amlobo
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Posts posted by amlobo
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Ok, that was super long... but thought I might add that from what I have heard and read, it is common for applicants to sociology PhD programs to not be sociology majors. Many programs say they prefer that you have a social science background (which I have), but that a background in sociology is not required. So I am not as worried about "switching" disciplines as I might be if I was applying to, say, a Physics program.
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Thanks, everyone. I just want to make sure I'm being realistic in my "goals" for the GRE. I got around 95th percentile on math and verbal in the practice, but it was not the ETS one. Maybe I'll take the ETS after a bit of studying to give myself a better idea of where I can aim to score.
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Hi amlobo,
Just a couple of questions not directly related to your question here, but which bear on the issue.
1) Why are you going into a sociology PhD after having been in law?
2) What other preparation for a sociology PhD do you have? Have you done any research or coursework in this area?
Just curious; as you will also face the "how do I write a good SOP" question. Is the lack of academic recommenders due to the "older student" problem or the "switching fields" problem? IMO the older student problem is not as difficult a hurdle as the switching fields issue.
1. Well, after a few years as an attorney, I found myself miserable and looking for a new career. I had these naive ideas (as do many law students) that practicing law was more intellectual and less repetitive than it actually is. I only enjoy my job in those rare moments when I have to *really* think. I have often lamented the fact that I chose to go to law school instead of grad school... but at the time I graduated college, I had an idea of what kinds of things I was interested in but had no idea how to turn those into a job. I took the "practical" route via law, but I think having a job I didn't like really made me sit down and assess my situation... and whether I could suffer through this occupation for the rest of my career. After a lot of thought, I eventually decided that I needed a more intellectually challenging and engaging profession, and I started looking at going back to school. I discussed my research interests with a few friends, and the consensus was that sociology fit those interests best (main interests relate to educational access/quality/achievement issues).
2. I have no coursework in sociology, really. Honestly, if I had known what sociology was when I was an undergrad, I would have done that instead of PoliSci. I was just clueless at 18, coming from a rural high school where I had never even heard the word "sociology". Though, I do have preparation in the subject area that interests me (education). Some of my PoliSci classes actually touched on sociological theory and issues. I took a public policy class, in which I wrote a paper on school choice. I interned for the Dept of Ed's Office of Innovation and Improvement in undergrad. And, I took Education Law in law school and wrote a paper on a certain policy's application re: rural vs. urban schools. I had my law journal article published, and it related tangentially to sociological issues... though perhaps more accurately categorized as public policy. Currently, I am independently "researching" Sociology, with the aid of some friends and people on the Sociology board here, just to get a baseline understanding of the jargon and research areas. I am also interested in some law-related issues in sociology, relating to the penal system, and I obviously have a background in that. Just FYI, I am also looking at dual-degree programs in Sociology and Social Policy.
The lack of academic recommenders is definitely due to the "older student" problem. In undergrad, I never made an effort to get to know many profs because I was not planning to pursue grad school. I only had one professor that I took more than one class with, and he is one of my recommenders. The profs I only had one class with... I can barely remember their names now, so I doubt they remember me at all. I would feel confident asking a few different law profs for recommendations, but, law profs don't go to grad school. So, they are really not in the best position to assess my readiness when they don't know exactly what a PhD program entails.
After posting on here, I looked at some of the schools I'm interested in, and they waive the faculty recommendation requirement for those 5+ years out of school and say you can substitute faculty recommendations. Substitutions may include "work associates or others who can comment on your academic potential for graduate work." This makes me a little less nervous about the LORs. But, I agree the SOP is more important in my situation for conveying why I'm switching fields. Though, that is something I feel I have more "control" over, if that makes sense.
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MOO, you might do well to keep asking yourself--if not also others--these kinds of questions.
The rules of the road in the Ivory Tower might be drastically different from those you're used to navigating in the private sector.
Thus, why I am here and inquiring. Do you have any specific bits of wisdom you could share?
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There is another law school prof who might do it. I took 3 classes with him and did some research for him. But, I did poorly in one of the 3 classes, so I am a little hesitant. Plus, I know part of the LORs is that they are supposed to assess your readiness for doctoral study. And, having 2 of my 3 LORs be from people without a PhD kind of worries me.
I also do have 2 profs from undergrad who taught my research seminars for my two majors. One was a visiting prof, so I don't know if he would remember me at all. The other was a TA at the time he taught me... though he is a professor now.
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The law prof I mentioned as LOR 2 was my employer while in law school, and I am currently working for my only other employer I've had since law school (been here 3 years). I can't tell him that I am applying, and he would not be supportive of it.
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I've been out of undergrad for 6 years...where I was history/polisci. I have been out of law school for 3 years, so not really "fresh" out of any kind of school. I am planning to apply to Sociology phd programs (and maybe a few Social Policy). I have been brainstorming about who to use as my recommenders, based on the fact that I have no profs in the discipline to which I'm applying, and I am so far removed from the academic world. Hoping people can share their thoughts on my current "plan".
LOR 1 - my undergrad History advisor, who I took 3 classes with. He wrote one for me for law school, too.
LOR 2 - law school professor, who I took 2 classes with and worked with for 2 semesters. Got the top grade in both classes that I took with him. (kind of worried because he is not a phd, he's a jd, like me...)
LOR 3 - (this is the one I am wondering most about) I have a friend who is a tenured professor at an Ivy. She is an English phd and teaches in an interdisciplinary program. She is very accomplished. However, she is a peer and I know her socially, not academically. She never "taught" me and is not in any field related to my background or future discipline. BUT, she can write me an amazing LOR and has been instrumental in my decision to enter a phd program.
So.... Thoughts on using my "friend" as a recommender? Or thoughts in general?
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My b. turned into a smiley. That should be a b., not sunglasses. Ha.
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Ok, as someone who graduated law school three years ago, I'll chime in here.
First, can you get into a "good" law school? Yes. With a 178, law schools will overlook a lower GPA. Higher-ranked programs love boosting their LSAT scores, and a 3.2 will not dissuade a lot of them, especially with a good personal statement and LORs. I had two friends with 2.4 GPAs and 178 LSATs get into a T20 law school... though they had to PAY for it. You could probably even get good scholarships from a more mid-ranked program. I had a 3.4 GPA and a 165 LSAT and got a 3/4 tuition scholarship offer from almost everywhere I applied (all ranked in the 50-80 range)... plus a stipend for law journal that paid my last year in full. Granted, my friends and I went to a T20 private research university for undergrad, so I'm not sure how your GPA compares depending on your undergrad institution.
The bigger question is... SHOULD you go to law school? My advice is NO. Especially straight from undergrad. If you want to be a journalist, BE a journalist. You have a better chance of getting hired as a journalist straight out of undergrad than you probably do 3 years later with an irrelevant degree. If you want a higher degree, get it in the subject that you want to cover. ONLY go to law school if you (a) want to be a lawyer, which doesn't sound to be the case (even then, the job market IS rough), or (
you want to be a legal analyst/correspondent on a major national news network. But, I am assuming that you might have to be a lawyer first to do that. Do not get a JD just to have a higher degree - you will loathe every second of law school if that's how you approach it. If you just want a resume booster, get a part-time MBA while you're working full-time... and then your company can pay for it. Then, if the degree ends up being useless, at least you wasted no real time or money getting it. There are also JD/MBA programs that only take 3 years... but again, I don't think it serves your needs.My advice is find someone who has the job you want now and ask them what you need to do to get there. As someone who is looking forward to leaving the law, let me caution you to take some time off to decide if 3 years of law school is worth it and will accomplish what you want it to. Best of luck to you.
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I'm about to start studying for the GRE and was wondering if anyone had at least anecdotal information on how practice test scores correlate to real scores? Are practice tests easier... harder... or pretty representative of the level of difficulty of the actual exam?
I took a practice test as a "baseline" before I start studying in earnest and found it to be easier than I had expected, so it has me worried that maybe practice tests aren't a great indicator...
Sociology of Education Programs
in Education Forums
Posted
I am applying for PhD programs in the fall, and up until now, I have been looking only at Sociology programs. I plan to focus on education issues (access/achievement/inequalities), and during my school search, I have realized there are some Sociology of Education programs within Education Schools. I guess I am particularly referencing the Stanford SHIPS, NYU, and Columbia programs, but am most intrigued by the Stanford program.
I had not thought of applying to Education programs, but am wondering if anyone has some input on how a program like that compares to doing a strictly Sociology degree with a focus in education. Would an Ed degree limit my options for future employment? Is it more for those who want to go into administration or policy research? My goal is to go into academia, and it seems like a lot of the profs in these programs have Sociology degrees anyway, not Education. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!