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HopefulSocPhD

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Posts posted by HopefulSocPhD

    Columbia MA Alumni?

    in Sociology Forum

    Posted

    1 hour ago, krispykreme said:

    Get a funded mph or mpa or mpp from a good school. these types of programs allow room for sociology and social science classes. get a thesis project together. don't take on debt before phd. 

    So is this just your personal opinion on getting an M.A., or are you actually an alumnus of the Columbia M.A. program and you regret your decision?

    Columbia MA Alumni?

    in Sociology Forum

    Posted · Edited by HopefulSocPhD

    Although I applied to Ph.D. programs this year, I was accepted into two un-funded Masters programs, NYU and Columbia. After much analysis and self-reflection on my weaknesses, I believe a terminal Masters program will fill the gaps in my application (research experience, a thesis, advising, LORs from soc. profs) and will significantly improve my chances at a top-10 Ph.D. program in a couple years. I am seriously considering the MA at Columbia if I can secure the loans I need for funding. 

    Before I make this decision to attend or not to attend, I am very interested in hearing about the experiences of alumni of the Columbia MA program. Feel free to PM me or respond here. Thank you!

    Fall 2016 Acceptances, Interviews, and Rejections Thread

    in Sociology Forum

    Posted

    41 minutes ago, Antoine.hsu said:

    Long-time lurker and also affected by the Columbia PhD Human Error. I did call the department to confirm my offer, and then.....whatever.

    Got a acceptance letter from Albany ....not sure if I'll accept.

    It's heartbreaking enough to get rejected, but this... This is just awful. I hope someone gets fired for this. My sympathies, friend!

    So....I didn't do so well on the 2015-2016 application cycle. Now what?

    in Sociology Forum

    Posted · Edited by HopefulSocPhD
    sp.

    1 hour ago, pi515 said:

    @macadamia tea That's really interesting to know: would you mind elaborating a bit on how you conveyed the fit with the department in your SOP? For example, did you mention the research of specific faculty members and then talked about how your proposed project fit with it? Did you pitch your project as an extension of the faculty research agenda? Did you focus on just one faculty member or several? Any advice in terms of how to best approach demonstrating good fit would be greatly appreciated it. Like @kelris (thank you for starting this thread), I haven't had any luck this application season, and in retrospect, I don't think I've made the links between my project and the research agendas of the faculty members explicit enough -- in my head, I thought those links would be obvious when reading my project description but given that the admissions committees read hundreds of applications, I should have been more direct. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this, it's very helpful.

     

    1 hour ago, any5 said:

    @kelris, what were your stats so we can give better advice?

    Well I am in a similar boat to @kelris. I didn't have any success with the Ph.D. programs I applied to. My upper div. undergrad GPA in Criminology was 3.84, GRE 160V 161Q 4.5AW. I am not sure if my GRE is just not enough to stand out and if I should have retaken it. My quant score (80th%ile) seems higher than the averages published at many departments, but my verbal is lower (85th%ile). I had a checkered past, including abusive relationship early in my undergrad career, so my cumulative GPA is sub. 3.0. I had a three year gap between the tumultuous past and returning to school and graduating with honors. I have been a high school teacher in underprivileged schools for the past two years, and tailored my writing sample and SOP to social inequality and reproduction of inequality etc. in schools. I didn't have any traditional undergraduate research experience with a faculty member but I did have an undergraduate thesis project. My LORs were from two former professors, including the director of the program, and a supervisor at the high school where I work. I, too, thought that I had a reasonably strong application but I suppose not.... sigh

    Advice on publishing and presenting

    in Sociology Forum

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, any5 said:

    I sent an unsolicited submission to an int'l academic conference, attended and ended up winning best paper award! Really only steps 1 and 3,4 are interesting.

    Step 1.: write a paper that has original research & insight, not just a lit. review

    Step 2.: format the paper to look like a real paper, use proper citation & footnote, labeling etc.

    Step 3.: google "call for papers" + <your topic(s)>

    Step 4.: once you find a call for papers you can usually submit your manuscript (without any author names) via an online intake system such as easychair

    Step 5.: You will be notified if the reviewers accept or reject your paper. if they accept you will likely need to make some revisions based on comments

    Step 6.: Pay your own way to the conference.  I used my vacation money to go there. Sucks. Whatever.

    Step 7.: Network with people. Get drinks with folks in the evenings, sit at different tables for different meals and meet different people. They may assume you are an academic, but if they asked, I just said no, I am not but I am planning to apply to PhD programs next year.

    Step 8.: Slap it on your CV

    Step 9.: Rinse & Repeat

    Wow, Thanks! That is really quite helpful. I spent a lot of time this fall working on a writing sample for my apps this year and I feel with some more tweaking, I might be able to try your method for publishing and see what happens. :)  Seriously, thank you for taking the time to write it out. :D

     

    Advice on publishing and presenting

    in Sociology Forum

    Posted · Edited by HopefulSocPhD

    I am very curious about this as well. I feel as if publications and conference presentations are things I can strengthen for next year as well. I'm especially curious about publishing and presenting when NOT affiliated with an university. I am a high school teacher (too?) and have been out of school for almost three years now. Wow, time flies. 

    4 hours ago, pi515 said:

    How likely it is for non-doctoral students to have their papers accepted? Similarly, with presenting at conferences: are there some conferences that you'd particularly recommend? Any tips for successful submissions? As a side note, since I'm out of school right now, do you have to be affiliated with a university or a research institution in order to submit papers for publication/presentation (in academic journals/conferences)? Thank you in advance for any tips and advice!

     

    Fall 2016 Acceptances, Interviews, and Rejections Thread

    in Sociology Forum

    Posted

    7 minutes ago, MAnthroAA said:

    Try not to take it too hard, Hopeful! And it ain't over til it's over! 

    This is your first time applying, right? I have a MSc from an Ivy and was talking to one of my former advisors the other day; she was laughing about how "hardcore" all the applicants to the social sciences programs are these days. Keep in mind that you're likely competing with candidates who have had more years of experience and opportunities (this is an assumption, I realize, but I'm guessing that you must be relatively young coming straight from undergrad). Good for you for putting yourself out there! If nothing pans out this year it's their loss, and you'll be that much better prepared for round two! ;-)

    I was personally given neutral advice about contacting POIs. I only reached out to one, because my interests aligned exceptionally well with his. If your email (or what-have-you) doesn't seem genuine, I imagine it's better left alone. 

    I can't tell if this was directed at me, but no, I'm not straight from undergrad. I finished my undergrad later than most and have been working as a high school teacher of science and special education for the last two years in underpriviledged schools. So no, I'm not young. Over 30.

    Fall 2016 Acceptances, Interviews, and Rejections Thread

    in Sociology Forum

    Posted

    21 minutes ago, MaxWeberHasAPosse said:

    I don't know really. I started a dialogue with a group of professors there back in November and they invited me for an in-person visit. I was there on the 28th and 29th of January. 

    Am I the only one who didn't contact the professors at schools ahead of time? I suppose that would explain flat-out rejections from everywhere I applied if this is expected of applicants and I didn't do it...

    Fall 2016 Acceptances, Interviews, and Rejections Thread

    in Sociology Forum

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, Hesty said:

    @HopefulSocPhD I have an essay due tomorrow morning- I need this rejection to be over with. Pretty certain there are no more places and it'll just be rejections from here on out.... ugh. Anyone think there is any hope for people who haven't heard yet ? 

    I'm trying to hold on a little bit of hope, but realistically I think Brown is most likely done with their offers of admissions. As @goofylemon mentioned, they have a small cohort and the accepted posts on the results page roughly match what I have seen from past years. *le sigh*

    Fall 2016 Acceptances, Interviews, and Rejections Thread

    in Sociology Forum

    Posted

    7 minutes ago, nowayjose said:

    No brave soul has asked nyu/columbia their eta, right?

    I have not contacted either program. NYU's website says specifically NOT to contact them until after March 15th. NYU notified acceptances last year starting on February 9th. Columbia started notifying acceptances last year on February 6th. So, realistically they could start to notify anytime now I suppose.

    Fall 2016 Acceptances, Interviews, and Rejections Thread

    in Sociology Forum

    Posted · Edited by HopefulSocPhD

    5 minutes ago, gingin6789 said:

    Accepted to Rutgers, wait listed for funding! *twirls about*

    Yay! Congratulations Gingin!

    3 minutes ago, krispykreme said:

    To the BROWN poster in the results page that said "email received, decisions out later today" -- are there additional offers? Or, just "decisions" aka... rejections?

    I was wondering the same. Though I think it's probably rejections, I'd rather know than not know, ya know? ;)

    Fall 2016 Acceptances, Interviews, and Rejections Thread

    in Sociology Forum

    Posted

    Just now, Shay825 said:

    Thanks. I sincerely hope so. Starting to get a bit depressed over the silence from the schools that I applied to. I've gained about 4 pounds in the last two weeks from stress eating junk food. My waistline will weep in gratitude it if I get some responses this week. 

    Seriously, I've gained about 4 pounds too. It's bad. Hopefully your first news is good news. Starting off with rejection(s) is extremely rough. I'm still holding some hope for a miracle, but at least when it's all over  I'll be able to fit back into my pants. The struggle is real.

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