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farflung

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Everything posted by farflung

  1. Notified of semi-finalist status this morning. 65 selected from about 350!
  2. ugh ugh ugh whyyyyyy! I've heard of programs doing this and it seems like such a terrible system (in comparison to just accepting very small cohorts every single year)! It does up the stakes of being on the wait list.
  3. In your example, the wait list for my department would be students 21+ -- the third scenario. In other words, we do factor in that not all students will accept their admissions offers-- and we offer admission beyond the # we'd like to see actually attend. We use the wait list when our acceptance rate among admitted students is really low.
  4. Also, an encouraging note: PhD programs only put people on the wait list when they could actually envision that person attending and succeeding in their program. It means you were in the running-- and more than that-- several faculty likely pulled for your application during the admissions committee meeting. That's great news, especially if you end up applying to the program again next application season.
  5. Wait list is better than nothing! In my program, we usually accept around 12, hoping to get a cohort of 6-8. There are random years we get 10 who accept, and some where we get like 3-5 people who accept. During the latter scenario, we end up pulling a couple of people off the wait list. The wait list is ranked but not super large (our cohorts aren't very large to begin with so this makes sense). Later in the waiting period, you can and should re-contact the department to ask about your chances. If you're tactful in how you ask, they may be willing to share where on the wait list you are, and whether they anticipate pulling anyone off the wait list this cycle. But they're unlikely to know until after admitted students visit the campus in February/March and begin to make commitments. Do you know when the admitted students weekend is? Wait 2 weeks past then, then contact about your standing.
  6. Yes yes yes. Factoring in this opportunity cost is so important as anyone considers the financial pros and cons of graduate school. It's not just whether you can get through your PhD without debt-- which should be a minimum expectation for PhD programs -- it's weighing whether you're prepared to delay things like promotions, applied work experience, and contributions to any kind of retirement fund for 7-8 years (average time to degree in my field). These opportunity costs are something I am only just now realizing in the later years of my PhD program. Like, crap, other people my age have retirement accounts? Savings for their children's college? This may not seem like a big deal in your 20s, but in your 30s and 40s, these things really do affect quality of life.
  7. Great that you have mentors! I shared the article because it has helped me think through what I did and did not know as a 20-something when I applied for graduate school, and because I hope it will be equally helpful to other people. I think work experience-- of any kind-- can be quite valuable to PhD programs, as can being a year or two removed from your BA program. This isn't to say that further school isn't valuable, it's merely to say that grad programs DO value life and work experience if you decide to go that route, even outside of academia. You do not need to feel pressured to pay for an MA to get into PhD programs, you have options. Working can show your ability to adapt to professional workplaces and grit/ability to support yourself outside of college-- this establishes some distance from the undergraduate students you'll be teaching. It also shows that you're entering graduate school because you've really thought about it, not because you're simply graduating from your BA/MA, are smart, and don't know what to do next (not saying this is what you're doing, but it is quite common among students coming straight from their BA and it's generally not a great sign for their well-being in grad school). In my program, professionalism and maturity are among the most important qualities we look for in potential PhD students. Working is one way that you can demonstrate these qualities.
  8. Nah, I think it's foolish to go to a program that won't get you an academic job if that's what you want. It's fine to turn down offers that really aren't that great, and with more experience out of undergrad , you'll be more likely to get into more prestigious programs. I recommend this article too, to get a realistic perspective on what graduate school entails: http://theprofessorisin.com/2013/04/12/should-you-go-to-graduate-school/
  9. This depends a lot on your future career plans. Are you hoping for an academic job? In this case, rank is almost always more important than fit -- there are so few tenure-track academic jobs, that you basically need to come from one of the elite PhD-granting schools in order to get one (and even then... well... I won't rant about the state of the academic job market). If you're hoping to work outside of academia, I could see the argument for a lower-ranked school. If a program is admitting you, they think you're a fit in their department. It is usually smart to go with the highest ranked program that you're admitted to, and that offers you a full funding package. You should not pay for a PhD. It's totally normal to have to apply to graduate programs multiple years in a row to find one that 1) offers funding, 2) is a somewhat highly ranked program, and 3) admits you. Don't assume an MA will give you any more of a leg up in the process, and don't forget it comes with huge sacrifices -- namely, it's expensive and there is less funding available for MA programs. Why not just take a job and then reapply for PhD programs next year?
  10. Also, just to clarify-- I also don't think you're more likely to gain admission if you go visit in February. Both years I applied, I visited a few programs in person in the fall (before I submitted apps) and it really didn't help! So don't feel like an in-person visit will give you a big leg up. Your application materials will speak for themselves, and if they don't, they'll reach out formally for an interview. Most departments are very aware that most applicants can't visit in person.
  11. Hm, odd. On the one hand it's a great sign if the professor is personally reaching out to you! But I am skeptical that this is something you need to do. If they really want to interview you or recruit you for their program, they will find a way -- phone, Skype, or PAY for you come visit (the norm). This practice favors the very wealthy and geographically close, and I wouldn't feel bad about not participating. Just kindly let the professor know that because of distance and work, you're not in a position to visit in person at the moment. However, you will certainly make every effort to visit every university you gain admission to pending all decisions. You could even ask if the professor recommends reaching out or trying to talk on the phone with other faculty in the department-- can he think of anyone in particular you should make contact with?
  12. This sounds odd to me. You should not need to pay for a recruiting visit or in-person interview, at least in American universities. Perhaps they think you're already planning to attend the colloquium for some reason? Or perhaps this is the POI's way of saying they've recommended you for admission (fingers crossed it is this!). I would recommend writing to judiciously get a sense of the purpose of this meeting/visit. Something like, "The event sounds really wonderful, and I'm eager to meet with you soon. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to attend the colloquium in person because of my work. I have decided to wait until I receive official interview or admissions offers to make in person visits to universities."
  13. farflung

    FLAS 2017

    My impression is that you can't apply for a FLAS unless you are at a FLAS-granting-institution. I am not at a FLAS-granting institution so thought I was ineligible. Could be wrong, however!
  14. No-- I was admitted, and then they helped me apply during the fall of my first year of graduate school. The moral of the story: yes you can apply for external funding before admission (I did), but it's suuuuper difficult to secure! You're basically competing with people who have an entire department/institution behind them to help prepare their applications.
  15. This is true. Funding is a real concern for my Ivy League institution under the current government, and I can imagine it is much more pronounced at public universities. First and foremost, we're afraid many sources of external government funding are about to dry up -- including major sources of federal grants like the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. The way most universities (and PhD programs) are able to subsist economically is that a large percentage of faculty and graduate students are able to secure external grant funding from federal agencies and private foundations. These externally funded students and faculty save the university money (who doesn't have to pay them anymore), and in turn allows us to take on more PhD students. In sum: universities will accept less PhD students if federal funding is more scarce, because they will have to provide funding to a larger proportion of their admitted students. Edit-- forgot to add-- external funding will always help you get in. It's very difficult to secure without the support of a graduate program, however! I'm externally funded but 100% owe it to the time and dedication of faculty members willing to ruthlessly edit my grant application materials.
  16. Yes yes yes yes. Just yes. This article might be helpful on the question of moving beyond the academy, whether that means forgoing an academic job search or giving up on the idea of going to graduate school: https://thesiswhisperer.com/2012/11/07/when-should-you-quit-your-phd/
  17. This is definitely a tough spot, and I feel for you. Like others have said, you still have many applications outstanding, so wait until those come in. As a current PhD student moving out of academia, I will try to offer some advice. First, this time may require some serious self-reflection and maybe even therapy. Do you have a good support system around you-- including friends in academia who can give you perspective on your material or faculty mentors who can discuss your individual case? Lean on other people, hard! Why is it exactly that you want to get a PhD? You seem willing to get a PhD in either cultural anthropology or as a last resort archaeological anthropology, which makes me think your goal is to get a PhD regardless of how you get there. If that's the case -- ask yourself: why? I would caution against getting PhD because you're in a dead-end job and it is a way to get out. Lots of people reinvent themselves career-wise! You don't need grad school to do that-- you need professional experience outside of CRM, an open mind and a willingness to start anew in something that may be unfamiliar. Have you tried searching for other jobs? If you reallllly want a PhD because you really want an academic job, keep in mind -- only a sliver of us are likely to find stable academic employment. It's kind of a silly degree in some concrete senses, as there are not really jobs outside of academia that require a PhD. You really only need an MA for non academic jobs. It's true that academia is harsh and terrible, and though it may feel awful to be shut out of PhD programs this year -- it could also be an opportunity to take your future in a cool new direction. Be open to that!
  18. Eek, as someone towards the end of the PhD process, I'd be very hesitant to take out loans to go to graduate school in Anthropology. It's often best to wait until you receive a funded package in another application cycle. I say this on the forums every year. Karen Kelsky's writing is polemical on this topic, but in my opinion, spot on: http://theprofessorisin.com/2013/04/12/should-you-go-to-graduate-school/ I am happy to talk to anyone about this in private message. To quote Kelsky: "Understand that doing the Ph.D., especially in the humanities, is a terribly risky proposition financially. During the years in the program, even if you are “fully funded,” the quote-unquote full funding is inadequate to support most people’s actual expenses, particularly if they have a partner, children, a health challenge, or any other responsibilities. Understand that if you do it, you almost certainly will not get a full time permanent tenure track academic job at the end that will even begin to make back the money you invested into the program. Even if you get a permanent job, the pay scale of faculty is low enough in most colleges and universities outside the elite schools, that you will be unable to pay off your undergraduate student debt or readily meet basic expenses like child care or medical expenses. There is also opportunity cost. While in graduate school you will lose many years in the workforce. You will lose any trajectory toward seniority in any other field you might currently be in. You will experience perhaps a decade of lost wages and lost payment into social security; these losses will follow you through to retirement. Understand that you will not be told the truth about this by anyone in any graduate program to which you apply."
  19. Yes! There are always political divisions within departments, but outright hostilities between department faculty are always terrible for grad students (we're usually caught up in the middle trying not to piss people off...)
  20. Hi ya'll. As an unpleasant head up, FYI, or perhaps confirmation if you've been wondering: formal rejections often do not come until MUCH later than the interviews and acceptances. So you may not *know* 100% that you've been rejected from a school until they bother to send you a letter in April or something. But trust your gut here: when interviews and acceptances have gone out, and you haven't heard anything from the school within a few days of that, you have almost always been rejected. At a certain point, *waiting* just becomes waiting for formal rejection letters, as offers for PhD programs are rarely made in dramatically differently-timed rounds unless you're placed on a formal wait list. Also, I know everyone wants to parse archaeologists out from cultural anthropologists. But.... in my department and every department I've ever heard of-- these decisions are made together, usually at a single faculty meeting. It is true that Anthro Departments admit different numbers of students representing different subfields. But at the point that they formally notify and recommend students for admission, they send a single list of students to the Graduate School, who then makes a formal offer of admission. The Grad School doesn't care how many students are cultural anthros, versus archaeologists, versus whatever -- they just want to know how many students the Department is admitting. It tends to be all at once. Stanford might be an exception because their department has long been divided in strange ways. But in general, expect decisions from all subfields in a single Department to be released around the same time.
  21. It depends on what phase of your PhD program you are looking to fund. For $ for your actual data collection (i.e. to conduct dissertation fieldwork/research), I believe you could apply for an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant. Ask your advisor and colleagues about this one. If you're already done with data collection and writing your dissertation, you could look into the National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship Program. This funds the final year of dissertation writing, for people working on education issues.
  22. Yes, you're been recommended for admission. What's the confusion? You got in. Congrats!
  23. As one of the resident experts on applying multiple years in a row -- yes, you can definitely reach out to POI again. I did this after my first application cycle and I do think it helped me in year 2. BUT I would add a few big caveats. Apologies for the bluntness: First, be aware of how much/little interest the professor showed in your project to begin with. I would definitely reach out if you had meaningful contact (as in-- the professor knows who you are) before admissions decisions were released. E-mailing a professor who never really showed interest in you to begin with in order to ask favors is not a great idea, and may turn them off for next cycle. Also, don't assume that professors will remember you or your application. An e-mail that was AWESOME to you because your favorite academic said "sure, go ahead and apply!" was probably not that meaningful to them -- when making contact again, always remind them of who you are (by using same e-mail chain as last year for instance) and your project idea. Be formal. Use your full name. Second, wait! Wait a few weeks or months. They're recruiting their incoming cohort, and because you're not part of it, they might be a little annoyed if you're asking for their time when they didn't admit you. Summer might be a good time to touch base again, or early next fall. You don't have to reveal that you didn't get in anywhere else-- just talk up how much you continue to be interested in their program. Finally, do NOT simply make contact in order to ask your POI how to strengthen your application for next cycle. To many professors, that is a very selfish request-- you're essentially asking them to do the work of reviewing your application again in order to give you advice. It will show a lot of maturity if YOU tell THEM what you are doing to refine your project idea and/or strengthen your application for next cycle. Then, after you have showed that you are committed to the work of making YOUR application better, you can indirectly ask if they have any additional suggestions. Forming a relationship with a POI is more important in terms of your admissions prospects than getting them to divulge exactly how/whre your application fell short-- many departments can't and won't share this detailed information. Some examples: NO: Hey prof X! I wasn't admitted to your program and am really disappointed, so can you divulge private admissions information about why I wasn't selected? This may involve digging up my application, writing me an e-mail, and otherwise spending tons of time telling me what I can do to get in your program next year? YES: Hey prof X! I did not find a good fit in terms of program and funding packages last admissions cycle, so I have decided to try again this year. In the meantime, I am working on / continuing to read on / presenting my previous work at ___ in order to strengthen my application. I am writing because I continue to be interested in your program for XYZ reasons. Over the past months, I have been doing ___ work, which is really preparing me for graduate research because ____. I have become especially interested in ___, so am planning to foreground that in my statement this year. I just wanted to let you know that I continue to be interested in your PhD program, particularly your strengths in ___. -----> And then maybe if you have a pleasant exchange you can add: I was wondering if you had any suggestions or advice as I prepare my proposal and application materials for this cycle? I thought perhaps I could strengthen ___, but do let me know if anything else stands out.
  24. This is good advice for any school. If you submitted your application materials, they have them. They will contact YOU if they have news.
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