What schools are you applying to?

[sociology27]

We've got about 2 months before we hear anything from anyone, but I assume that most people have submitted their apps. Anyone care to share where their applying to (that rhyming scheme was unintentional)? I'd be curious to talk to some people applying to the same schools, so I'll start (with the hope this isn't the end of the thread).

UC-Berkeley

Harvard

NYU

U. Michigan

Northwestern

UCSB

CUNY-grad center

University of Virginia

USC

Rutgers

Notre Dame

Boston University

WIDE net

anyone else...?

[RefurbedScientist]

"I assume that most people have submitted their apps."

Uh oh.

My list is:

CUNY

NYU

Harvard

UNC

UCSB

UT Austin

UC Irvine

When I write them all out like that, I can't help but think "I'm so screwed"

But that's no way to think.

Good luck!!

[sociologyplease]

I totally know what you mean about looking at your list and thinking that you are so screwed. I seem to waver between feeling hopeful and waking up in panic after dreaming that I didn't get in anywhere.

My list :

UCSB

UCSC

UCLA

U Michigan

U Chicago

Indiana

Rutgers

U Albany

UMass Amherst

U Conn

Brandeis

Georgia State

Louisville (MS)

Good luck to everyone!

[allhandsonthebadone]

Its pretty normal to waver from "I am a competitive applicant anywhere" to "I have no chance in hell." I approached the application writing from the former standpoint and will probably have the latter standpoint until I have my first yes. Hopefully I will have one yes. It is all I need.

Anyway I chose my top 15 schools per my own criteria. It's pretty top heavy.

Harvard

Wisconsin

Princeton

Cal

Stanford

Toronto

Northwestern

North Carolina

UCLA

NYU

Chicago

Michigan

Columbia

Penn

Indiana

Good luck all. As idiosyncratic as this process seems we are all going to need some.

[avee]

My plan was to still apply to Northeastern and BU, but I haven't done so yet. (Pulling my hair out.)

MIT

Brandeis

Harvard

Boston College

NYU

CUNY GC

Columbia

I feel there is a possibility I may not get into any schools. I thought I'd apply to more but with money being so tight and so much stress with working and school, I ended up with a shorter list. Crossing my fingers. At least I am happy to apply to all programs I would pass out if I found I got into.

[penpen]

My list:

Wisconsin

NYU

Johns Hopkins

Indiana

Arizona

UCSB

UC Irvine

UC Riverside

UMass Amherst

SUNY Binghamton

Boston College

Maybe it'd be a good idea to say what our interests are too?

Mine: Political Economy, State theory, Development, Social Movements

[sociologyplease]

Quite a lot of UCSB. My interests are: sexuality/gender, social movements, family

[avee]

medical sociology, economic sociology, stratification, and organizational theory. I am very big on theory.

[sciencegirl]

I noticed with a few posters the UCSB thing, but that they didn't apply to UCLA - why not? Does the program have a bad reputation? My areas are social inequality, race and ethnicity and gender and I didn't apply to UCI or UCSB but applied to UCB and UCLA... I'm almost done with all my apps, but too late now to apply to other UCs.

[RefurbedScientist]

Yes, so far we've got lots of overlap. But we're perhaps not representative of the whole population of people applying. Perhaps we are. Hard to say.

My interests are political sociology, social movements, and political culture.

[violet.]

I am interested in the Sociology of Culture and the class culture of workers in arts industries. I am only applying to one school this year (PhD), so for the sake of anonymity I will wait until results are in to clue you in on where it is. If I am not accepted this year, I will be reapplying next year and casting a much wider net.

[ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid]

theory, religion, social movements

princeton

nyu

yale

upenn

penn state

boston university

notre dame

univ of chicago

univ of chicago illinois

uc boulder

utexas austin

ucr

ucsd

purdue

[Structurally_Holly]

There's little money in studying theory and few faculty positions

[ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid]

...there's little money in all of academia.

Edited December 13, 2011 by ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid

[violet.]

...there's little money in all of academia.

true, so do what you want to do in academia. be happy and love what you do! (Also, marry rich haha jk)

[avee]

There's enough money to get by, but by now you should know that your salary will never go over 100,000 unless you've had tenure for 40+ years or are in an administrative position. I have come to terms with what I will make, and I am damn happy to know where I feel I belong. Sociology is my home and my community.

[barilicious]

There's enough money to get by, but by now you should know that your salary will never go over 100,000 unless you've had tenure for 40+ years or are in an administrative position. I have come to terms with what I will make, and I am damn happy to know where I feel I belong. Sociology is my home and my community.

Um, huh? My mentor from undergrad just got tenure (and got his PhD in 2005), and I know for a fact that he makes over 100k. It is also a small liberal arts college where you can't even get a PhD in Sociology anymore.

[sciencegirl]

Avee -

Did you see this from the Chronicle? (Sorry that it is premium content - but most college campuses give you access from their network.)

http://chronicle.com/article/Faculty-Salaries-Vary-by/127073

I was surprised that social science professors earn 17% more than English ones. And most full professors make more than $100,000 at doctoral institutions. If you are play your cards right, you can get tenure to be a full professor in about 10 years. The 40+ is a bit crazy. A friend's mentor is just 12 years out of phD making close to 200K now in a Sociology dep. as a full prof.

[ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid]

I did a last minute substitute: University of Washington, Seattle for UI-Chicago.

Keepin' my fingers crossed for a top 20

I'm also curious when this forum will pick up the pace with more people.

[avee]

@Sciencegirl, I think that's an interesting article, but it is highly misleading. I have recently read studies that compared employees who are salaried by the government (ahem, i.e., tenured professors). In sociology, the average salary pay is around $55,000/ year. This is not to make you feel discouraged, but I do suggest that you read further into the literature. Also, you should keep in mind that gaining tenure at a doctoral institution is highly competitive, and there are few that actually gain tenure compared to the amount of those that earn their doctorate in sociology.

And @barilicious: you should know as a sociologist that anecdotal accounts do not make up larger societal trends. Just because your advisor makes that salary, it doesn't mean it is the overall trend amongst tenured sociology professors.

[sciencegirl]

I think it just depends on what type of institution/role you see yourself in more.. one of my main goals is to wind up in a large research based institution, primarily doing research, secondarily teaching - salaries in those positions are higher than $55,000. Also, I'd be curious to read more about studies that show the average at $55,000... do these include community college professors? Adjunct positions? Average salaries are suspicious in many ways since I think higher education has a few select positions (yes, highly competitive) that pay a lot, then a lot more that pay a lot less, and then a lot of Soc. phDs with no jobs. (Some statistic I read was that only 7% of all phDs get a University teaching job).

@avee.. I'm not at all discouraged by this in any way.. seems like a fun and rewarding challenge

[sociology27]

I'm just commenting that it's nice that we got 2 pages going! The soc. board has been dead for a while, so it's nice to check it and actually see updates.

I'm with socgirl on this. Maybe getting a position is difficult; but the challenge makes it more rewarding in a way. Plus, even if I come out making 55k; I'd be pretty happy considering I'd have no debt, which is a big plus that should be considered.

But I think the general point that people shouldn't go into this for the money or job security is well founded. If you don't love this stuff, and can't be happy doing it knowing you might never rise above middle-class, then it's just not for you. I'm perfectly fine not keeping up with the Joneses. 55K is plenty. Anyway, that's my take.

[avee]

We are our own little community here I think it's pleasantly sociological to remain critical, and not think about your salary. You'll make enough to get by, but maybe not have a Mercedes--and why the fridge would you want one anyway? That's my two cents.

[barilicious]

@avee You don't think that salaries from community colleges and lower ranked schools skew the average? If you are going to a research 1 institute, and will hopefully also end up at a recent 1 institute, I don't think 55k is the average tenured professor salary, that is ludicrous.

[sciencegirl]

Yes, I will agree that its nice to have more action on this board.. I was lurking for a few months (also feverishly working on my apps) and then sad that this board was sort of dead so I figured I'd just chime in a lot more here. I usually try to stay off such boards but it seems that this will give me something to do now that almost all but one (Yale) of my apps are done. (And I almost want to save myself the $100 and not apply there.. a bit burnt out by the process right now).

Also - I do want to add that $55,000 is a very good salary for many living in the US right now (with our unemployment as high as it is). And in our field, there is a lot that you can write off in your taxes (travel for research, books, meals/coffee where you have meetings with research participants). And most schools have great benefits still if you are full time. Worst case scenario, is that you get to ride out this great recession in graduate school working with awesome profs in sociology while writing a sweet dissertation that you can call your own at the end of the day. Cool deal if you ask me.