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far_to_go

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Everything posted by far_to_go

  1. I am a 25-yr-old female, starting my PhD in the fall. I'm hoping that the academic-career and the having-a-family gig aren't totally incompatible, because I really want to do both. One thing that recently gave me some good cheer in this regard was a weekend visit to the department while I'll be studying in the fall. Most of the female profs in the department (and that's about 50% of the faculty, since it's an anthropology program ) have kids of their own, including the department chair. In fact, one of the junior profs was unable to meet with me and the other prospective students because she was in the process of giving birth that day; many of the other profs commented that they were happy for her, excited for a new "addition to the family," etc. Two of the faculty are a husband-wife duo who are raising three kids while both being tenured profs. I'm definitely looking forward to having these people as mentors and role models. It is possible! Yay for academia and yay for having kids!
  2. I haven't heard anything yet- though my phone was definitely attached to my body all day. I'm hoping that this delay is for real, because that means I still have a chance! Wishful thinking, probably, but let me enjoy it a while longer...
  3. Embrace the MARCH MADNESS! Woohoo! I've got a yes from one school, a no from another, and nothing but silence from the other five. I'm looking forward to getting notified (even if it's only rejections from here on in!) so that I can start to finalize my plans for the fall! Anybody else feel like we're in a plane way up in the air, looking down at the ground and wondering where we'll land? And how we'll land (i.e. will we need those life vests and emergency exit rows?)
  4. far_to_go

    Yale

    eee, I really want to find out either way! I'm pretty much settled on where I'm going, but a good offer from Yale could persuade me to reconsider that decision. Of course, if I get a "no" from Yale, then I can just proceed with the current plan of action. Either way, though, I'm really hoping to hear from Yale soon! Best of luck to all!
  5. Mercifully, my first notification was an acceptance from one of my top schools (though not my #1- still waiting to hear from them). But I have since received one official rejection and have deduced two other likely rejections from gradcafe results. So.... c'est la vie. It's not fun to get rejected, but I just try to shrug it off and take pleasure in my acceptance. Going out to the school that accepted me for a visit weekend- even though I'm already accepted I feel pretty nervous, and honestly hope that I don't hear anything from any other schools (whether acceptances or rejections) while I'm there.
  6. I'm also hoping for professorship. Working for an organization that would let me do anthropological research full-time, esp one with an activist bent, would also be great. If all else fails, trophy wife.... nah, I'm pretty sure I couldn't pull that one off!
  7. Hey folks! I applied to UCI and, while I have not received any info from the DGS or admissions office, have received several e-mails from the financial aid department encouraging me to log on and make sure that all my finaid documents are in order (they are- I sent in my FAFSA). Anyone else in the same boat? I'm guessing that I wasn't accepted because other ppl have heard from the DGS by now, but if I'm rejected then why is the finaid office bothering to e-mail me? I'm guessing there's just slow communication between departments... Also, anyone planning on going to the UVa visit weekend on Feb 19-20? I'll be there and it would be fun to meet you, my fellow sharers in the suffering of app agony...
  8. I actually moved from one apartment to another (slightly cheaper, closer to work) apartment. New apartment does not have internet access set up yet, which has limited me to checking e-mail and gradcafe only once or twice per day. I think this is actually a good thing. I've also read two novels this week, cooked dinner for friends, worked a ton of hours, and interviewed for yet another part-time job. Distraction is the name of the game!
  9. I just got accepted to UVa! Got an e-mail from the DGS today- I had a phone interview with her last week. Funding package includes TAship, tuition remittance, and 14k stipend. I'm going to their prospective students weekend on Feb 18-20. The e-mail said that there will be 8-10 prospective students at the weekend, so I'm guessing that that's about the cohort size that they're aiming for. Anyone else going? Would be fun to meet you there! Btw, the recent postings about Yale are getting me down. I'm excited about UVa, but Yale is really my #1. Bittersweetness...
  10. Thanks for sharing this! It made me feel better- there's one of my letters that I haven't seen and I doubt that it's stellar (just bc the prof doesn't know me all that well and tends to do a half-assed job on things), but it's got to be better than this!
  11. I applied to seven schools, and I'm just hoping to get accepted and funded at one- any one of the seven will do! This helps me to feel like maybe I have a realistic chance. But who knows? With the number of highly qualified people competing for the few spots, maybe just hoping for one will prove to be too optimistic. I think at this point, I'd describe my mood as hopeful but realistic. Of course, mood has been fluctuating rather wildly lately Oh, and curufinwe, LOVE your username! The Silmarillion is awesome, and far too often overlooked by those who consider themselves Tolkien fans.
  12. Like everyone has said, I think it's best to wait. When you see your profs around the department, just try giving them a confident smile as you keep a respectful distance; that will probably give them the best impression. Best of luck to you!
  13. Here goes! - 4.0 undergrad GPA (History) - 3.98 GPA for MA (Anthropology) - 1560 combined GRE, with 5.5 writing. - Well-defined, specific, and interesting proposal for dissertation research (so I've been told by several POI's- yay) - Strong SOP. About six friends reviewed it for me; all praised its merits and suggested only minor changes. - I interview well on the phone and in person. - Proven ability to do research, both in undergraduate thesis/independent study work and in MA thesis. Dang! I've got to at least have a shot, right?
  14. One of the tricks that I use is to practice turning "filler" words and phrases into more erudite expressions, like this: "stuff like that" ---> "similar theoretical and practical considerations", "related topics," I also try to keep my tone of voice low and even, and speak fairly slowly. Somehow this helps me to feel more in control of what I'm saying.
  15. Thanks, quadsbaby! I hope you're right!
  16. Just a shout-out to my fellow Yale hopefuls- fingers crossed that we all make it! My best friend and I are both applying widely to schools all over the country, but Yale is the #1 choice for both of us. It would be the ultimate pipe dream if we both get in! Eli Yale, be my Valentine!
  17. I've been reading some classic anthro books to pass the time and remind myself of why I want to go to grad school in the first place :-). Currently on Patterns of Culture by Ruth Benedict- it's a great read. Just noticed my roommate's copy of Why Men Love Bitches lying on her desk... might hit that next as a pick-me-up. Except that I know I'll be mentally translating it to Why Adcomms Love Bitches.
  18. I had a phone interview with the DGS at one of my top choices a few days ago. While she told me that I'm on the short list was mostly quite encouraging, even telling me that they're considering nominating me as the department's candidate for a big university-wide fellowship, she did ask me why I hadn't gone to better schools (started at community college, BA from a mid-ranked state school, MA from a mid-ranked private school). It was phrased like "Based on your GRE, GPA, and personal statement, it's obvious that you're quite bright and motivated... so we were just curious about your past choices of schools..." I told her that my choices had been made out of considerations of location and cost along with quality of education, and that as a first-generation college student I hadn't had any real idea what the hell I was doing. That seemed to satisfy her... I hope it did!
  19. I didn't get a FLAS e-mail from Chicago- guess I didn't make it past the first round there. *sigh* I'll be ok with it, I guess.
  20. I also applied for the Javits and submitted the FAFSA without specifying a Javits code- I'm pretty sure that there isn't one. It seems reasonable to assume that the DoE can just pull the information that they need, since it's all government info. And, like you said, that's what the Javits instructions said to do, so I just went with it. Best of luck!
  21. I just got an e-mail from UVa requesting a phone interview tomorrow afternoon. I'm excited, but quite nervous!
  22. I finished my apps today! (Well, except for making sure that my recommenders get those last few letters in.) I've been thinking about what to do with all my free time, now that I'm not filling out endless forms and obsessively editing my SOP/writing sample. Here are a few things I've come up with: - I'm going to read EVERY SINGLE BOOK that I own but have not yet read. This includes a wide range of stuff from Meads' Coming of Age in Samoa to Foucault's Archaeology of Knowledge, with some novels thrown in on the side. - I'm going to start training for the marathon that I keep telling myself I want to run. Hey, spending an hour running every day will be easy compared to working on apps! - I'm going to spend the holidays with my family, playing games, watching movies, and sleeping a lot. - I'm going to keep working as a volunteer mentor for teens in a Mexican immigrant neighborhood. In fact, I'm planning to move into the neighborhood in order to brush up on my Spanish and keep building relationships with the teens. - I'm going to keep working at my paid gigs as an SAT tutor and a chess teacher. - I'm going to go on some sweet camping trips. So... what will you do to keep yourself distracted?
  23. Hear, hear! Getting paper copies of transcripts has proven to be quite a hassle. It also adds significantly to the expense of the process- in my case, I have to submit transcripts from four prior schools to eight prospective Ph.D. programs, so that's 32 transcripts- not cheap! Also, UC Irvine requires not just one, but TWO official copies of every transcript! Really? It's time to go digital!
  24. I noticed the discrepancy too. I'm applying by Dec 10, just to be on the safe side.
  25. Columbia has a PhD in Anthro in cooperation with their Teachers College. You can check it out here: http://www.tc.columbia.edu/academic/its/Anthro/programs.asp?progId=58&Id=Applied+Anthropology&Info=Doctor+of+Philosophy I don't know anything about the program beyond what's on the website. But hey, it's Columbia- at least worth checking out, right? Best to you!
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