jriveracal

I just wanted to send a gentle reminder for self-care as these rejections come out. Where one door closes, another will open. 

You'll be at the visit day as well? Awesome! And I agree, the larger cohorts make me a bit nervous. So that's a big plus with Penn. Philly is a cool city though. I think it flies under the radar since it's in the Northeast and there's such a high concentration of cities there.

Congratulations! So exciting! Do you have a preference out of your acceptances so far?

Just got an email from Penn two seconds ago. I'm in!!!! Can't believe it.

I definitely agree with this advice. The lower-ranked programs tend to place more people in adjunct or lecturer positions, which have typically have low salaries and weak job security. However, I think going into a lower-ranked program with your mind open to non-academic jobs could be smart. If you don't get an academic position, a sociology PhD can be a useful credential in all sorts of roles/organizations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. So yes, it's risky and potentially a "bad investment" but the degree itself can help you advance your career, even if you don't go into academia.
But to your point, let's compare some placement records from previous years. A grad student at Northwestern sent me this thread from another forum a couple months ago that has these data (apparently the forum is a total cesspool aside from useful information like this, because some schools don't list their placement records on their websites) .The list doesn't include postdoctoral positions, so this is just tenure-track jobs. Last year, UCLA placed students in jobs at Toronto, New Mexico, Loyola Marymount, Barnard, Ohio State, CSU Channel Islands, University of Illinois-Chicago, and Hunan University in China. Wisconsin placed graduates at University of Denver, Copenhagen Business School, Tufts, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Colorado State. We can debate which school has a better record in this particular year, although I would probably rather work at more of the schools where UCLA placed its graduates.This all varies year to year by cohort size of course, but I think it can be helpful to look at the "caliber" of where grad students actually end up after they finish their PhD (even though the sample size is small and there are so many variables influencing who gets what job where). You can also look at placement across the last five years or so to get a better idea of postgraduate outcomes for different school.
There is a lot of variation among lower-ranked schools. Last year, Emory appears to have placed one person in a tenure-track position at Utah State. UMass placed graduates at Missouri State, South Carolina, and Sam Houston State University. But then you have Vanderbilt placing five people at UNC, Rutgers, VCU, George Mason, and Arkansas (arguably a more desirable list of schools than Wisconsin). Just something to take into account when deciding where/whether to go. I definitely plan to ask about placement and professional development at admitted student days.

Congratulations to the NYU admits going out!!!

Congratulations to the NYU admits going out!!!

Congratulations to the NYU admits going out!!!

Thanks a lot! Will still try to be hopeful, my interests are in studying unorganized urban economies.
On a side note, this knowledge really hit me hard, I was imagining my PoI reading through and rejecting my application.. led me to her twitter page and then I "followed" her out of genuine curiosity. In two minutes, she follows me back. I shit-post a lot on twitter, so now i am wondering if she would read them and did i just f**k up my application unnecessarily. 
 
"is there no way out of the mind?"

This is exactly what this thread needs right now.. *Sobbing*

Hey, so I know this is a super anxious time for everyone. I know that many of us have put a lot of effort into our schooling and it's also one way that we seek validation for our efforts and sometimes, even our worth. That being said, I think it's important to not build your identity on this. Whether or not you're accepted to your tops picks or even any programs this cycle, just remember that things are going to be okay. Things will work out. My best friend and I both applied last year. I got accepted into most programs I applied to while my best friend (who was just as capable and intelligent as I was) was rejected from every program he applied to. I was so confused. The only program I didn't get accepted to was my "safety" school, which was even more confusing to me. I chose a program where I had dreamed of working with a specific advisor for several years. It didn't go as I had planned. He was a problematic advisor and faculty member, and he was fired/under investigation the week I moved across the country to work with him. I was devastated, feeling that all the work I had put into getting to that place was for naught. But it wasn't I've learned a lot about myself, my research directions, and the type of researcher I want to be through all of this. This crushing blow became a foundation that has put me in an entirely new mindset, and one I feel we need in academia. Sometimes it's going to such. So much time you put into one project or another will seem like a total waste, and if you're anything like me, you'll blame yourself, and shame yourself for not being "good enough". My friend who didn't get accepted anywhere last year had five offers already this year; four of them from programs that rejected him last year. Sometimes it's just a matter of fit or timing. Yet, regardless of what happens, don't give up on yourself or your goals. Allow yourself to feel bad for a bit because, let's be honest, it sucks when things don't go the way we planned. But it will work out if we keep working at it (one way or another). Wishing all of you the best this season, but we're all here for you, even if this round isn't going your way. Some of us have been there and we feel it all with you. 

Is no one else watching this tea spill on the results board? About "The prick on page 3"?

oof @ the person who felt the need to publicly shame someone for being accepted to a lot of schools and expressing excitement on the results page... let people be proud of themselves! getting into good grad programs is a huge accomplishment! 

Is no one else watching this tea spill on the results board? About "The prick on page 3"?

Is no one else watching this tea spill on the results board? About "The prick on page 3"?

Wow, what a tremendous accomplishment. It's clear your hard work has paid off. Good luck and give 'em hell!

Oh it's real alright!
The call came somewhere around 3:30 PST.
 
Thank you to the above people who have congratulated me and wished me well...it truly means a lot to me. I'm literally dying and can't believe this is really happening. I appreciate the fact that my POI/committee chair took a moment to tell me that no, this is not a mistake, because I definitely was and still am feeling like this is a huge accident. I sounded like a bumbling idiot on the phone and just cried and kept saying THANK YOU SO MUCH IM SO SORRY FOR CRYING. Luckily he was really cool about it and understood. Pretty personal, but I am actually the first person in my family to even complete high school so this is literally the most incredible and unexpected honor I could ever have happen to me and my family.

Oh it's real alright!
The call came somewhere around 3:30 PST.
 
Thank you to the above people who have congratulated me and wished me well...it truly means a lot to me. I'm literally dying and can't believe this is really happening. I appreciate the fact that my POI/committee chair took a moment to tell me that no, this is not a mistake, because I definitely was and still am feeling like this is a huge accident. I sounded like a bumbling idiot on the phone and just cried and kept saying THANK YOU SO MUCH IM SO SORRY FOR CRYING. Luckily he was really cool about it and understood. Pretty personal, but I am actually the first person in my family to even complete high school so this is literally the most incredible and unexpected honor I could ever have happen to me and my family.

Oh it's real alright!
The call came somewhere around 3:30 PST.
 
Thank you to the above people who have congratulated me and wished me well...it truly means a lot to me. I'm literally dying and can't believe this is really happening. I appreciate the fact that my POI/committee chair took a moment to tell me that no, this is not a mistake, because I definitely was and still am feeling like this is a huge accident. I sounded like a bumbling idiot on the phone and just cried and kept saying THANK YOU SO MUCH IM SO SORRY FOR CRYING. Luckily he was really cool about it and understood. Pretty personal, but I am actually the first person in my family to even complete high school so this is literally the most incredible and unexpected honor I could ever have happen to me and my family.

Oh it's real alright!
The call came somewhere around 3:30 PST.
 
Thank you to the above people who have congratulated me and wished me well...it truly means a lot to me. I'm literally dying and can't believe this is really happening. I appreciate the fact that my POI/committee chair took a moment to tell me that no, this is not a mistake, because I definitely was and still am feeling like this is a huge accident. I sounded like a bumbling idiot on the phone and just cried and kept saying THANK YOU SO MUCH IM SO SORRY FOR CRYING. Luckily he was really cool about it and understood. Pretty personal, but I am actually the first person in my family to even complete high school so this is literally the most incredible and unexpected honor I could ever have happen to me and my family.

Oh it's real alright!
The call came somewhere around 3:30 PST.
 
Thank you to the above people who have congratulated me and wished me well...it truly means a lot to me. I'm literally dying and can't believe this is really happening. I appreciate the fact that my POI/committee chair took a moment to tell me that no, this is not a mistake, because I definitely was and still am feeling like this is a huge accident. I sounded like a bumbling idiot on the phone and just cried and kept saying THANK YOU SO MUCH IM SO SORRY FOR CRYING. Luckily he was really cool about it and understood. Pretty personal, but I am actually the first person in my family to even complete high school so this is literally the most incredible and unexpected honor I could ever have happen to me and my family.

Oh it's real alright!
The call came somewhere around 3:30 PST.
 
Thank you to the above people who have congratulated me and wished me well...it truly means a lot to me. I'm literally dying and can't believe this is really happening. I appreciate the fact that my POI/committee chair took a moment to tell me that no, this is not a mistake, because I definitely was and still am feeling like this is a huge accident. I sounded like a bumbling idiot on the phone and just cried and kept saying THANK YOU SO MUCH IM SO SORRY FOR CRYING. Luckily he was really cool about it and understood. Pretty personal, but I am actually the first person in my family to even complete high school so this is literally the most incredible and unexpected honor I could ever have happen to me and my family.

Oh it's real alright!
The call came somewhere around 3:30 PST.
 
Thank you to the above people who have congratulated me and wished me well...it truly means a lot to me. I'm literally dying and can't believe this is really happening. I appreciate the fact that my POI/committee chair took a moment to tell me that no, this is not a mistake, because I definitely was and still am feeling like this is a huge accident. I sounded like a bumbling idiot on the phone and just cried and kept saying THANK YOU SO MUCH IM SO SORRY FOR CRYING. Luckily he was really cool about it and understood. Pretty personal, but I am actually the first person in my family to even complete high school so this is literally the most incredible and unexpected honor I could ever have happen to me and my family.

Oh it's real alright!
The call came somewhere around 3:30 PST.
 
Thank you to the above people who have congratulated me and wished me well...it truly means a lot to me. I'm literally dying and can't believe this is really happening. I appreciate the fact that my POI/committee chair took a moment to tell me that no, this is not a mistake, because I definitely was and still am feeling like this is a huge accident. I sounded like a bumbling idiot on the phone and just cried and kept saying THANK YOU SO MUCH IM SO SORRY FOR CRYING. Luckily he was really cool about it and understood. Pretty personal, but I am actually the first person in my family to even complete high school so this is literally the most incredible and unexpected honor I could ever have happen to me and my family.

Oh it's real alright!
The call came somewhere around 3:30 PST.
 
Thank you to the above people who have congratulated me and wished me well...it truly means a lot to me. I'm literally dying and can't believe this is really happening. I appreciate the fact that my POI/committee chair took a moment to tell me that no, this is not a mistake, because I definitely was and still am feeling like this is a huge accident. I sounded like a bumbling idiot on the phone and just cried and kept saying THANK YOU SO MUCH IM SO SORRY FOR CRYING. Luckily he was really cool about it and understood. Pretty personal, but I am actually the first person in my family to even complete high school so this is literally the most incredible and unexpected honor I could ever have happen to me and my family.