FALL 2015 APPLICATONS

[Scarecrow24]

Thank you all for the comments!

 

Scarecrow, you sound like you have all the bases covered. I think you just need to pull it all together with your SOP, writing sample, letters of recommendation. Are you a Spanish or Greek speaker? Sorry, I don't know what Spanish Linguistics is, maybe that is something in the linguistics department that doesn't involve knowing the language?

 

I am a heritage speaker of Greek (Istanbul dialect) and Syriac (Aramaic), although I am fluent in Spanish and conversant in Turkish, Portuguese and learning other languages. Spanish linguistics is essentially an applied/sociolinguistic approach to Spanish (dialectology, bilingualism, ideologies, etc.). For the letters of recommendation, I have my thesis advisor (who also taught two of my MA courses) and one of the program coordinators of my MA, both of whom wrote me letters last year. My third was an undergraduate professor with whom I took three Spanish ling courses, however maybe I should have the coordinator of my research fellowship write me one? The problem is that he is a historian, but can attest to my fieldwork, etc.?

 

[Scarecrow24]

Scarecrow, have you reached out to POIs in those schools? 

 

Also, I'm not sure about this because socio/ling anth is definitely not my area, but I was under the impression that Ling Anthropology requires students to do field work... do you have any experience with that, or any plans to do so?

 

I've drafted a few emails, but am hesitant to send them because I had reached out to one 4 years ago and he never responded. I don't know what the best course of action is, meaning, should I be honest and say that I've read some of their articles, am a fan of their research and would love to work with them? Or more along the lines of could you provide me more information regarding the program? As an undergrad I studied abroad in Salamanca and did an independent study concerning language ideologies there. Then, my MA was in NYU's Madrid campus, so all of my coursework and thesis dealt with conducting surveys in Spain. This summer I finished a research fellowship in Greece and Turkey on the endangered Greek dialects of Asia Minor.

 

I could be wrong, but when applying for PhD, your fit with what the school offers is one of the most important aspect to be considered. If you have made so far, and want to continue into a PhD program, it is 'safe' to assume you did not do it by chance, or by some kind of miracle, you actually worked for it. Therefore, the expectation is that whichever school you are accepted into, you will work just as hard to earn that PhD. Thus if the school that matches what you are looking for is a top school, upon acceptance, you will be expected to earn it. Though acceptance may have to do with their quotas, in which case, you may not provide enough proof that you can perform better than other applicants who match the school interest, that may affect your chances of getting in. But as Caffeinated stated, applying for safety schools is not really sound. 

 

I am studying Language Documentation, with a focus on Lexicography of Haitan Creole. This combination was impossible, and only two schools came close, and I was accepted to both of them, and I only applied to three (Third one, in which I did not get accepted was my safety school).

 

I am sure you will have many acceptances and you will do great in whichever you decide to go. 

 

Best

I've spent a good amount of time looking into programs based on specific professors' research. Because my primary focus is related to language and identity/ideologies, I figured Chicago is great (due to Silverstein's work on indexicality), Stanford (Eckert and Podesva on sexuality/identity), Georgetown (Tannen), so on and so forth. I'm just worried because everyone keeps telling me that I need to open up the pool because there is so much competition (last year Stanford had funding for only 7 ling candidates but close to 150 applicants). So, I figured that I do have a large interest in diasporic relations and the impact on linguistic variation (which ultimately ties in with identity), to broaden my scope there. Even the schools that are not necessarily "top-tier" all have good departments with professors that have similar or related interests. I'm afraid because I took the GRE November of 2010, so this is my last chance to make use of it (unless if I can somehow apply super early next year), because I don't have the energy or money to learn the new version of the test.

[xolo]

Thank you all for the comments!

 

 

I am a heritage speaker of Greek (Istanbul dialect) and Syriac (Aramaic), although I am fluent in Spanish and conversant in Turkish, Portuguese and learning other languages. Spanish linguistics is essentially an applied/sociolinguistic approach to Spanish (dialectology, bilingualism, ideologies, etc.). For the letters of recommendation, I have my thesis advisor (who also taught two of my MA courses) and one of the program coordinators of my MA, both of whom wrote me letters last year. My third was an undergraduate professor with whom I took three Spanish ling courses, however maybe I should have the coordinator of my research fellowship write me one? The problem is that he is a historian, but can attest to my fieldwork, etc.?

I'm still confused. Are you applying to a linguistics department or a Spanish department? All of your LOR writers are good. I can only offer that you should use the people who can provide the most persuasive case for you, in light of your overall application.

[Scarecrow24]

I'm still confused. Are you applying to a linguistics department or a Spanish department? All of your LOR writers are good. I can only offer that you should use the people who can provide the most persuasive case for you, in light of your overall application.

I am applying to both linguistics (sociolinguistics specifically) and linguistic anthropology programs. Because I have an extensive background in Spanish linguistics, as well as Greek, I might have the flexibility to collaborate accordingly, as some schools are more interdepartmental than others. 

Right, that makes sense. I guess then for my third letter I'm on the fence whether it would be more persuasive to have an undergrad professor who knows my academic background well (3 courses) and is familiar with the linguistic community or a history professor who directed a research fellowship and can attest to my abilities to conduct fieldwork and present at a conference. 

[Ziggyfinish]

Hi guys, this is my first post on Grad Cafe. I'm preparing grad applications for linguistics. My big problem is that my specific field doesn't really exist yet    and so it is proving very difficult to find people working in my field or at least adjacently.

 

Mostly my work involves devising methods/experiments in developing artificial (but nonetheless organic) languages. My current case study is dance notation. Mostly this involves studying language evolution, self-organization & artificial intelligence, computational linguistics, psycholinguistics, and general diachronic theories. My current list is rough preference:

 

1. University of Edinburgh   (already accept here in the 1 year Msc. Language evolution program but re-applying for the MPhil in Language Evolution)

2. McGill University

3. NYU                               (lots of good computational work and access to dancers at the TISCH school of the Arts)

4. Penn                              (two guys at Penn who specialize in Language Evolution, a rarity outside of Edinburgh)

5. UC Berkeley                  (Berkeley and Stanford offer good opportunities for interdisciplinary research/training)

6. Stanford

7. Chicago

 

Others I'm also looking into:

MIT

University of Massachusetts

University of Michegan

Oxford/Cambridge

University College London

University of Toronto

 

The Unviersity of Edinburgh is by far my top choice, it is, as far as I can tell, the only school that focuses on language evolution, and their interdisciplinary networks with the departments of Philosophy and Psychology produces a lot good cog sci work. But Edinburgh doesn't have a dance department and is rather isolated from any dance scene, which is problematic for my experiments since I need dancer subjects.

 

I'm especially looking for anyone working on Language Evolution or schools that encourage combining interdisciplinary work outside their linguistics department. Or anyone who works on non-traditional models of human "language."

 

Any suggesting, comments, insights are very much appreciated.

 

Nice to meet you all!

[Ziggyfinish]

Hi Scarecrow,

 

In the past I've applied to Stanford, UPENN, UC Berkeley, Ohio State, Georgetown (x2), NYU (x2), CUNY, Michigan and Chicago and not sure if it's worth reapplying. 

Sorry for the long post, but I am in knots. Any advice?

My undergrad GPA was a 3.65 grad 3.81 and GRE (old test) was V650 (93%) Q630 (40% ugh) and 5 on the essay (92%).

 

I'm afraid because I took the GRE November of 2010, so this is my last chance to make use of it (unless if I can somehow apply super early next year), because I don't have the energy or money to learn the new version of the test.

I can understand that you wouldn't want to do the GRE again, but my impression is that linguistics departments take a closer look at your quantitative score than most humanities program. So you may want to reconsider re-taking the GRE even though your interests are in a more sociolinguistic/anthropological vein. Some departments in their selecting process may rule out some candidates based on these kind of numerical makers before even considering other aspects of the candidate (especially any school with strong computational linguistics).

 

On the otherhand, now that you have so much fieldwork and a good grad GPA you may not need to worry about the GRE score so much. So I would reapply to any of the schools that really fit your interests.

[onzeheures30]

3. NYU                               (lots of good computational work and access to dancers at the TISCH school of the Arts)

 

I am not sure how good a fit NYU might be for your agenda, although it is true that being in NYC in general gives you access to many communities and networks. In any event, feel free to PM me for more specific comments about our dept.

[beccamayworth]

Ziggyfinish have you looked into UC Merced's Cog Sci department? I was under the impression they did some language evolution research there...

[Robertpt]

So, I'm a little nervous because this will be my third round of PhD apps (first time was to just 4 socioling programs straight out of undergrad, second was last year to 7 socioling after finishing my MA). I feel like I'm a much stronger candidate since last time because not only do I have my master's (from NYU in Spanish linguistics), but I just completed a research fellowship in Greece and Turkey and have a bit more experience under my belt. Somebody recommended branching out to ling anthro since they tend to have more funding, so I'm going to give that a shot. My undergrad GPA was a 3.65 grad 3.81 and GRE (old test) was V650 (93%) Q630 (40% ugh) and 5 on the essay (92%).

My primary research interests are on language and identity, language/dialect ideologies and Spanish/Greek dialectology. My MA thesis was on the diminutive in Spanish as an index of gender in Castilian Spanish.

 

In the past I've applied to Stanford, UPENN, UC Berkeley, Ohio State, Georgetown (x2), NYU (x2), CUNY, Michigan and Chicago and not sure if it's worth reapplying. 

Sorry for the long post, but I am in knots. Any advice?

 

I think you seem to be a good fit to Stanford....I was not sure if I should apply to Stanford the second time, but everyone suggested me have a try anyway, and I did (with no hope to get in), and I got an offer....you never know what the admission committee members are thinking and how the competitions are like in this round. Just go for the programs that match your interests the most and don't leave any regret behind.

Edited October 6, 2014 by Robertpt

[Robertpt]

Hi guys, this is my first post on Grad Cafe. I'm preparing grad applications for linguistics. My big problem is that my specific field doesn't really exist yet    and so it is proving very difficult to find people working in my field or at least adjacently.

 

I think the problem for you is not only whether you could find someone to work with, but also the admission committee might worry if you could finish a PhD on a unprecedented topic and more importantly, find a job afterwards. You need to work very hard in your SOP to convince them...

[aojfifjoaisjaiosdj]

It's fine to reapply as long as there's a significant change in your application.

[Scarecrow24]

I think you seem to be a good fit to Stanford....I was not sure if I should apply to Stanford the second time, but everyone suggested me have a try anyway, and I did (with no hope to get in), and I got an offer....you never know what the admission committee members are thinking and how the competitions are like in this round. Just go for the programs that match your interests the most and don't leave any regret behind.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence! This process is nerve-wracking to say the least, and sometimes it's hard to think objectively when so many external factors make you doubt yourself. I've been working super hard on apps and feel much better now that I've gotten all kinds of feedback.

 

 

It's fine to reapply as long as there's a significant change in your application.

 

Thanks, but could someone define "significant change" for me? Since last year, I received a research fellowship grant, conducted fieldwork in Greece and Turkey (in addition to other fieldwork abroad I had already done in the past), will be a member of a panel to present on my findings, made connections in foreign academic institutions, joined the LSA and SLA (and other professional organizations), made my own website where I blog on sociolinguistic/ linguistic anthropological issues and even proposed to teach a new course on Greek linguistics at Rutgers University (which is accepted providing enrollment of a minimum of 15 students).

Is that enough?  

[aojfifjoaisjaiosdj]

Thanks for the vote of confidence! This process is nerve-wracking to say the least, and sometimes it's hard to think objectively when so many external factors make you doubt yourself. I've been working super hard on apps and feel much better now that I've gotten all kinds of feedback.

 

 

 

Thanks, but could someone define "significant change" for me? Since last year, I received a research fellowship grant, conducted fieldwork in Greece and Turkey (in addition to other fieldwork abroad I had already done in the past), will be a member of a panel to present on my findings, made connections in foreign academic institutions, joined the LSA and SLA (and other professional organizations), made my own website where I blog on sociolinguistic/ linguistic anthropological issues and even proposed to teach a new course on Greek linguistics at Rutgers University (which is accepted providing enrollment of a minimum of 15 students).

Is that enough?  

 

It's vague on purpose because it's impossible to give a definition of it. There are so many possible things that may be considered significant. Here's an example from the NYU website:

 

Q: Can I reapply?

A: Admission to our graduate program in linguistics is highly competitive. If your application was unsuccessful in a previous year, it is unlikely that you would be admitted in future years unless something about your application changed substantially-- for example if you did further study elsewhere in linguistics, or wrote a strong new paper that was submitted as your writing sample. If you are serious about pursuing graduate study in linguistics, your best options would be either to apply for admission to a graduate program at some other university, or take further course work in linguistics at the undergraduate or graduate level before re-applying to NYU.

 

http://linguistics.as.nyu.edu/object/linguistics.grad.faq

Edited October 7, 2014 by Chiki

[Ziggyfinish]

Ziggyfinish have you looked into UC Merced's Cog Sci department? I was under the impression they did some language evolution research there...

 

Thanks beccamayworth. I checked out the UC Merced's department. They do a bit of language evolution but they're a pretty isolated campus and I prefer big city universities where I can establish networks with those in dance and the arts.

 

I think the problem for you is not only whether you could find someone to work with, but also the admission committee might worry if you could finish a PhD on a unprecedented topic and more importantly, find a job afterwards. You need to work very hard in your SOP to convince them...

 

 

Thanks Robertpt, that is a very good point and something I have been considering. I understand that many schools are looking for people who will become "leaders in their field." So I guess part of my strategy in my SOP is to not only convince them of the seriousness of my proposal, but also to demonstrate that by opening up a new subfield I would be a defacto leader of it. Then I cross my fingers and hope that, that excites someone on the panel.

 

Does that sound like a good strategy or should I instead try to stress my interest in adjacent fields (language evolution & computational linguistics) and then introduce my real proposal once I've been admitted?

[aojfifjoaisjaiosdj]

 

 

Thanks beccamayworth. I checked out the UC Merced's department. They do a bit of language evolution but they're a pretty isolated campus and I prefer big city universities where I can establish networks with those in dance and the arts.

I don't know if you can afford to be too picky with your interests in mind.

[Ziggyfinish]

I don't know if you can afford to be too picky with your interests in mind.

 

That is a fair point. But whenever I check out schools I always ask myself "Could I see myself working here for 5+ years? Does the University have everything I need to do my work?" When I look at UC Merced I see a department with some interest in Language evolution, but not necessarily quite the breed of language evolution I am looking for (I admit that might be being picky). But I also see a very new university with very little, shall I say, street cred, that is located literally in the middle of the desert (I am very much a northerner). Moreover, my work requires access to a dance community, and a large city can offer that even when the university cannot. Furthermore, larger universities tend to have a breadth of fields and programs that would allow me to find POIs outside of the linguistic department that could comment on my work Surprisingly many of the best minds working on language evolution aren't in Linguistic departments at all but in Anthropology, Experimental Psychology, or Computer Science departments.

 

All in all I think selecting grad schools is one place where pickiness is essential for finding the right "fit," and I'd rather wait a year to re-apply, conduct independent research, or take a masters than begin a program I know I'd be unhappy in.

 

But thanks Chiki! Your comment actually helped me consolidate my thoughts on what exactly I'm looking for in a program.

[beccamayworth]

That is a fair point. But whenever I check out schools I always ask myself "Could I see myself working here for 5+ years? Does the University have everything I need to do my work?" When I look at UC Merced I see a department with some interest in Language evolution, but not necessarily quite the breed of language evolution I am looking for (I admit that might be being picky). But I also see a very new university with very little, shall I say, street cred, that is located literally in the middle of the desert (I am very much a northerner). Moreover, my work requires access to a dance community, and a large city can offer that even when the university cannot. Furthermore, larger universities tend to have a breadth of fields and programs that would allow me to find POIs outside of the linguistic department that could comment on my work Surprisingly many of the best minds working on language evolution aren't in Linguistic departments at all but in Anthropology, Experimental Psychology, or Computer Science departments.

 

All in all I think selecting grad schools is one place where pickiness is essential for finding the right "fit," and I'd rather wait a year to re-apply, conduct independent research, or take a masters than begin a program I know I'd be unhappy in.

 

But thanks Chiki! Your comment actually helped me consolidate my thoughts on what exactly I'm looking for in a program.

 

All fair points - and you definitely shouldn't apply to a school you wouldn't ultimately want to attend!

 

However, I'd just like to clarify something in case anyone else might be thinking about UC Merced: they are indeed a new school and might not be prestigious in the eyes of many, but their Cog Sci department is absolutely fantastic and their professors have a LOT of "street cred" on the field, which is what ultimately matters in terms of research. So for others that have other requirements and might be interested in Merced, do not feel discouraged.

[Ziggyfinish]

Thanks beccamayworth. I definitely was not trying to trivialize the UC Merced's program. My impression was that the program was fresh and exciting and the professors all had ample publishing credits to their name. I would encourage others to consider it if it seems like a good fit.

[AngelinaZ]

I am planning to apply for Ph.D. studies in either Linguistics or Cognitive Science.

 

Somehow the programs I like are mostly within the Cognitive Science field: 

 

Aarhus University

Berlin School of Mind and Brain

Australian National University

 

Seems like most you are applying to US universities. I am not sure how the application process over there goes. 

[AngelinaZ]

The deadline for the program at ANU has passed already    

I knew that they had something called 'initial expression of interest' that was supposed to be quite early, now I just saw that it is officially too late to apply.

 

I know what kind of research I want to be doing. It does not matter that much if the program is called Cognitive Science or Linguistics. What is important to me is faculty and prospective supervisors. 

[funchaku]

That is a fair point. But whenever I check out schools I always ask myself "Could I see myself working here for 5+ years? Does the University have everything I need to do my work?" When I look at UC Merced I see a department with some interest in Language evolution, but not necessarily quite the breed of language evolution I am looking for (I admit that might be being picky). But I also see a very new university with very little, shall I say, street cred, that is located literally in the middle of the desert (I am very much a northerner). Moreover, my work requires access to a dance community, and a large city can offer that even when the university cannot. Furthermore, larger universities tend to have a breadth of fields and programs that would allow me to find POIs outside of the linguistic department that could comment on my work Surprisingly many of the best minds working on language evolution aren't in Linguistic departments at all but in Anthropology, Experimental Psychology, or Computer Science departments.

 

All in all I think selecting grad schools is one place where pickiness is essential for finding the right "fit," and I'd rather wait a year to re-apply, conduct independent research, or take a masters than begin a program I know I'd be unhappy in.

 

Two things. First, it's not clear from what you describe as your interests why you want to do a PhD in a linguistics program, as opposed to Computer Science or even Cognitive Science. Some of the options you are considering are strong theoretical departments, and the adcom will certainly wonder about this question. If in fact linguistic theory is not so important to you, I'd expand my search to other fields. MIT Brain and Cognitive Sciences, for instance, does a lot of modeling of language (even some "non-traditional models", as you put it). But this work, as far as I know, is not strongly grounded in linguistic theory, but perhaps you will find it worth considering? 

 

Second, location does matter. On the one hand, PhD programs are extremely competitive, and you end up not having as many choices as you may have hoped for. However, I think your intuition is right-on about considering "fit" in every sense, not just academically. Even things initially may appear trivial will matter. E.g., if you are a very social person, then it's probably not a good idea to choose to go to a department where your peers tend to stick to themselves. There were some great programs that I didn't even apply to because I knew I didn't want to live in a rural area for 5 years. Essentially what I am trying to say is, if you think having a dance community around is important to you, I'd take that criterion seriously. Graduate school can really take a toll on you and leave you feeling drained; I've found that having another (non-academic) passion can often be the saving grace.

[AngelinaZ]

I don't want to offend anyone here, but I didn't know that the Yosemite National Park was in the middle of a desert. I have never been to America, maybe I am wrong. 

 

The Cognitive and Information Sciences doctoral program at UC Merced looks pretty interesting. I am tempted. Not to mention that I have found common research interests with faculty. 

 

Should I register to take the GRE? 

[Ziggyfinish]

Should I register to take the GRE? 

 

YES! If you are at all interested in American schools then register for the GRE, sooner rather than later.

 

Most American programs require them, and most programs that require them also expect to have your test scores by the application deadline (usually Dec 1st - 15th) Since it can take as long as 6 weeks for your test scores to be sent to the school it is usually best to write the test before November 1st (though some schools will accept unofficial scores initially). This may be a problem for you, since you wont have much time to study for them. Moreover, as an international student (depending on your command of English) you may have trouble with the verbal component of the test.

[Ziggyfinish]

Two things. First, it's not clear from what you describe as your interests why you want to do a PhD in a linguistics program, as opposed to Computer Science or even Cognitive Science. Some of the options you are considering are strong theoretical departments, and the adcom will certainly wonder about this question. If in fact linguistic theory is not so important to you, I'd expand my search to other fields. MIT Brain and Cognitive Sciences, for instance, does a lot of modeling of language (even some "non-traditional models", as you put it). But this work, as far as I know, is not strongly grounded in linguistic theory, but perhaps you will find it worth considering? 

 

 

Thanks funchaku. I have taken a look at MIT's Brain and Cognitive Sciences, as well as other programs in those interdisciplinary field (I will take a second gander though). For better or for worse, the core of my project is definitely rooted in Linguistics, which is why I'm looking for a strong linguistics department from which I can branch out into Computational Linguistics, Psycholinguistics, and Anthropology (cultural evolution). The core of my research is in diachronic linguistics, very theory heavy.  Computational linguistics provides much of the experimental tools I need to actually do some of my research, while many of the key voices in my field are based in Psychology or Anthropology. Its a tall order, I know. Worse my background in programming is pretty weak. I'm studying it independently right now and possibly auditing a Comp Ling grad course this spring, but in the meantime I'm looking for a program that offers introductory courses in Comp Ling in first year.

 

Fortunately one of the programs I've already been accepted to at Edinburgh offers this, though no funding. So worse case scenario I complete a MSc. in Scotland and then return with the requisite background (and a little extra debt) and reapply.

[Beanio]

Hello, everyone!

I am currently planning to attend graduate school to earn Ph.D in Linguistics.  I haven't been in school as a student for eight years.  Does anyone have any advice regarding applying to graduate schools and how I am to proceed with continuing my studies of Linguistics?  Thank you in advance for your responses. 

Edited October 13, 2014 by Beanio