draco.malfoy

Yale, 100% WIth Gorski, Adams, and Wyrtzen for historical sociology, Rene Almeling and Alka Menon for qual methods, and then the dual PhD program in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, it seems like a great fit.

If you're affiliated with a program/university, stick with your cohort. It's miserable to go and not be affiliated. I went as an undergrad with the Undergraduate Honors Program that ASA has, and it was very difficult. Make sure to step outside and get fresh air, too.

Not going this year, but I've been in the past. I will wait until I've got some research to present, I think.

I agree completely with @rising_star. Having just completed the process of applying, and then having been admitted to my top programs, I can say for certain that your scores are just fine. Don't retake the test. I repeat, don't retake the test. Focus your attention of your writing sample, your personal statements and/or statement of purposes, and building relationships with faculty in the departments you are interested in. My GRE quant score was significantly lower than yours (verbal same, writing higher), and I did very well. I didn't get into top 5 schools, but I didn't want to go to those schools. I wanted to go to Yale, and that's where I am going. It's more important that you're a good writer and researcher than test taker, and the faculty on the admissions committees believe that, too. If Stanford is the best fit for you, connect with the faculty there, email them, ask them questions, try to get an invite to visit, and focus on your writing pieces, and you'll do just fine. I also completely understand the anxiety, though, that courses through this entire process. It's so easy to obsess about the numbers on the test because they're quantifiable, whereas your writing sample and PS/SOP will be read more subjectively/qualitatively. But fit is more important than anything, and fit is subjective. Hang in there! You'll do just fine.

Sorry that I missed this. Did you get accepted to the last program you were waiting on?

i was rejected from Northwestern. I got an email that told me to check the portal. I don't care one bit, as Yale is the better fit. Congrats to all admits!

Also rejected from Michigan, and it won't let me submit to the results board. Not phased, it was not a good fit at all. Fit > rank.

Gotcha. I called this morning. Michigan didn't really give me a sense for when they'd be releasing the decisions. At first the person on the phone said, the next few days, and then said, maybe next week. When I prodded a bit, she said she didn't know, and that the person who coordinates these things is out of the office today. I also called Northwestern, and Ryan, the graduate coordinator, said that they will be releasing decisions this week and that the Visit Day is March 29 and 30.

I am sort of surprised Michigan has waited this long to admit. Last year they admitted the first week of February. If it's anything like last year, Northwestern should've admitted last week, but no results went up? Right?

No one has heard from Northwestern, right? Has anyone been invited to a visit day?

I got an offer today, and I interviewed with them on Friday, January 27th.

I am assuming that the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor postings on the results board for admits to the Joint Program in Social Work and Sociology are different from the PhD program in Sociology? Can someone clarify?

I read your original post with no harm, so no worries. Good luck to you.

If you didn't get in to the program that you wanted (great fit and top ranked) this year, why not start at the program you were accepted to, and then transfer? I had a friend do that. They started at the only program they were admitted to and then the first semester, they immediately started applying again to the better programs. They were admitted, and transferred.

I'm not really sure why there is so much hate for the second poster's tone - I read it as an honest inquiry. I'm going to chalk it up to a lot of super anxious folks with emotions running high as we wait on the future of our careers. Thanks for the feedback. I hadn't though about cost of living, that's a good point.

Now that I've received my first offer and funding package (with hopes more will roll in), I'm wondering - is it standard to negotiate offers? Stipend amounts? Teaching loads? How does this work, and what is the standard protocol? I know that a friend of mine last year was accepted to UCLA's PhD program in Sociology, and then Yale afterwards, so he told UCLA he was accepted to Yale and was considering going there over UCLA - and they (UCLA) offered him more money. But that's my only knowledge with "negotiating" these types of things. Any solid info or opinions would be appreciated. Also, if you know of any resources, that'd help, too. Thanks.

Yeah, I didn't get a rejection email today, either. Not sure what's up with that. I checked the web app portal but there is no place that gives a status.

No, I'm not a current student. I was introduced via email to Jeff Alexander by a former student of his. He read some of my thesis and another paper, and then invited me to visit in the fall and set up visits for me with Gorski, Adams, Eyerman, and Smith. A friend of mine who was admitted last year was invited to visit, too, before decisions were made. So I think they do invite a few people a year to visit who they hear about through their alums... but that is an assumption.

I'll claim the Yale acceptance. I'm thrilled. If people want to ask questions, I'll gladly answer. If you want to be pissed at me, it's okay. That's how I felt about all you UCLA admits Off to celebrate now, though!

In reading your post, I'm a bit confused about your research question. When you say that you want to "analyze corruption and "institutional capacity"" (a working definition of this concept would be helpful), what do you really want to know? And when you say "subjective in nature" - do you mean qualitative? When you say "primary data," do you mean primary sources? Like, in the historical sense? It really depends on your research question... and I honestly think that methodology is an interest in itself, and not just a tool. What methodology do you enjoy? For instance, you could do this project using a comparative-historical methodology, or ethnographic, or interviews and surveys for a more quantitative approach, which I think you're inclined to? because you mentioned regression analysis.

Thank you for this! I agree with whoever it was who said above that it is a bit confusing that they say decisions aren't made until March or April when most visit days are in March and you have to decide by April 15th. My UCLA app status still says no decision has been made. In other news, Yale accepted the second week of February last year... so maybe we'll hear something this week.

No, but it sounds fascinating. I'll check it out.

I agree with @bradley610, you could do a bit of reading, but other than that, I think it's best to trust that you will acclimate. Did you do any sociology in undergrad? Maybe re-familiarize yourself with the basics of classical sociological theory (like Marx, Weber, Durkheim, DuBois, CP Gilman). You could also email some current graduate students at the institution you're thinking of attending and ask them for advice. One of my friends who is currently at UCLA said that one of the people in his cohort read the whole of Economy and Society by Max Weber on their year off... but that's a pretty intense task. As for myself, I have a few paper ideas that I think I'm going to maybe do a bit of light reading for, but I'm also going to enjoy the time I have off before the mayhem begins in August.

Look back in the feed, either in this or the Fall Applicants topic. I posted all about my interview.

That's pretty typical for them.