tt503

No, I don't think it'll matter a bit. Most people don't finish the degree they're working on until the spring, so it's not an uncommon situation at all. Your last semester of graduate work is not really going to matter *that* much in deciding your fate (depending on the coursework, I guess). My advice is to really focus on your GRE score to offset that low ugpa (I also have a low ugpa and am applying for a PhD in sociology of religion in the fall of 2012) and really examine your research interests to determine your "fit" with faculty, and apply broadly.

Unless you're applying to a program that you really don't want to attend (I'm really surprised people do this), always rank that program first. Grad programs want students who *want* to be there. Leaving it blank isn't bad, but it might seem like you want to attend another school and purposely didn't want to disclose that. Basically, you just lost the opportunity to show school spirit, but it won't make/break your application.

Cornell doesn't re-open until after the 3rd. I would suggest putting the three most relevant (e.g. one's you've received degrees from) as the ones listed, and then send your transcripts for all (assuming this is due the 1st or 2nd). Then, when they re-open, call and clarify.

This list looks great. Also, it might be helpful if you indicate which programs interview as well as the notified interview dates.

I don't have a degree in sociology, rather they are Jewish Studies and International Development. I took a general sociology course 10+ years ago, and I've taken two courses (on Classical Sociological Theory and research methods) at the Ivy where I'm finishing up. I'm currently TA-ing and working on my thesis, which I hope to submit some chapters from it to conferences in the upcoming year.

Notre Dame as their 2011-2012 reading list published, which is really helpful for independent study. I really like their dept. a lot.

Yes, my ugpa is lower than a 3.0. I asked a professor (the chair of a related dept. at my most recent school), and he said my best bet at overcoming that obstacle (in terms of clearing administrative hurdles) was a ridiculously high GRE...of course, every school differs...sigh.

I'm just nervous because past posts (on this site) seem to indicate a severe deficiency in your app if you didn't study sociology as an ug (and like I mentioned, my ugpa was low, even X<3.0)...

My dream school is Wisconsin (like almost everybody else's), but I also really like Yale, Notre Dame and UCSD (I'm also looking at interdisciplinary programs outside sociology that also fit my interests, like Columbia's MESAAS--which has a strong theory emphasis). My interests are mostly sociology of religion, culture, historical and comparative, and theory. I wasn't a sociology major in undergrad (which was 10 years ago), but I took two courses at the lower Ivy that I'm currently attending (Classical Soc. Theory and a research methods course), and received A's in those. My stats... I have a double major in English and Religion with an appallingly low ug (10 years ago) from a private, no-name liberal arts school. (this is what has kept me out thus far...I'm re-taking the GRE to overcome this weakness). I have a M.A. in a historical, interdisciplinary field (3.7+) I will have an M.S. in a social science field from an Ivy (3.8+) I have published an article in a book (gender theory and religion), and a poster presentation (international agriculture). I have presented at an international conference (religion). I have taught five undergraduate courses as the primary instructor (with two different institutions) I'm a TA at the Ivy, and have done three classes (Two in religion, one in Bio and Environmental Engineering) I have research experience in 5 languages (though 3 of them are dead languages and not relevant to anything whatsoever), and am at the intermediate level in both Arabic and Hebrew. I have overseas fieldwork experience with a top Ivy. Undergraduate/Graduate awards, an internship and all that stuff. I'm not applying until 2012 because I want to re-take the GREs and get a ridiculously high score. Do I seem competitive for these types of schools? I'm not really interested in rank, but really what I like in the programs and where I think I could succeed. If there are other programs that you think I should look at, feel free to let me know.

Get in anywhere? Sure, you can get in some places. Get into the schools you're looking at? A completely different story. You're looking at Ivies and often, even the most competitive applicants get turned down (even if the acceptance rate like at HDS/YDS hovers around 45%). I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but I applied to HDS and YDS with a higher ugpa (still a X<3.0) than you (and I worked full time + had a chronic illness), had a masters degree in a relevant field (with a significantly higher GPA), a publication, conference presentation, had 3 ancient languages, two modern ones, taught two undergraduate courses as an adjunct, and had fieldwork experience with one of the schools--this "experience" should overshadow my sub-par GPA from 8 years earlier. Still, I didn't get in. And I applied two years in a row. YDS told me that for the MAR, they look for candidates with a 3.7+. For the MDiv, it is a bit lower, but you still have to have LOR from a clergy member and have an idea where you want to end up in terms of denomination. Thus, there's a significant difference between doing an MDiv than an MTS, and even more so from getting an MPH or AM in random fields. Yes, your GRE score will overcome some of your GPA, but more so, you need to focus really on what you want to do with your life. This reads a bit like you're unsure of what you want to study/do and so you've decided to apply to programs that *might* accept you. Essentially, you're setting yourself up for more mediocre grades, because you'll be taking courses just to take them--not passionately spending time in the library soaking up all this stuff that you can't live without. I can suggest mid-tier programs in religious studies, but I would need more info about what intellectually interests you and what you want to pursue in order to answer that. P.S. I'm at a different Ivy now and TA. So it can be done, but it takes tenacity, creativity and patience.

I have a little lower GRE verbal than you (the math and AW are comparable) and I decided to put my applications off until next year to pull up my scores to have a decent chance at Columbia. Then again, you might have a great fit, so these things are hard to tell. I'd say go for it, but don't think you're an auto-admit. :-)

If I'm reading this right, you've completed two years out of a four year program? Do you have an undergraduate degree (that is accredited)? It doesn't sound rigorous if it was all pass/fail, and in that respect, I would look at applying to a post-bacc program in an area that interests you (if you have a four year degree). This would give you more experience in the United States to explore more areas of research, give you actual grades, and also better letters of recommendation. It might be more out-of-pocket expense, but then you can narrow your focus and give you an entry point for graduate schools (whether Masters or Ph.D).

They are important if you have a low UG GPA (which I did, I have a good excuse, but it still kept me out for two rounds). The professor is a former dept. chair, so I trust him when he says, "re-take the GRE." I'm planning on taking the funding for another year, I just really hate to keep pushing back my plans (e.g. I will have over 100 credits from my graduate degrees before I enter a Ph.D. program)...

I was going to apply for a Ph.D. this year, but after discussing it with the professor that I'm currently TA-ing for, he told me that if I were to score higher on the GREs, I would be a lot more competitive than I am now, and he offered me funding for an extra year of study to have time to develop a solid writing sample and take the GREs next year (last time I took them was in 2008). I'm done meeting the requirements for my program, and this is my second master's degree (from an Ivy). The problem is that I'll be 30 next year and probably around 35 by the time I'm finished with my Ph.D. (I'm assuming that with all the credits I've racked up, I can petition for advanced standing with some programs). Many of my friends already have Ph.Ds because they were accepted right out of undergrad, and I wasn't accepted anywhere for two cycles (hence the extra course work) and I'm under the impression that being 35+ will hurt me on the job market, because they will want to hire someone younger and more of an academic "superstar"....If it helps, I'm looking at history/historical sociology/middle east programs. Thoughts?

I don't know about Early Christian Studies, but I was accepted to the PhD program in Semitic Philology without funding...I think this is quite common, as the fellowships (at least in this department) were university determined (which I gathered are basically based off of quantitative factors such as GRE/GPA), not departmentally determined. Also, I had a heck of a time getting any information from anyone.

This seems like a midterm prompt. I'm not going to do your homework for you.

Based on this description, I'm 99% sure I know what institution you're talking about... I was rejected twice for what I thought I wanted. I had a ridiculously horrible undergraduate GPA, because I got sick (e.g. diagnosed with an auto-immune disease) during a semester (at a school without grade forgiveness) that dropped my 3.4 GPA down to a 2.7. I went to an accredited small college (in a metropolitan area with professors with ties to many prestigious universities), and had a 3.7+ graduate GPA, including teaching my own college courses (2 of them, one particularly in my field), learning the requisite languages, overseas fieldwork experience, publishing an article and presenting at an international conference. I thought that I had sufficiently proven that I was not my GPA. I applied for another master's program that feeds into the PhD program I ultimately wanted (and provides funding for the Masters), but was rejected, twice. And these rejections stung because I knew undergraduates were admitted with significantly less experience or language work. This was when it became evident to me that fit matters and admissions decisions are not necessarily based on merit. I met with the leading professor in the field and was told "if you're interested in doing ANYTHING else, do it"...I ended up auditing a course (at super-prestigious) university, and having an altogether bad experience (actually, multiple bad experiences with the post-doc professor and colleagues). I lost my drive and passion for what I thought I wanted to do (and I didn't have the background to do it on my own), so I took time off (not necessarily by my own choice, but time off nonetheless). I thought of different things I could do, involving working overseas or in a different field of study. I applied to an interdisciplinary field (at an Ivy, no less) and was accepted. I've worked really hard here and have the highest GPA I've ever had, produced some work that was included for a poster presentation, found what I really enjoy doing (it's very social theory-driven), and I'm even a TA for classes in a variety of disciplines (engineering and humanities). I'm applying for PhDs this round not based on "what I think I want to do" but rather "what I'm doing and trying to develop" and know more about the programs that I'm applying to and the scholars I want to work with (rather than just school prestige). I'm not only applying for top-tier programs, but a variety of places (top programs, 10-50 ranking. 50+ ranking), and one of my letter writers has been the supervisor of two of my prospective POIs at these colleges. I feel that I'm in a much more secure place this time around and I have a much more cohesive project to propose and have an idea of where I fit in the academic spectrum. None of this has come remotely easily, and I'm still terrified that the five years I've spent in graduate school "proving" myself still won't result in being in a program where I can pursue my intellectual questions. I'm quite neurotic about it. I think the feeling from internet boards like these generates a sense of fear, that if you don't have perfect GPAs or GREs, you don't have a shot. Although quantitative measures like these are certainly important if you want the best of the best programs, they don't define your happiness, mental health or how successful you can be in the "right" department, regardless if its high-ranking.

I'm applying to 7 programs (some in historical sociology, some in other disciplines). Two are definite reaches, Four are (what I think are) good fits, and one is a program that I'm already TAing for but not necessarily a good fit for the dept. faculty. I don't have the time, energy or $$$ to apply for more than this (and if I fail, I probably need to re-assess my strategy anyway).

If it helps, I've taught English courses at the undergraduate level and only received a 4.5 on my AW. I'm not stressing about it.

Don't include the syllabus under publications (doing so would probably get you laughed at), but include a description of your time at the museum (under "relevant experience" or something of that nature) mentioning that one of your jobs was to create a syllabus for that particular course.

I think everyone feels this way. Don't feel too glum about it. Just try to finish your apps and then put it out of your mind for awhile. It isn't the end of the world if you don't get in. I'm doing my second Master's and still waiting for the golden ticket. :-)

Internships aren't really that important, though they really won't hurt. Master's programs are notoriously less competitive than PhDs, so you won't be a disadvantage if you don't have "internships"... Your stats look good. Just make sure that you note that it is University of Chicago and not Chicago University ;-) Also, Chicago and Columbia are very different programs, so make sure you have a focused area of interest.

It depends on how far removed from your ugpa you are...in some cases. If you can demonstrate that you've matured, it would be in your favor. Here's my advice: Don't just go to any Master's degree program that will take you, unless you're financially able to do it. Many probably wouldn't provide funding, and 2 years is a lot of loans, and a department's reputation is mildly important when considering PhD apps. It would probably be in your best interest to take a year off, discover what you really want to do (e.g. going for a PhD just for the sake of it because you don't think you're competitive for med school...that's not really going to go over well in a personal statement). If you still want to pursue it, during that year you should: -read up on some of the literature in the field, get an idea of who interests you, where they are/what programs you would be a good fit for -study hard for the GRE (and I think there is a Chem Subject GRE)...both are opportunities to show that you aren't your GPA I chose to attend a Master's degree program because of a low GPA (I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, and basically sunk my GPA from a 3.4+ to a 2.7...my school didn't have a grade forgiveness policy), and when it was time to apply for PhDs, I was told my M.A. wasn't from a "rigorous" enough program to be taken seriously. I've had to do an additional Master's degree...and even now I'm not sure how my stats are going to be viewed by adcoms, despite the fact that my undergrad GPA is 10 years old, all my graduate work is 3.7+, and I've TA'd at a very rigorous school (in pretty much opposite disciplines) and taught my own classes, etc. I'm trying not to think that 5 years of successful graduate work might still not get me into programs, and I might've just wasted approximately 6 years of my life...but who knows. :-)

I used it for a round of PhD applications and wasn't impressed. I'm a native English speaker and have taught undergraduate English courses though, so I thought my SOP was better before they made (rather generic) edits. It might be helpful for ESL students. The round of applications that I used the editing service--I didn't get into any programs with funding (only 1/8, and that offer was unfunded). Your departmental fit matters the most, conveyed through an SOP. Editing services rarely can give you feedback on those types of things.

There typically isn't a space in online applications to report each institution separately. It usually just says, "Undergraduate GPA."