Fall2010 - Your stats, here you're applying, where you get in, general questions/concerns

[solairne]

My GPA has increased, I've finished an undergrad thesis (which will serve nicely as a writing-sample), my LORs will be stronger, and my SOP actually makes sense now. I want to do language-change and dialectology, so at McGill I'm the most interested in the work of Charles Boberg and the Dialectology and Sociolinguistics Lab.

When you hear from the programs depends on a lot of things. Linguistics-departments tend to meet all together to talk about prospective grad-students (this is in contrast to, say, psychology, in which individual faculty-members pick their own grad-students), so it could be anytime. Some programs I heard from at the end of January; others not until March. Rumour has it that in general when it comes to admissions-decisions, verdicts that were easily reached by the committee (whether acceptances or rejections) are sent out first, with the middle-range ones left for later.

I'm most interested in language acquisition, syntax in lang acquisition, and SLI. I'm extraordinarily interested in Lydia White's current work, as well as Heather Goad's and Jon Nissenbaum's.

I've heard the same thing, too, about weaker candidates taking longer. I'm not sure how to feel about that... I consider myself a strong candidate, so if I don't hear anything back by end of February I will get a little worried...

Good luck to you! Hopefully we'll both get in and can meet at orientation - haha.

PS - glad we're not direct competition

Edited January 3, 2010 by solairne

[psycholinguist]

I'm most interested in language acquisition, syntax in lang acquisition, and SLI. I'm extraordinarily interested in Lydia White's current work, as well as Heather Goad's and Jon Nissenbaum's.

I've heard the same thing, too, about weaker candidates taking longer. I'm not sure how to feel about that... I consider myself a strong candidate, so if I don't hear anything back by end of February I will get a little worried...

Good luck to you! Hopefully we'll both get in and can meet at orientation - haha.

PS - glad we're not direct competition

Thanks; same to you! (Heh! I'm actually more interested in the University of Toronto than McGill anyway, but we'll see how it goes!)

[Smaudge]

Hello All!

I'm a BS Linguistics, BA French (dual degree) from Tulane

3.65 GPA (3.69 Ling, 3.64 French)

GRE 710V / 750Q / 6.0AW

My writing sample was my undergrad thesis in Southern dialects and analyzed phonetic shifts between a speaker's normal voice and a performance of a "thick" Southern accent.

I have some graduate level field research in Cajun French, but no publications. I also studied Italian and German for three semesters each at college level.

I got two academic awards but nothing amazing and nothing that gave me money.

After graduating with honors, I spent the past year as a teacher/tutor for the Princeton Review.

I have 3 recommendations: one from my thesis advisor, one from my Cajun French research prof, and one from another Ling. prof.

I generally want to study phonetic and semantic shifts during creolization periods, and how this process affects second language acquisition (although I modified what I said I wanted to study for different programs).

Applying to all Boston-area Linguistics Programs:

Boston College- MA

Brandeis U- MA

U Mass Boston- MA

Boston University- MA, but has a continuing to PhD program

Brown University- PhD

U Connecticut- PhD

Harvard- PhD

MIT- PhD

I think my strengths are my undergrad degrees, thesis, GRE, and hopefully my recs. I'm happy with my statement of purpose, but who knows what the admissions committee will think. My weaknesses are my lack of hard-core research experience, and maybe my GPA. I'm definitely shooting for the PhD programs, but since hearing horror stories of people who don't get in anywhere.. I'm also erring on the side of pessimism. I feel slightly confident that I'll get into at least one MA program.. but I wonder how much they will help me in the long run for a PhD? All in all, I go through waves of feeling overly confident, and then waves of wondering if I'll ever get to be a linguist when I grow up. But, since my last apps are being submitted this week... here's hoping!

Edited January 12, 2010 by smaudge

[solairne]

All in all, I go through waves of feeling overly confident, and then waves of wondering if I'll ever get to be a linguist when I grow up. But, since my last apps are being submitted this week... here's hoping!

That is exactly how I feel. One minute I'm extremely confident that I'm going to get in, the next I have a panic attack. Another good 5 to 7 weeks left until we hear back....

[elliott]

BA in linguistics and biology from University of Texas at Austin

GPA: 3.68 (general), 3.86 (ling)

GRE

Verbal: 790

Quantitative: 740

Analytical: 5.5

Two years in Peace Corps Turkmenistan where I edited English-Turkmen dictionary and taught English.

Writing sample on second-occurrence focus.

Applying

UC Berkeley (pending)

UC Santa Barbara (accepted)

University of Texas at Austin (pending)

University of Oregon Eugene (pending)

Edited January 28, 2010 by elliott

[ColorlessGreen]

BA in linguistics and biology from University of Texas at Austin

GPA: 3.68 (general), 3.86 (ling)

GRE

Verbal: 790

Quantitative: 740

Analytical: 5.5

Two years in Peace Corps Turkmenistan where I edited English-Turkmen dictionary and taught English.

Writing sample on second-occurrence focus.

Applying

UC Berkeley (pending)

UC Santa Barbara (accepted)

University of Texas at Austin (pending)

University of Oregon Eugene (pending)

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your acceptance! So, what's your linguistic specialty?

[fuzzylogician]

Just to let you guys know--MIT linguistics is going to have its first adcom meeting this Wednesday...so I wouldn't expect decisions any time soon

[Smaudge]

Just to let you guys know--MIT linguistics is going to have its first adcom meeting this Wednesday...so I wouldn't expect decisions any time soon

That makes me want to barf. Not that I even believe I have any chance there. Ughhhhhh pessimism is taking over my brain.

[solairne]

Just to let you guys know--MIT linguistics is going to have its first adcom meeting this Wednesday...so I wouldn't expect decisions any time soon

Do you think the results will be posted at a different time than they have been listed here in 09 and 08?

[fuzzylogician]

I don't know, but possibly things could take a bit longer than usual. The DGS is on sabbatical (she still participates in adcom discussions, though) so things could be a tad less organized. On the other hand, they might not be.

[solairne]

For those of you who applied to UMASS-Amherst, they've sent out their first round of decisions (or only round, not sure). Check the website. My stats are at the front of the page, and I suppose I'm not what they were looking for, although I wasn't that good of a fit with the program. Anybody else hear from them either way?

Still have my fingers crossed, tightly, for McGill.

[ColorlessGreen]

For those of you who applied to UMASS-Amherst, they've sent out their first round of decisions (or only round, not sure). Check the website. My stats are at the front of the page, and I suppose I'm not what they were looking for, although I wasn't that good of a fit with the program. Anybody else hear from them either way?

Still have my fingers crossed, tightly, for McGill.

You saw that on the SPIRE webapp page, right? I haven't heard anything either way yet. It still just says "applied." They don't seem to have sent me an e-mail, either, so I guess there will be a few more rounds of decisions to come.

I'm sorry to find that you were one of the people on the results page who didn't get in; it's depressing when it's one of our own. I hope things go much better for you with McGill!

[solairne]

You saw that on the SPIRE webapp page, right? I haven't heard anything either way yet. It still just says "applied." They don't seem to have sent me an e-mail, either, so I guess there will be a few more rounds of decisions to come.

I'm sorry to find that you were one of the people on the results page who didn't get in; it's depressing when it's one of our own. I hope things go much better for you with McGill!

Yea, this is the link I followed: https://webapp.spire.umass.edu/admissions/htdocs/applicant/gradapp_logon.html

I'm not really upset about not getting into UMASS, I'm just sort of disheartened about the first response being a rejection - haha. Oh well, no point in getting your spirits down. At least you know you've made it past a few pre-screenings.

[ColorlessGreen]

Yea, this is the link I followed: https://webapp.spire.umass.edu/admissions/htdocs/applicant/gradapp_logon.html

I'm not really upset about not getting into UMASS, I'm just sort of disheartened about the first response being a rejection - haha. Oh well, no point in getting your spirits down. At least you know you've made it past a few pre-screenings.

Well, there are still many more responses to come. It's still very early February, so don't worry! I'm trying hard not to. Thank goodness for classes. I would be out of my mind without homework to distract me.

[ColorlessGreen]

I was rejected from UMass this morning. To anyone still in the running, good luck! As for me, I think I'll get some ice cream cupcakes and work on my seminar midterm this weekend.

[solairne]

I was rejected from UMass this morning. To anyone still in the running, good luck! As for me, I think I'll get some ice cream cupcakes and work on my seminar midterm this weekend.

I'm so sorry to hear! It seems like none of us, Pangoban notwithstanding, have heard very much good lately.

[gcr26]

UT Austin sent out acceptances

Edited February 20, 2010 by gcr26

[solairne]

UT's sent out acceptances

Texas? Toronto?

[gcr26]

Texas? Toronto?

Oops yea Texas.

[pointaken]

Finally got my first response--accepted at Pittsburgh for the MA in Linguistics (Specialization in Applied Linguistics). No internal/departmental funding, but I didn't really expect any as a Masters applicant. I jumped around my apartment a few times.

[pangur-ban]

Congratulations, pointaken! That's great!

[psycholinguist]

Congrats!

[pointaken]

Rejected from UCLA this morning.

So far:

Fulbright: Rejected

Pittsburgh: Accepted

UCLA: Rejected

Columbia: Waiting

Georgetown: Waiting

Illinois: Waiting

Boston U: Waiting

Spanish ETA: Waiting

[LumpenProletariat]

I applied to 6 places. Here is where I stand currently

UIllinois Urbana-Champaign: Waiting

USC: Waiting

Rutgers: Waiting

CUNY: Accepted (no funding offer yet)

UConn: Rejected

UMass: Rejected

[ColorlessGreen]

I got admitted! The University of Iowa, MA program with thesis. I am so excited right now. I really wasn't expecting to hear anything from them for weeks - the deadline was just today! Still no word on financial aid, but I can wait. It's good enough just knowing that someone wants me.