kmj-c09

Also thank you, the looking through papers hint is very helpful, I'm now going through articles I've liked! and will do some more outreach to friends in anthro programs!

Thank you very much!! This is very helpful. I was hoping there may be a more efficient way, but I'm not surprised there isn't ? I'm learning to really appreciate the departments that list at least a minimal note about faculty interests on the faculty page so you don't have to click through to every profile! haha Broad strokes of more information on my substantive interests: - land rights movements (including campesino, indigenous, and afro-descendent movements), agrarian reform, and agrarian counter reform - privatization of the security sector in rural areas (including paramilitarization) and violence against land rights movements - community self-protection and resiliency strategies - the political nature of drug trafficking networks and violence I have experience working closely with grassroots movements in Colombia and Honduras so I would like to build off of that work, but I am also potentially interested in exploring other case studies including Brazil and Mexico. I've been debating between anthropology and sociology, partially for the reasons you mention. I think the methods I'm interested in are more rooted in anthro, but I also suspect at some universities the faculty/particular professors in sociology may be a better fit than the anthro department (especially at places where anthropology departments are more heavily biological anthropology or archaeology focused). I'm also considering human geography programs. Jocelyn Viterna was on my list of people to potential reach out to actually! So this confirms that Thank you so much for your help, it makes this whole process less mystifying!

Thank you, this is helpful! Yes, I was thinking of rounding it out with country and topic experts also, but I am perhaps most concerned about how to find methods experts, because my main motivation to go back to study would be to learn new methods and be able to apply them, since I have a lot of experience working in the countries in other capacities... but reaching out to people and seeing from there seems like good advice, thank you!

Also looking for this, thanks for starting the thread!

Hi all, I am seriously considering applying to a PHD in the fall, in either Sociology or Anthropology or Geography or Latin American studies - (the methods I am interested in using and learning are used by a few different disciplines and I would be flexible, with the priority of finding faculty support for the kinds of research I am interested in) I have fairly specific research interests, including the types of methods I want to use (participatory action research, community based participatory research, and social cartography), the region/area of focus (Latin America, particularly Colombia and Honduras), and I have specific topical issues/questions I want to propose. However, I'm having trouble figuring out how to efficiently find professors who are a good fit for these research areas. So far I have been just looking at the faculty pages of universities, but I'm wondering if there is a more efficient ways to approach the search. I've thought about tracing back through articles that use the methods I am interested in, or possibly conference programs or associations (like the Latin American Studies Association). Does anyone have recommendations or ideas for what has worked best for them? Thank you!!

Hi all, I am seriously considering applying to a PHD in the fall, in either Sociology or Anthropology (possibly Geography or Latin American studies - the methods I am interested in using and learning are used by a few different disciplines and I would be flexible, with the priority of finding faculty support for the kinds of research I am interested in). I have fairly specific research interests, including the types of methods I want to use (participatory action research, community based participatory research, and social cartography), the region/area of focus (Latin America, particularly Colombia and Honduras), and I have specific topical issues/questions I want to propose. However, I'm having trouble figuring out how to efficiently find professors who are a good fit for these research areas. So far I have been just looking at the faculty pages of universities, but I'm wondering if there is a more efficient ways to approach the search. I've thought about tracing back through articles that use the methods I am interested in, or possibly conference programs or associations (like the Latin American Studies Association). Does anyone have recommendations or ideas for what has worked best for them? Thank you!!

Hi all, I am seriously considering applying to a PHD in the fall, in either Sociology or Anthropology (possibly Geography or Latin American studies - the methods I am interested in using and learning are used by a few different disciplines and I would be flexible, with the priority of finding faculty support for the kinds of research I am interested in). I have fairly specific research interests, including the types of methods I want to use (participatory action research, community based participatory research, and social cartography), the region/area of focus (Latin America, particularly Colombia and Honduras), and I have specific topical issues/questions I want to propose. However, I'm having trouble figuring out how to efficiently find professors who are a good fit for these research areas. So far I have been just looking at the faculty pages of universities, but I'm wondering if there is a more efficient ways to approach the search. I've thought about tracing back through articles that use the methods I am interested in, or possibly conference programs or associations (like the Latin American Studies Association). Does anyone have recommendations or ideas for what has worked best for them? Thank you!!

hey ! can a moderator delete this thread? I moved my question to a better forum, I think. Thanks!

Hey all, hoping to apply to Harvard's JD/MPP. Already accepted in the JD program and entering this fall (we can apply for the dual degree at the end of our first year. So wondering about my competitiveness for HKS' MPP. GPA: UG GPA 3.90 at top 5 public university (with well-known merit scholarship). GRE score: No GRE to date. Can apply with LSAT score (166, 93rd percentile) but I know that my LSAT score was very on the low side for HLS, so I'm wondering if it's worth taking the GRE this summer. Work experience: 1 year out of undergrad. Spent that year working with human rights rights in Latin America (my region of interest). Solid WE in undergrad -- different internship every summer abroad in my area of interest (human rights, generally speaking); internships during the year in that area, pretty significant leadership in campus organizations. Several publications, but not peer-review. Undergrad thesis in area/region of interest. Currently a summer research assistant in area of interest. Language skills: English (native); Spanish (professional fluency); French (~B2 on common European scale); Arabic (low-intermediate MSA); Portuguese (beginner). Quantitative requirements: Applying for the MPP, which has no specific quantitative requirements that I know of. My qualitative courses in UG were pretty limited (1 course in ECON -- covers micro and macro but at a more superficial level -- and one course in STAT). Will this hurt me? Overseas experience (work, study and teaching): Multi-national, 1 year working abroad post-grad, 3 internships abroad in UG, 1 semester study abroad, 2 month-long study abroad fellowships post-grad; extensive travel experience. Any thoughts re: taking the GRE? Also, is funding ever a possibility for someone with as limited post-grad experience as me? (i.e. only one year when most people have more than that).

Hello, I was wondering if anyone on here has experience/knowledge of the HKS joint JD/MPP program, and specifically the possibility of applying with LSAT scores. I am entering HLS this fall, and we can apply for the joint degree while in our first year. JD/MPP applicants at harvard can submit their LSAT scores instead of GRE/GMAT scores. Of course I would prefer not to take more tests/spend more time and money prepping if possible ( ) But I am also nervous because I was on the very low end for HLS LSAT scores (166, which is pretty well under their 25% of 170; 166 is 93rd percentile). I'm trying to figure out if it would behoove me to take the GRE in hopes that I would get a proportionately better score (not only in terms of admissions, but also in terms of potential funding). I've read a few places that scores are less important at HKS, but I also want my application to be as strong as possible, of course. In terms of the other components of my application, my UG GPA is 3.90. I'm only 1 year out of UG, but when I spoke to law school admissions officers while applying they all commented that my résumé was very strong (and I'm assuming that work experience -- including internships/extracurriculars -- must have helped me, just because my LSAT was so much on the lower end). Thanks so much for your thoughts !