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I'm not sure of any particular programs in those fields, but you may want to check out ASA's 2011 Guide to Graduate Programs in Sociology. It provides details about every program in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and a few other countries, and has lists of programs based on specialization. Worth every penny that I paid for it when I applied to grad school.

I respectfully disagree with mv0027 and DustSNK. I've applied to sociology grad programs twice, first to an MS and then to a round of PhDs, and my applications were successful at a number of top programs using an introductory narrative. It makes you sound like a real human, which can be refreshing to adcoms. It's not too personal -- it's directly related to your field of interest and and provides context for your application. Also, what a cool class! I agree about the second paragraph -- doesn't really add much and just sounds kind of fluffy. Instead, consider making your first paragraph say a little more about you. The best advice I've heard (from Asher's "Graduate Admissions Essay," I think) is to limit any narrative intro to five sentences and to make sure each one of them counts. You may also want to tighten up the research interest paragraph (the one that begins with, "As I prepare myself to embark upon the academic journey"). It could be condensed by 25-50% (and made a little more clear) just by reducing some superfluous wording. Be sure to keep an eye on word count. It looks like yours is around 900 and most applications will limit you to 500 words or one page. Also, you do a fantastic job of articulating your knowledge of the program, faculty, and available resources. It's clear you did your homework, which adcoms love to see.

You can't be more than a week or two into the semester. Just give it a fair shake before you make any serious, unalterable decisions like leaving. Departments have a lot of logistics to juggle, especially at the beginning of the semester. Things will calm down and become more functional as the year progresses. And who knows, maybe you'll really enjoy TAing.

It can really depend on where you're trying to move. A few approaches: 1) Stay in a hotel or with an older grad student while you look for a place. If it takes too long, though, the former can get expensive; the latter can get awkward. 2) Send a message out to older grad students asking if they have any tips on open places. Some of them may be moving (or have friends who are), so you may be able to score an apartment that way. If you don't have access to the listserv, get in touch with a current grad student or the graduate director and see if they might be willing to ask for you. 3) Sublease for the summer (or less) and search from there. This can be much cheaper than getting a hotel room, especially if you rent from current students at your university. That can give you a good chance to get to know the neighborhood, too. 4) Just suck it up and sign from a distance. It can be scary and end badly, or it can be just fine. We did this and it worked out well, but that's definitely not universal. Read the online reviews and take your best guess. Make sure to learn how the rental market works in the area. How long is the turnaround time between when the apartment is posted and when it gets signed? When do apartments go on the market relative to their date of availability? This varies considerably by town/city. For a good idea of the latter, go to Craigslist and see when the recently listed apartments seem to be available. In Seattle it's about 3-5 weeks; in some places it can be days or months. Glad to hear that Bhikhaari's strategy worked out for them. It's worth noting, though, that depending on how much of a demand there is for housing, many apartment managers will not agree to do a month-to-month. But it can't hurt to ask.

You're a good writer -- it's clear, it's clean, and it flows well. You also present concrete ways to tackle your research interest, which is where a lot of people fall short in SOPs. As the above posts indicate, though, this format may not be your best option for a couple of reasons. First, the anecdote is all about James. While that may have been an important moment of observation, this scene doesn't say anything about you and your goals, ambitions, or active personal experiences. Second, it's a very long intro. I strongly believe in limiting introductory anecdotes and "stage-setting" to a maximum of five sentences. Most soc applications give you between 500 and 700 words in your SOP to sell yourself, so every sentence has to say something important about you and why you're qualified for grad school. What I did get out of the first section about you that I wanted to hear more about was your experience as an elementary special ed teacher in Baltimore (a challenging profession, no doubt). Why did you become a teacher? How did it directly relate to your interest in unraveling the mysteries of the social structure? Why did you leave? That last question is a particularly good place to start if you want to spend your PhD understanding social problems in education, since being a teacher provides a different perspective for understanding those same problems. In addition, you may want to consider spending a little time talking about your academic endeavors. You'll have your CV, of course, and you don't want to repeat too much information that's already on there, but it could be good to speak to any research experiences you have. More concrete statements about your accomplishments will boost their confidence that you are ready for this. The last comment is that you're proposing what may be an unconquerably large dissertation. That's a huge topic (three topics, really), and I'm not sure if it'll set off bells in the adcom's heads that you have unrealistic expectations of graduate study. I may be off-base here, though -- can anyone else in the forum speak to this?

I'll have a TAship for my PhD program, so I'll be leading recitation sections and holding office hours. I've had a hard time maintaining the respect of classes for which I served as an undergrad TA in the past, especially as a short female social scientist with a babyface. I was also too friendly with my students and failed to create the kind of distance necessary to be an authority figure. Wearing professional attire will make me look older, which should help. Any other tips for developing a professional relationship with students, one in which they actually do their work and think of me as an authority without dreading coming to class? What should I do in the first few sessions to establish this divide? Thanks!

Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com) will give you an idea of how much you should pay for a given car based on the model, age, mileage, features, and condition. When you run across a car ad that interests you, toss the specs into the car value tool and it'll provide the expected value of a car in excellent, good, or fair condition.

Most school email systems can forward mail from that address to another email address. Many schools also allow you to keep the institution's email address for as long as it remains active; check your school's computing/webmail page to find out what their policy is. I use my school address when it's relevant and my gmail for everything else, but I have it all sent to my gmail address. That way it all stays in one place so I can search everything at once. If you decide to forward school mail to your gmail address, make sure you set up gmail so you can send mail from your school account directly from gmail. To do that: Click the gear icon in the upper right corner Click on "Mail Settings" Select the "Accounts and Imports" tab Go to "Send Mail As" Follow all gmail's instructions from that point forward Then when you go to write or reply to an email, you'll get to select which address to send from using a drop-down menu. It's super-easy.

Social science grad programs are often very heavily quantitative. Sociology is as well, especially because that's where a lot of the funding and pubs are. Even if your dissertation is qualitative, your program is going to expect you to know quantitative methodology. They look as closely at the quant section as they do at the verbal, from what I've seen.

Applying to grad school is expensive. Save up before you apply. Costs include application fees, transcripts, GREs registration and re-takes, fees to send GRE scores, application supplies (envelopes, etc.). I was really surprised at how hard it hit my wallet. Be organized about your application. For each LOR writer, fill out as much of the paperwork as you can. Provide the list of schools and deadlines, as well as the date you'd prefer to have the letter submitted. Check in every week or two (most of them really appreciate this). Also provide your CV, the latest draft of your SOP, and an unofficial transcript; this will jog their memories and remind them how awesome you are. Also, it'll show that you're on top of things and make their lives easier, which will naturally make them happier about writing a letter for you. After you get in, save like crazy for when you move. Moving to a new place is always costly, and stipends won't start coming in for awhile after you start.

I've found that file boxes are great for moving. They're small enough that they're really hard to overpack but big enough that they fit quite a bit of stuff. We''re downloading some books on CD for the 3000-mile drive. Any tips on how to keep pets as unmiserable as possible on long car trips?

Unfortunately, the stigma against mental illnesses exists even in academia. My advice is to just say in your SOP that you had a medical issue (without getting specific), and then find a way to demonstrate that it no longer impacts your work. Don't spend more than a sentence or two on it, since most of your SOP should be about how awesome and qualified you are.

As an American who was initially determined to go to a Canadian soc program, I'll warn you that it's hard to gain admission as an international student. From what I saw and experienced, I think the economic downturn resulted in strict quotas on the number of non-Canadian students they can accept. Word on the street is that some programs could take in no more than one international applicant. Not to be a total buzzkill, but I wish I'd known before I applied to four Canadian programs.

As a side note, I found that course within my MA program to be invaluable and I'm glad to hear it exists in other programs. That's a great place to learn about professors and make an impression by asking relevant, focused questions.

Agreed with robot_hamster. If you're really worried about it (which you probably don't need to be), then take a basic stats class at your local community college this summer.

Here are a few -- Pros: - Accumulate savings (even when you have funding, it's always good to have some extra money) - Start paying off any loans from undergrad so you have less of a burden when you're all done - Decide whether academia is right for you - Mature a little bit - Develop relevant skills - Gain experience for a stronger application (only works if you get a job in a related field) - Study for the GRE Cons: - For a lot of academically-minded people, work is miserable. - It can be hard to find jobs in related fields. - Limited access to resources of your undergrad university (career/grad center, professors, etc.) can make it difficult to get application materials together.

Security deposit (for housing and utilities), books, student fees (if they're not covered by your funding package), renters insurance, first and last month's rent (if required). That first month is ominous.

Homeowners are often really hesitant to rent to people who live far away because they can't meet them and are worried about getting scammed. I got a really good tip from one of the older grad students in my new program: sublet for the summer. It'll probably already have furniture, and it'll give us some time to take a look around and find a place we'll really like. Also, sublet rent can be decently cheap because people are desperate to get rid of their apartments for the summer. We may just leave our belongings in storage for the summer and unpack them once we've found our new home. I'm moving across the country with my SO and am going through the same process. I've heard that U-Pack is the cheapest way to move, but it's still going to cost about $3000 to move all our stuff that way. If you're thinking about U-Hauling, don't forget that gas will be crazy expensive and you'll have to pay for food/hotels along the way. It ends up costing about the same, or maybe more, and with a lot more headache. Pods are door-to-door, and you don't have to drive over a mountain range with them when crossing the country.

July won't be too late to move, but know how the house hunting works wherever you're going. It can be hard to find housing in some college towns because most people sign leases for the next year between January and March. In cities, though, time of year doesn't make that much of a difference. You may be well-served to contact current grad students and ask about the best ways to find somewhere to live. They may even be able to point you in the direction of students in older cohorts who have a room available. As for money, do everything you can do to save. If you haven't already gotten a job for this summer, get one (or two) and save every extra cent. Moving is incredibly expensive whether or not you're bringing a lot of stuff. Unless you have savings or a rich uncle, you could have a really tough time. Grad stipends often don't kick in for a few weeks to a month after school starts, so call the university and find out when you'll get your first paycheck so you can plan.

Check out the 2011 ASA Guide to Graduate Programs of Sociology. It's $20 for student members and includes detailed info about departments and lists of departments by specialty. Each university page then lists the general research interests of each sociology professor. I found it very useful in finding departments that matched my interests.

- Know the schools you're applying to. As socgraduate11 pointed out, fit is everything. Know the department specialties, general rank, what they're looking for, funding policies, all that stuff. The more you know about a school, the better able you'll be to decide whether it's worth throwing down $50-150 on a grad application. Also, the better you will be able to tailor your application to that school's culture and priorities. Read articles by POIs before you contact them. Knowing their research will tell you whether you might want to work with them and will give you ways to make connections. - Don't apply to schools that don't specialize in your area(s) of interest. If no one can supervise your research, you will not get in no matter how fascinating your proposed research may be. - It's very important to have multiple "safeties" (though there are really no "safeties" anymore), but don't apply anywhere you would never actually go. That's just a waste of time and money. Don't apply to only top-10 programs, either, 'cause that's a great way to screw yourself out of going to grad school next year. It's scary out there. - Be organized. Have a system to coordinate the application process. Maintain a complete list of all requirements for each school -- deadlines, number of LORs, writing sample/SOP length, number of transcripts, application fees, contact info for POI, etc -- and check things off as you go along. Document everything. Consider the application process a part-time job. It will take several hours per week and will last for weeks or months. Build it into your schedule. - Network. If you're in undergrad, find out whether your professors know anyone where you're applying. Academia's a very small world, and you'd be surprised who used to be poker buddies or grad school friends. This will help you. - Strong LORs from non-famous professors are much more powerful than mediocre LORs from famous professors. Make sure your letter-writers have something to say about you. Provide each of them with your CV, the latest draft of your SOP, a writing sample (preferably from a class you took with them), and a list of schools and deadlines. Never underestimate the value of a nice, hand-written thank you note. - Submit PDFs whenever possible -- they look more professional and the formatting won't get weird on the other end. Label every document you submit with your name, program, and applicant number or SSN. The adcom is dealing with thousands of pieces of paper, so make it easy for them. If you're submitting a paper copy of your application, find out whether they prefer it piecemeal or all in one envelope. Include a cover letter. - As goodmp noted, something will go wrong. Your LOR writers will zone out. Your transcripts will get lost in the mail. The online system won't take your credit card. Do not wait until the last minute. Plan to have things submitted weeks before they're actually due, especially if you're submitting a paper copy. It's bound to get lost (related: pay the extra 50 cents and get a delivery confirmation). - The statement of purpose is the single most important part of your application. Write well, and even with a little bit of humor if you feel comfortable enough, but don't be too cutesy. No stories about how you read the Washington Post every day as a five year old and that's how you decided you wanted to be a political sociologist. In my experience, faculty generally treat grad students as junior-junior-professors (which is one of the best parts of grad school). Do your best to sound like one; demonstrate that you have focus, attention to detail, a theoretical perspective, an interesting background, a plan of attack for your grad work, and ambition toward your future. Sorry if that's too much. It got me into my top picks, though, so maybe it'll help someone out there.

I'm wrapping up a master's program in a few weeks (AHHHH!) and starting my Ph.D. in the fall. This is what I can suggest: Make good connections with the faculty. If your university doesn't have an official forum for meeting them through a seminar or whatever, go to each professor's office and introduce yourself. You might find some really interesting people and run across some fantastic opportunities -- many of which involve pay, publication, or both. Professors tend to treat grad students like junior-junior-professors, since grad school is essentially a very extensive apprenticeship, so for the most part you won't be treated like a kid. Enjoy and appreciate it. Bond with your cohort. Do bar nights, go to their symposium sessions, talk about the class material, share ideas. Other students are a great resource and a lot of fun. Get the scoop from older students, too. They're full of valuable information -- which classes to avoid, which professors have a lot of funding, that kind of stuff. Don't get involved in departmental drama. Don't become the person that everyone hates because they're a total pain/whiner/jerk/drain on resources. That stuff always comes back to bite people. If you need to complain about things, which you will eventually, limit it to your SO or your best bud in the department who you're sure will keep it on the DL. If you haven't had a lot of experience with it, read a bunch of journal articles over the summer to get in the groove. You don't have to understand everything they're saying, especially in the analysis section, but it'll help you be ready to hit the ground running. You'll be miles ahead of some people in your cohort. The most important thing I've ever learned in any context: Always, always be nice to the administrative staff. In addition to being excellent people (for the most part) who deserve respect, they also wield a lot of power. When you miss a deadline or need to get signed up for a class or have some sort of emergency (which will happen sometime in the next six years), secretaries are the ones who will save your ass. Another hint: A lot of young grad students feel like frauds -- it's a really common phenomenon called Impostor Syndrome. Don't freak out. Everyone is just as nervous as you are. Just knowing that might help. You'll do great!

I'm moving to Seattle from the east coast. What banks do people tend to use out there? Wachovia and BB&T, the major banks in our area, don't really seem to exist that far west.

Jacib is completely right in my experience. I hadn't taken a math class since I was 15 before coming to grad school and was quivering in my boots, but I ended up loving quantitative methods. As noted above, most data classes focus on learning how to use the software and then knowing what the numbers mean when the computer spits them out. Seeing quant methods in context helps them make a lot more sense, so reading a lot of articles may make you more comfortable. Also, quantitative skills are absolutely vital in both academic and non-academic job markets. From what I've heard, people who avoided developing them in grad school have a very hard time finding employment.

I currently attend another public school in Virginia but have spent a lot of time at UVA. The area is gorgeous and Charlottesville is arguably the best college town in the state. Since it's a small city, it has amenities and resources unavailable to smaller college towns. The weather is temperate and we get all four seasons (fall is definitely the best). It's two hours from Washington D.C., which is a major perk -- the museums at the Smithsonian are mind-blowingly awesome and admission is free. 550 miles of the Appalachian Trail run across Virginia and it's paradise for backpackers, campers, and nature-lovers. The mountains are blue, which is a neat sight. Be forewarned, UVA has a huge Greek scene and can be really fratty. Loud parties galore, though I'm sure there are places to escape. My advisor got his Ph.D. in sociology there back in the '90s and speaks highly of the program and faculty. It's been a long time, though, so I don't know how things have changed. That's all I can tell you, and little of it relates to the department. Not a bad place to spend five years, though.