sjh2970

Thank you for the advice! I think I have a much clearer idea of how to prepare for the next couple of years. Good luck to you too~

Wow, thank you for the responses. As you might infer from my post, I'm still a bit clueless about the entire process. I am not applying til' next year, so I still have quite a bit of time left, but I need to do a lot more work. A few more follow-up questions. 1. How much does the prestige or reputation of your undergraduate university matter? - I know I keep obsessing over the "prestige" of the university, but it's really hard to ignore it coming from a country where prestige means everything. I was wondering if coming from a relatively unknown foreign university will be a disadvantage. 2. Once again, how much research experience is needed? and what is a good "research experience"? - As I mentioned already, there aren't a lot of opportunity for research in Korean universities, like independent research projects common in American universities. I keep hearing again and again that the research experience is the most important part of the application, but I don't really get what would be a good research experience in Sociology. I would appreciate it if someone could clarify what would be the best approach for the next couple of years for me to get quality research experience. 3. Does my undergraduate study have to directly relate to what I want to study as PhD? - I don't think sociology of education, which I'm interested in pursuing in grad school, is directly related to anything I'm studying right now in poli-sci. Will this count against me in the application process? I was wondering if it would be better if I quickly did a minor in sociology or perhaps education in the last couple of years. Of course trying to do a minor in just 2 years is a pain in the ass, I would much rather not do it, but I'd do anything to get into a better program. Any advice will be much helpful. Thanks!

Hi, I'm currently a third-year undergraduate student studying political science at a top-10 university in Korea, which, of course, isn't ranked very high in international rankings. I'm 100% certain that I want to pursue a PhD after graduation, so I'm looking for advice on how to prepare adequately. Although I haven't decided on the major yet, right now it seems like the best fit for my academic interests lies in sociology. So I just have a few questions. 1) How much research experience is recommended? - There are few opportunities for research during the undergraduate studies in Korean universities: virtually none in the undergraduate curriculum. To get some research experience, I have just started working as a research assistant for one of the professors. Assuming he continues to let me work with him, I'll get barely a year of research experience by the time I graduate. I am assuming that is not enough. 2) Is it a good idea to apply straight to grad school? - Reading through the applications, it seems like most of the applicants took at least 2,3 years off after graduating from university before applying for grad school. I would prefer to go straight to grad school after graduation, but I'm wondering if this would be a disadvantage. 3) How do you get into the top programs? - I'm still naive and innocent-perhaps i'll get a reality check few years from now- so I'm dreaming of going to at least one of top 10 grad schools in the U.S. My grades are good, probably around 3.9 range using the American GPA scale. Assuming I get an epic score on the GRE and amazing LORs from my professors, is it possible for me to get into one of these programs? I'm worried because my current university isn't very renowned internationally, but I heard some say that the prestige of your undergraduate institution doesn't matter much. Although I don't think that's true. 4) Is switching from political science to sociology possible? - I am aware that there is another thread that asked the same question. But my situation is more complicated because I don't think my undergraduate studies relate to what I want to study in grad school at all. I am specifically interested in sociology of education. None of what I'm studying or researching right now seems directly relevant. 5) Any other advice for the newbie? - Anything I can do to raise my chance of getting into top programs. If going straight to grad school isn't feasible, what should I do after graduation, etc... It seems like it's application season for everyone here. I'm sure I'll be going through the same things a few years from now. Good luck everyone in your application process, and I would appreciate any advice. Thank you.