Prospective PhD Student-

[n081280m]

Hey everyone,

I just found this resource. So far it has been extremely helpful!

I am graduating next year from Ohio State (one year early) with a dual degree in Sociology (Honors Research Distinction) and Strategic Communication with a minor in professional writing. My GPA will more than likely be a 3.7 or 3.8. I have some research experience already and I am doing more this year (hopefully getting published). I also have some pretty strong faculty contacts so letters of recommendation are looking good.

This summer I am doing a research fellowship and getting paid to complete my senior honors thesis. I will also be studying a lot (probably taking a prep course) for the GRE and taking it at the end of the summer (September/August).

I am looking for programs that first and foremost, fully fund their graduate students. I care very little about perceived prestige, but I know that the stronger programs are more likely to provide full funding. My research interests are sociology of culture (youth culture and aging specifically), online social media, qualitative methods, death and dying, and social psychology.

Any advice as to applicable programs?

[prolixity]

Hey everyone,

I just found this resource. So far it has been extremely helpful!

I am graduating next year from Ohio State (one year early) with a dual degree in Sociology (Honors Research Distinction) and Strategic Communication with a minor in professional writing. My GPA will more than likely be a 3.7 or 3.8. I have some research experience already and I am doing more this year (hopefully getting published). I also have some pretty strong faculty contacts so letters of recommendation are looking good.

This summer I am doing a research fellowship and getting paid to complete my senior honors thesis. I will also be studying a lot (probably taking a prep course) for the GRE and taking it at the end of the summer (September/August).

I am looking for programs that first and foremost, fully fund their graduate students. I care very little about perceived prestige, but I know that the stronger programs are more likely to provide full funding. My research interests are sociology of culture (youth culture and aging specifically), online social media, qualitative methods, death and dying, and social psychology.

Any advice as to applicable programs?

You sound like you're well prepared.

I would advise you to study less for the GRE and work more within your stated interests. The GRE ain't hard enough to merit all them extra books and lernin.

Professors at graduate schools will be impressed if you mention in your statement of purpose:

Filler. Filler. Ideally, I would like to work with Professor XXX, as his recent publication "Blah Blah Blah" speaks directly to me, as I've spent the last four years of my life studying the same material. Filler Filler. Filler.

Seriously, for every school you apply, you should mention one (and only one, unless the application specifies otherwise) professor by name and why his research interests you in your SoP.

I think the amount of familiarity you can gain with the materials in which you're interested over a Summer (and improved ability to communicate your interest in it) will translate to much more application success than a difference of 100 points on the GRE.

You may also learn more about the programs of interest in this manner.. email professors with questions about their methodology (in a non-confrontational manner), if you engage them in intelligent dialogue, they'll be likely to remember your name when you apply.

Oh, also, since you're a year away.. identify the schools to which you'd like to apply, register to apply online using a dummy email and save the essay/personal statement prompts. The school is likely to reuse the prompts year after year, so you can polish these suckers during your downtime rather than during the school year, as most of us have had to do.

[smokeypup]

Ok, my program recommendations:

for social psych: stanford and indiana. Indiana also has a few medical soc and life course people that would fit with death and dying and youth stuff.

Qualitative methods: northwestern.

Most schools in the top 25 or 50 rankings will fully fund all graduate students (except madison). Go to their websites. Most will say if they fund or not.

Also, just browse faculty pages and see what people do. Email them, tell them what you want to do and ask them if it sounds like a good fit.

[n081280m]

Does anyone else have any recommendations? Specifically for qualitative methods?