gingin6789

I'm totally aware that rank matters. I've heard that fact/warning many times haha. My problem was how condescending and rude they came across in the forum, really, and how they're kinda snickering behind our backs. Ehhhh just doesn't feel right to me. And I'm also aware that mean people exist, and that the Internet provides anonymity that facilitates meanness, but I'm also sick of just sitting back and taking it. Also the notion that if you choose a better fitting program that is ranked lower, you're automatically doomed for failure, no hope!I've also heard that some of the more prestigious programs with the "big names" don't really have mentorship that allows you to thrive, and some of the mid-ranked programs have good mentorship ,teaching training, and ability to publish a bunch while in your PhD program. I guess my point is, rank should hold some weight, but not all the weight in making a decision O_O I hope that made sense. (Plus, I realize my original response post was incredibly emotionally-charged, only semi-comprehensible, and kinda rude, too.) @any5 I see! Well, thank you, in any case!

Nickname given to me by my softball coach originally. "*enthusiastically when I arrived for practice* How ya doin', Gin-gin?!"

@any5 Thanks for serving up some mindful truth! That's good, RESPECTFUL advice, and I do appreciate it.

Wow people talking behind our backs about how naive and blind we are. Quelle f**king surprise. I mean we *are* blind because we don't have the experience they have. But yeah. It feels disturbingly reminiscent of the folks who told me I'm not gonna get anywhere ever since I dropped out of high school. And I just respectfully went about my life and proved them wrong. To folks like them, I'm not even supposed to be here, yet here I am. Will I prove these guys wrong by going to the PhD program that fits me best instead of prioritizing ONLY rank? I have no clue, but I know that there are people who actually support that decision, and they've made more difference than some anons on that forum have. ... and now instantly I wanna say "sorry for being so naive and kinda rude." But I'm just not in the mood for other rude people. Even if they are realistic and experienced. I guess I shouldn't have even read that post >_O

Hugs for @nowayjose and @Shay825!!! *offers you both some cookies too*

@SickSlickensides Yes, those two things suck sometimes, but as I mentioned, the students are also very willing to learn! However, I still felt the need to mention it because those two things really shocked me when I first came to Bethlehem. 30" of snow is NOT typical. Most winters, we get a bunch of small snowstorms, only snowing like 1-4" at a time. So don't worry! Yes, most of the buildings are cooled in the summer. Having evening classes in Maginnes during the warmer months, I was freezing because they have the AC so cranked! I remember Christmas-Saucon being warm though (sometimes referred to as Christmas Sauna). Christmas-Saucon is the "math building," but they put one of my sociology recitations in there during my first semester. But you're in Earth Sciences, yes? Congratulations, you have one of the newest buildings on campus that isn't far up the mountain at all. STEPS is a very nice building and is known for being energy-efficient, etc. STEPS is always comfortable.

Super helpful, @Epsius. Thank you! Ah I wish I could go a week early, but I can't be away from my current campus for that long. Either way, I'll see you at the visitation day!! :-)

Waiting for Vandy with you, too! Heard a couple notices went out on Tuesday for their visitation weekend ... I hope to hear some news soon, too! Only other program I'm waiting on besides Vanderbilt is Brandeis. Saw an acceptance for Brandeis on the board for Tuesday, too.

@SLPgradstudentthank you so much for the encouragement!! *hugs* Hahaha thank you for offering to be mad at them so I can be happy! You're so sweet! @whatamIdoing_hereI'm so sorry to hear that you get cold sores, too! It sucks so badly! @artsy16I'm so glad sorry to hear that... That really sucks *offers you a delicious coffee and sits in the thread with you*

You're so right! We shouldn't have to worry so much about covering it up! I've been getting cold sores since I was 5,and I dread each one!

Oh no!! That's awful! Do the hives go away soon after?

I guess my stress has hit a new level. Woke up with the unfortunately familiar feeling of my lip swelling... A cold sore is on its way. The last one I had was only a little bit over a month ago!!! I used to only get them once a year! And now two in two months? Ugh!! At least this one will be gone by my first campus visit. How freaking embarrassing.

I'm so glad you think so! No problem, krispy! I'll probably stay til Saturday!

Health insurance is covered as part of the "tuition & fees" section listed on our award letter. So, coverage is separate from our stipend, meaning health insurance costs are COVERED and will NOT be taken from our stipend. Sorry for the caps, I just wanted to phrase it in a clear way, so caps is for emphasis, not anger haha. I've just gotta go visit. I need to visit everywhere I've been accepted in order to make the best decision ... I'm coming from the east coast, too, so the flight will be pretty salty, but I'll try to dip into my meager savings haha! EDIT: Just heard back from my friend about summer funding. You've gotta save during the academic year or look for other funding during the summer. Here are some examples provided: "There is a small grant for research up to $1000 ... You can apply for readerships but that only provides about $1800 if you do it for both summer sessions. If you have a master's or are ABD you can apply to teach classes in the summer and that's much more money." So, the summer can be tricky. However, she says the stipend is indeed livable, especially in Sacramento or the other smaller areas around Davis like woodland and Dixon, which are cheaper. She also says "You won't be living in luxury but it's doable for a single person without kids." Hope this helps!

She said the stipend is livable, especially if you live closer to Sacramento and have a roommate. But I can ask her more about that! Stipend is separate from tuition and fees, in that you receive a full tuition and fee waiver, AND you get paid on top of that. As for the last question, I'll ask her. and a question for YOU, friend, is: will you be at the visitation day?? If so, I'm excited to meet you!

That's a perfect way to phrase it! There are many things you can control, but it's never certain how much weight each part carries during the admissions process.

And I think this is where SOPs can greatly differ. Some applicants' SOPs are tremendously personal because that's what really matters as part of their academic journey, while others read more as research proposals. I'm reminded of Vanderbilt's advice for writing an SOP: " We hope that your statement of purpose will tell us why you want to be a sociologist, and why you want to earn a Ph.D. in sociology. Your statement should provide us with a clear idea of what kind of research questions motivate you, and why you think Vanderbilt is the right place for you to pursue them. Your statement should also tell us how your intellectual background and perhaps your life experiences have prepared you for graduate school at this point in your life. More effective statements do not start with something like “I think I began to be a sociologist at age 10 when I noticed that white kids and black kids were treated differently in school.” Yawn. What you thought when you were 10 will not help us decide whether you are well-prepared for graduate school now. (For the record, something like this would not kill your application; it would just be boring, and we read so many…) The point is, bring up your personal experience if it matters. We want to hear about it, if it matters." (emphasis added) I've been hesitating to what makes my "application stand out." I've now been fortunate enough to have been accepted to five of eight programs. It's hard to say what makes my application different from those who have been rejected from multiple places because so much of the decision process contains things I have no control over. I could be a perfect fit for a program, know the profs in the department, but if those profs aren't able to take on PhD students, then I might not get accepted, for example. If I'm the perfect fit for a program but my stats are slightly weaker than the top 5, and they're only taking 5 students, then I'm bumped out of the running. Sounds like a cop-out for an answer, but I always remember my professor's story. One of the best professors I've ever witnessed teaching, completely brilliant in his field, he got his PhD from WUSTL but was rejected from much "lower-ranked" programs. He shrugged and told me that the process can be completely arbitrary sometimes.

Um @123hardasABC is that a freaking pokedex case? THAT. ONE. PLEASE. I agree with @nevermind, @sjoh197! I would so buy one of your beautiful cards <3 *relaxes in the thread, lovely belgian ale in hand, and begins to prepare for my recitations tomorrow* Anyone is welcome to have a lovely belgian ale with me.

I think they're required to say that. Kinda like "oh you get your funding for 5 years contingent on satisfactory performance." just kinda like a requirement to say, or that's how it sounded to me. Did you other Davis folks get nominated for any other fellowships? Keep those in mind, too. PS, I have a friend who's currently in the PhD program. Let me know if you want me to pass on any questions. She'll likely know about summer funding stuff too. Part of why I applied was because she was very happy with the program, funding, everything.

Congratulations!!! Whoo! *throws confetti for you*

Those are so beautiful!!!! I would love such a heartfelt card!

lol it's too bad I can't give any more upvotes for the day! Love this.

Starting off on a rejection SUCKS, badly. My first notification was a rejection, and I received it the day I had to go back to my university, where I live alone. So, having to process that rejection alone that evening really sucked. However, a few days later, I got two acceptances and an interview notice within 20 minutes of each other. As someone told me here, it's good that I was rejected from Emory, because you don't want to end up at a program where they don't really want you, you know?

Wow, thank you all for your support! @nightfarmer @Neist @Lexie16 @The Interdisciplinarian @Cat_Robutt @hippyscientist thank you all for your replies! Having this support and advice means the world to me, but I can't say I'm surprised to receive such love here! I'm also sorry to hear that so many of you are going through similar situations ... but we can support each other, right? <3

Hey, I didn't apply, but I just realized I know someone who is currently in the UMass Boston PhD program. Let me know if you want me to reach out to her/connect you two!