Lexie16

Bahaha, this has to be one of the best stories I've heard about paper mishaps ? Glad your professor had a good laugh!!! Even if it might have given you a heart attack at first when you realized you left it in there!

I don't necessarily have any qualms about self-promotion itself when someone has been rejected, but I have qualms that people are doing it on the results page. There is a rant thread on the forum, and I do agree that it can belittle others who have been accepted. I absolutely understand the need to blow off steam after a rejection, but I would prefer that they do it in a place where it is expected. (And, not only might it make people who have been accepted feel awful, but as someone who hasn't gotten their results yet, it makes me feel uncomfortable about my qualifications!)

Glad I could help! I felt the same way during my undergraduate career. I started as a music major who was interested in ethnomusicology, but took a cultural anthro course and I realized that what I was searching for were the people. What I was most interested in was something's impact on people, and how their stories changed as a result.... And subsequently, understanding how their changed narratives can culminate in a form of cultural shift. Like you, I put a lot of eggs in that one basket, so I can relate!! I'm also thrilled to hear that anthropology feels like a good fit for you (not that I'm biased, or anything ). Political and legal anthropology are on my list of major interests, so if you ever want to chat about possibilities for your own interests in that direction, let me know!

Political anthropology often goes hand in hand with legal anthropology. The disciplines study the structures of social order within societies, otherwise known fondly as law and order. What systems (informal and formal) are in place to govern a group of people? I would say this area overlaps with your general interests in that laws and political systems (formal and informal) can help shape an identity, and anthropology seeks to understand how these systems impact that identity. Also, you could look into how identity shapes a people's experiences within a political/legal system, and how different identity groups interact within those parameters. Cultural geography, to my knowledge, is more about how culture interacts with specific places/spaces. Sub-disciplines of geography tend to have a lot more of a physicality to them, where cultural attributes are explained taking into consideration the specific space in which people live. In relation to your interests, I would say cultural geography would look at how land spaces can help form identity and, alternatively, how identity shapes how people interact with the land. Perhaps this would fit your interests best if the group of people ties their identity to the land on which they're living. I am not 100% on this, though, so take that with a grain of salt. As far as comparative politics goes, I believe this focuses on similarities and differences across groups, and it looks more at the system itself. What are the specifics of different systems, and how does it differ from the system in X country? Not quite sure how this might relate to identity politics beyond looking at racially/ethnically driven policies. In short, anthropology is all about people and culture. Cultural geography is the interaction between people and land. Comparative politics sounds like it's about making a comparison of the systems themselves. It all depends what you're interested in beyond identity politics and nationalism... are you interested more in the people part of things, or are you interested more in the system or the geography? I would say they would also have some methodological differences as well, but I can't speak for anything other than anthropology on that front. I hope that some of the above general statements can help you better identify with one of the disciplines. Best of luck to you! I would love to hear more about your research interests, as well as what discipline you feel would fit best!

Hey there, DancinFool! I just finished applying to PhD programs in sociocultural anthropology this past December and I hope I can give you a few helpful bits of advice. 1) Your SOP/suggested topic of interest. In a way, they expect you to be able to narrow your desired research topic down strictly to show that you can identify, research, and design a project in your SOP. This is how you show you can "do" anthropology. I am also interested broadly in power dynamics, but I am also interested in the drug war, Mexico, the Continuum of Violence (thank you Bourgois for your brilliance), and security. In my SOP, I explored how these interests could come together within a project examining the effects of drug law enforcement within Ciudad Juarez, and what forms of order have emerged as a result. So my piece of advice is this- when you have finished reading about theory, what other topics interest you? Do you find yourself drawn to a region or broad area of the world? Is there a problem/current event that you have enjoyed reading about and exploring? Those are the kinds of questions to keep an eye on as you begin to think about applying in the next year. I found it extremely helpful to write down my thought processes in a rough flow chart. If you're interested in A, B, and C, what do those ideas also make you think of? Then slowly start consolidating these ideas into a succinct, executable project that you have thought through. While it is not expected that you will ultimately stick with the same exact project throughout the program, these interests will help you identify programs and advisors. I highly suggest narrowing your interests down a little more so it will help you with that search. While knowing you have an interest in power dynamics is helpful, it will be difficult to know who you want to work with or what program is a good fit given that one data point. 2) Writing sample. Is there a term paper you wrote during those anthro/phil/soc courses back in college? If so, look for one that is about 10-15 pages and relates to your topic of interest. That is going to be the paper that you want to focus on polishing. Take it to your college's writing center (if you are nearby), have friends read it, have you letter of recommendation writers take a look. I highly highly highly suggest this method, as that paper has been seen by a professor and you have been given academic feedback already on that specific prompt. .If you do not have a paper that you could edit, you can write one. Aim to choose a topic that will fill 10-15 pages. This is where you really need to demonstrate your ability to think critically, originally, and demonstrate your proficiency at the details of a certain citation style. During your research for sources, make sure the topic has not been already covered, or if you are writing about something related, that you are taking a unique stance, using a different theoretical framework, etc. etc. But get this read by a professor!!!! It is dangerous to submit a paper that has not been given critical, academic feedback by someone in your field. If you are writing a new paper, I would say read current papers in the field and model yours after that, but with a topic that doesn't require you to do fieldwork. Or, better yet, if you are still volunteering with victims of domestic violence, use that as a fieldwork opportunity. I used a paper analyzing public policy in Mexico. 3) Contact your recommendation writers early. I contacted mine 4 months in advance, before the semester started, to make sure they could write me a letter. Then I provided them with a binder covering the following: deadlines, contact persons for each program, details about each program and advisor I wanted to work with, my CV, my statement of purpose (already polished!), and papers that professor had graded. While it looks like a lot of work, my writers said it was immensely helpful and also demonstrated my ability for organization and forethought. I also met with them individually to speak about my interests, what I had been up to since graduation, and what I hoped to accomplish by going to grad school. 4) As has been mentioned before, contact potential advisors. Seriously. Travel there in person if you can to meet with them, sit in on a class, meet the chair/graduate program coordinator/see the campus. I'm serious. Best money/time I ever spent. I saved up then quit my job to do this, and I never regretted it. 5) You seem a bit preoccupied with having a background in finance rather than anthropology. Similar to the work on your research topic, write out a flow chart of skills you have gained working in finance that would help you be a successful researcher. You are no longer a student. You are accepted into a program based on the possibility of you developing into those advisors' colleague. It is less about your ability to get As in classes but more about your ability to identify unique research questions, create a project, and execute it. Write about those skills you have gained through your job and volunteer experiences. How they have shaped you. Highlight your intellectual curiosity. It ultimately becomes less about what theories you can prattle off and more about what will drive you to become an expert on a certain topic in your field. Everything you have done up to this point has given you marketable skills. Think of this as a job application. There is a program out there that would be a great fit for your interests in skills. Find it and sell yourself. 6) This will come into play much later, but as soon as the applications open for your schools, start them. Fill in basic information, and look for requirements listed within the application that are not available elsewhere. This happened to me, and I am so thankful I started the apps 3 months ahead of time and knew that one school only accepted SOPs that were 400-500 words- but that requirement was not listed anywhere else except in the application. Also, keep a spreadsheet of login information, pieces of the application, deadlines, etc. And keep it updated. Hope these pieces of information help... I would say start first with your interests, and that will help you narrow down everything else. And don't forget to ask your letter writers or other professors for advice!!! They are a great resource and oftentimes know of good programs or experts related to your interests. Journals are also a great way to discover topics and people/programs. You may still have access to online resources through your school credentials (see if you can access your school's VPN or resources through the library webpage). Good luck!!!

Update: my trip is completed, and went really well. I decided to go with paper copies of my CV that they could choose to keep, and then a short thank you email a few days after the meeting.

I will be visiting four of my graduate school choices in the next few weeks. I will be meeting with multiple potential advisors, and I read advice from someone somewhere that they left a summary page about their interests with the faculty member after each meeting. I think this is a great idea. However, I also think it is a good idea to do a summary thank-you email a week or so after your visit. While the summary sheet might have more information about yourself, the professor may not read it, misplace it, etc. The email will be sent when they (hopefully) still remember me, and it will come closer to the deadline, but won't include as much information. Which of these options do you think is better? And if you do recommend the summary sheet, what are points of information you think are most important to include?