breaks0

I'm waiting on my probable rejects from cuny and ucsc and I would guess from Hopkins, I'm not aware that the latter has made any decisions yet. It would be nice to have at least 1 US school's offer, hopefully binghamton in my case cuz I'm a damn good fit there and it's better than nothing.

Socbr, since you're sharing, what was your AW? Honestly, I think your verbal is probably too low (my problem's the opposite, my math is way too low even though my other 2 scores are basically at the 99th percentile).. Your gpa being low is probably not a good thing either. But you are obviously qualified if not overqualified to excel at any top phd program worth it's reputation. I would try asking maybe 1 or more of your top choices that haven't worked out, including contacting the prof(s) you wanted to study with what the reasoning may have been to turn down your file. Every time i hear a story like this, I get more convinced the gre's time has passed, it's unfair to weigh it over someone writing scholarly books. Clearly. Do you have any options left for this current cycle? I've been there, and was there till I got my one offer the other day and even it's got a problem. You can im me if you want. Boa sorte! Thanks grad, got an email earlier this evening, polite as usual but generic, as Berkeley and the others have been. Actually I'm just 0-4 in this field so far. Good luck to you too! sociologygrad, on 13 Feb 2015 - 8:50 PM, said:

Well i was one of em, though I don't think that one. I don't know how report decisions to the results page of this site. I wasn't expecting to get in there, though that does make me 0-5 on sociology apps so far. I already have the de facto conditional geog acceptance from York and am optimistic on Binghamton sociology. Anything else will be icing on the cake, at least I'll be going somewhere next year.

Hydara and Howl, has anyone heard back from Santa Cruz? What is their deal? And I think all of us not admitted to CUNY are waiting on them (was anyone rejected yet?). My quant GRE was only a little higher than yours Hydra, so terrible percentile. See my comments on the gre over on that board. lol I did what you mbdt, except I didn't go for many top programs. I entirely tailored my apps to my interest factor which I hoped would be percevied as fit and i tried hard to argue that in my statements. I tried, so far w/little success. And partly as a result I only applied to a few top 20 schools and only a few more in the 20-40 range. It's very hard to find Marxist departments, the kind of sociology just is rare now, has been since the 80s cultural turn, unlike every other country I hear about re: socioogy. And re: fee waivers, honeslty the only schools I've seen that are income sensitive to app fee waivers are the UC schools and perhaps Oregon. Wisonsin didn't have one, CUNY's app fee is kinda outrageously high and waiver only for a vet (why would I join the military?) and every private school I've run into, very difficult to get it, except perhaps Stanford, but even there it's hard to get. it's a real catch 22, I think you do need to apply to a dozen or more programs, but who has the money especially to do that, it's hell of expensive and most of us I believe are poor, no?

Thanks all for your feedback!

Funny indeed. If only we could all be so bold, maybe a bit too bold.

So I had a phone interview w/grad program director of geography @ york u in toronto today. Says I'm a good fit, my research topic is "fascinating" and he could make me a funded offer, problem is foreigners like me still have to come up w/outside funding for the higher tuition we pay, at least for 2-3 years till I get Canadian residency.. So he's putting my file on hold b/c otherwise I'd have to make a decision within 30 days. It appears I have maybe till April 1 to come up w/the money. This is bitter sweet, doesn't change anything yet, but this is first type of call like this I've ever had. So does anyone have any suggestions on where to look for funding to study abroad at this time of year? I thought most US govt and major private sources had deadlines in early Fall. I know I must look terribly naive for asking this now, but figure it can't hurt. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Congrads Rita! I had a phone interview w/grad program director @ york u in toronto today. Says I'm a good fit, my research topic is "fascinating" and he could make me a funded offer, problem is foreigners like me still have to come up w/outside funding for the higher tuition we pay. So he's putting my file on hold b/c otherwise I'd have to make a decision within 30 days. It appears I have maybe till April 1 to come up w/the money. This is bitter sweet, doesn't change anything yet, but this is first type of call like this I've ever had. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to look for funding to study abroad at this time of year?

Thanks for the info Useless, I applied there, only heard back from one of the 3 profs I contacted. Nycres, no I've heard nothing so far re my app. Just know last week I think they sent out at least 5 acceptances. And I was told by the admin assistant in the dept office when I stopped by end of last month that the adcomm had had their 1st meeting and had made decisions for that round, that decisions should go out last week or so and that they might meet again. Tbd. Hope we both get in, good luck to you!

This is a diff field, but 1st piece of partly positive news I've had to report so.... had a phone interview w/grad program director of geography @ york u in toronto today. Says I'm a good fit, my research topic is "fascinating" and he could make me a funded offer, problem is foreigners like me still have to come up w/outside funding for the higher tuition we pay. So he's putting my file on hold b/c otherwise I'd have to make a decision within 30 days. It appears I have maybe till April 1 to come up w/the money. This is bitter sweet, doesn't change anything yet, but this is first type of call like this I've ever had. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to look for funding to study abroad at this time of year? Yes I will repost this on other boards too.

Binghamton's meeting now too and I think similar timeframe. I'd guess Albany and Buffalo maybe as well. Good luck!

In a situation like yours where you have alternatives and viable backup plans, putting aside you might be happier going somewhere else, esp after a year off, agreed w/others, do it if that feels best or makes most logical sense for you. I wish I had that choice, I got into 1 of 8 last year w/o ffunding, declined it, but had no backup plan and this year kind of feels wasted and the torture of waiting on decisions again is as bad as it was last year, day after day, week after week it just drags on till you hopefully get an offer. I didn't handle the process well this time either, albeit better than I did last year, the app process I mean. So any offer I get b/c no backup plan I have to take it, I'm also older which probably makes my situation diff than yours or most other people. But do what's right for you, if you have an alternative, don't rush anything, better to make the right longterm decision.

Am a USian, mainly applying to US schools, but applied to phds in geog at York and E Asian Studies at Toronto, the latter of which is really a long shot b/c my Chinese isn't very good. Think I should've done Geography there too. I considered McMaster and Simon Fraser both in sociology (York too). but my main faculty interest at the former is, what do you call it a contract 1 year prof? While SFU I was told takes almost no1 and has no money, while my principal supervisor @ York geog would be a better fit for me than anyone in sociology, hence the switch. Given that my top US choices all seem unlikely at this pt except 1 I'm optimistic about (3 rejections already), York is gonna be high on my radar till I get a decision, I would be elated to go there! Good luck to you all.

What will I do if I don't get anywhere again? 2nd year in a row of doing this. I don't think that'll happen, optimistic 1 specific program I applied to will let me in. My question's more why didn't I retake the GRE when I had the chance and get some more work experience or a publication last year when I could have? And why didn't I apply to more top 20 or 30 schools in my field this time instead of overwhelming targetting schools that I thought were close to my interests and based on that where I thought I was a good fit? And lastly how to survive this wait? It's agonizing, I don't handle stress well @ all.

No acceptances yet? Sorry man, I feel you. There's one school I expect I'll get into, pretty low ranked ergo little funding, but I'm a good fit there and this is my 2nd year in a row doing this. I'd like a choice (at least 2), but min of 1, which I'll pretty much take no matter what. The wait is absolute torture, it's very hard to stomach week after week of this when you really have no backup plan in life.

And Alex, so the issue is power structures. Again, I'm missing why the issue isn't about changing the power structure that discriminates against you and other women, like you no? You're the exception on this kind of test statistically. Wouldn't it be fairer to judge you at least in the admissions process in gender and color blind terms? I failt to see how the GRE fixes any of that at a systemic level, either within a single dept or university or across the whole US, where it's nearly universally used esp for phd programs.

The problem w/your argument is you admit on the one hand its a discriminatory test and it points to deeper issues, then you say on the other hand that it's something w/less education, a high school student, can do fairly easily. Which is it? Besides, if there are deeper issues, why continue to use a biased test that priviliges existing power structures in terms of who's admitted, particularly to the best schools? To be blunt, there's nothing egalitarian about that, which is the problem, no? If you believe in giving people equal opportunities. Of course the best schools should generally take thebest people, but are the best people those from the whiter (in some cases Asian) backgrounds? How to square that w/the diversity argument, maybe very smart, hard working people of limitied means don't do as well on the test, how is that defensible? I think the problem frankly is you're defending a discriminatory test, which does not measure success in grad school at all, I was one of the best student in my MA programs, w/consistenly among the highest grades in my classes, despite a bad gre math score. That's entirely anecdotal, but I just don't test well and I'mnot the only one. If you're gonna use a test, use a real one, like they do in some schools in Europe or Latin America (and I would guess Asia) or just use GPA. I forget if it was you or someone else gave the example of the Bar exam for law school or even the lsat. But those are related to the content of what you will or have studied in law school, that isn't true of the gre general test at all and you know that to be true. This is entirely a money making racket for ETS, the schools and all the others who profit off of this industry and its a waste of time. I'm sorry adcomms are overworked, maybe underpaid, but it's their and/or admissions offices' jobs to pick the best people, not the best test score for an irrepairably discriminatory test that has nothing to do with intelligence or future academic or professional performance.

Neuron, no of course it shouldn't, but unfortunately we don't have any control over that, believe me I wish we did. I'm not sure how many faculty do either, it's probably determined mainly by administrators, just as they're doing at lower level schools (ie elementary, middle and secondary ones).

And Sugar, sorry I don't know. I would think you'd wanna look at the top places in Asia, Todai, Seoul National, maybe Beijing U, Qinghua (Tsinghua), Fudan, Singapore National, maybe HKU or HK Polytech, Sydney U, ANU (Australia), U Melbourne, Free U of Berlin, Sorbonne, the Paris U system. I dunno the rest of the continent too well. One incentive though to consider at least W Europe and say Brazil (and I think Venezuela) is their unis are basically free, no tuition. Novel concept for a US, Canadian or UK person (or how Mexico is going w/its neoliberal crap system!). U Sao Paulo and Unicamp are 2 of the best schools in western hemisphere and you won't pay if you get in, and very little in say Germany or France, though you're on your own for affording housing, food, etc. Dunno your field sorry, but those are some of the top schools.

Am in the US, have found the GREs especially to be an ordeal, so much so I didn't take them again despite a low math score. Probably a dumb move b/c I mainly reapplied to US schools just b/c of all I hear about job security in academia. But I applied to 3 non US schools so far, 2 in Toronto. I've gotta say, the apps are better, it's refreshing not to have to deal w/a discriminatory test like GRE that proves absolutely nothing, it's a lazy weeding mechanism for depts and admissions offices to get rid of applicants and like most other standardized tests it's a billion dollar money racket. The apps I've seen abroad are hard in their own way, but at least I know I'm being judged by my professional/academic qualifications, which should be what's used everywhere. And w/UK apps, those are quite hard, very demanding w/not just statements and writing samples, but research proposals and sometimes personal history essays and more. It's frankly over my head, but it's at least trying to get the best people using strong criteria, which I can respect.

I can actually post here now since I applied to 1 program, York in Toronto. Underscor, I know one of the U Minn admits, who's very smart and has a year or more's fieldwork experience abroad. I'll say more on UM in a min. I've mainly applied to sociology programs (8 I think in the US), plus a few schools in other fields in N America and UK. But at the last minute after years of mulling it over, I switched my York app to Geography, got the most helpful/thorough email re:admissions from the grad director I've ever gotten from any prof and now just submitted my York app, which to me who's used to Dec/Jan deadlines, has an amazing late one still 10 days away! I am now regretting not applying to Minn, along at least w/Toronto and CUNY, all of which had people related to my interests. This is a really interesting field and seems to be doing things in critical human geog area that aren't being doing polisci or sociology, while antho's just a bit too cultural-centric for me. I'm a US-ian, but am hopeful about York, hope ya'll get in somewhere good.

I feel pretty dumb atm not retaking gre last year, getting more work experience, networking better nor applying to a few more top 20 (or even top 40) schools. Anyone reading this thread who will apply in future, thats good advice, Im applying to over a dozen but I went for too many low ranked ones and missed several fee waiver opportunities w/west coast schools. Don't do that if you're in a position to take advantage of it. The wait of days and weeks on end is just agonizing till you get an offer, and honestly in this position rejections and no decisions are equally bad. Sorry needed to vent.

I have my MA from there in politics and I know this is diff b/c I'm reapplying there within my own dept (mainly b/c they have faculty close to my interests and I'm already halfway to the phd credit-wise, so figured it was worth a try). I didn't get into the phd program when I "applied internally" a they call it due to some academic difficulties related to my mom dying while I was in the program. But everything coindinista says I've found true in my dept and my best friend there and another close friend of hers were in the sociology dept ma program. Granted they were foreigners and had assistance from a university in their home country, one actually is now slowly finishing his phd, while the other went back to her country and doesn't want to do the phd at nssr. But I also know a couple other americans who were in the sociology ma program at nssr with them and they are now at other large public university phd programs now b/c of the funding probs at nssr.

I was enrolled in a class at cuny in Falll and live in NYC so stopped by the dept office yesterday and was told that the ad comm has met and that decisions for 1st round of admits (at least) should be going out this week or next. I wasn't among those admits received so far (!), but haven't heard any other decision yet either.

Good luck to you, Hydra. I applied to 3 of your schools too and did my undergrad at Oberlin, back in the day. Am also applying for Marxism, but more in addition to development, focused on primitive accumulation in some schools and labor in some others.