Introductory, "What are my chances?!" Post

[Amanda]

Okay everyone, sorry to post yet another one of these but I'm taking a break from writing emails to professors and finishing up my SoP soooo...

Here's my profile:

Social Sciences major

GPA: 3.75 from a non-prestigious, non-research university

GRE: 570Q / 770V / ?? AW

Attended and presented at a conference as an undergraduate.

Wrote a senior thesis which was entirely self designed and included survey research, interviewing, and processing/analyzing all the data I collected.

My senior year my department gave me an award for the most promising graduate of their program, highlighting my interest in academic research.

Three glowing LoRs. They are from professors who are probably not that well known but one was the department chair and is now an assistant dean.

I have lots of general work experience as I volunteered, interned, and worked (full time) my way through college. I've been employed full time since I graduated in May 2009.

My one downer is that I have not pursued an MA. I know that I am interested in research and feel that it would be silly to take that route just as a "prereq" to a PhD program.

I'm applying to the PhD in Communications at these schools:

USC

Stanford

Berkley

UT - Austin

Berkley

UCLA

I am totally in love with the comm program at one of these schools (don't wanna be TOO specific) and so far I've visited the school once. When I was there I met the department's assistant dean of admissions and a current student who was going on to do his PhD there. I've stayed in contact with both and they have both been very encouraging. I also spoke with the director of one of their Masters' programs who encouraged me to attend as well. I'm currently in the process of contacting professors in the department and will be flying out there to visit the school again (hopefully with some professor meetings as well). From my take on it, I am a great candidate for this school and my interests match up with a number of the professors' interests.

But...in spite of all of this I am having a major bout of nerves. So somebody, tell me what my chances are?! (Feel free to include or leave out the extra curricular stuff since I didn't clarify what school it was for).

[keylimekai]

You have absolutely nothing to worry about, as far as I can tell. I don't know about communications, but I wouldn't worry about an MA with those qualifications. Write a great SOP and you'll have the full package.

However, did you really work full time during college? As in 40 hours a week? I find that kind of hard to believe.

Edited November 1, 2009 by keylimekai

[LateAntique]

However, did you really work full time during college? As in 40 hours a week? I find that kind of hard to believe.

40 hours a week was an easy week for me in my first three years of undergrad. I worked 40-60 hour weeks as a firefighter/paramedic. I went to class during the day and worked 12's at night and 24's on the weekend.

[coyabean]

40 hours a week was an easy week for me in my first three years of undergrad. I worked 40-60 hour weeks as a firefighter/paramedic. I went to class during the day and worked 12's at night and 24's on the weekend.

I hear you. I had to LOL at the inherent innocence in the above comment. I not only worked full-time but I bought and subsequently sold a house, filed for divorce, moved twice and worked and had a full time course load the entire time.

[keylimekai]

Damn, well way to go! I certainly have a hard enough time working part time.

[LateAntique]

I hear you. I had to LOL at the inherent innocence in the above comment. I not only worked full-time but I bought and subsequently sold a house, filed for divorce, moved twice and worked and had a full time course load the entire time.

It must be very nice to live in a world where that's out of the question!

[Amanda]

However, did you really work full time during college? As in 40 hours a week? I find that kind of hard to believe.

Thanks for the reassurance.

Well, to be fair it fluctuated (since it was a food service job) between 32 - 40 hours but occasionally more than 40 since I was working in non-salaried management at the time. I did have the benefit of some consideration in regards to time to write papers and study for tests since I had a lot of seniority. At the same time, I remember working more than one last minute late shift that resulted in all nighters, not because I hadn't started until the last minute but because I got home so late and the papers were due so early (home at midnight, paper due at 8am).

If I ever dropped below 32 hours it was always filled in by internships (I did three part time ones and one full time one while in undergrad) and volunteering (lots of community service stuff here) so I don't feel bad just going with "full time throughout undergrad".

It's all about time management. Also, I always assumed that if I was incredibly busy I wouldn't have time to spend money which actually helped me save up a bit during undergrad.

Edited November 1, 2009 by Amanda

[melusine]

re: the part-time/full-time discussion, i think it also greatly depends on how many classes you take per term and how many years you mean by "college"

there were certainly times where i worked 2 or 3 part time jobs while studying, thereby arriving at a cumulative 40hrs+ per week..

however, this summer term, i got a big scholarship and decided to step up my game, taking 6 accelerated courses in the summer. Believe me, no one, NO ONE can take 6 senior year accelarated (3months' material in 5 weeks) lit courses (with reading lists containing Joyce, Woolfe, Dickens, Thackeray and Proust), complete the required writing and research assignments and keep a full time job.

Or, let me rephrase it, you can. But you either replace your readings with Sparknotes or do your homework at work. Both are not a very good idea, IMHO.

Edited November 1, 2009 by melusine

[Amanda]

Oh man. This post is soooo off topic. Opinions, anyone?

On the off topic discussion...

re: the part-time/full-time discussion, i think it also greatly depends on how many classes you take per term and how many years you mean by "college"

This is a very good point. I was maintaining full time status or above at my school which translated to twelve credit hours or approximately four classes. However, because I knew that I had to keep working, I planned my semesters to take pretty easy classes when I knew I had to take more or when I had an internship. Also, it took me six years to get through college that way, including work and school through two summers. I definitely don't see how it could be done on the four year plan.

Annnnd....again, opinions anyone? I need some reassurance here!

[keylimekai]

You should probably mention/explain in your SOP (or somewhere) why it took you 6 years to get through the program (because you were doing all kinds of other fun/important stuff).

So sorry to throw a wrench in this discussion...as I noted earlier, your application is bound to be great!

[captiv8ed]

I will add the obligatory:

NO one can really know until we get our acceptances or rejections. These programs are all so damned competitive that they have to turn away dozens of totally qualified applicants

I wouldn't worry about not having an MA.

I think your application looks awesome and I wish you luck

[Amanda]

Of course I know that captiv8ed, but thanks for the reminder!

[thepoorstockinger]

So somebody, tell me what my chances are?!

USC = 38%

Stanford = 32%

Berkley = 31%

UT - Austin = 28%

Berkley = 31%

UCLA = 33%

[modernity]

I worked two jobs (about 60 hours a week) and went to school full time during my undergrad. So its definitely possible. I was actually shocked in one of my classes, when the professor asked how many people were working, and it was only me and about three other people in the class. How do you live without an income??

Your profile looks very good to me, especially since you were able to squeeze in internships with a work schedule. I think you can definitely get past the first cut (assuming there is one), and then its just a matter of fit.

[JohnBom]

I had a part-time job throughout college, but definitely couldn't do anything more. I slept four or five hours in order to be able to handle that. Also, there are of course no breaks when you are working.

Working 60 hours? I don't get that..It makes me wonder where you went to school. We had classes from eight to five every day, plus nonsense arts and sports requirements. Did you go to work after dinner and stayed there till two in the morning in order to work sixty hours a week?

I am just really surprised that is possible.

[glasses]

Working 60 hours? I don't get that..It makes me wonder where you went to school. We had classes from eight to five every day, plus nonsense arts and sports requirements. Did you go to work after dinner and stayed there till two in the morning in order to work sixty hours a week?

I am just really surprised that is possible.

Yeah, it's possible. I may be taking your comment the wrong way (and if I am, I apologize for the snappy, defensive tone of what's to follow), but please refrain from attempting to disparate others' undergrad institutions based on what folks had to do to stay financially afloat. I worked 60-hour weeks and went to a top-5 liberal arts college, where I took a full course load for all four years and did rather well. Just because some of us had to pull of some ridiculous hijinks doesn't mean that we went to crappy colleges or sucked at academics.

[JohnBom]

Yeah, it's possible. I may be taking your comment the wrong way (and if I am, I apologize for the snappy, defensive tone of what's to follow), but please refrain from attempting to disparate others' undergrad institutions based on what folks had to do to stay financially afloat. I worked 60-hour weeks and went to a top-5 liberal arts college, where I took a full course load for all four years and did rather well. Just because some of us had to pull of some ridiculous hijinks doesn't mean that we went to crappy colleges or sucked at academics.

I just want you to explain to me when you worked those sixty hours if you were in class whole day every day?

[glasses]

I just want you to explain to me when you worked those sixty hours if you were in class whole day every day?

O . . . kay . . .

Well, I guess I didn't take your post the wrong way! I withdraw my conditional apology.

Five courses a semester @ two classes per week each @ about 70 minutes per class makes 700 minutes, a.k.a. about 12 hours of in-class time per week. Time between classes spent TAing or tutoring (work hours) + time after classes spent working nights (also work hours): about 60 hours per week. That accounts for approximately 72 hours out of the 168 hours available in a week. The remaining 96 hours per week = research/schoolwork/writing/studying and basic acts of living.

Math is fun. (Side-note: probing is less fun.)

Not a single party in four years, but my transcript sure as hell looked good, and I paid my bills. (Lived off-campus.) And I am far, far, FAR from the only person to have had to do this.

[captiv8ed]

I had a part-time job throughout college, but definitely couldn't do anything more. I slept four or five hours in order to be able to handle that. Also, there are of course no breaks when you are working.

Working 60 hours? I don't get that..It makes me wonder where you went to school. We had classes from eight to five every day, plus nonsense arts and sports requirements. Did you go to work after dinner and stayed there till two in the morning in order to work sixty hours a week?

I am just really surprised that is possible.

What kind of school did you go to where you went to class from 8 to 5 every day? I have never heard of that. At my school, for 16 credit hours (full time+ for the quarter system) a typical schedule would be: Monday 10-3 with an hour for lunch Tuesday 10-4 with an hour for lunch Wednesday 10-12, Thursday off and Friday 10-1.

In other schools I have seen, a 5 credit class meets once a day for five days a week or twice a week for 2.5 hours each time, or something like that. I have always been told the actual time in class is 1 hour per credit and then there is 2-3 times as much home study time expected. Did you go to school outside the States?

[JerryLandis]

I have one class per week, which lasts 3 hours. Just thought I'd throw that out there to make people jealous!

[alexis]

I'm always super impressed with people who worked & went to college at the same time. I think you guys are awesome, usually indicates a very hard worker (and I would think adcoms would like that!). In my first semester in my current master's program (which is night classes), I worked 45-50 hours a week, plus an hour commute to school, taking 6 credits. I'm not doing that anymore, but I got a taste of the working full-time/school thing, which I was lucky enough to not have to do in undergrad (ROTC took up much my time instead...but it also paid my tuition). Still, just wanted to add my congrats to those of you who did it. I know it must not have been easy, and no one should question you for that!

[JohnBom]

Math is fun. (Side-note: probing is less fun.)

It's not probing. Just a question. Congrats on that stellar transcript of yours and the top five school. No need to get defensive. I was interested in knowing how you managed to work 60 hours while going to class and doing your assignments. You clearly seem to be very proud of it, so why would it be surprising that I am asking about the details? I never had to do that and never met anyone who did. We also all had to live on campus far from any town or city, so maybe that's why nobody did. I think the point of a discussion board is sharing experiences and learning from one another. That's what I am trying to do.

What kind of school did you go to where you went to class from 8 to 5 every day? I have never heard of that. At my school, for 16 credit hours (full time+ for the quarter system) a typical schedule would be: Monday 10-3 with an hour for lunch Tuesday 10-4 with an hour for lunch Wednesday 10-12, Thursday off and Friday 10-1.

Yes, I went to school in the States. 8-5 because I did not count TAing or tutoring as a job. We didn't get paid for it. It was a service for a credit or two. Also, labs take up a bunch of time. Usually one science course would have at least one full afternoon lab a week. Some of them have two labs a week. Many science kids end up spending most of their afternoons in the lab. Most art classes require a lab too. And think of having to take physical ed. at eight in the morning..

Come on, guys, I am not trying to piss anyone off. I am just curious. I don't think more/less structured in class time makes for better education. We clearly all have different experiences. There is nothing wrong with discussing the details of how people overcame challenges.

I have a 60 hour job right now. I get up at six to be there at eight. Work till nine. Get home at ten. I would not be able to take a single class, unless it was on the weekend.

Edited November 2, 2009 by Astronautka

[thepoorstockinger]

It's not probing. Just a question. Congrats on that stellar transcript of yours and the top five school. No need to get defensive. I was interested in knowing how you managed to work 60 hours while going to class and doing your assignments. You clearly seem to be very proud of it, so why would it be surprising that I am asking about the details? I never had to do that and never met anyone who did. We also all had to live on campus far from any town or city, so maybe that's why nobody did. I think the point of a discussion board is sharing experiences and learning from one another. That's what I am trying to do.

Yes, I went to school in the States. 8-5 because I did not count TAing or tutoring as a job. We didn't get paid for it. It was a service for a credit or two. Also, labs take up a bunch of time. Usually one science course would have at least one full afternoon lab a week. Some of them have two labs a week. Many science kids end up spending most of their afternoons in the lab. Most art classes require a lab too. And think of having to take physical ed. at eight in the morning..

Come on, guys, I am not trying to piss anyone off. I am just curious. I don't think more/less structured in class time makes for better education. We clearly all have different experiences. There is nothing wrong with discussing the details of how people overcame challenges.

I have a 60 hour job right now. I get up at six to be there at eight. Work till nine. Get home at ten. I would not be able to take a single class, unless it was on the weekend.

Mandatory daily physical education for college students? Mandatory unpaid TAing? Mandatory arts and sports requirements? What kind of bizarre university did you get your undergraduate degree from?

[glasses]

It's not probing. Just a question. Congrats on that stellar transcript of yours and the top five school. No need to get defensive. I was interested in knowing how you managed to work 60 hours while going to class and doing your assignments. You clearly seem to be very proud of it, so why would it be surprising that I am asking about the details? I never had to do that and never met anyone who did. We also all had to live on campus far from any town or city, so maybe that's why nobody did. I think the point of a discussion board is sharing experiences and learning from one another. That's what I am trying to do.

Well, in that case, I'm sorry for being a witch-with-a-"b." I only brought up the transcript et. al. because you said at some point that when folks said they worked a ton of hours while going to college, you wondered what "kind of school" they went to; then you said to me "I just want you to explain to me when you worked those sixty hours if you were in class whole day every day?" Those statements/questions struck me as disparaging: hence the defensiveness. I guess this is one of those cases that shows how easy it is to misread tone over the internet: to me, your questions came off aggressively, like you were saying, "Ha! You either went to an imaginary school or didn't go to class."

Oh, and yeah, at my school TAing and tutoring were paid gigs.

Edited November 2, 2009 by glasses

[Amanda]

I like the interesting conversation that popped up in this thread!

Something that has been tossed around in these answers is working between classes and working late night/early morning. I know that's what I did to be able to work and go to school. For a while, it was late nights and then I switched over to early mornings (like, at work at 4:30am) to accommodate my school schedule. I guess I should add as part of my statement that there was about a nine month gap between the two universities I attended (the first one was way too expensive for me to keep up with) where I worked two jobs and I raised baby birds. Sooo....when I went back to school I quit one of my jobs (by this time the baby birds were grown up) and I felt like I was living the easy life.

Anyways, I definitely think that some schools make it tough to work while attending classes. The first university I went to mostly had daytime classes, which was one of the reasons I had to leave. I was trying to work over nights and go to school which just didn't fly.

Oh, and thanks everyone for your reassurances. I appreciate it. I just set up a couple meetings with professors so I'm getting my confidence back!