strudelle

I don't have any experience with this, but I would like to say I am also interested in knowing more about the benefits and drawbacks of an MA degree. I was under the impression that an MA was funded just like a PhD, but I am learning that this is actually not the case. I don't have a lot of research experience or perfect academic stats, so I was thinking that some additional research in the form of an MA program would only help me get into a PhD program. But now I'm not so sure. I've applied to two PhD programs and an MA program for fall 2014. It's looking like I have a better chance of getting into the MA program and I'm really wondering if it's worth it or not.

Good point, NoSleep. You guys are da best.

As I look at results I realize more and more that no one with stats as bad as mine (very low GRE) has been accepted. My hopes are basically completely gone.

I went to a CV workshop at my university that was the most helpful thing I ever did. I would recommend trying to get involved in something like that where you can get feedback from others who are actually in your field. They will have a better understanding of the proper language and what's important than a CV service will.

Agreed. Skyrim is amazing. Also, I've been watching a lot of this: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/efc_otter/otter_cam.aspx It brings me inner peace. You're welcome.

dtpowis - Yeah that makes it sound like you're already unofficially accepted! And that all sounds really promising. Basically like the program would be a perfect fit for you and like this woman really wants to work with you. That's how this POI was talking to me as well! Basically saying "well when you start..." etc. She also was genuinely interested in my research (just a literature review) and said that they have a visiting professor who is working on exactly the stuff I am working on and she would try to get funding for her to stay on working there so we could work together. And she encouraged me to come back and see the campus (we met at a coffee shop) and said they would pay to "wine and dine" me. The reason I'm hesitant to see this as a good sign at all is that this meeting took place before she even saw my application. But I told her all of my stats while I was there (they're not very impressive), and she still seemed pretty excited to work with me. I just feel like getting into a PhD program straight out of undergrad with only one internship, one field school, and a tiny literature review research project (that I'm presenting at two conferences in April) is pretty much impossible. My GREs were also abysmal - but she told me they were good enough to qualify me for funding. Daykid - don't add to the false hope! Haha

Did any of you have POIs that said you sounded like a perfect fit for the program and already talked to you about funding during the interview? I did and I'm not sure how to take this. I'm operating under the assumption that I'm not going to get in anywhere but this is giving me false hopes.

Damn, now I wish I was going to Austin

I had informal meetings (not interviews, just meetings that I set up on my own) with two POIs back in December and the first week of January. I did not send follow-up emails or thank yous. Should I do this now or should I not even bother because they're probably reviewing applications now? I don't want to seem pushy or annoy them. I also don't want them to forget me. It also never really occurred to me to send a thank you :/

How are you guys finding all this information (when committees are meeting, how many spots are available, how much funding etc.)?

Congratulations daykid! I'm so excited for everyone right now.

I would say it's a general response. All my applications have said they were under consideration since right after the due date.

Haha that's brilliant. You guys are even worse than me with your spreadsheets. Although your organization skills and awareness of the process probably means you're more prepared for grad school than I am. I am checking my email every ten minutes. It's really frustrating to see that I have new messages and they are all junk. I've never gotten so much junk mail in my life.

Yeah, I'm obsessively looking at old results from all the schools I applied to and looking to see if anyone has gotten acceptance yet this year. I'm freaking out. I am almost 100% positive I won't be accepted. But I just want to know one way or another.

I had two informal meetings with POIs. The first one didn't go very well and the professor grilled me on what I want to do. She kept steering the conversation and assuming that my wide breadth of interests meant that I didn't know what I wanted to do. I got very nervous and she was rather forceful, so I ended up sounding flaky. She also could not accept students with funding (the department rotates who gets funding each year), so I feel like applying was somewhat of a waste of time and money. She didn't seem particularly interested in working with me, and I'm certain I won't be accepted to this school. The second meeting went much better. We met at a coffee shop, and the interview was more informal. She asked about my background, research interests etc. She seemed pleased with my experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm and for the rest of the time she seemed to be kind of selling me on the idea of attending the school. She suggested I would be eligible for funding and bought me cookies at the end of the interview. I wore "academic professional" clothes to each meeting. A button down shirt, slacks, nice boots, and a cardigan. I would say this kind of attire is best for an academic meeting. Wear what you would wear to teach.

Whoa those are some pretty crazy requirements for funding. Thanks for letting me know that! I definitely didn't do well enough on the GRE for funding at UCSD. But my POI at UCR said I would qualify there.

Thanks for your input! I applied to UCR and UCSD too so maybe we could end up going to school together I have heard about some changes in the department, but I also heard they're adding someone in meso. It's really nice to know that someone else has heard they have good research opportunities and student support. I also feel like a well-rounded approach is best in anthropology, so I think the department will be good. Do you already have a master's degree? I got the impression that they only accepted PhD applications, so I only applied for the PhD, but now I'm wondering if they're going to think I'm unqualified because I only have a bachelor's degree :/

NoSleepTil - That's amazing! Congratulations!

anthropologygeek - I have heard this about GRE scores as well, but again it's my understanding that it's a generalized "score range." I.e. if their cutoff is a 325, they're saying that they want you to have a score close to that. You won't likely be disqualified if you get a 323 or a 322. Most programs I applied to have no specified GRE cut-off. The one that did had a cut-off of 295. Which is quite a low threshold to meet. Again, I do think it's possible that some ivy leagues or hyper-competitive top ten schools may have more strict guidelines when it comes to GRE scores. But like NOWAY said, I doubt they are throwing out applications. On the other hand, most programs DO have a strict GPA cut-off of 3.0, and it's my understanding that THIS is what is used to initially qualify applicants (i.e. if you have a GPA below 3.0, your application will likely not be considered for admission).

Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, all of the schools I'm applying to only have one person who really does bio anthropology and is supported by the biology department. Maybe this is more typical in anthropology than I thought...

I got pretty much the same score as you - even after re-taking the exam. I definitely don't feel like it was a true measure of my capabilities and found it really frustrating. I don't do particularly well on standardized tests. That being said, I applied anyway. I've been told that GRE scores are used more to help qualify people for funding than anything else - and the score itself is less important than being in a general "score range." I met with a potential graduate advisor who told me that my score was just at the cut-off point and would still qualify me for funding and admittance (granted, this is not at a top ten or an ivy school - most of which have more stringent requirements for GRE). Remember, your GRE score is considered as part of a holistic package. It's likely not going to be the only factor that keeps you out. If you really are a good fit, your SOP, GPA, and letters of recommendation are going to be the most important factors. Good luck!

Hey guys, just out of curiosity, does anyone know anything about UCR's anthropology program? For reference, I'm a biological anthropologist interested in all things paleo, osteo, evolutionary, and genetic. I met with a potential advisor from UCR and the meeting went incredibly well. She says she does a lot of interdisciplinary work with the biology department, which I love as I'm very bio focused and I was concerned that the department wasn't very biological. She is the only person in the department who does what I'm interested in and the only one I would want to work with - should this be a deterrent for me? Her current graduate students seem to be doing some things I'm interested in, and there is a visiting professor there who is studying literally exactly what I'm interested in - at the same time I don't know the graduate students at all and the visiting professor will probably be gone by the time I attend. This school is currently my top choice simply due to my perceived fit with the potential advisor, affordability, location (not my ideal location - but close), the diversity of the campus, and the potential to get funding and a TA position. But I would really like some more input about this school if anyone has any! Thanks!

I feel kind of dumb here but...I don't really understand FLAS. Do you have to be specializing in or majoring in a foreign language to get it? Do they favor certain languages over others?

Does anyone know if an application fee waiver helps or hurts your application in any way? I had to send in a copy of my tax return in order to get approved for a fee waiver. I was wondering if they would use this information to confirm that I am indeed incredibly poor and maybe this would give me a better chance of acceptance or funding? Thoughts?

Mutualist - most of my schools had January 1st/early January deadlines. I was told by each school that they generally make decisions and send out acceptance letters by the end of February at the latest. So I'm guessing a December deadline is probably a similar timeline if not a bit earlier?