FertMigMort
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Posts posted by FertMigMort
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On 7/12/2016 at 11:49 AM, Haphazardsoc said:
Varies, but I think most cutoffs are for each test. A high verbal score won't do you much good if you have a low math score.
Hi Neal!
I'll chime in and say that on the committee I described in my AMA, the cutoff was for each test. We did not have a cutoff for the writing portion of the GRE.
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Before you go -- do you mean you've left academia? I'm so curious about that decision!
Thanks again for all your great advice.
It does indeed. I finished my Ph.D. and got a non-academic job. I am so much happier and healthier now that I've left. To avoid outing myself, if anyone has questions about leaving, please feel free to PM me.
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Hey everyone, just wanted to say that I'm going to retire from answering questions. I've graduated and have a real job in the real world now. I'm definitely not a source of information for academics anymore. I'm glad that my thread was helpful and I hope that it serves as a resource for many people to come!
Best of luck in academia!- townny, NYCBluenose, Anonymona and 4 others
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Not sure if OP is still answering questions on here, but maybe someone else can help me. My concern echoes a thread I just posted as well: Did you come across any applications that were overtly religious, and did this adversely effect the application? I ask because, while I don't plan on mentioning religion in my SOP or writing sample, I did do 1 year of graduate work at a seminary (working towards a Master of Divinity). I'm wondering how much, if at all, this will impact my application. Feel free to answer here or on my post:
Thanks!
I hope this isn't too late, but I don't remember this affecting applications. I know of several students who had divinity degrees, in my program and others. Hopefully, you've gotten in and this isn't a concern.
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This is the most valuable thread I have come across so far on this site! I have been researching how to write academic cvs, sops, and the general process for over a year, and many of the questions and answers have provided such invaluable knowledge!
However, I do have one question, which may pertain more so to Canadian Universities, but here in Canada, many applications have a section to declare Aboriginal status, or special status. So, what does that mean for people who declare some type of special status? I see this option on Canadian university applications, so I apologize if you are unfamiliar with this aspect of the application process.
I'm not as familiar with Canadian applications, but in the US, most schools give some sort of preference to minority students. The type of preference varies from school to school.
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It's true, right now it's a bit rough. States are cutting funding, the slow pick up from the recession, etc--but demographically, the baby boomers are preparing to retire which should open up a significant amount of jobs in the future. It'd be foolish to base your job prospects 7 years from now on the job market of today.
The problem is that people have been saying this for years. When are we going to wise up and admit that the landscape has changed in such a way that for the majority of graduate students, a TT job at a HRM is not in the future?
I was wondering how the Sociology PhD's are doing? I am a law school grad and after doing the attorney thing for awhile I'm interested in being a professor and following up on a sociology accomplishment I had as an undergraduate. I know going to law school right now is heavily cautioned and I'm wondering if the same is true of Sociology PhD programs?
I would caution against it unless you have a clear need for the degree in your future occupation. Most of the people I know who are doing well have left academia.
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I actually had my best professor tell me that every department has more or less all of the basic subfields, and that fit is "overrated"
Can someone tell me more about how to determine fit? If I haven't exactly figured it out totally by grad school, will my GPA and GRE really not count for shit without fit?
Yeah, not to overstate it, but your professor is full of shit.
Go look through the AMA I did on getting into grad school (stickied at the top of this forum) on more info about fit.
If you have a stellar GPA/GRE we might let you in if fit is just okay, but not if fit was out and out bad. We also didn't like to admit students who didn't have a clear idea of what they wanted to do, even if it was just an area.
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that list averages for both sections around the 80th percentile.
I talked about this a bit in my adcomm AMA, but we did not look at a total score. There aren't any guidelines that I could find for a total score percentile, just one broken out for each category.
The GRE score was kind of a weed out tool. We had a cut-off and didn't look at students below that cut-off. Contact programs you're interested in or check their website, some of them have guidance or mean GRE scores that you can use as a guide.
Best of luck!
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I've seen this discussed more generally in past threads on visit days, but what is your guys' perspective on how to handle visit weekends that completely overlap and for which you haven't already rsvp-ed/committed to one?
I know it's fairly common for this to happen. But I guess I'm struggling with how to prioritize which school to visit during the scheduled visit days versus which school to visit at another time. I don't know how much schools read into the fact that you are missing their visit weekend for another's schools. I also am wondering about strategies for how you as a prospective student can pick up on things like the level of graduate student satisfaction and other more opaque aspects of a school outside the context of formal visit days if you schedule a visit at another time?
Most schools are willing to work with you and create an unofficial recruitment visit. We usually had one or two students do this every year. You don't have to state your reason for missing it, schools know that you have other offers, you can just say that you have a conflict.
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FertMigMort, your reputation preceeds you. I am sure your AmA is half the reason half of us might be going to grad school next year. Thank you for that and for this because seriously, I have a Visit Day on March 5 and I am sitting here thinking everyone will ask really smart questions and I'll stare dumbly at everyone and say "I like food" (my research has a lot to do with food).
So everyone who has been through this before, or is on the other side, more advice will be super helpful.
You're too kind. I assure you that I can't take even 1/4 of the credit. Y'all worked hard and got in on your own merit + the admissions crapshoot.
And thanks FertMigMort, I was hoping you were still around these forums! SocGirl is right, your thread was SO very helpful and I think this one will be as well! I'm going to add your suggestions to my list.
I'm not here often anymore (real world job), but if anyone has questions, just PM me. I still get some and try to answer them in a timely fashion. Unlike some advisors ... ba-dum-cha!
Something I will add - I got a lot of different answers depending on what grad students I talked to. A faculty member gave me some sage advice during the visits: pay attention to who is giving the advice. So, basically, I tried to find people who seemed to share my approach to grad school, with similar goals/interests, who could really give me an idea of what it would be like for "me" in the program (and, as FertMigMort said, be sure to talk to your advisor's students!). Just something to keep in mind as you talk to grad students on visits because you will probably get some conflicting answers from different students.
Also, just don't be afraid to ask the questions you really want answers to; after all, this is an important decision for you to be making. I think it's especially important to bring up any concerns you have with the program, so you can have those addressed... either by your potential advisor or other students.
I can't agree with this point enough. Talk to AS MANY grad students as possible. I was happy to answer the same 3 questions repeatedly during recruitment weekend. Current grad students have different agendas, but my personal one was to make sure that the people coming here were going to contribute in a positive way to our department, which included them being happy and completing the program. Also, departments stash problem students sometimes. Some people in my cohort were never invited to email prospective students (made me so mad) because they weren't sunshine and smiles about the department. Nothing they said would have prevented me from going to my school, but the GA decided they couldn't take that risk.
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As recruitment visits are approaching, I thought I might start a topic on what questions senior graduate students think are valuable to ask AND who you should direct them to.
A few suggestions:- What direction is the department heading in? (to the graduate director or the person you'll be working under) If you're coming into a department wanting to do education and there is a huge new push towards health research, that's something you need to know.
- How do you like working with X? (to ALL of their graduate students) Don't base your opinion on only one of your potential advisor's students. Try to get all of their opinions.
- What is the pass rate on comps/defenses? If you fail, can you retake them? (I would ask this of the grad director AND the students. Sometimes grad directors have reasons to inflate this number.)
These are just a few of the questions I came up with off the top of my head. I'm sure that other faculty and older students here have others.
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I've reassured myself that I can transfer out of X program if I pick the wrong one, by doing well on quals and switching around year 2 or 3? Are you arguing that it would be precisely the poorest time to switch? And if you're absolutely married to a project you're working on with an adviser you're infatuated with, who is going to help you build strong work, isn't it kind of a no-nonsense decision to move with that person if there is any opportunity to?
I want to qualify for OP again that what I'm saying here is pure speculation. I know a guy who's transferring this year with his adviser, and it was a no-nonsense decision with him. I wouldn't doubt that the program brought the student in with the adviser, in the same way they would consider a spousal appointment. The student is virtually guaranteed to graduate honorably and smile on the school's placement record. Extrapolating there a bit, potentially unreasonably.
I really think this is something you need to discuss with all your potential advisers -- I just talked to a buddy today in our math PhD program who is hitting bumps and I really just pushed him to talk to his adviser. They're human beings, and almost always appreciate honesty from students, I think.
I was talking more from the perspective of being on an adcomm. Faculty members on the adcomm were very wary of students who had finished coursework and quals and wanted to transfer. I know people who have done it, but they have had to repeat coursework and/or quals.
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First, I'm very sorry about your situation. There's no way around it, that sucks.
Second, I concur with the things that have been said here. I would start by talking to your professor and seeing if there is any way that you could move with him. At this point, there is a week before the April 15th deadline and there is still some chance you could move (depending on the funding situation in his new department). If that isn't an option, look at where you are in the program. Have you taken your qualifying exams? Are you done with classwork? If you are, then your best choice is probably to stay where you are at. Some professors will continue to work with students even when they've moved away and some schools let you have an outside university member on your committee. Explore those options.
Third, if you still have a ways to go, I would consider applying to another program. The downside of this is that you'll probably have to wait a whole year to start somewhere new. Schools are also hesitant to admit more advanced graduate students. Make sure that you detail your circumstances in a new personal statement.
Best of luck to you. -
Something fun.
I remember what fun was like... -
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I want a fresh start BUT how will I be viewed by these programs?
I have successfully (on paper) completed PhD level coursework, teaching, and comprehensive exams---does that put me ahead of the curve OR does it just raise questions about why I am not returning to my top-notch program to finish? Where do I stand now as an applicant? Last time I applied, I was accepted into all 5 schools I applied to (all of which were in the top 15 of sociology programs at the time)...but am I a stronger or weaker candidate 8 years later?
Thank you for any advice you all can provide
I was on an admissions committee this year and we had several students with your level of completion. They were never considered for admission when they said that they wanted to come and proceed from where they left off. Many schools will probably require you to retake your comprehensive exams and some or all of your Ph.D. coursework.
I concur with others when they say that you can explain this in your narrative. Just be straightforward and forthcoming. Many committees might see you as a risk, but I'm sure that you can find a school that's a better fit for you. Best of luck!
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Sorry about flooding the forum...
Can anyone out there with grad school experience chime in on the pros and cons of working with established names in the field and of working with up-and-coming scholars?
At one school I have the possibility of having some really big academics in sociology advise my work, but I don't know how much access I will really have to these people. They're extremely busy and very well-established.
At another school I have the possibility of working with some really smart assistant professors who have expressed an interest in joint-publication.
In material terms (getting a job), I think the most important thing with which to come out of a doctoral program is publications, so I'm sort of inclined to work as an RA with the assistant professors if it means more opportunity to publish. Does anyone have any advice to offer on the matter?
I hope I'm not coming across as too mercenary on this forum. I'm really excited about living the life of the mind, but a man's gotta eat.
I would argue it has more to do with the individual you're working with. I know plenty of established superstars that always publish with their students and make time for them. I also know up-and-coming scholars that are super stingy with authorships. Take a look at the CVs of the people you want to work with and check to see how many papers they write with students. That's a better indicator than their status alone.
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Anyone hear of someone not hearing back from a program? Either wait-listed and never told that a spot would not be available or simply not given a response at all?
Happened to me. Finally heard from them after April 15th that I was rejected. I primly told them that I had accepted at a better school. I don't regret it either! It only takes a minute to send that email!
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Ah! I go on vacation and the USNWR goes crazy and decides to average rankings?! I guess that goes to show me that no good comes of relaxing.
I came back to conspiracy theories about people in the top 10 who benefited from the averaging applying pressure. I did do a quick look at the comparison and found that schools that were hurt most by the change were almost all public. Interesting...
I suspect that the bigger change in rankings for some programs led them to average it because they are selling the idea of prestige and reputation. That shouldn't be able to change that drastically (4 spots) in 4 years. This is just an unformed thought after getting off a transpacific flight. -
Thank you so much for your incredibly helpful posts!
How would you recommend that an applicant switching fields approach the writing sample? Do you think that it would be better to submit your best work from a related discipline, or do you think that it would be better to come up with an entirely new writing sample that is specifically based in sociological literature?
AS, this has already been addressed, but I would just concur with what's being said. Submit your strongest writing piece that you have, regardless of the field. Most schools are okay with teaching you how to be a sociologist, but aren't going to teach you how to write.
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What do you mean by "tailoring the SOP"? What exactly does need to be different for each school? Please be explicit.
Sorry I've taken so long to get back to you!
You need to explain exactly why you have applied to each school. If both schools have pop centers, make sure to identify them correctly by name, as a resource that you are interested in. Name professors (1-3) that you are interested in working in at that school. Use the school's name (tangent: Seriously applicants!? Some of you don't do this! It was so hard to argue for you when you don't do this! We assume that you just used a generic SOP.
Please, please, PLEASE don't make this mistake. P.S. USE THE RIGHT SCHOOL'S NAME!!!!) If that school has another resource (i.e. you want to do ethnography on immigrants and the school is located in an immigrant-rich city) mention it! Just make sure that when the committee reads your statement, they know why you applied to school X. Think of your SOP as an argument for your fit in the department you've addressed it to.
- jacib and WhatCanISay
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Sorry everyone, I've been out of town!
@FertMigMort: To echo what has already been said, thank you for giving future applicants (and those of us already in grad school but no less mystified) a peek into the foggy process of admissions. I'm sure it will be hugely useful. I also think this thread is a nice summary of things that have come up year after year (e.g. GREs matter more than we'd like to admit, but good scores are only a necessary but insufficient factor; programs look for students who fit with their current faculty; etc.) I wish there were a way to link every awesome advice post, but that's not for me to figure out.
I am curious about your committee's handling of the wait list. I understand that the real "wait list" action might kick in closer to April 15th, but I wonder if you know how the process works.
Who goes on the wait list and how long is it? Is there a set number of slots per year, and the the top n apps go into the wait list pool after the acceptance pool is filled up? Or is it an ad hoc thing, where a handful of people are too good to be rejected outright, but that number varies from year to year? What is the sentiment around wait listed students?
How does someone get chosen off the wait list? Are people on the list ranked, and as rejections come in, they're accepted in that order, or are wait list-ers matched with accepted students on profiles that are near-equivalent (so if one ethnographer says no, we can call someone up from the farm league)?
Finally, are faculty and students equally as excited to have formerly wait-listed students join the department as they would for first round accepted students? Or is there a shade of disappointment?
Wait listing: So most of my experience with wait listing actually comes from my involvement in other aspects of the department rather than the adcomm. There wasn't much discussion of a wait list, because I think that we admitted a number of people that should yield the cohort size that we want. (This again was kind of murky, directed mostly by the DGS. We were given a number and we admitted that many) I could probably make an educated guess about the people who were on the wait list, but I have no idea what would have to happen for one of those people to get in. I also have no idea if the DGS contacted a number of people and told them they were on a waitlist.
In the past, we have invited 1-2 waitlisters to recruitment events. Every year that I've been here (6) we've had someone get in off the waitlist. Most people know who they are, and I don't get a sense that they are thought less of. That's why I keep emphasizing some of the capriciousness of this process, because I think that all of the variables involved in admission change from year to year and even month to month during the recruitment process.
Another comment about your last point: "Finally, are faculty and students equally as excited to have formerly wait-listed students join the department as they would for first round accepted students?" This might seem awful, but I wouldn't say that we're excited. Maybe faculty are, but rarely do future admits really impact what I do in the department. I'm friends with a lot of people in other cohorts, but at this point, I only meet 1-2 people out of each cohort and since I'm leaving soon (fingers crossed!) I don't have much contact with them. Also, I've found that level of excitement about a candidate rarely translates into results. If you'd looked at our cohort coming in and picked out the "top students" those are usually the ones that burned out. The person who came in with an article in ASR/AJS/SF dropped out and the person with the super low GRE score is now a superstar. I've noticed this trend a lot and as a result have quit worrying so much about my own comparative status in grad school.
Sorry I can't be more illuminating about this topic! Wait listing and notifications seem to be the two subjects that give people the most anxiety and they are still black boxes. -
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OP- I'm not sure how privy you were to this information, but what do you think were the deciding factors when handing out fellowships (vs standard assistantships)? Are they just given to the student with the best GRE score or something like that, or is it more subjective?
I actually didn't have anything to do with funding. There weren't any votes or discussion of funding during meetings. As far as I know, everyone here is fully funded (with maybe a few exceptions) although many people are tight-lipped about what they were offered. I suspect that GREs played a role in what fellowships were offered (I had a fellowship and my GRE score was really high) but that's just a suspicion.
Universities that offer acceptance to their MA program after rejection from their doctoral program?
in Sociology Forum
Posted
This is a money-making scam. It seems to be a rising trend. You're better off applying again next year to the Ph.D. program or going someplace where you got funding even if it's not your first choice.