jriveracal

Me every time I see I have a new email but it's just my work asking me to do something.

Me every time I see I have a new email but it's just my work asking me to do something.

That is a fascinating research interest - and incredibly timely! USC would be a great place to pursue it. My interests are around the economic/political/social consequences of the recession - particularly how these three issues factor into people's identity around work. SOMEBODY TAKE ME!! ?

Hi all,
I really delayed participating in this board because I was worried I would jinx myself (lol). I'm currently getting my MPhil at Cambridge in Sociology and am interested in reproduction & migration. Shaking in my boots over the UCLA admits going out and keeping my fingers crossed. My biggest app weakness is my GRE scores so I'm hoping I don't just get tossed out based on those alone. Love & solidarity during this particularly painful waiting time! 
 

Just got an email from POI at USC - didn't invite me for interview or offer acceptance though! Hopefully it's a good sign!! ?

The first UCLA Soc admit is officially posted on the results board. This is so exciting! Anyone here claiming it?

This is my hard core mood rn

I checked my horoscope for the first time in years and it said today would be a challenging day for me. I'm convinced that means that my first rejection will be coming today and now I can't stop checking my email anticipating it. It's not even 9 am. 
This is a nightmare.

I broke up with my boyfriend last night, and I know it was the right choice for me, but I'm still sad. Also feeling really down about my admissions prospects today. 

The insanely absurd housing/living costs for graduate students at UC-Berkeley was the reason why I did not apply to their program in my field. I just posted recently a comment about some universities' lack of on-campus housing for their graduate students. For some of us, that is a major element of the equation to apply and/or to accept an offer of admission. Apparently this does not cross the minds of decision-makers involved in graduate students' recruitment or of faculty and administrators dwelling on the prestige of their program or their graduate schools. They lose excellent applicants as a result of this. Instead of sending the application, I went to a pub and drank the money for the application fee. ?

Another day, another chance to waste time by neurotically refreshing my email all afternoon!

I've scoured the results page from last year and compiled a list of dates that various departments released decisions. I think there's some variation in these dates from year to year, but I still thought you all might find it useful. These are all strictly for sociology doctoral programs (which is to say, I haven't included any development sociology degree programs or terminal masters programs).
(I've only done this for the top 20ish programs though -- feel free to add any that I missed!)
Berkeley - Acceptances released on Jan. 26
Michigan - Acceptances released on Feb. 9
Harvard - Acceptances released on Feb. 10
Princeton - Acceptances released on Feb. 1, 8, and 19 (not sure why so spread out)
Chicago - Acceptances released on Feb. 6, interviews requested in the second-third week of January (not clear if interview is required of all admitted applicants or not)
Stanford - Acceptances released on Jan. 26
UCLA - Acceptances released on Jan. 12, 20, 26, 30, and Feb. 13 (as with Princeton, not sure why so spread out)
UNC - Acceptances released on Jan. 22, 25, 26, 29 -- most released on Jan. 26
UW-Madison - Acceptances released on Jan. 31
Northwestern - Acceptances released on Feb. 15
UPenn - Acceptances released on Feb. 23
Columbia - Acceptances released on Feb. 6 and 7, but mostly on Feb. 12
Indiana - Acceptances released on Feb. 2, 8, and 10, interviews requested on Jan. 30
UT-Austin - Acceptances released mostly on Jan. 25, some on Jan. 28
Duke - Acceptances released Jan. 29
NYU - Acceptances released Feb. 16 (REJECTIONS NOT RELEASED FOR A WHOLE MONTH AFTERWARD; this is not the case for really any other department)
Washington - 1 Acceptances released Jan. 18, most acceptances released Feb. 5 and 6
Yale - Acceptances released on Feb. 15 and 16
Cornell - Acceptances released on Feb. 15
Brown - Acceptances released on Feb. 14
UC Irvine - Acceptances released on Jan. 15, 23, 24, 25
U of Arizona - Acceptances released on Feb. 3
Penn State - Acceptances released on Feb. 3, 5, and 20
Minnesota - Acceptances released on Jan. 31 
 
 

I wouldn't consider that independent research. More of going through literature, coming up with research question, designing an experiment, data collection, analyzing data and putting it out in a meaningful manner (report/abstract/presentation/poster etc). that would be independent research

Thank you both for the replies. I was hoping to find some fellow applicants to chat with on here. For a sociology forum, our board is so quiet. lol.

When I was waiting for results, this forum was anxiety-producing. Time away from my phone and computer was the healthiest thing I could do. Once the applications are submitted, it is out of your control. I'm realizing now that there are similar experiences throughout graduate school: waiting for news on competitive fellowships, teaching assignments, reviews of journal articles, and then applying for jobs! ? So, do your best to take some deep breaths and step away from the anxiety if at all possible. 
 
Good luck!

Can't give you more advice than to reassure you that you won't hear anything until late January at the earliest. I'm sure you'll do fine! A lot of people apply to 15 and something ends up working out. 
 
You will be nervous, anxious, and stressed from approx jan-april. You will likely be on some wait lists you're desperate to get off of, and that'll extend the pain. But overall, something will work. Something will come through, even if its not an acceptance. You'll be fine. 
This is a good place to empathize with others, as the normal public doesn't really get it. However, a lot of people find constantly checking the forums is worse for their mental health. You do you. 

I feel this so hard, but for alternative reasons. It took me seven years to get my B.A because I have been the sole provider for myself, my children, and my mother. I graduated last year and I have had no stability since. I have a good job, get paid well, but still can't afford COL in the bay area given my familial responsibilities and have been couch-surfing with my two children ever since graduating. In short, I am exhausted from life in general. If I do get into a Ph.D. program, I am sure I will feel stress knowing about performing well and knowing that my career depends on every exam, every grade, etc...
But I would give anything to trade in the stress and lack of stability that my children and I face now to feel the "craze" of graduate school.

I feel this so hard, but for alternative reasons. It took me seven years to get my B.A because I have been the sole provider for myself, my children, and my mother. I graduated last year and I have had no stability since. I have a good job, get paid well, but still can't afford COL in the bay area given my familial responsibilities and have been couch-surfing with my two children ever since graduating. In short, I am exhausted from life in general. If I do get into a Ph.D. program, I am sure I will feel stress knowing about performing well and knowing that my career depends on every exam, every grade, etc...
But I would give anything to trade in the stress and lack of stability that my children and I face now to feel the "craze" of graduate school.

Howdy, everyone. Came across this article today. I'm applying for PhD programs for Fall 2019, and not going to lie, this is a little scary. I've talked to a bunch of PhD students and honestly...none of them seem happy or healthy. This was a big reason why I took a lot of time off before making this decision. Anyway....just wanted to ask folks who are in the midst of everything or done: is it really THAT hard?
For context, I'm 30, so I've had a lot of life, which has included working full-time while finishing my master's program and going through treatment for cancer (I'm fine now, whoo hoo!).  In a nutshell: I've navigated a crazy schedule for 2 years AND a life-threatening illness. 
I can't help but think that a PhD will be -- dare I say -- easier than what I've been doing the last decade, because I'll be focusing on something I'm passionate about and won't be as tied to the 9-5 life, which i find SUPER draining. Maybe I'm coming at it from a different position than many who go straight through or only take a few years off beforehand? 
Am I being super naive? I'm certainly worried about the financial burden, but the other stuff doesn't seem to faze me....It just doesn't' seem that grad school can be any worse than working a time-consuming and less than satisfying full-time job.
Oh, geez, I totally sound like an oldster right now! #kidsthesedays
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/11/graduate-school-terrible-peoples-mental-health/576769/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_term=2018-11-27T18%3A57%3A43&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&fbclid=IwAR0fEgHvO8069dvGBqMSW8FjF3DSHzlOcHITmWllOU9HhRZmGzUFuNpv3TI&fbclid=IwAR1XcyhZLTR1Wi_QesJSR9R5jTe83HvJGQH4R6rLTczOfFJVLA1V4vlL6lE&fbclid=IwAR2L1grq3Sip8hHW9Bbl6LLkptZ_6GFecSz9z3DLwbjRGVq1WcmaB87umQg

What are your research interests?

What are your research interests?

Or you could uh... you know, try to lose weight? I don't know your situation at all and don't mean to be judgmental... but if you have to rest after every 20-30 paces you are definitely not getting the exercise you need and should be more concerned about becoming healthier than finding a campus that have seats with no armrests.
 
Edit: oh and to answer your original question...stay away from Colorado I guess. Lots of active health nuts here.

Hi guys! Here another candidate for 2019 Fall! I'm going to apply PhD in Sociology and mayyyyybe in Social Anthropolgy, nowadays I feel so complicated about this issue and trying to figure out myself  I'm also studying for GRE and the verbal part is killing me, oh i think I'm gonna cry...  and also still searching some schools to fit my uncertain interests  it sweetens up to be in contact with others within that period ❤️ hope the best for everyone ❤️ 
 

For the GRE, Magoosh was an invaluable resource.  I studied vocabulary intently by writing short stories using new words daily. I used Magoosh for everything else and was able to bring my GRE from shit in practice tests to less-shit (165/160).  
 
For the SOP, just reading, mostly non-fiction.  I thought really thought deeply about what the evaluators might see on the other side.  For example, they have my resume, so there's really no point in re-living my life in the SOP (especially if its only 500-600 words).  As a more unconventional applicant, I didn't want to bore the admissions panel with the same tired format.  
 
Some observations over the course of writing the various SOPs and then reading lots online:
1. Write drunk, edit sober
2. If you have an incredible stroke of genius, write it down immediately (I have Evernote on my phone).
3. Don't fall too hard for your first concept.  I don't think a single sentence of my first draft made it into the final, even though I thought it was perfect at the time. 
4. Write a new SOP for each school based on the program.  After reading a lot of others' work, its becomes pretty obvious where they just plugged in classes, professors, and school names. 
5. Wait until the final week to submit, even if you are done early.  I submitted my first choice school (because the dead-line was earlier), had a stroke of genius, and completely re-wrote the concept for other schools.  
6.  If you hate your SOP the more you read it, its time for a re-write.  
7. Make your voice both confident and humble.  
8. If you did something notable, don't self-suck about it all the way through your essays.  Imagine your friends rolling their eyes hearing the same stories again and again.  
9. Don't try to make people feel sorry for you when they probably shouldn't.  If you fought through serious adversity to make it, good on you.  Having to take adderall is not adversity.  I'd like to be prescribed amphetamines too.    
10. Get people that know you to proofread and some who don't.  Be weary about over-edits, as they have the tendency to strip out uniqueness.
11. Don't be afraid to go unconventional, especially for fellowships with boring topics (Why do you want to get money from us?)
12. Let your freak flag fly, politely. 
13. Have a purpose in your statement of purpose.  
 
All things considered, I've only been notified for acceptance by one school so far (that had rolling admission).  Take this advice with a grain of salt.

I'm preparing too, for Education PhD programs, though. So far I've narrowed down Harvard, Penn, Boston College, Rutgers, Temple and maybe UCSD. I just started studying for the GRE, but I have a full time job and two children, so I don't expect to make very fast progress.