A.Buscariolli

Sorry in advance for the long post! I'm a Ph.D. student in a Sociology department with a solid qualitative research tradition. My research draws from a qualitative/interactionist approach to analyze officer-citizen interactions. I noticed in the job market that there are a lot of jobs in criminology/criminal justice, a few in soc departments, but most in crim departments. My question is how I could use my publications to make myself more competitive for jobs in criminology departments. I have two publications in crim journals: Critical Criminology (which has good-not-great IF, but at least is an official journal of the ASC) and The British Journal of Criminology. I wonder how much publishing in crim journals may mitigate the fact that I come from a soc department. More importantly, I'm working on a third manuscript, possibly my best work. I originally planned to go for another crim journal (given the many jobs out there), but I could go for more respected sociology journals that regularly publish qualitative stuff (Social Problems, Social Forces, or the American Journal of Sociology). I think that more traditional criminology journals would not be open to more qualitative/interactionist approaches. That puts me at a crossroads: Should I go for a very respected sociology journal that would make me more competitive in positions in sociology departments (even though these seem more scarce)? Or should I stick to a less prestigious criminology journal and go for one of the many criminology jobs available? My concern is that regardless of where I publish stuff, coming from a sociology department would close down opportunities in criminology departments. Because of that, I'm more inclined to stick to positions in Sociology departments since, albeit more scarce, I'd be more competitive. As a final note, my department has two very well-known urban ethnographers who write on policing and crime--one is on my dissertation committee and will write me a recommendation letter. It's not that I'm entirely alien to the field of criminology. Let me know what you think! Thanks!

Did anyone hear from UCLA? Yesterday I received an e-mail saying that my application has been received and that I should contact the office of the graduate program in order to get more information about its status. Today someone posted that he or she received a rejection via website, however, I checked the website and my application status remains "submitted", so I don't know what to expect! EDIT: No worries, the rejection e-mail just arrived ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

About UCSB. I received an e-mail by the beginning of January saying I was recommended for admission, however, I suppose to get more information about their funding package by the time of the campus visit on the 2nd of March (which, as an international applicant, I won't be able to attend). I got two other offers, but UCSB remains my first choice (assuming I'll get a rejection from UCLA, which at this point seems very likely), so it's killing me that I don't know exactly how much I suppose to get from them.

That was me! I'm really excited about moving there! I'm still waiting responses from UCLA* and UW-Madison, but I must say it will be tough to choose between programs in case I receive other offers. Even though UCSB doesn't rank as high as the other two programs, I had a very good impression from the faculty member I hope to work with. *A couple of students were already admitted into the UCLA program, and I haven't heard from them yet; wonder if I had any chances.

Hi hj2012 This is quite helpful indeed, thanks! I'll keep working on my SOP.

Hi everyone, So, I have been working in this SOP for the Rutgers Sociology program, I would like to receive some feedback. I wonder if I'm focusing too much on specific details about my research interests and missing the whole picture. Btw, I still have to work on a closing paragraph. Thanks for your help! Let me know how I can retribute the favor. Best, André https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B33p18qwTPydVWxfdHFfTEtrZHc/view?usp=sharing SOP- Rutgers University.docx