rising_star

Actually, this is very rarely true. Almost every school has a procedure for altering grades after they've been submitted in the case of miscalculations, incompletes, etc. I've changed grades after submission for several students and for various reasons (their grade wasn't calculated correctly, they got an incomplete for various reasons, I subsequently found out they'd plagiarized their paper). So I just want to caution both you and the OP against thinking that once a grade has been submitted it cannot be changed.

It's not necessary but it can be helpful. You want to make sure you'll have a suitable thesis advisor, particularly if you're planning on doing a PhD later on. The bigger concerns when it comes to master's programs are funding and making sure the courses you're interested in will actually be offered during your time there.

Why would you need to contact schools a second time? Is there information you didn't get the first time that you now want/need in order to apply? In general, a timeline isn't that hard. Work backwards from your earliest deadline and take it from there. Make sure you put ample time into writing, rewriting, editing, and revising your statement of purpose and writing sample because those are some of the most crucial parts of your application. And, as an international student, investigate now whether you'll need an outside agency to verify/credential (I can't think of the exact word) your college transcript so you can get that done early on.

Yes, it's possible. The only way for you to know for sure is to ask her.

Have you ever read the chapter "Shitty First Drafts"? I can't remember the author offhand but, I found it helpful to read about seasoned/experienced/successful writers and how they find it helpful to just put anything down, even if it's not good, and not worry about editing, proper citations, etc. (at least not at first). Like telkanuru, I will turn to pen and paper if I'm really faced with writer's block. I'm also one of those people who loves making incredibly detailed outlines, sometimes to the level where I list the argument/topic sentence for each paragraph, which I can then more easily flesh out.

If you do a search of the forum (look in the top right for the search box), you'll find several long threads about the Boren. These may provide some of the answers you're seeking.

2014 was only two years ago. Assuming you took multiple classes with someone and/or those classes had fewer than 30 students, there will be at least a couple of professors who remember you. And yes, you want a higher quantitative score than that if at all possible. Without knowing what your research interests are, no one here can help you decide where to apply. Fit plays a key role in grad admissions so you'll want to make sure you look into the faculty at each program you're considering and make sure there are at least two people who could (and would be willing to) supervise your research. This is especially important for PhD programs.

Depending on the qualitative methods you're interested in, you may also want to look at methods courses in anthropology, geography, women's and gender studies, and education, all of which are fields that tend to offer courses in qualitative methods. If you really want to have strong qual training, you could go somewhere like UGA, which has a graduate certificate in qualitative methods that any grad student can pursue regardless of their discipline.

I just want to reply to this part to say that this makes a *lot* of assumptions about a person. I know many people who cannot concentrate in an environment where others are talking around them and who struggle to work in cube farms because of this, even after years of doing so. Some people need quiet to concentrate and do work and that isn't always possible in an office setting. Sure, things like noise-reducing headphones help but, depending on the workplace, these can actually be seen as a negative by others and lead to trouble integrating with the team, getting promoted, etc. For all we know, the OP has ADHD or another mental or physical health issue which makes concentration difficult even in the quietest of settings. It's always good to be mindful of things like that when giving blanket advice about what one can or cannot do. That said, OP, if you genuinely have issues concentrating in a noisy lab environment and have tried workarounds, I highly recommend talking to the PI and others in the lab about this. Perhaps people can agree to "quiet hours" in the lab where people aren't having conversations and where those who want music listen through headphones. Such changes are more likely to be made if you put in a good effort to work in the existing conditions and modify your personal surroundings first so that people can see that you're struggling with being productive in that setting despite your efforts. Good luck!

Going through all of your education in a SOP (or LOP) doesn't make sense. You want to present a cohesive narrative about what you want to focus on for your PhD, why, and what you've done to prepare for that, which is hard to do if you're also trying to go over everything you've ever done. Instead, think about what you gained from the courses (language skills, research experience, writing, etc.) and use those to help argue the case for your preparation to do a PhD in anthropology. In addition, you'll want to make sure you're applying to the right programs in terms of fit and that there are at least two professors willing to work with you at each program. It's a bit early to be contacting professors as most are still away for the summer (in anthro, many of them are probably in the field and thus have limited time/desire to deal with emails from prospective students). That said, have you considered applying for master's programs in anthropology or (South) Asian Studies? Doing a master's would allow you to take courses in anthropology, get recommendation letters from anthro profs, develop/showcase your language abilities, and potentially get some experience doing fieldwork in India, all of which would be an asset for future PhD program applications.

Honestly, you should talk to admissions folks about your chances, rather than blindly (and perhaps naively) assuming you wouldn't get in.

@Tails, are you geographically restricted to the NYC metro area? Are you concerned at all about funding for the MA program? Are you interested in literature or rhet/comp? Knowing these might help people who want to provide you with some advice. In general, I'd say that you're competitive for some MA programs but, it will depend on whether or not you're trying to get funding (tuition waiver, TA position, etc.). If you're able to look at other schools, then there are a number of options. Here are some previous threads that you might find helpful: The "Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition" subforum has lots of posts about specific MA programs as well so check those out for more information. Good luck!

In your case, I would not say anything to your current advisor until you have already determined who your new advisor will be and had them agree to serve in that capacity. I'm not sure I understand your concerns about the reference letter for future job applications. Will the current person still be on your dissertation committee? If not, then this isn't really a concern. For jobs, the letters tend to come from those most familiar with your research/teaching, which is typically those on your dissertation committee.

In your case, I'd defer. Starting a new job and starting a new grad program are both huge events in life. Taking on both at the same time is incredibly difficult. I worry that both the program and the job will suffer if you're trying to put in 40 hours a week at each. If you really want an audiology degree, you'll go back for it when the timing is better. Don't listen to what others have to say about that because you know yourself and your dedication to this field and career path.

I don't know. I work at a standing desk most of the time and use it to grade, write papers, etc. I think I might be more productive that way, to be honest.

@Danger_Zone, have you tried using a lectern/standing desk to read? I sometimes read while standing or on the elliptical and find it keeps me from getting as antsy.

It's better to assume it was an accident than to assume malice without outside evidence. In the meantime, definitely have someone forward you the email. Or, if someone is going to reply-all, make sure they add you to the thread.

Instead of being disappointed, take action. By which I mean, I don't know how/why you've concluded you aren't supposed to know about the existence of the email. Do people in your lab literally *never* talk about any of the emails they receive? If everyone got a copy but me, I would generally just assume it was an accidental oversight, ask someone to forward me the email, and mention it to my advisor at the next one-on-one meeting. (I say this because my advisor could be forgetful and often would accidentally leave people off emails with no malice intended.) If you don't take action, then yes, you will be not be involved in the project as much. So, take action!

That changes nothing for me. You can still work with them if you want to. If you choose not to, then that's up to you. This assignment isn't keeping you from working with anyone. You can do an independent study with them, take their courses, volunteer as a RA for them, etc. If you're going to use your assignment as an excuse for not working with certain faculty, then that's on you and no one else. Honestly, you're taking offense where there shouldn't be any and overreacting.

Honestly, that's just part of being an academic. In grad school, you TA/teach courses outside of your field because that's what the department needs. Sure, you're interested in race, ethnicity, and gender but, when it's either TA the intro to comparative course or go without funding, people typically just do what it takes to be funded. (Note: Speaking from experience here. All of the non-100 level teaching and TAing I did in graduate school was in a different subfield than my research/focus because that's what the department needed and it was the easiest path to funding for me.) You become a professor and, especially if you're a VAP or new TT faculty, you teach courses you didn't and don't really want to teach. Complaining gets you nowhere then either. You just suck it up and do it. Or, if you really find the assignment that distasteful, you respectfully decline the position and its accompanying funding. FWIW, I see lots of reasons why someone interested in race, gender, and ethnicity could or should be interested in a Public Policy Research Lab, given the ways so many policies either do or completely don't address issues of race/ethnicity and gender. From a survey research perspective, understanding how and why certain groups are underrepresented or how to sample so they aren't is incredibly important. So, you could look for the bright side of this or just continue to be pissed off and let that negative attitude affect your first semester in a new program. It's your choice, of course.

At most top LACs, they'd be wondering why the hell Johny decided to include his religious and political perspectives in his application. And, that failure to understand how job applications work would be a reason to toss the app, regardless of the religious or political leanings stated because it shows that the applicant doesn't understand the institution to which they are applying. And, for the record, it's always better to show rather than tell. So rather than saying "I'd be fine with working with people from diverse backgrounds", every single person applying should make it clear how they have successfully done so in the future or what skills they have which have enabled them to do this. Again, this is regardless of one's background. (Oh, and I had to Google Hillsdale because I've never even heard of it. I don't generally Google undergrad college names when reading applications because I just don't care. I care far more about the PhD, research, teaching areas, and teaching experience.)

Ask for the deferral and see what they say. What do you have to lose by asking?

Try to think of this from their perspective: Departments run multiple special topics courses each year. Multiple that by the number of departments on campus and then the number of students who take one such course and perhaps you can start to see why the university isn't trying to track down these course titles for you. It's also the case at many institutions that since those course titles aren't in the online system, they would have to go through and contact every professor themselves (the same as you). They're busy people so doing that for every student applying to grad school would amount to a full-time job for someone!

@Peanut, different doesn't automatically mean better. You'll want to make sure your writing sample is the strongest you can possibly make it, ideally by having it reviewed by current grad students and your faculty advisors to ensure it's a solid piece of academic work. If you can't do that, then you may be wasting your money by reapplying now, rather than waiting.

My reply was specific to Sagnik, who didn't say anything about these undergrad publications being peer-reviewed. But also, think about whether the work you did as an undergraduate as important for people to know and how well it represents your current research agenda and skills in thinking about whether or not things should stay on your CV.