Chele

I was wondering what I should do in this situation. I'm applying for PhD programs in Communication and received the following scores: My first GRE scores were: Verbal 155 (67%) Quant 145 (21%) Writing 4.5 (80%) My second GRE scores were: Verbal 155 (67%) Quant 142 (12%) Writing 5.0 (93%) I'm wondering if I should send both scores or just the first ones? My Math score is pretty low on the second one, which is a shame because my Writing score improved. But I'm just worried that the Math will be a major detriment if I send the second one. Thank you in advance for any opinions.

I agree about the wording for "fortunately". I have two sentences after what I posted, but didn't want to post my entire conclusion here (although, I will probably end up modifying them). "Primarily, I chose Annenberg because I believe that it can help me realize my goal of improving cancer information access and decision-making. Ultimately, I hope that one day my research can help minimize misunderstandings during cancer care so that families are better able to render more informed decisions about treatment. Thank you for taking the time to comment on my question. You really helped me out . One reason I was thinking of including this is due to the fact that I am interested in paediatric cancer communication in particular and would like to pursue research in that area upon completion of my PhD. So, maybe I can take your suggestion and somehow tie that together. Thanks again!!

Hi , I posted this in another thread but wanted some additional perspectives, as well. First, a little background on my situation and what I am applying for: Health Communications, I am primarily interested in cancer communication (patient clinician information exchange and cancer prevention communication). I have lab experience (psych lab), TA experience, have a BA in media studies, a BA in psychology (both with 4.0 GPAs), and an MA in media industries, which I received in England (I received first-class honours). My top choice is Annenberg (Penn), and the prompt states: The statement of purpose should discuss your potential research area or topic with the Annenberg School for Communication faculty or research centers. Please detail how your academic and professional background, interests, and preparation in the social sciences, the humanities and other studies support your research topic. The statement should also address the question of what career objectives an Annenberg degree would help you realize. The statement should be double spaced and must not exceed 1,000 words. ​I have included the aforementioned pursuits in my PS, as well as a bit about my dissertation and a few of the relevant projects I have done. However, for 'professional experience', I wanted another opinion. I competed in figure skating and was a professional coach for about 10 years. I have included 4 sentences in my final paragraph about this, as I thought it was unique and relevant in terms of 'professional experience'. The portion in my final paragraph regarding this states: My academic training and unique experiences as a competitive figure skater/coach have given me a comprehensive understanding of health communication that extends beyond my work in the classroom. As a coach, I played a vital role in shaping my students’ perceptions of health and was responsible for ensuring that they developed healthy behaviors early in life. Through this work, I learned a great deal about human behavior and the processes that people go through when making informed decisions about health. Fortunately, these experiences have greatly enhanced my work in the social sciences because they have allowed me to apply a first-hand perspective to my research. Needless to say, my professional work has greatly influenced my research interests and my decision to pursue an Annenberg degree. My question is this, should I keep this in or take it out? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Hi , I posted this in another thread but wanted some perspectives from Communication applicants. First, a little background on my situation and what I am applying for: Health Communications, I am primarily interested in cancer communication (patient clinician information exchange and cancer prevention communication). I have lab experience (psych lab), TA experience, have a BA in media studies, a BA in psychology (both with 4.0 GPAs), and an MA in media industries, which I received in England (I received first-class honours). My top choice is Annenberg, and the prompt states: The statement of purpose should discuss your potential research area or topic with the Annenberg School for Communication faculty or research centers. Please detail how your academic and professional background, interests, and preparation in the social sciences, the humanities and other studies support your research topic. The statement should also address the question of what career objectives an Annenberg degree would help you realize. The statement should be double spaced and must not exceed 1,000 words. ​I have included the aforementioned pursuits in my PS, as well as a bit about my dissertation and a few of the relevant projects I have done. However, for 'professional experience', I wanted another opinion. I competed in figure skating and was a professional coach for about 10 years. I have included 4 sentences in my final paragraph about this, as I thought it was unique and relevant in terms of 'professional experience'. The portion in my final paragraph regarding this states: My academic training and unique experiences as a competitive figure skater/coach have given me a comprehensive understanding of health communication that extends beyond my work in the classroom. As a coach, I played a vital role in shaping my students’ perceptions of health and was responsible for ensuring that they developed healthy behaviors early in life. Through this work, I learned a great deal about human behavior and the processes that people go through when making informed decisions about health. Fortunately, these experiences have greatly enhanced my work in the social sciences because they have allowed me to apply a first-hand perspective to my research. Needless to say, my professional work has greatly influenced my research interests and my decision to pursue an Annenberg degree. My question is this, should I keep this in or take it out? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

My top choice is Penn (Annenberg). I'm primarily interested in cancer communication (patient clinician interaction and cancer prevention communication). My second choice is Cornell, third Michigan State, and fourth the University of Michigan. I have a little bit about my coaching experience in the last paragraph, a few sentences in regards to it giving me first-hand professional experience in regards to understanding human behaviour and how people make health-related decisions. I only have four sentences about it. The application prompt for Annenberg wants you to include how your professional experience has prepared you for research in the social sciences....should I leave this in or take it out do you think? Thank you for the advice about the COMM board. I wasn't aware of it .

Hi, I'm currently applying to schools for a PhD in Communication (health communication specially). I am applying to top ranked schools. I graduated from Penn State with two degrees (Media Studies and Psychology) and have a cumulative 4.0 GPA for both degrees. In addition, I completed an undergraduate honours thesis, a teaching assistantship (in Psychology) and a research assistantship (in a Social Psychology lab). Also, I recently completed a Masters degree abroad at the University of Leeds in Media Industries, where I earned first class honours. I am submitting a portion of my dissertation (which is relevant to health communication) as part of my application and feel that I have strong letters of recommendation (from professors in both Media and Psychology). I have also participated in various clubs (e.g. Cancer Society Awareness Club) and have spent several years coaching figure skating and competing in the sport (an experience that I feel has given me a unique perspective of health and human behaviour). However, my GRE scores are low. I received a 145 on my Quantitative, a 155 on my Verbal, and a 4.5 on my AW. On my second go around, I received a 142 on my Quantitative, a 155 on my Verbal, and I am waiting to hear about my AW (though I am pretty positive that I did better than my previous attempt, which I struggled with during the test). My question is how much my low scores will impact my chances of getting admitted. I have tried my best to use my personal statement to highlight how my interests and experience matches the research undertaken by the school. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance .