letsgetit21

Oh interesting! I haven’t heard anything back… I’ll give it some time and then email to check in

I have an offer from Florida State already. I was notified about 2 weeks ago or so. I don’t plan to make a decision until the campus visit next month

First, I wonder what they mean by waitlisted for funding. Are all admitted students waiting while the department figures out exactly how much money they have? Or figure out which fund (teaching assistant, research assistant, university fellowship) each student will be funded through? If they're figuring out these logistic details, sending in your most updated information will be unlikely to speed up the process. On the other hand, does the department have a limited number of funded positions? As in the department has 5 funded spots and offered the top 5 candidates funding, while admitting 10, wait-listing aspirants 6-10 for funding. If this is the model, reaching out might help in this case, but it is likely each aspirant is already 'ranked' in some capacity for funding, should 1-5 decline their offer. Only tell a school they're your top choice if you're certain that, if admitted to a different institution, you would choose the school you said was your top choice. Those are my thoughts!

Nope! Nothing here from Boston University. Hopefully soon (this week? next?)?

If you (or others who might read this) do have to reapply (I’m in my 3rd - and last - cycle), my biggest advice is doing a deep dive. Deep dive every single program that is remotely interesting to you. (It looks like you applied to a lot of top schools; it’s great to aim there, but there are hundreds of applicants for a handful of spots. Take UChicago, for example. Their soc program in 22-23 had 259 applicants [I was one] with only 18 admissions and 6 enrollments - google UChicago PhD program data - the odds of admission are astronomically low.) This is the same across a lot of top programs. This cycle, I selected cities I wouldn’t mind living in and did a deep dive on every faculty member’s publications in the last 10 years and recent grants (use the NSF/NIH/whatever agency grant search). I only chose to apply to schools where my fit was absolutely clear. Also, look into the coursework, the colloquia, recent talks, unique methodology used by the faculty and write that into your SOP. Also, from my conversations with faculty I’m hearing a lot about the increase in the number of applicants with a masters degree. Anyways, I say all this for one point. Don’t give up hope until it’s clear there are no options left. Then, take some time and remind yourself that you’re qualified and intelligent and can do it. TheRedHeadAcademic has some excellent resources on her YouTube channel on SOPs and grad admissions. She used to have some good priced PDFs about writing SOPs, too. She also runs a consultancy (that’s very expensive, but seems to have good results.) and she’ll be releasing a grad admissions class soon. Anywho- I’m wishing you the best of luck! Remember to take care of yourself- rejection sucks.

Yes! Consider Clemson’s MS Social Sciences. Most students are funded for 2 years, a lot of tenure track faculty publishing, and alot of methodology prep I’m not sure we can add linked here, but a quick google search will turn it up

They’re trying to prognosticate their yield rate (the percent of admitted students that decide to come). Academia is a small world, so if you applied to a school that kind of fits your interests, but they’re aware you applied to a school with a much better fit, the committee will wonder about how seriously you might consider their offer. Then, they engage in a push and pull to guess if you might be admitted to the better-for-you school. two ways to diplomatically handle it, in my opinion. First, you can be honest and list every school and follow that up with why you feel ABC department - that’s interviewing you - makes the most sense for you (campus culture, funding, family in the area). Or, you could not be fully forthcoming and list universities around the same rank and lower, but still follow that with a why ABC department

Just wondering if anyone knows anything about Ohio State ?

Yeah, I got a phone call Friday afternoon, but I went out to dinner with my partner and forgot to post until Saturday morning. And some portals don't seem to notify until the next time the internal system updates (midnight, for example, at my current institution).

“Erraticated” is kind of strong language. Personally, I would open (first line, out of the gate) “I’m applying to ABC Uni’s PhD program this cycle as a transfer because my current dept has opted to no longer house my sub speciality area.” and leave it at that

If you're looking for work on graduate admissions specifically, Posselt's book is the best resource. I've included some good citations here, too (in no particular format -- I also dont include links, as previous posts of mine with links got removed): Posselt & Grodsky. 2017. Graduate education and social stratification. Annual Review of Sociology Posselt. 2016. Inside graduate admissions: Merit, diversity, and faculty gatekeeping. Boston, MA:Harvard University Press Woo et al. 2022. Bias, Fairness, and Validity in Graduate-School Admissions: A Psychometric Perspective. Perspectives of Psychological Science Pieper & Krsmanovic. In press. Journal of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies These are a couple of key and couple of recent articles to check out! If you're interested in a discussion of the GRE, specifically, see the Woo et al article. If you want evidence that grad admissions are socially constructed and not predictable, see any of the others! :)

Ooo that's a good idea. Especially not to waste valuable space. At least we got it in there! My research interests are in soc of higher ed (specifically social experiences in grad admissions), so I was able to cite a some studies about what the GRE measures - in theory - vs what committees use it for vs what it ends up measuring in the process. As a little trinket of hope they don't pay attention to mine..

I did a lot; too much, truly. Masters degree (funded Y1 through TAship, Y2 funded with an RA position) Writing a MS thesis with my own data collection (which I would not recommend at all) Summer research internship, in between Y1 & Y2 focused my coursework on methods courses Quant 1, Quant 2, Qual methods, survey design Research things 2 Grad Research Assistant positions (1 paid hourly, 1 funded), 1 summer internship (mentioned above, paid), plus 2 undergrad unpaid research assistant positions 1 published paper, 3 conference posters, 1 (state) conference presentation, 2 papers under review Similar to the previous response, I also refined my SOP to be succinct and clear. I refused to retake the GRE (too expensive and I feel my MS degree shows my abilities more than retaking the GRE), so I used part of the SOP to explain my relatively low GRE scores. The SOP sections were: intro (explained a bit about why I want a PhD), doctoral project (in 2 paragraphs I discussed the importance, a very brief lit review [I only included one review article and one seminal book in the area], and my methodology), a GRE score section (where I acknowledged the low GRE score, but said I also did XYZ which I contend makes up for it), a few paragraphs about some formative research experiences, and I finished by talking about the faculty I would work with. I also only applied to departments where there were 1-2 professors directly in my area of interest (could serve as chair) and 2-3 that could feasibly be on my committee.

No, it’s not typical. There are a few that do; I believe I’ve seen UVA and Emory, but I know that only from the results section of this website. Schools like UGA, for example, do an interview weekend, where they invite their shortlist to campus and it’s like a group interview type situation. In short, plan for results over interviews @ayitao

Hey everyone!! I'm back at it (again). I applied in the Fa21 cycle, no PhD admits, but I got into a funded masters program. I wanted to transfer so i didn't waste time in classes that may/may not transfer into a PhD, so I applied in the Fa22 cycle (no offers). I took advantage of a ton of research opportunities in my current grad program and now have 1 publication, several conference presentations/posters, and a couple papers under review. This is my third (and final) application cycle! If i don't get any offers this time, I'm calling it quits -- I've done everything I need to do (research, good grades, wrote a thesis). I'm also casting a wide net this time. I'm applying to full time job opportunities in addition to the PhD programs! UGA, Harvard, Northwestern, Ohio State, Emory, FSU, Johns Hopkins, Boston University, UVa, and I applied to the NSF GRFP. Here's to the third-time's-the-charm-luck! I'm happy to discuss life in grad school or if anyone wants advice on having patience!

Some programs embed the instructions inside the application portal in lieu of on their website. If it’s not in app portal, email the admissions rep for the soc department! They should be able to help

I would definitely show off something that demonstrates original research or the capacity to develop a well-grounded research project. For example, a well-edited (single authored) class research paper or, what I'm submitting, is my Master's thesis proposal.

Here’s to another Friday of hope!

Hey! I know this can be a stressful time. The waiting absolutely sucks! But, from what you've listed, you have a good application. Though, I do agree with the previous comment that lack of publication could be your weakness, along with other things. Publication records are getting longer, even out of undergrad! As an applicant with a masters, you're likely to be at a disadvantage without publication. In the academic system, publications are valued like gold. Also, fit is a crucial component in PhD admission. Take a step back and ask what your research interests are. Do they fit very well (3 or 4 professors researching in the area)? If not, this could be another downfall. Just think - if no one in a department is working in the area and subfield you're interested in, then you couldn't be a productive PhD student. What about your writing sample? What are you submitting? Is it publishable quality? A lot of good applications get denied because of a weak writing sample. After all, cohesive writing is how academics get their research into the world. Of course, every situation is unique. You still have 3 programs left to hear from, though. I wouldn't give up hope - the admissions process is a wild ride. Also, top 20 programs routinely get 150+ applications (top 10s often get around 250 or so) - all for maybe 7-10 spots in a program. The odds are always slim. Personally, I would NOT suggest more education. Don't waste your money on this. Work with some professors doing research in your area (cold emailing them is fine, whether in the US or India). They could boost your research profile. Hope this helps! Don't give up hope until you've heard from everywhere you applied to.

Huge congrats to you! Thanks for the reply

Hey everyone has anyone had communication with SUNY Buffalo sociology dept

Based on last year - January at the EARLIEST. I didn't get most responses until late February (applied to all sociology programs)

@CinnamonCream - which threads in reddit? Would love to find a community there

I'd definitely suggest diversifying applications across department rank. In the top 20 programs, hundreds apply for 10-15 spots in the final acceptance pool. Of course, departments may have an even more limited number of positions for international applicants, though I don't know this for sure. The best piece of advice I got about applications was to choose 3-4 schools in each tier of rank (tiers as top 33%, middle 33%, bottom 33%). (The most important factor here is department fit with your research interests - see below!) Most applicants apply to departments in the upper tiers, which have a ton of competition between applicants. Middle and bottom rank tiers have a lot less applicants thus better securing an opportunity for admission. I'd also be sure to thoroughly research departments and make sure there are experts in the field you want to study. You want to study authoritarianism, so you wouldn't want to apply to a department without any professorial expertise in that area. You sound like a competitive applicant, but remember most people applying to these programs are also competitive. Your research experience will definitely help, even if its minimal.

Good question. In general, Professors prefer working with grad students. In the US grad students are viewed as more mature, dedicated to research, and committed to the discipline. Also, in most funded programs, funded students are not, technically, allowed to work anywhere except within the department. This is typically a condition of the assistantship and dedicates the student solely to studying and the assistantship. Generally, undergrad hires aren't help to the same standard and are, then, more free to say no or take on other projects. Additionally, developing graduate students in TA roles leads to them being able to become an Instructor of Record (IOR). This allows departments to offer more classes to the undergrads at a lower cost than hiring a full professor line. In the US, depending on the accreditation agency, student IORs typically must be at least a second year grad student (> 18 credit hours earned) to be an instructor. Could departments focus on undergrad labor? Certainly. But its unlikely given the propensity to have grad students teach their own courses later in the program.