2013 Applicants...

[wmnshlthsoc]

@tt503- I've never considered that route but maybe it's worth a try.. I also applied to women's studies program. I was never good at science or history. My MA is in Women's Health (a specialized soc program). So we'll see what other types of programs are out there. Even Public Health seems too "hard science" for me.

@xdarthveganx- i did NOT tell PhD programs that i have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. I said i wanted to make a career of research & writing. and women's empowerment which isn't a lie but I just know that when someone asks "what do you want to be when you grow up, that's not what I say.

I didn't tailor each application/Personal statement. Well sort of but mostly they were all the same.

@sociologyplease- thanks so much... I thought this was my year. I'm realizing that my not so good GRE scores may be to blame. I took them just days before going abroad and without proper preparation. The exam was not required for my MA program so I put it off for a year and that didn't help me at all after not being a math class since 2006.

Edited March 26, 2012 by wmnshlthsoc

[wmnshlthsoc]

Have you contacted the programs to see what might help improve your application? Also, if you're interested in medical sociology, you might want to cast your net wider and consider history of science programs, where you can still study sociology/gender/sexuality, but it might help with "fit" too (depending on your interests).

And no I haven't had the chance to finish contact them all. Some said we can discuss what I did well/wrong during in the Fall. I believe it was my GRE scores and a "taboo" topic.

[Nate The Great]

Can anyone recommend a good GRE prep class?

[sociologyplease]

Can anyone recommend a good GRE prep class?

I took the Kaplan online math and verbal class- if you are going to go with a prep class, I highly recommend this one. It was great because I could take it online at my leisure, but they still really engage you. I scored a 98th percentile on verbal and finally broke the 70th percentile on quant (which I could never do on my own) after taking this class. Mostly, it's just nice because it gives you a strict study schedule, access to a ton of practice tests which you can target to your weaknesses as well, and information on strategies on taking the test. Anyway, highly recommend!

Edited March 27, 2012 by sociologyplease

[AaronM]

I took the Kaplan online math and verbal class- if you are going to go with a prep class, I highly recommend this one. It was great because I could take it online at my leisure, but they still really engage you. I scored a 98th percentile on verbal and finally broke the 70th percentile on quant (which I could never do on my own) after taking this class. Mostly, it's just nice because it gives you a strict study schedule, access to a ton of practice tests which you can target to your weaknesses as well, and information on strategies on taking the test. Anyway, highly recommend!

I'm currently doing the Kaplan Online one and while I haven't taken the GRE yet, I've scored really well on practice tests and I really like the personalized approach they have

[ohhello]

Can anyone recommend a good GRE prep class?

I'd recommend studying from several GRE prep books. I only spent ~$20 on GRE prep materials - I bought verbal flashcards/books used and borrowed books from the library and was able to obtain a competitive score... with the exception of my AW, which I did not practice for. Use the sample essay prompts on the ETS GRE website! Also, ETS provides a free practice test using the same software you'll see on test day.

[ohhello]

I'm currently doing the Kaplan Online one and while I haven't taken the GRE yet, I've scored really well on practice tests and I really like the personalized approach they have

I've found that Kaplan's sample GREs are easier than the real test, so you shouldn't place too much confidence in your Kaplan GRE score. Use tests from more than one publisher and treat the free ETS practice test as the real thing.

[Chuck]

With regards to the infamous GRE....

Be aware that there is some consensus among educators that expensive prep courses don't in and of themselves raise scores that much, especially compared to other study methods. There was a great discussion about this sometime in the last few years, either on Orgtheory or CHE. The general sentiment is that test-taking ability can be coached, but only to a very limited extent. The learning curve is steepest when students are first 'learning the test' - i.e. format, timing, material covered, general basic skills and test-taking strategies. Once the basic outlines of the test are mastered, the diminishing returns to test-prep set in sooner than one might think. Not surprisingly, the biggest gains are obtained by the lowest-scorers. Kaplan is known to 'teach to the middle', and those who see the most improvement are those who started at a lower level. If you're applying to Sociology PhD programs, odds are that you're going to peak nearer the upper end of GRE score distribution anyway. True, all sorts of people swear by Kaplan-like companies, but I hardly think their courses are worth the investment for most PhD applicants. I've heard many respected folks advise that someone with determination and discipline is better off spending $30 on a book and self-studying.

I'm someone who has always tested fairly well without insane amounts of studying or memorization. But, I've been out of school for several years and it had been ages since I took my last standardized test. I bought 3 books to study: Kaplan (with CD), ETS's official guide, and 1 book from the Manhattan Prep series.

The Kaplan book was a joke. It's heft was deceptive. It was written in size 18 font and seemed targeted to a very low common denominator. Seriously, I've read freshman textbooks that exhibited more sophistication. I couldn't read more than 20 pages without getting bored out of my mind. The CD was somewhat useful, and I did appreciate the 20 question quickie exercises it provided. The practice tests were OK, but didn't seem to replicate the format of the real GRE as well as did ETS's official practice tests (doh). Also- I bought these books very soon after the switch to the revised GRE. There were a lot of errors in the Kaplan book, both in actual test answers and also in replicating the new test format.

ETS's official guide was great. I found the outline of all mathematical concepts tested on the GRE particularly helpful. It was succinct but also comprehensive. The only downside was that it didn't provide a lot of practice material. Also, if you care about this sort of thing, the formatting and tone of the text was pretty dry.

The best book by far was the Manhattan Prep series. I actually only bought one of the 7 (or 8?) books they offer, each of which focuses on a different area of the test. Nevertheless, buying one book gets you access to 6 full-length practice tests online, which were very comprehensive and well thought out. They were also somewhat more difficult than the actual GRE, which I very much appreciated in the end. Manhattan Prep is written at a high level, probably targeted to those who are able to score in the 75th+ percentile on each section of the test. If you know that your abilities are in this general range, I think these are the books for you. The books are smart, no-nonsense, AND well-written. I bought only the guide to the AW section, but wished I'd gone with MP the whole way.

I am happy with my results. I studied for maybe 5-10 hours a week for 6 weeks. I ended up scoring 97th%V, 87%Q, and 6.0AW. In general, and above a certain respectable threshold, I don't think GRE scores are all that important. I really don't. I can't emphasize this enough. Sure, my scores were pretty high, but I've heard from many others whose scores were much higher who didn't get into the schools I got into. Also, I've met folks with significantly lower scores who did just fine in the admissions process (many of whom also got into top schools!). I think that once you hit that sweet spot where your scores are within the bounds of the 25th-75th percentile of recently admitted cohorts, there really isn't a lot of sense in going to heroic measures to raise your score. There are plenty of more productive things you can do with your time, things that will actually substantively enhance your application. ETS's own guidelines say that fine distinctions between scores that are several points apart are essentially meaningless. Do you really think any grad admissions committee worth its salt will reject you on the basis of a few points on the GRE? Mere intellectual skill is so basic a qualification for PhD admissions that an instrument as blunt as the GRE cannot be used to determine fine distinctions among top candidates. There are so many other more revealing parts of the application. The substantive predictors of success in graduate school (research experience, writing skills, perseverance, intellectual curiosity, academic success, creativity, leadership skills...etc) are not measured by the GRE. In retrospect, I actually wish I had spent less time studying. Once I mastered the format and substance of the test, all those extra hours were just gravy. They probably only raised my score a few points. I don't think those points did much for me, and I would rather have spent the extra hours writing my SOP or reading a good book. Seriously.

[tt503]

With regards to the infamous GRE....

The best book by far was the Manhattan Prep series. I actually only bought one of the 7 (or 8?) books they offer, each of which focuses on a different area of the test. Nevertheless, buying one book gets you access to 6 full-length practice tests online, which were very comprehensive and well thought out. They were also somewhat more difficult than the actual GRE, which I very much appreciated in the end. Manhattan Prep is written at a high level, probably targeted to those who are able to score in the 75th+ percentile on each section of the test. If you know that your abilities are in this general range, I think these are the books for you. The books are smart, no-nonsense, AND well-written. I bought only the guide to the AW section, but wished I'd gone with MP the whole way.

i agree with the Manhattan Prep being well written. I'm working my way through all of their books now, and it's by far the best GRE prep that I've found (I've done Kaplan's GRE Math Workbook and Princeton Review's Verbal). It really has helped my understanding of the quantitative sections. The verbal isn't too shabby, but I don't really struggle on the verbal (I'm in the middle of memorizing the Barron's 3500 word list...only 1500 more to go). I definitely would recommend it.

[chrisscoff]

@tt503, are you applying to Purdue, or are you currently a student? I ask this because I am currently a student at Purdue and I am going to use it as one of my safety schools for grad applications! How difficult is it to get into? Can you give me some recommendations on getting in?

[Darth.Vegan]

@chrisscoff,

If you are at Purdue already why not just go sit down with some folks in the department that can answer all these questions directly?

[tt503]

@tt503, are you applying to Purdue, or are you currently a student? I ask this because I am currently a student at Purdue and I am going to use it as one of my safety schools for grad applications! How difficult is it to get into? Can you give me some recommendations on getting in?

I am not a student at Purdue. Currently, I'm a graduate student (terminal master's) at Cornell.

Essentially, there are no such things as "safety schools" when it comes to Ph.D. admissions. I feel like I have a good chance at some places, and a snowball's chance in others...but I'll be genuinely surprised if I get in anywhere since it's all a crap shoot.

[chrisscoff]

@chrisscoff,

If you are at Purdue already why not just go sit down with some folks in the department that can answer all these questions directly?

Good point, I will try and make an appointment. I just thought I would ask because he/she might have given me information that I might not have gotten from a professor since they haven't really gone through the application process.

[chrisscoff]

I am not a student at Purdue. Currently, I'm a graduate student (terminal master's) at Cornell.

Essentially, there are no such things as "safety schools" when it comes to Ph.D. admissions. I feel like I have a good chance at some places, and a snowball's chance in others...but I'll be genuinely surprised if I get in anywhere since it's all a crap shoot.

Don't worry tt503! I'm sure you'll get in! Purdue is increasing it's reputation within the department so it will be worth it in the end.