Planted

Thanks!

Does anyone know when UMass Amherst's visit day/open house is? I'm waitlisted there, just curious when admitted folks might start making decisions.

Still waiting for BU to send me a rejection letter, that's my only outstanding app. And I would expect to get it this week, based on past years. What programs have you not heard from?

I used the 2020 version for my first application cycle and I found it to be helpful in narrowing down programs I wanted to learn more about and comparing different programs. It's pretty accurate - I definitely noticed a few instances where faculty members had left or joined departments that must have happened after the book went to print or the departments submitted their info. But that's the nature of academia. I wouldn't rely on it for things like application deadlines but it gives a pretty good overview of programs so you can make a shortlist before digging into department websites. Sharing a photo of a random page so you can see what kinds of things are included about individual programs. I really liked the department list by primary areas of expertise, but ASA section websites sometimes have those lists online too. It is pricey, maybe try to get a recent copy second-hand, if possible. Or, if you're in a program now, your department might have a guide to borrow (mine does).

Sorry to bear bad news: BC PhD acceptances are out, they are having a visit day for accepted students March 1. Two years ago they rejected me from PhD and offered me a spot in the MA program (that offer came in early March), which I accepted. Happy to chat if you find yourself in the same position and are considering it. Good luck!

Waitlisted at UMass Amherst — just received an email from the grad director. Seemed to be a form letter, so who knows how many others are in the same position. ? The limbo continues!

Still no word so I guess I’m just waiting for them to grace me with a rejection letter ? When I saw the one acceptance that had 5 publications I knew it was over for me lol

woof. hope everyone is taking care of themselves, it's been a brutal 24-48 hours.

I’m also waiting to hear from UMass, no word yet?

Thoughts and prayers to everyone else hoping for decisions before another looong weekend of radio silence! ??

Thanks, yeah I have one admit which was a huge relief and definitely took the sting out the (highly anticipated) rejection. It must be so frustrating to not have a definitive answer from Brown yet. I'm holding out hope for you all who haven't heard one way or that other. ?

Oh wow, that's wild! Maybe our paths will cross at some point! Congrats on UConn. Did you apply anywhere other than those three? What are your research interests? I agree that it was tough to figure out fit with that limitation. In some ways it was good to have the limiting factor though, I couldn't go too crazy with applications and I have a general sense of where I will be living for the next few years. Sending you some positive vibes and good luck, too!

Hello all ? I am back after a tough 2021 cycle (no PhD admits, two MA offers). I am finishing up my MA this semester and reapplied for PhD programs for fall 2023. I'm limited geographically so only applied to Brown (rejected), BU, BC (accepted), and UMass Amherst. I am thrilled to have the BC acceptance and am still hoping for good news from BU and UMass, hopefully this week! In the meantime I have donated all my GRE prep books ? Never again!!! Hope everyone is finding ways to stay grounded and at peace right now, it's not easy.

Got my Brown rejection this morning! Received an email telling me to check the portal for a decision. From past years it looks like they send all acceptances on the same day and then all rejections the next (business) day, and I don't think they do a waitlist, based on past years results. Maybe check your spam folder? I hope there is good news waiting for you!

I reached out to a few programs about this and here's what they said, verbatim: UMass Amherst: "GRE scores are not required, and if applicants choose to submit them they will not be a factor in the admission decision." Cornell: "For the Fall 2023 admission the GRE is recommended but not required" Boston College: "GRE will be strongly recommended but not required for this coming cycle." "Recommended but not required" is so hard to parse. My impression is that unless a department explicitly says that scores are not considered in decisions or unless you are not even able to submit scores, then they are worth submitting because we'll be compared with applicants who ARE submitting scores. Admissions folks may interpret the lack of scores as a lack of commitment or seriousness about pursuing the program, or raise questions about an applicant's ability to perform at a grad level without the GRE scores there as some kind of measure (although we can all agree the GRE is a really crappy and inaccurate measure of this, right?).

On the off chance that this is of interest to anyone - Boston College held an info session for MA admits this week and mentioned that the incoming PhD cohort is 5 people. (Congrats to whoever you are!) Also they are now offering an Advanced Quantitative Certificate, which consists of 5 stats courses. It's so new it's not on the website yet. MA is not funded, though.

@xyz234 @lkaitlyn Thank you both for the super fast reply! Sorry for being unclear and you are right that I am not currently enrolled anywhere. For my MS, I took stats, research methods, and some other relevant courses, so I guess that's probably not a weak spot for me. I did get a little research experience as an RA but getting more is definitely part of the plan – I was hoping to find a productive distraction while I compete with a bunch of other people looking to do the same thing, lol! Thanks for the input!

Hey all! While I wait for a decision from my final outstanding program, I want to distract myself while also planning for the worst-case scenario! So, if I won't be enrolling in a program this year, I'd like to take one or two sociology courses while I prep for the next cycle. My goals in doing so are to: add some formal sociology coursework - I took 1 soc course in undergrad and 1 cross-listed course as part of my MS program, but neither were theory develop a sociological writing sample to use in apps further define my research interests and potential grad projects possibly get a recommendation letter from sociology faculty, although this seems like a big stretch unless I manage to take two in-person courses from the same professor before apps are due ease the sting of not being able to start a program this year! Does anyone have a suggestion for what types of courses I should choose? Should I go for theory or more "foundational" courses? Or fun electives aligned with my research or methods interests? Does the institution matter? I'd love to not spend a fortune out of pocket but if there's a meaningful return on the investment in terms, I'm open to paying more. If this does not seem like a great use of my excess time and energy over the next 9 months - any other suggestions? Getting more research experience is also something I'm looking to do, paid or otherwise, but I don't want to bank on that as my only shot for boosting my profile for the next cycle. Thanks in advance! If anyone else is in the same position as me - drop your plans below to prep for the next cycle and let's help each other move forward!

I was really happy to see that a program I'm interested in is now ranked (UMass Boston). The last time the rankings came out, I think UMB's PhD program was too new to be considered so it was nowhere on the list. I am not putting much bearing on the actual rank, but it's reassuring to see evidence that the program is known by its peers to some degree!

Thanks - you got accepted there and waitlisted for funding? It's crazy to me that programs continue to "guarantee" funding when they don't know if they can follow through on it. I mean, add it to the list of things that programs are doing this cycle that boggle the mind, but still. Hope your package is right around the corner!

I wish I had applied to more MA programs!! I already have an MS in another field, and I really resisted the idea of doing another master's just to turn around and do a PhD program, mostly because of the extra time it would take. I am strongly committed to not taking on more debt for any program, but I really did not understand the different funding options. I also thought I actually had a chance at getting into a program with my current credentials. My thinking has evolved, lol. More MA programs offer funding than I realized, I feel like I really need the MA experience to make myself competitive to PhD programs. Since I'm coming from a different field, the chance to refine my research interests would be really valuable, especially without the immediate pressure of a PhD. At this point I would actually prefer to do an MA first, all things being equal. If my master's was in a more closely related field or research-based, I don't know if I'd be so willing to do the MA. I think it would feel like more of a step backward in that case.

For folks getting admitted but waitlisted for funding - congrats on the admits, and that sounds super frustrating. I hope your funding comes through soon!! I'm just curious if these are programs that say they guarantee funding for all admitted students (in normal times)? Or are they programs that don't guarantee funding per se, but do typically provide funding?

Thanks for sharing this!! And ditto on the funding issue @nicolesaparty Also, I find the language of their reply weirdly unprofessional... “you do not make the cut”?? And you’re “a perfect candidate” for the MA but your app is still being reviewed for MA... I dunno. Nice to receive a quick and helpful response though, guess I’m just salty from the rejection!

Thanks for replying. I’m sorry that you’re in the same boat but it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one! My best guess at this point (based on nothing but posts on this website lol), is that I’m pretty far down the waitlist and might get a spot in the masters program. But who knows, logic doesn’t seem to apply to any aspect of this process. Good luck to you!!

Hey folks, anyone who has been waitlisted by BC on here? How did you find out? I haven't heard anything from them at all and my application status is still "submitted" in the portal... What does it mean when you are not accepted, not rejected, and not waitlisted? ?