Fall 2016 Applicants

[gsc]

3 hours ago, alain said:

Is anyone else applying to NYU? If so, is anyone else stressed out about the two page double spaced SOP? As it is my base SOP is far too long and I need to cut things out but I don't know how I'll ever get it to 2 pages double spaced.......

My program (not NYU) requires its applicants to write 500 words, which comes out to just under 2 pages double spaced. It seemed absurdly short at the time, but it was actually a really useful exercise, especially because I wrote the 500-word SOP first. Admissions committees inevitably pigeonhole applicants: it's how they can get through a stack of 200 applications. The point of a 500 word SOP is to do the pigeonholing for them. What do you want the admissions committee to know about you? Then cut out everything that isn't that. 

[AfricanusCrowther]

How long before the deadlines are you guys hoping to submit your apps? I want to get some of them over with but I just can't let go of my SoP. And then there are the schools that require both a SoP and a personal statement, which is a disaster AFAIC.

Edit: also, how far in advance should I send the LOR links to my letter writers? They've all been warned about my deadlines.

 

Edited November 7, 2015 by AfricanusCrowther

[alain]

7 hours ago, girlscoutcookies said:

My program (not NYU) requires its applicants to write 500 words, which comes out to just under 2 pages double spaced. It seemed absurdly short at the time, but it was actually a really useful exercise, especially because I wrote the 500-word SOP first. Admissions committees inevitably pigeonhole applicants: it's how they can get through a stack of 200 applications. The point of a 500 word SOP is to do the pigeonholing for them. What do you want the admissions committee to know about you? Then cut out everything that isn't that. 

i'll try but it's quite hard to fit research interest + experience + people you want to work with in just under 500 words... basically i want them to know everything about me and pick me 

[ashiepoo72]

Nearly all the programs I applied to sent the LOR link to my professors when I entered their emails, not when I submitted the application itself. I would do it as soon as possible to give them more time. 

500 words is hard, but doable. Be concise, cut out extra words, write in active rather than passive voice. No fluff. No fancy introduction. Get right into the meat of the essay. You need to think about the essence of what you're interested in, the most important experiences you've had and be to the point when it comes to fit.

[TMP]

The SOP should be a mix of a research proposal and a job latter.  Focus on intellectual questions you're interested in answering and a research project you hope to pursue.  Nail down why THAT department's strengths (and why not another dept?  I.e.  Don't say X has a large American history faculty interested in twentieth century when you do have other programs who can  fit that description too).  Be specific-- look at its graduate program and the department structure.  Make the department feel super special.  Also look around the university as well--you're expected to be resourceful and able to find classes, programs, professors, etc that will enrich your studies.  Prioritize fit over experiences when it's time to cut.

[johnnycomelately]

Hi All, I suppose it is time to stop lurking.... I am in the final steps of submitting applications (Yale, Chicago, Michigan, UCSB, and Minnesota). Even though I have done everything I can think of to situate myself for success (contacting POIs, presenting papers, working as a TA, languages-German, French, Latin), and have a pretty solid profile (3.9 undergrad, 4.0 grad., 93rd percentile in V, solid recommendations), I still feel very anxious about the next few months. 

Edited November 11, 2015 by johnnycomelately

[stillalivetui]

On 11/11/2015, 4:06:46, johnnycomelately said:

urking.... I am in the final steps of submitting applications (Yale, Chicago, Michigan, UCSB, and Minnesota). Even though I have done everything I can think of to situate myself for success (contacting POIs, presenting papers, working as a TA, languages-German, French, Latin), and have a pretty solid profile (3.9 undergrad, 4.0 grad., 93rd percentile in V, solid recommendations), I still feel very anxious about the next few months. 

Edited 1 hour ago by johnnycomelately

How long did it take you to get your Michigan student ID number? I started my application over two months ago and just got mine last night. That would have been handy to have when I sent my transcripts last month. 

[johnnycomelately]

42 minutes ago, stillalivetui said:

How long did it take you to get your Michigan student ID number? I started my application over two months ago and just got mine last night. That would have been handy to have when I sent my transcripts last month. 

Same. Email came in last night.

[alain]

Checking in to say I finally got my SOP to 500 words and now I like it much better than the long one. Oh well. 

Hope everyone else's applications/work/lives are going well. 

For people who applied to Michigan, did you contact your POI? I emailed two profs almost a month ago and they never got back to me. I feel bad because I really wanted to work with one of them but their website says that they strongly recommend you not apply unless you've corresponded with someone. I don't think I'll bother with the application but it kind of sucks. 

Edited November 18, 2015 by alain

[stillalivetui]

I don't recall Michigan stating that on their website. They merely recommend that you correspond with someone to aid you in the process, so I think you should still apply. My POI there told me they tend to accept applicants who can work with a number of faculty. 

[DGrayson]

I also contacted two professors at Michigan who never responded. I did manage to get into contact with one of them, just not the one I wanted to work with directly. I would still apply. The Personal Statement is what's killing me though. 

[SunshineLolipops]

On October 30, 2015 at 5:31:11 PM, alain said:

Last cycle I didn't contact anyone.  Clearly that didn't work out so well.  This cycle I have contacted everyone that I would like to study under, and have been very surprised at how generous the professors were with their time.  In one case I also found that a professor will not be accepting any students, which saved me $80 and some heart ache.  I don't know if it's a bit late to contact anyone now, but I'm certainly glad that I did.

 

[knp]

Besides the non-responses, I have been amazed at how nice everyone has been in their emails with me. It's wonderful!

(On the other hand, I did go to Fancy But Large Cold And Impersonal University for my bachelor's, so I have the sense that my standards of what constitutes "nice" are maybe set lower than average.)

[SunshineLolipops]

Edited November 22, 2015 by JJWS
didn't mean to post in the first place... this post only exists because I couldn't figure out how to just delete the thing

[SunshineLolipops]

Finally, knocked out my first SoP and application of the cycle.  Time to wait for four months and let the hilarity ensue.  Good luck everyone, it's a long road to March.

[JTE]

What kind of stuff has everyone included in their letters to POI? I know the e-mail shouldn't be too long, but what should I really say?

[stillalivetui]

2 hours ago, JTE said:

What kind of stuff has everyone included in their letters to POI? I know the e-mail shouldn't be too long, but what should I really say?

I mainly emailed them to check if they were accepting advisees and to gauge their interest in supervising my research project.

[ashiepoo72]

When I sent emails, I wrote something like this:

Dear Professor Blank,

brief academic background (I received my BA from X in this year and am currently in the MA program at X)

research interests (I will be applying to PhD programs for Fall 2015 and am interested in studying X field in X period. More specific detail in one sentence, including subfield, methodology, etc).

why I'm interested in this prof (your work on X informed my work on Y, and I am interested in learning more about your current research on Z. Or I read your book Book Name in an MA seminar and it influenced my project on Y. Something specific about why you want to work with this person)

"I would like to inquire if you are accepting graduate students for Fall of 2015."

"Thank you for your time and I hope to hear from you in the future.

Best Regards,

Insert name here"

[JTE]

17 minutes ago, stillalivetui said:

I mainly emailed them to check if they were accepting advisees and to gauge their interest in supervising my research project.

Thanks! Did you use a basic form letter, or did you personalize each e-mail?

[AfricanusCrowther]

I'm applying this season so my advice might be useless, but I adapted my emails from another, highly successful applicant's. The format generally followed ashiepoo72's. I personalized my emails, altering my academic interests depending on the particular focus of the POI. You might want to retype every email if you're paranoid about making a mistake, like I was. I also had different constructions prepared depending on the occasion (if I was being referred to someone else by the first person I emailed, for example). General email advice holds, I think: keep it brief, be polite, etc.

Edited November 24, 2015 by AfricanusCrowther

[stillalivetui]

I pretty much followed ashiepoo72's template. Only two of eight POI's did not respond to me, but that might have been because I emailed them extremely early in the process.

[Joan Callamezzo]

Try and use your contacts to get a feel for what your POIs respond best/worst to. Even better if you have a professor or colleague who can "introduce" you over email.  

[Averroes MD]

3 hours ago, Joan Callamezzo said:

Try and use your contacts to get a feel for what your POIs respond best/worst to. Even better if you have a professor or colleague who can "introduce" you over email.  

I'm wondering about this. What are other peoples' thoughts about having a professor introduce you over email?

[knp]

If a professor did that for me, I would think that was nice! But there's no way it can be necessary, since people get into good graduate schools all the time without having emailed a single POI. Plus it just feels so Georgian—when possible, I do use the "so-and-so told me to write to you" construction in my emails, but anything more would seem like a nice but optional flourish.

[TMP]

37 minutes ago, Averroes MD said:

I'm wondering about this. What are other peoples' thoughts about having a professor introduce you over email?

Sure, it's fine to talk to your contacts about certain POIs.  Get their input about e-mails/communication as they are more likely to know how POIs operate.  But as a whole expect to do what knp said-- drop the name and how you're related to that person.