Jump to content

t_ruth

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,075

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    8

 Content Type 

Everything posted by t_ruth

  1. t_ruth
    I can speak more about ed psych, but that's a big diff (counseling, school, and ed)--what's the common thread? And, it varies depending on program and school re: competitiveness.
  2. t_ruth
    Why would it? It's not that white males are underrepresented because of some kind of systemic oppression in the field. And, you will likely find, that even in fields that appear "dominated" by women, the real dominance is still actually by white males, who are disproportionately represented in senior positions and those of power.
  3. t_ruth
    For many PIs I know, it's not so much about doing formal research, but about having a research mindset and experience. A teacher who does action research in his or her class could speak to many things a potential advisor might want to see in a prospective student.
  4. t_ruth
    I'm on the other side of this, having finished my PhD a few years ago. I was 30 when I started. My cohort of 16 was bimodal (four were 26 and four were 45), with the range from 21-45. I'm in a field where the average age of entering students tends to be older though. We were all very close, and I felt the friendships were driven less by age than by approach to the program (time dedicated, etc.). I agree that age can be an advantage--I was very serious about research and more organized than some of my younger classmates. However, some of the older students struggled with adjusting to a new way of working and/or hadn't taken stats in a long time, so that was more problematic. Because you are coming more recently out of undergrad, your experience may be different than mine at the same age: I had a decade of post-undergrad experience before starting. All of this is just speculation of course and mostly to say there is a range of experiences owing to field, program, individual characteristics and the interaction between these Regarding hiring age discrimination, the fact that I had a career before my PhD I think actually helped me on the market, but again, my field skews older for PhDs.
  5. t_ruth
    When I read personal statements, I often skim to the bottom to see if my name is mentioned. If it is, I read things a little more carefully and with a mind to whether I personally could work with a potential student. So, there is one reason to mention anyone whose work interests you.
  6. t_ruth
    Second this question. It's not really in two weeks if you've had the entire semester to plan for it.
  7. t_ruth
    There are often part-time jobs on campus available to current students (and non-students). The funding/employment that PhD students receive is different from these jobs.
  8. t_ruth
    It would be a personal decision whether that is enough money. Having your own classroom is an awful lot of work and it isn't just you to think of--you'd also want to think of the kids and if they'd be getting a good experience with a teacher that is burning the candle at both ends. There are other options too that keep your teaching muscles flexed but allow for flexibility: aside from subbing, you could tutor at a learning center or privately, you could be an after school program teacher, you could find a job on campus working with undergraduates...
  9. t_ruth
    I agree that this is often for people who have potential issues with parts of their applications to explain them. I find that it is better if there is a letter writer who can do that though...like, if your GRE quant scores are low it would help to have a stats professor say that the scores aren't a reflection of your potential in this area. It could also be a place to explain your intriguing hobbies like amateur falconry
  10. t_ruth
    At this point it is probably too late. Make sure to mention in your personal statement who you are interested in working with and why (list at least two people).
  11. t_ruth
    This depends on your focus and what you want to do after your grad work. For PhD students who want to go into academia it isn't advisable to teach (or work outside of academia) during school, because they will need time to focus on research. Sounds like you are looking for Masters though--and that you want to be a teacher after? You'll probably find that many of the programs are designed for part-time/evening students and you could teach during the day. However, if you can financially afford to just go to school without working, that might be nice--perhaps you could substitute teach to get in-school experience and make connections while you are going to grad school?
  12. t_ruth
    I'm curious about how you found the programs to which you are applying (or those you have applied to in the past). Please take a minute or so to answer this poll. Thanks!
  13. t_ruth
    Journal editors are busy people. Being introduced at a social would be good, but arranging a special 10-minute meeting, I don't think so. Editors will often present at panels aimed at graduate students and other junior scholars at conferences. I'd attend those to learn the "what makes a good manuscript" advice. They do all have their pet topics, etc., as fuzzylogician alludes to, and I agree that conversations are good, but you want to put yourself in positions where they arise naturally. I think an editor might be annoyed if you tried to schedule some kind of meet-up with them--and you certainly don't want them to be annoyed at you!
  14. t_ruth
    Although I agree that most don't know if they are admitting new students (in the positive), people will know if they aren't (in the negative). Many friends have applied to work with specific PIs only to learn that they were on sabbatical that year or going on phased retirement. It's an easy way to start the conversation and is typically used. I think it is a fine "in" for an email.
  15. t_ruth
    That sounds like a reasonable follow-up. They will usually indicate in their email as to whether or not they want to continue the conversation and will give you some openings for what to talk about.
  16. t_ruth
    In academia, some people are just really terrible with email (I'm sure this is true outside of academia as well). If I've waited a while and haven't heard from someone, I often think of some new reason to write them. In this situation, did they come out with any recent research? Are there conferences in your field coming up that maybe you can ask if they are presenting in? Just some reason to reconnect...then, as part of the email, you can reiterate your interest and say you'd love to talk further. Don't do any blaming for the non-responsiveness and don't let on any suspicion that they found your materials weren't up to snuff. Keep it short and respectful but breezy. They will probably write back apologizing for not getting back to you (if you respond to the same chain from before they can see that they dropped the ball).
  17. t_ruth
    Depends on the field. They aren't bad, but they aren't stellar either. In my department, each faculty member chooses who they want based on whatever criteria (some hate that we have to consider GREs at all, so they don't look at them). These choices are almost always respected unless the applicant has a GRE below a cut-off (lower than yours). We can only admit a small number of these, so then the faculty who wants a below-cut-off student has to argue for why they would be good despite the GREs. The other time the GRE matters is if there is someone who is at the tippy top of our applicant pool and no one has indicated wanting to accept her/him. In that case, the dept. chair might encourage everyone to take another look.
  18. t_ruth
    Appreciate the compliment. Although we don't have insight into the entire university, discussions of recruitment are pretty standard at faculty meetings. Larger pools make us look better too, so that might be another reason people are encouraged to apply. We have never once talked about the application fee in our fairly detailed department budget discussions (I always assumed it just went to the grad school--central office for processing applications--so does not benefit individual programs).
  19. t_ruth
    It depends on your field. I agree, research and building relationships for letters, but would also add networking and becoming involved in relevant professional organizations. And, of course, you can't overlook a strong theoretical and methodological foundation. As I do lots of quantitative research, a PhD student who could hit the ground running with a good stats foundation would certainly be appealing.
  20. t_ruth
    I highly doubt any PhD program is sending emails to get rich via fee payments. You are right that for some programs these emails don't mean that much--they aren't necessarily personal. However, it isn't about fee payments, it's about getting the attention of a broad and diverse pool of applicants. That's what we care about! I want good students, including those who may not have had the privilege of having undergrad experiences and support that directed them to me as a potential grad advisor. That's one of the reasons I still come here and why I think this resource is amazing.
  21. t_ruth
    I definitely agree that it isn't part of their job! However, I also agree that no response after a few attempts may be a red flag--not that there is something wrong with the professor and that they aren't going to be a good mentor, but that they might not be a good mentor for you if you are a big email user and like quick back-and-forths. I joke that in academia, if you respond promptly to email you are seen as a rock star, and this is only really half a joke. For me, it's important. I respond promptly and I also expect my students to do so. For other professors, it isn't the way they operate, and this is good to know up front.
  22. t_ruth
    I don't know, as a PI, I might not look kindly to the question as to whether someone would be a good fit. I'd want them to have an idea from the website and my articles already as to whether they are--this would show me they'd done their homework. PIs want to be wooed a little too
  23. t_ruth
    St0chastic is right. Choose your university based on research match, not reputation of overall school. Reputations in fields and sub-fields can vary widely even within the same school.
  24. t_ruth
    Short and sweet. Show that you have read some of their work and you know what they study and how you are interested in it. Maybe even note a few research questions you'd love to explore (that relate to their work). Ask if they are accepting graduate students this coming year. You could attach a CV if you have one--just for their information--don't ask for any feedback on it. Entire email should be a paragraph.
  25. t_ruth
    Yes, short and sweet is best. I'd also include a CV. It's best to have also read one of the professor's articles. I don't know that I'd send something like the above example. Some of the wording is a bit reversed: how well your research fits with my interests, etc. You want to show them that YOUR interests fit with THEIR research
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

  I accept