Just a MAPSS Student

A lot of people who end up pursuing the MAPSS degree were referred by PhD committees. However, I choose to apply directly to the program. I felt that, while I wanted to go to grad school, I didn’t quite have enough experience reading social scientific texts, nor did I have a firm handle on methodologies required of my discipline. MAPSS offered me the perfect opportunity to ‘brush up’ on my skills. 

Do you want some pointers on applying to the program? If so, read on!

When I applied to the program, I used the program’s very own guide on how to write a statement of purpose. You can find it here. Some important elements:

No fluff.

Structure your statement in four sections, beginning with a creative, original, but feasible research proposal (which should make up roughly 50% of your statement), followed by your previous training, relevant experience, and why you would be a good fit for the program.

Don’t start with your life story (You know, “I’ve always loved anthropology, ever since I was young...”).

It would behoove you to find some faculty advisors that you would be interested in working with. Since this is an MA application, I’m not sure if it’s essential to name them, but it probably wouldn’t hurt.

You’ll need three letters of recommendation. I used two from Classics professors, and one from an anthropology professors. I don’t think the disciplines of these professors matter that much, but these teachers (who should also have PhDs) need to be able to vouch for your academic skills and your willingness to learn and succeed, yada yada yada.

The program doesn’t require a writing sample, largely because at the end of the MAPSS journey, you will be producing your very own thesis, which in turn will be used as a writing sample if you wish to apply to PhD programs. Woo!

The program does, however, require the GRE. I have no idea what their cut-off limits are, but I’ve been told many times that you need to merely beat the mean (If you’re wondering, I got V: 166 Q: 159 W: 5.0).

You’ll also want to have a properly decent GPA. The closer to 4.0 the better. Again, I’m not sure what the cutoff is (again, mine was 3.99*).

Be realistic about funding. When I applied, I was really, really, really banking on getting aid. In the end, I was lucky enough to receive a 50% tuition waver, which allowed me to attend the program, but had I received less than that (or none at all), I would’ve been sunk. This program is excellent, but it is expensive.

It’s been about six or so months since my last post, I thought I’d include another update for everyone.

I was planning on taking a year off (in addition to the gap year that you practically have to take after MAPSS), but I went ahead and applied to one school. While the faculty were really interested in my work, due to financial issues, it all fell through. As much as that sucked to hear, at the moment, I’m OK with it, because if I had been accepted I would have likely deferred the offer anyway. In other words, no harm, no foul... (although I am out $50 for the application!)

Setting my sights on this coming fall, I have decided to apply to only a few PhD programs at state universities located near where I now live. The reason I chose to do this is because, through my job, I am eligible for course waivers at board of regent schools, which means that a) I’d be a cheap student for the program, b) I won’t have to pay tons of money to go to school, and c) I can keep my current job. In addition, some of my coursework from Chicago (i.e. my methods course and my MA work) will transfer over at a number of these schools, allowing me to cut down on time-to-degree. I should stress that I will be attending graduate school part time, but I should still be able to get my PhD in five or so years. I’ve done the math!

Now, quite a few of those in the Chicago Academy (especially the high-ups in the MAPSS program) did not think highly of this choice; they argued that it was effectively academic suicide and that I’d never land a R1 tenure-track professorship. I think what they failed to realize is that I don’t want a R1 tenure-track professorship. I would be perfectly contended working at a SLAC or a community college. My passion lies in teaching/helping students, not killing myself to get a billion research articles published.

With this being said, others (namely, my advisor and the MAPSS career consultant), completely understood my motivations; they argued that if the needs of my job, career path, and a life goals are best met by attending these universities, then there is no reason to apply to other schools just for giggles.

Over the last year, I have been meditating a lot about the state of graduate school and higher education. I think it is of utmost importance and that many people should pursue that PhD. However, the culture is just—to put it bluntly—awful. PhD students are increasingly expected to do more and more teaching on less and less money. Depending on your discipline, you’re also expected to have cranked out a few papers by the time you’re a PhD candidate. After you graduate—if you are lucky to land a tenure-track professorship—you have to publish, publish, publish. This, in turn, causes professors to retreat into the world of personal research and eschew teaching, which negatively effects students (both undergrads and grads—the former because they’re not learning directly from a professor, and the latter because they’re often expected to pick up the slack).

Add on top of that the hierarchies, the one-ups-manship (“Oh, you went to Yale?” Well, I went to Oxford!”), and the nonsense that is the ‘adjunct professor’ (don’t get me started), one can easily see that the whole system is just a mess. What is going to become of it? I’m not sure. I’m not one of those doom-and-gloomers who thinks it will all explode (I mean, higher education has been around for 2000+ years, it ain’t going away anytime soon).

I do, however, think that things will change in the near future. I think requirements to get into PhD programs will get super, super restrictive and that the process will become super, super competitive. For instance, we might start to see big name schools only accepting one or two students every other year or so. This would reduce the number of new PhDs being made, thus alleviating some of the pressure on new grads to find a job in a sea of identical (and often, more experienced) people. I also think that adjuncts will get certain rights, forcing universities to stop treating them like slave laborers. Unfortunately, this might also mean that less and less PhDs can find (even temporary) employment as adjuncts.

Who knows. Who cares? I just want to teach to a bunch of undergrads or community college folk. I feel like they’d appreciate me more than the Tenture Committee at Bigname University.

We’ll see what happens. Perhaps I’ll let you all know, if any of you are still reading this!

I just thought I’d leave a little update here.

Two weeks ago I received a job as a librarian at a local university. It’s a great position, and I am very lucky to have earned it. I think that my experience at the University of Chicago (specifically, my time working at the Regenstein Library) was crucial in helping me land this job.

I’m applying to PhD programs currently, but (if I am accepted) I am planning to defer one more year to make a little more money and also give my mind a break. I want to get that PhD, but I need a few years just to rest after 18 years of constant, non-stop school.

I’m happy to say I rather easily got my three letters of rec, and this really surprised me because I feel like I only ‘connected’ super-well with one or two professors. But the MAPSS letter will go a long way, so I’m told. Considering that my writing sample (i.e. my thesis) is done, and my statement of purpose is being critiqued by the MAPSS program at this moment, I feel pretty good.

So basically, things are as I want them to be.

While I had my highs and my lows in Chicago, I am now of the opinion that MAPSS was totally worth it.

I made it!

I graduated!

Yesterday, at Rockefeller Chapel, I received my diploma, which certifies that I am now a Master in the Social Sciences. Ha!

But seriously, I’m very happy to say that I survived MAPSS. These last 10 months have been some of the hardest of my entire life, but I have learned so much, and as a result, am a better scholar. I am ready to take on the world... or at least a small part of it.

The next step is to find a job for the next year. I’ll be applying to PhD programs in November and December of this year, with the goal of being accepted and starting one Fall of 2017. In the year and a half until then, I need to find some form of semi-stable employment. I’m looking into clerical positions at libraries and universities, since those are the places that I feel most comfortable. I’m not too nervous, but at the same time, the fear of job hunting is at the back of my head.

I’m so thankful for the skills I learned at MAPSS and the people I met. Knowing what I know now, would I still have attended UChicago? The answer is yes. I am a better person and scholar, and the program did what I wanted it to do.

Only two more months!

Second quarter went by fairly quickly, and, I’m happy to say, was much easier than first quarter.

I was able to use papers in two of my classes to get a head start on my thesis, which (not to toot my own horn) was a great choice, because I’m working on a second draft of the thesis right now! I may very well be one of those lucky few who gets to graduate in the summer. Woo!

I’m also taking the “ghost course” right now, which is basically just a class that you get credit for when you turn in the thesis. That means I really am in only two courses at the moment. The lightened load is welcome, but—and this is going to sound weird—I feel like I have too much free time at the moment... I’m used to all the Language in Culture readings from quarters past!

My mental illness has been under control for awhile now, thanks in large part to the UChicago mental health services, as well as my friends. I’m very excited about future graduate work, too! At my lowest low, I was ready to leave the Academy all together and run as far away as possible, but now I’m really energized about what I want to do.

Last semester I struggled fairly badly with mental illnesses. I am away from my family and friends, and the Chicago winter is not very happy. I went to the on-campus mental health facility and also started to take medicine, and I’m happy to say I’m feeling much better now (although I do still have my ups and downs). If you struggle with mental illness, be warned that this program may take you to your limits.... and worse, it may break you.

I was very close multiple times to just quitting and trying to recover. I had many a panic attack and was close to having a mental breakdown twice.

But I’m happy to say I’m still alive. Second quarter finals are fast approaching, and the last two weeks or so, I’ve been feeling re-energized. Around December and January, I (thought I) came to the realization that I wasn’t made for PhD programs and that I should instead try to join the workforce. I poked around for some time looking for jobs, but then got in contact with a PhD program from my alma mater. They were very excited about my research (which professors here at UChicago have mostly been lukewarm about) and I’ve had an excellent dialogue with them. Perhaps most importantly, their emails heavily suggest that, were I to be accepted into the program, I would find plenty of support.

It was then that I realized I was not exhausted (both mentally and academically) from graduate school, but rather from the University of Chicago.

This is a great school. I’ve worked with some amazing professors and students, and I’ve learned so much. But the pace of this program, combined with the nature of UChicago’s graduate programs, means that I am basically working myself to death. The MAPSS year has been described by many (PhD!) students as harder than any one year in a PhD program. It is very much the “academic boot camp” that everyone says it is. If you really want to bone up on your social science knowledge, this is the program for you, but heed my warning: it is not easy and at times not fun.

And the good news is, with the end in sight and the weather clearing up, I’m starting to feel much, much better. And now I do think I will go on to that PhD program... if I can get accepted!

Woof! Turned in my perspectives final today. We’ll see how it goes. I lucked out on the midterm and snagged an A (I’m still not entirely sure how I did that... I was told I did a good job, but I felt like it was a ‘meh’ paper), so the pressure was really on to get a good grade for the finale (it’s weighted more than the midterm). We’re supposedly graded on improvement, but that’s kinda hard to do. With that being said, I tried my best to implement changes, but I still feel like this paper is weaker than my midterm. We’ll see.

For this quarter, I was also taking the infamous Language in Culture, taught by Dr. Silverstein. It’s a super byzantine class, and the lectures are really confusing, but I’m happy to say that the midterm went really well. Silverstein is apparently an easy grader, but some of my classmates didn’t get the grades they wanted (I feel like I’ve just lucked out for a good chunk of this quarter). We get the final prompt on Friday, which means that we have to write papers over break. Boo. Hopefully I can churn out another couple of good papers.

Tomorrow I have to turn in one more paper, and then I’m done (sans Language in Culture) with the Fall quarter. The feeling is bittersweet: one quarter down, but one quarter closer to writing the thesis. I get to ruminate about that all Christmas long! Hey!

I think I’ve got a good idea who will be my thesis advisor, but I haven’t asked him explicitly just yet. So far, however, he’s been very receptive of my ideas and he has said he wants to meet again! That’s a good sign.

I’ve gotten used to the flow of things around here, which is really nice. A lot of the stress that I was feeling at the earlier portion of the quarter has passed, but I still have that lingering fear that I’m going to screw up royally and just bomb a paper or something. Imposter Syndrome still pops up every now and again.

I’m learning quite a bit, and that’s a good thing. I can easily say that I’ve learned and read more than I did in one year of undergrad, which is crazy.

I’m reading about 300-400 pages a week. Boy, is it tough.

With that being said, everyone thinks it’s tough. As such, I have found that starting a study group to get through all the documents you’re expected to read is a great idea. When you have multiple people all chipping in, it can make a large task much easier.

Before I started, I was told one thing: this year will be intense.

Intense.

What does that even mean?

No one could tell me. I talked to my preceptor about what the year’s workload would be like, she didn’t offer me much clarification other than it would be quite a bit.

At my undergrad university, I had taken a grad seminar during my senior year. It was hard, but I reasoned I could do that again times 3 (considering I don’t have a job or any other classes to distract me). It would take quite a bit of time, but it would be worth it.

In a sense, I was correct. In another sense, I was wrong.

It’s only the middle of the first week, and I now know what the meaning of the word “intense” is.

There’s readings every week. And when I say readings, I don’t mean 2 articles per class. I mean 10. Or maybe there’s only one chapter, but it’s 70 pages long. Yikes! I was not really expecting this, and I have to say, it’s been brutal. But I’ve stepped up my game. I’ve dedicated about 2 hours every day to course readings. Saturdays and Sundays will be dedicated to Perspectives and one of my other courses. The entirety of the week will be devoted to digesting really heady linguistic and socio-cultural essays and book chapters.

I can do it. You can do it, too.

Are you applying to MAPSS? Did you get differed to MAPSS?

If so, let me clarify a few things.

MAPSS is not merely a “cash cow” – There’s a nasty rumor that’s floating around the Internet that MAPSS is a “cash cow” for the university. This largely stems from two facts: 1) a good chunk of the program is made up of individuals who were rejected from UChicago PhD programs, and 2) it costs money to attend the program.

First, almost all MA/MS programs are used by universities to fund their PhD programs; that’s just the nature of the game. MAPSS is no different. With that being said, the program is expensive (it costs around 52,000 dollars, although it does offer scholarships, ranging from a full ride to a 1/3 reduction in tuition). If you get a funded PhD offer from a less-reputable school than Chicago, I’d advise that you take it. In this economy, money is important, and you don’t want to waste that cash.

Second, the so-called “rejects” that make up the program are still very, very astute scholars. Most just haven’t yet quite acquired that je ne sais quoi (i.e. a firm grounding in social scientific literature and methodology) that PhD programs are looking for. That doesn’t make them “stupid” or “less intelligent”. In fact, at the UChicago MAPSS orientation, the program directors explicitly told us that many of the students in the program were just a hairs width away from getting into PhD programs. It all came down to lack of funding.

MAPSS is prestigious – The program has a 90% matriculation rate to fully-funded PhD programs, making it the most successful MA program in the world in terms of what its goals are (namely, to get students into fully-funded PhD programs). Students who have received their MAPSS degree have gone on to graduate study at places like Chicago, Oxford, Yale, Stanford, Harvard, UTAustin, etc (take a look here).

There seems to be this misconception (largely related to the false belief that MAPSS is just a “cash cow”) that, because some view it as a “second place” degree, prestigious universities turn their noses up at it. This is completely fallacious. The fact of the matter is that these eminent institutions know the caliber of students that the MAPSS program produces.

MAPSS is hard – Make no mistakes, this is not an easy degree. As a MAPSS student, you are taking the equivalent of a two-year MA in one year. The classes that you will take are shared by PhD students, and the quality of work that is demanded by the professors is the same that is demanded from PhD students. You will fret, you will freak out, but in the end, you will learn so much, and you will become a better scholar.

The outcomes are very, very good – I’ve already mentioned that 90% matriculation rate to grad programs, so I don’t feel the need to repeat myself here. But the program also has around a 90% job placement rate in the private sector. That means that if you go in dead-set that you want to be a tenure-track professor, but then you realize that your whole life has been a lie, you can just as easily take your MAPSS training and get a non-academic job. In fact, around 2/3 of the program’s students will opt for a job in the private sector.

On the surface, this might seem like a bad thing: “You mean MAPSS will make me want to drop out of academia?” Not quite. There’s a 50% drop-out rate for PhD programs across the country as it stands. That means that one in two people in a PhD program will never finish. MAPSS merely makes you fully consider what you want to do. If you really, really, really want to get that PhD, then the odds are you probably will, and at a prestigious institution, no less. If you are full of self-doubt and you don’t really like the thought of furthering your graduate career, MAPSS will save you the shame, guilt, and sadness of having to drop out of a PhD program. It’s a win-win.

When I was accepted into the MAPSS program, I was told via email that I could sign up for “Math Camp”, a two-week mathematics boot camp designed to get students of the social sciences up to snuff.

I ultimately decided to go through with the camp. Was it worth it? Let’s dive in...

First, you should be aware that it’s very, very difficult to fail this course. The instructor, Dr. Hansen, pointed out that if you show up to class and do all the homework, you will pass (with that being said, the GTAs do, in fact, grade all the homework, but the grade is largely just so you know where you’re at, ability-wise). In fact, Dr. Hansen said that no one has failed it before! So if you’re worried about not being “good enough”, cast that doubt to the side!

Second—and perhaps most importantly—Math Camp is not about learning how to do calculus or linear algebra, it’s about reviewing these concepts. When I did my time, we covered linear algebra in two days and probability (a subject that has never come easy to me) in a day and a half. A day and a half? Yes. It went by super fast, and I didn’t absorb a good chunk of it.

But then again, neither did most people. It became readily apparent on the second and third days that most people were flying by the seat of their pants. Of course, when I talked to several of them, many were worried about looking like fools in front of their peers. But once I confessed that I didn’t know most of what was going on, almost all of them opened up and said that they thought they were the only ones who felt a crushing sense of doubt. Nope!

That’s not to say that the two weeks were worthless. During my undergrad, I had taken a few calculus classes, but the math I had learned in those courses had atrophied in my brain. Math Camp gave me the opportunity to reteach myself how to integrate and derive, for instance.

Math Camp also presented a chance to meet new people. I was introduced to several very friendly, fun, and knowledgable individuals. We bonded over our mutual confusion, and we helped each other get through those tumultuous two weeks. Considering that I had moved almost 500 miles a few days before camp started, this opportunity to not only meet but also engage with other folks was quite nice.

Should you got to Math Camp? That’s a question for you to decide. On one hand, if you do all the homework and show up, you’ll get a “pass” on your transcript. The course is designed so that no one fails. On the other hand, if you want to spend those two weeks leading up to the year working, and/or getting acquainted with the city, I totally don’t blame you.

In the end, I’m happy that I went. Not only was I able to brush up on some math concepts, I was also able to meet a few people, and familiarize myself with the university.

I’m currently a student at the University of Chicago. I’m studying to get my Master of Arts degree in the Social Sciences, through the program called MAPSS.

MAPSS has a strange reputation. On the Internet, it’s often maligned as a consolation prize and a “cash cow”, but in reality, it’s a very demanding, difficult, but ultimately invaluable program. In fact, for MAPSS graduates, there’s a 90% matriculation rate to fully-funded PhD programs! And for those MAPSS graduates who decide not to go on and get a PhD, there’s a 90% job placement rate! Wow!

Everyone who goes through the MAPSS program seems to start a blog, and I figured I may as well. Often times, these students stop updating as the year goes on (and the workload becomes soul-crushing), but I’ll try my hardest to plod on.