next »

[octagonal]

Greetings all,

I've been lurking for a bit but this is my first post.

I am currently applying to combined MA/PhD programs in a humanities field, applying to all top programs. I am 3 years out of undergrad and have spent the last 3 years at a non-profit doing work that is immediately relevant to my proposed field of study.

Every time I tell people I'm applying, they say some kind of variation of: "Oh, you'll get in, look at what you've been doing for the last few years!"

I have good qualifications apart from my work experience (GPA, GRE, what should be 3 good recommendations). However, I was wondering to what extent my "real world" experience factors into any decisions made for candidacy? Do grad committees prefer someone who has spent a few years doing something after undergrad if it's relevant? For some reason, when people say this I've tend to discount it as a minor factor.

Thanks for any insight you might be able to provide!

[hypnotoad]

In my cohort, nearly every single one of us had 1-3 years of "real world" experience.  Nearly all of us worked for non-profits or were high school teachers.  Very few came directly out of undergrad.  The year following my cohort, a much larger number of them came directly out of undergrad, but there were also more incoming students who had spent more than 3 years in the "real world".  I would argue that it certainly matters what the applicant pool looks like. 

Your experience outside of the academy will certainly help a little, overall.  It is easier to make the case that you are serious about graduate school and don't just see it as a continuation of undergrad.  I don't think I've heard anyone claim that it will hurt you.  It probably depends on the program, field and makeup of the admissions committee whether or not they will privilege it or not.  I know that isn't a very satisfactory answer, but I hope it helps a little.

[octagonal]

Hi hypnotoad,

That is helpful, thanks. It's just basic curiosity on my part but I appreciate a perspective on it.

[t_r_b]

If the work you've been doing bears some relationship to the academic work you're interested in doing, and you spell that out in your proposal, then it would probably help. Even if the relationship is only tangential, it can still give them a better sense of who you are and how you've gotten to this point.

IIRC, I mentioned that my experience as a teacher in unrelated fields had helped convince me to pursue teaching at the college level. I doubt that carried as much weight as my explanation of my research interests (which stemmed more from my undergrad work), but it helped explain my personal trajectory. And I got accepted.

[carebearstare]

I think the issue of preference really depends on the discipline, who is on the admissions committee, and what kind of school it is. That said, it certainly won't hurt your chances, and it can very possibly help them if you are good about narrating how they helped you get to where you are. In my own grad school cohort, about half of us had relevant work experience and the other half had not been out of academia yet.

[rysal]

I am currently applying to combined MA/PhD programs in a humanities field, applying to all top programs. I am 3 years out of undergrad and have spent the last 3 years at a non-profit doing work that is immediately relevant to my proposed field of study.

Every time I tell people I'm applying, they say some kind of variation of: "Oh, you'll get in, look at what you've been doing for the last few years!"

Hi octagonal, you sound like me (4 yrs in a non-profit, then applied to very competitive programs) and your friends sound like mine.  I had similar concerns, but all the professors and graduate students I made contact with told me that it's a matter of fit.  If your real world experience is something you can include in your statement as extra ammunition, as additional evidence that you do/will fit in the particular program, I'd imagine that having such an experience under your belt can only help you. 

Best of luck,

rysal

[octagonal]

Thanks for the feedback folks, I appreciate it.