posi+ivity

Here we go...

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.

For those who got 2.6, and only one bad review, seems really worth reapplying and using the comments to improve it! It was my last shot saddly, but I'm sure the reviews will improve my thesis once I recover from the major burn.

Hey, all!
Hopefully in a few years my school will let me try to do my doctorate with a French university so the diploma will be valid in France. I am a dual citizen who is in the US for a PhD but I want to keep my options open and probably go back to France to live and work after studying. 
I know I’d have to do the terribly frightening  agrégation to teach as a Professor back home, but I’d be thrilled to read any “real life” experiences about finding employment and how French academia sees people with an American Ph.D. 
Any tips? Stories? Insight? Thanks!

I've been in my program for a year and I'm still expecting this to happen!

Academics, anthropologists included, sell themselves short by considering a. that getting a job outside of academia is failing in life, b. that they have no marketable skills outside of a university.
 
I know lots of people who studied anthropology, from undergrad to PhD level, who are doing all sorts of weird and wonderful things outside of a university, whether that's in marketing, consulting, working for government agencies, NGOs, or the UN. Especially nowadays with online learning and constant budget cuts to traditional departments, the university is not the only game in town in terms of research and knowledge production. But professors and supervisors still tell their students to look for jobs inside the ivory tower, as if we don't have anything to offer the real world. I mean, as anthropologists we shouldn't be so dismissive of people outside of academia, but I still think the majority are. As a result, you still have a flood of recent doctorates who are convinced that they will only be happy when they fill exactly the same role their old supervisors held/hold, and will accept horrible working conditions/pay/precarious employment with no research opportunities just for a shot of that. And THAT'S why universities can get away with all their budget and funding cuts, horrible administration, etc. Because we still hold this elitist assumption that that is the only way we can be intellectually "free".
 
To me this is bs. We have to admit that the majority of us won't get there. But there are plenty of places anthropologists can work outside of the university as long as we can market our skills. And hopefully when we value our own academic labour instead of slavishly worshipping the outdated idea of the enlightened scholar spending their life pondering the big questions of Culture with a capital C, hopefully we'll be more valued by university admin as well.
 
I'm doing a PhD because it's the best chance I have to spend a few years researching something I'm passionate about, learning from other people and hopefully building on knowledge. If I can get a job inside the university afterwards, amazing. If I can get a job outside the university afterwards, also amazing.
 
- more than slightly pinched from here http://www.anthropologiesproject.org/2013/01/busting-apart-silos-of-knowledge.html

'Sup, all. Just wanted to clarify how people are structuring their calculations; e.g., if you post something like "$30k/year; $5000 summer", does that mean 25k for the academic year and 5k divided among the summer months? Thanks and congratulations to all!

I've joked with friends that applying to PhD programs has been the weirdest dating game of my life.
I thought interviews with POIs would feel like job interviews, but instead they felt more like "Do we have compatibility?" first dates. Meeting my POIs lab members felt like meeting the family-in-law, to see if they like me. Leaving my current supervisor and school for another program felt like breaking up with them (and I felt weirdly guilty applying to other programs and having the interviews in the first place).
...and then you go from a "first date" to a 5-year commitment.  It's just all around weird.

I literally just did the same thing. It was a very hard decision to choose which program would be right for me in the long run. It honestly felt like I was breaking up with the POI and the university. 

Does going to a R1 vs R2 school for a PhD really matter? I just figured deciding meant looking more at the department and the research coming out of the department itself, rather than looking at the university as a whole. I turned down a PhD program at an R1 to go to a R2 because the R2 has a proven record of high output/opportunities for research in quality journals with TT placement for about 95% of graduates, while the R1 is a newish program that doesn't have any record research-wise or placement-wise. 

So, I just sent off rejection e-mails this morning. It was honestly one of the hardest things I have had to do in a LONG time. I loved this school, but practically speaking, the other school had more to offer. It's just that the POI I had been in touch with was so kind and excited for me to possibly attend. I told them that I wanted to collaborate with them in the future as we have extremely similar research foci, but who knows if they would actually want to do that. 
Bleh. Anyone else feel the same way?

I'm 30, will be 31 when I start and 33 at graduation. Not feeling self-conscious when sitting in a group of mid-twenty-somethings is going to be difficult. I have to keep reminding myself it's not as if everyone sees my driver's license before they talk to me so they might not be able to tell lol
However, I'm not married, don't care to get married, and hate children so it was not a difficult decision for me to move and pursue grad school.

Are there any financial issues that are likely to gut your institution? If private, is enrollment/the endowment moderately stable? If public, is a state-wide budget crisis roiling your university system, leading your university administrators to ask to put tuition waivers on the chopping block? If public, is the governing political party in your state on a crusade to filet their university system? (Note: this isn't a warning against every university system in a state with a Republican administration; compared to the upper midwest, frankly, most of the south is feeling relatively tranquil right now.) Is there a graduate student union? If so, how established and/or powerful are they? What kinds of concessions have they won from the university recently? This answer will be awfully similar to 'what kinds of benefits are there': I've asked it as a separate question, however, because if you have the kind of administration to really jerk the graduate students around, a strong union will reduce how much of that actually ends up applying to the grad students.

A big thing for me was the reception I received from the POI after emailing them. Unlike what most people have posted, I had established communication with my POI MONTHS before the app was due. I had an hour-long Skype chat with one professor 6 months before I applied. Everything was great, but they weren't the best at communicating. They took several months reply to my emails and confirm a date to Skype. They have a large-ish family, but still. It was a perfect fit for me adviser and program wise. I still hope to work with them in the future.
My other POI, however,  is AMAZING and had steadily replied to my emails with an unbelievable amount of detailed information. They weren't concise at all though, haha. They answered every question imaginable three months before I applied. I am still in close contact with them. They continue to provide assistance, praise, reassurance, and encouragement. I can't put into words how much they changed the application process for me. I actually feel capable of doing well in a Ph.D. program because of them. I know that the department will be everything I need or want. They are just..amazing haha.
I was accepted into both programs but withdrew my application from school 1 on the day they sent me the acceptance letter. Crazy, right? 
Anyway, this was a factor because I want to feel accepted and know the true inner workings of a program before going. It also let me know how hands on my POI would be and how much they care about supporting me. 

This is a great list! I wouldn't have much to add, but these are things you may want to take into consideration, depending on your circumstances:
1. Research: What is their research output? Are students putting out first author publications, or are they more in a supportive role? Quality of publications (e..g where they are publishing) is obviously important too. 
2. Grant Support: Being able to secure your own funding is important if you want to go into academia. Do the faculty hold workshops? How big of a push is there for you to try and secure your own grant funding? This, coupled with research are practical skills that are going to be crucial for a job in academia.
3. Proximity to Air Travel: If you're far from family, or just want to be able to travel with ease, take nearby airports into consideration. How much are flights out of those airports to the locations you would be frequenting the most? If you're in a smaller/more remote town, cost of air travel goes up by multiple hours and hundreds of dollars!
4. Health: I can't stress this enough. We are all going to be in mid to late twenties, and probably in our thirties by the time we are done with a PhD program. This is about the time when health issues start developing/revealing themselves. Make sure your funding covers health insurance, and make sure you have great health insurance. Also, make sure you have a competent and reputable hospital nearby. You don't want to have health issues during your program and receive mediocre treatment that will lead to complications down the road (this almost cost me my life, fyi). 

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!

You don't say anything about funding, which is a key consideration. I'd also be thinking about the track record of these programs and supervisors when it comes to helping their students get funding to do fieldwork if that's something you'll need to do for your project. I would also think about whether they have or are willing to publish with their students. 
I know traditional wisdom is not to go to a program for one person. But, I basically did that for my PhD and it worked out fine. My supervisor did later leave for another institution but, I was far enough along in my degree that it didn't affect me or alter my plans.

How does the funding situation look? Honestly, the junior faculty at UCSD are fantastic, so by the time you finish your PhD, they are going to be really well known in the field. If it’s a sociocultural person I can guess who it is and both of them are awesome in terms of productivity, mentor ship, and pragmatism. You really can’t go wrong. 

I was in the exact same situation. I don't have much to add to @timetobegin 's comment - all of it factored into my decision making. It was an appealing prospect to be a supervisor's first PhD student for all of the reasons timetobegin mentioned and I happened to get along well with that POI. However, the reason I chose the other program was because of the faculty as a whole. Professors - new and established - can leave at any time. They can fall ill, shift priorities, take extended leave, and so on. At one of schools I visited, a couple students chose the program for one particularly well-known professor they chose as their supervisor. They liked the supervisor but their experience in the department wasn't as positive; that professor is now mostly retired and they still have a couple years left. The advice I was given in several instances was not to commit to a program on the basis of one person's work. At the school I chose, I could see myself forming two or three different committees and being supervised by three different professors, depending on how my research interests developed. Despite having an extremely positive feeling about the department with the young POI, I knew that I would have been limited when it came to forming a committee.
I asked both professors about their mentorship style, mutual expectations, and future plans. I told the new professor that I was concerned about being their first student and asked about the challenges they foresaw. I asked the established professor about the kind of student who excels under their supervision and had the opportunity to speak to their current students, who had nothing but good things to say. Keep in mind that university departments are invested in portraying a certain image to recruit PhD students -- just ask the tough questions and listen to the answers.

It sounds like the new professor is already working on how to incorporate you into their research and their work life -- that's fantastic. Just because they're young and new does not make them incapable. It just means you're both navigating new waters, and you'll have to create your own path for how your Supervisor-Student dynamic is going to work. You'll need to be able to speak up for what you want and remind them of things you need from them, since there's no prior knowledge, and mistakes will probably be made by both of you along the way. The good news, however, is that a young supervisor likely knows how to navigate the Modern PhD World better than any established supervisor, because they just (successfully) graduated and veered into an academic career. It also gives you a chance to explore new research with them and start brand new projects, which can be exciting. And, since you'll be their first PhD student, they'll probably spend more time with you, because... well, that's exciting for them, to have students! I could be wrong, but I feel with a young/new supervisor, you're going into your PhD as more of an (unbalanced) team, rather than a defined "My supervisor is just my supervisor" kind of dynamic. You'll be relying on each other more, as the stakes are on: first time supervising, and first student that sets the stage for others.
You don't know that your supervisor is going to leave the university, and therefore there's no reason to bring it up in any conversation with them. If it happens, it happens. If your dynamic is established by that point, you may pack up and leave with them. It's a non-issue, in my mind.
On the other hand, an older supervisor brings to the table all of the experience. They know the academic world better than anyone else (but they won't know your academic-job market situation nearly as well). They'll have network connections and clout that could help you in the long run. Just because they're busy and in great demand doesn't mean they're a lackluster supervisor - you would have to speak to their current students and see how much emphasis s/he puts on supervising. However, it does mean that because they're established, you'll probably be entering their already very established research - this could make the learning curve smoother, but it could also put you as just a PhD student on their research, and not on your own path. You would need to speak to them and see what they have in mind for you.
I would just go with the research that most interests you, and the advisor you most get along with. If you end up with the new supervisor, you might want to put an older faculty member on your committee, or befriend them as a mentor to you as you navigate academia. If you choose the more established supervisor, you might want to get to know the older PhD students, or befriend a younger faculty member who can mentor you on the job market. Find your balance.

There are quite a few buses that go to campus, and a lot of students use them. Here's a link with all of the routes: https://transportation.ucsd.edu/alternatives/transit/#Bus-routes The superloop is always packed. I would recommend looking for a place on a bus line.
As for neighborhoods... University City is close to UCSD. Also, a lot of people live in Hillcrest, which is a really cool area with a lot of restaurants.
I used apartments.com to find my current off campus apartment, but you can use this site to help you find a UCSD roommate once you have an account: https://offcampushousing.ucsd.edu/.
When my husband and I had to move off campus, I really wanted to live close to campus or south of UCSD, but the apartments were either way out of our price range or extremely old. 
For some perspective, a two bedroom near campus can be up to $3000+. My current off campus apartment is North of campus and inland. I pay ~$1700/month for a two bedroom now. However, I have to drive and park every day because the public transportation doesn't really connect up here.
Honestly, SHORE was the deciding factor when my husband made his decision between UCLA and UCSD. We didn't think we could afford off campus housing in LA or San Diego. The stipends are rather generous though, so it's definitely possible.

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?

I'll send you a PM