uselesstheory

I'm getting more involved with volunteer work (keeping my eye on a positive trajectory forward when everything else feels as if it's in limbo is helpful) and seem to be drawn toward repetitive kids' video games. It's almost like meditation, but with annoying background music. I guess it helps me take my mind off of my future/grad committee decisions, at least temporarily.

smelly socks

Same thing happened to me, except with a Manhattan area code/thinking it was from one of the NYC schools to which I applied. Apparently I won a free cruise.

"wait, but isn't society biological? like social norms are based on biology right?"

ghost story

Especially Dr. Who...and Supernatural.

For sociology applicants:

toy soldier

Same with Boulder. The majority of my deadlines fell in mid-December.

Agreed. I'd say most places haven't sent anything out yet. It seems like, at least to generalize roughly, that decisions come in waves by region (so Southern US/some Midwest, then most UCs, then more Northern/West places and miscellaneous schools). That's my general take on the results search trends from previous years.

gender/sexuality, theory, qual methods

Exercise is always a good distraction, and I've been reading a lot too. As soon as I start to work on projects, though, or get too bored, I find myself on here scouring the results search and checking my email five times a minute. I'm dying to hear back, good or bad (but hopefully the former).

All of a sudden, there are so many new posters on here! Welcome, everyone, and I hope we're all trying to stay calm

Email is the best way to get in contact with professors; if they haven't emailed back, they are probably quite busy and may not be enthused with an unexpected phone call or student dropping by their office. Perhaps email them again if you think their inbox was flooded and they didn't notice your message, and ask if they are available/willing to meet in person. Otherwise, just showing up may be interpreted as rude.

It's interesting to note that, to generalize (there are some exceptions and variations, but still), sociology programs seem to get more applicants each year/admissions to programs become increasingly competitive, even though there is obvious awareness of how unpromising the job market is.

Sometimes I catch myself berating myself for even applying because "obviously, you are not qualified or intelligent enough to get a PhD"...fearing that my professors and mentors and other advisors have just been saying nice things to avoid hurting me. I realize that is completely irrational, and that my professors would have steered me away from applying to top programs in my field if my anxious self-deprecating thoughts were true, but it is so difficult to anchor one's self in reality when obsessing over applications and chances and the future easily take over (especially during a break).

Since we're on the topic of beverages: strange flavored liquors like Fireball or cake vodka

Look up Sharon Zukin's publications on Google Scholar, as well as those citing hers. You'll find some helpful related theory, or at least content that will refer you to theorists.

soccer game

Hey juicebox: there's a really big thread under "Interdisciplinary Studies" about women's studies programs/applicants/decisions and whatnot. It may be helpful if you're trying to find out what's going on with decisions specific to those programs!

Also remember to avoid the use of passive voice - it makes the paragraph more confusing and less convincing.

Do you mind if I ask where you got in (since it's not up on the results search, I think)? Edit: Congratulations!!!

Another UCLA acceptance! I wonder who...!?

The more negative responses are what I was expecting, to be honest. Also, I'm not surprised about the outcome of the sexual harassment issue. In a lot of cases, it's the students (undergrads, grad students) who report such instances that face backlash, and my relative familiarity with these type of stories make me hesitate about being too optimistic about any level of acceptance. What continues to stand out most is the variance of experiences and perceptions by institution, individual, and field of study.

I agree with the above 100%. If you have the resources to take another GRE and study for it, it's a really good idea to help boost your chances. The GRE sucks (as I'm sure you know), but studying can go a long way, especially if you've already taken it and know what to expect, time and stress-wise. It's also important to think about the other aspects of your application: do you have good letters of recommendation? Can you write well for your statement of purpose and writing sample? Do you have research experience? If you can raise your GPA and get some experience helping a prof or PhD candidate with their research, you will definitely improve your chances a ton.