spunkrag

water works

grass GIS

And after we get this question answered I need some help on my quarterly taxes.

I am not necessarily getting the "snobby" vibe because you frame it in your post as cheeky. But, I can certainly see where--after reading a serious SOP--problems might arise. The other posters who are suggesting a more serious conclusion are spot-on. I really don't think there's a "essay was too serious" penalty in SOPs, and if an adcomm sees your statement and perceives a lack of seriousness about your scholarship they will likely discard the essay and application.

One way to frame it might be an an "alternative approach" deal. Talk about your interests in examining alternative theories of such and such (hegemonic) idea. I wouldn't recommend directly attacking (or criticizing) other scholars for the same reasons other posters have said. If you do go that route, frame it as being critical of an idea, not a person.

This. I had the same exact experience. I found this forum in the fourth year of my Ph D program and couldn't believe some of the horror stories about grad school applications (and other issues too). I know they affect a relatively small proportion of applicants, but the bad stuff seems to often outweigh the good (or at least that's how I read into it.) I even found myself questioning how I managed to get into a reasonably well-respected doctoral program in my field (which is not soc, nor am I at KU). Also, learning how to meditate and practicing mindfulness are invaluable, especially for people living with anxiety and depression.

Isn't this what would happen if fewer overall applicants sent higher numbers of applications out? I'd def buy into that idea.

It is because we sent him this thread.

You should try and extract more money from the subject on account of having caused undue time loss on your behalf.

Cal State schools have your answer.

It is funny how this thread has many posts that mimic both the GRE section in question, as well as the article that critiquing the GRE. Grad students never stop obsessing about modeling and simulating the world. This is somewhat tangential to the (very specific) topic at hand, but in reading over this thread and remembering when I took the GRE (in Nov. of 2002, three weeks after the AW section was added---and programs I applied to didn't bother with the score, preferring to just use writing samples as a much better proxy), the GRE has become a real crapshow. I am aware that the test is used as a screening device for certain very basic skills that are an absolute requirement for success in graduate school; eliminating applicants who fail basic math is essential if AdComs expect to admit students planning on doing, I dunno, maximum likelihood estimation. I can see a similar view for the reading/writing portions of the exam, but at the same time standardizing language abilities is absurd. And reading comprehension? Please. When was the last time an adviser handed an article to a student, gave instructions to read a few passages, and then abruptly removed the article from the students eyes. Forever. That is not the brand of comprehension required for success as a scholar, and certainly not in graduate seminars, where groups students spend long periods of time analyzing and critiquing research, using as much available data, figures, and context as possible. I am aware of a couple of top ten programs in my field (it is not the one I list on my profile) that more or less follow university guidelines for GRE minimums, and beyond that consider GRE scores as a predictor of student success to a very minimal degree. Perhaps that is the future of the test?

What do your POIs say?

So what ended up happening with this situation? Did you re-apply?

Hawai'i f*cked me for the same reason when i applied for my MA. I get the feeling that no one knows what the hell they're doing over there. Not getting into UH is a benefit to you, though.

I am not reading all that.

Yes, go with the R1. There is a reason they call R2 "regret to the second".

Email them hourly until you get a response. This is too important to be left to the dustbin or personal biography or oral history.

Be safe and send it in on Friday. Universities are not as organized as the IRS, and cannot be relied upon to stick to a particular rule in case of a "Sunday 15th". Better reply early and not leave your future in the hands of an adcom that cannot agree on a date or communicate efficiently (future required skill alert).

Catfish is epioch. AMAZING. I don't think that the grad school process is anything like that, but this thread certainly brings a lot of the nonsense of that movie to life. The premise of the thread, not the replies, that is.

wait. what??? Program A sounds like the better fit. For the research, but there's the waitlist issue, which sounds like a barrier. Ask about the waitlist for Program A and if that doesn't work out go for program B.

Flagstaff gets a lot of snow. Much more than Phoenix or even Tucson.

Graduate students have more time than you think. Don't be fooled by people are merely projecting about work habits. Grad school is hard and time consuming, but so is any other job which is demanding and "career-oriented" (buzzword alert).

Make sure you really hit it out of the park with your thesis as well. This is easier said than done, but if done it will also prepare you well for what is expected of you in a Ph D program.

Who the hell voted this post down? Jesus. You'd have to suffer from some sort of profound mental retardation to try and get over on someone merely venting about rejections on a board devoted to, you know, the difficulties of getting into grad school. I hope you get into your programs, OldGrad. Sounds like there's many more you haven't heard from as of yet.

Mang, what a frustrating deal. Sorry this has happened.