hogmommy

Hmmm... I didn't see any mention of funding at one school versus the other. What's that situation like? I think that will be an important factor, too.

I was accepted into a fairly new and middle-ranked program, but my future advisor is extremely well-respected. UGPA: 3.2 (oh, those years wasted as a biochem major), 4.0 in anth GRE: 680V/740Q/4.5AW

I just wanted to chime in on this thread. Just out of curiosity, I searched federal archeology jobs just the other day and there are several open positions that you would likely be qualified for. That would definitely give you some experience and an opportunity to focus your SOP. My story: I have been out of school, raising my kids for 7 years, but provided an extremely focused SOP. (I only applied to my own UG institution for a number of reasons, so I had a bit of an advantage.) I got accepted to the PhD program, but immediately informed them that I would only be completing the MA here, and would like to transfer to another school for my PhD. (I'm trying to avoid academic incest and my husband's company is opening an office in the city of the school I would like to get my PhD from.) My new advisor said my chances at funding would be slim as an MA student, but agreed the the move after completion of my MA was a good idea. He knows the faculty there and is also a PI on an ongoing project at that school, so my chances are good at getting admitted 2 years from now. I got my acceptance one month ago and discussed my research goals with advisor a week after that. I now have a (fantastic) thesis project and we moved the collection (which required NAGPRA approval) to my school early last week. Obviously, having an idea of exactly what I wanted to study really helped. I also found out this week that I am, in fact, being fully funded.

It is my understanding (and the understanding of most of the professors that I have spoken to) that NOT waiving your rights only allows you to see the LORs AFTER you have been accepted or rejected. My program didn't have an option to waive, but it was assumed. I have heard in a round-about way about the quality of my LORs (excellent), but will likely never see them.

I had no problems getting my LORs written. I asked early and they were all turned in on time. I sent effusive thank you emails to my writers and even offered to reimburse a professor who paid unnecessary postage. (She paid $7 for expedited service to my home even though the application packet wasn't due until 6 weeks after the letter arrived.) She refused to accept reimbursement, but I can't imagine not offering.

I suggest that Monkeefugg bring her questions over the 'The Chronicles of Higher Education' forums. The treatment that you are getting here would be considered kind.

I have received a number of these mailing, many times not related AT ALL to my actual field of study. One school I had never heard of actually did guarantee admission into their grad program. I suspect it was a pay-to-play institution, though.

I actually published an article as an undergrad about gender and appearance in film as it related to my field (anthropology, specifically archeology.) Archeologists are expected to be (and there are surveys to support this) hairy chested, hairy chinned, fedora-wearing males. (Thanks, Indiana Jones!) Female archeologists are depicted as Relic Hunter/Tomb Raider babes in leather. I favor Ann Taylor/Banana Republic styles and wear them almost exclusively, especially now that I am older and can afford them. However, I don't mind sitting in the muck at a site in old jeans and a t-shirt. One day, when I am on the Discovery Channel educating the world* I want to be seen as the person who has a classic sense of style rather than the "I'm so smart, I don't care how I look" academic. *Obviously, this is not my ultimate goal but wouldn't it be fantastic?

How can you attend a hooding ceremony without a hood?

I have wanted to start a thread very similar to this, but hesitated. I received my acceptance about a week and a half ago with the suggestion in my letter to "contact your future advisor as soon possible to discuss your program." I still haven't done so. I only applied to one school, so this program is obviously my choice! Still, I've been procrastinating. Why, you ask? This program is also my UG department. I have very specific (and, I think, great) research ideas and there is one prof at the school (my UG mentor) that has similar research interests. I wanted so badly to work with him (pick me, choose me, love me!) Unfortunately, years and years ago (2001, anyone?) I left him on not-the-greatest terms. I was in the honors program at that point which required a thesis for graduation. When presented with his idea for a thesis topic, he gave me the equivalent of putting together a 10,000 piece puzzle without a picture to reference. Doable? Yes. Ridiculous? Yes (at least in my 21 year old mind.) I basically laughed in his face and told him that I would just not get the honors designation if it meant doing this. (I really hate myself as I was at 21. Really.) So now, I'm being a big fat chicken and am afraid to write him. Obviously, he accepted me (and, according to the rumor mill, ONLY me) so the hard feelings that I perceived him to have are probably non-existent. A big part of my statement of interest was explaining the ways in which I've matured over the past 7 years as a stay-at-home mom and how much more committed I am at 30. Despite drafting multiple emails to him, I have continued to chicken out before actually sending them. Any advice?

I have a slightly different, but still odd situation. One of my LOR writers was formerly faculty at the school to which I applied. She wrote my LOR and sent emails to her best contacts in the department on my behalf. She and one of the current faculty members remain very close. After I found I was accepted, I sent the "thanks so much for writing on my behalf" email and she responded with "I've actually known [of your acceptance] for a few weeks, but was sworn to secrecy." In one way, this made me mad--"you mean I stressed out for 4 weeks for no reason?", but in another way it makes me happy because it tells me that I was accepted almost immediately after they began reviewing applications. Regardless, it is clear that there is a secret network out there (that we may or may not be aware of) and there is probably a good chance we're being discussed informally by a variety of players from a variety of schools.

I'm completing my BA as we speak and I definitely know the feeling of walking on to campus after dark after all the others have left. I'm a stay-at-home mom, so I have to take classes at night after my husband gets home in the evening. Fortunately, I had three years completed before I had kids. Took a break when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter. Then, I took almost a full load while I was pregnant with my youngest (they're 18 months apart) because a grandparent had been injured and was out of work for nearly a year and willing to help out a few hours a week. Fast forward five years... Graduate school for me has always been "the plan." My husband has a great job, good salary and we're settled. My youngest will be starting kindergarten in the fall so that means it's mommy-time! But what about those pesky 5 hours that stand between me and my BA? Thankfully we are still within relatively short commuting distance of the university I previously attended and both this semester and last, there was a grad level course in my department in the evening that appealed to me. So I'm finishing up this semester. I have already been accepted to the one program (at my undergrad school) I was able to apply to. (YAY!) Although I was accepted into the combined MA/PhD program, they also offer a terminal Master's. I know that the idea exists that it is a bad thing to receive all of your degrees from one place. While I'm more than willing to stay put if necessary, my husband says he's willing to spend the next two years positioning himself for relocation to one of the three geographical areas where his current company also has offices: Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA, and Columbus, OH. There is a professor that would be a great fit at Ohio State and Columbus is the home of his company's home office, thus increasing the potential for a position for him there. So we've figured out the next two years, at least. I'm sure that I'll be wishing this "tribe" was still around then when I am dealing with moving a family! Best of luck to all of you!

I have no advice for your dilemma, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that evolution doesn't effect modern human populations. In addition to the wonderful example you gave regarding sickle cell anemia/malaria immunity, there also exists the fact that people are being born without wisdom teeth and other vestigal organs, the increase in height of Americans over the past 300 years and the (disturbing) trend of earlier menstruation in girls.

Crunching the numbers makes it looks like a feasible option, but I am living the reality. Living on $90k a year as a single person might be doable, but it would be very, very hard. Using your numbers: 30,000 a year after loan repayment: minus 12,000 for rent (unless you live somewhere cheaper) =$18k minus car payment (let's say $300/month) = $14,400 minus (hopefully) a 401k contribution (at the very least $100.month)= $13,200 minus food/eating out= $10,800 minus utilities = approx $200, $300 if you include phone, cable and internet access (potentially much higher) = $7200 minus car insurance $80/month for one car) = $6420 minus gas (let's say one 12 gallon tank a week @ $2.4/gallon) = $4920 minus getting sick 3x a year = $75 total in copays +$100 in meds = $4745 After all of this you have less than $400 a month to live on. Maybe that sounds like a great number, but my accounting does not include clothing, books, childcare (if you do have a child), personal hygiene items, gifts, etc. Money flies out of most everyone's hands without their realization. It costs a lot to live these days!

I can't speak to the policies in academia but, overall, the US falls far behind Europe in providing for maternity/paternity leave. My husband is in the business world and got 1 week off for both of our girls. I've heard of a few companies that provide two weeks of paternity leave. The mother, ONLY if covered by a short-term disability policy, is generally given 6 weeks of paid (60% of salary) leave. (I know mothers who have gone back as soon as two weeks post-partum, relying on family to provide care until the day care will accept the baby at 6 weeks.) I had the good fortune to be able to stay at home with my girls indefinitely but, overall, the US is not great for providing support for new parents.

I got my acceptance in the mail today (University of Arkansas, bioarch). I'm thrilled because it was the only school I applied to and I got Jerry Rose as my advisor, who is fantastic! Nothing about funding but it look likes, historically, that information doesn't come until March.

I am going to apologize now for my grammar in the original post. Clearly I was distracted mid-sentence by one of my children. How embarrassing!

I'll start. One of my UG professors/LOR writer was a Broadway dancer before becoming entering academia. Her PhD in anthropology is from UC-Berkeley.

I'm buying all new living room furniture tomorrow. I have been able to distract myself looking at catalogs today. Nothing says "I'm waiting for grad school admission decisions" like a room makeover. Or maybe not...

I'm sure that he is a great (loving, attentive, intelligent, etc.) boyfriend but, after reading your dilemma, I can't imagine he is the ONE for you. I have been a stay-at-home mom for nearly 7 years now, but not for one moment have I ever been a housewife. His being in a "slump" for 2-3 years is puzzling. Has he been gainfully employed? Are you doing the "housewife" duties because you want to or because he just won't do them? At this moment, I am 30 years old with two kids. Because of respect for my husband's job (and all of the benefits: gorgeous house, financial security, retirement! savings, etc.) I am applying to only one local school for my Master's. However, despite his $90k salary, the mortgage, and the years that salary has afforded me to spend raising my children, he is willing to move anywhere when the time comes for me to pursue my PhD (we have actually positioned ourselves so that any successful transfer actually puts me in easy distance of the program of my choice.) This was THE PLAN when I got pregnant seven years ago, it remains THE PLAN now. I know I am extremely fortunate, but in my opinion, successful relationships require very little sacrifice on the part of either party. My husband is my greatest supporter and my greatest friend without question. I think everyone CAN find THAT person. *In case it isn't obvious by now, I'm am still deeply in love with my husband after nearly 10 years together.

As I've mentioned before, I am the mother of two, eighteen months apart. First was born when I was 23, second at 25. With the first I had both gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia and had to be induced at 37 weeks. Thankfully, she only spent a scant 5 hours in the NICU after, what I later learned, scoring frighteningly low on both the 1 and 5 minute APGARs. Second pregnancy, mild gestational diabetes and no other issues. There are risks no matter the age of the mother. My husband and I chose to have children when we felt we were ready (he was 30--I guess we had a mix of both young mother and maturity ). After #2, my husband was "fixed." It was also the right time for us to do that!

I'm firmly in the "brand name doesn't matter for future job placement" camp. A former professor and friend, has a PhD in anthropology from Berkeley and, after more than 10 years, still has no TT position. In fact, she is not even in the anth department at a very small state school.

Thanks everyone! I was able to submit my application to the grad school online, so I know they have a correct email address--have received confirmation. I also know that my dept. received all of the necessary documents because I put my packet directly into the DGS' mailbox. The only place I might have mistyped the email was on dept. info form, so I'm not going to do anything to call attention to the potential mistake. I can probably handle waiting a couple more days for any decision to arrive via mail, if necessary!

Um, wow! To the person who suggested that this loan burden can be paid off with an $80k salary, I'm going to have to beg to differ. My husband makes more than $90k a year (8 years out of undergrad, business and the reason why I only applied to one local school) and there is no way $2600/month in loan burden could be doable. Our biggest expense is a $1600/month mortgage. Yes, we are comfortable, but still have to budget very carefully. An extra grand a month combined with car payments, insurance, utilities, etc. would break us.

I've gone through this over and over again in my head since this afternoon. I think it might be possible that I provided the wrong email address on my departmental data sheet. (I've found myself writing and typing hybrids of my university and yahoo accounts repeatedly.) For those of you laughing now, especially those without young children, imagine compiling your applications packets with a 4 and 6 year old at home on day 7 of school closures due to snow/ice. Most cannot probably imagine that level of distraction. The fear that I have made this heinous mistake is nagging at me. I have made contacts via email over prior to actually submitting my application so, somewhere in someone's inbox, there is a vaild email address. Should I email the DGS about my possible mistake (which I am really hesitant to do as I have been on a first-name basis with her for nearly 10 years-- cat/house-sitting-- and don't want any appearance of impropriety) or just assume that they will either be resourceful and look me up (in the university system) or just use my phone/address to notify me?