ecologaia

CulturalAnth- If I were you, I would likely, after a lot of thought about pros/cons, end up choosing UNLV-- (how easily do their MA students transition into the PhD program?) You might have a PhD offer anyway, which is great, and even if not, you'll give yourself the time, perspective and chance to engage with your newborn in the earliest days while you are adjusting to motherhood in the context of graduate student life. You can absolutely still get your PhD, and in fact, might cast your net slightly differently with your applications after you have had a year or so of proper time to consider your new family dynamic, your desired living situations, and perhaps have refined your topic even further and have specific people in mind you'd like to work with. Just a thought. Even bigger thought-- your hormonal instincts are on mamma-crack right now. What better time to listen to your woman's intuition? It might echo the babe's needs well... Magiaepasta- So Brown, being in Providence... that is sitting better with you than your SO? BTdubz, cool city, i've been a few times. LOL, i'm mediterranean-looking, so I get along quite well there in particular, but I think anyone would! On the urbanity question...I am honestly openminded with the idea of living outside of Nashville, and think it would be easy enough to find some green space to escape to... also i think the traffic is not supposed to be particularly bad, and the low cost of living-- especially considering the buff funding offer-- would make this feel more like a job and less like charming poverty. Being placed TT in a top uni is quite essential to my career goals, though I know the odds are difficult regardless of place. You're right, I think, that the networking piece might be invaluable, but so would the teaching... The big move is a worry to my SO, as is the cost of doing such (two weeks before our wedding up in NH... gahhhh!) I think essentially it comes down to a struggle for funding vs. a struggle for teaching rights. I've asked one of the schools to get back to me on a particular question I had about initial support, and they are supposedly going to respond today or tomorrow. Honestly, it might come down to that answer... I'll keep everyone posted. Thanks for the thoughts, keep 'em coming!!

CALLING ALL FEEDBACK--- At this point, after dismissing a third, unfunded offer, I am looking at deciding between: 1) a cozy, humbly-funded but uber supportive program in a quaint area that doesn't involve a major move, highly engaged faculty who are seasoned in their fields if not huge names, fucking beautiful and close to green space, where cohorts teach their heads off as a requirement from day one (I heart teaching), most have to balance other on campus jobs, but all geek out over their high quality of life vs. 2) a more prestigious, ornate and old money-southern ivy, my-area-expert-focused program with crazy funding but in a way urban environment (and we're wilderness-obsessed New Hampshirites!) where i'll be my advisor's first protegee (although while an intimidating thought, I am actually quite intrigued by that possibility and its implications, and the man is wicked cool yesichosethatwordonpurpose) and though there are some big names in the department, it sounds like i'd have to panache my way into teaching opportunities and raise a bit of noise along the way in that regard, and grad students are positive and lively but very here's-the-deal-avoid-him-fight-for-that-but-this-rocks kind of way. Liked everyone I met at both schools, so that's no question. My fiance will find excellent work in his field in either local, and he is the practical, money-focused-type when it comes to the decision factors. Thoughts? As always, you all are the best support system. Thanks in advance for the time! We have to let everyone know by Wednesday.

Thanks, magiaepasta! I'll be moving with my fiance, so I totally understand the extra dimension of trying to make decisions as a duo. Open to all thoughts, from all readers: At this point, after dismissing a third, unfunded offer, I am looking at deciding between: 1) a cozy, humbly-funded but uber supportive program in a quaint area that doesn't involve a major move, highly engaged faculty who are seasoned in their fields if not huge names, fucking beautiful and close to green space, where cohorts teach their heads off as a requirement from day one (I heart teaching), most have to balance other on campus jobs, but all geek out over their high quality of life vs. 2) a more prestigious, ornate and old money-southern ivy, my-area-expert-focused program with crazy funding but in a way urban environment (and we're wilderness-obsessed New Hampshirites!) where i'll be my advisor's first protegee (although while an intimidating thought, I am actually quite intrigued by that possibility and its implications, and the man is wicked cool yesichosethatwordonpurpose) and though there are some big names in the department, it sounds like i'd have to panache my way into teaching opportunities and raise a bit of noise along the way in that regard, and grad students are positive and lively but very here's-the-deal-avoid-him-fight-for-that-but-this-rocks kind of way. Liked everyone I met at both schools, so that's no question. My fiance will find excellent work in his field in either local, and he is the practical, money-focused-type when it comes to the decision factors. Thoughts? As always, you all are the best support system. Thanks in advance for the time! We have to let everyone know by Wednesday.

Congrats on making your decision, magiaepasta! I have to make mine in the next 48 hours or so... Just out of curiousity, how big a factor was 'difference in funding packages' in making your decision?

Mesoarch-- I just visited UNC a few days ago, it was lovely! My impression was that it is a very cozy place to do your Ph.D, the DGS is totally charming and funny, the department head is a royal (shhhh.... we're not supposed to know!) and though they are trying to get more of their students to finish in normative time, they usually extend funding as long as it is needed, they have TONS of teaching opportunities in the department in the post-field stage if they want it, the cohorts are very social and supportive of each other, and they are highly supportive of hooking their students up with grants and advice. Quality of life stellar. One caution: be self-motivated, and if finishing in normative time is important to you, you can do it, I'm sure. If not, and its much more about the experience and growing in your field, and maybe particularly if you are coming in from the BA, then no worries on that either!

AHHHHHHHHHHHH I GOT IN TO VANDERBILT!!!!!!!!!!! (self-edited enthusiastic and multicultural expletives).

Just got off one!! There is hope! Hugs to everyone still waiting. It can't be much longer! One moon left until April 15...

Forsaken, I went from a non-anthro background (Spanish/Int'l St majors) via an interdisciplinary MA program [designed my own, essentially anthro-heavy curriculum, did 1 yr coursework, got an int'l research grant from general grad school funding pool (I'm sure Chicago has some funds!) 2 short field research sessions (1 pilot, 1 longer study), 1 year thesis research/write-up] and feel pretty happy with the results of this, my first round of Ph.D. apps. I think your research, genuine recommendations from quality anthro mentors, and a really good fit between program foci and your app are what matter most. How well will your MA program allow you to foster those things for the next phase?

Since I'm very curious for feedback, I'll ask this here, too: Anyone have thoughts about UNC Chapel Hill, area or doctoral program? I love rural, small towns, farmers markets, intellectuals, hills and trees, fresh air, heady conversations, people who won't stab each other in the back just to add three letters after their last names...

Anyone here considering going to UNC Chapel Hill? Feel free to PM me! Just got off the phone with a new incoming prof there, and had another chat with the director last week... they pretty much fund for 5 years if they need to, they are building up summer and language study funding, and they entered me for some extra funding I hadn't even heard of, and just sort of mentioned it offhand. I've never been but people have told me the area is beautiful... Anyone know anything about Chapel Hill's program or area? Welcoming all thoughts!

how many schools are you all still waiting on?

I didn't apply to this school, but can't help but support whoever this was, in sentiment: "Stanford folks, we knew we were rejected from this program several weeks ago when you interviewed the top 15 applicants and sent out all acceptances/waitlistings--i.e. a mass reject email could have been sent out shortly after. Your staggered rejection emailing is obnoxious, cruel, and a slap in the face considering how unreasonably expensive your app fee is. But historically Stanford sucks at notifying the reject pool, so the ineptitude is not at all a surprise."

Forsaken, big hug to you. Wish I lived in L.A., I'd buy you a round. What's your go-to conciliatory beverage? Hell, that's the one sucky thing about this online community thing, is that I really start to like the people here and have to remind myself that, in 'praxis', you're all two dimensional... Last day before spring break on many campuses, and mine is closed today due to weather... anyone else feel like today has to bring news, or else?

waiting is damaging my DNA at the cellular level... I am so useless today!! How to get through the wait? Fresh ideas?

Congratulations, rjyjate!

So awfully tempted to contact a school and I know I shouldn't. Quick! Tell me "no!"

What an awesome wake up!!! Congratulations!! I woke up this morning all like, "Good morning world, any news for me?" And when she said no (she being Siri, not my anthropomorphized world) I felt the distinct inclination to spike my coffee. Sarcasm. but only just.

Strudelle- congratulations! I wish you so much happiness there. Khannnn- looks like you can't go wrong. I don't know what UCR is like, but Cornell is in Ithaca, and if you like nature and shop at farmer's markets, it's for you. There are tons of waterfall hikes within ten minutes of town. (Sorry, gorges, and all the corresponding puns). Cornell looks more like Hogwarts than any other school in the Americas. Cold winters, lovely late spring, summer, and early fall, charming town. Would be my personal choice over Albany if decisions were made only on setting, which of course they aren't!

Ravenclaw. There's no question.

CAFFEINATED!!!!! (Couldn't keep quiet any more!) alexia, on 04 Mar 2014 - 1:30 PM, said: katekali29 "I got wait listed on Sunday, but that's all I've heard." I can relate, I am waiting to hear as well! I think they have to wait and hear from Jefferson candidates before they are likely to finalize decisions from the recruitment weekend. For those who were wait listed-- were you interviewed also? Anyone claiming Vanderbilt? Feel free to PM me!

Hey Anthroaf! Some good rhetorical questions to ask yourself in considering your chances this year (based in stuff you already submitted) What is your topic? How well are you crafting the match between yourself and your POIs when you email them? What is the social significance of your overarching focus beyond your specific research plan? How interested is the POI in the implications of your research? It sounds like you followed all the steps and got the right feedback for a great application, and your profile seems VERY strong. I am finding that I am getting much better responses from places where my overlaps with POIs are truly genuine, and where my answers to the above questions are considered to be pretty strong (based on SOP, POI communiqués or interview responses). All that said, hugs to you, this process sucks and no one's ego makes it through unscathed. So if nothing else, since waiting is inevitable, go shift your paradigm and immerse in a different way of seeing the world for a bit. As an anthropologist, you've got nifty keen skills for such shenanigans... And it makes this application process seem so trite...

official no from Emory. damn.

So about that. Knowing their average cohort size was roughly 2.nicetry, I hadn't been allowing myself to hope for acceptance to such a perfect program match full of Americas experts and professional development... And now that I've been contacted, I'm a hopin' fool... All I know to offer as useful is that they're accepting 3-4 total across all sub-disciplines, they were still interviewing/discussing results yesterday, and from what I see on the Results Search tab, everyone seems to be notified of acceptance willy-nilly, not in one 'annoucement' sweep from the DGS or anything.

Everyone is doing such a good job of staying positive! I know i should be too, but sometimes... do any of you legitimately get angry about how long some schools wait to send what must be rejection letters in certain circumstances? It's one thing to drag out an interview process, or have a late deadline, or legitimately be waiting on funding decisions... but some of them have these policies about ONLY sending rejections snail mail and others just seems to inconsiderately put it on the end of their to-dos to send out the "sorry a million people applied and then during interviews each one of you metaphorically gave birth to a unique small miracle and it took us this long to pull names from a fluffy hat, union issues and all..." sigh. i'm having some feelings today.

Okay, so yesterday's fresh snow and romance vibe gave me plenty of distraction, and I'm sure it's been a while since any of my southern neighbors saw a seven-foot-snowman with a headdress, but now everything is slush and I have Shining-style cabin fever. Not sure I'm going to make it through admissions season in a decaffeinated state...