amlobo
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Posts posted by amlobo
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Your advice was really helpful. I'm prepping for the bar exam this summer and have a one year fellowship that will keep me busy while I apply for graduate programs so I'll have at least a year of post-graduate legal experience. In most of my legal academic writing though, I've tried to weave in sociological literature. I usually take a case and piece of literature that I really like and relate the two. It's probably good practice and it gives me a solid writing sample.
My target school does not accept students directly into the Ph.D and requires an MA first so I'll likely apply there for that. It's not an elite program but they have faculty that I like and are doing research that I would really like to be apart of. I've also been studying for the GRE off and on since the summer.
I'm excited to start the application process.
A small word of advice - when you apply to your target program(s), ask them how your JD will be treated, as it is NEVER on the website anywhere that I have ever seen, lol. For my program, they require a master's first, but I found out after being admitted that my JD would "count" as a master's since it was a more advanced degree (for degree progress and funding). So, I got to skip doing a master's thesis and was considered a PhD student right away. It is only taking a semester off my time to degree, but anything helps!
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I have spoken to professors, PhD candidates, first and second year graduate students, advisors, department chairs...everyone that I know and all most all of the advice contradicts that of the others. I thought that soliciting advice from people with experience would help my anxiety about this process but it has only emphasized the role of chance, luck, and uncertainty. I think knowing that I can't predict the future has helped, because now, I just have to do my best work on every part of the application and hope for the best, which will hopefully make me feel less at fault if I am not successful, but I can't believe how contradictory the advice I have received was.
I think a lot of this is due to the individualized nature of graduate admissions. People will say that what worked for them is the best way to do things... because that's basically all they know. And, thinking about people in my cohort, we are all different people, with different backgrounds, interests, and strengths... and I'm sure our applications were all different. Your application has to work for you, so advice is only helpful to the extent it leads you to figure out what that means. Individual circumstances dictate how you need to present yourself to the adcomm, and you're right - you just have to do your best.
A friend in a PhD program told me when I applied: "Don't crowdsource your SOP." Best advice ever. I read people on here saying "NEVER do this" or "you HAVE to do this", and I kind of laugh now knowing that my experience didn't end up aligning with what they were saying at all. Hang in there, guys
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FWIW, I had a 3.4 (non-sociology major, top 15 UG), and I got into a few top 20 programs. My GREs were similar to yours. So, a lower GPA alone isn't going to take you out of contention if your application is otherwise strong.
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Keep in mind that there is a middle ground you want to see on the length of time - too short or too long are both bad. You need enough time to get pubs in order to be competitive on the market, but you don't want to languish away in your program either. I think insufficient funding is often at the root of either extreme. The consensus I get from professors in my program is that 5-6 years is kind of ideal.
Required coursework and overall structure can vary widely by program, so that can be a factor in time-to-degree; if you have to take 2 years of coursework vs. 3, when you take comps, etc. Also, if a program is heavily qualitative, I'd assume their average time would be longer just due to the composition of their cohorts. And, of course, program time can be affected by a lot of individual factors - research methodology, whether you come in with a master's, funding source, etc. I didn't take time-to-degree into account when applying, but I definitely asked about it after being accepted and talked with students and potential advisors to get a real sense of how long it would take under my particular circumstances.
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I took the GRE today - my unofficial score was V: 165 Q: 156, which was a bit disappointing because I was getting higher practice scores on quant than I got. I will have around a 3.85 average overall and around a 4.0 in my sociology major by the time I will graduate and have research and graduate course experience (I am an undergrad), and a possible publication, at least under review. I do not know what to expect for my writing score, but I'm expecting to have done well - should I be concerned about my quant score, if I intend to do quantitative/ethnographic research and/or theory?
My brain is a bit fried tonight (my apologies).
Also, somewhat of a side question/comment, but I have a friend who insists that one's score increases when it released as an official score vs. an unofficial score, and my research on this has given me mixed results. Can anyone comment on this?
Your verbal is very high, so I wouldn't worry about the quant if you aren't going to do quant. It certainly isn't low enough to get you tossed out of application piles, and I know my own cohort's average quant score was lower than that by quite a bit. In sum, do not worry about your GRE score
I think it's possible a score can change (with ETS, all things are in the realm of possibility), but I haven't heard of it happening. Mine was the same unofficial vs. official. Over time, my percentile on quant did go down (verbal stayed the same), since they update the percentiles as more people take the GRE. Hope that helps.
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Just looking at the department websites won't give you enough info because a department "overall" is not the same thing as its faculty individually (and most departments will not outright say they are heavier in one methodology).
Above all, make sure you look at whether the specific faculty you are interested in working with use quantitative or qualitative methods. Reading a few of their (or even their students') recent articles can quickly shed light on their approach. Of course, it's not completely impossible to do quantitative methods and have a qualitative advisor (I wouldn't want to do it, lol), but you will probably be a better fit if your advisor works with the same methodology. Also, maybe take a look at the methods requirements for the department and its course offerings if you can access them.
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I don't know how it would be viewed (or whether the departments would even know you were applying to both...), but some schools actually prohibit you from doing this. I wanted to apply to a joint program and the straight soc program at one school, and they told me I couldn't do it. So, I'd first just check that the graduate school doesn't "forbid" it.
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Harvard and Princeton both have joint programs in sociology and social policy. The programs are very small and incredibly selective, so you probably need to re-take the GRE if you want a better shot at admission to one of them. I applied to these both last year (and didn't get in), and I really don't know of any other less competitive joint programs. I think a much "safer" option is to apply to straight sociology or social policy programs with an emphasis in education, where you'd have access to faculty in the other department, as well. Either way, I'd study hard for the GRE and retake it - especially if this is your "last shot" at PhD apps. Good luck to you!
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I have a laptop and an iPad (I got the iPad as a gift, so I don't know if I'd invest personal money in both devices) ... but you could definitely use just an iPad for taking notes; a girl in my cohort has an attachable keyboard that seems to work really well. But, I hand-write notes so as to not tempt myself with the internet in class, lol. I really use the iPad solely for reading/annotating at this point. Though, I know they now have Office for iPad, so I might have to give it a try. I like the larger screen of a laptop and don't know if I'd ever switch to solely iPad, mostly due to liking the larger screen for writing.
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I use iAnnotate to mark up articles.
And, I got a MacBook Air. My main requirements were something light that wouldn't get damaged being lugged around... and so far, so good!
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Despite what darth said, I just wanted to point out that there is nothing wrong with officially accepting earlier than April 14 or 15. I turned down schools as soon as I knew I wouldn't attend, and I put in my official acceptance to my program two weeks before the deadline. Once you've made a decision, you've made a decision. Do what feels right to you
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I think UT's is good. They cover the entire premium and half the premium for a dependent. Our insurance is the same as what other UT employees get, and it's pretty widely accepted here since the university is such a big employer. Preventative care is free, which I love. And, the student health center is like $5 per visit. They don't pay vision/dental, but you have a few tiers of options, which can make it very affordable.
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So... I'm kinda of concerned because I won't be able to go to either due to work requirements... Luckily, I live by one campus and I'll probably visit the other, but it won't be the same without the programming and such...
Thoughts?
If you set up a separate visit, I'd make your own program. That's kind of what I did. I set up meetings with my POI and the DGS, plus met with the grad coordinator. My POI took me to lunch and put me in touch with some of her students, so they showed me around, introduced me to some other students, took me for a drink, and answered all of my questions. It ended up being a full day at the campus. I really felt like I still got a good experience, even without the formal visit day. I think you just have to put forth a bit more effort to make sure you get the information you want when you visit on your own.
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Do you guys know what the typical dress is for these recruitment events? I can't decide how casual/formal it's going to be!
Most guys wore khakis or nicer jeans and a collared shirt. I'm a girl and wore dark skinny jeans, flats, and a dressier shirt with a cardigan. I'd say as long as you don't look disheveled, whatever you feel comfortable wearing is fine.
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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.
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I really appreciate this comment. I have met some amazing graduate students who have offered wonderful advice over these forums. I'm a first generation college student and often feel naive about the admissions process. People have been truly helpful and kind.
I spoke with a current Fulbrighter (PHD student at a top school) about sociology grad admissions and she constantly reminded me that admissions are sometimes illogical. Don't worry and move on. She's at a different program than she'd intended, and four years later is doing ground-breaking research in China.
I'd upvote but I'm out of votes for the day
I found the forum to be incredibly helpful when I was applying last year, too! -
Can I just add in a quick comment about rating posts on here? I have seen a few posts receive a negative reputation that are simply reporting admissions results or people excited about their acceptances. What is the point in giving them a negative rating, except sour grapes? I am making it a point to upvote those people. This is a place to share information and be supportive
- gingin6789, gretagarbo, RandomDood and 3 others
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Sooooooo.....I'm not accepted at Stanford. But I'm not rejected.
Does this mean waitlist?
Or maybe they are notifying in waves and my answer is coming soon...anyone else in the same boat?
I didn't get a rejection from Stanford last year when some other GC-ers did, so after a few days, I emailed the coordinator to ask about my status. She wouldn't call it a "waitlist" but basically, they kept some applications "active" until they filled their cohort (I was later rejected in mid-March). So, you might be in the same boat.
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Okay, hypothetical question for you guys...
Would you say it is more beneficial to be a top-performer at a mid-ranking program or an average performer at a top-ranking program? This is something I've been wondering about job placement in regard to the OP's question. Will a top-performer from a well-known but not as highly-ranked program still have good job prospects compared to an average-performer from a school with a good name? Does name carry more weight than the quality of work? Some people who get into these really high-ranking programs aren't going to do as well as they are expected to based on whatever formula schools use to grant admission; it's been discussed in these and other forums before.
I think that if you are doing good work, you are doing good work - regardless of where you are (though you might have to be a bit more impressive to stay on a short-list when you aren't from a top school). One of our hires last year was from a non-top 20 program, but he had fantastic pubs and was doing very good work. I'm sure he got the job over people from tippy-top programs. I do think there is "some" benefit to being a star of a department, in the sense that you may get better recommendations from faculty members and have more opportunities in your program to pad the CV a bit.
I think something to consider in thinking about job prospects is your particular advisor at each school. If you are at a top school with an advisor that doesn't particularly foster their students' development and doesn't have a good placement record, compare that to being at a bit lower-ranked school with an advisor that really pays attention to helping their students build a good CV and places their students perhaps better than the program does in general. Something I would stress, in visiting and corresponding with departments, talk to your potential advisor's current students. They are the ones that will be able to tell you about what it is like to work with *your* advisor; other students can only speak to their own experience, which may be nothing like how your advisor operates.
I always tell people - you have to pick the program that is right *for you* - and the same program can be very different for different students due to the individual nature of your interests/advisor/opportunities. The idea that you might be able to "accomplish more" at a bit of a lower-ranked school might be something that appeals to you, and then that's something to take into account.
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GRE scores are only one piece of an application, although they are often used for quick weeding.
If it has been so long since high school (and perhaps undergrad), you want to signal to schools that you're willing to put in the time to learn new (or relearn old) tricks. If you don't get in this application cycle, it would be a good idea to study to improve those scores for the next time around.
This is spot-on, to me. I was an older applicant and hadn't taken the GRE math in probably 14 years. I studied A LOT. When I first looked at practice tests, I couldn't remember any of the math, but I really took the time to re-teach it to myself. Of course, everyone has different aptitudes, but a good amount of studying can at least give you a fair shot at the math. I studied for probably 2-3 solid months and was happy knowing I did everything I could. I worked full-time in a professional career, so I know it's a time crunch, but I'd encourage you to put in the time if things don't work out this round.
I noticed you said 140s in "verbal and quant". I feel like a lot of programs will not penalize you for a lower quant score if you have a high verbal; low on both is a lot harder to overcome, in my opinion. For instance, my own program's average GREs were above 80th percentile for verbal, but only 40th or so for quant. Of course, every school is different... and obviously, since our quant average was barely above 150, I would imagine that some people had to have been in the 140s and gotten accepted.
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Well, in my case, the school whose visit I attended accepted me first, plus it was higher-ranked, so I think the other school completely understood. The other school was incredibly accommodating; they had some grad students show me around all day, I met one-on-one with the grad coordinator to discuss funding/etc., plus my POI took me out to lunch, and they paid for my visit. It was a great experience even though it wasn't the official visit.
Honestly, I wouldn't try to negotiate funding until you have a top few choices narrowed down. And, just be mindful of how you approach any such negotiations. POIs understand that you have other offers, but they also do not want to hear that your decision is coming down to who will pay you the most. You want to really get across that your priority is receiving the best training you can and choosing the school/professor that can help you accomplish your goals - but that when confronted with two comparable choices with disparate offers, funding necessarily becomes a factor you have to really consider.
I will say, in my situation, when it came down to my top two choices, neither could negotiate funding. One was private, one was public; they were both similarly ranked. They simply pay everyone the same, and it didn't matter what your other offers were.
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There is nothing wrong with disclosing everything, and in fact, most of my POIs specifically asked where I had been admitted and what the other schools were offering. Also, I had visits conflict, and I straight-out told them the situation, and they were able to arrange a separate visit; honestly, I think they were glad I was putting forth the effort to still visit on my own.
I had some schools/POIs want me to keep them in the loop. And, I did. When it came to decision-making time, I was very forthcoming about my decision process with POIs and let them know what I saw as the pros/cons of each department, so they had a chance to address my concerns.
Building on what mormlib said, a lot of programs cannot or will not increase your funding package, even if they want you to come. I think this is especially true among top departments where they give everyone equal funding packages. Though, I think it's still important for them to know what your other offers are so they can tailor their approach.
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I think the thing with that website is they need so many from each program before posting it. I remember I filled it out months ago, and my program isn't on there.
Visit Weekends - What to expect/wear etc.
in Sociology Forum
Posted
I would call my dress for visits "smart" casual. I wore dark jeans, a nice shirt, and cardigan... or a nicer sweater if it was cold. I only saw a few people who "dressed up" but everyone at least made an effort to not wear their worst-looking clothes. Tattoos, piercings, colorful hair/cut... all fine. I'd say the main thing is that you want to feel comfortable while you're there. You will have some long, activity-packed days! The only preparation I did was come up with some questions to help me in decision-making and made appointments with profs I wanted to work with. I found the profs generally wanted to know about my research interests or the kind of work that interested me; I never felt like I was under a microscope or anything.
Just relax and remember, you're the one choosing them now!