inwhatway

That's a tough one, branches. Both are such excellent programs. Here's a comfort-you can't possibly make a bad decision either way.

Hi moda: I'm seriously considering Michigan and I plan to attend visit days. I lived in Ann Arbor from 2005 to 2009, so I'm happy to also answer questions about the city. Feel free to PM me!

I'm planning to attend recruitment events at UT-Austin (March 19-20) and Michigan (March 29-April 1). Super excited about the Detroit tour on March 30th!

That's HUGE! Congratulations!

I was accepted at Michigan! Wowza. This decision is getting ridiculous.

Yay! I got into BGSU. (I know it's not a top 20, but it has an impressive family demography program.)

I was admitted on Monday-mind blown. Still waiting to hear from Cornell's PAM program, BGSU and Michigan. I'm one of the few family demographers on the planet, so my application list was very targeted.

I received an invitation to the recruiting visit at UT-Austin this afternoon.

Generally speaking, Michigan State is on par with U of M in terms of prestige. MSW programs are very similar - when I attended U of M, one faculty member's favorite joke was "U of M is the top ranked MSW program...in Ann Arbor." You will not necessarily be a better trained MSW coming from MSU as opposed to the other schools on your list, so in this case I would advice going to the most prestigious school possible. Best of luck!

Thanks, NewGrad. Now that I received an admissions decision from UT-Austin, I can tell you guys that contacting faculty at prospective programs is a very smart move. I will share that one very big name at UT-Austin agreed to meet with me during a conference last fall. She offered wonderful advice on the admissions process and even urged me to apply to additional programs she felt might be an ideal fit for my interests. I also took a phone meeting with another very big name at UT-Austin (who echoed my POI's advice), reached out to one of his students who just joined the faculty at my current institution, and received insider advice from the graduate coordinator. I worked very hard to take control of the admissions process and it paid off in spades. I think that many of the students on this forum have solid application packets and should not require this additional step. So, don't kick yourself if you didn't do this. Since my GRE scores were very low (imagine your worst nightmare) and my academic trajectory was a bit wacky (sociology to justice policy to social work to demography), these meetings gave me the opportunity to quell any concerns the admissions committee might have. It also helped that I have one publication, stellar LORs, and presented my research at ASA, PAA and ISA.

Congrats, SocApp! I received a very similar email from Rob Crosnoe. Hope to see you at recruitment weekend.

I can claim one UT-Austin acceptance! Wooooot!

It doesn't seem that UT-Austin will notify this week. Next week will be very intense.

It's definitely still early, SocApp. Hang in there.

Hi pinoysoc: Did your financial aid status change as well? Mine was updated today, too. Not sure what to make of it.

I really appreciate your words of wisdom, faculty.

Also, I will share that I've applied to UT-Austin, BGSU, Cornell and Michigan. I strongly considered UCLA and Penn State, but decided not to apply to those programs for personal reasons. I've searched quite a bit, but haven't found any hopeful family demographers on this board. Just curious if there might be any out there...

Since your expertise is a wonderful addition to this forum (I've been cruising your posts for a while), I would like to pick your brain a bit further. I've noticed prospective students on this forum rarely mention the BGSU Department of Sociology--do you know why this might be?

I'm curious if any budding family demographers are represented on this forum. If so, which programs did you apply to?

Glad I'm not the only one--I was feeling extremely guilty for some reason. Back to waiting...

So...I have my ID# from correspondence with the admissions office, and the only other requirement for establishing a school email (free to all current and admitted students, faculty, staff) is my name. I took a deep breath. I tried. I gained access. Question: If you're able to create a school email but haven't received an official acceptance, are you admitted?

Fair enough, seekingsun. I think you have a point about the timing of emails. My response was geared toward the question "is emailing profs a good idea" as opposed to "Is emailing profs on December 15th a good idea." I've been contacting potential mentors in top programs since the summer term, which allowed me to visit my dream department for informal interviews with the faculty and lunch with the students. If I waited until the deadline to send these inquiries, it would have been overwhelming for the faculty and it may have looked like I was rushing to check a series of boxes off at each program. Not the case.

I think it definitely helps to reach out to professors. Judging by this thread, most prospective students don't make this effort, so this small gesture will make you stand out from other applicants. There's a political game to the application process that varies by school. If you impress one or more professors at a very competitive school, they may offer key advice on how to shape your personal statement and increase your chances of acceptance. Even if you aren't accepted to that particular program, there's still value in reaching out to influential professors. It's a golden opportunity to begin relationships that you can cultivate throughout graduate school. Also, the application season gives you the chance to build your name recognition with people who will likely be reviewers at top journals in your field. Contact them. You won't be sorry.

Bellatrix, never pass up any opportunity because of fear. You'll regret it and regret runs deeper and lasts longer than nervousness. I actually moved from Texas to Ann Arbor in 2005 to attend a graduate program. EVERYONE warned me about the cold, but you know what? It really wasn't that bad. Southerners are infamously terrified of any temperature below 60 degrees. But, if you move to Michigan in the summer and slowly add layers as the fall and winter approach, you might find that it really isn't that bad. At least, I was shocked at how manageable snowy weather turned out to be. Finally, yeah -- you'd be moving away. But, not forever. You'll have many breaks (winter break, summer break, spring break -- U of M even has a Fall break!) where you can travel home. Also, you'll have these new exciting experiences, meet different (and similar) people and perhaps even learn to ski on the cheap. Having said all that, if you think the timing isn't great. Then, maybe it isn't. Find out if you can defer enrollment for a year and work on your separation anxiety in the meantime. Good luck with either choice!