Students of Sociology!

[shellybe]

i'm scared to call. someone somewhere else on this forum said you should not call because it just slows things down and annoys people. i think i will call friday if i haven't heard yet. surely i will hear by then! ack. :?

[judith]

Most of the time when you contact your school, you will be communicating with someone from the office of admissions / graduate office. The people who work there, just do their job and will help you as much as they can. If you really want to know your status, call them! It will not hurt your application in any way. The department is making the decisions within their committee. People at the graduate offices have nothing to do with these decisions and will help you where they can. Maybe they do know the decision already ...but most likely not (otherwise they would have contacted you already!).

On the other hand, you can also easily wait. Most schools have as a deadline April 1st. This means you will get a definite answer within a month from now. It is just a matter of sitting it out ...

Read the website and see if they explicitly tell not to call etc.. Hope this helps in making a decision to contact them or not!

good luck,

Judith

[shellybe]

Hello. You all convinced me to call. They said I am still on a "wait list" and decisions should be made within "the next week or so". i do feel a little better now, just knowing what's going on. the woman i talked to also said it would be a good idea to email the admissions chair to let her know i'm still interested.

 

At first she couldn't find my application so i got really scared, but she had just misunderstood my last name.

 

whew. at least i still have a chance! and i'm glad they didn't reject me today because i'd be in a bad mood for all of the fat tuesday fun!

[judith]

I am happy you made the decision to call! It is good news they still did not decide - it is not a rejection so far. You still make a chance to be accepted. Keep hanging in there!

[yin-bodhi]

Shelly: Yay! I knew you would still be in the running for Notre Dame! Here's hoping! Go ahead and contact the admissions chair!

I contacted GMU about my application concern (that last letter) and they were nice about the whole thing. The guy told me to contact them on March 2nd if the letter still wasn't posted and they would work with me to try and figure out what's going on. I am happy I contacted them! They seem so nice there!

No word in the e-mail box or postal mail box. I doubt anyone will call me today.

I really want to contact BU since it's been so long. You think someone with a deadline of Jan 15th for funding (yet they take applications on a rolling basis) would have gotten back to me by now.

I still don't know what to do for Wayne State. I contacted the head of the department (she's so nice) and she said that there wasn't any funding for the program I am interested in. However, I can apply for a GA position through a department they are connected with (this does not come with a tuition waiver). Funding is pretty important to me, but I'm getting desperate.

[shellybe]

i did contact the chair. she wasn't very optimistic about my chances. she said most are accepting the offer so far and it is really "tight" for those of us on the wait-list. no word on whether i'm high or low on the wait-list. hopefully, i'm next up!

oh, well, a girl can still hope!

i just have to say, if anyone reads this who was accepted to ND already, you should really turn them down. just kidding. :wink:

seriously, though, people should decide asap...like if you have 2 offers, pick one, let both schools know your decision, and wait for the next offer.

That sucks that wayne state won't offer funding. that's very important to me too.

i started applying for jobs here for if i take the year off from school. i would like to keep my current job too, but i will need more mula.

[yin-bodhi]

I got this from BU. I applied to their MA in International Relations and International Communication. I got it ten minutes after sending an e-mail to the department: "A decision has been made on your application and you should soon receive an official letter from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences relaying that decision to you"

UGH! He could have just told me.

I think George Mason lost my last letter of recommendation. I need to call them tomorrow.

Shelly, best of luck! 8)

[shellybe]

I got this from BU. "A decision has been made on your application and you should soon receive an official letter from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences relaying that decision to you"

8)

That is terrible. hopefully it comes tomorrow so you don't have to wonder for a week or more. this waiting is bad.

[meridionale]

I got this from BU. I applied to their MA in International Relations and International Communication. I got it ten minutes after sending an e-mail to the department: "A decision has been made on your application and you should soon receive an official letter from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences relaying that decision to you"

UGH! He could have just told me.

I think George Mason lost my last letter of recommendation. I need to call them tomorrow.

Shelly, best of luck! 8)

I am really rooting for a graduate school to accept you. I am sure there are some other very good programs you didn't apply to that might not be at the tip top level but close -- maybe you should start rounding up some recommendations and getting some applications ready for the schools who are still taking applications? You could always "prove" yourself in one program and transfer next year.

Hang in there!

[yin-bodhi]

I am really rooting for a graduate school to accept you. I am sure there are some other very good programs you didn't apply to that might not be at the tip top level but close -- maybe you should start rounding up some recommendations and getting some applications ready for the schools who are still taking applications?

Thank you so much! You're such a sweetie! Tonight I was doing a search for programs still taking applications that have funding... and... I found one!! I actually looked at it earlier (this summer), but decided not to apply. Seton Hall University has a duel degree program in Diplomacy and International Relations / Corporate and Public Communication, I remember I e-mailed someone and they said even if one department doesn't take you, there's still a good chance the other one might. The deadline is April 1st for funding consideration.

I wish I could find another Sociology program with funding. I'll keep looking.

This may sound weird, but I keep having dreams of me teaching a freshmen level Sociology class. I'm not a prof (I don't look older) and I'm teaching at a school with a +/- grading scale where I choose to thow out the "-" grades for the 101 class. They seem to like that choice. I also am teaching a lot of social psychology and cultural issues in the class. I've had this dream for several nights. In another dream, I was teaching at a university, but there are high school kids in my class. In the one, I'm in a regular classroom, in another I'm in a lecture hall. Now, I don't put a lot of weight on dreams, but I think I'm telling myself I want a TA position. UGH! Why am I typing this? Yes, of course I want to teach. I also have been having dreams I'm in Iran representing the United States (I'm much older). Sure... that will happen...

Shelly: Yes, waiting is very bad! Thanks! I hope I hear something soon too.

[Guest shelly]

those are some awesome dreams! good luck in fulfilling them.

i'm down in the dumps today because my roommate moved back to japan :cry: i'm going to miss her and it is also sad because it reminds me that graduation isn't all happy. i will also have to say goodbye to my school and my friends.

being promoted from the waiting list to the admitted students at UND would really help cheer me up

good luck finding some more soc programs. i have accepted that i will probably take the year off from school and that is ok. i would rather work and save up money than go to a program i don't like or that i don't get funding for. i'm really disappointed though. next year i will try to do a better job picking schools to apply to.

[yin-bodhi]

Well, George Mason did loose a letter! I was flipping out for a bit. However, the guy said that that my recommender could e-mail the letter to him. Within 15 minutes of saying that, he got my letter and put everything on-line. WOO HOO! I found out the applications would go to the department monday a 9:30am sharp!

No mail today! Ugh! Maybe I'll get that BU letter tomorrow.

[rising_star]

Well, George Mason did loose a letter! I was flipping out for a bit. However, the guy said that that my recommender could e-mail the letter to him. Within 15 minutes of saying that, he got my letter and put everything on-line. WOO HOO! I found out the applications would go to the department monday a 9:30am sharp!

Yay for finding out before they reviewed your application without the letters. Every little victory counts, imo.

BTW, this thread has inspired me to look into sociology programs for when I go for a PhD since my interest (at least right now) is Latin American and African development.

[shellybe]

britt, i think you would be able to find a lot of soc profs with similar interests. are you in an MA program right now? good luck!

no word for me. one day till spring break!

[rising_star]

Hey shelly,

I applied to MA programs in geography. If you have any suggestions on where to look, I'll write them down and save them for when the next grad school search starts (although really I've already started. I was looking at Kansas State's soc program last night...). Thanks for the encouragement!!

And good luck to everyone out here waiting!

yin-bodhi, had you thought of emailing a school that you really like whose deadline was March 1 and asking if you can still apply?

[yin-bodhi]

Guess who just got rejected from Boston University? Oh yes, it is me... :cry:

I'm baffled. Maybe I need to do a "round two" and apply to more. I don't think my recommenders would go for that sort of thing... I don't think I could find anyone else to write me letters. I could ask, but I don't want to piss anyone off.

Where would I apply? I guess funding isn't a big concern right now. I don't care; I'll take out loans. I will only be about $8,000 in debt for undergrad. That's not too bad.

Britt, the deadline for Seton Hall is April 1st, so I still have a chance to get my application in. I don't know if they'll take me since BU rejected me... I'm not so sure anyone would take me at this point. My confidence has gone through the floor.

Maybe I just need to take a nap. I don't know... give me a few hours to get over this...

[judith]

George Mason is still in the running! There is still hope!

You could in the mean time check out the websites of universities such as Univ Penn and Univ NC Chapel Hil; they still accept applications, even now! These schools offer a variety of programs that would fit your interests (IR, Sociology etc.). Syracuse Univ still accepts applications for their MA in IR.

Keep hanging in there!

[yin-bodhi]

You could in the mean time check out the websites of universities such as Univ Penn and Univ NC Chapel Hil; they still accept applications, even now! These schools offer a variety of programs that would fit your interests (IR, Sociology etc.). Syracuse Univ still accepts applications for their MA in IR.

This is what I need. Thank you!

UPenn is still taking applications for Sociology? No way... One of the gods of ethnographic research is a professor there! There's no way an ivy will take me. I don't know much about UNC, but I will look them up within the hour. Syracuse is an amazing school! I don't think those guys will let me in, but I will give it another look.

I'm going through lists right now and making my own list! I'm spending this afternoon looking up programs and trying to be productive. I decided I'm not going to sit around and cry, but rather get up and try to do something about this whole situation! I'm open to any IR, Sociology, or Conflict Analysis/Dispute Resolution programs... Communication programs are okay, but they would have to be International/Intercultural Communication programs. I'm going through lists of Conflict Analysis/Dispute Resolution programs now. I will post my list at the end of all programs at the end of the day.

[meridionale]

Guess who just got rejected from Boston University? Oh yes, it is me... :cry:

I'm baffled. Maybe I need to do a "round two" and apply to more. I don't think my recommenders would go for that sort of thing... I don't think I could find anyone else to write me letters. I could ask, but I don't want to piss anyone off.

Where would I apply? I guess funding isn't a big concern right now. I don't care; I'll take out loans. I will only be about $8,000 in debt for undergrad. That's not too bad.

Britt, the deadline for Seton Hall is April 1st, so I still have a chance to get my application in. I don't know if they'll take me since BU rejected me... I'm not so sure anyone would take me at this point. My confidence has gone through the floor.

Maybe I just need to take a nap. I don't know... give me a few hours to get over this...

Okay, I'm a planner and examiner.

A. What are your stats? Pretty good?

B. Before applying to any other schools, if your stats are good, contact your recommenders. I'd also ask the programs what was wrong with your application (what do you have to lose). Do you think maybe one of your recommenders could have written a sub-par recommendation? Really consider this and think about maybe replacing a recommender who might be flakey if this could be an issue.

C. If UNC is still accepting applications, you should definitly apply. They are driving me crazy right now! They have become the school I really want to go to, and i interviewed two weeks ago. I still haven't heard anything back. It's a wonderful school and beautiful campus!

http://www.lavenderspice.com/sociology.html

I have a usnews.com subscription, so I saved the sociology rankings page for you. You might have already seen this, and rankings are so funky anyways, but at least you can actually SEE more options. I bought an applying to graduate school book, and it says that if you get rejected, keep trying. Don't go to a school you'll hate, but there might be a program out there you missed before. Persistance will pay off, and I always take negativity and turn it into ambition and motivation. If someone doesn't want me, that's okay. The school that does want me can reap the benefits of my career success! (hahahaa....right). It just makes me want to succeed even more. I've been called a "Charlie Brown" because sometimes everything that can go wrong does go wrong for me. My front lisence plate on my car says "ARRRRRGH (stolen from my dad)," but you just have to learn to take things as they come. Life is funny because sometimes the most negative things can put you on a path that will bring you to sincere enjoyment. Keep your head up, and start looking through more programs!

If you want my help in shifting through programs with application dates still open, let me know. Also remember that while you might not get funding this year, there is always next year. Now go eat a peice of cheesecake or something...mmm...cheesecake.

Edit: Woops. Got a little submit happy.

[yin-bodhi]

OMG, you are amazing, meridionale.

My stats:

The Ohio State University (June 2005-June 2006)

GPA: 3.8 (4.00 major)

Major: Sociology

Minors: Communication; International Relations

Honors: Alpha Kappa Delta, Golden Key International Honors Society

Wright State University (Sept 2003-March 2005)

GPA: 3.67 (All A's, one B, and one F [i was in the hospital])

Major: Sociology

Minor: Communication

Honors: Alpha Kappa Delta, Golden Key International Honors Society, Teaching Assistant for Sociology 101, American Sociological Association Honors Program

John Carroll University (Aug 1999-Nov 2001)

GPA: 2.97

Majors: Sociology and Communication

Minors: none

Honors: Chosen to represent the department of Sociology in the AsiaNetwork team (our team placed 2nd in the nation)

Why did I withdraw: bi-polar paranoid mother lied on my FAFSA; low grades due to an abusive relationship, but I was getting all A's the semester I was pulled out... Oh yes, they yanked me out after mid-terms. I was still considered a "dependent" so there wasn't anything I could do.

GRE (they're bad): V-470; Q-440; Writing- 6.0 (I'm a gifted writer... or at least I used to be... I haven't tried for a while.)

I got to read everyone's letteres and they seemed fine.

I have heard some awesome things about UNC. One professor at WSU had a daughter down there, got her Ph.D. in Sociology, and she loved the experience.

Thank you for saving that page for me! I would love your help shifting through the programs with application dates still open. Funding isn't a huge thing for me at this point, like I said, I just want to get into a prgram that fits me.

I'll wait until my boyfriend gets up to think about dessert food. Cheesecake DOES sound good. Maybe I'll go to the store when I'm done shifting through some of these programs and buy a dessert.

I know what I'm doing this weekend... PROGRAM HUNTING!

[meridionale]

My GRE was 500V/420Q/5 and 490V/530Q, so don't feel too bad. Are you skipping a masters and going for a phd, or do you already have a masters? Your recent GPAs are a little better than my over all (3.68 ), and you went to a "better" school than I did. I think maybe the difference is your program is competitive, the schools you are choosing are competitive, and you are going for your phd. My program is competitive but in no way on the level of Sociology, Economics, or English, and I am only applying for a masters.

I know this might freak you out a little bit, but maybe try applying for your masters and assume you can maybe reapply to the same program the next year for a phd. It would make a strong SOP in a year to say you've started graduate work in the field, you're doing very well, and you are certain you want your phd. Now is the time to keep your mind open and start looking from all angles. The fact of the matter is there is some program out there that is good and will take you, but somehow your application is off. Your GPA looks fine, you said your recommendations were good, you can't do much about your GRE or GPA now anyways, so you have a few things left --

1. SOP - I think this is what really made my GRE score seem unimportant. I was clear in showing that I had career goals, I knew why I was applying, and I had done research on the career itself (in my case, city management). I didn't use the SOP as an elaborate resume, and I mailed my resume reguardless of if it was asked for or not. I was having a tough time making the "perfect" resume, and I searched site after site for advice. Finally, I entered "graduate student resume" in the search field on the websites of my potential schools, and at one site I noticed a trend. I used it as a guide for my own resume, and I am very pleased with how it turned out. I should also note that my opening SOP paragraph was very attention grabbing. I'll PM it to you.

2. General Visit - At Indiana (#3 for Public Affairs), they gave a general invite to anyone who submitted an application to come and visit. You didn't have to, but I took it as my chance to one up the other faceless applicants. I drove 11 hours to Indiana, visited the school the next day, talked with my potential advisor and the admissions coordinator, and the next day I drove home another 11 hours. You can bet I was tired, but when I received an email the following week saying I had been admitted before the priority deadline had passed, it was all worth it. I know they wouldn't have admitted me by my paper materials, so I took the initiative. Find these little loop holes and invites if offered. Sometimes your biggest selling point is yourself.

As I said, I am lucky that everyone and their grandmother doesn't want an MPA, but I think somehow I for once got everything right. I'm 4 for 6 right now in acceptances, although that's nothing to boast about since my favorite has not told me anything (I'm Charlie Brown afterall). I also didn't apply to any ivy leagues. I picked six strong public university programs by looking at what I had to offer. I'm not getting any funding because of my GRE score, but paying $350-$400 a month for two decades after I graduate (oh god) will be worth it because I will be doing what I want to do.

[locura81]

Yin,

Been following your journey - so sorry to hear of the BU decision. For whatever it's worth, I thought I'd add my two quick cents.

Meridion is right - you can't really control the outcome of your GRE. It is what it is (unless you take it again, that is). That said, you can control the other portions of your application - the communique with the department/professors, choosing programs that "fit" you (I think that's huge - the majority of applicants are all well-qualified; the question is whether or not an applicant really fits well into a program. By becomming familiar with programs, you can figure out which ones fit best and thereby increase your chances there), and, of course, refine your SOP.

Again, I gotta agree with Meridion - although I was lucky to do well on the GRE (or, as I like to put, I gave it the kick in the pants it so deserved;), I really feel like the clincher in my apps has been my SOP. It showed a lot of self-analysis/udnerstanding, spoke to the sorts of questions a adcom member might ask themselves, and (if I do say so myself) spoke with a voice. It was human, not just a list of accomplisments as though to say, "Here, I've got great stats. Accept me."

Most of all, and this one is probably the hardest to say without sounding trite or cliche, but you just have to remember, Yin, that you are a brilliant, valuable individual whether or not some program accepts you. Whether you had gotten accepted to all your programs or none of them, it doesn't change who you are. And I have a sneaking suspicion that, if not this year then definitely in the nearer future, you'll find yourself invited to a grad program that is absolutely perfect for you.

That said, best of luck! (and, enjoy the cheesecake:)

[Guest shellyb]

i am so sorry to hear about boston. i agree with everyone else that these crazy rejections have little to do with our potential as graduate students. way too many awesome people are applying and then it's left a lot to luck. good luck with the 4 you have left to hear from!

i just realized that because it's spring break, i probably won't be getting mail and i won't know if i've been rejected.

[yin-bodhi]

Thank you so much, again, to everyone.

I am willing to apply to Masters programs and I did apply to some Masters programs. I think there are several benifits to applying to programs that do that a Masters degree alongside a Ph.D. program. UMSL is just a Masters program and I think I might have a chance there.

My SOP is good. Although, it's gotten better and better as I sent more applications out. I think my SOP for George Mason is gold because the more I looked at the program, the more I was able to place myself into it through my SOP and show the admissions committe I belong there, at least in their Masters program.

I'm not taking that stupid GRE again. I hate that thing with a passion.

Is it okay to communicate with people in the departments I am applying to? I don't want to seem like a suck-up or anything. I would love to visit these places... maybe I should just fork out the money and go during spring break (I take my last final March 16th). I have a week before spring quarter starts... hmm...

I only want to apply to places where I can see myself enjoying a majority of the classes and that's what I've tried to do.

Okay, I want to look at a couple more programs. Some evil girl scouts used their powers of influence to sell me some cookies. Okay, so it didn't take THAT much convincing. :wink:

Oh, and I got an e-mail asking me to come to an info session on Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships. Should I go? It's from an OSU department who recruits people for these things. Can't hurt to go, I suppose.

[yin-bodhi]

Okay, this is what I came up with so far. Some of these seem more possible than others (for example, I can't see myself flying to Portland). What do you guys think? Do I have anything good here?

THE LIST:

Conflict Analysis/Dispute Resolution-

Wayne State University

University of Baltimore

Indiana State University (Housed in the Department of Sociology)

Portland State University

Montclair State University

International Relations-

Seton Hall University

University of Indianapolis

Sociology-

University of Indianapolis

Eastern Michigan University