Another Evaluate Me Thread (I don't know how it works...)

[daytripper]

UG: Flagship State University with lots of research

Overall GPA: 3.27

Majors:

Economics (3.6 GPA)

Sociology (4.0 GPA)

Minor:

Philosophy

GRE: 800 Q, 710 V, 5.5 AW

I will have very good recommendation letters (I think, at least my professors seem to be popular... their CVs are very long and they're all tenured...). They all personally came and told me to go for a PHD in sociology (changing my mind from philosophy).

Did policy research as an intern at a state think tank, RA'd for a professor once, and won a few awards in the sociology department. Nothing that's too impressive, however. I came to sociology late after trying out philosophy and economics.

My low overall GPA is due to a lot of external factors (lots of going hungry and working and then after establishing myself towards the end of college, lots of activism). They are mostly due to two Fs, one early in my college career and one a few semesters before the end, with a few Cs from GECs. I have a unique upbringing (grew up overseas and came back here alone) but don't know how much that will help.

Field that I want to study: Economic Sociology

Schools that I would love to attend (based on the professors in Economic Sociology and the Location): Columbia, Harvard, NYU, Princeton, Cornell.

But mostly Columbia, Harvard, and NYU.

Now, the conundrum is this: I can graduate 2 semesters later (taking out more debt) and likely have a GPA of 3.44. Or should I apply now? Would that extra GPA boost help that much?

Finally, I am wondering if there are masters programs rankings anyone can point me to.

Thanks!

Edited March 21, 2011 by daytripper

[Darth.Vegan]

A lot of graduate schools only calculate the last 2 years of undergrad study, I know Berkeley for example does it this way.

Seeing as you have a perfect major GPA and an amazing GRE score, I think you are siting pretty well.

[faculty]

Your GRE scores will help you rise to the top of any natural sorting. I would be sure to address the grades in an addendum or something, to let people know that you're aware of what went wrong. Also, I think that focusing on your unique experiences is good, but be sure that the activism is something that brought you to where you are and not what you ultimately want to do. The schools I've been at might be different than sociology as a whole (although I don't think so), but they're set on training scholars, not activists, and find that those with strong activist roots can flail in the rigid (and privileged) academic environment if their allegiances are still in activist-oriented pursuits.

[hoobers]

Your numbers are strikingly similar to what mine were when I was applying to schools, and it sounds like even the "qualitative" parts of our records arepretty similar. I got into about half of the schools I applied to, all of which were top programs, including a number from your list. I have a lot of confidence that many grad programs are willing to overlook bad GPA if you have stellar GRE + strong letters of rec. So, I think you're in good shape! And, in retrospect, my personal statement was pretty awful, so that should give you some confidence, too... though decidedly *not* the license to write an awful personal statement, I hope . My two pieces of advice are:

(a.) to apply to more than just those 5 schools. I would at least add Berkeley and Stanford to the list, since they are both strong both in econ soc and overall. And also perhaps Chicago and UNC or UCLA. Your record is strong enough to probably not need second-tier backups (though your profs would have a better sense of this), but do apply to more first-tier schools just in case.

and (b.) get a prof or at least an advanced grad student to glance at your personal statement if you can. I mean, I am looking back at mine now, and maaaaan I wish someone would have told me how bad it was. I can just imagine the confused looks on the faces of the admissions committee when they read it. The academic habitus seems so easy once you get it, and is apparently so hard to fake when you do not... (though I suspect admissions committees may be ready for this)

Best of luck!

Edited March 22, 2011 by hoobers

[daytripper]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'll try my luck this fall!

[soc825]

I realize this isn't related, but you have excellent GRE scores! Any advice for GRE preparation? I'll be taking it in June.

[daytripper]

I realize this isn't related, but you have excellent GRE scores! Any advice for GRE preparation? I'll be taking it in June.

Hi,

I feel I got lucky with the verbal section because I happened to know the right words but I just googled GRE words and memorized those. The trick is to be able to correctly use them, however. I also read a lot.

For the math section, I bought some old geometry / algebra text books that are used in high schools. I am also an economics major, so I took lots of statistics courses, although the statistics in the GRE isn't that complicated.

Barron's latest book was also helpful in getting the feel and timing.

And as for writing, I had a lot of preparation for that in college, but also read this, and practiced a lot.

Sorry if this is not helpful as I did not prepare for it as much as I see some people preparing for it.

[jacib]

Your profile looks generally like mine (my overall GPA was 3.26 I think) your strong quant skill should help you a bit though. My recommendation though is the more I think about it, the more important your actual ideas are. Especially at top schools like the ones you're applying to. Some schools will really care about it, some schools will think "Well, they'll change their idea anyway once they get here", but your statement of purpose really is key. All the stats in the world can only get your foot in the door. Well, okay maybe they can get you half way through the door, but really it's your ideas that will carry you the rest of the way.

For masters, I know Chicago has the MAPSS program, Columbia has a Soc masters program and also QMSS. Those are all one year programs so you really need to know what you want to get out of them before you go into them. MAPSS is usually given as a consolation prize to strong people who apply to Chicago Soc Sci PhD programs and don't get in.

UG: Flagship State University with lots of research

Overall GPA: 3.27

Majors:

Economics (3.6 GPA)

Sociology (4.0 GPA)

Minor:

Philosophy

GRE: 800 Q, 710 V, 5.5 AW

I will have very good recommendation letters (I think, at least my professors seem to be popular... their CVs are very long and they're all tenured...). They all personally came and told me to go for a PHD in sociology (changing my mind from philosophy).

Did policy research as an intern at a state think tank, RA'd for a professor once, and won a few awards in the sociology department. Nothing that's too impressive, however. I came to sociology late after trying out philosophy and economics.

My low overall GPA is due to a lot of external factors (lots of going hungry and working and then after establishing myself towards the end of college, lots of activism). They are mostly due to two Fs, one early in my college career and one a few semesters before the end, with a few Cs from GECs. I have a unique upbringing (grew up overseas and came back here alone) but don't know how much that will help.

Field that I want to study: Economic Sociology

Schools that I would love to attend (based on the professors in Economic Sociology and the Location): Columbia, Harvard, NYU, Princeton, Cornell.

But mostly Columbia, Harvard, and NYU.

Now, the conundrum is this: I can graduate 2 semesters later (taking out more debt) and likely have a GPA of 3.44. Or should I apply now? Would that extra GPA boost help that much?

Finally, I am wondering if there are masters programs rankings anyone can point me to.

Thanks!