elindy

Me three (on not hearing from NYU yet).

Woke up feeling much better about my decision to attend, posted about it elsewhere. Thanks.

Thanks, in rereading the comments on the other forum I realized they weren't nearly as negative as I'd taken them to be. I guess my brain wasn't ar 100% capacity and I took personally some things that weren't even meant as indicators that one shouldn't do an MA. If anything they were encouraging about it, so I'm sorry if I jumped the gun on my interpretations. I'm glad I visited the thread again, it made me feel much better.

I posted a bit earlier on this but have basically made up my mind to attend Columbia's MA program, so what I'm looking for is encouragement. Reading the comments about "if they don't fund you it's a money-making scheme" and all that is getting me down and I want to be excited about this. Basically, I applied to the Columbia PhD program and didn't get in but was accepted into the Masters. Even though I was hoping for the PhD (to a large extent because of the funding) I was still quite excited to be chosen for the MA. To me it feels like a big deal. (I was rejected from CUNY and NYU, FYI) and I kind of wish I'd never gotten on the forum and read all of the negatives. Like I've said in other posts, I know it shouldn’t bother me what others think but the process of applying has been so stressful and I think it's left me feeling quite vulnerable. I know it's expensive, I get that, but I'd like to hear from people who think that despite that fact, in the long run name recognition, contacts with respected professors in the field, etc. do make a difference. P.S. I've been in the Continuing Ed program and took a grad-level course in the department and it was great and the students were wonderful, so I really should just stop worrying about all of this...

Part of the problem is I don't have a lot of choices. I have a family and kids in school and can't move, so really could only apply to a few places--which means not having access to programs that might actually fund me. So it really comes down to Columbia (which was the only place that has accepted me) or Kean (which I haven't applied to but assume I would get into). And Kean is seriously unknown--not like a little bit unknown, like a lot unknown--from what I can tell. Also, their sociology program has only been around for a couple of years so there's no track record to go by. Sigh.

Thanks, very much appreciate your response

I was careful to tailor it to the PhD, so that shouldn't have influenced my prospects. Looking back at my comment where I say I "don't want to be in academia" I probably came off a bit stronger than I meant it to--it's not that I'm averse to being in academia, it's more that the job prospects are so narrow and as such I'd prefer to be in policy or a branch where I possibly wouldn't have to fight so hard for a spot. I think even if one doesn't want to be a professor, a PhD would open up access to even more options outside of academia. Also, NYU and CUNY don't have MA programs (well NYU does but it's in quant which is not what I want to focus on), so a PhD is the only option.

Just saw this, relates to my response to your first post, thanks. Incidentally, I've taken two courses through the Continuing Ed program at Columbia which I did as a way to test out whether I'd be happy in that environment before applying, so that's something for other people to consider. Also, one of my classes will fulfill an elective so that's a course I can check off my requirements too.

I'm planning on accepting. It's been a bit disheartening to read people talking about it just being a money-making scheme or the like, I mean I agree it shouldn't be so expensive, but I would think it's still an honor to get in? I was feeling lucky, but then got sad sensing that some believe that having to fund my education makes it not count or invalidates it or something. As I see it, I have zero background in Sociology and will need the MA as a gateway to get into funded PhD programs (if I even go that route, I don't want to be in academia so I'll see if I can get a decent job with a Masters once I graduate). Luckily I'm 40 and have been in the work force and have saved up, and my husband has a good job, so this whole "you can only go with a trust fund" or get into serious debt annoys me. Anyhow, it was nice to read your comment in contrast to some of the other things people have been saying on here.

Will you accept do you think?

I'm curious, what about those of us with no background in sociology who therefore have no contacts/experience, etc.? I have a BFA and MFA and have been in the photo world for 15 years and am making a career change, so for me I'd say my chances of getting into a PhD program off the bat are slim to none. Which is why I believe I was rejected from the Columbia PhD program (as well as NYU and CUNY) but accepted into the MA (which only happened I think because I took classes in their Continuing Ed program). I'm hoping that getting the Masters will either be a gateway to a PhD, or that I could foster some contacts that could lead to a non-academic job with just the Masters. I'm not really willing to risk turning down the MA for a hope that in a year there would be a distant chance I could get a PhD with funding somewhere, despite the fact that the tuition at Columbia is nuts. Incurring some debt and then being able to get work and pay it off (even if slowly) later is better than not getting a job in a new area that I really want to pursue, I would think? My current field is terrible salary-wise--luckily my husband has a decent job but I would like to be able to contribute more in the long run. Just my two cents.

I was accepted into the MA program, applied to the PhD but didn't get in. I received the email to check the website on 2/23. I hadn't heard anything (about the PhD rejection) before that. Haven't heard from NYU but I'm assuming that means it's a no. Was rejected by CUNY on 2/21 via email to check their website.

My story is I applied to the Columbia PhD program and didn't get in but was accepted into the Masters. Even though I was hoping for the PhD (to a large extent because of the funding) I was still quite excited to be chosen for the MA. To me it feels like a big deal. (I was rejected from CUNY and NYU, FYI.) Then I started reading the “Fall 2015 Acceptances (and Rejections) Thread” and it’s been a bit of a buzzkill. Commenters are talking about the MA being a money-making scheme, that it’s an “expensive way to look good,” that it won't really strengthen a subsequent PhD application, and that it might be better to go to a lower-tier more cost-effective school. Trust me, I get it about the cost. And I’m working on figuring that out because I most likely will accept. But I get the sense from people that accepting somehow makes me a sucker, and that Columbia only has the MA program to fund the school and not because they care. I know it shouldn’t bother me what others think but what can I say, the whole process has been so stressful that I’m a bit sensitive these days… Long story short I just kind of wanted to vent and maybe get some encouragement rather than a “why would you want to go there?” response. Also, my story is a have zero background in sociology (I’m 40 and have been a photographer for 15 years) so as far as I see it I have no job prospects in the field without at least starting with an MA. I’d be fine with not being an academic so there’s a chance I wouldn't even try for a PhD, and instead try to get into the work force quickly and hopefully start making some decent money to offset the cost. ALSO I've been in the Continuing Ed program and know I like the faculty and students. So that's a big thing. BUT if I chose I could go to Kean University in Hillside, NJ--it would be way more convenient (15 minute drive vs. over an hour on NJ transit and the subway), and is half the price. Even so, it seems crazy to turn down Columbia for a school with, as far as I can tell, no reputation in the field. Am I right about that? Anyhow, thanks for listening.

I'm in the same boat: I live in the suburbs just outside of NYC, my husband has a good job in the city and I have two children. We love our community, it has great public schools, and I decided I wasn't willing to uproot my family in order to pursue a PhD. Luckily, because I live near New York, there are great programs to choose from in applying; not so luckily they are hugely competitive. So I've only applied to three: Columbia, NYU and CUNY. I've been taking Continuing Ed classes at Columbia and love it, so am really hoping I get in but I recognize that it's a long shot. I think you just have to apply to where you'd be willing to go and focus on what seems feasible with your current lifestyle. People who apply to many, many schools are those who are able to be anywhere in the country; if that were my case I certainly would have applied to more.

I've been taking courses through Columbia University's School of Continuing Ed as a way of strengthening my applications to Sociology PhD programs since I don't have a background in the field. This last semester I was able to get permission to take a PhD level class and the professor wrote me a recommendation, but in case I don't get into Columbia I'm also applying to NYU (and CUNY but I've already submitted) as backups. My question is how to address having taken classes at a different institution than the one I'm applying to? Should I just not even mention it in my SOP and they'll just see from my transcript that I've been at Columbia? I mean I'd sort of like to explain that I took the initiative to enroll in classes in preparation, and did well, but I'm not sure how to make it seem like NYU is a "better" fit than Columbia, because Columbia is admittedly my first choice. I feel like they'll see right through me but I want to give myself the best chance possible to go to NYU if Columbia rejects me. Not sure how to approach this. Any suggestions would be great.

They said it was fine thank goodness, so you should be fine too clementiney. And hermes, yes, totally! Now I promise not to leave the NYU app to the last minute...

I've been taking courses through Columbia University's School of Continuing Ed as a way of strengthening my applications to Sociology PhD programs since I don't have a background in the field. This last semester I was able to get permission to take a PhD level class and the professor wrote me a recommendation, but in case I don't get into Columbia I'm also applying to NYU (and CUNY but I've already submitted) as backups. My question is how to address having taken classes at a different institution than the one I'm applying to? Should I just not even mention it in my SOP and they'll just see from my transcript that I've been at Columbia? I mean I'd sort of like to explain that I took the initiative to enroll in classes in preparation, and did well, but I'm not sure how to make it seem like NYU is a "better" fit than Columbia, because Columbia is admittedly my first choice. I feel like they'll see right through me but I want to give myself the best chance possible to go to NYU if Columbia rejects me. Not sure how to approach this. Any suggestions would be great.

Sometimes I think my subconscious does this last-minute thing on purpose. Since I submitted just a hair late my brain now has an excuse to obsess completely over something that is right on the edge of possibly being ok and possibly not. So instead of being able to relax and pat myself on the back and go "you're done! Good for you!" I can continue to worry and feel stressed. Ah, Freud.

Ok, so this situation is my own fault, but I was right up against the deadline for my application to Columbia's Sociology PhD program and got it in a hair late. It was due on 12/17 at midnight (or really 11:59 if you want to get technical) and of course I had a couple of issues uploading one last file, so when I pressed "confirm" it was literally 12:05. I got an email right away saying my application had been submitted, which they sent at 12:06, so it's been received and they took my money and everything. I'm just so freaked out because on my application status page where it shows a checklist of all the materials received it says in nice big print "application submitted on 12/18." Thus it looks like I'm a day late even though it was minutes after the deadline. Does this matter? I'm kind of afraid to email them and bring their attention to it, but I can't be the only one this has happened to. There's no info anywhere on if there's a penalty if you're late, I wish I knew for sure. Has anyone else encountered this? I swear I don't know how it is that I work ahead of deadlines for ages and then still am always right down to the wire triple checking things and not quite done. This whole process has been insane. Maybe getting it in late was a subconscious way of making sure I can't ever relax, because now instead of feeling all happy and relieved that it's over I'm freaked out that I just screwed myself and the hard work will have been for nothing. Argh! Sigh.

I just did the same thing--actually it wasn't a time change, it was basically my own stupidity, but my excuse is that I was almost done, it was getting close to midnight and of course my computer crashed just as I was finishing up. I ended up submitting exactly 5 minutes after the deadline. I got an email confirming my application had been submitted and they took my money, but I'm pretty freaked out. On the page with "applicant checklist" it says it was submitted on 12/18, which could make it look like I'm a day late even though it was just after midnight. I'm nervous that professors will be able to see I was past the deadline, or that they don't actually process anything after 12:00. This whole process has been so stressful. Bottom line is, I'm dying to know: did yours ended up being ok? Hope so!

I'm looking into sociology programs myself after a long hiatus and in a completely different field--I have a BFA and MFA in photography and graduated in 2001. From what I can tell the nice thing about sociology programs is that they don't seem to mind if you don't have a sociology background, in fact they seem to welcome diversity as far as undergraduate areas of study. I'd say neuroscience would be a great asset and would make you a strong candidate. I'm only applying in the New York area and NYU, Columbia, CUNY and Rutgers all seem fine with no sociology training for their PhD departments. None of them offer terminal Masters unless you apply to Columbia's accelerated 1 year program or NYU has a Masters in Applied Quantitative Research (not my area of expertise). Also, all of the applications only require 5-10 page writing samples (thank goodness!) except for Columbia, but I wonder if they wouldn't let you submit a few different papers that added up to that length, I'm going to be looking into that. I myself am taking Non-Degree courses at Columbia in their School of Continuing Ed since I need someone to write me a recommendation, having been out of school for so long I only really have two professors I'm still in touch with who can vouch for me, so I'm hoping my current professor will be willing to write a recommendation. So that might be something to look into if you're worried about having some sociology experience to include with your applications. Good luck!