heathenist

While I appreciate your humility, you can't attribute getting into 5 of the best programs in the country, along with an interview for another, as merely being lucky. There's clearly something you're holding out on us, do you have some sort of dirt on members of the adcomms of these schools and using it as blackmail? Did you pay them all off? Are you sending out threats? What's your secret? And don't tell me you're just a great candidate with a strong personal statement, clear research agenda, and great LORS... 'cause I'm not buying it.

Hahaha I thought that it may have been a typo. Congrats on yet another acceptance at an incredible university, you're just on a roll, leaning towards any place over the others? I don't know the etiquette for these things, so if you don't feel comfortable answering, I understand. I'm still floating from getting into Arizona, I can only imagine what it must be like to have gotten so many thus far.

Someone got into Indiana with a 2.5 GPA? Wow. Awesome for them.

Got an acceptance from Arizona with full funding, no details on what kind of funding yet though. Very exciting to hear some good news.

Thanks, I appreciate the info, and sorry about the bad news, good luck with the rest of your applications. Judging from past years, I'm guessing sometime next week.

2 rejections posted from Arizona but no acceptences, is that very common? I haven't heard anything from them at all. Anyone want to claim one of the rejections and let us (me) know whether it was personalized or if it seemed like a mass email type thing?

Same, I think the website says mid-late February.

9, one of which is the current institution where I'm getting my Master's, which is (hopefully) a failsafe.

Same. Bummer for me. That's 1 official rejection and 3 other schools I applied to have already sent out acceptances. What little confidence I had is quickly draining.

Wondering the same thing about Washington and Minnesota, not feeling too optimistic about those two at this point, but this was to be expected as I applied to a number of (out of) reach programs.

That's really awesome, even though I'm a little bitter because I also applied to Washington, that's a pretty great story. Wow, getting into a top 20 program with a sub 3.0 UG GPA, that's seriously really cool, congrats.

One thing worth keeping in mind about the interviews/visit days is that, as the top applicants, as much as you'll be trying to impress them, they'll be trying to impress you as well.

As you should be, that's super exciting. How many places still do interviews? Can't be more than a handful right?

You are correct, I even knew that when I made that post.

Anyone want to claim either of the ND acceptances? It's great knowing 2 of the schools I've applied to have started sending stuff out and I haven't heard anything yet. Congrats to everyone who are already getting acceptances! But I'm still going to be bitter about it haha.

This is what I've been assuming as well, particularly because the grading system is so much different at the graduate level, where a B really isn't comparable to a B in undergrad, and a C is essentially an F.

Hmmm, I don't buy it.

I completely agree, I was just pointing out, that along with the devaluing of other parts of the application, I've even heard of letters being devalued. I definitely wasn't trying to argue that I think that's the case, because I don't. But this is straight from the horse's mouth. Fabio Rojas (http://orgtheory.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/how-i-pick-grad-students/): So there's that... What it really comes down to, is that like many things within sociology, there is no one right answer. Different people on different adcomms are going to see things, and prioritize things with a lot of variation.

I've actually heard/read that letters aren't always taken that seriously because they aren't unbiased critiques and that for the most part they are all going to be glowing. Like you said, it has to be taken with a grain of salt, no adcomm is the same.

Is there any chance that job selectivity plays a role in this person not being able to find a job? For instance, because this person is coming from a top 5 university, it could be that they don't want to take a job outside of the top 20-40, and therefore aren't applying to all open positions available. To be sure a candidate like that could at least find a job at a liberal arts college, or even a state school without an impressive PhD program (or a PhD program at all). Maybe not, I realize the market is rough, but if the case is actually that PhDs from top 5 schools aren't getting jobs (given that they aren't being super selective about where they apply), then that's pretty rough. I know everyone wants to get a job at an R1, but there are plenty of non-R1s out there that provide faculty with plenty of opportunities to conduct research.

From Minnesota: http://www.soc.umn.edu/grad/apply.html

Washington has something similar, as does a few programs I'm applying to. http://www.soc.washington.edu/academics/grad_program/DeptStatistics.htm

From what I've read, a lot of adcomms don't really even consider AW, and even if they did, 4.5 isn't going to be low enough that you get sorted into the wrong pile. I'd be willing to bet that if you don't get into a program it won't be because of your AW score. And to clarify, I hope it didn't sound like I was challenging you about your choice of schools or anything. I honestly don't know too much about many of those programs other than it's almost an exact list of the top 20.

I'm glad other people are submitting thesis proposals, I was worried places would be expecting completed research, but I guess that's not really feasible for most people.

Why the frowning? Your numbers are pretty great all around. Also, what are your interests? You appear to just be applying to the top 20 on USNWR.