Shamon

I was going to suggest the opposite. Why not get a much cheaper Masters in Europe (which is generally the case for Europeans) and - if you really wish to go for a US degree - then get a Masters leading to a PhD in the US? Masters --> PhD programs are usually paid for by stipends and TA/RA. Plus if you already have a BA in a related subject like political science, I would also advise that you skip the MPP and go straight for the PhD. MPP programs are designed for practitioners, so many of the courses will not train you for academia. I agree with @happygomucky, getting a degree in Europe seems more logical if you ultimately wish to work in Europe. Most PhD programs in the US have an American perspective on things and channel institutional support largely toward domestic research topics.

teaching science to low-income high school students? RESPECT.

@amelie_la fleur, congratulations on your acceptance at Brown - that's a fine program! I'm in a very similar spot as you, though I do not currently have a 90k salary In spite of my current meager financial situation, the job prospect is something I also have thought about deeply throughout the application and decision-making process. Many have said that the sociology job market is bleak, although ASA argues otherwise. You have better job prospects if your research is related to crime and health, perhaps because of their salience in policy-making - you mentioned quant, which is also in high demand. A lot like yourself, I turned to a PhD because I just did not find the jobs out there in my field to be intellectually satisfying so I think it's fair to want to do a PhD in order to become a professor, because those kind of occupations generally allow for the intellectual stimulation that I believe you find lacking in your life right now. But zechocmoose is right to caution you. It is good to be mentally prepared for a non-academic career given the high competitiveness for academic jobs. I would say that even if you don't secure a professorship after getting the PhD, you will still be trained in highly rigorous methodologies that will be useful wherever you go, which may raise your job satisfaction, even in non-academic positions. So in a nutshell, my humble opinion is that job satisfaction is very important and a PhD can help with that but you may want to be ready for a less lavish life On the other hand, if your job satisfaction at your current, well-paying job, is not so low, and you find yourself wishing to settle down (believe me, I understand that sentiment), then it is worthwhile rethinking the PhD route. But don't let age dictate your decision.

I would not see a gap year as a setback. I took a year off after my Masters, devoting those few months toward putting my application together - and these "idle" months apparently did not deter adcomms. I realize not everyone can afford this luxury but if living with family or some other unemployed arrangement is your only option at the time, please don't despair. Take this opportunity to do some self-study in the discipline, read sociological journal articles and just familiarize yourself with the discipline's vocabulary and trends. I also volunteered at a non-profit and began to teach myself a foreign language during my gap year, which I may never have been able to do if I did not have this much free time. Be ready to articulate how you spent your gap year in your statement for the next cycle. In short, a gap year can be a blessing in disguise, as it was for me.

Have UW-Madison folks been reached out by professors? I haven't heard from a single but I've heard from other schools. I'm thinking if this is an indication of my desirability in that department, which in turn factors into my decision-making. I would much rather join a department where professors are eager to work with me than one where I've been admitted but the faculty are lukewarm about my project. Anyone else reasoning along these lines? I too am waiting for JHU!

Hey now, don't lose hope so fast @HopefulSocPhD. Every school on your list is quite good and you have several to hear from still. This forum with news of acceptances can be disheartening at times, as much as one tries to be happy on behalf of others. Maybe take a break from it until mid March and distract yourself with other activities in the meantime? I know easier said than done.

Thanks @gingin6789! Yes, snail mail in this day and age seems like such an outdated practice It's been about a week since I've received the informal letters. I'll have to wait and see.

Your letter sounds a lot like what I received @gordyn. I think you may be right about funding info being in the physical mail. Haha, I hear you about being anxious. Strangely, each acceptance raises one's expectation and feeds into the anxiety. But at least the abysmal fear of having no where to go is not there anymore (I'm unemployed now).

Congratulations to the admits! I hope all of us have received some positive news. And for those still waiting, don't lose hope until March passes. UW-Madison folks, did you guys get any info about funding? Someone on the results board indicated that they got an RA position. And do you guys have any suggestions about reaching out to professors at this point?

Curious to know if professors are reaching out to any admits? A professor or two reached out to me when I was applying for Masters but none so far for the PhD admission period, though I would have expected it more this time since the professor-student relationship is more personalized in the PhD program.

I only see info about the 2015 recruitment weekend for UW Seattle. The coordinator let me know that it will be on March 4-5. I have not yet received any decision from UW btw. As for the recruitment weekend at UT Austin, the coordinator let me know that "the department will cover lodging, food and offer a travel stipend of between $200-300". Details will be sent to admitted students soon - just sharing what I know so far since there are few Austin folks on this forum. Wisconsin kept sending me emails about missing parts of my application too. The website (MyUW) indicated my application was complete and I even sent a screenshot of that to the grad coordinator. The coordinator replied neither to my emails nor to my phone calls so even until now I am not sure if Wisconsin got all my materials. So it's nice to hear that UW did not only mishandle my application. The coming week is going to be busy. I should keep myself busy and not keep checking the forum...

Like @japaniia, I will be joining a social science PhD program in fall 2016. My funding package is moderate and may not cover all my expenses, especially when you consider the cost of books. Would you have recommendations for any websites to search for pre-disseration fellowships? At this point, I'm seeking external funding to cover years 1 and 2 at least.

Yes, lurking as well with nothing to add as of yet. I think Washington decisions will trickle in this week (as results history indicates). It's frustrating that universities withhold rejections for so long.

I applied to Rice but no news. Congratulations mrb!

So apparently GRE scores really do matter according to this new book on the PhD admissions process "The Secret Lives of Ph.D. Committees A new book shows the stark realities of how graduate admissions get made." http://www.slate.com/articles/life/inside_higher_ed/2016/01/elite_graduate_programs_behind_closed_doors_a_new_book_reveals_all.html

Apply for practice? Good heavens, I only want to go through this once. Btw, I'm a former Bostonian so feeling very nostalgic by Shay's choices - gosh I miss the Northeast.

Hmm, I'm curious to know who got that UVA interview too! Just to make ya'll feel better, I made the cardinal mistake of writing the wrong university name (that too, a rival) in my SOP, d'oh. Will keep ya'll posted on my decisions: 1) Michigan - Ann Arbor 2) Wisconsin - Madison 3) UC Berkeley 4) UT Austin 5) Johns Hopkins 6) Washington - Seattle 7) Minnesota - Twin Cities 8) Rice I'm shooting for political and cultural sociology. Most of my decisions should be arriving in mid February. Apparently Minnesota notifies as early as Jan according to its website. All in all, it'll be a long wait.

To build on Gingin's advice... MelSoc, I myself have an undergrad GPA as low as yours and it is in a discipline *completely* irrelevant to sociology but I'm still giving it a shot. As Gingin said, your ideas seem interesting and if you can show in your SOP that you've thought deeply about it and that you have experiences to show it, you might just see yourself in a great program next fall. Even better if those grad conferences relate to sociology or your topic. Choosing schools can be daunting. Following Gingin's advice, I've looked through the ASA guidebook to find programs with my focus; I saw multiple "rankings" of sociological programs to find out which institutions would be appropriate for me in terms of competitiveness; and I read the bio of faculty at each of those institutions. If you are very new to sociology like myself, this can be a long, tedious task so keep aside a week or two for it.

They actually did. I'll have to nudge them for a brief feedback but I don't feel comfortable asking them to line-edit. Maybe that's just me.

Thank you for the quick reply. I've heard that it is common to have the rec writers review the SOP but I'm feeling really hesitant to bother them any further... Maybe I'll try and muster the courage to do it though - for now it is my best bet it seems.

Moving on to a sunnier place... Do you guys have any tips for ways to have the SOP reviewed? I've heard from a med student that she reviews SOPs for med school applicants anonymously online. Is there something like that for soc? Unfortunately I don't have a friend or faculty in sociology to have mine reviewed. For now, relying on yours truly O.O

You can look Indiana too

Hello jwalker, So I graduated from one of the top MPP programs and I came with a much lower GPA than you in a completely unrelated undergraduate program (STEM field). What helped me was about 3 years work experience. I did not work in a stellar organization but I built a great story in my SoP by drawing profound insights from little details. I wouldn't give up on a top MPP program solely for the econ grade, especially with a major GPA of 3.7 from a top tier liberal arts college. You may want to explain the econ grade in an essay; the micro course is an even better idea. I'm wondering if you have the time to pull that off before the application season this fall though. You can consider taking a math subject test. To be honest, very likely you would be taking econ classes in an MPP program anyway. People rarely waiver out of it. And sometimes people will apply to an MPP in order to boost their quant skills so that can be one of your intentions for joining an MPP program in the first place. My advice is build a persuasive story that tells why you are a great candidate for a program that values public service. I'm sure there's a lot to share from your year-long experience in bank regulatory policy, in addition to your four undergraduate years. Best of luck.

Hello rightgolefts, Welcome to the community! As an MPP alum, I can tell you that these programs are so versatile that there is no traditional trajectory. In fact, my cohort included engineers. One factor that adcoms will consider is a passion for public service and I think that is something you can demonstrate given your work experience in the public sector and your intention to steer a non-profit. You will learn some analytical skills in an MPP program like program evaluation (STATA or spss), budgeting, policy analysis and microeconomics and perhaps these quant skills will be valuable for the type of managerial positions you are aiming for. Occasionally some schools will offer courses on non-profit management. The extent of managerial training you will receive will come largely from practicums or case competitions that you would seek out on your own. I would argue an MBA puts more focus on management. And as someone who is now on the job market, my perception is that recruiters for management positions give precedence to years of experience over an advanced degree. Plus, majority of my cohort entered the program with little work experience - about 0-3 years of work experience in entry-level and community-level jobs like Peace Corps. Many of them went on to work in state department or as policy analysts. So an MPP would be more appropriate if you wish to move on to the more policy-side of things (as opposed to management). That's just my opinion from personal experience. I hope that helps.