Hugh_
-
Posts
31 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by Hugh_
-
-
On 12/25/2022 at 8:23 PM, sonnybunny said:
Does anybody have recommendations for programs strong in 20th c. British literature, especially those that offer courses in cinema studies?
Most programs have very solid 20th c British literature, as far as cinema studies are concerned these would be mostly housed outside the English Department...I suggest on looking for programs with a specialization on your research interests instead (topic, approach, etc.)
-
On 12/20/2022 at 1:02 PM, HaruNoKaze said:
Hey! I finished my masters and after I couldn't' get into any doctorate programs, I quit trying and started a professional career instead. Now I'm looking to start applying to a couple of English Lit doctorate programs in Texas and try to squeeze in before the deadlines. It looks like SMU's application is still open until Jan 15th, but requires GRE scores, but then it says GRE is optional for fall 2023? Have a lot of universities been waiving GRE scores? Have any of you noticed if you feel like that's given you an advantage?
I would not worry too much about GRE scores- if they are still required. If they are optional, I wouldn't worry about it and apply.
-
No need to contact professors once you have submitted the application. The admissions committee will contact you once that have met to make a decision.
-
It really depends what programs you are applying to and where. If you are applying to a PhD program in Europe, you can expect a real formal interview with a few faculty members. In the US, it can vary depending on the program. In any case, these interviews should not be taken lightly. If you get an interview, you should definitely celebrate because this means that the department is interested in you. But you should practice, practice, practice!
-
Three is always a good number. You want to provide authentic answers: stay away from humble brag (I work too hard, etc.) Good strengths to talk about: ability to work on your own, to meet deadlines, ability to take feedback, rigor, analytical/critical thinking skills, etc. Hope this helps!
-
You should definitely go for a paper you wrote in one of your classes in your target field. If you don't have one, then I would choose a research that demonstrates your skills: ability to conduct an argument, excellent writing, and demonstrated ability to manage the research protocol/apparatus: footnotes, bibliography, etc.
-
On 10/6/2022 at 9:56 PM, 78y73m4 said:
Hi all, I am new here and I am looking to apply to graduate schools in January. I wanted some advice on which schools may be best for me to apply to.
My Profile:
Bachelor's Degree: Public Administration (Distinction)
Associate's Degree: Law and Criminal Justice (Distinction)
Received award for being the top Public Administration student.
President's List for 5 consecutive years at University.
Cumulative GPA: 3.8/4.0
Work Experience: 1.5-2 years at non-profits in The Bahamas focusing on governance, public policy, civic education, and fundraising.
Member of a Working Group on a National Consultative Committee
Research Experience: Undergraduate Thesis (A grade) - The thesis focused on assessing the attitudes of citizens toward local government performance in The Bahamas using focus groups.
Wrote a paper for a Social Research class assessing the attitudes and experiences of university students on sexual assault and the idea of consent using a survey.
Leadership/Volunteer Experience: 2 years in Student Government Association
1 year as Club President on Campus
Started an initiative at work with the hopes of turning it into a larger non-profit focused on making it easier for citizens to understand what is happening at the National Parliament of The Bahamas.
Chief Delegate for Caribbean Model OAS - Served as Chief Delegate of the University of The Bahamas’ second delegation at the Caribbean Model OAS Assembly representing Mexico.
Youth Parliamentarian - Represented a constituency in The Bahamas making policy-based contributions to resolutions on Mental Health and Gender-Based Violence in The Bahamas.
Radio Show Host - Hosting a weekly show focusing on topical issues in The Bahamas related to politics, the economy, crime, and other socio-economic problems within the country.
Why I want to get into Public Policy:
The Bahamas faces many challenges in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic. These twin disasters have resulted in what is considered to be a "lost decade" of economic growth after the 2008 financial crisis. Evidently, we face many challenges in the region and social ills such as crime, violence, wealth inequality, and poverty. The magnitude of these problems is all compounded by the lack of proper policy-making, access to data, and skills gaps.
Therefore, for my graduate education, I want to gather the necessary skills to tackle these issues using data science and policy-making. I am seeking to enhance my quantitative skills to not only analyze the root causes of problems but also to have the ability to predict the effects and outcomes of policy options.
You have a lot of different choices here. It all depends on where you want to be, your career goals, what area of focus you would like to pursue, etc. There are great MPPs at Georgetown, HKS, Princeton, Yale, etc. The list is long! Your profile seems strong. I suggest applying to 5- or 6 to make sure that you do not go through the entire process for nothing. Some strategy is always useful: 1-2 stretch schools, 1-2 where you stand a good chance but competitive, and 1-2 where you will very likely be admitted.
-
On 8/29/2022 at 9:41 PM, aik257 said:
Hi!
Looking for a coach and editor to help with PhD admissions to Art History programs. Looking for someone who has editing experience specifically in the discipline.
Are there any big companies that specialize in Art History? let me know! thanks!
Many companies have expertise in a variety of fields. wink wink
-
23 hours ago, LarissaTorres said:
Hi everyone!
I’m a first time applicant and applying to UofT, Mcmaster, and Western. I’m pretty nervous as I know how competitive everything is and I’m still awaiting responses from professors to be my reference. I’m curious if anyone knows the cut off sub-gpa’s from last year and how heavily they rely on references. To be honest I didn’t participate much in class and graduated two years ago so its been difficult to get a strong reference letter. Anyways GOODLUCK to everyone!
All across the board, the minimal GPA is a 3.3 to be considered by a graduate program in Canada. It may be higher depending on various elements (and it varies greatly from year to year): the number of applicants, the quality of applicants, funding from the university, etc. While the GPA is important, there are other factors that can mitigate it, and letters of recommendations play a huge role in getting admitted.
-
On 10/11/2022 at 11:11 AM, zimu said:
hi everyone!
im currently looking at MA programs for philosophy in canada and im wondering how competitive they are. im specifically interested in simon fraser u, university of calgary, dalhousie university and university of victoria. if anyone knows the acceptance rate (especially simon fraser), id love to know! thank you!
It depends on your GPA, the quality of your application (personal statement and writing sample if required), and especially the quality of your letters of recommendations. There is no real existing way to assess the degree of competitiveness for these programs. All that can be said is the admissions committee will take a careful look at all components of your application
-
On 10/7/2022 at 3:43 AM, Petite123 said:
I am currently in my final year of Undergraduate degree and I am applying for DSPP at McCourt as an international student.
My CGPA is 3.44 but may increase in the coming semesters. Even though at the time of application, it will be 3.44. I am also taking my GRE in November. I have a decent number of internships with government organizations in my resume and I'm super passionate to pursue Data Science for Policy. I was wondering if I have a chance to get admission at McCourt and get funding as well? Is my profile good enough given that I will be a fresh graduate with no full time work experience like most others. What are the other factors that may help boost my profile overall?
The minimum requirement for GPA at the graduate level is 3.3. If funding is provided, it will very likely be partial. As for your chances of acceptance (and funding), it will all depends on the quality of your essays (very important), your letters of recommendations (also very important), and your GRE score. Without much information about your internships, it is hard to tell but if you have worked with government organizations it will look very good.
-
On 10/7/2022 at 9:10 AM, kevin1414 said:
I've read somewhere that MS students have little to no chance of receiving financial aid from their departments, however PhD students almost always get them. Is this true? Does this also apply to international students? For context, I'm a student from Asia who's looking to apply to a STEM field (EE)
Yes, in general, in the US, it is easier to get fully funding for PhDs than Master`s programs. You might be able to get partial funding for a master`s degree at best. What programs are you considering?
-
On 10/9/2022 at 5:12 AM, Tropical said:
I'm looking to apply to Fall 2023 Computer Science Masters.
Can you guys tell me if I stand a chance? I just want to get into any uni that offers OPT STEM.
- No GRE
- Any Uni with OPT STEM is good enough. Hopefully in California
- Bachelor's in Computer Science (UK Uni). Upper second class (US GPA equivalent is around 3.5)
- 3 years work experience as software engineer
- Likely not able to get a letter of recommendation from undergraduate faculty of my Uni
Thanks
There are a lot of different of choices of schools depending on what you want to do post-graduation. Why no letters from faculty? Who will be your recs?
-
On 7/4/2022 at 3:48 PM, legofan said:
Background:
- BA in History and Political Science (top US liberal arts college) with 4.0 GPA
- Currently working in the legal industry in the US
- Award-winning history and political science thesis based on primary sources in Chinese
- Language: Chinese - Native; English - Fluent
- No publication
- Mediocre GRE score (though I know a lot of history MA/PhD programs have already removed the GRE requirement as of the Fall 2022 cycle)
Goal:
- Top History PhD program in the US
- Prospective Fields/Research Interests: Modern China and East Asia; Intellectual and Cultural History; Legal History; And TBD
Options:
-
Apply for History/Area Studies (East Asian Studies) MA programs in Fall 2022
- Funding: I know a lot of these MA programs are just cash cows, so I'll only apply to those that are able to provide fully funding.
- Program Length: One-year program doesn't seem to make sense to me since basically you need to start PhD application right after you enter the MA program if you don't prepare to take a gap year afterwards. So I'll only apply to two-year programs if I decide to go with the MA route.
- Directly apply for History/Area Studies (East Asian Studies) PhD programs in Fall 2022
Question:
- Should I do a MA first or directly apply to PhD? I'm considering doing a MA before PhD in order to 1) further explore and narrow down my research interests, and gain more substantive research experience; 2) build up language skills. Though I understand the consensus on this form seems to be that doing a MA is only necessary if I need to shore up some aspect of my application (weak language, little research experience, etc.) and one should never do a MA without funding, I'm wondering will getting a MA help the PhD application given how competitive each cycle is after COVID? It seems it's really hard to get into a good PhD program without an MA nowadays? Would really appreciate any thoughts/suggestions! Thanks!
With your profile, I don't see the point of going for an MA. Enrolling in one will only slow you down in reaching your research goals. PhD programs in the Humanities very rarely transfer all the credits earned in a master's program from another school: they might ask you to retake some classes or pass an exam. Who wants to do that? While it is indeed hard to get into top graduate programs, the best route to take is to have a very strong SOP and LORS and to pick the RIGHT school. These three elements are frankly what will decide if you're in or not next year.
-
On 7/5/2022 at 6:14 PM, B77729 said:
Hi all, I’m looking for advice, I’m looking to pursue a Ph.D in microbiology. I applied to 7 programs last cycle and didn’t get an interview for any of them. I had a 3.4 overall gpa and a major gpa of 3.54 (Biology major, minors in neurobiology and chemistry). In college I was a TA for a bio class for 3 years, tutored, and was a laboratory technician for the school. I also worked outside the school as a laboratory technician for an area university. I did 3 research projects in undergrad (2 in microbiology, and the other in biology education) and an independent research study (book/ article based). With this research I presented at 4 conferences-(only one was in person due to covid)- I do not have any papers published yet. I had 4 LOR, 2 from my research PI’s one from a professor that I ta’d for and one from my boss. As I was applying my PI who’s lab I was in for the majority of my time advised me against reaching out to potential PI’s during the application process. Wondering where I went wrong during the application process whether it be a bad gpa, not reaching out, bad personal statement, not enough experience or something I’m not thinking of. Also wondering if I should start a masters since I got into 4 programs and do that first - or if I should reapply this year and do something different. TIA
There doesn't seem any major flaws in your profile at first glance. I agree with your PI. If reaching out to faculty was not required, this is not the reason you were not admitted. If you intend to do a PhD, I would apply to doctoral programs (going for a master's might make the process longer for you-and very likely more expensive). With your profile, I get the feeling that was something was wrong either with your personal statement and/or you applied to the wrong schools/programs.
-
2 hours ago, traceyflanniganburner said:
Hi guys, I am an incoming senior undergrad from Canada now worrying about PhD applications. I would like to aim for the top US programs in environmental science and geography (e.g. UCLA, Berkeley, Cornell, Columbia, UChicago) since otherwise my backup plan would be to do a masters in my same university under my current supervisor. I would love to have some feedback on my current resume, my chances as of now, and what I can do to increase them. My plan is to apply for a PhD in environmental science, with a focus on remote sensing or GIS.
-
Demographics: Canadian Citizen (Asian male if that matters)
-
BSc in Life Sciences at a large research university in Canada (I have done several envirosci and geography courses)
-
cGPA: 3.93 (3.99 in my 3rd year)
-
1 Year of work experience as a research assistant in a remote sensing lab in my university
-
4 month internship at a large environmental company in the Philippines
-
Co-author publication in a remote sensing journal (Impact factor: 2)
-
1 Presentation at a research seminar in my university
-
400+ hours of clinical volunteering
-
Currently working on my 4th year thesis in forest-related climate change using remote sensing data and photography
This look like an appealing profile to potential admissions committees. The publication is a huge plus. I would move forward with apps. What will increase your chances of acceptance? The quality and relevance of your SOP and LORs. Your school choice. One can have the best profile, but if the choice of school is wrong chances are low...
-
-
The best option is to pick profs from classes where you got good grades. Make sure they are assistant profs or associate profs and not instructors. If you don`t know them super well, use September and October to reconnect with them. You can go to their office hours and share your plans of pursuing a PhD and ask them for their opinion. Profs like to pontificate and your plans to apply to PhD program is great common ground. No letters from language instructors, they don`t carry much weight.
-
I suggest avoiding that. SOP`s should try to mimic or emulate scientific discourse as much as possible. The tone should be objective. The admissions committee is looking to evaluate if you can master the protocol of research, this is why I suggest staying away from anything too flowery or personal. Hope this helps!
-
On 6/17/2022 at 11:04 AM, Terrietr said:
I am currently spending hours looking at the internet looking for PhD programs in Sociology. Apart from finding out if there are professors working on my questions (sociology of new religions), what should I be looking for that I might be missing?
All the best
In addition to identifying faculty members you could potentially work with, I would pay close attention to the funding package. Is it guaranteed and, especially, what form will it take? Look for programs that could potentially give you your first (and possibly) second year of PhD work-free, i.e. no teaching or TAing. Keep in mind that programs that provide funding attached to any sort of work could potentially slow you down. The less you teach, the quicker you will finish! I would also make sure that it also provide some sort of dissertation fellowship that will allow you to have a full year to work -and hopefully finish- your thesis. Again, that will speed up the process quite a bit. No one wants to spend 10 years in grad school.
-
3 hours ago, philbegas said:
Well sometimes a particular company or agency might have a recruiting connection with a smaller/lesser known college.
But yes, having schools with slightly higher acceptance rates than Ivy & equivalents would be good too.
The 3 I mentioned then would be good choices. JH has many different options. In terms of selectivity index, I'd say Georgetown is the hardest, JH second, and GW third.
-
21 hours ago, Boolakanaka said:
You could consider a combine mba/mpa at a place like Yale. Its business school, aka SOM, has historically been considered the incubator for executive non-profit leadership, and the recently created Jackson school will provide to the topics within an international context.
The MBA/MPA at SOM requires at least 5 years of work experience and requires two separate applications. But yeah, great choice for someone with the experience and stamina to go through a somewhat demanding application process...:)
-
13 hours ago, NimsyEverstorm said:
Hello,
I’m wondering if you have any suggestions on PhD programs in English that have faculty who study or that have an emphasis in Folklore. In my own research I’ve discovered University of Oregon as an option, as well as UC Berkeley. Which programs am I missing? Thanks!
There is a Folklore Studies program at UNC-Chapel Hill that stems out of the Department of American Studies which allows students in English to have a PhD in English with a minor in folklore.
-
On 6/13/2022 at 1:36 PM, philbegas said:
This is my first post here so hopefully I'm doing this right. I have a BSBA in finance (3.6 gpa) and I currently work in portfolio/business valuation. The work is fine but it is not very interesting or fulfilling. All the way back to high school I had a great interest in international relations, public policy, government, etc, and I am thinking about trying to transition back into that somehow. In my mind that includes things such as working for a NGO, a non-profit, working in campaign finance, a government agency, or something along those lines. In finance we have a term called "target schools" which are schools known for placing people into industry jobs. Whether that's physical proximity, campus recruiting, internship connections, or something like that, it's just a way to hedge your bets and try to set yourself up for a more successful job application process. Are there schools for IR/PP/Gov that have a similar situation? I would imagine schools in places like DC, NYC, California, would probably have good connections. But are there lesser known schools that have connections like that?
Yes, DC schools are usually a good bet. DC also offer a wide array of different tier schools with excellent placement outcomes: from Georgetown to George Washington, to Johns Hopkins. PP also has a wide array of different schools with different selectivity. What do you mean by lesser known schools though? Are you referring to competitivity?
-
You definitely select a professor in a class where you got great grades and that knows you well. If it has been some time since you took the class, a good way to build rapport is to pay the professor a visit during their office hours and re-engage with them. Talk to them about your plans to grad school and ask for their advice. This is a great way to reconnect. They already have a PhD so asking them about their opinion and experience is a fantastic way to find common ground. Also, start early! There is nothing worse than students who request LORs close to deadlines. It takes time to write a good letter, so let them know in advance!
Questions asked/to ask in interviews -PhD Applications
in Art History
Posted
These all look good to me, except maybe #2 since any student should have explored these opportunities prior to applying. One question that is very important to ask would be about professional development opportunities: do they provide workshops on applying for tenure-track positions? Do they offer help with job search? You could also ask questions about the alumni network (is there one at all?). Another important question to ask is their employment stats. Where are recent grad students? How many land tenure-track jobs? How many are working outside academia? Do they offer professional development opportunities for people who end up working in "industry"? Finally, I would be very candid about finding out how long people stay in the program and what happens if you extend your stay beyond the available time frame for funding. MANY students take more than 5 years before graduating, so it's important to know if there is any additional funding beyond the existing funding structure.