Still Pretty Slow Around Here...

[barilicious]

It still seems pretty slow around this forum, especially compared to last year (or maybe it is just in my head that this section of the forum was busy). Maybe less people are applying to sociology graduate programs this year (wishful thinking)? Or maybe the people applying this year aren't crazy and OCD like some of us (or maybe just me) on the forum? This section just seems strangely quiet...

[lab ratta-tat-tat]

I am not applying to sociology but it does seems suspiciously slow around the results board for psychology and sociology students, especially compared to last year and the year before. Also, the schools applicants are applying for are much more prestigious now than 2 years back. It seems like everyone has their eye on the prize, which makes it difficult for those waiting during the application process because 40 people with the same background are applying for the same position, it's a tough crowd.

Good luck

[Happy to be here]

Yeah, I find myself checking this forum 2-3X a day but with very little going on. It's spooky quiet. I guess I check this forum a little OCD-ish but I don't post every time I'm on. But seriously, barilcious, comparing this year to last year's postings is just bizarre--I do think there was WAY more conversation happening then. I don't know if it has to do with less people applying, I really have no idea what the reason might be.

Sheesh, when I check what's happening in sociology and find nothing new, I find myself thinking, "Okay, results from applications are going to start coming in within the next THREE WEEKS or so. What is going on here? Where's the discussion?" I'm going to try to be a bit more vocal and then maybe others will join in, perhaps we're lacking a catalyst.

Edited January 11, 2011 by Happy to be here

[barilicious]

Yea I check here about 3 times a day or so as well (and I've been off work the past 2 days, so obsessively bored). I always get slightly disappointed when there are no new updates in the sociology section, plus it seems like a great deal of people here are sociology of religion, which is not my focus or area at all - so I feel oh so lonely. LOL. But yea, I guess if we become more active maybe others will?

[lab ratta-tat-tat]

I have found that more people are applying to top notch programs, maybe because of fit, but probably because of the "Name". Those places send out invites, acceptances, rejections first. The middle tier schools with still great professors, programs, and research, may have later deadlines but also, they are trying to snag the people who were rejected from the top tier schools. This way they still get great students but they were rejected from the ivy schools due to, like i said before, too many applicants with the exact same profile. It is all a Ponzi scheme, but you are correct, it is quiet around here. Too.... quiet.

[barilicious]

Yea, I'm obviously applying to top programs, but I don't know if it is wise not too. Rankings & prestige mean a lot when it comes to getting a job down the road. Obviously by the time we are done with graduate school, hopefully the economy will be way better than it is now, but nonetheless, where you get your degree matters for where you teach and if you are tenured track. Having said that, yes, I would like to go to a top school. However, when I first started this process my list of potential schools consisted of 39 possibilities, that I then narrowed down to the 8 that I applied too. All of this was completely based on interest and faculty. If you aren't a good fit, you probably aren't going to get in to the school. So I think it is a mixture of both for me, and probably others. And yes, you are right, it seems the top tiers answer first, and then it follows down the line, and your explanation makes great sense to me. Thanks!

[myrrh]

According to the the report page, last year the first admission came from Chicago, which was a super early admission. It is, too, this year. However, the majority of U Chicago admits will not appear until Feb.

Lat year, U of Chicago was the only institution which sent admission before Jan 2010. Later on, An (yes, only one) admission to Brandeis was reported on Jan 1, 2010. Again, there's only one admission reported.

The wave of admission got it's real start by the end of January. The first institution which sent a batch of admissions at once was CUNY, accompanied by several single admissions to Berkeley and UNC Chapel Hill. After several days (by the end of January as well), another big new was about UW Madison's admission released. UCSD, US Davis, UCLA, Stanford, Princeton, Harvard and UT Austin started to send admissions in early February. Afterwards, there were some Berkeley or Chicago admissions. Meanwhile, Duke was still interviewing people.

When it comes to other schools, my impression is most big names would have decided who they want by the end of Feb. Also, after the middle of Feb, you could see more and more rejections from the institutions which had sent admissions. Many top schools have no wait list reported.

So, for the top school applicants, there are not a long way to go. Just wait for roughly 50 days.

[Happy to be here]

According to the the report page, last year the first admission came from Chicago, which was a super early admission. It is, too, this year. However, the majority of U Chicago admits will not appear until Feb.

Lat year, U of Chicago was the only institution which sent admission before Jan 2010. Later on, An (yes, only one) admission to Brandeis was reported on Jan 1, 2010. Again, there's only one admission reported.

The wave of admission got it's real start by the end of January. The first institution which sent a batch of admissions at once was CUNY, accompanied by several single admissions to Berkeley and UNC Chapel Hill. After several days (by the end of January as well), another big new was about UW Madison's admission released. UCSD, US Davis, UCLA, Stanford, Princeton, Harvard and UT Austin started to send admissions in early February. Afterwards, there were some Berkeley or Chicago admissions. Meanwhile, Duke was still interviewing people.

When it comes to other schools, my impression is most big names would have decided who they want by the end of Feb. Also, after the middle of Feb, you could see more and more rejections from the institutions which had sent admissions. Many top schools have no wait list reported.

So, for the top school applicants, there are not a long way to go. Just wait for roughly 50 days.

Excellent post, thanks for listing out the chronology like that, myrrh. The only addition I have is that I believe last year, Notre Dame sent out their first admissions in the first week of February. I'll be curious to see where Rice falls in the order.

[Roll Right]

I wouldn't put too much weight on name and prestige later - down the road. It's really going to depend on the name you make for yourself with research. I'm sure name and prestige make some difference, but when it comes to hiring a new professor, programs are going to want someone who has produced impressive research in their chosen areas of specialization (and the connections you made at other universities while doing that research will matter).

Top schools are great if you get in...but its not going to determine whether or not you get a job after getting a PhD. Your work leading up to your PhD will.

So, people are nervous. Notre Dame is probably jammed up with apps. I applied as well, we'll see what happens in the coming weeks. The funding is amazing there. Good luck to everyone.

Edited January 13, 2011 by Roll Right

[JohnBom]

I wouldn't put too much weight on name and prestige later - down the road. It's really going to depend on the name you make for yourself with research. I'm sure name and prestige make some difference, but when it comes to hiring a new professor, programs are going to want someone who has produced impressive research in their chosen areas of specialization (and the connections you made at other universities while doing that research will matter).

Top schools are great if you get in...but its not going to determine whether or not you get a job after getting a PhD. Your work leading up to your PhD will.

So, people are nervous. Notre Dame is probably jammed up with apps. I applied as well, we'll see what happens in the coming weeks. The funding is amazing there. Good luck to everyone.

Unfortunately, sociologists are much more focused on the pedigree of their prospective junior faculty than I ever thought before joining my department. I am currently at a prestigious department. We are going through the annual hiring process. I was very disappointed to hear from our grad director that they would not interview anyone from what they did not consider to be one of the top ten departments. We received five hundred job applications for two positions. Name and prestige matter very much. You may be an excellent scholar, but your likelihood of getting a tenure-track job drops significantly, if your degree (and recommendation letters) don't come from a well-known department.

[Roll Right]

Unfortunately, sociologists are much more focused on the pedigree of their prospective junior faculty than I ever thought before joining my department. I am currently at a prestigious department. We are going through the annual hiring process. I was very disappointed to hear from our grad director that they would not interview anyone from what they did not consider to be one of the top ten departments. We received five hundred job applications for two positions. Name and prestige matter very much. You may be an excellent scholar, but your likelihood of getting a tenure-track job drops significantly, if your degree (and recommendation letters) don't come from a well-known department.

Yes, but you're also at a prestigious department. This is classic cultural and social capital theory at work. Gotta walk the walk and talk the talk to fit into prestigious groups, and someone better vouch for you. This is certainly not going to be the case at the majority of sociology programs in the country. If that were the case, there would not be enough faculty to go around. Imagine how many colleges have sociology programs, let alone large scale universities.

[Paul Allen]

I'm just checking in, it's been a while since I've posted or visited the site, got all my applications in between late november and late december. Time to cross the fingers. So you think we'll find out at the end of January to mid-February? Yeeeesh, I thought it would be later, I'll have to maniacally check my email for the next month.

[fields&charts]

so by the looks of it Emory sent out its initial invites to be interviewed and by the looks of last years acceptances those are the last of the potential acceptees.

things are picking up and so far...hmph.

[Haustier]

It really depends on the department at Rice. For engineering and science they are crazy fast. It seems like they make most decisions within the week of the application deadline. Not so sure about Sociology though However, it seems like all departments have a higher volume of applicants than last year (ranging from 120 to 150% of 2010). A major problem, at least at my current undergrad university, is they accepted far more ppl in 2010 than is normal, so the departments are saturated. Meaning, the number of acceptances this yr could be lower than normal. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, I'm in the same boat

[dreaming 1]

So it's almost the very very end of January and things are still looking quiet! Have people been hearing anything? Acceptances or rejections? Which usually come out first? I am so clueless about all of this and an international applicant (from UK!)

[goodmp]

So far I've heard back from UNC-Chapel Hill and Ohio State. I'd reached the point where I was compulsively checking the results site about 20 times per day, but that has tapered off significantly in the past few days.

[Lizzla]

So far I've heard back from UNC-Chapel Hill and Ohio State. I'd reached the point where I was compulsively checking the results site about 20 times per day, but that has tapered off significantly in the past few days.

Congrats! Going to the UNC recruitment weekend? I might see you there!

I am still compulsively checking the results site...and I have a job that allows/requires me to check my email a lot, which only fuels the insanity

[goodmp]

Yep, I'm planning on going down for the UNC weekend. I'm just waiting on the official e-mail from the graduate coordinator to get the details before I buy a plane ticket.