posi+ivity

Here we go...

So sorry to hear that... I'm sending positive vibes your way and I hope you get the necessary funds for your fieldwork and eventually even a write-up grant. I also got declined, with a score of 3. The reviews were very clear and encouraging though, and I plan to resubmit for the May 1st round. I was very optimistic about my grant applications, and it's certainly hard not to feel discouraged by these rejections. But it's what it is, and I just have to learn from the experience, consider all these reviews seriously, put my grant writing cap back on, and reemerge with a better application.

Yes, best of luck to all of us!

Mine was updated again today around 8-9 hours ago. This is my last shot for this round, so I’m praying that’s a good sign!

Thanks!

Congrats! Where did you find the review @lemepris?

Another term that might be useful is “critical medical anthropology.”

Passed staged 1, received email at 8:13am EST Good luck everyone!

Mine says last edited today, Feb. 20th. Hope we hear from them this coming week!

I agree with @timetobegin. You should also probably keep in mind that although professors are extremely busy people, and asking them to write a different (albeit just slightly) SOP for each application might be just a tad bit excessive. However, I understand your concern. Perhaps as a compromise, you can write them an email to explain very briefly what you want them to focus on in each application? They can probably change a sentence or even a paragraph in their letters depending on the amount of time they are willing to give.

Where are you applying? And what fellowships are you referring to? If you are applying to universities in the US, then there is usually no separate application for their internal graduate fellowship programs. If you are referring to NSF, Wenner Gren, Fulbright, etc., then obviously it depends on their own deadlines and rules.

Oh, and what do you think of university and program rankings? Do they matter at all?

Thanks for your great responses, everyone! @phyanth I definitely agree about the importance of health insurance and the accessibility of a good hospital. I never considered that--thanks for pointing it out! @waltzforzizi I actually wrote a separate discussion thread about that (see link below). UPDATE: My main POI in school #2 has finally replied and we're going to Skype soon. They were extremely encouraging in their email and agreed to work with me should I go there. Apparently they read my application very closely and told the department they should definitely get me. It's just that they are away doing fieldwork so they couldn't reply right away. Now it's become even more difficult for me to make a choice! @hats Both of my schools are large public universities, but I never thought of considering the political climate affecting state funding as well as the importance of a graduate student union. Thanks for telling me!

Thanks! I sent you a PM!

Thank you so much for the info and the advice, @Wooshkuh!

I know there's a thread for this somewhere else on the site, but I thought I'd start one specifically for anthropology. I also thought we could separate this discussion from the main 2018 thread to be respectful of those who are still waiting or who didn't make it this year. I'm curious about the factors that are primarily influencing the decision-making of those who received more than one offer. Are you asking for advice from anyone? Who is helping you decide? In my case, these are the things that I'm considering, in order of importance. advisor and committee: What would my relationship with my prospective advisor be like? Which in the faculty can serve in my committee? funding package (assuming all options are fully funded): How does the stipend compare with the cost of living there? How heavy is the teaching load? Is there funding for field visits, language training, and conference participation? location: Do I really want to live there for 6+ years? What would my life outside the university be like? (Or, would I have one at all?) graduate placement: Where are their graduates now? In addition to academia, are there other industries where there graduates have ended up in? academic culture: What's the relationship between faculty and students like? What activities are there in the department beyond the curriculum? university resources: What centers or institutes does the university have that could provide me with additional support? prestige: How are the university and the department regarded by peers? What do you think? Would you add anything to the list? Or would you put those things in a different order? Oh and, congratulations to all of us! I feel like we've been together through such an emotional roller coaster ride!

I'm curious--why would you be ineligible?

Thanks a lot @Wooshkuh! What do you think of living off-campus? I'm asking just in case I don't get SHORE housing (which is likely at this point, I think). How hard/expensive is it to get a place outside campus? I won't be driving—at least not in my first year, I think. I don't mind having roommates as long as I have my own bedroom and preferrably my own bathroom. What is a good platform to use to look for a place?

Dear all, I've been offered admission by two universities (UCSD and UVa). I am currently weighing these two wonderful options, and I’m considering a lot of factors including prospective advisors and mentors, academic culture, university resources, graduate placement, funding, and location. I know that the most important of these is my future supervisor. Now, if all other things were equal, I'd be left with what seems to be a Manichaean dilemma. My recruiter/prospective supervisor at UCSD has been simply great. Besides the fact that my research seems to be perfectly aligned with their* work, the current students at UCSD with whom I've had the chance to talk have had nothing but superlative praise for this particular professor. My prospective supervisor already has plans for me--for example, they're already including me in a panel session that they're preparing for the AAAs in San Jose this year. That being said, the said professor is young and is a very new hire in the department. I believe this is their first job post-PhD, and I also think I might be the first PhD student they will supervise. I can't help but worry about the possibility that my prospective supervisor might eventually want to move to another university before I finish my PhD there. The work of the other professors in the department isn't as aligned with my research interests, although I'm sure one of them would be able to supervise me if I were to stay there. My prospective supervisor and I are going to have another Skype session soon. What should I ask? My situation at UVa is quite different. While I'm not aware of any specific professor at UVa who really wants to get me in the program, I think there are more members in the faculty (than at UCSD) who can supervise me. One of them is a very famous scholar in the subfield of anthropology that I identify with, and I would definitely love to work with them. Current students there have told me that this professor seems like a likely supervisor for me. However, I know that because they are older and more popular, they are definitely busier and in greater demand. I am afraid that I might not get as much attention and support from them because of this and that this would somehow hurt not only my PhD but also my professional career. What do you think? Both universities and both professors are really, really great, and I am having such a difficult time deciding. I would greatly appreciate your thoughts! If anyone is interested in specific details, I would be happy to provide them in a PM. If you know anything specific about these two departments, please PM me, too! Looking forward to hearing from you! * I'm using the gender-neutral singular pronouns they and them.

Thanks a lot for your advice @a_sort_of_fractious_angel and @wheresmysnow! Can I also ask you what it's like living there? I'm quite concerned after the violent events that transpired last year... The members of the department admissions committee who interviewed me reassured me that Charlottesville is still a safe place to live in for students who identify as persons of color and/or queer. Would you mind sharing your thoughts?

Oh, and do people really say "grounds" instead of "campus" all the time?

Hi everyone, I've been admitted to UVA this fall and I was hoping to hear the thoughts of current students about the different housing options on campus. Has anyone here lived on the Range? It sounds very prestigious, and I suppose it's quite difficult to get accepted to live there. I really like the idea of living in a building that has so much history. In terms of location it's unbeatable because it's a mere two-minute walk from my department. But what is it like living there? Are the rooms not a bit cramped? Is it manageable to have to go outdoors to get to the bathroom? I am used to having a living room and my own kitchen, but living on the Range does seem like a quite an experience (perhaps even just for a year?). How about Copeley Hill, Faulkner Drive, and University Gardens? I really like the idea of living on campus because it's just so beautiful there. But do you think I'm better off looking for an apartment outside campus?

Hi @Wooshkuh, I might be attending UCSD this fall, and I am applying for campus housing. I'm currently on the department's waitlist for SHORE, and given the cost of housing in San Diego I am really hoping I get it. I assume from your post that you are currently attending UCSD for your MA. Would you mind sharing your thoughts about the different housing options on campus? Some of the students there have been giving me quite differing reviews. I'm considering Mesa, the Rita Atkinson, One Miramar, and Coast (although I am aware that it is quite difficult to get into and that it's not part of SHORE). I've been told to avoid the Single Graduate Apartments (buildings too old, 4 people in an apartment, too much like dorms) and Mesa Nueva (too new, too crowded, also too much like a dorm). Do you also know which ones are furnished and which ones aren't?

Has anyone been accepted to MIT HASTS yet? Or waitlisted? I can see a couple of people rejected on the scoreboard, but neither of them were interviewed. Has anyone who was interviewed heard back from HASTS? Also, what’s up with NYU’s email? “Graduate Enrollment Services posted the decision for your Fall 2018 application on your application status page on March 05, 2018. Please log into your application to view the decision.” I checked the website but there’s nothing there. Other people got the same mysterious (and misdated) email.