Warelin

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

You are great; don't forget it.
 
I've recently have seen a lot of negativity on these boards. You are worth so much more than rejections.

I think we can all use some positivity from time to time.
 
Always could use more positive affirmation!
This process can be incredibly stressful. I remember it well. I think it's important to post it now because otherwise it feels like a "consolation" prize. It isn't. 

I think it's important to remember here the advice that has constantly been given on this forum: Departments have reputation and Institutional prestige does not extend itself to programs. There are a lot of "lesser-known" schools that are incredibly respected within fields. Before making any decision, I would heavily consider the amount of debt either would put you in and the amount of time it would take to repay those debts.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

I'd like to add on to this. I was accepted at schools where I mentioned certain faculty by name. I was also accepted at schools where I did not mention any faculty by names. In one of the schools I was accepted to, I only mentioned one faculty. They're currently at a different school.

So I don't think there is a correct or wrong way of writing your SOP when it comes to the inclusion or exclusion of names.

I think @punctiliousdoes a great job of explaining the decisions that goes into applying to graduate programs. I would like to add that even if you did everything right, there is still a possibility that you can spend 6 years (or more) in a graduate program  (at any college) and walk away with 0 job offers even if you publish in the best journals and do well in your program. It happens every year no matter where the person graduates from.

 
There are many professions that benefit from the skills one learns from graduate-level research (which includes archiving) as well as from teaching. Many of these positions wouldn't require you to constantly attend conferences, be pressured to publish constantly, worry about not obtaining tenureship and move again (if you can land a tenure-track position),  or be involved with multiple committees. It's likely that Professors spend 60-80 hours of the week working. In order to be really successful, you have to want to do nothing else and then be okay with failure. If this sounds like you, I'd recommend applying but realize that being a professor is more than just teaching/researching.
 
Who are these people that are discouraging you? Are they professors or someone else? Have your professors encouraged you to consider applying to grad schools? Have they discouraged you? If they've discouraged you, I probably wouldn't consider asking them for a recommendation letter for grad school.

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.

Or possibly exactly what the job market was looking for at the time. A top school does not mean you'll automatically get the job over someone else.
 
This. Rankings do not equal placement rates. Rankings do not mean better funding. Rankings do not mean best professors. Rankings can also change based on certain fields. Placements can change based on what changes have been done to improve the department.
I'd also like to add that some people not at a top 20 are discouraged by their peers from even attempting to apply to tenure track positions. Others realize that they don't want to teach. Those outside the top 20 who take grad school seriously though often land very lucrative tt positions though. As such, it's hard to accurately measure placements especially in smaller cohorts.
 
It depends on where you live. I've spoken to a fair number of graduates from outside countries. Certain schools might not even have programs in their field or might be ranked poorly for their field. Despite that, they say it is more valuable to go to that university because their country values it more.

I would try not to worry about it. Programs are here to make you a better scholar and writer. If your SOP was perfect, you wouldn't need their training. I think most universities are interested in the ideas you have and your thought process behind the ideas. It might be a different story if there were a lot of typos or if there was a bad fit. However, I think an extra word or two won't be used against you.

FWIW:  I choose a program ranked "lower" than another by about 9 spots. The other program wasn't in a location I could see myself being happy in. I ended up choosing a program that was in a location I preferred and offered a decent stipend compared to the cost of living. I spend a fair amount on housing but that's because it's what I choose to "splurge" on. Our stipend increases yearly but I think it's also important to recognize that previous students also fought to make sure that stipends were fair. It wasn't long ago that (at other schools) students weren't guaranteed a stipend which created a lot of tension between the funded and unfunded students. One will never become rich from their stipend but I do think it's important to have a balance between security, placement, location and mental health. I think it's also important to understand that an acceptance to any school does not guarantee a job into schools they've previously placed in without the proper amount of work. If one is too tapped out, a program's money won't cure it all. If one fails out because they don't meet standards, it doesn't matter where one goes if they can't graduate or work to their best ability. In the end, it's up to you to decide how you manage your time though.
I think there are brilliant scholars at multiple schools but think it's also important to realize that professors can leave at anytime for any reason. A scholar I was interested in at a different school is now working at another school. Another scholar I'm interested in working with is leaving a school ranked in the top 20 for English and moving here despite her having tenure over there. The professor will keep her tenure here but I think it's important to realize that professors can and sometimes do leave their previous positions for things other than retirment. Sometimes, the environment is equally as important to them and they might not always know how much students are being given as a stipend here. Another recently hired professor formerly taught at a school that is ranked in the 60s/70s and was offered the position over someone who taught at an HYP institution because the fit was better.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.

Please remember that you are not your acceptances. You are not your writing sample nor are you your statement of purpose. You are not your grades. You are much more than that. Please don't let your acceptances define you.