hip2btriangle

hey gbs8, would you be able to post your update to the results page? would love to know if schools we have applied to are doing outreach of any kind! from a welcome weekend i went to last year (it wasn't an interview weekend; we had already been admitted), i brought business/casual clothes and had read a bulk of the recent research by any faculty there that i had an interest in working with. i really found this to be a great way to organize my conversations, and was able to ask questions about their research as it related to potential ideas i had for my own. i'd really encourage, particularly because it's an interview weekend, to be prepared to be a little assertive. i was definitely nervous, but i remember some people trying to talk over others and get more attention from profs than the other admits. know that you've got great ideas, and that you're interested in these professors' work, too -- and ask them about it! even if you're nervous. you were invited for a reason.

this whole waiting process makes me sick, and i wish i could just fast forward to may. kthanksbai.

that happened to me, too!!! and what was worse was that she asked me to "proof" it for her in her office, when in fact i started to cry...an amazing and horribly embarrassing experience at the same time.

totally acceptable :]

- struggled in undergrad due to some pretty bad discrim. issues, so not-so-shiny GPA from a relatively unknown college - took more than two GRE exams with scores that regressed each time (but I got over 90% on AW, right? the most important section! ... ) - just noticed some errors on my writing sample. on the first page. fml.

this is fun! and a welcome distraction (is it a distraction?) from the agony of waiting: - near 4.0 gpa in MA program for the field at a top ranked school - co-author on paper on really cool stuff with one of my research heroes (and s/he's well-respected among others in the subfield) - presented one of my own papers at the biggest national conference in the field, and was approached afterwards by some majorly cool profs. and students (holler!) darnit, i'm great!!!!!!!!!!

Here's a fun story! I just called a grad office to check on something odd that appeared on my web application status -- the assistant look through my file, said it's ready for review, and assured me there was no error. I said: "Oh, great, so I have no need to worry then!" "Well...you DO have a need to worry. Nothing is constant anymore, nothing is certain. There are plenty of reasons to worry!" "Oh. Thanks." Seriously? Seriously?? On the verge of adcom decisions, SERIOUSLY??

given that there still seems to be a lot up in the air with all of this, does anyone have any sense of how adcom's look at people with multiple (say....three? ) GRE scores? i've been told some schools take the best scores from each, some take averages of all. and for the quote above, if my scores were factored into their applicant averages...which score would they use to add to that? my best scores or my average? just curious.

do some searches for schools using the results page ("northwestern sociology" etc.) -- you'll see when some people received acceptances. i know that UCI and stanford announce end jan/first few days of feb.

it's terrifying to know that our futures will pretty much be decided beginning in three and a half weeks. i know a couple top schools start making acceptances at the end of Jan/very early feb.

yeah, um...this thread on makes the department seem a little terrifying.

the department secretary is very helpful -- i think as long as she says everything's good, you're all set. i had a bunch of problems with rackham's application system and she helped me work them all out.

chicago has kristin schilt; she does a ton with sexualities and has done research on trans topics. i have heard generally, though that chicago is a bit more on the conservative side gender/sex though.

i've known people with similar backgrounds that have been admitted to schools ranked similarly to those you listed, so don't give up hope. i think my hope with this thread was that we might be able to create a more realistic spread of applicant stats so future applicants can sort of gauge their chances a little more accurately, but i should have realized that only stronger applicants would lay it out. too bad thegradcafe results page doesn't ask people to anonymously submit details about their application (even just GRE or GPA).

if anyone watching this thread has UNDER a 1500 combined GRE score, don't be ashamed to post general stats. i'm hoping there are more people (like myself) with more colorful applications.

oof, i knew starting this thread would be humbling. with your GRE scores, i'd say you're in the running for those schools and the rest lies with your application. i might add another rutgers-esque school or two to your list of programs; i'm not entirely sure this forum has demonstrated that having an MA really helps dramatically.

As promised: U/GPA: 3.2, unranked private, went for full-ride but then it all sucked because of discrim. issues at school MA/GPA: 3.9, top ranked private, presented my own research at ASA and publishing other research with prof. from this school in spring GRE: 60%Q/80%V/90%A (failboat; hoping my research experience and top grades in methods classes [stats, qual methods, measurement eval] will somehow lessen this blow) Research interests: gender/sexuality, education Applied to: schools with strong depts in gender/sexuality that have good fit faculty for my interests -- includes some of the schools listed above ;]

I debate a lot about sharing applicant information on forums, not really because of security but because I'm not sure how helpful it is in the long run in terms of determining admissions' decisions. Very few top schools (besides UW, I think) release detailed information about applicant averages for admissions/denial/etc., and for this reason I do think it's helpful to start creating an anonymous history of info about applicants so that future generations can get a sense of where they should apply and where they shouldn't waste their money. Does anyone have an interest in starting a thread that lists our info? Maybe roughly rounded GRE percentiles, GPAs, what kinds of institutions we come from (private, public, well ranked or not), if we have research/presentation experience, research interests, etc? And maybe a ballpark of the kinds of schools we're applying to? If others want to do this, I'll join in.

It really feels like either nobody is applying this year (*prays*) or this forum is seriously underutilized as compared with last year. I applied last year and felt like I was in the midst of an energetic community of anxious hope and fear. Not this fall!

not sure about that particular branch of network theory, but check our UC-Irvine; i hear they have a strong department for networks.

i think all optional essays should only be written if you have something meaningful to say. take a stab at the essay, but since there's not much time before the dec 1 deadline i'd really make sure it's a good essay otherwise i'd just not write it to begin with. i ended up paraphrasing a personal history statement used for other schools.

Similar boat. Prof. in my top 10 grad school (MA) program advised the same. They don't need to be reminded of "discrepancies" once they've already moved past it from any cuts they might make

who did you talk to at the department? someone from the front desk or on the administrative side of assembling applications? i highly doubt applications are being reviewed now. anyone assembling applications for the admissions committee to review would also know the average length. i'm more concerned that the UM-wolverine visual of my application is messed up in ways i cannot control, and the graduate admissions center isn't that helpful reconciling the issues.

Do everything you can to make sure you postmark things on time, but know that 99% of all offices that handle admissions know that there is a grace period of literally a month to tie loose ends together. If something is late, be ready to kiss up to the person answering the phones at the department. They can really save you in a pinch.

update: it was (he/she/ze was) awkward. sad.