dbj

Anthro can encompass many fields, of course, but I think it's a social science at the end of the day. Unless everyone has been lying to me for years! Ha. Why the UK? For many reasons. I'm in London a few times a year to see family and friends. I've done a lot of work with British organizations. I prefer London to New York. But most importantly because of what SOAS is and the specialization being my fields of interest... It's also cheaper. I don't really want to live in the US anymore. Been abroad about 2.5 of the last 4 years. I'm currently traveling, actually, which just adds to my anxiety about wanting to know where I'll be in the fall. I was in Southeast Asia for 4 months, then made my way to Portugal... Currently in Berlin. Enjoying myself but would not mind a bit of routine again, either! I'll trade places with anyone for an admissions offer.

Thank you for the response. I appreciate the input. I was in London about two months ago and sat with an admissions counselor/advisor at SOAS. She mentioned that as long as I applied before Easter, I should be fine. I think the technical deadline is 30 June, though I know you should obviously apply well in advance. I just hope that my prof gets the LOR in ASAP and all works out... My alternatives are Edinburgh and maybe King's. I was going to apply for the fall 2013 intake and in January of that year I stopped at SOAS to ask some questions. An admin claimed that I couldn't apply for the Dev Studies program because anthropology wasn't considered a social science in the UK and that was a requirement for entry. That's strange, because I actually attended the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at my uni. I know US/UK standards are not the same, but anthropology is considered a social science universally... I was planning on only applying to the International Politics for 2014, but the admin I spoke to on this last trip to SOAS says it is not an issue at all. Oh the fun of applying for a postgraduate degree!

Hello all. I know I'm a bit late to this thread, considering it began in December 2013! I'm an American student who is applying for the postgrad in Development Studies at SOAS, with my second option being the International Politics program. I'm just wondering if anyone can assess my chances? I'm currently waiting for a professor to submit my second LOR and hope to hear back relatively soon. I applied about 3 weeks ago. (Hate waiting- alas.) About me: I know there is no direct equivalency between American and British uni marking systems, but I have a 3.67 Grade Point Average from a public university. My major GPA was about 3.8-3.9. SOAS mentions the cut off point for American students being 3.5 from a non-competitive university. I think my GPA still quantifies as first or second class honours. My first degree is a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology, with a specific focus on the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. I was on two full scholarships during my undergraduate years for merit, and I conducted an ethnographic research project via uni funds in Nepal. The past four years I've finished two internships in Nepal, an internship in Cairo, and one in New York (where I live)-- all with small to large, well known and unknown NGOs, and all for longer than a month. (In the case of Nepal, I've lived there about a year total on and off since 2010.) As for work experience, in addition to my internships, I actually have a large background in non-profit organizations in the US. I worked as a freelance campaigner organizer with a national LGBT org (required me to work around the US in different states) and at a family planning clinic as I finished my degree. I did take a few semesters off to work, all of which I explained in a letter to accompany my application. My goal is to continue working in South Asia and the Middle East with a focus on HIV, family planning, reproductive health, and the LGBT community. Coming from "the field" and having met many SOAS alumni and those affiliated/in the know, I think it's the best fit for me professionally and academically and personally. Plus, I spend a lot of time in London and really would not mind setting up camp there for the year. Ha, so what do you think? I just want to know! Congratulations to everyone who has heard back. Nervously yours, dbj