Calling all lurkers...

[zsoc]

So, after about 5 months of lurking, I'd like to say hello! I'm not sure why it took me so long to officially join up, but better late than never. (And just in time to join in the month-plus-long therapy session of waiting to hear from schools...) Let me introduce myself:

I'm a December '09 undergraduate, with a double major in sociology and philosophy. I'm mainly interested in the sociology of culture, knowledge and stratification with a weakness for high-minded (and occasionally low-minded) theory inherited from my philosophy days. As far as applications go, I'm applying to programs mainly in the northeast (though also one UC and a midwestern school), as my girlfriend and I have decided to undertake the graduate school odyssey together (she's doing anthropology) and the northeast offers the most schools within commutable distances. I'm applying to a couple of top-20s (one of which is an ivy), a top-30 and three top-50s for a total of 6 schools.

So, I want to invite all of the lurkers out there to join up and join in. Introduce yourselves! It's quite liberating...

Also, I want to give a shout out to jacib and Roll Right, as their (your) comments have been extremely helpful in the lead-up to this madness. Thanks again.

Okay, back to touching up my last couple SOPs. (Did I mention I'm a procrastinator?)

[Happy to be here]

Agreed, I also encourage lurkers to share what's going on. Join gradcafe! Tell us where you're applying, where you get in, rejected, etc. This website has been an excellent tool in many ways to navigating the grad school application process--offer some input back, please. I think I lurked around for a few months before joining as well, and I really like the interactions I have here. So, sign up!

Another random thought, I love how the "introductions to 2011 applicants" thread I started last fall has over 2,000 hits, and only 22 replies. More real people, not guests, should be a part of the forum and share their info.

[stevebaker]

Agreed, I also encourage lurkers to share what's going on. Join gradcafe! Tell us where you're applying, where you get in, rejected, etc. This website has been an excellent tool in many ways to navigating the grad school application process--offer some input back, please. I think I lurked around for a few months before joining as well, and I really like the interactions I have here. So, sign up!

Another random thought, I love how the "introductions to 2011 applicants" thread I started last fall has over 2,000 hits, and only 22 replies. More real people, not guests, should be a part of the forum and share their info.

I've also applied to Rice for the Fall 2011 term, I just wanna say the secretary there has a very very very terrible attitude! It's just not in her to reply emails or pick up the phone when I call her during her office hour.

[Happy to be here]

I haven't had a problem at all, and I've had a little bit of email correspondence. However, it was several months ago and I imagine that they are dealing with a bit of chaos right now. Having a brand new PhD program, first time their department deals with applicants, first time secretaries and professors are reviewing applications...all that has to have a learning curve. Not an excuse (I have kind of a problem secretary where I'm at right now too) but I can understand it at least.

I've also applied to Rice for the Fall 2011 term, I just wanna say the secretary there has a very very very terrible attitude! It's just not in her to reply emails or pick up the phone when I call her during her office hour.

[ZoeWeber]

Another lurker here. I've been also reading this forum for months, but now that the waiting has begun; I need to come up with other ways to deal with my anxiety. I've never posted before because all stats here are way over mine - and my expectations. I've could only apply to two institutions. Being an international student, I prepared the applications alone, with the sole help of a couple of professors who reviewed my SOP and my Writing sample. I really don't know where I stand. I'll let you know if any gives me an answer - positive or not.

[MoJingly]

I've never posted before because all stats here are way over mine - and my expectations.

I think a lot of people would think that in regard to others on this forum. To ease anxiety, I try to remember a few things. Let's make a list!

1. You are bound to find the cream of the crop on this forum because anybody who joins a graduate school application site is bound to have academics in the forefront of their life. As a result, they are probably fairly obsessive and probably FAR above average in terms of GPA/GRE/experience etc.

2. Competition never seems to be an issue among posters, so fear not. The entire community here is really supportive and encouraging, because we all know how stressful this is.

If all else fails...

3. You never really know if people are inflating their grades and resumes. (It's anonymous, after all )

[Happy to be here]

I think a lot of people would think that in regard to others on this forum. To ease anxiety, I try to remember a few things. Let's make a list!

1. You are bound to find the cream of the crop on this forum because anybody who joins a graduate school application site is bound to have academics in the forefront of their life. As a result, they are probably fairly obsessive and probably FAR above average in terms of GPA/GRE/experience etc.

2. Competition never seems to be an issue among posters, so fear not. The entire community here is really supportive and encouraging, because we all know how stressful this is.

If all else fails...

3. You never really know if people are inflating their grades and resumes. (It's anonymous, after all )

Good points there MoJingly. Yeah, I feel like I'm middle of the pack as far as stats/scores go, and have definitely noticed those that are doing much better than I am. It is a little anxiety producing but the one thing I've learned from watching others go before is that the application process can really be a crapshoot sometimes. Having the high numbers is not necessary or sufficient to gain admission. I know someone who landed a good MS program in sociology with a GRE in the 900's--it was the relation to a particular faculty member that mad a difference. So, perhaps another lesson to remember is that it really only takes one interested faculty member, at one school, and you're in.

As a sidenote, point 3 above is probably very true. I imagine there's lots of dishonest stat reporting.

[Roll Right]

Good points there MoJingly. Yeah, I feel like I'm middle of the pack as far as stats/scores go, and have definitely noticed those that are doing much better than I am. It is a little anxiety producing but the one thing I've learned from watching others go before is that the application process can really be a crapshoot sometimes. Having the high numbers is not necessary or sufficient to gain admission. I know someone who landed a good MS program in sociology with a GRE in the 900's--it was the relation to a particular faculty member that mad a difference. So, perhaps another lesson to remember is that it really only takes one interested faculty member, at one school, and you're in.

As a sidenote, point 3 above is probably very true. I imagine there's lots of dishonest stat reporting.

Something I like to remember (keeps me humble and relaxed) - there is always someone out there who is BETTER at doing what YOU love. That's no reason to stress. This whole process is inherently stressful if you think that you're not as skilled or as qualified as other students. To disarm this stress, have faith in your abilities and keep striving to achieve what you desire for yourself. GRE scores and GPA aside, everyone who is applying to graduate school is doing so because they want to aspire to something beyond a simple BA or BS. NO ONE (I should hope) goes to a sociology grad program for a pay grade increase (because you won't get much of one). Considering that, I think that everyone has a unique perspective that can contribute to collective sociological knowledge. Apply yourself to what you love, and don't give up when there are huge obstacles (cause there will be plenty of them). Besides, what would be the point of doing this if it was easy? The obstacles make it worth it. Achievement means nothing without a little struggle.

[ZoeWeber]

Thanks to you all for the wonderful and so encouraging advices. This forum has quickly turned out to be quite therapeutic for me, your comments made me feel a lot better!!!.

I'm applying to grad school because everyone has a place where they can contribute to the world and my place, I'm certain, is the academy.

I'm totally clumsy and useless for other places- sports, entertainment, economics, even politics.

But in the academy, so it seems, I fit in. I enjoy discussions, research using any method, I love the process of constructing a concept and playing with a variable. I love to find the uncommon in the common sense and to always have in hand an explanation (or at least a description) of those odd things we humans in zoo-ciety (stolen term of course) do. Plus academy has this enjoyable freedom quota (call me naive) that I haven't found anywhere else.

Is not only that I would rather do what I love than spending years in a job I hate. Is just that I discovered I'm totally unable to be in a job I hate for long, despite the payment.

I hope we all get in this year. If I don't, I will probably try again the next, and the next until I find myself in bankrupt because of paying for an awful GRE re-take. I hope what web sites of most departments say is really true: that GPA's and GRE scores are only aspects of the application.

I hope that the admissions committee can look at us and our applications not only for what we already are and what we've already achieved (that it is some, but not a lot in my case) but also for what we can potentially become in the future (written so eloquently in our SOP's). That's all I can say to contribute to this therapy process.

Are there any other timid and anxious lurker out there?

[raque]

another lurker here! i'm going crazy waiting to here back from programs. what KILLS me is the fact that the acceptances/rejections could come at any time! when i least expect it! i've been obsessively checking my email and phone to see if i missed anything. i guess i'll just throw myself into my senior thesis - another great source of anxiety (though i at least have control over that one!)