How much background do you have?

[anyli_t]

My (soon-to-be completed) BA degree is technically from a cognitive science/linguistics interdepartmental program, so it throws my linguistics concentration in with some psychology and philosophy courses and other fields with related topical courses. I'm missing a lot of core background (never taken formal syntax, semantics, etc.) although it never occurred to me that this would be a problem (most grad programs, I assume, train you up in all of that your first year anyway, since many people come from non-linguistics BAs.)

I'm guessing what's helped my applications most is 2 years of pretty solid research experience, because a narrowly targeted vision is not what I'm bringing to my interviews! ("Psycholinguistics" is about as broad as I get...maybe a focus on bilingualism, but that's hardly limiting.) But then, I've heard they take all kinds of backgrounds for linguistics degrees, so who knows what the tipping point is one way or another?

[nocturne]

I got two of the verbal sections, and this after I'd half-convinced myself the math one was a testing section, since it was so much harder than anything in the Kaplan book I'd bought...

Wow... yeah, I would have been a LOT less stressed if I'd gotten two of the verbal. I was completely zapped at the end of the two math sections. I don't know how I got the idea that there were always two math, then. Eh, whatever.

[chillofrito]

For those of you who got interviews, what part of your application made you stand out from the rest? Did you contact professors at all of your application departments? What criteria did you use to choose who and where you would write to? Obviously, departments are known for things like syntax and semantics vs phonology or theoretical vs anthropological. . . did you use criteria that were even stricter than broad fields? For example, I like phonology, and have done most of my work on phonological topics. But I just kind of fell into to it, what if I end up wanting to do syntax more? Thanks!

[nocturne]

For those of you who got interviews, what part of your application made you stand out from the rest? Did you contact professors at all of your application departments? What criteria did you use to choose who and where you would write to?

The first interview I had (a phone interview), I was contacted by the professor whom I had mentioned in my statement of purpose, which made me stand out to her, because we shared a common interest. She made the first contact by e-mail, and we set up a phone appointment. I didn't end up getting accepted, though, because I lack sufficient background training for their program.

[liszt85]

My (soon-to-be completed) BA degree is technically from a cognitive science/linguistics interdepartmental program, so it throws my linguistics concentration in with some psychology and philosophy courses and other fields with related topical courses. I'm missing a lot of core background (never taken formal syntax, semantics, etc.) although it never occurred to me that this would be a problem (most grad programs, I assume, train you up in all of that your first year anyway, since many people come from non-linguistics BAs.)

I'm guessing what's helped my applications most is 2 years of pretty solid research experience, because a narrowly targeted vision is not what I'm bringing to my interviews! ("Psycholinguistics" is about as broad as I get...maybe a focus on bilingualism, but that's hardly limiting.) But then, I've heard they take all kinds of backgrounds for linguistics degrees, so who knows what the tipping point is one way or another?

I see that you are to be interviewed by BCS Rochester, congrats! I got into the Linguistics program at Northwestern too. I am an Indian student with an undergraduate background in Physics. Northwestern appreciated my research experience because I'd been analyzing music using concepts of Physics and the Complex Systems Institute at NU does exactly that and they have a strong collaboration with the LInguistics Dept. So you are right, its the research experience part that they give most weightage to.

I have applied to the BCS dept at Rochester too and haven't heard from them for a long time. One of the professors had emailed me in reply to an informal email with my CV and writing samples that I had sent him before I'd applied and expressed great interest in my application but I've never heard from any of them since. Would you know if BCS Rochester has released their first round of offers as yet?

I've also applied to Psychology depts of Berkeley, Minnesota twin towers, OSU (awaiting funding decision), McGill and McMaster (got an informal email from a prof telling me that she'd recommend my name for admission). So if anyone's got offers from any of these places, please let me know.. Its agonizing to be in the dark after having submitted the applications 2 months back!

[fuzzylogician]

For those of you who got interviews, what part of your application made you stand out from the rest? Did you contact professors at all of your application departments? What criteria did you use to choose who and where you would write to?

I never contacted professors before my interviews. I have stayed in touch with several professors after my interview though, despite the fact that I've since rescinded my application to their programs. I have to say that all the people I've been in touch with have been so incredibly nice it's made me feel bad about withdrawing (but they were so supportive in saying I had made the right choice, etc...ugh, I bet my potential advisor will be mean, they can't all be nice! ok, done complaining).

I can't be sure but I think two things made my application stand out - my recommendations and my SOP. I've never seen my letters but several people mentioned I had "very good recs", I think one of them called around to tell his friends about my app and another one wrote specialized recs telling each dept why I suited their program. I'm sure that helped a lot. Usually interviewers wanted to know the results of past/present projects and the conclusions from my thesis ("uh, none yet, I have to write it first"). No one cared about courses I took nor about the ones I teach. I think the fact that profs could look at my SOP and say "I see you work on XXX -- I've studied XXX for 20 years" is what clinched it. I spent extra time choosing what research interests to talk about in each SOP to make sure every relevant prof could relate to at least one thing. Of course, I could be entirely wrong :wink: .

[pangur-ban]

I saw some of your SOPs (drafts?) on LiveJournal, fuzzylogician, and they did look really good.

[fuzzylogician]

Thanks! I spent *a lot* of time working on my SOPs. If you were one of the people who commented on my drafts on LJ -- thank you, the comments were very helpful.

[anyli_t]

I have applied to the BCS dept at Rochester too and haven't heard from them for a long time. One of the professors had emailed me in reply to an informal email with my CV and writing samples that I had sent him before I'd applied and expressed great interest in my application but I've never heard from any of them since. Would you know if BCS Rochester has released their first round of offers as yet?

I don't think they've made any final decisions (rejections/acceptances) yet - at least none that I've heard of. They have invited some folks to an interview weekend at the beginning of March, so I wouldn't expect any more news before then. But I don't think anybody's officially in or out yet.

Congrats on Northwestern, and good luck with the rest of your apps!

[barredell]

I'm pretty sure that my writing sample was what made my application stand out. Every faculty member that I have talked to has mentioned it. It was quite long - don't be afraid to send in long writing samples if they don't specify a page count!

Also - I had the chance to meet a number of faculty members at a conference where I presented. Whether you present or not, I cannot stress enough how helpful going to a conference and meeting people can be. This not only gave me a chance to see who I clicked with, but also let them put a face and personality to my application.

[dutchie]

I just want to say.. to those of you who are worried about your GRE scores - don't worry! I have a serious problem with standardized tests - ever since high school, and I'v had more-or-less straight A's through college. And I started college after my sophomore year in high school (graduated with a high school diploma and Associates Degree .. with a college GPA of 3.9) .. and even then, I had abysmal SAT scores. So, to no surprise, my GRE scores were abysmal... 900 ... combined... no joke. But I am finishing up a successful Master's in Logic. I of course contacted the schools I applied to about this, and they said that they weren't overly concerned with GRE scores, and that I shouldn't be concerned about it. But maybe it even helped that my scores were abysmal instead of average. Also when I was applying to Master's I got accepted to every program ... with terrible GREs. Right now I'v only heard from Northwestern (waitlisted) and Yale (rejected, but I know that it's not because of my GRE) So I wouldnt worry too much about it guys! I think people have started to realize how worthless standardized test scores are. Of course, if you do well, that's great!

I just won't ever waste my time, money and energy on that crap again.

[verazu]

oh, my GRE is as abysmal as yours. I think it's not the major reason that I got rejected but it did limit my choice at the first place. Some programs do set a minimum for application.

I just want to say.. to those of you who are worried about your GRE scores - don't worry! I have a serious problem with standardized tests - ever since high school, and I'v had more-or-less straight A's through college. And I started college after my sophomore year in high school (graduated with a high school diploma and Associates Degree .. with a college GPA of 3.9) .. and even then, I had abysmal SAT scores. So, to no surprise, my GRE scores were abysmal... 900 ... combined... no joke. But I am finishing up a successful Master's in Logic. I of course contacted the schools I applied to about this, and they said that they weren't overly concerned with GRE scores, and that I shouldn't be concerned about it. But maybe it even helped that my scores were abysmal instead of average. Also when I was applying to Master's I got accepted to every program ... with terrible GREs. Right now I'v only heard from Northwestern (waitlisted) and Yale (rejected, but I know that it's not because of my GRE) So I wouldnt worry too much about it guys! I think people have started to realize how worthless standardized test scores are. Of course, if you do well, that's great!

I just won't ever waste my time, money and energy on that crap again.

[dutchie]

oh, my GRE is as abysmal as yours. I think it's not the major reason that I got rejected but it did limit my choice at the first place. Some programs do set a minimum for application.

Yeah, that's true. I had initially planned to apply to UPenn, but their response to my inquiry about my GRE was pretty negative, so I decided not to. But all the other schools I contacted were quite positive about it. In fact, none of the schools I applied to had a minimum ... I don't know which schools do, actually. I am not too concerned about it ... I don't think that it will have much bearing on my application. If I ever make it to professor, I will totally rage on the GRE. It is a distracting, money grubbing practice that should be scrapped. (At least general standardized tests for social sciences, humanities)..