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high_hopes

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Everything posted by high_hopes

  1. high_hopes
    Congratulations to everyone who received the award! ?
  2. high_hopes
    I read this eBook a few years ago and found it quite useful. You might want to check it out: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93455
  3. high_hopes
    Go, especially if your work will pay for some/all of it. It will give you ideas for your statement on your grad school applications and the chance to see and hear what faculty you might be interested in working with are currently working on. There's been a movement on twitter lately among sociology faculty to meet with interested students: check the #ASAcoffeeonme hashtag and there might be some profs you'll be interested in meeting. I went once when I wasn't in grad school and I found it an excellent experience to hear what people were working on and to informally reconnect with some people I knew who were also there.
  4. high_hopes
    Another possibility is to write a new paper or significantly revise one of these papers. If you are near a university and have the money you could take a course this fall with a significant writing component and explain to the professor that your paper for the course will be used for a writing sample for your grad school applications.
  5. high_hopes
    From what I understand, reviewers may ask for information during the review stage if they have concerns. Some journals also ask for evidence about your research ethics board approval. In political science and some other disciplines, an emerging trend is to upload code and datasets for quantitative work, and some sociologists also do this. But generally there is just an assumption that you did things correctly. This can lead to fraudulent results being reported or allegations of shoddy work. For projects that are more qualitative it can be very difficult to allow reviewers to verify data when participants are promised confidentiality.
  6. high_hopes
    Your work experience will not be seen as negative. Admissions committees understand that people need to work when they are not studying. What type of sociology program are you hoping to apply to? If you want to bolster your application you could try to become involved in a research project related to your area of interest with some professors local to you. This could improve your recommendation letters.
  7. high_hopes
    It depends on the type of program you are in and the structure of their comprehensive exams. A number of programs allow at least one comprehensive exam to be your literature review for your dissertation. My experience in sociology is that the lit review, research project proposal, and (often) ethics all take place at the same time. My advice is that your timeline should focus on ensuring you have ample time for dissertation research and then writing results, so be optimistic but realistic with the previous steps, adhering closely to the timeline proposed by the program you want to take. For me (in sociology), I indicated yr 1 = coursework + 1st area exam, yr 2 = 2nd exam and dissertation proposal, yr 3 = data collection, yr 4 = writing dissertation. However, I didn't get the Vanier -- but I did get a SSHRC! Good luck!
  8. high_hopes
    I would ask your first two letter-writers who they think your third letter-writer should be. I would particularly ask the first one you mentioned - the incoming chair of sociology at Berkeley. She sounds like an excellent reference and will have a strong sense of what other grad schools are looking for. I would also ask her for feedback on what to select as your writing sample. I don't think you need to mention that you took a semester off on your application. Many people take time away from school for a variety of reasons.
  9. high_hopes
    Outside of the USA many universities do not require GRE results.
  10. high_hopes
    "The call for applications for the 2019 scholarship competition will open in the fall of 2018." (Source: after the list of new scholars, under the About the Foundation scholarships heading on this page.) So we will have to wait a few more months to see what's next.
  11. high_hopes
    Interesting! I am very curious what the changes might be. I don't have any inside information. My personal criticism was that they are very hard to get! But that is part of what made them so desirable...
  12. high_hopes
    I found Magoosh the best - the online videos were really helpful.
  13. high_hopes
    Some people may disagree with me on this, but if you can rewrite your GRE to boost your Quantitative and Analytical Writing scores, it could boost your application.
  14. high_hopes
    I don't know about the relative strengths of the two universities for your discipline, but a factor that may be worth considering is that it is much cheaper to live in Montreal.
  15. high_hopes
    Many graduate programs focus on your last two years of academic study. I recommend asking the programs you are interested in applying to if this is the approach they take if it isn't clear on their websites. You could also explain this in your application and also have your letter writes discuss what you have been like as a student recently.
  16. high_hopes
    It sounds like you were waitlisted and now they are looking to see if you want to come?
  17. high_hopes
    Yes, I agree with everything people have said. To go further -- I think it is expected that as you learn and read more your research interests and plans will change. If you rigidly stuck to your initial research plan throughout your PhD, it would show you aren't thinking deeply or reflecting to improve your research. So a shifting focus is a good sign--unless it takes you in a direction where no one in your department can help you achieve your goals.
  18. high_hopes

    SIU-C

    high_hopes replied to nushi's topic in Sociology Forum

    You're welcome -- sorry, I don't really know anything else about it.
  19. high_hopes

    SIU-C

    high_hopes replied to nushi's topic in Sociology Forum

    It does not have a high ranking. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/sociology-rankings https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2016/sociology
  20. high_hopes
    Whose work do you see yourself citing in your dissertation? I think that is a starting place to find universities that would be good to apply to: apply where these professors work. Also, from what you say, I think it would be best to find a university with an interdisciplinary research centre on urban issues. You didn't mention Canada, but it is the environment I am most familiar with. I think you could find interesting opportunities at Toronto, McGill, UBC, and York. However, these universities usually only have very limited opportunities for international students if you don't already have external funding.
  21. high_hopes
    Did they ever say you needed to know SPSS to work on the project? If they are offering you the position, it is based on what they know of your skills and abilities already. If you have time to prepare before starting the position, a quick and professional email to your future supervisor asking how you can best prepare for the position given your work background might be appropriate. However, my experience with RA positions is that I work with the faculty member to see how I can best contribute to their project and, at times, do work that is routine or boring that they don't want to do such as formatting information, reviewing literature, or editing documents. It all depends on your skillset.
  22. high_hopes

    Fora

    high_hopes replied to Eddie93's topic in Sociology Forum

    You can certainly post a question and ask: it will depend on whether people reading have the expertise to reply, I guess.
  23. high_hopes
    My letter also only had the total out of 20.
  24. high_hopes
    It is difficult to say which will require less math from the course titles alone. Are there descriptions of the course that you can access through the university calendar or course descriptions that provide more detail?
  25. high_hopes
    In case anyone is interested, I emailed Vanier about deferring. They replied saying the following: "For the purposes of determining eligibility, an award that has been accepted from a previous competition will render a candidate ineligible, regardless of the start date of that award, or whether or not the funds are being drawn upon at the time of application." I was fortunate enough to receive a SSHRC CGS this year, so I'll take it and enjoy it. (And I am very thankful for it!) I was close for the Vanier this year, but I guess it wasn't meant to be!
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