[so how much did you spend?]

Do you really think the process is intentionally engineered to keep poorer applicants from applying, or to discourage them?

For me, I wouldn't say it's the intention, but it is the result. Very few of the ways the poorest are disadvantaged are because someone decided that economically disadvantaged people should be punished. But, the structures of our societies do act to create and perpetuate poverty, in ways that are within our control, limiting options available to some. Grad apps are no different.

[Predictions]

I feel the need to revise my predictions. The applications I submitted yesterday were far better than the ones from a couple of weeks ago. SOP and writing samples so much stronger. BUT, these are also more competitive programmes. I'm feeling irrationally confident. It's a nice feeling actually. I think I'll be able to handle disappointment in February better than despair from now until then.

So now: Confident about 2, reasonable chance at 3, unlikely but hopeful at 3.

Hmmm. That is worse than my original prediction.

[so how much did you spend?]

Okay, so what does the "application fee" actually PAY FOR, anyway? "Processing"? What does that mean? Am I really paying for storage space on their computer servers?

Maintaing an office dedicated nearly exclusively to dealing with applicants. Someone has to open the envelopes 3000 sets of transcripts arrive in. I imagine on averae at least 2 hours per applicant are spent handling an application (at grad school and dept levels combined), and more if the applicant is a serious contender (gets more than two minutes from the adcom). So lets say a school gets 1500 applicants (low, I would think) that's 3000 hours. If a fulltime job is 40 hours/week for 50 weeks a year, that's 1.5 people fulltime. Let's say the salary for such a job is $30 000, that's $45 000 in salary alone. $45000/1500= is $30. Still haven't accounted for offices, computers, the rights to ApplyYourself, etc.

Clearly there would be change from a $100 dollar application fee. But I doubt it's a big revenue generator.

[I think the GREs are a deterrent mechanism]

I'm happy that they use the GRE because it strengthens my application. But, I don't think it is useful at all. There is a reason that other countries don't use standardised tests for grad admissions (or uni admissions even). It strikes me as bizzarre that there can be a whole industry around standardised tests. In that NYTimes article posted somewhere here it talks mentions how ETS is trying to position itself as the test for business schools, in competition with the GMAT. These tests are first and foremost a business, and their success is far more about good marketing than intrinsic value.

[Acceptance Rates]

Every state school I've looked at has uni-wide admissions information hidden in the depths of their website. It can be in things like Graduate School Annual Report Year-Year, or other even more obscure places. I think the majority of public schools are probably required to report such things (they have to report professors' salaries and other more sensitive info) so if you have the time you can find out.

For private schools, you may be right that the likelihood of them reporting admissions statistics is inversely proportional to their prestige.

[yale psychology]

I don't know about psych, but I got a "remember to press submit on your application" from Yale and it said that even though a writing sample is not required, one could be uploaded at the same place as the CV if desired.

[International GPA question]

I'm an international student and I just leave GPA blank. Not had a problem yet.

If you want to get an idea of where you stand, theres a conversion tool buried somewhere on the WES website. WES is used by lots of schools to evaluate foreign credentials (I don't work for them, honest!). Be wary of what you find just hunting on the web. People trying to be helpful can be very wrong. My school uses a 9 point system, but the lowest point (1) is the lowest passing grade (c+). Lots of people on websites have assumed it's just a matter of scale, and suggest dividing by 2.25 to get the 4.0 equivalent. So a B (5 on the 9 point scale) would be 1.X. Find an "official" conversion.

[Predictions]

Shai, I think that only works if there is an equal chance that anyone would make that 5% pool, and it really depends on what's in your portfolio. For example, someone with my dreadful GREs scores would have even less chance of getting in to one of your proposed schools.

I'm sure Shai realises that's not the actual probability. I read it as humorous and optimistic all at once

[A new reason to freak out]

I was filling in Yale's online application. One of the questions is whether you've previously applied. So I ticked yes, and a popup message tells me that they will combine my file with my previous application. Now, I'm happy about that as far as saving $20 to resend my GRE scores. But the fact is, my application wasn't good enough last time. My biggest weakaness by far was the writing sample. It actually embarrases me now. The thing is, the department I'm applying to has changed its policy to not require a writing sample. But if they combine files - there it is to scutter a second application.

So is there anything I can do? Obviously I need an amazing SoP. Any other suggestions?

[Predictions]

I'm not predicting here for myself, bu tI like to toy around with numbers.

Applied to 10 programs.

Average acceptance rate - 5%

Average rejection rate - 95%

chances that I will be rejected at all places = (95/100)^10 = 0.598

Chances I won't get rejected from all places => 1-0.598 = 0.402

That means 40.2% of getting in. Not something I would bet on if I was in Vegas, but still a little hope.

Ooooh I like what you did with your numbers

I agree. This smacks of bad juju to me.

Nah, I reckon juju is invoked in the thinking of what might happen, not in the recording of those thoughts.

[Blogs now available!]

I took the liberty of using the links I found to post a blog. I assume it's because I blogged last year. Hope that's ok!

[Where do you work?]

I work in research at my undergrad/masters uni. My work is in a completely different field than my PhD applications. Not sure whether it's a proper "grown-up" job or not. My tasks, yes. But I wear jeans to work, and don't necessarily have to work certain hours each day.

[If you get in next year, how old will you be when you start your PhD?]

I'll be 28. It has been six years since undergrad. I've worked in that time, but I keep doing more study. Post-grad diplomas, masters, etc. My friends from uni have pretty established grown-up lives, but I keep interrupting mine. I've come to terms with the fact that this path means no real financial security until my mid-thirties.

[Writing sample cover sheet]

About how long was your abstract? I have a super-long version that I turned in as part of my requirement, but I'm thinking this should only be about 300 words or so?

I used the actual thesis abstract. It was pretty short though, less than a page 1.5 spaced.

[Mentioning Profs you want to work with]

Honestly, I think it is dangerous to directly mention a faculty's name if you haven't previousl established contact with them. If you have emailed, or met at a conference, or if you are somehow connected to the faculty in question, go ahead. If you only know them as a name on a website, it seems presumptuous.

I'm not sure that I agree. Obviously, you can't claim someone you've never talked to expressed interest in you. But you could observe that there is overlap in the approach taken or topic or whatever.

[Is it okay to ask two people from where I work to write me a LOR?]

Having two people from where you volunteer isn't a problem in itself. Usually letter writers need to be able to speak to your academic potential. Given that you're applying to a more practical programme, you need letter writers who can speak to your talent/potential in that area. Your supervisors, past and present, at the place you volunteer would be a good option. Not being with the organisation any longer is not a problem at all.

However, the priblem I see is that the former director is still studying for the qualification you're applying to. She can't say that you are likely to succeed in the programme, because she herself hasn't attained that level yet.

[Good Examples of SOPs?]

I hope she doesn't mind me saying this, but I was hugely impressed with the one coyabean just put up on her gradcafe blog.

[Predictions]

I haven't finished all my applications yet, but since I submitted two today, I feel like I can legitimately start checking out "Waiting it out".

So, who wants to predict their fate? You can be as detailed or as vague as you like. When all the results are in, maybe we can quote our original post and compare predicted with actual.

I'll start.

Applications: 8

I think I'm very competitive at: 3

I think I have a chance at: 3

If the stars align and everyone I know wears their lucky underwear for the next 3 months I have a chance at: 2

I will be stoked if I receive 1 suitably funded offer.

[overlong writing sample - what should I do?]

I would say some combination of 2 and 3. You DON'T want to be rewriting the whole thesis at this stage in the game. But I think the sample needs to be able to stand alone. I have one chapter that I think is particularly strong, but my methodology is decribed in a previous chapter, and it keeps mentioning some things I've talked about fully earlier that are quite confusing on their own. You also don't want a sample that is the equivalent of a collection of short stories.

I chose a particular issue (not the most "fun" issue in my thesis but the easiest to pull together) and cut and pasted the relevant bits from each chapter. I still had to edit it down quite a bit, but it was actually pretty manageable. It helped to make up a structure as if I was just beginning to write.

I also found some typos that had slipped through when I was initially writing the thing.

[Writing sample cover sheet]

I'm in a similar position. My cover page says "Excerpt from masters thesis entitled 'I done a good thesis'", with "I done a good thesis" in larger type to look like a title. Then at the bottom of the page I have a "Note for the reader" explaining that I have appended the abstract and table of contents of my thesis for context.

[Yes if you have a 4.0 and 1400 you're competitive]

I read the title as 4.0 on the AW section. Like you were saying a 1400+ GRE Q/V could mitigate a mediocre AW. Pretty obvious which part of my application I'm worried about

[Deadline is Friday, no response from professor.]

I'm joining this club. Yup, one of my letter writers is right now in the process of missing my first deadline.

I confirmed with this person three weeks ago that she'd write for me (we'd already discussed it) and she told me she would. Said she was busy and wouldn't be able to get to it till next week (i.e. two weeks ago), but that it would be fine. I set up the notifications, wrote a couple of emails about deadlines and when I'd be giving her material for paper applications, and apologised for taking up her time. No reply. I email about something else. No reply.

Now, she's incredibly busy, I get that. She wrote letters for me last year, too, so I know the effort that's involved and I appreciate it. But my other recommenders are just as busy. And, as they have both demonstrated, once a letter is drafted, it takes about 15 minutes to upload into 6 online application systems.

I'm not particularly stressed just yet; I know that schools are reasonably generous with accepting letters after the deadline. My stress is likely to increase soon, though.

[Writing Sample Comparative Politics]

Do you have an appropriate paper that you've already written? If not, you might want to think about whether you have enough experience in comparative politics to be a strong candidate. To be competitive, you'll need to have taken courses relevant to the field. If you can't think of an appropriate paper, try looking at your transcript and thinking about whether another subfield might dovetail better with the coursework and research you already have under your belt.

This is probably an important consideration at the very top places, but I think in general politics programmes don't assume or require too much background, compared to, I dunno, physics. You'll be able to do the coursework even without a background in the area.

As to your question, I would be inclined to use a good piece of writing I already had, even if it's in a different subject area. (In fact, that's what I did). To me, it seems pretty ambitious to create a piece of writing in the midst of application season.

That said, I think either of your potential topics would be suitable. The deciding factor should be which will show your writing talents better.

[Passive voice in the SOP]

Whoops! Now I look like a moron. I blame my second-rate public school education. To this day I couldn't tell you the rules of how to write well or specific grammar terms, but I'm a pretty decent writer, I swear! (thanks to reading endless amounts of books in my spare time) So perhaps I'll keep my mouth shut from now on in threads like this one.

See, you don't actually have to know the names of various writing devices to be able to use them. And using them well (i.e. writing well) is certainly more valuable for those of us not in languages.

[Passive voice in the SOP]

IMO, passive voice has no place in a SOP. You are trying to convince the reader that you are confident and prepared. Using passive voice implies just the opposite. "I hope to", "I believe I will", etc... blech. That kind of writing just sounds wimpy.

I agree that stronger language is better. But the examples you give aren't passive voice. "I hope to study chocolate's effect on my mood in Cool PhD Program" is still active voice. "The effect of chocolate on my mood will be studied in my time at Cool PhD program" is stronger, in that it's not wishy-washy, but is the passive voice.