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mfafiction2019

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Everything posted by mfafiction2019

  1. mfafiction2019
    Who got the UCLA admit? Congrats, btw!
  2. mfafiction2019
    Congrats to the person who got the Chicago interview!
  3. mfafiction2019
    Great to see another social movements person on this board! Where all did you apply (you can message me if you don't want to share publicly)
  4. mfafiction2019
    I remind myself that right now (January 8) is still super early to hear back from most sociology programs (as we can see on the survey, most of the latest entries are from the sciences and psychology), so I'm just anxious in the sense that I don't want to wait anymore. But that could change if I still haven't heard anything by March or something (or if I've only gotten rejections).
  5. mfafiction2019
    The only program that I applied to that seems to do interviews is UC Irvine (and possibly CUNY, but I saw far fewer CUNY interviews than UC Irvine interviews, and it appears that UC Irvine started doing interviews last year)...I would suggest looking at the sociology survey results and seeing which schools had interviews: https://thegradcafe.com/survey/
  6. mfafiction2019
    I'm doing pretty well I guess, but still super nervous about everything and still worrying that I won't get in anywhere lol
  7. mfafiction2019
    Same, I applied there too and in past years, it seems like UT hasn't done interviews. Also the entry on the survey was from an international student, so perhaps that might have something to do with it.
  8. mfafiction2019
    I am super insecure about my quant score and I feel like that's the biggest thing that could tank me (I have a mediocre undergrad GPA but I have the equivalent of a 3.9-4.0 for 2 years of masters coursework, which I hope makes up for it), because I keep hearing from people that "they really look at the quant score in sociology since everyone has a good verbal score" and verbatim "you need a 160 quant or higher to get into X program that I applied to" and that all makes me scared lol
  9. mfafiction2019
    I currently have a full time/40 hours a week job, so that takes up most of my time (though it involves sitting at a computer all day, so I'm checking GradCafe anyway lol), but other than that, mostly reading, writing, doing research, and trying to come up with Plan Bs in case nothing works out for me this time around
  10. mfafiction2019
    I just submitted my last application too, even though the deadline is in two weeks...but it was my last one and I just wanted to be done with applications.
  11. mfafiction2019
    The main thing I know about European PhD programs is that you need to start the program with a clear and developed research plan (as there is minimal coursework, especially in comparison to PhD programs in the US). Also, according to what I've heard, you don't get a lot of teaching experience in European programs, since PhD students don't TA over there, which may be positive or negative depending on how you look at it (though if you want a job in the US, I think some grad school teaching experience is necessary, since most US academic jobs have fairly heavy teaching loads). The European PhD also takes less time to complete (3-4 years, as opposed to 6+ years in the US), since there is minimal coursework and no teaching requirements. Basically, to me it seems more research oriented and requires you to have a clear research plan, as well as previous experience in research (most European programs don't take people without a Masters degree or the equivalent). I think you also have to apply to work directly with a specific professor at the institution, as opposed to working with the entire department, but I may be wrong about that.
  12. mfafiction2019
    I had some temporary stress due to GRE score mix ups and schools claiming not to have received them when ETS said they had been received, but luckily, that's all been solved and all my applications, save for one that's due in January, are submitted. Now comes the waiting...
  13. mfafiction2019
    For what it's worth, before I started studying for the GRE, I would score in the lower 140s on the quant part, and with around 3 months of studying with Magoosh (while holding down a full time job), I managed to pull my quant score up to 150 (I'm applying for sociology, but I come from an anthro background and want to focus on qualitative work, so it's on the low side, but average for sociology and anthropology applicants, based on what I've seen).
  14. mfafiction2019
    I just applied for a cluster (so no diversity or quant fellowship statement), but still, I felt like I was being redundant in the cluster statement, because from my SOP it should be kind of obvious why I'm applying to that cluster and why I would be a good fit (it was one of the area studies ones).
  15. mfafiction2019
    Just submitted apps for CUNY and Northwestern (both due on the 15), mostly because I got an email today from CUNY reminding me to submit the application that I'd already started. How is everyone else holding up?
  16. mfafiction2019
    I go from feeling confident about all of them to not feeling confident about any of them a lot, though there are some schools that I consistently feel more confident about than others (be it because the fit is better or because they're not "ranked" as high as some of the other places I applied to).
  17. mfafiction2019
    UC Berkeley (submitted) UCLA (submitted) UC Irvine (submitted) UT Austin (submitted) Northwestern (in progress) CUNY (in progress) UCSD (in progress)
  18. mfafiction2019
    I got INTJ
  19. mfafiction2019
    I have a question about the writing sample. I did a couple of years of graduate coursework for an MA program abroad in a non-English speaking country and am currently writing my thesis for that MA program (long story, but I'm applying for PhD programs now because if I wait until I officially receive the MA degree, it could be literally 2020, as this place is very bureaucratic), which I plan to finish before starting a PhD program in the fall. I'm using a part of it for my writing sample, but I had to translate it into English. I make a note at the top that I have translated it from its original language, and I proofread it a bunch of times before submitting, but I still feel like I perhaps there are some parts where it might sound awkward in English. What do you guys think? ETA: English is my native language and I'm also fluent in the other language, but still, sometimes translation can be weird even if you know both languages well
  20. mfafiction2019
    I'm applying to PhD programs this cycle and since I currently live in a town with a big and well known university (whose department I'm applying to), I figured I would try to network some there. I've had mixed results, because on one hand, a couple of professors in the department have been super welcoming and open and have even invited me to some department events on campus, but on the other, when I attend said events, I feel very much excluded, since I am not currently in school/don't have a PhD like everyone else there. And when I try to participate and give my .02, I feel like everyone else is thinking "who cares what you think because you're not a current PhD student/don't have a PhD," basically, "who the f are you?" For example, at a day-long event, there were numerous break times, but everyone seemed to form little cliques that I attempted to break into but no one would acknowledge my presence and basically acted as if I wasn't there, as if my place there was to "sit down, shut up and listen to the people with PhDs/currently in a PhD program." Then afterward, I feel like a complete failure and that I'll never get in anywhere because I can't successfully network with people in academia in my field and I get severely depressed for a few days. I'm trying to tell myself that everything will be okay if I don't get in anywhere, but my only other plan B is either take out loans and go to this expensive professional MA program that I got into back in September (which I really don't want to do) or continue working contract jobs and focus on my novel writing (which I guess wouldn't be *so* bad, but I would miss doing my research and thinking about my research), but I'm afraid I'll get super depressed like that again (and that's the last thing I want).
  21. mfafiction2019
    Here's an informative Grad School Dean email from a university summing up nicely what's going on and how at least this university appears to be fighting the most egregious of the proposed measures (such as the taxation of grad student tuition wavers): https://www.reddit.com/r/GradSchool/comments/7h53vy/dean_email_regarding_tax_bill/
  22. mfafiction2019
    I'm applying for Fall 2018 too and I think that the fact that you've shown a clear interest in immigration, refugees and social policy (per your research project and your internships abroad) reflects very well on you. Also the fact that you've done independent research as an undergrad is a plus (I'm assuming you're coming straight from undergrad). As for GRE scores, I'd recommend searching for all the schools you're applying to for sociology here: https://thegradcafe.com/survey/. This has helped me a lot, since the GRE scores of admitted students can vary quite a bit, so perhaps those with lower GRE scores had something else going for them. Also GRE scores aren't the end all to be all, like many have told me, bad ones can definitely keep you out (think in the 140s for both sections), but excellent ones won't automatically get you in (I've seen a bunch of students with perfect GRE scores get rejected from the same programs that have admitted students with often times much lower scores). Good luck!
  23. mfafiction2019
    I'd say apply to as many schools as you feel like you have a good research fit with, and if you're interests aren't super broad or super niche, that should be around 5-10 (IMO). I wouldn't recommend applying to more than 10 because application fees are expensive (though I guess if you have a waiver, apply to as many as you want).
  24. mfafiction2019
    I've been lurking for a while, but I'm also applying for Fall 2018. I come from Anthropology but I feel my thematic and theoretical interests are better represented in Sociology. My subfields are political sociology with an emphasis on social movements. I'm also interested in socioeconomic inequality and higher education (which ties into my social movements interest). I'm applying to UCLA, Berkeley, UC Irvine, UT Austin, Northwestern, CUNY and UCSD. I'm still working on my essays (SOP and the Personal Histories that the UC schools require), as well as freaking out about how one professor hasn't submitted her LOR for me (not sure if I should email her and remind her or if she already knows...how common is it for professors to wait until the very last minute to submit their LORs?) Also I'm willing to do an SOP exchange with anyone, albeit this is my first time applying to grad school in the US, so I'm not sure how helpful my comments would be
  25. mfafiction2019
    So my official GRE scores (with percentiles and AW) came in today, and they came out to be: 163 V (93%) 150 Q (38% !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) 4.5 AW (82%) Have I sunk any and all chance I had at getting in anywhere, never mind top 5/10/whatever? I'm applying to Sociology PhD programs and plan on focusing on qualitative methods and ethnography (since I come from Anthropology, i.e. a qualitative and ethnographic background), but I've heard scary things like "yes, programs expect sociology applicants to have a 160 or better on quant." My other stats: 3.34 cumulative UG GPA 3.75 GPA (last 2 years of UG) 3.9-4.0 Master's coursework GPA (I did a master's degree abroad so these are rough estimations) I did a senior capstone project in UG (qualitative) that I made an A on I also took a statistics class in UG that I made an A in (this professor is writing one of my LORs) I also did a year of ethnographic fieldwork in the country where I did my master's degree. This research is very much related to the research I wish to pursue in a PhD program. I know 2 languages, one fluently and the other at an intermediate level (both of which are important to my research) I recently published an article not in an academic journal but in a publication that is geared toward academics/a publication that many academics in the field/with similar interests to mine hold in high regard So taking all of that into account, did my GRE quant score completely doom my chances anywhere? I'm applying to a range of programs, but the "lowest ranked" program I'm applying to is somewhere in the 30s.
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