Fall 2018 Acceptances/Interviews/Rejections Thread

[NinaMistina]

23 hours ago, Mopar18 said:

Anyone hear from Boulder yet?

I have not heard from them at all either!

[yeez]

3 hours ago, devouee40 said:

Thank you! I'm nervous about their funding situation and wonder if it will be limiting or if it won't have much of an impact at all in the long run. But I am grateful for the acceptance.

 

In theory, Wisconsin is my first choice. It would probably make the most sense for my career in the long run.  In practice, not so much. I am already settled in South Bend and ND would not require uprooting myself and my family. It would allow me to balance my goals with my family's a bit more. Also ND is not lacking in resources and the funding situation at Madison makes me nervous. But honestly, I am not well versed in the PhD thing. I'm a first generation college student, almost 10 years removed from college so, I don't have much support in navigating this process.  I have heard a few people say that you go to the best program you get into and Madison is certainly that.

@devouee40 I know people here will disagree, but I think that considering location/family situation are just as valid reasons for choosing a school as rank. ND is #32 and JHU is #27- both are excellent programs. ND has some of the most generous funding of any program relative to cost of living, which is exactly the reason I applied. People who say that funding doesn't matter are not taking into account people's individual circumstances. Not everyone is 22-23 years old and able to move across the country to attend a T10 program. 

I know you mentioned that you're a first generation student. Getting into Wisconsin is an amazing achievement for anyone, but I think you should be especially proud of your accomplishment! If you want to chat about the process (or about anything!), feel free to PM me!

 

[ThePastelCalico]

Anyone who got into Wisconsin willing to share their personal statement? I’ve started considering applying again next year, and I’d like to get a head start on apps if possible lol

[European Lumpi]

8 hours ago, ThePastelCalico said:

Anyone who got into Wisconsin willing to share their personal statement? I’ve started considering applying again next year, and I’d like to get a head start on apps if possible lol

Sorry if I missed this earlier, but why aren't you happy with your NC State acceptance? There must have been a reason you applied there. It might not be a bad idea to take some time for yourself at some point to really consider whether you don't want to take their offer. Taking some time away from this forum, where people talk about the Harvards, Stanfords, and Wisconsins of this world, might also help put NC State in perspective.

Should you decide to apply again next year though, try and figure out which schools you would actually attend before you apply. There's no reason to apply to places if you would not attend them anyways.

[abenz]

4 hours ago, European Lumpi said:

Should you decide to apply again next year though, try and figure out which schools you would actually attend before you apply

Hi @European Lumpi, I think its important to support people’s choices even if we wouldn’t necessarily make them. The application process is a long process and people may change their minds for any reason. UWM is one of the highest ranked programs for sociology and this decision can have life long ramifications. I wouldn’t fault anyone for wanting to reapply for a higher ranked program if they thought it would be better for them in the long run (which is not to say that NCSU is a bad choice at all, just that UWM opens a lot of doors in the future!).

Edited February 3, 2018 by abenz

[European Lumpi]

1 hour ago, abenz said:

Hi @European Lumpi, I think its important to support people’s choices even if we wouldn’t necessarily make them. The application process is a long process and people may change their minds for any reason. UWM is one of the highest ranked programs for sociology and this decision can have life long ramifications. I wouldn’t fault anyone for wanting to reapply for a higher ranked program if they thought it would be better for them in the long run (which is not to say that NCSU is a bad choice at all, just that UWM opens a lot of doors in the future!).

Oh sorry. That was not meant to sound judgy at all. I definitely agree with your statement (with the qualification that one has to be careful not to get too focused on one specific program, as the chances to get into a specific program are just that much smaller than into getting into one out of the few one has applied to). It was more meant to be helpful, in that it sounds like an incredibly difficult decision to me to give up an offer to apply again next year. So that might be something that could be avoided in round 2. I'm just trying to say that safety schools aren't worth it if one does not want to go there anyway. I obviously do not know whether that was the case here, or whether minds have been changed. And either way is fine, but I wanted to make it visible that it's easy to fall into the trap of just applying to an extra school to get in somewhere. Might be something for future applicants reading this to be aware of

And with the first part I was just trying to say that NC State might not look as good after being rejected from Wisconsin, but after taking some time and having a closer look at it again, it might turn out to be a great program for any specific applicant. Again, not necessarily the issue here, but maybe.

Edited February 3, 2018 by European Lumpi

[ThePastelCalico]

6 hours ago, European Lumpi said:

Sorry if I missed this earlier, but why aren't you happy with your NC State acceptance? There must have been a reason you applied there. It might not be a bad idea to take some time for yourself at some point to really consider whether you don't want to take their offer. Taking some time away from this forum, where people talk about the Harvards, Stanfords, and Wisconsins of this world, might also help put NC State in perspective.

Should you decide to apply again next year though, try and figure out which schools you would actually attend before you apply. There's no reason to apply to places if you would not attend them anyways.

I had a super long response typed out, and then my wifi cut out when trying to post it and now my entire message is gone. I honestly don't have the spoons to retype the whole thing, but it was pretty much that "we have to focus on the prestige of a degree because it is a real factor that can determine our chances of employment after graduation; moreover, I haven't decided anything yet, and I know NCSU is a good program. I'm just worried about their overall placement of graduates, but these are questions that will get addressed when I attend their open house in March. During the application process and during my thesis research, I seem to have more clearly discovered exactly what my interests are concerning the interactions between industry, the environment and the law, so I owe it to myself to consider how those interests may or may not be supported by any programs I get into this cycle." 

[European Lumpi]

10 minutes ago, ThePastelCalico said:

I had a super long response typed out, and then my wifi cut out when trying to post it and now my entire message is gone. I honestly don't have the spoons to retype the whole thing, but it was pretty much that "we have to focus on the prestige of a degree because it is a real factor that can determine our chances of employment after graduation; moreover, I haven't decided anything yet, and I know NCSU is a good program. I'm just worried about their overall placement of graduates, but these are questions that will get addressed when I attend their open house in March. During the application process and during my thesis research, I seem to have more clearly discovered exactly what my interests are concerning the interactions between industry, the environment and the law, so I owe it to myself to consider how those interests may or may not be supported by any programs I get into this cycle." 

Sounds very fair! Seems like you know which things to think about. I hope NCSU turns out to be a great program for you or that one of the the other apps works out.

[latemeg]

15 hours ago, ThePastelCalico said:

Anyone who got into Wisconsin willing to share their personal statement? I’ve started considering applying again next year, and I’d like to get a head start on apps if possible lol

I would be willing to if you do decide to reapply; message me in a few weeks. 

[Gradgirl2020]

23 hours ago, European Lumpi said:

Yeah I feel you. I got my first rejection at like 6PM on a Friday night, so now I automatically connect late night Friday news with rejections that they just want to send out before the weekend haha

I just got my first rejection on a Saturday morning, a day I thought I was safe. 

[Mopar18]

It's funny how things can change so quickly. I'm a criminologist but I applied to a few sociology programs that have crim as a specialization. One of the "true" crim programs I applied to was one I had at the top of my list but a couple weeks later and I kind of regret applying there, mostly because I had already paid lol. I took part in some projects that didn't change my overall research interests per se but changed what I want to do enough to make that school not a great fit anymore. So even if I do get accepted, there's a real chance I may decline.

[abenz]

Just so I feel some masochistic joy - how was the Emory open weekend?

[ThePastelCalico]

Anyone want to claim the Oregon acceptance? Haven’t heard anything from the program so that makes me nervous, but there’s also only one acceptance on the board so far, so it makes me wonder if they’re doing waves like the other programs. 

[qeta]

6 hours ago, ThePastelCalico said:

I had a super long response typed out, and then my wifi cut out when trying to post it and now my entire message is gone. I honestly don't have the spoons to retype the whole thing, but it was pretty much that "we have to focus on the prestige of a degree because it is a real factor that can determine our chances of employment after graduation; moreover, I haven't decided anything yet, and I know NCSU is a good program. I'm just worried about their overall placement of graduates, but these are questions that will get addressed when I attend their open house in March. During the application process and during my thesis research, I seem to have more clearly discovered exactly what my interests are concerning the interactions between industry, the environment and the law, so I owe it to myself to consider how those interests may or may not be supported by any programs I get into this cycle." 

@ThePastelCalico This happened to me as well, in that my MA research gave me a very good sense of what I was interested in. There were points that I wanted to focus on repeatedly throughout my thesis, but they didn't fit into a political science thesis or my department's interests. Those remnants became important guides as to where I want to go in the future. If you're thinking of reapplying, I think presenting your research at the ASA Sociology of Development and the Law and Society conferences would be a great idea. (Does the ASA Environmental Sociology section have an annual conference?) I got very good feedback at these conferences, met tons of current students and interesting and interested faculty (one of whom wrote me an amazing LOR). Just looking at the conference presenters and the schools they were representing, especially the grad student presenters, also helped me narrow down what programs I should be looking at.

[KevinJHa]

To the person who interviewed with CUNY, who did you meet with? Did they give you any idea of cohort size or how many acceptances went out? 

 

 

[sk834]

Has any one heard from Harvard-pyschology, JHU-cognitive science, Dartmouth- Psychological and Brain Sciences? 

[pinoysoc]

On 2/2/2018 at 8:00 PM, ThePastelCalico said:

Anyone who got into Wisconsin willing to share their personal statement? I’ve started considering applying again next year, and I’d like to get a head start on apps if possible lol

What's up with this? A lot of us would kill to get into a program. What's the point of applying and putting effort if you're just going to dismiss this?

[cgraham44]

Hey all! Lurker, but wanted to chime in. I was admitted to Penn State this morning and am over the moon excited! Still in disbelief. The reason I wanted to chime in is to give hope to those that may get rejected from all of the schools they applied to; a horrible, but possible reality. I applied to nine schools, mostly top 20 schools, last year and was rejected from all of them. It was devastating, to say the least, and left me feeling depressed and confused about my life direction. But I decided I wasn't giving up and reapplied this year, shortly after finishing my M.S. in Sociology. I was given advice from a dear professor that my fatal mistake was not reaching out to faculty members at the schools I had applied to and to try this tactic for round two. I emailed faculty members at multiple schools, receiving some positive and other neutral responses, but had really positive feedback from Penn State, including a phone convo with the director. So, to those that may not receive an offer this year, don't give up if it's what you really want. It's really tough to get rejected, I feel your pain, but tenacity can pay off. Good luck to all, and I am excited to meet my future colleagues of sociology throughout our careers! 

[ThePastelCalico]

1 hour ago, pinoysoc said:

What's up with this? A lot of us would kill to get into a program. What's the point of applying and putting effort if you're just going to dismiss this?

 

12 hours ago, ThePastelCalico said:

I had a super long response typed out, and then my wifi cut out when trying to post it and now my entire message is gone. I honestly don't have the spoons to retype the whole thing, but it was pretty much that "we have to focus on the prestige of a degree because it is a real factor that can determine our chances of employment after graduation; moreover, I haven't decided anything yet, and I know NCSU is a good program. I'm just worried about their overall placement of graduates, but these are questions that will get addressed when I attend their open house in March. During the application process and during my thesis research, I seem to have more clearly discovered exactly what my interests are concerning the interactions between industry, the environment and the law, so I owe it to myself to consider how those interests may or may not be supported by any programs I get into this cycle." 

Already addressed this. 

[abenz]

6 hours ago, sk834 said:

 

Has any one heard from Harvard-pyschology, JHU-cognitive science, Dartmouth- Psychological and Brain Sciences? 

 

Hello - you’re in the Sociology forums. I would suggest looking in the psych forum as we won’t be any help here

[socstudentzzz]

Welp, got my first rejection and it was on a Saturday. Kinda surprised, I thought I was a pretty great fit for Nebraska-Lincoln. How's everyone else's weekend going?   

[travelmug1Q84]

20 hours ago, ThePastelCalico said:

Anyone want to claim the Oregon acceptance? Haven’t heard anything from the program so that makes me nervous, but there’s also only one acceptance on the board so far, so it makes me wonder if they’re doing waves like the other programs. 

 

 

I can claim that acceptance; I put it up there. I also thought it was unusual that there were no other Oregon postings. I definitely wouldn't worry about it yet--they had a Jan 15 submission deadline, so their timeline may differ from Dec1/15 deadline programs.

Edited February 4, 2018 by travelmug1Q84

[sociology92]

On 2/3/2018 at 12:10 PM, ThePastelCalico said:

I had a super long response typed out, and then my wifi cut out when trying to post it and now my entire message is gone. I honestly don't have the spoons to retype the whole thing, but it was pretty much that "we have to focus on the prestige of a degree because it is a real factor that can determine our chances of employment after graduation; moreover, I haven't decided anything yet, and I know NCSU is a good program. I'm just worried about their overall placement of graduates, but these are questions that will get addressed when I attend their open house in March. During the application process and during my thesis research, I seem to have more clearly discovered exactly what my interests are concerning the interactions between industry, the environment and the law, so I owe it to myself to consider how those interests may or may not be supported by any programs I get into this cycle." 

Hey Pastel,

I'm a current SOC student at NCSU. I applied to some other programs after my advisor left, but after a rejection from UT I'm pretty sure I'll be sticking around to finish out the PHD. 

You are welcome to PM me i f you have any questions about the program, recent placements, or obtaining an advisor. NCSU is a solid program but if you're looking for an R1 job right after degree you're right to wonder if it might prove challenging / might be best to consider other options. There are certainly grads from this program who have accomplished R1 placement with the right project and the right advisor though. 

I do sometimes think that as academics we get caught up in institutional prestige (I'm not suggesting that that's what you're doing!) but in my experiences elsewhere, I think sometimes we collectively get lost in concern over school rank and what not. IMO fulfilling work can also be found outside those prestigous R1s. Just wanted to share some thoughts!

Best wishes!

 

Edited February 4, 2018 by sociology92

[pinoysoc]

3 hours ago, soc4315 said:

Welp, got my first rejection and it was on a Saturday. Kinda surprised, I thought I was a pretty great fit for Nebraska-Lincoln. How's everyone else's weekend going?   

Aww.. I'm pretty sure you still have other schools right?

My weekend's been quiet. I'm trying to stop caring about his whole process. I'm pretty much in that zone where I just want to confirm that I'm not going back to school this Fall and I just want to start prepping again and start figuring what other fields I'm going to branch out too. Sadly, I don't think I can keep banking on Sociology as the field I want to study because if this season proves, I may not be cut out to study it. 

WAHHHHH!

[nandoswitharando]

Even though I have two acceptances that I'm extremely happy about, I can't stop cycling between this thread, the results page, my inbox, and the application portals of the other five schools to which I applied. I can hardly focus on anything anymore. Why am I like this?