What if nobody accepts me?

[Supernovasky]

I don't know what to do afterwards if I don't get accepted anywhere. I've been working as a car salesman just to pay off student loans. I have 300 dollars in loan notes each month, plus rent, plus car insurance, it adds up to like 900 dollars. There is no way an internship is even possible for me... and its hard to keep building on a sociology ap...

If I don't get accepted this year, do I give up my dream of being a PhD?

I mean I know my stats aren't THAT great, but they arent terrible. 3.75, 1240 GRE, published research (in education though, not sociology), good LORs...

But maybe I'm just not special enough.

Should I just give up this dream if I don't get accepted this year? I'll be 3 years out of college... I cant honestly think of anything else I'd like to do with my life is the problem.

[Darth.Vegan]

I know everyone says this, they certainly do to me, but relax.

You have only been rejected from one program.

If you get rejected don't give up hope, just apply next year and cast a wider net, why only 5 programs? I plan to apply to 15 next cycle.

3 are MA programs.

Do you have your MA yet? If not, there are still some MA programs accepting applications for a little while longer. Why not apply to some of those?

Sure you'll have to borrow some more money, but it will greatly increase your chances of funded PhD programs in the next cycle.

All in all though, relax, you still have 4 programs to hear back from.

Edited January 27, 2012 by xdarthveganx

[Scrabble2]

For what it's worth, 3 years ago I bombed the gre and realized I most likely wouldn't get into the type of program I want. I worked full time but also continued my research which became published and studied harder for the gre and improved my score by 100 points (the reformatting of the verbal for the gre helped too). And now my application is much stronger and I feel more prepared for graduate school.

I think time off is what you make of it. You can always strengthen your writing sample, cv, and personal statement. But everybody's situation is different, good luck.

[Sociograd]

Super: I feel you...some thoughts I've had are getting another Master's and working on that, starting some program, group, etc. or learning a new skill in the community that I'm interested in, retake the GRE and try to do better, finding a super part-time job doing statistics stuff, or just reaching out to people more with my concerns. I think most people feel like you do...I certainly do!

[ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid]

Save up money over the next year and cast a wider net. Or, actually, apply really early and try and use the waiver's for some programs. Apply to around 15 programs with a good amount of one's that are 30-60 rank that you know you'll be competitive in. You have a strong application so don't lose confidence. One of my advisers told me the rule of thumb is for every 5 programs you apply to you might get into 1. Sure, some people on here have all-star applications and get accepted at all places but their experiences aren't the same as what a lot of grad students applying go through.

If you don't want to wait a year then look into R1 Masters programs. My backup, if I don't get into any PhD programs, is to go to a masters program that is a R1; it provides funding opportunities as a GA for graduate students.

[Supernovasky]

I know everyone says this, they certainly do to me, but relax.

You have only been rejected from one program.

If you get rejected don't give up hope, just apply next year and cast a wider net, why only 5 programs? I plan to apply to 15 next cycle.

3 are MA programs.

Do you have your MA yet? If not, there are still some MA programs accepting applications for a little while longer. Why not apply to some of those?

Sure you'll have to borrow some more money, but it will greatly increase your chances of funded PhD programs in the next cycle.

All in all though, relax, you still have 4 programs to hear back from.

What MA programs are still accepting? I'm just about willing to apply to them to hedge my bets.

[ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid]

What MA programs are still accepting? I'm just about willing to apply to them to hedge my bets.

Quite a few I'm sure; their deadlines are usually later than PhD programs. There is only one specific program I am looking into for a MA and that deadline is March 1st - that may or may not be the same date as other programs.

[hobokennojokin]

I remember loyola (Chicago) had a really late deadline last year. Actually as I'm typing this I feel like it was the first of February. That said, I think their app is free

[undmich]

What MA programs are still accepting? I'm just about willing to apply to them to hedge my bets.

if u r good at stats, QMSS at Columbia is rolling till April 1. and UNC-charlotte has a MA program due Feb 1 I believe??(i received an email from them but i did not read carefully through though. Edited January 27, 2012 by undmich

[Darth.Vegan]

Boston College has a Feb 1st deadline

http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/cas/sociology/grad/programs.html

Brandeis is March 16th

http://www.brandeis.edu/departments/sociology/grad/index.html

And Columbia is March 15th

http://sociology.columbia.edu/admissions

[sociologyplease]

I know what you mean about freaking about about not get accepted- I applied for a funded M.A. as a back-up, and found out I was accepted and fully funded, so that has given me some piece of mind. I think that it's important to remember that one rejection does not mean you won't get in anywhere! You only need one yes!

UNC Charlotte, I think, is still accepting for M.As, also Louisville is still accepting for a bit, too, if you are still looking for back up options.

[Supernovasky]

Going to look at all of these masters programs.

Only thing I'm worried about is bothering my LOR writers. They were awesome when they wrote them, but I'd hate to let them think that I'm thinking I'm not good enough to get into a PhD program.

[Supernovasky]

if u r good at stats, QMSS at Columbia is rolling till April 1. and UNC-charlotte has a MA program due Feb 1 I believe??(i received an email from them but i did not read carefully through though.

I'd be a perfect fit for that program. I'll apply.

[maximus82]

First of all, having one rejection is not the end of the world. You still have a number of school to hear from, and you should definitely apply to MA programs. But be aware that those programs don't always offer financial aid, so you might have to get more loans.

If you get rejections everywhere and don't get into an MA program, here's what I think:

The first time I applied I didn't get anywhere. It was horrible. But if you really want to do this, it doesn't matter if you start this year or next or the year after next. You just have to be realistic about your chances and where you can go. While fit is the most important thing when looking at schools, you also have to consider the possibilities of getting into a program. So keep working, try to finish paying your student loans.Try to apply to programs that aren't as selective as the ones you applied to. I don't know about UC-Boulder or LSU, but ann Arbor and UT Austin are very VERY selective. Maybe you want to try and get into schools that are less selective?

[Supernovasky]

Another question to everyone in this thread:

What can I do to strengthen my application for next year?

I will be 25 years old. I graduated in 2010... so I'd be applying for fall of 2013. It will have been quite some time since I have been in school.

I currently work as a car salesman... I have for the last 2 years. Its the only job I was able to get with a sociology degree. I use it to pay my student loans.

Here are my current stats that I am using in my pursuit of a PhD in sociology:

-Started as a Mech. Engineering major, went WAY high in math. I switched into Sociology in the beginning of my junior year and got A's on every single Sociology class I took. I desribe this move in my personal statement as caused by a few things. One, a great sociology professor inspired a love of of the discipline in me. Two, even though I was in engineering, I was always handling the people side of things in my group: I gave the presentations, I wrote the papers, I was the "face" of our group. I did not leave Mech. Engineering because I was doing poorly. I had a 3.75 in Mech.E. and likewise kept a 3.75 average in Sociology.

-I made As and Bs in Math ranging from Statistics to advanced calculus (Math V).

-I have published research in education and curriculum design for engineering students. I studied trends in what factors improve grades in the students, and helped design an entirely new curriculum. I presented this research in Pittsburgh and it was selected as one of the top papers in the conference. I took this research and used it to teach incoming professors how to implement this kind of curriculum. I did all of this as a sophomore in college.

-I went on to continue studying the effects of the curriculum throughout my sophomore year and the summer, working as a tutor in the engineering department, and collecting data on what students were having the most trouble with. I taught basic engineering math and statistics to incoming freshman in the summer between my Sophomore and Junior year.

-I moved on to sociology because I realized that my real passion was in social issues and the peopel side of things. As such, I parted with the department and began to pursue a sociology focused education.

-I made straight As in all of my sociology courses. I had a couple Bs in things like history classes, and a single C (the one C that I made in my entire college career) in "Media and culture," an online corrsepondence course where I feel my grades were based on the teachers disagreement with my rather liberal viewpoints on topics.

-I was vice president of an environmental club on campus, I was secretary of the largest science club on campus (a 2000 member club), I organized many student evetns and protests, and had success in my off campus endeavors.

-I was loved by all of my sociology professors. I was nominted for and won Outstanding Senior Sociology Student, a huge award on my campus.

-I am a first generation college student, nobody even up to my 3rd cousin has even attended college. My brother and I are the only ones who are currently attending college in a large extended family.

-I got a 1240 on the GRE. My quant score was higher than my verbal score. This was back in 2010, and combined, I think it put me above 75% of applicants. I got a half point bellow perfect on the writing sample.

Then I graduated. I applied only to two schools at the time (Rutgers and Oregon), but one of my professors was late with his LORs, and I was not mature enough to truely realize the undertaking that I was attempting. My LORs probably were subpar, my personal statement likely sucked, and my writing sample was not what I would want to show anyone.

Getting rejected from both, I instantly had to start working on paying student loans. I got a job as a car salesman, and I'm doing great at it and making money. But I feel empty, it is not what I want to do, it is not utilizing my full potential, and I feel like I am treading water. I have had no ability to improve my stats since then, as car sales is a long hours job. I can't afford to take an internship. Its hard for me to really "advance" my application, and the longer I wait, the more I feel I'm falling behind students that are just getting out of college.

This time around, I had a MUCH better personal statement, a MUCH better writing sample, a proposal for research, and I know exactly what I want to get into. I suppose one of my mistakes was not contacting any professors in the universities I was applying to. I was not aware that was something people did until I found this forum. Last week, I did contact some, albeit late, but I'm not getting many responses back. My LORs, I am positive, are stellar. I managed to get a LOR from a very well respected writer for a major magezine.

I just got my first UT-Austin rejection. I don't have high hopes for Ann Arbor. Boulder and Seattle MIGHT accept me (and oh my god, if they do, I'm probably going to straight up jump out my pants), but I just have no idea what I can do to make my application more competitive save for taking the GRE again... and if I mess that up, being that its been 3 years since I've been in school, I'm digging myself in deeper.

I have no idea what I can do, from this point, to make my application more competitive next time around. If I DONT get accepted anywhere, I need to apply to 15 places next year, and just save up that kind of money. I know that is for sure. I know I need to retake my GRE. Does anyone else have any ideas after seeing this spill all about my stats?

[elw4y8]

I highly recommend UNC-Charlotte. The last time that I applied to graduate programs, I was only accepted here and at Kansas, and Kansas didn't offer any funding. Despite the program at UNCC not being very well known, the faculty here publish very well, are well-respected in the discipline, and are very supportive throughout the MA process. Their emphasis on strong graduate work and publishing is what made me a viable candidate for PhD programs. Can't recommend it highly enough.

[ducksoup]

Supernovasky, if you don't get accepted this cycle, I would suggest maybe finding a professor at your undergraduate institution that you could possibly do some volunteer work on. A few hours a week on a project that would lead to a possible publication. That's a thought.

And not to sound mean, but if you didn't get into UT-Austin, I don't think you will be accepted into a U of Michigan or U of Washington. Your GRE scores are too low. You need scroes around 1400 for those top schools.

Edited January 27, 2012 by ducksoup

[Supernovasky]

I read the average GRE score at University of Washington is 1280 or something, so I'm not far down bellow it.

I've already practically given up on University of Michigan.

But you think that's what it is? I just need to study for the entire year for the GRE and try to get it up before applying another cycle, if I don't get accepted this cycle?

[Darth.Vegan]

This obsession over GRE scores is nonsense.

The average GRE score at UT-Austin is 1231

The average GPA is 3.68

You didn't get rejected for your GPA or GRE score.

http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/sociology/graduate/admissions/faq.php

It is somewhat about luck.

[Darth.Vegan]

Supernovasky: Have you considered looking for jobs doing research? It will more than likely require you to be willing to move somewhere else, but it could be just what you need. Believe it or not, these jobs do exist, just not everywhere.

[Chuck]

My heart goes out to you, Supernovasky . I am far from an expert in the Sociology admissions process, but I did go through an MS program, and have been working in academia for several years. The advice given to you above strikes me as wise and reasonable for someone in your position. Your description of your background and profile seem to make you a very competitive candidate, provided you find the right programs for you. Unfortunately, the elusive contours of this all-important idea of "FIT" seem to be under-discussed- on these boards, in the rankings, in general. We tend to get carried away with "stats", which certainly have their place in the competitive world of academia, but should not necessarily be our primary concern. Your GRE scores will not get you into Harvard, but who really cares? DarthVegan is right, GRE scores are not nearly what they're cracked up to be on these boards. There is great work happening at hundreds of schools across the country, most of which you have likely not heard of. Yet. Your profile qualifies you for admission to many of these programs. If you find the right place (again, the right place for you), and do great MA work, you will be admitted to one of your top choice PhD programs.

I am confident that there are schools out there where you will be quite happy, and that if you look hard you will find those programs. And, I also have no doubt that you will be admitted. So, Chin up! This likely means getting an MA first, which is incidentally something I recommend even to people who are (or could be) accepted directly to PhD programs (My Master's program changed my life in ways a direct-entry PhD never could have- but this is a topic for another post). Don't hesitate to contact your recommenders and ask for them to support further applications. Do it today, while you can still give them some notice. Then spend your weekend looking for places to apply. An MA program is hardly a consolation prize- it's a qualitatively different path. Any schmuck who looks down on you for doing an MA isn't worth listening to. Tell your recommenders that you've been considering the merits of doing an MA and think that, on second thought, you've found A, B, & C programs which will fully support your current needs and interests, let you explore a master's thesis on this exciting topic, expand your skills in methods, etc.... It's not up to them to decide your path, and if they are good people they will support your decision.

I would say that it's important that you take a step back, stop focusing so much on the "name" of a school, it's ranking, it's GRE scores, or otherwise obsessing over how you might get in. DO start focusing on the things that actually matter once you become a graduate student. Who do you want to work with? (this is huge!) What, specifically do you want to study? Go to the library and use their proxy server to search journals that you find interesting to see which professors, and which institutions, are doing work that is most compelling. Essentially, the best advice I ever received about applying to graduate school is that a successful application requires a large amount of going through the duties of a graduate student. You need to treat the application process like a mini-research project, and in doing so you will make yourself more competitive.

Above all, know that you are a strong candidate, especially for an MA program. Meanwhile, make the best of the situation you are in. Being a car salesman is quite an opportunity for sociological research. Make your job interesting: practice your research and writing skills by pursuing your own secret project on the car lot. The most interesting social scientists have very storied backgrounds far beyond the 'normal' path to academia (Just one example I came across this morning: http://www.natekreuter.net/about). There are hundreds of potential advisors out there at "less competitive" schools who are just dying to be noticed by students of your caliber. Having an advisor who is willing to put the time and effort into mentoring your MA research is totally worth not going to a "top" program. Put your nose to the grindstone and go find them!

It will work out if you put the work in.

Also, you are totally not 'old', so I don't want to hear any more about that! I'll be 31 when I start my PhD in the fall. Incidentally, I also have yet to be accepted anywhere!

[SocHope]

Supernovasky: Have you considered looking for jobs doing research? It will more than likely require you to be willing to move somewhere else, but it could be just what you need. Believe it or not, these jobs do exist, just not everywhere.

I think that's a great suggestion. There are a lot of large research organizations, like AIR, RTI, RAND that have field offices. You might also be surprised at the number of think tanks, large and small, at which you can do solid research work. Play up your quantitative skills - especially if you know statistical packages. That's your almost guaranteed in to a research org. Not only will that strengthen your application for a next round (if that's what you end up doing), it'll also give you a realistic take on applied research.

I might be assuming too much here, but it seems to me as if you just want to get in SOMEwhere. In that case, I think flexibility in what you want to pursue in terms of research interests is more important. Don't apply to places where there's ONE faculty doing what you want to do - make sure you seem appealing to multiple faculty. I don't think getting an MA is necessary (what's more, it's likely to put you into more debt) - more research experience would probably get you just as far.

[ducksoup]

Supernovasky, I once heard from a professor at Columbia who told me that the GRE is the first factor graduate committees consider. So, the better your GRE score the more options you have. So again I say try to get your scores around 1400 if possible. Just to be safe.

[felicidad]

Super, I think that some people get their jollies from feeding into others' insecurities under the guise of being "realistic." I think that there are a lot of worthwhile suggestions in this thread, notwithstanding the misguided statement that if you didn't get into UT, then you must not have a chance at the other schools to which you applied.

But here's the thing. You haven't heard back from everywhere yet. You've only heard back from one place. It's too early to be throwing in the towel, buddy. Chin up! Have a bit this Nutella I'm eating out of the jar.

[Supernovasky]

Supernovasky: Have you considered looking for jobs doing research? It will more than likely require you to be willing to move somewhere else, but it could be just what you need. Believe it or not, these jobs do exist, just not everywhere.

I would love to find one... but I don't have much experience beyond having a degree... I've searched before. What would you suggest I search for?