Your honest opinion on my grad school aspirations?

Graduate School
1

<p>Hello, everyone. </p>

<p>While I am aware that there is not one definitive list of achievements that can guarantee acceptance into a graduate program, I would still very much appreciate some insight!</p>

<p>I was born and raised in the Philippines, came here at 17 in 2001, attended 2 community colleges and received A's in all courses but 2, where I got a B and a C (I got a C in statistics, and I regret fooling around!). I then attended UCLA where I earned "decent", but perhaps, not competitive enough GPAs: 3.47 cumulative, 3.39 global, and 3.62 major. I always thought about grad school but freaked out about my finances, so I fell into the insurance industry. I needed a job! I'm still here. I'm pushing 30 and extremely unhappy about not going after grad school.</p>

<p>I was a timid student who didn't talk in class but had great writing skills, which were recognized by some of my professors. I didn't do an independent research project but was chosen as a research assistant by 2 sociology professors at UCLA. My job was to transcribe videotaped conversations at pediatric clinics. Even then, I wouldn't say I developed good relationships with professors. I can think of 1, maybe 2, who might be willing to write strong recommendation letters.</p>

<p>I graduated in 2006. It's been a while!</p>

<p>I am quite involved in community organizing and have led a grassroots campaign around healthcare and feminist issues in Seattle. I have been a speaker in a number of events and have written a few community newspaper articles.</p>

<p>I am starting my GRE prep course on Monday, and I am very anxious. Math is not a strength of mine, but I am fairly confident I can do it. I think I am more anxious about the idea that MAYBE this is all a waste of energy because I just don't have enough.</p>

<p>My hope is to get a Ph.D in sociology. I am interested in stratification, Marxist philosophies, gender, feminism, race, and migration, to name a few.</p>

<p>What can I do to be more appealing to admissions committees? Or should I just accept the idea that grad school is just an unrealistic ambition?</p>

2

<p>I don’t think getting admitted somewhere is an unrealistic ambition, but I do think you need to seriously look at the job prospects for Ph.Ds in sociology. Academia is a terrible market overall right now, but humanities/social sciences in particular are known to have far too many Ph.Ds chasing far too few jobs.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t “not recommend” that you pursue your goals, but I would certainly recommend that you go in with a clear understanding of the pros and cons to pursuing a Ph.D in sociology right now.</p>

3

<p>I agree with polarscribe. The job market in sociology is not good right now. The best prospects are if you can do quantitative research and have an interest in teaching research methods and statistics, which it doesn’t seem like you do if math is not a strength of yours. Gender, feminism, and stratification are hugely popular subjects, and there are more than enough people in that field.</p>

<p>But if you are really dedicated to getting a PhD in sociology (and I don’t blame you - I am getting one in the social sciences, too! Some social sciences are better than others, and the social sciences in general are better than the humanities) - if the last time you had research experience was at least 6 years ago, you need some more. You also didn’t say how long you were a research assistant at UCLA, but if it was less than 2 years, you need more experience. You need sustained, recent experience - at least 2 years (more is better). I would suggest contacting a sociology professor nearby where you live and asking if they need a research assistant. Try to schedule around your work hours - we had some RAs in my lab do that.</p>

<p>Your GPA is right at the border - it’s good, and it won’t keep you out, but you have to have a great package to go along with it.</p>

4

<p>I don’t see a reason why you would be an unfit PhD applicants. My understanding is that PhD programs in sociology even prefer students with a bit of life experience. </p>

<p>My one recommendation would be to demonstrate an academic interest in sociology and try to get a letter of recommendation from a sociologist. The easiest way to do that is to spend time in a sociology department. You don’t need to enroll in classes: going to colloquia and seminars, talking to professors, maybe auditing a graduate course will do.</p>

5

<p>Thank you all so much for the advice. I really appreciate it.</p>

<p>I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t think my heart is set on a PhD in sociology. I’ve actually been thinking a lot about getting an MPP or an MPA. It might be a better fit for me given my interest in community activism.</p>