Applying for Fall 2014 Sociology?

[socialequity]

Hey guys,

 

I didn't see a Fall 2014 thread yet for sociology! Thought we could start one.  Who is starting to prepare for applications? Have you taken the GRE yet? Where are you feeling stuck?

 

For me - I am starting a GRE prep 8-week class next week and am working on SOP, personal history essay, and trying to figure out what UCDavis is looking for with regard to the "prior experience essay" - I assume prior research experience, but I can't be certain.

 

Schools on my list:

Univ. of Cali - Davis, San Diego, Irvine, Riverside, Santa Barbara

North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Duke, North Carolina State Univ.

Ohio - Ohio State Univ.

Maryland - Univ. of Maryland College Park, John's Hopkins

 

What about all of you?

[2xthefun]

I plan on taking the GRE at the beginning of Aug-bought a book as a study tool, given I have taken the GRE twice before I am not going to pay for a prep course. If only scores did not expire...but its been 5 years so I am having to brush up on my math skills, etc. And the new format has me a little nervous-I did really well back in the day so hope I can replicate that success. My goal is to let my scores shape which of these schools I actually apply to (I am limiting myself to 5 applications), but here are all of the contenders: UC-Berkeley, Stanford, UC-Irvine, UT-Austin, UCLA, Johns Hopkins, UMD, UVA (safety if needed). We have a few in common AND you are applying to a program I left as ABD and decided to not return to due to fit/funding issues...Best of Luck to you in your GRE prep!

[CheckYourPrivilege]

My goal is to apply for Fall 2014.  I have been studying for the GRE off and on, but I cannot keep my focus when it comes to the math.  I have not used those math concepts in ages. I completed my undergrad in 2002 and law school in 2008.  I will hopefully be ready to take it in September/October.  

 

I have narrowed down my schools, but I do not have a final list. 

 

My new focus is to work on my SOP, which will hopefully motivate me to study for the math.

 

I am excited to see what the next few months bring.  Also, I am ridiculously curious with how the schools that I do apply to will respond to my law degree. I don't know if it will help my application or if it will be of no consequence.

 

Best of Luck!

[gilmoregirl1010]

I'm applying this fall for Fall 2014 too! I'm still working on a final list, but my top choices are UVA, FSU, George Mason, Amherst, and Notre Dame. My GRE verbal score was fantastic (97th percentile), so I'm hoping that offsets my average quant score, which has plateaued around the 60th percentile. Right now, my biggest challenge is finding programs that fit my interests that I might have a decent shot of getting into, since my top choices all seem to be fairly competitive.


I'm very excited to start applying, but I am definitel NOT excited about the January-March marathon of impatiently checking my email every few minutes! Good luck everyone!

[socialequity]

LOL @gilmoregirl! I agree!! I am not looking forward to that waiting period either, but I know we will all be soooooo glad to be done with GRE, and applications!!!!  I'm wondering how it will be for me with working full-time and applying at the same time!  We shall see!

 

Good luck to you and @sarahcharlie and @2x!!!! Exciting stuff.

Edited July 5, 2013 by lesliefdtofit

[currentgrad]

I'm applying this fall for Fall 2014 too! I'm still working on a final list, but my top choices are UVA, FSU, George Mason, Amherst, and Notre Dame. My GRE verbal score was fantastic (97th percentile), so I'm hoping that offsets my average quant score, which has plateaued around the 60th percentile. Right now, my biggest challenge is finding programs that fit my interests that I might have a decent shot of getting into, since my top choices all seem to be fairly competitive.

I'm very excited to start applying, but I am definitel NOT excited about the January-March marathon of impatiently checking my email every few minutes! Good luck everyone!

 

GRE scores are a tricky tool to assess your standing. I scored in the 81st percentile in verbal and 61st percentile in quant, and the 54th percentile in writing (and am a US-born, white male, to boot), and I am attending a top 5. Every program treats the GRE differently, and sometimes programs will change from one year to the next. But don't get too hung up on "low" GRE scores; your success in all of the other stuff is probably a better predictor of your chances.

[socialequity]

@currentgrad - that totally just made my day!

[Marcone]

I'm applying to PhD Soc programs with a focus on ethnographic methods, sociology of religion/irreligion, and social movements. I will have a MA in Religion from Duke going into the program (god willing). I'm in the 95th percentile on verbal and 41st on quant. Anyone want to comment on how that quant score might be a red flag for some programs? Debating whether I want to devote the resources at this point to taking it again. 

[Soc2288]

I am applying to PhD Sociology programs where I hope to focus on the sociology of education and racial stratification. I have a BA in finance and Africana Studies from UPitt, and a MA in Secondary Ed. I have been teaching for five years, and decided to go back to grad school so I could pursue a career as a Professor. Not sure if its just me, but the process of figuring out where to apply is confusing.

 

I scored in the 80th percentile in Verbal and 81st percentile in Quant. My undergrad GPA is a 3.4 and grad school is a 4.0. I have narrowed by list down to the following schools based on location, program, interest, and fit:

 

Indiana University, Johns Hopkins, UIllinois @ Chicago, Emory, Princeton, UMichigan, Temple, Vanderbilt, Loyola @ Chicago, and Northeastern. Not sure what my chances are, so any help or feedback is appreciated

[2xthefun]

@zimi522, interesting we share similar research interests (sociology of education/social inequality) but we have NO shared schools outside of John's Hopkins (although I considered Emory before deciding that ATL was not a city where I wanted to spend 4+ years residing). But Best of Luck to You!!!! And if it helps, when I applied to programs about 10 years ago I got into 5 top tier schools with quant scores similar to yours (although verbal was a little higher). Not sure how much the market has changed since then, but several of my friends from my initial program who did finish and now sit on admission committees tell me that while competition has gotten stiffer that there still appears to be a good deal of variation surrounding the importance of GRE scores, especially when considering other "intangibles"

[Sol_Barber]

Hey all,

 

I am also going to apply for Fall 2014 and it is a world of trouble!

 

The whole process seems to be so competitive (everybody has some publications, teaching experience or else) and I get the feeling, that a lot of the things, which are requested, are even more difficult to deliver for a foreign student. Just for example: I am really looking forward to the responses of my potential LOR writers when I tell them, that they have to send the LOR to 12 addresses with prior registration and with different requirements for the letters. No one ever asks them for such things here - well, maybe they think its new and exiting

And actually all they can write is: he took several of my courses regarding this and this, worked very well, active in discussions, good term papers, not too annoying, think he might be a strong PhD candidate. Especially if I read things like: got amazing LORs, or mediocre/honest appraisal will be seen as 'damn with faint praise'.

 

And of course there is more, like translating term papers (the first publication in Germany is usually the PhD Thesis; co authorship practices between students and professors are still almost non existent), my BA thesis, or research reports as writing examples, getting the test preparation done without freaking out, writing my SOP (which I consider the most interesting part) and wondering how I am going to pay for my applications.

 

However - I will be bound to the area around Philadelphia and New York, so my choices are: CUNY, NYU, New School, Columbia, the Penns, Princeton, Maryland, Stony, Temple, JH, Rutgers and the UD. Did I miss any interesting programs in this area?

Regarding my prior experience I might fit into any work and gender, health, sociological theory or culture-science programs. My GPA should be around 4.0, but I have to pay WES for official stats and will see than.The GRE might go well and the last training tests were around 160 for both, what would be OK for most universities - I guess. But I still have time to study, so maybe

 

Next step for me is to contact some of the programs and see if I can get some more information or contact with potential advisors. And of course practicing English spoken, written and mental.

 

By the way - anyone with knowledge about how admissions committees will respond to changes of subjects and programs, or interruptions to work during the undergraduate education? And so to a prolonged study time?

 

Cheers everybody.

 

And currentgrad: +1; lesliedtofit: +1

[moda]

Hello!

 

I will be applying for PHD programs in Sociology this fall. I will be leaving soon for a Fulbright research grant to China, and am focusing on finding programs that have some kind of emphasis on East Asia. From talking with people, I've heard that Johns Hopkins and Indiana have faculty focusing on China, but if anyone has advice, please let me know!

 

It's going to be a fun application season--let's begin!

[La_Di_Da]

"...am focusing on finding programs that have some kind of emphasis on East Asia. From talking with people, I've heard that Johns Hopkins and Indiana have faculty focusing on China, but if anyone has advice, please let me know!

 

Check out Northwestern, just in case. I think there are a few faculty and several students focusing on East Asia.

[Mwanafunzi]

I am applying for Fall 2014. My interests are in race (and its intersections with other vectors of identity), culture (especially religion/irreligion and music), and social movements. A lot of my experience is in qualitative research, but I would really like mixed methods schools. I'm working on my statement, CV, and a few research projects.

 

I have a few questions for those who may have answers:

1) When is the latest I could realistically take the GRE? I was thinking of taking it mid-September, but should I aim for earlier?

2) For CVs/applications in general, is listing "articles in progress/articles under review" a standard procedure? A few grad students I know have told me different things about this, and being that I will have a few things that would fall into this category, a few more perspectives would be appreciated.

3) With regard to the personal/purpose statement (or applications more broadly) how in-depth should I go in describing my research skills as they relate to RA positions? Should I be putting a lot of specifics (such as focus group coding, such-and-such quantitative analysis, etc.) or keep it a bit more broad (worked with focus group data and quantitative data on Topic X)?

 

 

Thanks in advance for any feedback. Hope everyone's preparations are going well. 

[gilbertrollins]

Everyone should take the GRE as soon as possible in the event you need/want to retake.  Shoot for the 80th percentile or greater in both categories, and you shouldn't have a problem anywhere.  90% guarantees you no problems.  The GRE is a reject criterion, not an accept criterion, so don't rip your hair out trying to get a perfect score (but do well -- it is important).  

 

Sol_barber: your letter writers can send essentially the same letter to each school, and most of the electronic submission systems make it relatively easy for them to click a link in their email box and upload a PDF.  It's not much trouble.  But you're right that they really need to contain superlatives.  It's not a problem that you haven't co-published or have a masters thesis -- most, even US masters students, don't -- because I think about half or more of candidates applying are coming straight from undergraduate degrees, and masters students usually have not finished their programs before applying.  Also, differences between the European and American systems are well known and accounted for in admissions, so don't bug out too much about those aspects.  

 

I think the best thing you can do is get started now on organizing a succinct, easy to read and flawless CV, and crafting your statement of purpose.  The SOP will help you clarify your own research priorities, which will force you to narrow your program selection (doing it geographically is a bad idea unless you have very important external demands).  And doing the SOP and thinking hard about what you've accomplished and where you want to go will help you coach your letter writers on which of your experiences and qualities to highlight.  

 

Most undergraduate research assistance in the states is a bit of either a sandbox sham, or rather menial empirical work.  It's more important as a signal that you were hand-picked out of a large group of your peers, and that you're nominally dedicated to research, than it is a demonstration of a variety of technical and analytical skills.  Your letter writers can hopefully convey these qualities without the RA and thesis writing comments other students may have.  And like I said, committees anyway know that your access to such opportunities were more limited.  Best luck.

[Sol_Barber]

Thank you Gilbert! Interesting insight into the american university life. 

 

And I will heed your advice and focus on the CV and the SOP.

 

Have fun in New York and thanks!

[gilbertrollins]

No problem!

Edited July 22, 2013 by gilbertrollins

[deeplyreligiousnonbeliever]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm aiming to apply for Fall 2014. My BA is in Political Science, with a minor in Sociology. I just finished a Masters in Teaching (7-12 Social Studies), which isn't directly relevant, I suppose. My research interests involve gender (and its intersections with race and class), feminism and the media, and class consciousness.

In addition to GRE prep, I'm currently trying to begin an inital draft of my SOP. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started!

I'm grateful to have found this forum - nice to "meet" you all!

[Soc2288]

@zimi522, interesting we share similar research interests (sociology of education/social inequality) but we have NO shared schools outside of John's Hopkins (although I considered Emory before deciding that ATL was not a city where I wanted to spend 4+ years residing). But Best of Luck to You!!!! And if it helps, when I applied to programs about 10 years ago I got into 5 top tier schools with quant scores similar to yours (although verbal was a little higher). Not sure how much the market has changed since then, but several of my friends from my initial program who did finish and now sit on admission committees tell me that while competition has gotten stiffer that there still appears to be a good deal of variation surrounding the importance of GRE scores, especially when considering other "intangibles"

 

 

What are some of the schools you are interested in applying to? Btw Johns Hopkins and Emory are my top choices.

[moda]

I have an interesting question: is anyone here debating between a PHD is Sociology and a certificate in something else (ex: Gender Studies) or an actual PHD in that certificate area of study?

 

I only ask because I've been on the fence about trying to get into a Sociology PHD program or a Women's Studies PHD program. At my undergraduate institution, the WGS classes were taught by sociologists or historians with WGS certificates. However, my advisor claims that universities are now more likely to hire professors with actual WGS PHDs.

[faculty]

Women's & Gender Studies departments may be more likely to hire someone with a WGS degree - I don't know, but there are still far fewer such departments than there are sociology departments. Furthermore, many of the "WGS departments" that do exist are interdisciplinary departments cobbled together with people in those other departments you mention (sociology, history, psychology, english, etc.) who can teach classes rather than the tenure-home for those faculty. In other words, those faculty got hired in their fields (and will, or already, got tenure there).

 

It is ultimately up to you, but if I were you, I would at least look into departments in schools where you can minor in WGS while earning a PhD in Sociology. that gives you the WGS credentials without limiting yourself to the few hiring departments.

[2xthefun]

@zimi522 The programs I am considering are: Stanford, UC-Berkeley, UCLA, UC-Irvine, UT-Austin, John's Hopkins...with some safeties thrown in if needed. I take the GRE in 2 weeks so I will let my scores help my narrow/shape my list. I am rather nervous-I am more or less ABD from a top 10 program that I left around 5 years ago and the only reason I am not returning there is 1. my research interests changed, 2. half of my coursework has "time" out, and 3. I am no longer eligible for funding soooo I am having to reacqauint myself with the STRESS that is PhD application season, particularly since I am loathe to complete my PhD at a program that is significantly lower in rank than my original program. Best of luck to you (and all of the other posters, as well)!

[blixx008]

To everyone applying, aim high. Many people don't give themselves nearly enough credit throughout this process.

[toobias]

I'm considering UC-Berkeley, Santa Barbara, San Diego, UT-Austin, Princeton, UoM-College Park, Indiana University-Bloomington, JohnHopkins, UWashington, UoW-Madison & UoA. This is it so far. Is it too ambitious to apply to all of these?

I'm not taking the GREs until October just to make sure I'm prepared for it.

[upshitscreek]

@ blixx008, I was just thinking the same thing. I feel this process makes you self conscious about your choices and what you have been able to achieve over the course of your undergrad and graduate work.