annwyn

I accepted my UMN of offer on Friday! See you there this fall weiwentg! I would LOVE to get out of there in three...but I think AT LEAST four is more realistic.

"For reading comp, you need to practice looking for CLUES inside of the text. Also note that one RC question is worth as many points as a vocab question despite the difference in difficulty." This! Depending on how fast you read, it is sometimes faster to start with the question and look backwards for the clues in the text. You don't necessarily need to read the whole passage. ALSO, because each question counts the same, look at answers themselves before dedicating the time. For example: If the answers are "A and B" or "C and D"...you, in effect, have to know two answers. Those take more time than a simple A, B, C, or D but are NOT worth more points. There are some answers that will have THREE or FOUR combinations ("A, B, and C" or "B, C and D") these are not worth the time to do them right away. I skip them and only come back to them if I have extra time. So, in short, look for ways to earn the most points as fast as you can. Don't burn up time, where you don't have to.

Well I finally got all my offers in, and made a decision! I will be attending University of Minnesota...School of Public Health. So count me among the anthropologist that are in Health Services Research. I'll still see some of you at SFAA I'm sure!

I was admitted to my first school in January and they had no problem giving me extra time. However, turned out I didn't need it. I found out Friday I didn't get off the wait-list and I was able to accept my other offer. I was VERY relieved to not have to make that decision! I hope you hear very soon!

I'm in a similar situation. I would wait as long as you can, especially if they will match funds. You might consider telling your current acceptance that you are waiting on final decisions. I contacted my program for clarification, and they told me I technically have until 11:59 on April 15th to accept and still be within the deadline. However, they gave me a couple of days beyond the deadline to make my decision in the event an offer comes in at the last minute. It relieves a tiny bit of stress to have those extra days. Hope you hear some definite answers soon! Congratulations as well!

personal hygiene

Since your weakness is in verbal, and that's where I did well (97th), I'm going to address that. I took the test twice, five years apart, and was able to bump my verbal from 89 to 97 (percentile). My math score stayed about the same at just above the 50th each time (practice geometry). I used a couple of vocabulary apps for the GRE, but I honestly don't think they made a difference. What I feel DID work, and I wish I had done it more than the apps, was writing the words and definitions. I took the list that ETS gives you for vocabulary. I can't remember exactly, but I believe it's online. (You can definitely find GRE vocab word lists all over!) I would go through them, and ANY word I wasn't 1000% on I would write out old style. Just like in elementary. Write the word, then the definition...THEN I would put it in a sentence (didn't write these). I wrote 25 words at a time for a few days, making a new sentence every time. At the end of the day, usually while cooking dinner, I would have somebody quiz me on my list. At the end of the week, I would revisit the previous week list and see what needed help, and added it to my daily list. I don't think I had more than a handful of words make it longer than two weeks. Doing this, I learned more words and could use them appropriately MUCH FASTER than any other method I tried. I did well on the apps, but the words weren't sticking. If I went back a week later I couldn't recall the exact definition. I would add, take practice tests. But in small chunks. It will help get a feel for the test itself. Don't burn yourself out on taking the full length practice tests, but do take a couple. Maybe one at the beginning to get a feel for where you need to focus, and one closer to your date. Take the free practice tests ETS gives you so you can get an idea of how the computer software works. You don't want the first time you see the test software to be on the day you take the test. You want to be able to navigate in each section, be able to skip questions, go back, check answers, and submit answers (when you are REALLY done) and not have ANY of that be new. Employ test taking strategies. My advisor (who teaches the GRE Princeton Review prep class) said remember: this test hates you. It tries to be tricky. Once you take a few practice chunks, you will start to see how they try to trip you up. Watch for those kinds of questions. Time is not your friend, you can go back and answer questions later, so skip ones that will take you longer. Answer EVERY question. Keep an eye on your time, when it gets close...fill in the blanks. Just pick your favorite letter. Take the test at the time of day you are best. If you are a morning person, take it in the morning. If you don't function until later in the day, take it then. If you know that you'll stress out so bad you'll make yourself crazy, maybe a morning time would work better so you get it done. Eat if you usually at that time. You don't want to eat a big meal if you don't usually. Likewise, you don't want to skip a meal if it is when you usually eat. The test is long, and you can't leave to go to the bathroom in the middle of it...plan accordingly. Spicy buffalo wings the night before, might be a bad choice. Sorry this is so long, but good test taking has so much more to it than just the test (and the test is bad enough)! Best of luck! You have a ton of prep stuff, find the ones that seem to help you best, and stick with those.

This is the BEST revived thread ever! I had a similar experience and had to switch advisors to finish my MA, I can't imagine a PhD under this kind of person. I just want to add, for the poor soul who reads this and thinks...I think I could take it.... You might. People are tough, and driven people are incredibly tough, but here is a story that convinced me that I needed to leave my own situation. Sometimes, it doesn't matter how tough you are. If your advisor is abusive, they can find ways to make it impossible for you to finish. In the case of this story, this person was nearly done with his PhD. Classes done, research nearly completed, big portions of his dissertation were written. THEN, his advisor literally packed up his research collection and SHIPPED IT AWAY to another researcher across the country. He literally showed up at the lab and his project wasn't there. He told me he didn't know what to do. What could he do? Start a new project? Try and get his project back??? Still work for this advisor when they could do something like this AGAIN?? The school knew how the advisor was, and wasn't prepared to take any action against them. Lucky for him, out of the blue another university called him (I believe for a collaboration) and he was able to swing that into a PhD dissertation. But I believe he had to move several states over to finish it. Long story short: don't do it! Don't put your future in the hands of somebody who can make it impossible for you to complete your degree. It isn't about toughing it out if you literally can't get done. Thanks thescientist for posting your update!! I'm so glad you shared what happened!

Wow. Hard decision. I have been told to stay where you LOVE it, because you will need that fire to keep you going through the difficult phases of your grad work. However, SMG brings up a good point about why you love it so much at UTA. Could you pick up something like that at WashU? You may still be able to collaborate with the professor at UTA if you attend WashU (I have friends who have done this EXACT thing with professors outside of their school at sites they love). 50% more funding is no joke, especially since I think the cost of living in St. Louis is significantly lower. Six years vs. four years might be an issue if you don't finish in four. How does funding work at UTA for those students that go longer? Are there funding options for them (RA or TA)? The difference in the teaching requirement is a big deal too. There are a lot of things to consider besides funding. If the funding at UTA is sufficient to complete the research you want, then perhaps you should look at other factors to help you decide. What is each city like? How well does each program support you in publication or presentation opportunities? Does one program place considerably more graduates in the kind of job you want? It's a hard decision, no doubt. No matter which you choose, once you are there, don't second guess yourself. You'll go crazy if you start to consider all the "what ifs?" Congratulations too! It's a wonderful problem to have!

Same here. I've been trying to work out which I'd take IF I get off the waitlist...which is making me crazy. Plus the decision is wildly hard. I talked to my first school and they said if I needed a couple of extra days after the deadline I could have it. Might be worth telling your first school, perhaps they will extend your deadline in case you get an offer on (or just after) the 15th. Best wishes!

Thank you so much guys! It is really helpful to hear from folks who are on the public health side. It's good to know that I won't be as far behind as I thought. I had the chance to discuss my specific problem with a panel of Anthropologists working in public health at SFAA, and they pretty much said exactly the same thing. Diversify, and it won't matter which degree you get. This makes me feel each program is even closer to the other in comparison, but this actually makes me feel a little less stressed about my final decision. I guess I'll wait for the 15th and see what, if anything, pops...then make a choice. My advisor told me to just go with my gut, and whatever way I choose, don't look back, "for that way lies madness." I imagine he is exactly right.

Help? Seriously just want some ideas/a place to work out my own ideas. Here is my problem. I have an acceptance to the University of Minnesota in their public health PhD program, which ranks about #8 right now. I have been waitlisted at Notre Dame for their brand new Anthropology PhD (and not ranked) program, and according to some conversations with them, seems likely I will get an offer, but it might literally come on the afternoon of April 15th, so I pretty much need to have made my decision by then. Hence my problem. Assuming (maybe a big assumption) I get off the waitlist at Notre Dame, I might not have a lot of time to consider this choice, and trying to do it now I'm realizing I can't figure this out and would LOVE some help! I also have acceptances to two other programs: Portland State and Case Western. Portland State is not deciding funding until May, so I'm not interested. Case Western is hoping to have their funding decision done before the deadline. My luck is they'll offer something awesome at the last minute so I can truly lose my mind. TLDR/ OP has issues with a theoretical problem that might become reality on April 15th. Send jokes to alleviate stress. Pros to MN: Top ten school in a competitive field Great POI with very similar research interests Minneapolis/St. Paul Public health job market is EXTREMELY more stable and lucrative than Anthropology market They WANT me. They have gone out of their way to make sure I know it. There is something to be said for the program that is excited to have you. Everyone I have talked to has been very amiable, professors, staff, and other students Cons to MN: My MA is in Anthro and Public Health is a big theoretical shift, I would be starting behind most of the other students academically, which might make it harder to achieve/stand out among a very competitive cohort. I do qualitative analysis and among this group that is rare. A "flying-fish" is how it was described while I was visiting. It's the hard vs. soft science debate. Everybody has always been very respectful and I expect it wouldn't be horribly problematic, but the field in its entirety is based in quantitative analysis at its core. One professor did express some concern for me in making the switch (he has a PhD in sociology). I didn't just click with this cohort immediately. They were great, but I just didn't feel it. Funding is assured, but not guaranteed passed the second year, and second year might be RA instead of fellowship. I talked with the students, and they really do not seem to have a problem funding students, but these RAs are BUSY. INSANELY busy. Multiple projects, presentations, etc., and if I'm already going to be playing catch-up...that's a lot, especially if I am doing it while taking classes my second year. Pros to Notre Dame: I literally wanted to attend this program BEFORE it existed. I first contacted my POI in hopes he could tell me where to look since they didn't have a program...and BAM, they get a program. 5 full years of funding, no teaching requirement in the first year, and a possible post-doc when you are done. Plus some summer funding. Basically, they have money and want to give it to their students. When visiting they made it clear they don't want finances to be a concern for their students. I already have an Anthro MA, so the course load doesn't stress me at all, and I've taught Anthro classes so the TA doesn't stress me either. My POI is the guy in my area of interest. The second guy, who is closely associated, is also at Notre Dame. I clicked with this cohort. Like on a silly level. I really like these people. Cons to Notre Dame: Anthropology jobs are not exactly lucrative or plentiful. That isn't why I want the PhD, but if I have an option for lucrative AND plentiful, I have to consider this. This is a brand new program. There is no way to know if they will be successful at graduating students, or placing them after. They have built a solid program, but... South Bend My POI is THE GUY in my field, but he is looking to retire. He has assured me that if I were to come that he would see me through to the end of my program, but a POI at the end of their career has different focus and drive than one at the beginning. This program isn't nearly as excited about me specifically, and with reason. My area of interest concerns populations and cultures in the United States, and historically those topics aren't as well received in the Anthropology community. AND I technically don't even have the acceptance. Sorry for such a huge long post, especially since I am waitlisted at one of these schools! If anybody has anything great they can see that I should consider, I would love to hear it. Thanks all, in advance!

In my opinion, at an undergrad level you should only worry about persuing the four field method. Get a well balanced exposure to each subfield, most likely your program will require this anyway and you will get a chance to discover the subfield you love. I took research positions in a variety of subfields, and that really helped me define which one I wanted to study. Sometimes something is wildly different in practice than it is in the classroom. As far as prepping for college anthro, I think you will be good to just prep for college. You seem to be thinking pretty far ahead, so I probably won't offer much you don't already know. Time management is key. Course loads in college can be pretty different from even a rigorous high school program. Make sure you give yourself the time outside of the classroom to study and do homework. If you are concerned about what classes to take I would suggest taking a wide variety of classes (again, probably mandated by your university anyway). They are all useful. I'll share a little story which I like to share with my incoming Freshmen classes. I was a biochemistry major as an undergrad, and my course load was extremely heavy and didn't have much room for anything outside science and math. My university had a set of General Education Requirements that were outside of my field, but I put them off because I wasn't interested, and was very focused getting my science classes in the correct order when they were offered. I had 4 quarters left of my bio-chem degree when I took my first anthropology class. It was heaven and I knew this is where I wanted to be. I was able to switch majors and get done in that last year, but it was a mess and then I stayed on for an MA to get more experience in the field before seeking a PhD. The point: take a wide variety of classes at the college level EARLY in your college career. That way, if you find you really do just fall in love with something you didn't even know existed, you have time to explore it and develop it. That's my two cents.

I come from a school that is barely ranked on a regional level, let alone a national level and I got accepted to some pretty high ranked PhD programs. But I also got shut down at a couple of schools where my advisor warned me they won't take anybody from my school. So, it doesn't necessarily matter. Are you only comparing Penn State and Madison? In that case, pick the one you like. Work your ass off and it won't matter either way. If your serious about the PhD, you'll be working your ass off anyway. What SMG and Mountainroad have said is spot on. If there is an advisor there that is well respected in the field you are most intersted in, that might help.

Weird about the Anth prof and the binary language, that really suprises me. It's a hard call. Soc and Anth use entirely different theoretical frameworks. Since you have some Anth background maybe you could take a Soc class and see if you like it? If you decided it wasn't your bag and wanted to Anth but not be limited to one geographical area, you could focus on a topic that spans multiple geographies. A broad example might look like: access to reproductive healthcare for women in various cultures. Or, domestic violence across cultures. Not an easy choice. Might come down to who in the Brandeis dept you decide you just click with best.