samoth
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Posts posted by samoth
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Any of you who got into top programs with funding feel willing to disclose some of the simpler bits of your application details? I bet it would be helpful.
For instance...
1. the field of your previous degrees
2. how well-known your most recent school is/was
3. your GPA
4. your GRE
5. number of published papers/conference presentations etc.
6. amount of relevant work experience
7. any particular strengths or weaknesses you felt your application(s) had
1. Sociology
2. International, but quite known (made the Times' top 100 universities).
3. 3.98
4. 680v 680q 4.5
5. thesis, 2 articles forthcoming
6. 1 year RA + ad hoc work in my department
7. 3 recommendations from well known professors who know me well
got accepted to 3 out of 5 programs I applied to with full funding.
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The department received 250-275 applications, meaning there was a ~50% jump in applications from last year.
Do you know how many students were admitted this year?
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For those waiting on Annenberg (west): USC has started making fellowship offers to Communication applicants. Someone also posted it on the survey: http://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/
This doesn't surprise me. I was speculating to myself that they would probably start notifying applicants sometime this week--and sure enough. Good luck everyone!
-Sue
Yeah, that was me! I have acceptances from both Annenbergs! I know a lot about Penn Annenberg, but much less about USC,and I will probably not attend visit day (I'm literally on the other side of the globe). It sure took me by surprise!
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Hey, ladies and gentlemen, please help me here!
Is it normal to a department just to ignore an applicant? I just don't understand... I wrote both to the field assistant and to the DGS asking if they could kindly inform the status of my application, considering that many fellow applicants have already received offers of admission. There have been four days now and they didn't bother to answer me until now... simply ignored :?
I'm pretty sure their admissions process is over now and the fact that some students were put on a waiting list due to the lack of funding and were notified of this decision is a very compelling evidence to me. And yet, why not to inform an applicant that he has been rejected? Can this situation (silence) mean other than rejection?
Well... maybe the process hasn't ended yet (a "rolling" admission). Have you considered just calling the department?
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Maybe they meant 9,500 applicants to the entire grad school, not just the soc department?
I'm sure you're right. Harvard GSAS claim on their website that last year's applicant pool was approx. 6500, and I guess Yale's was the same. Considering this year's economy which is a great incentive to apply to grad schools which offer full funding for 5 years, the larger number makes sense.
Last year they had 175 applicants and 11 enrolling students at Yale's sociology department (http://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/acad ... ology.html).
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You're right, I assumed that this was a recent development and I now see that it is old news. I was also surprised by the relatively low ranking, considering the long list of prominant names this department boasts.
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I think the ranking varies significantly according to sub-fields. For example it's ranked fifth in cultural sociology ( http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandr ... of_culture ). Also, they've just recruited two prominent faculty members from other universities. I think it's safe to say that their ranking is expected to rise.
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They also have a strange admission process. Did anyone else find it weird that they don't bother to send an email confirming that they have received the supporting material, that they don't post the materials' arrival on the application site and that the admissions office rarely answers emails? (at least in my experience)
They were nice and helpful once I managed to get them on the phone (an international call, mind you). However, answering the phone only between 2 and 5 when there are thousands of anxious applicants isn't very efficient.
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Where is the Harvard Results page? Is it listed on the online application page?
thanks!
Harvard claim to send decisions only by mail, which is probably why those who were accepted received phone calls. I'm not very optimistic at this point...
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Do you know where these decisions are posted? I've been looking on Yale's website but I haven't seen a place to check my actual decision.
On the first page you see after you log in scroll all the way down and there should be a link to your decision. Maybe they haven't finished updating the applications, which could explain why there was no email notification.
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I see the decisions were posted on the application website, but no email was sent to announce this (I only got an unofficial email from the DGS).
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Thanks (that was me)!
No word about funding yet. I haven't received the official letter from GSAS yet, only an email from the DGS.
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Well, the committee has spoken!
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does anyone ever went to Ithaca? I read that someone questioned the location and I'd like to develop the subject.
Considering for a moment the small possibility of getting admitted, I would like to know a little more about the city and the university as well. You see...I'm not American, I've always lived in huge urban centers (the smallest was London, not the Canadian, but the British one
) and I'm not sure about living in a tiny newyorker town. I'm not familiar about the department itself, but there is a thread about Ithaca in another forum.
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Happy birthday!!!Turned 22 yesterday. : ) -
Not necessarily. I got the impression that late 20s - early 30s is quite common in grad school.I'm going to be 28 when I start. Glad to see not everyone here is straight out of undergrad
(but I do expect to be a bit older than my cohort average)I'm 29, by the way.
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Also, would you accept a funding offer that was only for 3 years?
I'd try to talk to current grad students about that. What do they live on in their fourth or fifth year? I'm sure you're not expected to finish your dissertation in 3 years - maybe there are additional fellowships or funds you can apply to for your fourth year.
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I also contacted a potential advisor (the best fit for my doctoral research) and all I got was a freezing answer. I don't even know why I still bothered to apply. Of course, I've been rejected.
Well, I guess the moral of the story is that when American professors say "I'm looking forward to reading your application" what they actually mean is "Don't hold your breath".
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I had several ideas for potential advisors and I tried to contact them before applying. Responses were chilly, so I guess this could have been expected.
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Well, DiMaggio has spoken.
Thank God I already have an acceptance from another school.
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You're probably right. I see that there is another entry right below that one by someone claiming to have received notification from Princeton by phone today, while all other decisions have been given by email.Sorry, but that does sound like some sort of game. Harvard interviewed all its short-listed applicants for Soci. -
Hey the results page shows someone who got accepted today without an interview (to sociology). There is still hope then!
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Maybe what hoobers meant is that Wisconsin evaluate their staff SOLELY on the basis of the number of publications in high ranking journals, so as to retain a high rank for the department. This would mean that a researcher who decides to devote a year or two to develop a long term intellectual project in a book, or to take the time to participate in other scholarly activities, would be frowned upon.
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Great, a forum for all 4 of us. lol
Received almost all the rejections --- looking for some advice
in Sociology Forum
Posted
Hi there, Tillyfan.
First of all I do hope you'll be surprised with an acceptance from one of the remaining programs.
However, if you do decide to reapply one thing I'd strongly recommend to you is to email the departments you were rejected by and ask if they could comment on what would make your application a stronger one for next year. Some of them won't answer, but even if one agrees to give you some feedback it would be much more helpful than anything we could say on this forum.
Some departments / admissions offices actually have an address in their FAQs for people who wish to know more about their rejection. In other cases, an email to the department registrar could do the job. In any case, I am sure that a well written (not reproachful!) email would get some attention from at least some departments, especially if you state your intention to reapply.
Best of luck!