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Grad00000000

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  1. Tough question...I'm really hesitant to give you advice because I'm really not sure how they might view it, and I don't want to be responsible for jeopardizing your chances! I was a wee bit evasive when they asked me, because they were the first school I heard back from. I just told them that I hadn't heard back from everywhere else yet, but that I was pretty certain they were going to be my school of choice. I got the feeling the question was not asked because they felt they were trying to compete with other offers, but just because they wanted a sense of the likelihood of me accepting their offer. I think they realise that there are other students just like you patiently waiting, and don't want to waste time giving offers to people who aren't seriously considering coming there.
  2. While there are a few factors out of your control (how long the waitlist is, whether your preferred Prof has time/space to advise you), I think you might have a good chance. In my conversations with the faculty it sounded like there were quite a few people who were weighing a few options and might turn them down.
  3. Chuck - those are some nice choices for enviro focus. I would have definitely looked at Michigan and Wisconsin if I wasn't geographically restricted by my other half. You might also want to look North across the border. There are some great social-enviro programs in Canada too. I can't really comment on your stats too much - I have no idea what the schools thought about my app. They are better than mine, but I used my heavy research & policy background as my main selling point rather than my scores. I think they are above the numbers ESPM lists on their site? With your rec's, the main issue I see with using the same letters or writers you used in your Master's app is that they won't have enough research focus for a PhD app. The want to know about your performance in class, but they also need to know about your research abilities because this is what you will spend most of your PhD doing. Regarding interdisciplinarity - I am in the same boat. My work sits right on the border of Sociology/Social Psych and Environmental Studies. This is why I also had to apply to a broad range. I don't think the schools were concerned about that, as it is fairly obvious when you read my SOP that I am bridging two fields. You do have to show you are prepared for the field you will be entering though (which means different SOPs for different fields - bummer!).
  4. Wow! I was just having a little whine about my slow response ... but to think that somewhere just wouldn't tell you at all! That is quite shocking. After all the effort you put into the application. That really sucks.
  5. I'm not usually a bitter person, but it does bother me that I know a school made up their mind a month ago (*cough* *cough* Columbia) and still hasn't officially rejected me. I get it - we aren't a great match - but at least be considerate enough to TELL ME!!!! Anyone else have some inconsiderate schools on their app list?
  6. I not only mentioned Profs, but specifically talked about why I wanted to work with them. I put all this in the last para of my SOP - XX School is such a great match for me because Prof A and I share an interest in lalala, and Prof B and I share an interest in xyz. I can't speak on behalf of all schools, but I know that one I applied to sent all apps to relevant Profs (as mentioned in SOPs) for their comment prior to sending them to the Ad Comm. They have to make sure someone will want to be your supervisor if they let you in.
  7. West - I do agree with you for the schools I applied to who place emphasis heavily on the numbers, but I want to share two experiences I had to highlight useful things that happen with Prof contact: School A: I contact Prof with usual 'Hi, I'm interested in your work...' email. Had a one line response, not even personalised 'I am not taking students this year'. I stupidly still wasted my time and money applying. This was the quickest rejection I got. I really shouldn't have applied given that this Prof was the only person in the faculty with similar interests. School B: Contacted Prof with same email outlining my background and research areas. Turns out he had just had a project funded on a very similar topic and was struggling to find a matching student who could RA for him. He wrote an additional LOR for my application, based only on our email conversations. He spoke on my behalf to members of the committee, and he found me extra funding . It is hard to predict how faculty contact might help your chances, but as long as you are articulate and concise in your email I don't think it ever hurts them.
  8. Great topic! I've left these answers scattered all over the forum, so some of this might be re-iteration... I have a catalog of 'Will they accept me if...' factors. I had a bad UGPA, I'm a little older, first try on the GRE didn't go so well, and I don't have any coursework in the areas I applied to. So is what I've learnt... The general stuff: 1) FIT FIT FIT FIT FIT: Don't waste time or money applying to the 'Well, no one there really does what I'm interested in, but they might be curious' schools. I did this for a few (I haven't even listed them in my signature because I'm so embarrassed now when I reflect upon it). It was an expensive lesson. Also, a GREAT fit will help them to overlook some of the less desirable areas of your application. 2) GET IN TOUCH WITH THE FACULTY: Relates to the above - you will soon find out whether they are interested in your work, and whether it is worth your time applying. A short simple email outlining your intention to apply, your background and asking them if they are taking students seemed to be enough to get this conversation rolling. You will also be surprised how far a Professor will go in championing your application if they really like your research ideas. 3) DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH JUST ONE SCHOOL: It really is a crapshoot. Try to love them all, because you never know where you'll end up. The specific stuff: 1) ADDRESSSING A BAD GPA: I read everywhere 'Don't mention it in your SOP'. I'm not sure I totally agree with this, but I don't have anything but my own experience to look at. If your bad gpa was a long time ago, I think it is ok to artfully weave into your SOP a line about how you have matured. I do agree that you shouldn't put much emphasis on this though - one line seemed sufficient for me. 2) BAD GRE SCORES: There doesn't seem to be a way around this - I had to take it again. Especially since I had the aforementioned bad gpa. Things I found useful... Verbal - start early, and if you have easy access to a computer use the program 'Anki' for your flashcards, the best way to improve your score is to improve your vocab; Quant - if, like me, it has been a LONG time since you looked at a triangle, go to your local library and get some high school math texts. Don't just jump into practise tests, you need to build the foundations first; AW - Use 'Score-it-now' at least once, so you get an idea of the way they like you to answer the essays. I bumped my scores up considerably the second time through a lot of hard work. 3) LACK OF COURSEWORK IN YOUR FIELD: Use your SOP and CV to demonstrate how your experience prepares you for your studies. Make sure your plan of study is well researched and uses the vocabulary of the field. If you have a good relationship with your rec writers, ask them to talk about your developing abilities in the area you are moving into. This is the approach I used, and while it didn't work everywhere, I was told by a Prof at a program that I got into that my CV and experience helped them to overcome their nervousness about my lack of academic background. I hope this is helpful to someone. Good luck!
  9. I used ANKI for my vocab flashcards, which can be downloaded FREE and it is FANTASTIC!!! I rarely see anyone mention it elsewhere. I got a 99th percentile score on my vocab, and I do think ANKI contributed to that. Another good free website for practise questions is: http://www.number2.com/exams/gre/companion/preview/index.cfm?s=0 Other than that I just worked through a couple of books. I wish I had tried 'Score-it-now' a little earlier than the day before the test, because I think it gives good insight into how the computer marks essays, and what they are looking for.
  10. Hi all, for anyone who hasn't heard yet... The mass email didn't accept/reject - it just directed me to the embark website where the letter was waiting (https://apply.embark.com/Grad/Brown/). Try checking your embark account - the answer might already be there.
  11. Results are out! I didn't make it... bummer . However, the Brown email was quickly followed by an acceptance from CUNY - so I won't complain . Congrats to all those who will be heading to Brown this year.
  12. I see that people are starting to post results after phone calls. Did they give you any idea about when they were going to formally notify people? I got my wisdom teeth pulled today, so I'm not really in a state to call them right now .
  13. Hi - I got an acceptance this week from a member of the Committee. This is likely because I have a Prof who really wants me to RA for him, and probably asked them to send my letter early. Don't read too much into this if you haven't heard! My acceptance was unofficial and hasn't been approved by the Faculty of Graduate Studies yet. The University has been on Olympic holiday for the last two weeks (I think the campus is being used for events?) so official letters HAVE NOT been sent out yet. If you get in, let me know. I'm 99% sure I'll attend UBC (the 1% hesitation is because my partner has to get in too), so it would be great to know who else will be there.
  14. I have a background in the environmental field and have never taken a course in the social sciences, let alone Sociology. I applied to at least one program who had strong wording on their application about the need for a Bachelor or Masters degree in Soc... and surprise surprise this is the school I got an acceptance from this week. I think there are a few things I did that helped me get an acceptance as a 'wild card'. The biggest and most obvious one is fit. The time I spent researching schools who have an environmental soc focus was well worth it. Some schools seemed to be quite excited about taking on a student who could bridge the social and natural sciences. The second factor I think helped my chances was framing my previous work experience to show that I would be prepared for a Soc degree, despite my lack of formal training. Finally, I contacted the schools who proclaimed the need for a Soc degree early, and let them know I intended to apply and explained my situation. I think this prepared them for my non-trad application, and kept me off the 'immediate reject' pile. This doesn't really help applicants this year, but hopefully someone might read this next year and not dismiss their chances too early. PS It's early days and I've already had a few rejects - so another key factor as a wild card is to apply to a LOT of schools!
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