sociology27

optimism fading...

I remember when we were all listing the schools we applied to, quite a few had UCSB listed, myself included. Now, we know that one person was accepted last week, but I'm wondering if anybody else has any news. It seems strange that just one person on this whole board got accepted (when so many of us applied). Maybe that's a problem of biased/small sample size, but I'm still left with the (possibly too) optimistic belief that there is going to be another round. Anybody else have any thoughts on the matter?

Anybody want to claim the Duke one?

Do they cover the travel costs for your trip? The email was a little vague.

thanks for the information. It's nice to know what I'm in for. I'm pretty happy to get an invite. It makes me feel better (along with the Rutgers interview) about my application.

Did anybody else get an invite to ND for visit weekend? I'm wondering what to expect/how many people from the short list make the actual list. Anybody have any insight into this thing?

I haven't heard anything back. I'd certainly take a waitlist. At the most, you'll get in in a month or so. At worst, it means you're very competitive and should feel good about your chances at other schools. I have a bad feeling I'm rejected; just cause I think logically they might send out acceptances and waitlists at the same time... and maybe rejections later. I guess I'm a pessimist.

Berkeley waitlist... anyone? Strange to see a waitlist up there before any acceptances. It's my top school, so if anybody want to come forward with info, that'd be great.

It's not about being an "intellectual" or living a "life of the mind." I'm not being cute. I'm appreciating the material benefits of going to graduate school and recognizing the privilege of someone paying me to study things I will be studying anyway. I think I just conceptualize "material" differently than you do. I'm not some idealist who thinks they're going to be showered with cash because they like Kant or Foucault. But time itself is valuable, and as much as grad students love to complain about how busy they are, they're still given more time to think about these issues (and more incentive) than are other people. If you start to view schooling and education as a means to an end, then you'll start viewing research in the same way. Sadly, in my opinion, too many people have taken this perspective. So we arrive at a academic environment that's more concerned with status and privilege than openness and conversation. I don't believe in the pure intellectual or any such nonsense. I just think that you should do what you love for as long as you can. If someone is going to subsidize my curiosity and my hope to help others figure some shit out, I welcome it with open arms. This is not to say I don't want a tenure-track position. I just don't see it as the end of the world if I come out making 40K a year as a lecturer. I'm not someone who says "money doesn't matter." (In my experience the only people who say that are those who have consistently had it). All I'm saying is that I don't think we need as much as we're taught to think we need. Academia isn't perfect. It isn't all fun and creative exploration. But compared to other professions, it's as close as we can really get to have freedom to explore what we want. Maybe not all the time, but enough that it beats out journalism/law/policy/etc.

It's a very practical way of looking at graduate school, a cost/benefit analysis that quantifies the whole endeavor. The problem is this: what about the non-quantifiable? (gasp!!) There is another way of looking at obtaining a PhD that is both more comforting and more applicable to myself. As someone who studies social theory, and intent on bringing deep philosophical questions into my research, I see these 5-7 years as an opportunity to explore the issues most elemental and important to my existence as a human being. This might seem grandiose, but I don't believe it is. How many people really get to spend large chunks of time thinking HARD about structure/agency, death, nationality, individuality, capitalism, materialism, the possibility of society, the structures of language, the pauses and power plays in basic conversation? Maybe I can't sell what I learn in the marketplace. Maybe I'll toil in a lecture position for decades and people will take coffee breaks when it's my turn to speak at a conference. But I'll have been given the time, opportunity, and guidance to explore the big questions surrounding our existences, individual consciousnesses, and socially constituted worlds. And that's an opportunity most people don't get (maybe most people don't want?) I just don't want to sit during my old age and then start thinking about these things, start questioning what the hell it was that I experienced, what is it that I am, and what is it that I might be after death. I'm young, unemployed, curious, and mentally healthy right now. So if all I get out of the next 6 years is a little closer to the answers to some of these questions, graduate school will have been worth it for me. And if I don't... well, at least I can die knowing I was heading for shore (ray bradbury reference, anyone?).

How long was everyone's SOPs when not given a limit? I think mine was longer than most peoples, but I think I filled it substantially. It was 2 pages, single spaced...

Thanks for the advice. I was actually really specific with my research ideas in my SOP (possibly too specific?). I also tried to play up the sociological nature of some of my other classes, and explain in one sentence why I made the shift. I'm not too worried about my SOP or that they're going to say, "he has no idea what sociologists do." I'm just slightly concerned that the fact that I've only taken one sociology class and that my LORs are not high profile profs (much less high profile sociology profs) is going to be the swing factor in my case. But I suppose there's no use in worrying now. God grant me the... And so on.

I dont no, yahoo used to be much better then google, than google just sorta skyrocketed. I guess your right though, theirs probably a reason for that.

I've brought this topic up before, but since we have more people reading/participating, I'd like to ask again: Does coming from a non-sociology background with no MA significantly decrease your chances of admissions? I'm coming from Poli Sci and Econ. I've learned a difficult language and definitely have the "stats" for a great program. I also believe I picked really good fits. My LORs are probably so-so, and none of the profs are sociology. So I guess I'm just concerned my lack of sociology background is gonna really hurt me--in both the top top ranked programs, and those in the 30s-50s. Thoughts???? Don't be gentle, I need brutal truth right now.

Anybody want to claim the interview requests from Indiana? Maybe share their profiles?

Out of curiosity, is anyone getting hits on their academia.edu page? I usually get emails when someone is checking out my account. I kind of expected to have a bunch of hits during this time (assuming the committees are searching me on google). But I haven't received any. I'm wondering if anybody else is?

Anybody want to claim the UCSB acceptance? I think a lot of us applied there and some more info. on how/what they were notified of would really help.

I figured I'd start a thread for the actual reporting of results. It should help weed out false reports and make it easier for people to claim posts on the results survey and possibly share their profiles. More than just allow us to compulsively compare (as we all do), congratulate, and predict, it would be beneficial for future applicants to see the range of profiles (stats, pubs, ages?, education levels, etc.) that both succeed and do not. This will help future applicants get a better idea of where they have a chance. I certainly wish there was a centralized place for this while I was applying. Anyway, I hope everyone participates. This is closest anybody is going to get to blacklighting the dirty hotel room that is graduate school admissions.

congrats! it's a great program

Anybody want to claim the UNC admit?

for anyone like's baseball/philosophy, this is funny... http://www.theonion.com/articles/prince-fielder-wondering-if-he-has-truly-free-agen,27032/

haha. that is graphic!

your*

waits... are you applying for political science or sociology? because the requirements/sought after credentials are going to be different with each one. You're GRE score is stellar for sociology, but about average for top 20 poli sci programs. But overall, you look like an excellent applicant for either program, that is if you put together a decent SOP. Good luck

that trailer is hilariously bad. It's so bad, it's good. I don't think I could sit through more that one minute and fifty two seconds of the actual movie.