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Congrats! Hopefully, I'll be as successful with ND next round as you were!

doing yoga makes me happy. once I get an extra stash of cash lying around, i want to do a certification course and teach that part-time as well. it's just really working a different part of your mind than all this reading. i'm an introvert, so: watching downton abbey. bubble baths. reading for pleasure that have nothing to do with anything i study (though c. wright mills would beg to differ). trying out new recipes.

Petersons.com will give you a ballpark estimate. However, it's skewed in a lot of ways (and sometimes, not up-to-date), particularly because the "admitted" number includes Master's candidates. So, one of the programs that I was thinking of applying to has a 46% acceptance rate (they just offer a lot of rejects unfunded Master's degrees, which skews the data), even though it is one of the most competitive programs and realistically only offer 3-4 spots out of 150+ applicants.

My background is also not in sociology, though I've had grad. level theory and methods classes, and working on beefing up my C.V. in this dept ( my interests are religion, theory, knowledge, historical-comparative, social movements/utopia...clearly I'm interested in more qual. methods which already alienates me from some programs). Next year, I'm applying to a handful of "sociology" programs , but also a lot of interdisciplinary programs too. I'd just say to apply to the programs you'd be happy attending, and not worry whether they fall in history/sociology/poli science. Obviously, you're going to have to tailor your PS to fit their methodologies, but a LOT of students (history included) I know take social theory classes to inform their research, and it might not be as disjointed as it appears.

I don't know about Maryland specifically, but usually it's not necessarily "bad." Some departments do things in waves, acceptances first, followed by funding info. Since the department coordinator usually is in the center of all the chaos, it makes their life easier to do it step-by-step instead of having to be responsible for all the outgoing information at one time. Don't freak out yet.

I'm finishing my fifth year in grad school. I'm still trying to get accepted into a PhD program. My plan (applying this fall) is to file in absentia to keep my health insurance and finish my thesis, move back home with my parents, make money, throw it at student loans/save up for apartment deposits while hanging out with my friends and taking time to de-stress from the whole application process.

Congrats on U Chicago! It's a great program. Both Chicago and Harvard are top-notch. I would also probably equate Princeton and Columbia in this category as well (for modern Middle East, not just Islamic Studies). I know a lot of people who would *kill* to get into Chicago, so you should be very proud of your accomplishment. With any of these programs, your adviser + the name can open up a lot of doors for you, but it also comes down to your own presentation/publication record as well.

This is pretty much the exact percentage breakdown of when I attend AAR/SBL/ASOR. It can be quite fun when you have friends in different departments scattered across the country.

I just broke up with my boyfriend because I'm finishing my Master's (and moving hundreds of miles away), moving home to work for a year and pay back some loans/save $$$ while applying for PhDs, while he's staying in NY working on his PhD (he basically said he wouldn't move, even though he's past quals and can do whatever he likes). It sucks, but at least I can focus all my energy on my work now. I guess there's a silver lining.

Sounds similar to me. I was scoring around 650+ for practice, and got a 590 on test day. Analogies killed me, every time. I'm really happy they've changed the verbal because it seems to favor more of my strengths (now I'm stlil practice testing at 90% and I'm not taking until July). I'm going through Barron's word list again, and I'm using old(er) textbooks to understand word relationships for sentence completions (understanding secondary meanings, etc). At the end of the day, it's significantly a vocab test. I haven't really messed up on any reading comprehensions, as I prepared simultaneously for the LSAT and reading comprehension on the LSAT is harder (the GRE basically seems wants you to understand organization--main idea, author's intent, sentence/word placement in passage) because you have to identify more things (flaws in argument, logical reasonings). This might be a helpful way to go about studying for the GRE RC, as it really does teach you what to look for while you're reading the passage.

William Cronon at Madison comes immediately to mind. I also second the STS programs (Cornell's is very good and seems to draw on ANT a lot in the class I took).

If you're set on Peace Corps, then you may want to look into Cornell's MPS International Development/Peace Corps option. They seem to really like Peace Corps applicants (or those wanting to go into the PC) and the acceptance rate is ~50%, so it's at least a good back up option. It is usually entirely self-funded though (no scholarships/fellowships), unless you can find it through other avenues.

Apply to the lower ranked schools with what you have, and work on your GRE scores this semester and apply for NYU and Brown in the summer (if the above info is correct and their deadlines are in the summer). This way you have your bases covered.

Thanks. Basically, I was told that both scores should be over the (old) 700 mark. I have about 8 months to do it, I'm not sweating it. I hear you about the working on research part. I'm developing my thesis and another paper to present at AAR (hopefully), and TAing. It's going to be a rough semester. Good luck with everything!

I understand that. At the time, I was applying to Religious Studies programs that weren't heavy in quant. Hence, why I'm studying harder this time around for the GRE.

I'm not sure about the ECS program, but I got into CUA's program in Semitic Philology awhile back, and their funding wasn't through the department, but through the entire school. Just be prepared if you're in a similar situation.

I had a verbal score in the 85%+, and a quantitative as pretty average (I don't remember the exact percentile, but it was 600). Two professors called my scores "mediocre" and said I should only apply to PhDs with higher scores, if anything, to make sure I at least don't get shut out. I know it isn't a magic admit, but I am well aware of the fact that my scores can keep me out of great programs.

I don't know about this specific field, but a top 5 program in any field is going to be regarded well by whoever is hiring you. Some schools in California would fare better overall (Stanford), but some schools in the Midwest are impressive as well (U Chicago). Ultimately though, if you aren't happy in the midwest, you won't be as successful as where you are happy. I suggest you visit (if you haven't already) to see what it is like. I've lived in the midwest for almost all my life and it's not that bad, particularly if you're near a bigger city.

I post what I have for lunch on fb, what music I'm listening to, what I'm doing later on that day. Why wouldn't I post what grad programs I get into?

If you have any questions about Dev. Soc. I can try to answer any. I just finished half of their required theory classes for incoming PhDs, but I'm not actually a student IN the dept.

Thanks!

I'm not applying this year...most likely, next year. Do you know if they are hiring faculty this year?

Hey everyone, I really, really like Chicago Div.'s PhD program in Anthropology and and Sociology of Religion (I'm actually quite drooling over the course schedule and reading list). Does anybody hear know more about applying to this program? I've heard/read some things in the past about the Divinity School (Chicago Div. is notoriously incestuous about taking their own Master's students for the PhD)...I'm just seeing what other people have been told...

Seriously? Suck it up. You need a reality check--get a job and stop acting like the world owes you anything. I worked retail and food service throughout college, and then I was able to work a secretarial job through my first Master's degree. You know what job opportunities that left me? Being a secretary and an adjunct professor, working 16+ hour days still living with my parents because even that income didn't pay well enough to move out on my own AND pay back my loans. Take a job for 8 months and be happy with what you have.

I'm starting a blog...it's in the building stages right now, but I'd be happy to link to others' blogs. http://mysociologicalimagination.com/