Northwestern 2013

[La_Di_Da]

Thought I would start a thread for 2013 admits to discuss the program, funding, and other questions regarding admittance.

 

I am particularly interested in hearing from current and former NU sociology graduate students. What was your candidacy experience like? I was told that students do not work with an advisor. If true, how did this affect your work, research focus and momentum, especially in the first three years? What opportunities did you have to work with faculty? What were the time requirements/demands of working simultaneously within a cluster initiative? Regarding my last question, did the interdisciplinarity create any interdepartmental research conflicts? (If I accept my offer of admission, I will be doing a cluster initiative in Rhetoric and Public Culture.)

 

For other newbies, like me, who are trying to gather as much information about program culture and outcomes before making an acceptance decision, here is the link to NU's program statistics page: http://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/academics/academic-programs/program-statistics/index.html. Under the sociology program heading you will find links to attrition/completion rates, PhD outcomes, and placement. I find the information helpful.

Edited February 10, 2013 by La_Di_Da

[socgrad2013]

I thought it would be quite unusual for a Ph.D. program to operate outside of the student-advisor model, so I checked the website: 

 

"ADVISING

Every student in the Sociology Department has a faculty advisor. That advisor may change several times over the course of a student’s graduate career, but there will always be one professor who is the current advisor and is up-to-date on the student’s progress. Students may change advisors at any time if they find a professor more suited to their intellectual interests. Students should report such changes to the Graduate Program Assistant for the departmental records."

http://www.sociology.northwestern.edu/graduate/requirements.html#advising

 

Of course, in practice advising may be more collaborative, especially if your interests don't directly overlap with a given faculty member. But I would be shocked if you didn't have an advisor; who would read your master's paper, chair your dissertation committee, write you letters of recommendation, and support you on the market?

[La_Di_Da]

I thought it would be quite unusual for a Ph.D. program to operate outside of the student-advisor model, so I checked the website: 

 

"ADVISING

Every student in the Sociology Department has a faculty advisor. That advisor may change several times over the course of a student’s graduate career, but there will always be one professor who is the current advisor and is up-to-date on the student’s progress. Students may change advisors at any time if they find a professor more suited to their intellectual interests. Students should report such changes to the Graduate Program Assistant for the departmental records."

http://www.sociology.northwestern.edu/graduate/requirements.html#advising

 

Of course, in practice advising may be more collaborative, especially if your interests don't directly overlap with a given faculty member. But I would be shocked if you didn't have an advisor; who would read your master's paper, chair your dissertation committee, write you letters of recommendation, and support you on the market?

 

 

My NU POI communicated the following on the front end:

 

"At Northwestern individual professors do not take on individual students as is done in some European doctoral programs, nor does funding flow through specific faculty members or research shops. Students work with a variety of professors, especially during their first several years....Students in our department work with faculty members, including me, all the time as research assistants as co-authors, as collaborators. These connections arise once students have been admitted to the doctoral program and begin their studies here."

 

Hence my question and confusion, especially since at my other top choice school students are required to select an advisor by the end of their first year. Granted, that program does allow a student to change his or her advisor at any time. In spite of this apparent flexibility, it seems to me, at least superficially, that their prospective faculty-student dynamic/structure differs significantly from the one my NU POI has outlined. I like the idea of working with a variety of professors, but I also know that I would benefit greatly from having a single advisor/mentor. Sometimes consistent, individual feedback is more trenchant than what one, speaking only for myself, is able to garner in a workshop. So much to consider, and I have, but the deliberations become more difficult as their consequences becoming evidently more real.

[La_Di_Da]

Maybe my POI meant something else by "take on," but the answer was in response to my question regarding potential advisors. Guess I'll have to add this one to my queue of questions when I contact the dept. next week.

 

p.s: As a result of the answer I received to this question from my POI, I thought perhaps only candidates had advisors and that students in the first three years of the program did not.

Edited February 10, 2013 by La_Di_Da

[ohgoodness]

Just to chip in regarding the clusters -  I had a meeting with one of the professors (pm me for name if needed) this spring and mentioned my interest in them.  It was then brought to my attention that they are going to rework the clusters.  This might be something to look into if you think about this route.

[La_Di_Da]

Thanks for the heads up, OhGoodness! I'll definitely make an inquiry.

[ohhello]

I'm an NU grad student. Ask away or PM your questions.

Edited February 10, 2013 by ohhello

[ohhello]

Maybe my POI meant something else by "take on," but the answer was in response to my question regarding potential advisors. Guess I'll have to add this one to my queue of questions when I contact the dept. next week.

 

p.s: As a result of the answer I received to this question from my POI, I thought perhaps only candidates had advisors and that students in the first three years of the program did not.

 

You're (purposefully) assigned a first year advisor whose research is peripherally related to your interests. In your second year, you have to seek out two readers for your second year paper (essentially, a publishable MA thesis). You do the same with your third year special fields paper. 

You don't need to work with your first year advisor - it's mainly for formal purposes. You shouldn't limit yourself to seeking advice/input from only your first year advisor. The department wants you to explore.

Edited February 10, 2013 by ohhello

[La_Di_Da]

Thank you for the input and clarification, OhHello!  Most helpful. I'll PM a few questions in a day or two.

On an aside, I noticed a typo of mine from an earlier post, which I'd like to correct: [...] but the deliberations become more difficult as their consequences *become evidently more real. [Alas. I was originally going to type "are becoming evidently more real," changed my mind mid-sentence, and the motor sensory just didn't keep pace with cognitive.]

[La_Di_Da]

 Clusters are something organized by TGS, not the department specifically. Students from across multiple disciplines can participate in a cluster. Being a member of a cluster gives you benefits, but also more coursework. The benefits far outweigh the time commitment.

 

Can you enumerate a few of those benefits?  I have my own personal ideas of how I (and my research) might benefit from participating in a cluster, but I would appreciate the additional input. Thanks!

 

Oh, and does cluster participation begin in the first year?

Edited February 10, 2013 by La_Di_Da

[ohhello]

No worries, don't stress out! People on this site make the whole process seem scary and terrifying and dramatic. It is not. Academics are too busy or tired to monitor everything that is posted on this board (today is my non-sociology work day). You've been accepted, so do not worry about managing your professional image. Unless you burn the department down, I don't see how NU could rescind an offer.

[ohhello]

Can you enumerate a few of those benefits?  I have my own personal ideas of how I (and my research) might benefit from participating in a cluster, but I would appreciate the additional input. Thanks!

 

Oh, and does cluster participation begin in the first year?

 

I love the clusters.

 

Benefits: research money, (support) group to talk about your research, ability to learn about research in other disciplines, getting to encounter people who are not sociologists, encountering professors who are not in sociology, being a part of an intellectual community.

 

Costs: time spent attending cluster meetings, time spent attending cluster talks, time spent fulfilling cluster course requirements (this isn't really a cost if it adds to your research goals).

 

However, the costs/benefits depend on the activity of your cluster. Some are very active (weekly meetings) while some are less developed (monthly meetings). Do you have a specific cluster in mind?

 

If you are admitted as a cluster fellow in your letter, you're required to maintain cluster requirements. However, some clusters are limited to 2nd years and above, while some require previous coursework. You can always leave a cluster and join another (with some paperwork involved), and you do not need to be a cluster fellow in order to participate in cluster events (however, some events are limited to cluster fellows). Not surprisingly, senior graduate students participate less and less in cluster events as work piles on, but no one is hounding them with a stick.

Edited February 10, 2013 by ohhello

[La_Di_Da]

No worries, don't stress out!

 

If that was in response to my typo correction, LOL. No, not stressed out, at least not about how a typo in a forum post might look to others. It's a personal quirk. My editorial eye can't help but notice it; sort of like seeing a small blemish you just can't resist picking at regardless of its inconspicuousness. That said, I'm most forgiving of others' typos, just not my own. So, when time allows, I prefer to call mine out.

Wonderful outline of the benefits to cluster participation. Thank you for taking the time to share. I applied to the Rhetoric and Public Culture cluster initiative. Will have to revisit my letter of admission or contact the cluster director to double check the status of that endeavor.

 

Thanks again, OH!

[lydialiu]

My first question may sound stupid.....is the stipend extra to the tuition, or do we still have to pay for the tuition using the stipend? 

 

Besides, is the stipend different from the "graduate assistantship?" (http://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/financial-aid/graduate-assistantship/index.html) Is there any compulsory TA/RA work attached to the stipend? If they are different funding types, can we still apply for an assistantship when we already get the stipend? 

 

Oh by the way, dear La_Di_Da, could you please share with us when you get the feedback regarding the insurance issue? Thank you!

[Darth.Vegan]

Tuition is usually separate, except in Canada where many programs expect you to pay tuition with your stipend.

[La_Di_Da]

My first question may sound stupid.....is the stipend extra to the tuition, or do we still have to pay for the tuition using the stipend?

Besides, is the stipend different from the "graduate assistantship?" (http://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/financial-aid/graduate-assistantship/index.html) Is there any compulsory TA/RA work attached to the stipend? If they are different funding types, can we still apply for an assistantship when we already get the stipend?

Oh by the way, dear La_Di_Da, could you please share with us when you get the feedback regarding the insurance issue? Thank you!

From the NU Soc FAQ page: "The Graduate School offers full tuition and a stipend to all students accepted to the PhD program for five years of study." So your tuition is covered. Your stipend is to help with the cost of living and conducting research.

I visited the Grad School health insurance information page earlier this morning. Turns out the annual premium is around $2800. Subsidies are available (thank goodness!), but only by recommendation of your respective department, not the GS. I contacted the department chair today to get more info on that. Will post an update as soon as I receive word. Hope this helps!

p.s.: Also asked about the possibility of first-year TA and RA grants. Will let you know what I find out on that end as well.

Edited February 11, 2013 by La_Di_Da

[lydialiu]

Thank you so much! Really helpful information! 

[ohhello]

My first question may sound stupid.....is the stipend extra to the tuition, or do we still have to pay for the tuition using the stipend? 

 

Besides, is the stipend different from the "graduate assistantship?" (http://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/financial-aid/graduate-assistantship/index.html) Is there any compulsory TA/RA work attached to the stipend? If they are different funding types, can we still apply for an assistantship when we already get the stipend? 

 

Oh by the way, dear La_Di_Da, could you please share with us when you get the feedback regarding the insurance issue? Thank you!

 

Tuition is paid for by TGS. Your stipend is your source of income.

 

1st and 5th year of the financial package are fellowship years (no compulsory work), while you need to either RA or TA in your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years (unless you get an external fellowship).

[La_Di_Da]

No definitive word on health insurance yet, but apparently details about insurance subsidy will be outlined in the letter of acceptance (the formal letter sent via post). The dept. chair believes all Soc admits receive 100% student health insurance coverage. That would be great.

Edited February 11, 2013 by La_Di_Da

[La_Di_Da]

Confirmed: the student health plan premium is subsidized by the department 100%. That means the basic "award" package is 5 years tuition + stipend + NU student health plan annual premium. Fantastic.

[La_Di_Da]

Tuition is paid for by TGS. Your stipend is your source of income.

 

1st and 5th year of the financial package are fellowship years (no compulsory work), while you need to either RA or TA in your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years (unless you get an external fellowship).

 

Thank you for clarifying, OhHello. I appreciate your generosity and willingness to help us sort through all the information. Most helpful indeed.

[lydialiu]

Thank you ohhello and La_Di_Da for providing such useful information! That is indeed a great funding package!

[macrotomicro]

The funding package really is killer. Last fall I went to NU for a brief visit and met with faculty and grad students. The students couldn't stop talking about how nice the funding is (not to mention the attention and support from faculty), and the faculty seemed to genuinely be interested in their students (which I've seen is not always the case at other top programs). I was accepted to both NU and Wisconsin, two programs that could not be more different in many ways. The NU funding destroys Madison though....tough decisions await!

[OrangeSoc]

Hey, folks. Is NU having a visit day for admitted students? (I'm on the waitlist.)

[socgrad2013]

OrangeSoc: the visiting days are in early April, I think something like 3rd-4th. For what it's worth, I'm almost certain I will accept another offer, quite possibly before then. Best of luck.