sarab

Hello everyone! Who else will be starting at UC San Diego this fall? I'm really excited and would love to say hello to all of you. If any already-attending students want to say hello, please do!

Well, most graduate students will have to get outside grants and funding. University fellowships usually only last a few years, and people tend to stay longer than that. You'll need research grants, travel grants, etc... and you definitely want and need to get funding in order to get a job in academia after you're done. So, talk to your POI, ask them about university fellowships and tell them about your interest to apply for outside funding (and start applying now, if you can/want). The AAA's website offers a list of a lot of funding opportunities, so I'd start there. Good luck!

I don't know anything really about forensic anthropology, but my undergrad department didn't have linguistic anthropology, so I minored in applied linguistics, and that really helped me. Maybe doing a minor ir biology would help. I definitely second Inky's recommendation: expand your interests. Plus, you've got plenty of time to learn more about other topics. Maybe doing an internship would help (a lot of anthro students here in Atlanta get internships at the CDC), or doing an undergrad thesis. Talk to an advisor in your department, they could probably give you additional input and information that would be applicable to your university. Good luck!

Aw, no problem. And yes! I think that's how it was answered (at least how I answered it).

Go for it!

Yay AK and Melian!

Congratulations NoSleep! We'll both be in California

That's awesome! Good luck with your decision

I got the RMF (decided against going there), but it sounds like a great program! I'll be doing the same thing at UCSD, and it's really a great opportunity. It gives you a headstart in research, an opportunity to meet people in other disciplines, an opportunity to adapt to the city, plus a pretty good stipend.

Yeah, I agree with the previous posters: it never hurts to ask. You could tell them "Hello, I would really like to go to there and accept the offer as it is my top choice. However, funding is very important, and I would like to know if I can get an extension, so that I can know about my funding situation before I decide?"

Congrats Kingscilla! I'm so excited for you.

So happy for the both of you! You'll be in the same cohort That's always nice!

daykid, I replied in private, but yes, I unite to the choir of congratulations! <3

Thank you everyone for your support! And Kaitri, I need to! We should all celebrate. Party!

OK, San Diego it is! Michigan is a great department, but when it was time to decide I really needed to take into account not only research fit, but also adviser relationship fit and just my overall well-being and comfort level in the department. Plus, my husband will have more opportunities there, and I really needed to think of him as well. Good luck to everyone!

I haven't decided, but I'm thinking that my well-being and mental health (among many other things like fit and my husband and other stuff) would be better at one university more than the other.

I don't know if you've heard, but NSF might not be something we can count on much longer http://blog.aaanet.org/2014/03/11/take-a-standforscience/ Contact your representatives!

Kaitri, I would go with McMaster because since you need to catch up, a smaller department would allow you to do so and would provide you with the support you need. Having a smaller department also means more chances to stand out which would be great when applying to PhD programs. Good luck with the decision.

Do you mind if I pm you to get more info on car-less transportation?

Congrats! I know you're going to be very happy!

I don't know if people are still considering funding, but here are some results I hadn't posted. It's still good for next year! If you want to add your info, you can do it here Participant 34 Participant 35 Participant 36 Participant 37

That's really great! I'm so happy for you.

I'm so glad people feel the same way! I still haven't decided, and things get more complicated every day, but I just don't want to have to say "no" and "break up." It's hard saying no sometimes. I wish I could go to both at the same time.

AncientDNA, mesoarch, culturalanth and Kaitri: congratulations! I'm very happy for all of you!

KingScilla, it might be a good idea to tell your POI that you're really considering their university because you know it's a great fit and a great department for your research and career goals, and ask if there are any funding opportunities that they could work out, so that you can accept their offer since you'd really like to do that but have an offer elsewhere with funding. Just show a high level of interest in program B and show that you'd accept if there was funding.