allhandsonthebadone

dirty look

I believe there was a case where there was one very early acceptance from U of C sociology last year. Either way funny how we can get riled up so easily.

There is the MAPPS program at the University of Chicago which is one year and has been very helpful for people trying to get into the top programs. It's usually offered as a consolation prize for those who don't get into the PhD program. I don't think either program is easy to get into.

The only thing I got from U of Chicago today was an email invitation to apply for FLAS funding. It was addressed "Dear Applicant."

Jack White

bumper bowling

Panama Canal

Peking duck

Silversun Pickups

When it comes to personal statements I absolutely did tailor them to each schools length and had them implicitly answer the questions each school wanted to be answered on the personal statement. My base personal statement was looked over by some professors and a Harvard grad and I altered it (often a lot) for each school. My big worry now is that for my list of schools I do feel I am a good candidate. I just don't know if I am a great candidate. Research experience is my worry. I have done an undergraduate thesis and one of my LOR writers taught research methods classes and stressed my prowess for that but I don't know if that will be enough.

When I checked mine I saw my hard copy of a transcript I sent personally was not recorded and everything else was. However whenI called the grad school they told me not to worry that the important thing is that the same transcripts uploaded by the time applications are reviewed. Hope this helps!

When I did my research on schools faculty ascertaining fit I saw quite a few faculty with a Ph.D from Yale. It seems that despite the low ranking in sociology in comparison to its overall prestige the prestige holds up well. If you really think Yale would be a wonderful place to go and considering how competitive your list is I personally don't think it would hurt to fire another shot.

I am sure as you have searched department faculties where you see the PhDs are coming from and what school's alumni get jobs. That can give you an idea of what schools place people into faculty positions. I think you see more well ranked departments along wtih a smattering of schools with great reputations but departments ranked lower than their overall reputation. Personally I applied to schools that I love and when I hopefully get some yes will weigh funding offer and fit as my top two priorities.

Its pretty normal to waver from "I am a competitive applicant anywhere" to "I have no chance in hell." I approached the application writing from the former standpoint and will probably have the latter standpoint until I have my first yes. Hopefully I will have one yes. It is all I need. Anyway I chose my top 15 schools per my own criteria. It's pretty top heavy. Harvard Wisconsin Princeton Cal Stanford Toronto Northwestern North Carolina UCLA NYU Chicago Michigan Columbia Penn Indiana Good luck all. As idiosyncratic as this process seems we are all going to need some.

fly zapper

I have a system where I prepare an application a week. I do fifteen because I see $1,000 (which what I will most likely spend for all of those application fees) is a good investment considering that most likely (hopefully) one of those fifteen will say yes with funding. Just best to fire as many shots as you can so you don't end up empty handed.

My personal policy is that I will only mention a professor's name only if I have contacted that professor directly (and they answered back enthusiastically) or if they were referred to me by the original point of contact and I feel that there areas of studies could be applied to mine. Most schools I mention some names but two I haven't. Guess I will find out what works in January-March.

I am applying to up to 15 schools and anywhere I do decide to apply to is good in my eyes. I think I am a competitive candidate anywhere and hope that's enough schools to assure at least one says yes with funding + stipend.

Just for context my stats are a GPA of 3.87 (3.93 for my last two years) and a GRE of Q: 750-800 V: 750-800. I do also have original research background in my undergraduate thesis. Other than academic awards nothing else. I plan on applying to at least ten schools. I feel that I really could get into any school with my background and I created a bit of a system where I weigh perceived fit, ranking, prestige, location, and cost (which will become first when I get responses) in respective importance. All of the schools I have decided to apply to so far are in the top 10. Despite applying to a lot of places part of me wonders by not spreading things about by selectivity if I am setting myself for a 0 for 10 application session. Then again I hear people say that one shouldn't have safety schools. I suppose its part of the normal second guessing one has during this process but a little feedback or support would be great.

Well wishers

I can think of several reasons for my aversion for name dropping. The main is that really no one in the sociological field is doing exactly what I am interested in (the evolving face of stigma and how the advent of the internet and other social networking technologies have allowed for an unprecedented number of highly stigmatized groups to be more socially mobile). The people who are fits are more or less obliquely related (internet based research, stigma in terms of race and gender stratification, etc). I doubt that I am the only one with this problem. For all I know this could be as a cliche as a teenager trying to find his or her identity. Also there isn't one professor I feel I "must" work with I just want to know more or less whether my interests would gel as well as get my name a little known before they get my application. As for those I haven't heard of I chalked it up to more a matter of the professor being busy or just missing the email for one reason or another. Even the professors I closely worked with at undergrad don't respond do every email I send. I am applying to top flight programs which bascially guarantee funding so I doubt that is the issue. Thank you for your advice about ways to initiate and continue dialogue.

Right now I am fretting about how to strike the right balance between contacting professors and building report and coming across as pretentious and pushy. So far for all the schools that I have found to be a reasonable fit I sent a brief introduction email (who I am, what I am interested in, are we a good fit?, any helpful books or articles?) To my delight I have received several positive responses and some references of people to contact. As I prepare my personal statement and tailor it to each individual schools I have had no problem tailoring it to schools in which I haven't heard a response but feel is a good fit anyway by stressing facets of the program that fit my interests and inexplicitly referring to research areas certain professors are known for without name dropping. The trouble I have is oddly enough from the schools which have had a positive reaction to my emails. I read some professor articles and mentally associated with what hope to do and work in graduate school. I would like to start and/or continue dialogue but I can't help but feel that jumping right into theory would come across as pretentious and the agenda (wanting to get in the program) would be way too transparent. I'm hesitant to name drop on the personal statement for the same reasons. Any advice on how to achieve the right balance? Thanks ahead of time!