farflung

Take heart! The "okay, so who works in your region?" / 3 profs in your region standard in History is NOT terribly different in Anthropology, at least in my experience. Like you, I have an not-super-popular research topic that made it somewhat difficult to find POIs at PhD-granting institutions as I was applying to grad school. I have found (not only when applying, but also over the years as a student) that professors who work in my region are MUCH more likely to understand why my project is important. They know the national context where I work, are connected to discussions among intellectuals FROM the country I work in, and they just GET it, even if it's not a super sexy topic in American Anthropology as a whole. My dissertation committee is composed entirely of regional specialists (one in a more narrow sense, two in a broader sense). In summary: Don't restrict yourself to POIs with methodological/theoretical resonances - much of that will change as you go through graduate training anyway. I think it's perfectly reasonable to think broadly about POIs according to region/language/nation/culture group in Anthropology. If you're an Africanist, start thinking about programs with lots of faculty working in Africa. If you're a Latin Americanist, think about places with strong LA faculty and Latin American Studies centers.

Probably a file size issue, as otherss suggested. Go to smallpdf.com to shrink the file (for free).

I do not know any current students at the programs you listed. However, many PhD programs list their current graduate students (with contact information) on departmental webpages. Funding & cost of living is a totally legitimate thing to contact current grad students about, so I'd encourage you to start there. You could also look to see if department webpages have any kind of graduate student handbook available. These handbooks very often describe funding scenarios or guarantees by year in the program.

Have you considered not going for a Master's at all, but rather getting another year or two of work experience under your belt -- preferably related to your field of study? That would make you a more competitive candidate for the PhD at CUNY in the next cycle if you don't gain admission this year. Just something to think about if you're sure you want the PhD and have a solid undergraduate record (as in, you don't need to make up for poor GPA or no research experience by showing that you can do grad-level work in an MA program).

Someone reported receiving an official letter on the Dissertation Fellowships Wiki. http://academicjobs.wikia.com/wiki/Dissertation_Fellowships_2015-2016?diff=437475&oldid=prev

Hi everyone! I applied for the August 2015 NSF DDIG deadline for Cultural Anthro. My panel is this week. Anyone know how long after the panel it takes to hear back about your proposal status?

Yep - strongly agree with all of rising_star's advice! Med Anthro is a huge & growing subfield -- there are medical anthropologists at nearly all PhD-granting institutions that I know of. Try to think broadly about who your project might appeal to. No need to contact absolutely everyone - one or two e-mails per school was enough in my case. Also, remember that there are very few departments that share a coherent 'theoretical perspective' (those that do tend to be small). Different faculty work within multiple traditions in almost every PhD program I am familiar with. There may be programs that are stronger in political economy/marxist approaches, or whatever approach interests you, but you'll encounter LOTS of faculty with LOTS of approaches in grad school -- that's good! Two things. One - I agree with your advisor. Tweak your proposed project a bit to make it resonate with their current work. What are the stakes? You are in NO way beholden to anything you say you'll do in your SOP. Two - don't go to a graduate program unless you are guaranteed multiple years of full, automatic funding. Perhaps it's worth applying to places without 'automatic funding' as you say, but I haven't heard of a single good experience from people whose funding is on the line year after year. I say this again and again to every potential grad student who will listen, because I think it's so important. Grad school is not worth extreme extreme poverty and debt.

At my Cultural Anthro program, I've heard from faculty on the admissions committee that GRE scores do not matter at all. I mean, really, these are anthropologists -- we tend to be very skeptical of standardized measures of 'smartness.' Craft a compelling statement of purpose, emphasize what you can uniquely contribute to the department, play up your life and research skills, make contacts with professors, and hope for the best.

Agreed. I would listen to your professors, LittleCritterB, if they are sensing that you're not ready.

I do think graduate programs in Anthro tend to favor people with at least a year or two out of undergrad. HUGE caveat: I know multiple people who have gained admission coming right out of undergrad, so this is not to discourage you or say that it's not possible! In terms of why applicants with at least some post-BA experience tend to be more successful, I'll copy & paste the same thing I did in another forum: Social maturity & substantial experience in one's field site (including fluency in field languages) are crucial to successfully completing a PhD in anthropology. PhD programs also involve a large undergraduate teaching component (in other words, you will be teaching college students), so grad programs really want students who are mature enough to take on the role of university instructor. Everyone in my cohort (a well-regarded Cultural Anthro program) took at least 1-2 years off after college to work, travel, read, and have fun. I also have cohort mates who didn't return to graduate school in their late 20's, and now that I'm nearing the end of the program, many of us are now married with children of our own. I only say this to emphasize that grad school is a professional setting, and you'll be surrounded by and treated like an adult colleague. Grad programs want doctoral students who will enter this role seriously. (That could be you NOW, as a senior undergrad, or it could be you in a few years). So, again, don't fear. It's very possible, but the hill is a bit steeper coming out of undergrad. In terms of your question about the MA degree: Are you willing to pay for a MA degree in anthropology? MA programs don't tend to have funding. I wasn't willing to pay -- I knew I wanted the PhD and had too much undergrad debt to take on more. I didn't gain admission to a single PhD program the first year I applied (this is fairly normal, as I've since learned). So I applied again the next year. I got into one school, a fabulous 'reach' school, and am quite happy. Keep in mind that if you get an MA degree, most PhD programs will still essentially make you start from the beginning (with those that just have BA degrees) regardless. You may opt out of a few classes if you have an MA coming in, but not many. If you're really sure you want to and can get the PhD, I'd caution against paying the $ and the 2 years it would take to get the MA. If you're unsuccessful this application cycle, try to go & get more experience related to your research area next year, and apply again.

I'm at a well-regarded Cultural Anthro program now. We do NOT bring in students who 'fit the mold' of a particular POI. Rather, we tend to ask whether the student is prepared to undertake graduate work, would be served by the current courses offered in the department, and could potentially be happy working with any number of faculty members. You never know who in the department may take a liking to the research you propose in your SOP. While I share a regional specialty with my advisor, no one on my dissertation committee works in the same country as me, or on the same primary topic / anthropological subfield. They admitted me because they think the project is innovative & worth doing, and feel that they can contribute to discussions around how to best see the project through.

Truth! Really, NO dreams or aspirations for anything else besides grad school? That's worrisome. Not knowing what else to do is a terrible reason to pursue a PhD, perhaps the worst. It sounds like you should go be young & figure out what your priorities are in a career/future/life. Then, return to school if it will lead you to those things.

By all means - "do what you love" in life! Time is short. However, I wouldn't recommend "doing what you love" in terms of PhD programs specifically IF your pursuit of a PhD will come at the expense of other priorities you may have in future decades. These may include: good physical health, good mental health, economic stability (directly correlated with happiness in almost all sociological studies, by the way), ability to care for aging kin, the existence of strong friendships, and whatever measure of professional success you have. Many graduate students are able to "do what they love" in grad school or their career while not losing sight of other life priorities. But many are not. Academia sucks that way. So proceed cautiously!

1. You want letter writers who have worked with you in some capacity and can candidly speak to your intellectual interests, your emotional and social maturity, and your promise in Anthropology. If this is your academic advisor, great. If it's not, don't sweat it. You may be asked who was your advisor informally in an interview or something, but you can just respond something to the effect of: "person XYZ, but I didn't work as closely with them as I did with my letter writers." It won't be a big deal. 2. Yes, get advice from everyone, especially those in the department/field you're thinking of pursuing. Informational interviews are SO helpful. Where did they go to grad school? What was funding like? What do they regret/wish they had done differently? 3. Go to a school where you can envision working with several faculty members. This way, if a faculty member leaves/goes on sabbatical/is a terrible advisor/ turns out to be crazy, you can still complete your PhD! You never know how an advising relationship will go until you try it out, and you may end up switching advisors after a year or two. That's OK and normal. Talk to graduate students in the departments that interest you -- who is their advisor? What is the advisor good & not good at?

For those who were unsuccessful in the Fulbright-Hays this year: I received my reviewer feedback reports from my CO. They were thorough and fair! Contact your CO if you haven't received yours.

Could be. But I think most Anthro professors are skeptical of ANYONE going straight from undergrad to graduate school. It's quite difficult to gain entrance into Anthro PhD programs right after completing a BA, to be honest. This is particularly true in Anthropology, where social maturity & substantial experience in one's field site (including fluency in field languages) are crucial to successfully completing the PhD. Also keep in mind that PhD programs involve a large undergraduate teaching component (in other words, you will be teaching college students), so they really want PhD students who are mature enough to take on the role of university instructor. Everyone in my cohort (a well-regarded Cultural Anthro program) took at least 1-2 years off after college to work, travel, read, and have fun. I also have cohort mates who didn't return to graduate school in their late 20's, and now that I'm nearing the end of the program, many of us are now married with children of our own. I only say this to emphasize that grad school is a professional setting, and you'll be surrounded by and treated like an adult colleague. Grad programs want doctoral students who will enter this role seriously.

Americorps positions are all rolling. Peace Corps usually has a late winter / early spring deadline, which you can certainly apply to after finishing your grad apps in the fall.

Sounds good to me. An open mind with regard to future careers is always a good thing! Just keep in mind that graduate school is an unbelievably grueling and draining process -- it makes cynics out of the most idealistic of us. A PhD is no more intrinsically satisfying or worthy a choice than pursuing any other corporate career (read the first few chapters of Karen Kelskey's new book for an argument why). I fear for anyone who enters PhD programs in the social sciences and humanities because they love school & envision a happy life at graduate school. Most PhD students I know are not very happy, even at well-funded programs with positive and supportive department cultures. Grad school is the first time you're likely to fail at something you've really invested yourself in, and perhaps first time that you'll make unthinkable sacrifices that you never thought you would for your work (for example, cutting time with family, cutting exercise, neglecting physical and mental health, neglecting relationships). Graduate school may take a decade of your life. There's no guarantee that you will be happy during or after a PhD program in anthropology, or that you'll end up loving the work you one day do. What you CAN control is whether the PhD will logically lead you to a career that you want. I know "careerism" gets a bad rap, but be careful about pursuing a PhD for the love of it. Investigate to make sure the PhD will get you the career you want. ( I recommend this (now-famous) Slate essay warning against trying to "do what you love" for a career:) http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2014/01/do_what_you_love_love_what_you_do_an_omnipresent_mantra_that_s_bad_for_work.html

Yes, I agree! I myself am pursuing a PhD in Anthropology, and quite enjoying it, even though I do not have plans to pursue a tenured professorship upon completion. (A non-academic career needn't be a Plan B, after all). However, I DO think that too many people are still entering PhD programs because they want to be tenured academics. And PhD-granting research universities are still training graduate students as if academia is the inevitable path, sending many bright academics into an utter shame spiral when they can't or don't want to go that route. Many of these ABDs and recent-PhDs are well into middle age, with families to support and no professional experience, before they realize academia is not a possibility. I'm all about the "don't go to grad school" or "proceed extremely cautiously" speeches and blogs -- it's smart to know what you're up against as a PhD student!

Emeritus faculty are listed on department webpages as a formality. In my program, I don't know of a single grad student who has ever worked with retired faculty. Perhaps consultations, but not in any official capacity. I've even been told not to put professors on my committee that are within a few years of retirement, since retired faculty are unlikely to write letters and do the hard leg work of getting you a job post-graduation.

On the topics of graduate school, the adjunct crisis, and the inadvisability of entering PhD programs in the humanities & social sciences, I recommend almost anything Karen Kelskey (theprofessorisin.com) has written. This might be a good place to start: http://theprofessorisin.com/2013/04/12/should-you-go-to-graduate-school/

Got my rejection too! I got a 3.3 -- not sure if that's combined/ average score or what?

Yep, looks like we'll be waiting another day! Sigh.

Think so? It's pretty late in the workday already. I heard super late in the first round (like randomly 5 days after everyone else), so I'm less optimistic!

PS - I only respond with "you got it!" after extensive forum digging -- literally no one I've ever heard of whose received a budget revision request from Wenner-Gren has ever been denied funding. You should receive an official letter detailing the award via snail mail in a week or two.