hcstritz

One of my professors convinced me to switch from applying to Master's of Public Policy programs (which I thought would make me more employable) to applying to Sociology PhD programs (which is where my interests truly lie) when he mentioned that, as the baby boomers start to retire, there will be *lots* of job openings in academia. I'm wary of getting a PhD at a lower-ranked institution, but I'm also wary of people who claim that the only way you'll be successful is to go to a top-ranked school. That being said, I think you're right not to apply to schools with not very good placement rates.

I have a similar worry. I'm weirdly self-conscious about the fact that I started undergrad majoring in Art History, decided to stop at a minor, and then switched to Sociology and Women's and Gender Studies. I'm afraid it will look like my interests are all over the place and that I'm not committed (although in my personal statement I did try to explain how my interest in art history was actually sociological in nature). I also go to a small private university, not a big name school. I'm also concerned about applying to almost all combined MA/PhD programs as an undergrad. One of my professors repeatedly mentions that programs want students with real world experience. Although I do have research and internship experiences, I'm afraid that I'm too young and inexperienced to be shooting for PhD programs.