limonchello

on one of Lego Grad Student 's posts he writes something like ~ 'if you're having a hard time deciding, pick the place where the students seem the happiest. you don't want to suffer more than necessary over the next years of your life!'

I would say with that AWESOME profile you won't have any issues. A focus on international sociology should not in any way be a deterrent to entrance!

I can't speak to the reputation, but it's actually #30 on graduate school rankings of sociology programs on US News. This is right outside of top tier, which is a very good program. Depends on your profile but for some people this wouldn't actually be a fall back but more of a middle of the road goal. Could even be a reach school! For comparison, I'm at Arizona, which is a top tier, but I was denied from University of Hawaii which didn't even make the rankings and UC Santa Cruz which is way down in the list. Obviously a lot goes into acceptances, but my already convoluted point is that it doesn't need to be a fallback because it's a very good school!

And final note, if you pay attention to the application results forum do note that most people apply to between 4-10 programs for a given academic year. Use your network and connect with some faculty you're wanting to study with before applying!

Just dropping a comment in the final question. In the USA, you have a faculty dissertation committee instead of 1 person. Therefore, if you have your primary supervisor who looks at European migration in a different methodological framework you can have someone on your committee who is very focused on the statistics element etc. however, I don't see there being the necessity for your primary supervisor to do the EXACT work that you're wanting to do - that would be boring and also mean that what you're wanting to look at may already have been done. Perhaps think about this more in terms of what comprehensive exams and focus areas the school has. If you're wanting to study let's guess race and immigration but the strengths of the department are in crim and health, then that may not be the right place for you. On a final note, do know that MANY doctoral studies end up studying something that departments don't have faculty or even classes on. The PhD programs gives you the tools to be able to be independent and find the resources you need. A lot of schools let a non-department faculty or even faculty from another university onto your committee. Collaborative work is strongly advised throughout all US programs so working with faculty outside of your particular university is definitely not uncommon. I did one year of a PhD in a European university and decided to leave for the American system, so i can share more about my specific experience if you'd like. Do know that for Fall 2018 application are due within the next month for US schools, very different than the may June deadline from Europe. Good luck! The schools you have chosen tend to accept like 3 students a year so be prepared to 90+ percentile scores on the GRE and have an impeccable application.

Thanks so much, honestly. I've narrowed down my search to these final 5 that I'll fly down, visit and reserve one in June: Sandstone Winterhaven Casa Presidio Wasko Summerlin ill be moving with my spouse so I might decide to avoid sandstone as i imagine it's overrun with students.

If this is for Masters instead of Doctorate, then decisions can come out much later. I would however call the department, because you should know SOMETHING.

This advice is honestly good and I had never thought of it. My reading list has gotten so long I just never make the time to read! I've decided to try to do 1 book a week until fall semester (17) which will get me in the habit of sitting and reading etc. I'm going to try to work in some nonfiction so that it will reflect more of what we'll be studying. Thanks!

Though I won't be at Ivy League, your background seems more than enough to get you in to at least one of the top 20. Sometimes it's the luck of the draw and it is highly competitive, but I would say everyone who is applying will be similar to you. Work hard on the GRE scores to get between 160-165 and write stellar letters which fit with the departments interests (research interests meshing well may be more important than you realize!) and I would say you're golden. You've got international experience etc so you could potentially propose a really interesting research question in your letter and get them really interested in you. Best of luck!

You can try and defer a year if they allow that, and apply for extrenal PhD funding and hope it comes through for next year I suppose.

Your school will understand, especially if you're apologetic and explain that this couldn't be avoided. I think I've seen some posts around explaining how people went about explaining it, but I would write up a nice email explaining what has happened, that you'll be accepting the other offer (don't really need an explanation, but you could say more funding etc) and then ask them to 'release' you. Congrats!

There's a lot of posts like this. Yeah, it will burn a bridge and they won't be happy, but they will understand. I'm on my tablet and can't easily search for the other posts, but it basically is that the school needs to release you and then you're able to properly accept the second offer. Do what's best for you! There's no legal issue really.

Will be moving to Tucson in July, how is the Old Fort Lowell / Vista Del Monte area? I have an apartment picked that I love in that area, but I haven't been able to visit yet. Let's see if anyone is still around in this forum

Just an update for anyone in the future: TCD departments are (now) required to give you an admission response within two weeks of your application. It might have been different in 2015.

Hi Atara, if if you're still around send me a message and I can help you out with this question. I just don't want to post too much information here on why I can.

Acceptances you had: New Mexico, Utah, Washington State (off of waitlist), Arizona (off of waitlist) Research Area: Cultural Maintenance, Globalization, Indigenous Sovereignty, Social Movement, Race and Ethnicity, Education Final Choice: Arizona! Reason: After waiting for a week knowing I was first on the waitlist, Arizona just sent me my official offer! It's definitely late in this nail-biting season, but the opportunities I will have at Arizona are unmatched. The DGS was VERY transparent in the process and extremely helpful, which was honestly a godsend and a sign of a cooperative, friendly, and prestigious place to study that wasn't so... 'east-coast'. I couldn't be more excited! Edit: Tucson is freaking hot which scares me, but its a large city with a lot of opportunities outside of the immediate university. Another deciding factor.

Helped me a lot

I'm going to assume since they are 'meeting in a couple of days' that they're not going to demand a same-day answer by the 15th. Assuming they're allowing you more wiggle room, I would also imagine they may be able to fund your visit (or at least give you time to visit) and take an informed decision. Definitely, reply and let them know you're interested. They usually ask that because you're more than likely already committed to somewhere else. Good luck - be open with them and tell them you're interested. IF you're accepted, then let them know that as this is a giant decision, you would really need to visit before making an informed decision and if they could accommodate that.

My MSc Finance SO says don't waste your time taking either, no necessary for a graduate program in environment/energy management . He says if anything take a class or pick up a book on price theory or financial commodities. hope that helps. Knowing more about the programs might give a different perspective, but it's not like you'd be taking a MSc in Mechanical Engineering.

Discussed it with my spouse for a little bit because that's an interesting predicament. He says 100% go to your partially funded second choice. if they're both going to give you the same job in the end, it doesn't matter. Go with your second choice because it will eventually become your first choice and you won't regret it! It depends on how competitive the scholarship is, but I'm sure it's HIGHLY competitive and you're not even likely to get it. But who knows! Good luck to you in this tough decision!

Same here. It's so hard to balance the waitlists with the actual offers!

I figured I'd bump this thread, hopefully more news from more people now!

I would talk to the DGS because usually they are very outfront with information. Maybe there has only been a 10% response rate and you're likely to get funding nonetheless.

If you're exactly sure what you want to do your research on and are ready to write and commit to your proposal, the European way would be suitable. However by having to write your proposal and apply, reaching out to suitable supervisors ASAP who will help you in the application process is suggestible. I would recommend you only look at universities that are well recognized as they would have more funding. From my impression, funding is MUCH worse in Europe and in some places harder to live on. US universities will waive SOME of the classes and the thesis, but yes you'll still need to take the majority of the classes, at least the entire first year. Depending on the program you usually have the second or third year waved. Cant think of anything else, but verify they would have money for travel to the field site before you apply.

Plenty of people have posted with similar questions - I would look through other posts. Good luck !