Author: Cresencio Cantu

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Admissions

Dedman Graduate Program Applications: What is the Video Essay?

As deadlines approach, students around the country are getting ready to submit their graduate school applications.  SMU’s graduate programs in Dedman College are doing something new this year as part of our application – including a video essay component.  While it might sound intimidating, it’s actually a very informal way of getting to introduce yourself to the entire admissions committee for your department.  We’d like to share more about the video essay now to help prepare you as you put together your application.

First of all, the video essay is mandatory for the following students:

  • All Ph.D. applicants that: (1) must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores, and (2) have received a TOEFL speaking score below 23, or an IELTS speaking band below 6.5.
  • All international Statistics or Biostatistics graduate applicants, in either the Ph.D. or MASDA programs.

For all other applicants, the video essay is optional.

What should you expect from the video essay?  You will see SMU faculty and administrators asking you about your goals, background, and preparation for your graduate program.  After you see the question, you’ll have 60 – 90 seconds to respond in your own video.  Because it’s all about you, there is no special steps you need to take before recording.  There are no trick questions!  However, you won’t have a chance to re-record your response, so make sure you are ready to film.  You’ll have an opportunity to film as many practice questions as you’d like before filming the real responses.

Many applicants can look the same on paper.  We hope that these video essays will give you a chance to express yourself directly to the admissions committee and share why you are interested in your field.  And don’t worry, we know that video recordings don’t always go perfectly.  Below is an outtake from filming one of our questions, when the wind got a little too aggressive with the equipment.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/orH8f4SGJLQ[/youtube]

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Religious Studies Student Stories

Get to Know Ph. D. Student Andrew Mercer

At SMU, learning happens on campus and all around the world!  Andrew Mercer, a Ph.D. student in the Graduate Program in Religious Studies, had an opportunity to work in Massachusetts this summer.  Here is his story:

Earlier this year, I applied to serve as a teaching fellow for the summer studies program at the Pappas Patristic Institute in Brookline, Massachusetts.  This is a week-long program designed for masters and undergraduate students as well as clergy and laity to have an opportunity to study patristics under the guidance of faculty who are experts in the field. Participants choose two courses to attend, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  Each course is designed and overseen by a professor, and most courses have a PhD student acting as the teaching fellow. In general, the professors choose the texts that will be read and give an introduction to the material, then the teaching fellows guide the daily reading and discussion of those texts. I t is a wonderful way for doctoral students to gain classroom experience, to get to know scholars in the field, and to discuss research projects with other graduate students.

2016 Summer Institute Attendees

I was able to attend this program thanks to a graduate student travel grant from the SMU Graduate Studies office.  I served as the teaching fellow for a course on the problem of evil in patristic theology and philosophy, a topic on which I had written for our core PhD seminar in philosophy of religion.  My role was to field questions on the material and to facilitate the dialogue, which naturally turned out to be a great way of solidifying my own understanding of the topic.  In addition to being a teaching fellow for this course, I attended another course which was more directly related to my area of specialization (patristic ecclesiology) and was able to make a significant contribution there as well.

 

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Alumni Stories History

Spotlight on: Ph.D. Alumnus Matthew Babcock

Prof. Matthew Babcock is an Assistant Professor of History at UNT Dallas, where he has worked as a founding faculty member since it became a four-year institution in 2010.  Prof. Babcock is also an SMU alumnus, graduating with his Ph.D. in history in 2008.

Continue reading “Spotlight on: Ph.D. Alumnus Matthew Babcock”
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Alumni Stories Statistics

Spotlight on: Ph.D. Alumnus Charles South

Charles South graduated from SMU in May 2016 with his Ph.D. in Statistical Science.  He is currently working at the Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care at UT Southwestern Medical School, where the vast majority of his work involves analyzing data from clinical trials to help understand how major depressive disorder functions, the kinds of treatments that help reduce and/or remove symptoms, and whether there are underlying characteristics possessed by people with depression that make them more or less likely to respond to treatment.  This is one of the great advantages of studying statistics – Charles has a toolbox of methods grounded in theory that he can use to analyze real data sets and help experts make decisions in a vast range of fields.  In this case, that field happens to be healthcare at one of the cutting-edge facilities in the country.

As luck would have it, what brought Charles to SMU originally was not Statistics, but Engineering.  “Ironically, the amazing engineering co-op program at SMU is what originally sold me.  When I decided that engineering wasn’t the field for me, I found a home in the statistical science department.  When it came time for me to pursue a PhD, there was nowhere else that I wanted to be!”  In the Statistical Science department, Charles found a home where he was able to work closely with students and faculty to pursue his interests.  “The world-class faculty, small teacher-to-student ratio, and atmosphere of comradery make the Statistical Science department at SMU one of a kind in my eyes.  The faculty are always willing to help and take a great interest in student learning and student success.”

During his time at SMU, the Statistical Science program provided him with the tools he needed to succeed in his research and beyond.  “I feel like I was constantly pushed to the brink of my intellectual capability throughout my time at SMU.  High level peers and high level faculty constantly kept me on my toes and motivated me to push through challenging coursework.  Through the Statistical Consulting Center, I was given ample opportunities to polish my skills while working with real life clients and gained the confidence necessary to succeed in a full-time position.”

How can you pursue statistics at the next level?  “First and foremost, don’t be afraid to show weakness,” Charles advises.  “I spent tons of time seeking help from my professors, and it made a big difference in my confidence and my grades.  Second, collaborate and spend time with your peers.  Graduate school is a struggle with many highs and lows; having people to share the struggle with makes it much easier to overcome.  Lastly, be open to criticism.  The best way to grow in any field is to be around people who are much smarter and more experienced than you are… and this means your work will be criticized early and often.  While it may seem frustrating at times, it is also the best catalyst for growth.”

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Anthropology Student Stories

Spotlight on: University Ph.D. Fellow Sara Mosher

SMU is proud to award University Ph.D. Fellowships to some of our most outstanding applicants.  Get to know a little more about one of our fantastic Anthropology Ph.D. students, Sara Mosher, currently in her second year at SMU.

Graduate Fellowship Student Portraits

What is your research area?
I’m a migration anthropologist, interested in what happens when people are forced to leave their home countries because of violence of persecution, and how these people are received in their host country.  I’ve done previous work with people from Afghanistan who resettled in the US, and in the future I hope to work with people from Syria.  My goal is to improve policy and programs for refugees in order to make their transition a little easier.

What is something cool about your field?
The coolest thing about anthropologists is that they are always ready to explore the world around them and make connections with people from all different backgrounds.  Anthropologists are interested in all the differences and similarities that make us human.

What is the best thing you’ve done as a graduate student at SMU so far?
Recently I presented at a symposium on forced migration, organized by the graduate students in the anthropology department.  It was terrific to be able to share our research with other people in the community who are working with refugees.

What is your favorite thing to do in Dallas?
On nice days I like to go for a jog around White Rock Lake.

What do you wish you’d known before starting graduate school?
One of the most important things for grad school sanity is to pick a hobby unrelated to your research, set a dedicated time for it each week, and stick to it no matter what.  Otherwise it’s easy to lose perspective and get overwhelmed.

What is your favorite leisure activity?
Rock climbing!  Texas is so flat, so there aren’t many places to go outdoors here.  But there are several local climbing gyms, including one right here at SMU.

You can read more about our other University Ph.D. Fellows here.