Warelin

Did you participate in any of the following programs: http://gs.emory.edu/admissions/waiver-qualified.html Alternatively, some schools may offer an automatic fee waiver to graduates from certain schools.

Sarah at Washington University in St. Louis and Nathan at Northwestern are really excellent in their organization and answering questions.

Apply to hidden gems that you overlooked the first time? Find real hidden gems outside?

For what it's worth, one of my professors submitted ~2 weeks late on an application that said letters were due on the same day. I was still accepted by that school.

I think schools are just curious to see who they end up losing students to if they're accepted elsewhere. Is stipend playing a major factor? Are other programs introducing new certificates or initiatives that's causing an impact on decisions? I don't think schools have the resources to keep track of every school so this allows them to identify trends and use the data in however they see best fit.

Depending on where you live, it could be very easy to live and get by without a car. There are a lot of transportation options near Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University, University of Missouri - St. Louis and Webster University. Options around Downtown are also plentiful. Transportation options become harder when you move toward the suburbs which are more than 20 miles away from St. Louis city. However, St. Louis is affordable and has a wide variety of neighborhoods available depending on your preferences.

I think it’s important to note that sometimes a misunderstanding on what a professor expects might also lead to a lower than expected grade. Sometimes, a class might not have anything graded until the very end of the semester. A class or two below an A- might be overlooked but consistently falling below a 3.5 might signal that grad school might not be right for that person.

Your application would not be considered incomplete.

There are a few things that might be worth considering here. 1. There will be a number of courses outside of your research interests that you'll be required to take. It's possible that you'll have little or no interest in these courses. How will you assure the committee that you'll excel in these courses? It might also be important to note that individual departments often have higher GPA requirements (than that of the grad school's) that have to be met or you'll be kicked out of the program. I know of several programs that have the minimum set to a 3.7GPA. If you fall beyond the minimum, you get kicked out of the program. 2. Publication isn't a major factor for Ph.D. applications. Though if you do publish, make sure it's from a known journal and not one that you paid to get published in. 3. Being a good Ph.D. student is about more than just doing well in classes. 4. Why do you want a Ph.D.? Does what you want to do absolutely require you to earn a Ph.D. or are you unsure of what you want to do? 5. I think it's also important to note that the purpose of a Ph.D. Committee is to make you a better scholar. Grad School can be an incredibly supportive place. However, it can also means your work will be heavily criticized. You might have to rework a lot in a short amount of time. This will be stressful no matter how interesting others may find your project. Being able to handle criticism will help you make it through. Depression, however, is common in Graduate School and is a leading factor of why people drop out of their programs. 6. I'm sure you're aware but many Ph.D. programs have a low acceptance rate. It isn't uncommon for people to get into 0 schools during their first round. Some people manage to get in during their first round; others might never get in even with perfect scores. The admissions process is a mystery and "fit" can change from year to year. 7. I think it's important for you to talk to your professors to see what they say about your hopes of pursuing a Ph.D. Ultimately, they'd be the ones writing the letters and it'll be important to have a strong backing of support from them.

There are very few schools which allow you to import recommendations from a previous cycle. My understanding is that schools prefer that your letters are fresh (even if it's just an updated date on the letter) because it ensures that you're interested in them as opposed to applying to every school you can. The process of chasing (and obtaining) recommendations also helps to prepare you for grants, fellowships, opportunities, and the job market later on. I think they want to make sure that you're partially prepared for that.

FWIW, one of my recommenders turned in their letters about 2 weeks after the December 1st deadline. I was accepted by said school.

Are there any journals or individuals in either that you enjoy more? Are there potential gaps that you think you could help fill?

I think it's also important to state that some elite private high schools now require you to have a Master's degree or higher to teach at their institution. I think the best advice one can take is to study the period that they're most interested in. Don't try to game the market; it most likely wouldn't work. If you study what your most interested in, you're more likely to stay committed and take an interest in wanting to do more research on your dissertation.

I think there are a few things this thread ignores. Yes, people from a "top 20" school might get a second glance at their resume, which might make it easier for them to land an interview. No, it doesn't automatically mean that they'll get the job over someone else. No school can guarantee you that you'll be viewed equally at every school you apply to. Yes, some schools might make it easier to get published in certain journals. Different countries have differing opinions on which schools are considered the best. Schools rich in finances might be able to provide more resources. Some schools are lowering cohort sizes by 1-2 spots in order to better provide resources for current students and to increase the percentage of students they place. Advisers are important. Advisers can move from school to school which can impact placements. Some advisers might have contacts at certain journals which might make it easier to get a piece looked at. Not everyone wants to be placed in an R1 school. Some students would prefer teaching a 3-3, 4-4, or 5-5 rather than doing research. I don't think it's proper to say that one system is better than another. Some schools are really good at "placing above their level" when it comes to fellowships. Sometimes, the connections from those fellowships are what allows them to move up the chain. The majority of people on this forum will not land a tenure-track position no matter where they go. There are schools currently outside the top 20 that have made dramatic changes in recent years which may or may not impact them. (Prior to these rankings, I think Chicago was previously ranked 10th? Indiana and UC Davis were not considered to be top 20 schools. And Michigan was outside the top 10.) Rankings can change According to the USNEWS:" "Rankings of doctoral programs in the social sciences and humanities are based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to academics in each discipline. Ipsos Public Affairs conducted the surveys in fall 2016. U.S. News conducted the survey of doctoral programs in criminology and criminal justice in fall 2017. For the surveys conducted in fall 2016, Ipsos sent each school offering a doctoral program two surveys per discipline. Questionnaires were sent to department heads and directors of graduate studies in economics, English, history, political science, psychology and sociology – or, alternatively, a senior faculty member who teaches graduate students – at schools that had granted a total of five or more doctorates in each discipline during the five-year period from 2011 through 2015, as indicated by the National Center for Education Statistics' Completions survey. These rankings were published in 2017. The questionnaires asked respondents to rate the academic quality of the programs at other institutions on a 5-point scale: outstanding (5), strong (4), good (3), adequate (2) or marginal (1). Individuals who were unfamiliar with a particular school's programs were asked to select "don't know." Scores for each school were determined by computing a trimmed mean – eliminating the two highest and two lowest responses – of the ratings of all respondents who rated that school; average scores were then sorted in descending order. These are the number of schools with doctoral programs surveyed in fall 2016: economics (138); English (155); history (151); political science (120); psychology (255); and sociology (118). And these were the response rates: economics (23 percent), English (14 percent), history (15 percent), political science (24 percent), psychology (14 percent) and sociology (33 percent)." It is unlikely that every grad program is paying attention to every other grad program. Different schools excel at different areas. It's up to each individual to figure out whether a school can ultimately help them out in reaching a goal. A student who excels at a "top 20" school does not necessarily mean they're more talented than someone who went to a school outside the top 20. It just means they were a better fit for that one school. Some recent job postings have recently required applicants to have taught a certain amount of classes. Sometimes, that number isn't possible for someone whose only experience has been in a PHD program. Some universities do better placing students at nearby universities or nearby states. Some students refuse to enter the national job market. Some people are open to the international job market. This number isn't the same at every university which further impacts numbers. If you're purely interested in an R1 school, your chances increase if you go to top 10 school. However, there are no guarantees ever. Find a school that appreciates what you can do and that can help you excel in. A degree is useless if you have to drop out because you don't feel supported and/or are suffering from depression. Depression is very real in grad school. Not all top students go or are admitted into a top school. Some do manage to work their way up but the cards are stacked against them. Be prepared to work hard no matter where you go. But don't be discouraged if you don't get into a top 10 or top 20 school. There are a number of schools in the top 50 who are doing some pretty cool things. Also: Find a school that has a stipend you can live on. Don't be afraid to ask how students live. (How far do they live from the university? Do they live alone or with roommates? Is it by choice? Do they need an additional job to survive? Do they need to take out loans?) You won't be rich by going to grad school but you shouldn't have to worry about where your next meal is coming from. Don't go into debt for a degree which has no guarantee of a job at the end.

Yes. I can't think of a single school which requires letter of recommendations to be in before you could submit your application.