heathenist
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Posts posted by heathenist
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Heard from UMass, accepted, should except a formal letter soon.
When did you hear? Today?
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It's tough to say. Different programs do things differently. Some of them reject in waves that represent their interest in people, rejecting the people they know for sure they won't admit first. Other programs seem to be much more arbitrary, like rejecting in alphabetical order or something.
I wouldn't read too much into it. I had the same thing happen with UCLA, and I ultimately got rejected anyway. So it could go either way still.
Yeah, that's a pretty logical conclusion... or they somehow lost both my phone number and email!
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Convinced that the 4 BU waitlist posts are someone's idea of a cruel joke. Since no one has stepped forward to claim any of them and considering (according to the results page) that BU never waitlists, I'm convinced there's someone out there pointing and laughing at us!
It's not real until someone claims it right?
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My program doesn't have a "thesis," but instead, it's a "master's research paper." It's still original research, but it's much shorter and you don't have to defend it (though you still need a committee). I like this option for a few reasons; less stressful, less work, but most importantly, the finished product is closer to being a publishable paper than a thesis would be. So with a thesis, my impression is, you do quite a bit more work/writing, but then have to cut it down if you want it published. With a master's paper, you can submit it to journals when your done and you still have research experience.
However, if the option is between doing a thesis, or taking some type of comprehensive exam, I'd go with the thesis for the research experience.
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Me neither.
What are your thoughts on the meaning of this? Emails haven't all been sent out, phone calls haven't all been made, or waitlisted? None of the above?
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So I see a bunch of Vanderbilt rejections via email, and 2 acceptances via phone call. I haven't gotten either...
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I second your thoughts on the problems involved with applying to a Ph.D. program after an M.A. program. Some programs state on their website that they consider transfer credit for prior graduate study in sociology. Univ. of Pittsburgh, for example. states it will consider up to 18 credits (or 24 if they respect your thesis); although, I know some programs absolutely refuse to consider transfer credit. I believe Univ. of Connecticut considers transfer credit, but I dropped it off my list because I couldn't meet its Dec. 1st application deadline. Investigating whether doctoral programs consider transfer credit should be a decent component of an M.A. student's program search, I think, although this would probably always be trumped by then importance of applying to institutions strong in a student's specialty of choice, faculty a student wishes to work with, etc.
Honestly, I didn't even look into it. My reasoning is that my selection of schools was already pretty narrow, and if getting a degree from a top 20 school versus a school in the ~70 range meant an extra year or so, then so be it. Plus, how much could it hurt to have more methods, stats, and theory courses?
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Finally got an official rejection from Washington, no surprise and not really a huge blow.
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I called them a few weeks ago and they said they would be making decisions "in late February" and that they would be admitting 3-7 people...
3-7? What happens if the 3 students they choose to admit don't matriculate? They have a cohort of 0?
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I was accepted into Marshall's terminal M.A. program today. Funding details will follow soon.
For folks with only a B.A. but considering Ph.D. programs eventually (or reeling from rejections, as mine have started so far), this could be a good program to consider. It offers a degree minor in anthropology and/or an official degree emphasis on organization and institutions; stratification and diversity; demography, health, and human environments; or social problems and collective behavior. It's also possible to earn a graduate certificate in Women's Studies alongside the degree even though it's just a terminal M.A.
I understand why people would loathe living in southern WV (I'm a WV resident so I'm a little biased) but the program has an excellent doctoral program placement rate, including top 10 schools and Ivy's. There is ample funding as well (GA's, TA's, RA's, etc.).
I know most folks on this forum are considering top-notch institutions, but sometimes less-than-preferred detours are necessary to achieve this goal. At least I know I won't go into acres of debt after this degree if I choose to attend (unsurprisingly, southern WV is a cheap place to live but Huntington is supposed to be a cool college town).
I actually know someone in that program and she seems to like it, though I don't know her well and haven't discussed it in detail with her. But I will say this, if you can go to a funded MA program, I think it can great learning opportunity and a great way to bulk up your CV and focus your research agenda. However, just know that this means you'll likely have to take all of the core classes twice, since your PhD institution will likely want you to take those courses in their program, and it will generally take you a year or 2 longer to eventually get your PhD because of this. Additionally, you have to go through this terrible process of applying to schools twice.
I am finishing up my MA at a ranked (not very highly) PhD granting university that separates the 2 degrees, and I just got offered a fellowship at a top-20 university with a great fit. That would have never happened 2 years ago because I just wasn't a very strong applicant.
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No, I don't think it's a red flag if that person doesn't write you a LOR, I think it's kind of expected that you would get letters from professors in your current program. However, there are some exceptions. For instance, the department I'm finishing my MA at right now is very small and therefore a lot of the same professors end up teaching all the grad classes. One of those professors who I had taken 2 classes with left with what seemed like very little regard for some of the people they left behind (I asked for feedback on a paper I wrote for their last grad seminar they taught here and they kept telling me they would get back to me with comments on whether or not it could potentially be submitted to present at a conference, and that never happened despite my constant badgering), so asking for a letter from them didn't seem smart. Additionally, I took multiple classes in the CCJ department, which is fairly close with the Soc department, but one of the professors was very forgetful(even though I was one of 4 students out of like 18 that got an A), so I didn't ask, and the other left for another university. That left me with having only completed courses at this university with 2 professors. Both of those professors wrote me LORs, but I had to ask an UG professor for the 3rd. It actually worked out pretty well because that professor does work in the same field as me and I actually cite them a few times in my master's paper and writing sample that I used, additionally, I did a research internship for them my senior year and I had still been in contact with them since leaving UG. In fact, they were the first professor to suggest the method I ended up using in my master's paper.
What I'm getting at is that in some situations having UG professors write letters isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it also isn't really what's expected.
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What are the chances NYU have notified already but nobody who got in posts here? High?
I've been thinking about this in regards to Vanderbilt, especially because they have such small cohorts. But it seems like A LOT of us applied there, so I'm thinking someone would have heard back if they had sent out acceptances.
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Brb, going to go change my lit. review of my master's paper so I can turn it into a medical sociology/criminology paper rather than a social movements paper.
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Anything from Vanderbilt yet?
Nothing, and it's killing me.
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Maybe look into University of Washington.
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Much slower day than I expected, even with it being President's day, I didn't expect it to be so quiet.
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Just got the good news from Rutgers! Could not be more excited, seriously, the faculty there are a really wonderful fit for me. Other folks who interviewed with them should be hearing soon, I'll bet.
You're on a roll. Congrats.
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Anyone have any info or know of any rumors about when the streetcar project will be completed or how useful it will even be once completed?
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Does Vanderbilt do phone calls rather than emails? Vanderbilt and UMass are the only 2 schools left that I applied to who haven't started sending stuff out yet, so I'm anxious to hear back from them. However, already having an acceptance at a great school with a pretty generous funding offer makes it a little easier.
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Same story here - nothing out of Yale. Hoping to hear soon! (And yeah, when I was applying soc phds 3 years ago I got rejected from programs in the 30s and got into a top 5, so ... yeah, no rhyme, no reason, no nothin'.)
It's none of my business, but if you don't mind sharing, why are you reapplying?
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Simon Fraser just offered to match my highest current funding offer. Uh Oh!
This is all going to get real confusing and difficult soon! It's an MA program, so that complicates things a bit. But I also feel like MA programs in Canada are a bit different since they separate the MA and PhD. Simon Fraser is a good school, and a good fit, but I'm not sure about the job placement of their PhD's or their PhD placement of their MA students. All questions I'll have to ask I guess. Still leaning heavily towards Oregon at this point, but I'll have to consider all offers fully once I receive them.
I can offer a little bit of advice from experience here. I am currently finishing up an MA at a place that separates the MA and the PhD program. The MA program is pretty well funded, you get substantive training in theory, stats, and methods, and you get research experience and if you're really on the ball maybe a publication and a conference presentation or 2. So when it's time to apply to PhD programs you have a much stronger CV and probably a better established research agenda. On top of that, you have somewhat of a safety net because you have a pretty strong chance of being accepted to the current schools PhD program.
I know I wouldn't have had a shot at any of the programs I applied to this season if I hadn't been here. However, there are some downsides. The biggest issue is that it will likely take you a bit longer to get a PhD, especially if you end up at a different school for your PhD. You will likely have to take a few of the same courses over again, particularly methods, stats, and theory courses. Additionally, you have to go through this whole application process again, which is pretty terrible both times around.
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Somewhere on the FAQ page it notes that all admits receive full tuition and a base stipend of 22k plus change. If you apply for and receive outside funding, such as a fellowship, they will adjust--i.e., reduce--your base stipend accordingly. What remains unclear to me is whether or not I will have to pay out of pocket for NU student health insurance, which, according to another page on the site, runs approximately $1500 a year. That's extremely cheap for health insurance, but if the coverage is not comprehensive, and the co-pays/deductables low, I may have to buy a private policy as well, which could be prohibitive. Does anyone else know more about NU's student health insurance plans? I'm going to contact the Grad Admissions Dept. this week to find out.
oh wow. The only other school i know of that offers that much is Vanderbilt. But no health insurance could be a problem. Not that I even applied there or anything.
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2013 Acceptances/Rejections Thread
in Sociology Forum
Posted
I haven't, and I'm assuming the worst.