I am putting together application packets. I don't feel very confident about my chances. My research interests are in gender, stratification, and labor markets. I am passionate about Marxist Theory and my favorite journal is Gender, Work, and Organization. I am not fussed about prestige of my program, but a good fit and funding is a must.
My short list is
Ohio State
Nebraska, Lincoln
Florida State University
Indiana, Bloomington
North Carolina State
Wisconsin, Madison (which seems incredibly unlikely...)
The good parts of my application:
3.68 overall GPA.
GPA in my major is 3.86.
department wide awards
research experience
Submitted manuscript as second author for a peer reviewed publication
Scholarships
Undergraduate Research grants
Small Regional Conference Presentation
Strong letters of recommendation leveraging faculty social networks
Intern for department, and student worker for Women's and Gender Studies for two years
The weak parts of my application:
Low GRE scores (151 verbal and 142 quant. Cannot afford to retake, still waiting on my analytic writing score)
Public Commuter College - Low Prestige, small department, not known for sociology
Older, non-traditional student. Schools may question if I am worth the investment.
I don't know if anyone will accept and fund me. I hope so. I read/lurk on these forums obsessively. I see everyone's outstanding GRE scores and high-prestige undergraduate degrees and it shakes my confidence a bit. I am sure you all will do well and be turning down a surfeit of offers this spring.