Hi there, I'm planning on taking the GRE writing next Thursday, and I was wondering what is considered an acceptable score for a Ph.D philosophy program. As it stands now, I'll score well in math and verbal, but the writing section is making me a bit anxious. I've heard 4.5 is a cut off. Has anyone in this community applied to Ph.D programs in philosophy, and, if so, does anyone have any idea of what is considered fine/acceptable/threshold? How much weight is put on the writing section? Thanks for any info!

Hi all.
I am a journalism graduate and I'm interested to work as a feminist clinical psychoanalyst to treat women victims of violence. Are there good schools for this? I browsed the program at York - the psychology program there works with the Feminist Centre. I was planning to take this program OR do a Master's in women's studies and then take a Master's in psychology. What do you think? FYI, I am interested in other anti-oppression frameworks as well, such as anti-racism and disability rights. In the meantime, I am in between jobs and I was thinking of going to the UK to be a psychiatric aide (to assess whether mental health is actually the field for me). Input would be much appreciated.

How have you/would you address the need for funding for an MLS in an SOP?

I work in a place now that I thought would provide more institutional support, if not funding/opportunities to find funding, than it has. I've also been taking a non-matriculated class in library science at CUNY-Queens College taught by someone a million years old who spent the entire semester bitching about the internet. Queens COllege also recently lost its accreditation. These things have sort of made me disillusioned with pursuing a graduate degree, but I'm wondering if I should push past that.

I'm looking at UAlbany's MSIS program and, while I know funding at a master's level, especially for a master's in library science, is severely limited...I know I absolutely would not be able to pursue the degree without significant support.

I work now in an archive/research institution dealing with a Latin@ diaspora. I plan to continue work in this direction and believe there's a severe lack of Latin@/Spanish-speaking librarians. People have told me to write about this in an SOP as that would be a good push towards getting funding. I am wondering how does one address the need for tuition funding as a determining factor in an SOP?

Thanks, and sorry if this was ramble-y!

Is anyone currently enrolled in/has anyone completed the MSIS program at U Albany and would be willing to talk about their experiences? I'm looking into the program and have some school/area-specific questions. Thanks so much.

I have a question about how people apply to doctoral programs while they are in a master's program without taking a year or more off.
Cause let's say you're in a 1 year master's program that begins in September. And most PhD apps are due December 1. You can't possibly ask your professors who you've barely gotten to know in a couple of months, and probably barely even submitted anything to get graded, to write you a letter of recommendation for those applications, right? And furthermore, you can't really write much about your master's degree experience or thesis in your SOP since you only just started your degree? So basically, I guess my question is, if you're doing a 1-year MA do most people apply the following year
& take a gap year (a year wasted)? Or am I missing something here. Cause the only other thing I thought about was to get undergrad profs to write the LORs, but I don't think they would like it if you're in a MA program-that would look weird, right or no?

Hello world!

I graduated in 2012 with a BA in English and a 3.44 GPA from a LAC.

I'm planning on applying to library science programs, and have some questions.

My list as it stands currently:
UNC Chapel Hill, UT Austin, UW Seattle, U British Columbia, McGill, Simmons

1. Is there anything truly detrimental in applying to begin in the Spring (Jan 2014)? I know that a shot at funding/scholarships would likely be limited that first semester.

2. I'm interested in the more technical side of things. While I'd love to someday actually work at a library, I'd be just as happy, if not happier, doing database/metadata/UX/taxonomy things in the private sector. I'm leaning (strongly) towards MLIS programs rather than MIMS/MIS/WTFBBQ programs because they seem more versatile, and leave the library option open. Thoughts on this? (or on the above interests?)

3. GRE! Right now I'm 91st percentile verbal and 59th percentile quant, and 4.5 writing. I didn't study for verbal at all, so I figure a month with the top 500 vocab words and I could get that 91 to a 95. UT lists their "average" as 323, and I'm 319. UNC is a similar number/range. Should I retake the GRE, or trust that it's "good enough" and use the time I'd spend studying to craft a that-much-better SOP?

3a. Any SOP advice in general? Some schools give word count and topics, some are a bit more vague, and tips or anecdotes would be appreciated, just for reference and comparison.

Any other advice? I know, I know, "go to the cheapest/closest place," but I tried to pick schools in cities I'd actually like to live in, since I'm aiming more towards private-sector not-strictly-library jobs, I figured networking/interning in places I'd want to live would be less of an issue.

Thanks in advance!

When I first applied for financial aid, I wrote that I Was going to be staying on campus. However, I now have to commute. Do I have to file my FAFSA again or is it okay to just take out the part of the loan that isn't for housing and decline the amount that's for housing?

I've been calling and emailing the school and FAFSA for one week and it has gotten me nowhere.

Thanks!

Hi guys!
I'm finishing up my undergrad in psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University, and due to some mental health problems that have pushed me back a bit and caused me to get behind, I have just now decided that I want to go to graduate school. The semester before I graduate.

Ridiculous, I know.

Here's my thing: I'm a huge mental health advocate -- that's what I'm most passionate about. Also, I want to write. I have a journalism background, and what I want to do is maintain my blog on mental illness professionally, and maybe have my own column or something for an organization such as NAMI, DBSA, or AFSP, and do some freelance work, etc. etc.

I've been looking into programs in my state (Virginia) because I can't afford out-of-state tuition, and so far, from what I can tell, the program that seems best for me is the MA in English with the focus in Writing & Rhetoric.

Does this sound right? Would you maybe lean more towards the Journalism degree? I feel overwhelmed by everything, I'm kind of stuck, and I don't know where to look!

Thank you guys for helping me throughout my application process! I applied to 3 MSW programs (didn't finish applying to a fourth because I already got an acceptance letter for a school) and have decided to go to NYU :) hoping i get a lot of financial aid but i have to wait to hear about that!

Hi all-Just wanted to get your opinions on a situation, if you don't mind: If you are in a MA program and want to continue and do the PhD there, and when it's time to apply for the PhD you decide to ask for letters of recommendations from your current professors who teach there, is it a bad idea to also ask them for letters for other schools too? Or will that look bad? Will it look like you're considering going elsewhere, when really you're just applying elsewhere as a back up plan just in case you don't get in (cause it's a competitive program and just cause you're a MA student doesn't mean you're automatically accepted into the PhD program)?

Or should you only ask the professors for letters for the current school, and if you don't get accepted, wait until the following year and ask them again and apply to other schools/back up schools, even though you'll have a whole year wasted? What do you all think?

Hello.
I'm a 4th year senior (going to take a lap year)  who is struggling to get over an episode of depression.  So far, my college transcripts have shown that I am a good student and that I have mostly A's and B's and my overall grade point average right now is an A-.
However, I messed up last winter semester and ended up getting D's in two courses which I had to retake in summer school (got an A and B) and unfortunately due to issues of depression (again), I recently failed a midterm and I am probably going to end up with a C in that class. My major is psychology and the courses that I did badly on were in my major.

I'm worried about how this is going to look on my transcript when I apply for graduate school in the future because they are going to see TWO winter semesters where I took certain courses and did poorly in them. I am going to do another summer session this year (to catch up on courses that I haven't taken yet and to retake this C), but I'm not sure if graduate schools will see this as a red flag.

Does anyone know if my transcripts will get extra scrutinized because of this or am I worrying about nothing? I want to apply to graduate programs in both clinical psychology and/or human development and family studies so I'm feeling anxious about applying in a year or two. 

Okay, so I've gathered that I need to file my FAFSA as soon as humanly possible (I'm just waiting on my W2 from my last job, which will hopefully be here by the end of the month), but it occurs to me that I might have a problem given my intended enrollment date.

The majority of the programs I'm applying to (elementary/special education) offer a summer start date; some flat-out require it. This is fine with me, but it seems it might not be fine with FAFSA, which considers starting in, say, June 2013, to be part of the 2012-13 school year, for which financial aid has presumably been exhausted at this point. Correct?

The FAFSA FAQs suggested calling programs to discuss for which academic year I should submit, which I intend to do this week, but I'm just wondering if anyone can shed some light on this matter or share any personal experience. Should I be deeply concerned about not being able to pay for my first semester of school? Is there some key piece of information about this that I'm missing?

I was fortunate enough to not have to deal with financial aid as an undergraduate, so this is new and anxiety-producing territory for me. Thanks in advance for any insight!

Does anyone know of any websites, books or possible templates that would help assist me in tightening up my resume for applications?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Anyone know how competitive entry to the new school for social research is? particularly for a post-grad in economics. I was looking into it and I like a lot of their research areas and thought it would be a good alternative to Columbia which I figure a long shot.

Also on a side note does anyone know of a good summer course in economics? Diploma/credit at undergrad level? Want to do something useful over the summer before grad school.

I recently heard of someone who was thinking of sending out a thank you card to the college that accepted them upon receiving their acceptance letter, cause they got accepted into a program with massive funding and I never heard of that. Is that common?

Okay. I'm freaking out. I already submitted my essay, and now I can't change it. While revising, in the first paragraph, I stated which two professors I was excited to work with and why, and in the third paragraph, I did the same thing. One professor in the third paragraph was the same, but the other professor was different. I know I could have messed up worse, but who wants to mess up at all in an essay?!!!

I revised my essay, and though I had it revised by others (thank you everyone on here for helping), I made changes and did a quick skim and submitted it. Do you think the admissions committee will hold this against me?

Thanks

I'm very interested in the University of London's online masters program in international development. Has anyone heard anything about it or have any experience with it? Particularly with how valuable it might be in getting a job.
Thanks and happy New Years!

Posted via m.livejournal.com.

What's the generally accepted view on this?

I was caught off-guard when I realized one of my programs did not have a writing sample requirement. In fact, I cannot find one single reference to a writing sample requirement (optional, required, or otherwise) on their website. On the one hand, I feel as if submitting a sample cannot hurt too much, especially since they can hypothetically just throw it away if they don't want to read it. Better to have it than not, no?

On the other hand, it certainly runs the risk of making a bad impression. Getting marked as that one student who can't follow simple instructions can be detrimental.

It's too close to the deadline for me to check with the program itself. I think I am probably not going to submit my sample, but I would like some opinions.

Hi all,
Long-time lurker, first time poster. I'm applying to a handful (four) MA programs in Women's Studies, film, and literature (they're all through the literature department). My professors have, rightfully so, suggested that I apply to more programs to increase my chances of acceptance. However, I've had a hard time locating schools that I think would be a good fit, and since my university does not have a strong women's studies program, I lack a well-rounded knowledge of current scholars and their research in these fields. (Because of this, I've considered taking another year or two off to educate myself more thoroughly on these subjects, but that's what schools is for anyway, right?)

I'm particularly interested in narratives about the female/female body in film and literature, especially as portrayed in works by male artists. I also want to study visual culture in conjunction with these fields, but I feel like I might be narrowing my options even more. Basically, I was wondering if anyone could suggest strong MA programs or well-known scholars in these areas?

Much appreciated!

On one of my apps, I am asked: "Are you presently active in the professional field to which you are applying?"

It is for an MSW program. It says to include volunteer work. I am currently volunteering at a hospital, I volunteer at the geriatrics department and I speak to the patients regularly to make sure they're not confused and stay int he right state of mind. I am going into psychotherpay with an MSW, so should I include this as a "current" thing? In my opinion, it can tie into social work.

Thanks.

Hello good people,

I just received my first admissions to a PhD program this Friday. It came with the offer of full funding and a nomination for a prestigious diversity award. My predicament is that I'd like to wait a little bit longer to hear from other schools or at least investigate how long I must wait to hear from other schools.

Can someone help me to draft an appropriate email response to the committee?

( draftCollapse )

Hello! I previously posted a draft of my letter of intent, and the main problem with it was that it was too emotional and not specific enough, I am now working on a new draft and this what I have. Please only focus on content, as I'm still working on grammar. What do you guys think?

( Read more...Collapse )

I know this has been asked many times, but what's the difference? I know people say a CV contains more detail, but from the samples I've seen, my resume contains those details as well. I have down what I've done as a teaching assistant (grading exams and teaching a recitation class once a week) and a research assitant (I explained the study thast was conducted and what I did), but they're just not in full sentence format.

I asked the schools I'm applying to which they'd prefer, and they all said either a resume or a CV is fine. One said "Whichever one you think is better for the program."

Does anyone have samples of CVs that don't resemble resumes?

Thanks!

I had my English professor review it, and want to get opinions from all of  you as well. My main concern is my first paragraph. How can I make it more interesting?

These are the questions:

1. What are your reasons for applying to the Rutgers University School of Social Work?
2. Discuss your personal values, philosophy, knowledge of social issues,
and the professional and community experiences that have influenced your
decision to enter the profession.
3. Comment on your skills, strengths, and weaknesses.
4. Describe your reasons for choosing a particular focus in the field of social work.
5. Discuss your plans for a career in social work.

Here's the essay after making a few quick changes based on peoples' comments: 

           

( Read more...Collapse )

1. What type of format is standard for writing samples? Do they want to see a title page, abstract, and an outline? Last name in the header in addition to application number (if provided) and page number even if it is technically "wrong" according to the citation method you are using? How did you format your writing sample?

2. Some of the schools I'm applying to have sub-sub-departments within a sub-department within a department. The sub-departments are, of course, specified on the applications through drop-downs. The sub-sub-departments (and smaller) are not. It's pretty clear which track/sub-sub department I intend to work in just by reading through my SOP, but should I be more explicit? In some cases, the distinction between two of the sub-sub-departments is not entirely clear, which is why I am hesitating for some schools, and I'm unsure if these specialty tracks are "technically" decided later when you've already been accepted.

3. Personal history/diversity statements: How casual can these be? I am under the impression these are not truly read by departmental adcoms or really given any weight unless you are Truly Diverse in terms of admissions -- though ofc they may help with funding.

4. If you are applying to your undergrad institution for a PhD in the field you are currently majoring in ... I am unsure how to revise my SOP for this one, to be honest. It feels awkward to write. Any tips for revisions? (To be more specific on this last question: In my other SOPs, I mention I work on a project for a professor here and that it has led me to appreciate blahblahblah, which is present at Other University. Of course, when writing this in for my current school, I would need to tweak this. Yes, it has led me to appreciate said blahblahblah, but should I then say, "If accepted, I fully intend to continue working on said project?" Little things like this.)

Thanks!

Hello,

I'm hoping someone might have a little advice to share about what to use as my writing sample. Most things I read say to use a report or paper that got a good grade as part of an advanced level course and to maybe polish it up a bit. The problem is, my last period of research in an advanced course was 12 years ago when I did my Master's in Library and Information Science and though I'm going for an Info sci PhD, I'm having trouble trying to determine if it would actually be better to turn in a writing sample from a graduate course I did 12 years ago, or should I try to come up with something new. The new thing would'nt be research though and as well written as they are, the strategic planning, governemnt reporting and policy writing I've been doing for the last 12 years doesn't really meet the level of academic writing.

So, should I a) Posh up the 12 year old paper (whose topic was how the book/ebook future looked) or  b)come up with something new that won't be as serious an academic treatment as I'd think they'd want.

Thoughts?? Help?? Askance looks wondering how old do I really think is too old to try to start a PhD?

Help Please!

Everyone here is usually so helpful with my questions. My last one was about the ethics of applying for a PHD program for funding and leaving after completing a master's. I agree with the bulk of your suggestions that going into it without meaning to finish is not a great means to an end. It's hard to understand the line in academia between "getting ahead" and "clawing out the eyes of everyone else". I hate that it seems to be that either/or and I hope when I eventually make it into grad school it's....not a way in which I need to live my academic life.

I have another question and was hoping you all could help. Not exactly about grad school, but about LORs. In 2009 I asked a professor I greatly respect and admire if she would be willing to write me a rec letter for an internship. I ended up never applying for said internship and, at this point, probably never will. The sealed letter is still in my possession. I am curious as all get out to read it, but I feel slightly uneasy about the ethics there.

Is it wrong for me to read a rec letter written for me that I'll never use? Thoughts?

1) I've been looking through the tags, and it seems that it's pretty standard to include e.g. Dean's List and admittance to an Honour's program down in the "Awards and Honors" section of an application... but what about scholarships? Do we also include scholarships we've received (as an award)? And would it make a difference if the scholarship is one you have to apply for vs. one you have to be nominated for?

2) What does one include on a CV, anyway? I keep seeing conflicting information, so I figured I might as well ask outright. Education, obviously, and any publications or presentations, but what about languages? Relevant internships? Scholarships? I'm applying to MA program, so my CV is only about 1/2-3/4 of a page right now and about half of that is scholarships (I got a bunch of small scholarships over the course of my undergrad). That said, I've got the impression that it's normal for a CV to be fairly sparse when you're just starting out.

Between 06 and 2010, I bought a bunch of study aids that had "top 100 most used words on the GRE" and I was wondering if that has changed much, if anyone happens to know? Is it worth buying the new flashcards or new study aids with updated words, or is it pretty much the same? Thank you.

Two topics:

I know many people send CVs instead of resumes, but which would be best for an MSW? I know a CV goes into detail, but aren't there more acitvities on a resume? The schools I'm applying to as for either one, so does one outweigh the other?

Also, I need 3 LORs, and I already know 2 I'm definitely going to use:
1. A professor I had for 3 classes, and that I was a teaching assistant for twice.
2. A researcher (PhD) in my school that I was a research assistant for. (though i'm going into the medical field)

I am currently volunteering at a hospital (i am going for my MSW, but at the hospital, I volunteer with geriatrics), and my supervisor said she would write a letter for me, but should I try to get another professor instead? I know she'll write a great letter, and the other professor I'd use is someone I had twice and don't really know personally. There's also an older grad student who said she's write a letter for me, but I think my supervisor's letter would weigh more with the grad schools.

Who do you think would be the best candidate for my third LOR?

Thank you!

12/3 UPDATE: I have updated the SOP below. Please take a moment to look at it and give me feedback. Thanks!

Hey all, first post here! My name's Ashley and I'm applying to just one grad school for next year - the University of Alabama. I looked through the creative writing tags and got a lot of good information and suggestions from them, but now I'm looking for some feedback for my statement of purpose.

I'd appreciate any and all suggestions on this! SOP under the cut. Thanks in advance!

( Read more...Collapse )

Any other things I should add or include? Anything to change/omit? I know the ending is a little iffy.. it's still a work in progress. Just needing some feedback so I know if I'm headed in the right direction or if I need to rework it completely. Thanks!

I know this is terribly short notice, as this app is due on Saturday, but I really hope that someone here could please take a moment to read over this SOP I have drafted for a Well-Regarded History PhD program.

Version 2 at Pastebin (edited)

Thank you thank you THANK YOU to anyone who can offer me suggestions to make this SOP awesome.

EDIT: The program doesn't have a special application for people who want to TA, etc. Should I add something about that into my statement? I have my TA information from my master's in my CV.

Hi all!
I'm planning to apply to the master of my dreams this december, and I'm currently writing my statement of purpose. Unfortunately, I didn't do spectacular in college, so I don't have many qualifications to write about.

Here is my second draft, I would greatly appreciate your help. I want this letter to be the best it can be.

Latest draft in last comment!

My cousin told me about this service the other day, it's supposed to make it easier to send letters of recommendation and not bother your references too much.

Has anyone else used it? What do you think of it?

My fear is that my references wouldn't be receptive to me telling them to upload their letter of reference to Interfolio, that and all letters will be non-tailored ones.

Thoughts on the "ethicalness" of applying to Phd programs in order to obtain funding for a master's and dropping once you've finished the master's?

please and thanks.

I know it says 5 years, but does that mean exactly 5 years (i.e. if you took them February 5, 2009 will they get deleted on February 5, 2014), or will they get deleted January 1st 2014 or how exactly does that work? Does anyone know from experience? Thanks a bunch.

So, this will be my third time applying to graduate programs. I finished my MA in Media Studies last year, and after much consideration, decided I no longer wanted to pursue a PhD in the field. Instead, I've realized my interests are better suited for a career in archives. After further research into programs, I decided to take the plunge and pursue a Master's degree in archives/library science. However, I'm a little nervous about my SOP (and my application in general) since I don't have direct experience in this field. I know SOPs for professional degrees are generally different from ones for degrees in the Humanities, so I am not sure if I this feels right or not for the this type of program. I sincerely appreciate all types of feedback. There are a few parts that I am not entirely sure are relevant, so please let me know if you feel the same. Thank you!


( Read more...Collapse )

Hello all,

well, what is the proper etiquette to inform my referees that I no longer want to apply to a certain school? Or a few schools for that matter? I previously thought they would be excellent fits, but I am having some revelations about my research interests and choices of schools. Should I just straigh forwardly inform them? I think that one or two would be kind of relieved they don't have to write as much letters as intended....

I couldn't find a suitable answer for this on google. Thank you for your help!

How likely is it for applicants who earned their undergraduate degrees in universities that aren't considered highly competitive to be accepted into highly competitive graduate schools? Especially in History? I will be graduating with a B.S. in History and Theatre Arts from Stony Brook University. It's not an amazing school, but it has a fairly decent repute; however, it's still not the type of school one thinks of when they think of "great" schools. The only subjects I've ever been interested in, or have any aptitude in, are social sciences and the arts. I have a few specific eras in history that I would love to study... that would just be a matter of choosing. My predicament, however, is that I don't know if I have any shot at being successful in my application process. I don't know what types of people are accepted into competitive programs. And I don't see a point in going to graduate school unless I manage to get into a highly competitive program, given today's job market. I have yet to take GRE's or anything like that, but I am part of Phi Alpha Theta (National History Honor Society) and currently have a 3.83 overall GPA and 4.0 in both of my majors - so far. I've been on the Dean's List every semester. I was wondering if there's any literature out there that offers guidance to what I can expect from the application process, and what pursuing an advanced degree in History is like. I've read so many admissions requirements and acceptance rates. Admissions requirements seem like it's impossible for someone to attend graduate school in History right after they've earned their undergraduate degree. They all seem to only want to take on people who have been working in a similar field for years. Also, acceptance rates being so low, I wonder if I have a shot when I'm applying along with other students who have attended "better" schools. Any advice on this would be much appeciated.

Hi,

I'm applying for a Ph.D program in English Language and Literature for next fall and I was told by quite a few people to send an email (with an SOP and a writing sample) to any professors that I might want to work with at the colleges I'm going to apply to. I think its supposed to be like a letter of interest.

I just wanted to know if someone has any idea whether professors at colleges actually read (or even welcome) such unsolicited email from potential applicants.

Thanks and good luck to everyone who's applying.

I honestly can't remember if I asked this last year, and if I did, I superbly apologize--I can't remember last month, much less last fall.

So, the issue:
During my MA (and after), I did work in medieval studies, and also in our history department. The work I do there is in nationalism and its mythical construction, with a major focus on Wales. This ties back to my medieval work in the fact that I have done a lot of work with pseudo-histories, like Geoffrey of Monmouth, etc. The problem comes in, however, because my other area of specialty/passion is medieval book history, specifically material culture.

Honestly, these two areas of focus do not tie together much, even in my brain. It is not so much that I am unfocussed, as I love both these areas of study very much, and cannot imagine parting with either one as a primary research interest. But I sense this becoming a big problem in the SoP. I don't want grad programs to think I'm dithering between these two things, but I do feel like both take up my time when it comes to research.

I've thought about only focussing on one in the SoP, but don't know which to choose--I have more to say about the nationalism research because it is taking up my time with a current project, but it is also something that is rather obscure. Book history is more conventional, but at this second I have less to say, and it's further complicated by the fact I am blind, and so am going to spend time convincing a lot of people that this does not exclude me from codicology, something I am not sure is best tackled in the SoP.

I realize that is a long-winded explanation of the problem, but just wondered if anyone had any advice. I want to represent myself truly, in a way that gives me the best chance of getting into a program, and would like to do this without looking like an indecisive wibbler. (Also it's hard to address two interests when they decide you only get 500 words).

Weird problem, I know, but would appreciate any input.

I've been very unhappy at my current grad program. It's not that it's difficult, but it advertised as a very broad program and it's really focused on one specific field in the area. I've turned into this depressed, sleep deprived zombie. I currently have a job in my field, so I live at my parents and commute into NYC for school. Now with Hurricane Sandy putting a 40-foot-boat on the train tracks, I'm wondering if it's a sign to retreat and regroup. Because of my job, I think an online program would be the best thing for me. I have a few online MA programs I'm looking into, i.e. University of Oklahoma, Harvard extension, John Hopkins. My only concern is if there's a stigma left on getting a graduate degree online?

Hi everyone,
So, I have another question.
As an undergrad I took a lot of Psychology and Sociology courses as electives (I'm looking at programs in Social Work). Unfortunately, I didn't feel that I had a very close relationship with any professors in either of those areas, although I was always very active during class and was often the first to comment / answer questions. Professors always seemed impressed by my papers.
I had a better relationship with the professors in my area of study, but I'm not sure what to ask them to include in a letter of recommendation if it is unrelated to the field of social work. I suppose they could discuss how my character could translate to a successful career in social work. I guess what I am asking is: Would it be better to get lors from professors who I was not as close with, but from similar fields I.E. sociology and Psychology or professors from my major who I had a closer working relationship with? Or should I do a combination of the two (all of the schools I am applying to require three). I just don't want to call a professor I had one or two cources with from outside of my major and have them not remember me since I graduated in 2010.
Also, I'm assuming I should call them to initially ask for the lor. since e-mailing them seems impersonal. What if they ask me what they should include in the Lor. Honestly, I don't know besides them describing how I was as a student...
Sorry everyone. It's been a long time (or at least it seems like it has been) a long time since I asked for a letter of recommendation. Any advice / comments are grately appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I gave  GRE in oct and got a low score (152 V and 153 Q, AW: waiting). I have a GPA of 8.83/10 and have 2 international publication relevant to my interest area. I have also have poster presentation in some international conferences and I can get good reccos from my professors. I wanted to apply for PhD in Bioinformatics mainly in US in universities like Univ of Washington, UCLA,UC Berkeley but now due to GRE score I am reconsidering my chances for the application.I need suggestions regarding the same.

I'm applying for master's programs in ecology. I'm finding that when professors advertise looking for students, they are asking you to send them your CV, transcripts, test scores, and a "letter of interest." (Submitting this stuff to the potential advisor is separate from submitting your application package to the grad school admissions office.) I'm not really sure what a "letter of interest and qualifications" is supposed to look like. Like a cover letter for a job? Or more like a statement of purpose/personal statement? I'm leaning toward the former (something a little more conversational and addressed directly to the professor in the second person, not in the tone of a writing sample or essay) but I'm not sure. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Hi everyone!

This is kind of a weird question, but I think this is the place to ask it. Anyway, here goes: I'm a chemical engineering major now and I'll be graduating in January. I want to continue on to a master's and a phd though not in my current field but in somthing material related. My initial plan was to stay in my home university (in Turkey) for a masters in chemistry (that's the department where materials research happens at my school) and then apply to phd programs in the US.

Now I'm also thinking about applying to the Erasmus Mundus master's program in either Nanotechnology or Materials Science. For those of you who don't know it is a joint program between a few European universities where you spend one or two semesters in each university and then you write your thesis in the fourth semester. And they also give you a scholarship.

My question is: which is better when you apply for a PhD program? Would I be at an advantage or disadvantage because I travelled a lot during my masters instead of staying at one place and doing continuous research?

Thank you!

Hello everyone,

I would like to apply for PhD program in Psychology and I'm interested in how should I choose my future research topic. Does it have to base on my previous research or I can choose something that I'm just interested in and haven't enough research experience in this sphere?

Thank you in advance.

Hello Everyone,
   I'm looking to apply to SLP programs for the 2013-14 academic year and am beginning my personal statements. Does anyone know of any good websites or books that help with formatting graduate personal statements? 

Hey all,

The grad program I'm applying to doesn't require GRE scores, but I took the GREs last year before I realized I didn't need them. Should I still post the scores on the application?

Also, if I finish my application (before the LORs go in, which would be the last step of the application for me), can I go back and change things in my application?

Thank you!

Hello friends,

In putting together my PhD program list, I have been advised to look for programs from the U.S. News Rankings. I did this, but now I am a little bit at a loss. I would like to cast my net wider and beyond the really competitive and famous schools. That is not to say that I think that schools not listed in the rankings are not as good, but I would like to know of and be exposed to other graduate programs. Also, while I would say that I am a competitive student (despite what others think) but there are certainly other students that are more competitive than I am. So I am in need of suggestions for schools and programs.

I always forget to do this...my field is in education. Specifically I am interested in programs that study race, class, and gender in education; anthropology of education; and my demographic of interest is in Southeast Asians in higher education. Frankly, just to share a little bit more, most people tell me that I should consider the program at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities and their research on immigrant and college access and such. I have but it is really too cold up there.

TIA