Maryland sociology

[schr]

So it's looking more and more like I'll be going to UMD, if anywhere. Still waiting on a bunch of official rejections, but believe me, I'm fairly sure of what they'll be.

So can anyone tell me anything about it? I mean, I've done plenty of my own research, but if anyone's had any personal dealings with the sociology department/faculty there and can give me any info I'd appreciate it.

[scsuh]

I have had nothing but trouble with my application for that program. At first, they said I was missing my application fee, which I paid on the day I turned my application in. They sent me 3 letters, all to my permanent address and not my current address, and it took weeks to get it resolved. Then I get a letter a week ago (again to my permanent address) saying that they were missing one of my transcripts, which makes no sense because I personally mailed all transcripts in one large envelope. UGH.

[snake400]

hey, congrats on getting into Maryland. That is one of my top three choices, and it remains the only school that I am waiting to hear from. Just out of curiosity and for my own sanity, when did you hear from the school? And did they already have a visit day, or does UMD not do that. I'm just anxious to find out what the deal is, because having that last one hanging over my head is not fun. Once I know what all my options are, I can decide how to quarterback this thing. I just worried that I may be on the wait list, but they might not tell me, and this could really drag on for a while.

Thanks

[schr]

I got a call from Jeff Lucas back... man, I'm not sure of the exact date, but it was sometime towards the end of February. Got the packet in the mail shortly thereafter. I haven't noticed many people reporting acceptances OR rejections from them; it's a little strange. I should have asked how big their planned cohort is this year but it didn't occur to me.

I know how it feels to have things hanging over you--I'm waiting for my number one choice (UPenn) to get back to me (pretty sure it's a rejection), and I've been told unofficially that my number two choice (Rutgers) is planning to reject me as well, but it isn't official yet so I can't stop myself from hoping... it's absolutely killing me (and my poor long-suffering fiance). I'm very pleased to have gotten into UMD, though I have to admit it wasn't my first choice and I'm feeling a little iffy now (not about the quality of the program but about my potential fit within it). But I'm hoping to find out more about it (especially when I visit; admitted students' day is March 30th) and hopefully hit upon something that will make me fall in love with it.

So let me ask you: why is it one of your top three choices? What about it makes you feel excited about potentially going there?

[snake400]

Yeah I definitely feel you on the waiting tension, but you did well to get an offer from UMD. That is a highly ranked program, and one you can succeed in. The program appeals to me for a few reasons.

First, I applied to programs all over the country, as you can see from my sig, and UMD is the closest to my hometown. I'm a born and raised New Yorker, going to school currently in Philly, so I've been purely east coast my whole life. My other top choices, Notre Dame and Ohio State, are pretty far away, so the close proximity of Maryland to home is definitely appealing.

Secondly, for my specialty, Maryland is very strong in Stratification. If you look at their course offerings, they have a wide variety of course offerings in strat and the faculty do a ton of work with race and ethnicity. I'm hoping to study stratification with an eye towards urban soc and cultures of the ghetto, and i think that matches up well with some of the work they do.

Of course, all these things are fairly specific, my home and my specialty, so I don't know if all this means anything to you. But that's why I like UMD, and am anxiously waiting to hear. Like you said, not too many acceptances have been reported, so I doubt that all acceptances have gone out. No news is good news, right? Visit day is at the end of the month, so just like you, I'm hoping that I ain't reading this the wrong way and I'll be getting a letter soon. UMD has a strong program, you mentioned that you were worried about your fit in it? what exactly are you looking to study? It seems like they have a broad reach with the things they study.

And best of luck with everything you still waiting on.

[schr]

UMD has a strong program, you mentioned that you were worried about your fit in it? what exactly are you looking to study? It seems like they have a broad reach with the things they study.

Well, I'm a little weird, honestly--I did my senior thesis on social interaction and narrative theory in an online RPG. I have some interest in gender, primarily in how it contributes to the formation of identity. I'm interested in what makes people feel connected to their communities and what happens when those connections fail. I'm interested in disability and identity. I'm interested in religion. So kind of all over, and looking to narrow things down, but I'd like to do that in a department that can accommodate a little bit of oddity. It may be that I could find a place with all of that at UMD--I will certainly ask when I visit.

You live in Philly? So do I! I absolutely love it here, which is one reason why I'm looking to stay at UPenn.

Good luck and I hope you hear good news from UMD soon.

[snake400]

Well, my waiting is finally over. Maryland sent me a nice email today informing me I have been placed on the waiting list. They had over 200 applicants this year, for a cohort of 15. You deserve to be very proud regarding your acceptance there!

In the next few days, I'll shoot them an email asking about the size of the list, is it ranked, ect. Because waiting lists can be very tricky. People tend to wait until very late in the game to accept/decline offers (judging from the amount of confused people on this website, this is definitely true), meaning an offer from Maryland may come after the April 15th deadline. By then, I will have accepted another offer. So it makes sense to see what their deal is with the wait list, and if I have any chance of receiving an offer before signing day.

But at this point, UMD looks very unlikely. At least I know that my application was one of the very best that didn't make it.

Oh, and I saw all the chaos regarding Penn and their decision making... best of luck to you.

[schr]

They had over 200 applicants this year, for a cohort of 15.

Wow. I didn't know that--that definitely makes me feel pretty good. I'm sorry to hear you're on a waiting list--that sucks. At this point I think I'm probably going to UMD, but for the sake of the waitlisted, I'll try to make a definite decision ASAP.

I didn't get into Penn. Sigh. I was an undergrad there and they have a strong bias against admitting their own people. Oh, well. Such is life.

Best of luck to you as well. I hope you end up somewhere great, wherever that ends up being.