Comments | applyingtograd: Has nothing to do with SOPs or GREs

eastertheatre in applyingtograd

Has nothing to do with SOPs or GREs

Oct 29, 2008 20:42

So....now for something different! Do you think that getting your MA from an "okay" public university would hurt your chances of getting into an PhD program at an "awesome" university? I don't mean Harvard awesome, but more like Indiana awesome. If you have a great MA thesis and are otherwise impressive, does the lack of prestige of your MA school ( Read more... )

Comments 16

brittdreams October 30 2008, 05:27:05 UTC

Meh, it really depends. You don't even have to write a great MA thesis, esp if you apply while in the MA still (they know you won't have written it yet).

eastertheatre October 30 2008, 05:28:19 UTC

Good point about the thesis, but...depends on what?

brittdreams October 30 2008, 05:33:39 UTC

Networking, grades, the papers you write in class, presentations at conferences, the intangibles that always go into graduate admissions, etc.

eastertheatre October 30 2008, 05:36:06 UTC

Gotcha. Thank you!

flannelgnome October 31 2008, 02:28:08 UTC

I got my MA at a small Tier 3 school, and now I'm working on my PhD at a Tier 1 school. So it's definitely possible.

ny_yn November 7 2008, 02:38:48 UTC

Haha. My BFF and I both did our Masters degrees at a small provincial school of average standings, and are now both doing our PhDs on full fellowships at Ivy League schools. If you demonstrate you can do good work, top schools will appreciate it.