Demographer

I applied to 5 programs, and after hearing back (and accepted) to 3 of them, withdrew my application from the other two. I applied straight out of undergrad, and all 5 programs I applied to were top 15 (4 in top 10). Of course you should strive for a good GPA and good GRE scores...but that's not enough. Here is the secret to getting into the best program: I am convinced that the most important thing to get you into the top programs is to have research experience. A PhD is essentially a research degree. You are paid and expected to produce research which will bring the department more grant money and more recognition. With that in mind, who are they most likely to accept? Someone who works hard is absolutely important (GRE and GPA) BUT someone who works hard AND can show the committee that they can research is by far the most important influence. Pursue as many experiences as you can...ask your professors if you can help them with their research, or even better, if they will mentor you in your research. Write to professors oversees and tell them that you will volunteer to help them research. This will show a huge effort on your part, and also give you international research experience. Not only will research experience catapult you into a great school, but will also give you a sense of what grad school is like.

I'll do my best to give you the 411 on demography: Schools offering a PhD in demography are UPenn, Berkeley, and Princeton. They are all great programs, and their alum (from all 3 schools) have gone on to become some of the best demographers in the world. In fact, the Max-Plank Institute for Demographic Research (in Germany) and Vienna Institute of Demography are run by grads of Berkeley and Penn (respectively). At all of these schools, you can apply for a joint PhD in demography and another related discipline, usually sociology or economics. Also, if you are interested in public health/fertility, look at Johns Hopkis--PhD in reproductive health. UTexas at San Antonio has started a PhD in applied demography, but I am not too familiar with its reputation and/or quality. If social demography is your calling, you can receive great training in many universities' sociology phd programs. Wisconsin, Michigan, UNC, Duke, U-Texas, Penn State, UCLA, UMD, FSU, Brown, (I am sure I am missing some), and of course, Penn, Berkeley and Princeton. Finally, the number of applicants for the PhD programs at Penn, Berkeley, and Princeton is FAR lower than the applicants for their sociology programs. It may seem like a great idea to apply to demography and then enter in sociology at a later time. If demography is your focus, consider this possibility, but also keep in mind that the applicants for demography are usually extremely qualified with both experience and/or master degrees. For sociology, there are a fair amount of undergrads applying directly for the PhD, likely making the applicant pool somewhat less competitive. Any questions? How I know this info: I am an aspiring demographer and will be starting a PhD program next year in demography

From the impression I get, you should apply to the program which you feel best reflects your interests. If your primary interests are in population, it may be better to apply to the demography department. Keep in mind, however, that in the event you apply to the demography department and your research interests extend into other fields of sociology outside of demography, you may want to apply to sociology.

Hello, I am new to the forum and hesitated to put up this information, but perhaps there are people who are now in graduate school for sociology who could advise me on my application. I will graduate undergrad with a double major in International Studies and Spanish (3.91, PBK) from a fairly reputable university. I took my GRE and received a 1280 (q-720, v-560). I will have experience doing undergraduate research at an Ivy league's population research center as well as at Oxford (both in the field of demography--the field in which I would like to specialize). This past semester, I did an undergraduate research project on low fertility and its causal factors which I am hoping to get published in my university's undergraduate research journal. Do you think that I would be a possible candidate for top sociology programs (with a strong focus in population) such as Princeton, UNC-CH or UPenn? Do you have any suggestions as to how I could improve my application? Should I retake my the GRE or are my scores acceptable (no pun intended..)? Thank you very much in advance. I am grateful that this website exists and hope to hear from past applicants.