What would you do differently if you could re-apply?

[Guest Squirrely]

Me: My statement of purpose would get a complete overhaul. Looking back, I don't know what the hell I was thinking when I wrote it. I spent way too much effort trying to get across who I am instead of the topics and types of research that really get me excited. I probably came off as all frilly with no substance.

I would have actually studied for the GRE-subject test. It was always in the plans to sit down and go through the 2 books I bought, but alas, it never happend. I still scored in the 87th percentile, but I know I would have done so much better if I had actually prepared myself.

I would have contacted potential advisors to find out about their research before I actually applied. I went on one interview where the research was so bizarre that I couldn't figure out why I had ever applied there.

What would you change?

[rising_star]

Oh I totally agree about a personal statement overhaul. I would've thought more about my research interests and made sure I really conveyed those. (Though one school said they liked my statement because I was honest about who I was, my lack of background in the field, and why I couldn't get too specific about research interests. I'm sure these exact same qualities sunk me at another school.)

I would've done a better search for departments. I didn't look into the majority of the schools, discounting them immediately based on the state they were in (I basically said nothing but the Southeast). As a consequence, I can't go to any of the best schools in the field because they're mostly in the Midwest. Definitely would've looked at all the options, I recently discovered that two schools I never considered would be great fits for me. *sigh* C'est la vie.

[Guest shelly]

i've been accepted to an MA program, but it's not really where i wanted to be...what would have i done differently? and what might i do differently when i apply for phd programs?

THE GRE i also did well on the verbal and quantitative sections, but average on writing (which sucks because i think i'm a good writer). i decided in october that i would apply for programs that require the gre, so i had very little time to prepare...but when i do apply again, i don't know if i'll want to pay to retake it.

PROGRAMS i would have picked safer safety schools. i was so caught up on rankings and it never sunk in that high-ranked schools get hundreds of applications and only accept a few. tons of smart kids are rejected. i also should have applied to a couple more MA programs (instead of all phd, except the 1 of course)

EARLY START like i said, i didn't have enough time to put everything together.

VISIT EARLY i was planning to visit over spring break, but by then i had already been rejected by everyone (except 1 wait list). the visit really can make an impression on admissions people, but i couldn't scrape together the cash.

MORE CONTACT W/ FACULTY i sent a few emails, but that's it. i really wish i would have tried to build relationships with some of these people

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION there wasn't really anything i could have done about this, but i didn't have good lors in my field because my undergrad major is different. but i'm definitely planning on getting some good ones out of my MA program!

i'm sure i could think of some more...i'll keep thinking :roll:

[History_Nerd]

I bombed the GREs . . . which is never good. My letters were great, and I had a good writing sample because it happened to be a piece I had published. I think my main problem was how I picked programs. Looking back on it, I applied to Harvard not because it was good in my program, but because I wanted to say I got into Harvard - which is a stupid reason to spend all that money to apply. Rather than applying to prestigious programs like Harvard and Michigan, I should have considered some smaller up and coming programs where there are faculty members I really would have liked to work with.

All this said, I think my research interests and focus have kind of solidified and I ended up getting in to the two programs I'm really excited about.

If I had to give anyone advice, it would be to turn in an application to a school in the UK, even if you think there would only be a one percent chance of actually attending. The application process is much earlier and in a lot of cases it is a rolling admissions process. With the exception of Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge) most of the applications are free and you hear back from them within a few weeks, rather than a few months. I heard back from all three schools in the UK before I heard back from my first school in the US and it really put my mind at ease.

Now I just have to choose between those two programs. Ugh.

[Guest Padraic]

Well, I would have crafted a craftier statement of purpose. In retrospect, I actually did pretty good with it. However, I would have suited it more to the interests of ALL the schools I was applying to. I probably would not market myself so much as a theorist now, since at many schools I applied to this proved limiting. I also would have pitched specific research plans based on research professors at individual universities were doing. As it stands I got into all the places that mached my interest on my statement, however.

The problem is, I'm just finishing up my BA and my interests are definitely subject to change. Why, just in the past two months I've developed a keen interest in medical sociology and have even come up with a good topic for research and begun to draft a proposal. Also, I've never even taken a criminology course. That's a major area. Who knows, that might be MY area but I just don't know it yet. All of the schools I applied to were good for me and I think that if I would have tailored my interests in a more marketable fashion I would have stood a better chance at some of them. Let's face it, theory and social psychology aren't that marketable.

I probably learned the most from visiting weekends though. By my final visiting weekend I did everything right. I made sure to talk to as many faculty as possible and pitched research proposals to the ones I'd be most interested in working with. I even got my main guy to say, "Yeah, I'd chair a committee if you do that." This is a good way of ingratiating yourself. Of course, they had already offered me an assistantship so there's really no need to ingratiate further.

At my first visit however, I wasn't even accepted yet. It was like a group interview. 15 of us and 5 got selected. I only talked to a few professors and it was mostly about theory. This wasn't a theory school. I didn't talk to hardly any of the social psychology people and they were probably the ones that had me come out there in the first place. I ended up talking to a few random professors about my research on the Internet and religion. They all seemed interested, but this didn't match what they are interested in at all. In the end, I might have come off as qualified in theory, but I didn't really match their interests enough. They ended up putting me on the waitlist and after all my visits it turns out this school was the one I liked the most.

I guess what I'm saying is I would have presented myself in a more marketable (manipulative) fashion. Both in person and in my statement. I could have done the work I want to do anywhere I applied to; I just limited myself by being unmarketable.

[shellybe]

The problem is, I'm just finishing up my BA... I've developed a keen interest in medical sociology and have even come up with a good topic for research and begun to draft a proposal. ... and pitched research proposals to the ones I'd be most interested in working with. I even got my main guy to say, "Yeah, I'd chair a committee if you do that." ... my research on the Internet and religion.

wow you are making me nervous. i haven't done anything like that. sounds like you will be very successful! good luck!

[Guest grif]

You are totally right about the marketability factor, Padriac. My interests are very specific and not totally fashionable, and perhaps I should have presented a little more breadth. I got into the places where there are people working on my specific topic, and nowhere else. Which is great in one sense because I will be working with the best people in that topic, but maybe I could have had more options to chose from if I hadn't labeled myself a "____" (It's such a small field, I can't even tell you what it is!) But, all of my background is in that field, so it also made my application stronger to focus on it.

This is actually the second time I've applied (the first time I went to a master's program). The first time, I only applied to schools on the three coasts. This time, I did give up my city bias and apply to places I never thought I would want to live. I'll tell you in a year whether or not that was a mistake!

[trendytotebag]

If I were doing this again (Gods all forbid), the number one thing I would change would be to get in touch with faculty before I applied. I have seen that other people have done that and it has really helped them through the process. I would also have taken the time to tailor my statement of purpose for each individual department, even though I applied to a lot of schools and it would have taken forever.

[Minnesotan]

I would have set aside more money for bribes.