the pain was unlike anything I've ever experienced, so I ran to health services to learn that it was but a bee sting!! Apparently I had a slightly worse physical reaction than the typical person, but I don't need an epi pen or anything, so I've got that going for me.
Funding
in Sociology Forum
Posted · Edited by gingin6789
clarity
I would make a list of different grad programs that correspond to your interests, then research the funding available from those programs.
If you're not sure where to start, the ASA has a guide to graduate programs in sociology. It costs money though, so if you give me a list of your interests, I can provide you with a list of programs from the ASA guide via PM.
You can also do a basic Google search for "PhD (or master's) programs in [insert research interest here] sociology." Then you can check out their rank on the appropriate website.
I don't know if this helps, but the program I'm enrolled in now offers very generous funding, and it is a terminal M.A. program. It has been a great stepping stone for me towards PhD programs, and it has been a wonderful learning and research experience in itself. I'm applying to PhD programs now with a master's degree, master's thesis, and four upcoming publications under my belt. I feel like I'm a much stronger candidate now than I was right out of undergrad.
If you have any questions about the program I'm in, feel free to PM me!