Romaniac

Wow! Indeed, this was a very helpful link. Thanks so much newday123!

Thank you all for your support and helpful advice. I should say that I really do feel overwhelmed by the successes I have had. I never really thought I would get into a top ranked program, which is why I applied to so many. Things just kind of came together for me during the application process in a way that I am truly grateful for. Also, while it may be premature at this point to make any decisions, I am pretty sure that I will not get into any of the other top programs that I applied to, which is why I will - probably - end up settling on either UNC or WI. I don't have money right now to visit everywhere I would like, which is why I'm trying to get as much input as possible before visit times arrive. It is interesting that you all recommend going where the money is. Since Wisconsin seems to rarely guarantee funding, I am led to wonder who it is that does end up going there. Again, I have yet to hear from any current students, but are there not any candidates with families who end up going there? Is there really a contentious atmosphere when you are competing with your cohort for funding? It seems that eventually, especially after the first couple of semesters, everyone ends up finding funding. Why, then, would this undermine cohesion among peers? Then again, I keep hearing about this "weeding out" process. What is that about? Is this common to sociology programs, or just a Wisconsin peculiarity?

Once again captiv8ted, I am very sorry. I was sincerely looking for guidance and deeply regret any offense.

Wow, I am truly sorry to have left that impression with exposingfalsehoods or anybody else. I really meant no offense, and I truly feel for those who are still waiting to hear from their schools. Unfortunately, I am new to these sorts of forums and cannot figure out how to remove my previous post. I hope to have it removed shortly to avoid any more hurt feelings. Goodbye and good luck to everyone else!

For those who have been accepted to a couple of programs already, how tough is the decision that lies before you? If you had to choose today, would your choice of which program to commit to be straight-forward, or do you, like me, break out in a cold sweat late at night mulling over the various knowns and unknowns that influence your decision? What is it that keeps you up at night? For me, I am an undergrad just finishing the year, but I am married with an infant son. Since my wife is not working right now, funding in general and health care in particular are definitely major factors in my decision-making process. Although I am still waiting on a few more schools (I have heard from 8 of 14), I am trying to decide right now between Wisconsin and UNC. I was offered 5 years of funding to UNC and none for UW, and I think that Chapel Hill would be a bit more amenable to my Floridian temperament and maybe more family friendly(?) On the other hand, my research preferences are pretty flexible, and I am very interested in the Sociology of Economic Change and Development program at UW. Plus, from what I have been told, UW is definitely a step up from UNC when it comes to resources and placement. I am just a bit daunted by the prospect of having to compete for funding every year, or semester at UW. Moreover, I have heard that there is a fairly high attrition rate for the Wisconsin program. Does anyone have any insight into why that might be? Of course, I am going to start emailing current students and professors in the next couple of weeks, but I thought I might ask here first. What are other people stressing over? Or am I the only one feeling this torn even before I hear back from everywhere I want to go.

Yeah, I was the one who got in to Minnesota. They sent me a very brief email and a letter in the mail saying that the year was one of the most competitive, etc... but they did not mention anything about cohort size. I think they also sent an email saying that I could now view my admission status online, so you might check that out. Best of luck!

Yeah, I was one of the UNC admits. Sorry I didn't say anything earlier. In my case, I was called by the professor whom I mentioned in my personal statement as someone I would like to work with. She told me they were offering me four years of financing, and that details would come in the mail next week, that they really wanted to have me on board, etc... She didn't mention anything about cohort size, but she did say she thought I was one of the first to be contacted, so there is still hope. She took about 20 minutes talking to me, so maybe they take their time in getting around to making the calls because they want to make sure that they have enough time to not be rushed or anything. Whatever the case, good luck to everyone who is still waiting.