Could Anyone Speak to My Chances?

[jmcgee]

I would like to get a better idea of how realistic I'm being in my choice of schools. I'm applying to the following:

U of C Boulder

University of Florida

Miami U Oxford

UK

Arizona State

Purdue

Stony Brook

I know that my SOP, LoRs, and writing samples are far more important the following, but here are my basic credentials:

B.A. GPA: 3.3, Western Michigan

M.A. GPA: 3.75, Wayne State

GRE Verbal: 720/168

AW: 4.5 (Boo.)

Q: 560/146 (Embarassing but irrelevant?)

I have two strong LoRs and one that might be a bit lukewarm. I'm pretty confident in my writing samples and quite clueless as to the strength of my SOP. Most of the schools to which I'm applying aren't ranked terribly high, so I think I have a fighting chance. Any comments? (This is scary!)

[jmcgee]

To put the question in another, perhaps far more answerable way, can anyone speak to the relative competitiveness of any of the programs I've listed? Thanks!

[DontHate]

I don't know anything about these programs, so I can't answer your question (sorry about that). But just as a warning: people here don't seem to take very warmly to "what are my chances" threads this time of the year.

[jmcgee]

Aw, man! Okay, everyone disregard my post! I didn't realize this was a faux pas! Sorry, y'all!

[asleepawake]

I would like to get a better idea of how realistic I'm being in my choice of schools. I'm applying to the following:

U of C Boulder

University of Florida

Miami U Oxford

UK

Arizona State

Purdue

Stony Brook

I know that my SOP, LoRs, and writing samples are far more important the following, but here are my basic credentials:

B.A. GPA: 3.3, Western Michigan

M.A. GPA: 3.75, Wayne State

GRE Verbal: 720/168

AW: 4.5 (Boo.)

Q: 560/146 (Embarassing but irrelevant?)

I have two strong LoRs and one that might be a bit lukewarm. I'm pretty confident in my writing samples and quite clueless as to the strength of my SOP. Most of the schools to which I'm applying aren't ranked terribly high, so I think I have a fighting chance. Any comments? (This is scary!)

Yeah, the consensus is we don't have a flipping clue what your chances are, or our own. We just have to wait it out. As for how competitive any of those programs are, Petersons.com (http://www.petersons.com/graduate-schools.aspx) has some numbers worth looking at, but they're likely old and usually include both PhD and MA applications.

I'm curious though, how do you like Wayne State? I think I'm applying for their PhD, but the website is a bit barren.

[jmcgee]

I must say, though, that my fellow students just don't seem that into the whole grad school experience. It's not rare for me to suspect that I'm one of maybe three students that has actually completed the reading each week. So that's a bummer. 

[practical cat]

Your chances are fine. I mean, there's no such thing as a automatic admit and there's nothing that would be likely to get your file thrown out or whatever. That's about the most confident thing I could tell you or me or anyone.

[DontHate]

Aw, man! Okay, everyone disregard my post! I didn't realize this was a faux pas! Sorry, y'all!

Hey, no worries. I learned about this the hard way myself.

[jmcgee]

Aw, thanks. At least it's given me a good laugh about the fact that every aspect of this process seems to be an exercise in humiliation. Grin.

[DontHate]

You can look at it that way, or you can look at it as an extreme test of character... It will make you stronger! All the while slowly driving you insane.

[bfat]

To put the question in another, perhaps far more answerable way, can anyone speak to the relative competitiveness of any of the programs I've listed? Thanks!

The consensus, from what I understand about almost any program (regardless of rank), is that all fully-funded packages are pretty competitive, but that as programs move up in their rankings, the competitiveness becomes more and more ridiculous. So while top-10 programs (depending on what ranking system you go by, there may actually be 14-15 "top tens") may admit 2% of applicants, programs ranked in the 60s-70s may admit closer to 15%, though not necessarily with equal funding.

Soooo.... as long as there is nothing that stands out as a big red NO on your application, it's either a toss-up or a crap-shoot.

[antecedent]

Soooo.... as long as there is nothing that stands out as a big red NO on your application, it's either a toss-up or a crap-shoot.

Here's a potentially interesting question: what would a big red NO look like, do you think? Is it a fit thing, or a dreadful WS/SOP or a failed mark in a relevant subject? I know this is totally conjecture, but I've been wondering a lot as I go through my masters what is the kind of thing that definitively rules you out? I'd ask someone around here, but British programs are different in a couple key and kind of strange ways.

[skybythelight]

Here's a potentially interesting question: what would a big red NO look like, do you think? Is it a fit thing, or a dreadful WS/SOP or a failed mark in a relevant subject? I know this is totally conjecture, but I've been wondering a lot as I go through my masters what is the kind of thing that definitively rules you out? I'd ask someone around here, but British programs are different in a couple key and kind of strange ways.

I've been asking myself the same thing, especially as we're all obsessing about missed typos (I finally found one in an SoP) and the like.

[rems]

Here's a potentially interesting question: what would a big red NO look like, do you think? Is it a fit thing, or a dreadful WS/SOP or a failed mark in a relevant subject? I know this is totally conjecture, but I've been wondering a lot as I go through my masters what is the kind of thing that definitively rules you out? I'd ask someone around here, but British programs are different in a couple key and kind of strange ways.

I think it might be all of those things. I would assume a GPA under 3.0 would be a big red mark, and GRE scores under 50% would probably be another. Also, a poorly written and undeveloped SOP would be another -- like if it was just a story about how much you reallyreallyreally like Shakespeare or whatever and said nothing about your future or interests or anything. I think all of those would be red marks against you. I think short of that, you become a package that is just better or less-good than the other candidates. Much like log, you want your adcom to say, "This is better than bad, it's good!" (sorry)

[practical cat]

Also, bad letter(s) of rec. I think all of the other things could be overlooked but truly unfavorable letters would probably be the end.

[DontHate]

A really unfocused SoP would probably be a kiss of death, since they want people who are motivated enough to complete the program. Even if you're a very good student, the SoP could reveal that you just don't want it enough for them to invest good fellowship money into you.

[rems]

A really unfocused SoP would probably be a kiss of death, since they want people who are motivated enough to complete the program. Even if you're a very good student, the SoP could reveal that you just don't want it enough for them to invest good fellowship money into you.

I would take it one further and say that they don't want people who are unmotivated as well as they don't want students who scream "I really like books, I like being able to drink during the day, I like the unconventional lifestyle, I really like books (did I mention that?), I'm afraid of real life, I can't figure out what else I do, wait let me rephrase that to I LOVE books, I'm used to getting straight A's and can't live in a world where I'm not continuously being praised for being smart, Shakespeare speaks to me, did I mention I like books?" I think a SOP that demonstrate anything even close to that would be a kiss of death for an applicant. That's another reason why I think the "fit" paragraph is important because it shows you want more than to go to Harvard for the prestige and wine.

Let me preemptively state that I don't think anyone on this forum does this nor do am I trying to ridicule anyone for what they chose to put in their SOP. I just think that these are the traits that adcoms don't want to see present in a SOP.

Edited December 12, 2012 by rems

[DontHate]

according to that frequently circulated article about psych phd apps, you shouldn't tell adcoms about your personal history of mental illness -- KISS OF DEATH.

[ProfLorax]

Confession: my first SoP, five or so years ago, was awful. I was rejected from all PhD programs, but fortunately, I was accepted into most of the MA programs to which I applied. My list of interests was totally scattered: "I love slave narratives! And Arthurian legends! And feminist theory! And teaching! And the Harlem Renaissance! And feminist theory again!" I made no attempt to find a connecting thread between all of my interests. It was bad. Fortunately, looking back, I am happy it happened this way, as my husband and I started dating while I was in my MA program and I discovered rhetoric and composition and refined my interests.

I definitely learned from that experience, and my current SoP is much more cohesive and polished. If I get in this round, I will be happy to share both SoP's: one as an example of kiss of death inducing writing and the other as a successful SoP. Fingers crossed!

[DontHate]

Confession: my first SoP, five or so years ago, was awful. I was rejected from all PhD programs, but fortunately, I was accepted into most of the MA programs to which I applied. My list of interests was totally scattered: "I love slave narratives! And Arthurian legends! And feminist theory! And teaching! And the Harlem Renaissance! And feminist theory again!" I made no attempt to find a connecting thread between all of my interests. It was bad. Fortunately, looking back, I am happy it happened this way, as my husband and I started dating while I was in my MA program and I discovered rhetoric and composition and refined my interests.

I definitely learned from that experience, and my current SoP is much more cohesive and polished. If I get in this round, I will be happy to share both SoP's: one as an example of kiss of death inducing writing and the other as a successful SoP. Fingers crossed!

One time when I was really drunk I went home with a bunch of oddly dressed gentlemen thinking they were members of the band TV On The Radio. Luckily, I escaped. Yay to learning from our mistakes!

[obrera]

Yeah, the consensus is we don't have a flipping clue what your chances are, or our own. We just have to wait it out. As for how competitive any of those programs are, Petersons.com (http://www.petersons...te-schools.aspx) has some numbers worth looking at, but they're likely old and usually include both PhD and MA applications.

I'm curious though, how do you like Wayne State? I think I'm applying for their PhD, but the website is a bit barren.

I would like to know more about Wayne State as well. Their website has very little to offer.