limonchello

I think these scores are plenty great! But if you're worried about it, maybe go through the recent admits at universities you're interested in on whatever tab that is here on grad cafe and see how you compare. A 4.0 with a background in data science and CS is going to give you a major leg up, and I don't hear any red flags at all.

Marginally reminds me of Daniel Faas (Trinity College Dublin), which may not help much, but could provide a jumping off point. I think most of this research you won't find in soc, but instead in the college of education.

Your scores seem fine and I think you have high odds of getting in somewhere. I would recommend not going to the same phd program as undergrad, as that can have a negative connotation, but I understand that this might be unavoidable. No phd programs can reasonably expect publications, even top 5 programs. Don't worry about lack of those. Same with research experience - you get different opportunities at a SLAC than an R1, and so make your application shine as best as you can and they'll understand these things.

As someone who has pushed through the PhD with a lack of motivation, i think if you don't want to be a professor or have a job that requires a PhD, it's not worth it. Do what's best for you, which i think you already know what you're leaning towards. Don't get a PhD just to get a PhD.

You'll be fine / a good fit with your MA. Most PhDs don't have anything explicit because soc departments are a balance of qual and quant research. From my understanding, there is no set requirement and you will have a required stats class or two as part of the curriculum.

I agree that school B is the better option. You're much more likely to get into a great PhD program if you have collaborated with some faculty (whether or not it's published) and this sounds much more likely at B. Plus, it sounds like it's cheaper and you'll have some funding which is a definite plus. Program A sounds like it's probably a cash cow.

Is this for an MA or a PhD? I've never heard of either of their programs...

https://s-michael-gaddis.medium.com/new-graduate-rankings-in-sociology-a25a59e81d57 I liked this blog post discussion on it

Look at their recent graduates - what were their research interests and placements like? I can't think of any computational sociologists from UNC, but I can from Cornell. But UNC is higher ranked which can lead to other extra resources. Do professors have labs? What about RA opportunities? Other places on canvas that sociology works with?

I'd go with the latter.

Your research interests really remind me of Melanie Wallendorf at the University of Arizona who actually teaches in Marketing. Because of the super tough time sociology is having now and will continue to have going forward (said as a current sociology grad student), I'd actually recommend you check out programs like that and either minor in soc or push for a dual degree. Pure soc just isn't going to cut it anymore.

Top env soc departments off the top of my head could be Oregon, Colorado and Brown (even University of Utah, though this isn't my area). However, environment + political screams andrew jorgenson at Boston College. If you're thinking macroeconomic political sociology, check this annual review out: https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.soc.012809.102639

I can promise y'all that universities were being hurt and facing cuts because of the baby-bust (smaller population of 18 year olds) before the whole covid-19, and now my department isn't going to dip into our waitlist at all and just a smaller cohort. I bet the same will happen for next year as well, so everyone considering that ( @SocAnth_Lou , @annetod ) keep that in mind.

Grad student lurking: If there's any delay and it's not random, it could be due to funding cuts. I know a lot of public universities are experiencing historic low undergraduate enrollments and therefore budget crises, so they may be delaying notifications in case they have major funding cuts or something. Also, feel free to reach out if you want a grad student's lay of the land while you're making decisions. I know some of the drama and reputations better now than when I applied.

Came across this on twitter and thought it would good advice for y'all on your upcoming campus visits. Read the whole threat & enjoy!

Short reply since no one else has replied to you: You should be okay. Your TOEFL is low, but it's enough I think. It might be useful to email other Chinese students in programs you're interested in to get an idea of their scores. In terms of the GRE, those are pretty great scores so I think they will really help your low writing score. Most programs don't have raw-cut-offs and look at applications more holistically. You could retake the GRE and really practice the writing portion, but I'd say go ahead and apply now with your current score to December cut offs.

short reply since no one else has commented yet: Nah, you have fundmental theory courses you'll take so it's not an issue. It's not an advantage though, either. Strong math and econometrics background is highly valued.

I'd say you're going to want at minimum 150 v 150 q for worse programs, and higher for better programs. You should have a much better than average writing score.

First that come to mind is UT Austin and Utah

Just a short comment: The intro to sociology textbook I use says that one of the differences between political science and sociology is that polisci is almost a subset of sociolgy specifically focused on power. You can definitely come over here with your previous training! Also, there is definitely a big push in many departments for data science or computational social sciences. My mind goes automatically to the university of Chicago, to James Moody, and to Carter Buttes. Check out the work their doing and see if you'd like to follow in their footsteps. Also, there's a Lot of comprehensive exam reading lists online for specific areas (culture, gender, medical soc, political Soc, etc). Think about what you're most interested in and Google for the reading list or a graduate course to give yourself some ideas.

Just look at the results board https://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=sociology

Reading through this to procrastinate while finishing up my first comprehensive/qualifying 3rd year exam. Sending good vibes to you all, as I remember this process particularly well. No matter what happens, you will all do amazing things and it's hard having your fate in others' hands. You've done all you can now! In addition, for some people the forum will make your stress and anxiety worse. It may be worth taking a break if you feel like it's adding to your craziness - blocksite is your friend.

Can't give you more advice than to reassure you that you won't hear anything until late January at the earliest. I'm sure you'll do fine! A lot of people apply to 15 and something ends up working out. You will be nervous, anxious, and stressed from approx jan-april. You will likely be on some wait lists you're desperate to get off of, and that'll extend the pain. But overall, something will work. Something will come through, even if its not an acceptance. You'll be fine. This is a good place to empathize with others, as the normal public doesn't really get it. However, a lot of people find constantly checking the forums is worse for their mental health. You do you.

Terminal masters programs are actually quite common, just not at R1 schools.

Hmm, I've lived here about a year and a half and crime isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Houses near campus are obviously going to be broken into more, especially around student breaks. My friend who has lived here since 2010 was just broken into but he lives literally across the street from the university. I like about 20 minutes away and honestly it's not a crime-ridden place at all.