[What programs to apply to?]

Hi everyone!

I'm a little late coming to the cycle for this year, but better late than never. My problem is that I just don't know where to start. I'm going to graduate with a Master's in Political Science (UN and Global Policy Studies at Rutgers University) in May and I want to pursue a PhD but I'm just not sure what department might be a good fit. I'm looking at International schools as well as US based schools. I do have a few professors who have said they'd write me letters of recommendation. 

My biggest issue is I can't figure out how to put all my interests together in a cohesive way. My research interests run along the lines of cultural attitudes, mental health issues, democracy, globalization, gender inequality, sustainable development, identity, and democracy. I'm currently interested in how social/racial/gender/economic inequalities affect democratic participation.

Also I have no idea how to start reaching out to people in departments that might be interested in working with me. Advice?

 

[Feminist departments???]

Rutgers University has a pretty strong feminist/women studies department and it definitely shows across the disciplines.

[Fall 2015 Applicants]

 My advice, if you are still an undergrad, is to not spend money on an MA at this point, and give yourself some time to decompress from school and, while maintaining ties with those who know your work, just do something else. It might not terribly strengthen your academic application a ton but if it helps you grow and adapt as a human, you (might) be glad for it later on. 

 

This is a v. personal opinion, but I (really) don't think it makes sense for people to go straight into a phd program from undergrad barring circumstances like being undocumented or other obstacles to obtaining livable employment (that don't stop you from being a good graduate student), or if you already took time off during/before doing a BA. 

 

 

First, ouch.  Been there, done that and it isn't a great feeling.  Just know that SO MANY of us got completely shut out our first application cycle. 

Next: what do you want to do?  Decide what kind of questions you are most interested in answering and then tailor your future studies/applications to those questions.  My questions were based around culture in the US, so I hit a wall when applying to Anthro PhD programs last year.  This cycle, I worked on reining my questions to better fit Anthropology in general.  But I also worked on getting clinical experience and worked with women's groups and applied to Gender programs and public health programs in addition to Anthro programs.  That seemed to work.

If you are especially interested in research that involves poplations outside of the US and western culture, I think I would go ahead and finish the Anthropology BA if it wasn't a financial strain.  But, if my questions were focused on populations here, I wouldn't worry about the Anthro BA, and instead I would look for ways to strengthen my application in gender studies or maybe even in sociology.  Present a paper or two at various conferences (sign up for these NOW while you still can get student rates!!) and look for work in those area of research.  

And I don't think I would necessarily do the MA.  I did, and wished I didn't.  It was a lot of money and it didn't do much but take up time I could have spent doing a PhD.  Since PhD was always my end goal...the MA doesn't make sense in hindsight.  But that is just my experience, yours might be different.

Hope that helps.  Sorry about the shut out.  Try not to get too down about it, it doesn't necessarily reflect on your worth as a researcher or as doctorate material in any way.  Good luck!!

 

Thanks so much for the advice! I am looking in to my Plan B right now and finding a job. I don't really want to do an MA, because my end goal has always been a PhD, but I don't really want to let my academics stagnate either. I'll look in to presenting a paper, perhaps my honors thesis work.

 

I am interested in populations outside the US, and I may just finish up my BA if I get a job nearby and can afford it. 

[Fall 2015 Applicants]

So I got completely rejected from 8/8 of the PhD programs I applied to this time around. Ouch. But interestingly enough Rutgers is opening their Masters program for two anthropology track for the first time in forever. No funding though, and the deadline is in about a week. They DID reject me for the PhD but I'm wondering if I should bother to apply to the masters? It's also my undergrad school so maybe it's a bit of a stretch that they'll take me?

 

My undergrad major is Women and Gender Studies my minor is Cultural Anthropology...I'm actually only three or four classes away from making it a BA. I'm just trying to figure out my options until I can apply again next year.

 

Any advice?

[Fall 2015 Applicants]

Does anyone know anything about Cultural Anthroplogy Yale right now or know anything about their process? I'm super bummed because I got rejected 6/8 places and I'm pretty sure Stanford is a no as well. But my POI from Yale said they were interested in my app, I replied but they never got back to me. I really have no idea what to do next.

[UC Berkeley Applicants]

Just found this thread! Did anyone else apply to cultural anthro at Berkeley? I applied to 8 schools and got 3 rejections so far. I'm terrified of not getting in anywhere...