striped

Hi! I know exactly how you feel. What are you having the most problems with?

@knp You didn't come off that way at all! It's hard to give anything more than blunt, broad advice because we all don't know each other's exact situations. Your advice here and on other posts of mine has always been very insightful and appreciated! I will take you up on your offer to look at my SoP sometime! Thank you very much

Ha, I feel like I haven't explained my situation properly! I am not set on LSE, Cornell, or bust- those are just the programs I've looked into the most since reopening my investigations into programs. Last year I applied to three UC schools, Northwestern, Duke, Notre Dame, and Michigan. I feel I was very naive, not only applying to PhD programs right out the gate, but to apply to such prestigious ones that my application was likely laughed out of. Also, the UC system is absolutely broke and I caught wind that only >5 people were admitted to each one (Berkeley, LA, SD). Cornell and LSE are very prestigious institutions as well, but in the case of Cornell, there is a huge anthro faculty, many of whom share my specific interests and I think I would be at least competitive if I applied there (and established connections beforehand). The Cal state system is viable, but again, I would have to go into a substantial amount of debt- tuition is 9k and living costs in San Diego are rising steadily, it would be another 20k in loans to accommodate those costs. It would be just around 60k in debt there as well. Pell grants are great if you qualify- which I'm not sure I would at this point. I graduated early with my BA in 2014- I've been getting (non relevant) work experience and trying to charter my path for my future. My life was recently totally shattered by some personal events and I am trying to rebuild from nothing- instead of just humbugging along, I want to get a start on a future I am absolutely sure about. I have been doing a lot of reading in things related to my research interests (modernity, aesthetics, technology), but I just want to get a real start on things. I've been putting my dreams on hold for other people my whole life and more importantly, the last couple of years. @knp The emails were actually all personalized- I spent a good 12 hours one day hammering them all out, reaching out to specific people, addressing their specific research interests (that I located on faculty pages/ current student pages) and asking questions about the application process for that specific program, successfully getting in, and others I asked simply how they prepared their research- was it vague at first and became narrowed down later? What exactly should I be preparing? Clearly my SoP last year wasn't strong enough, otherwise I may have had a chance to get in. I've gotten a few responses, all which have been very disappointing- faculty members who basically just say "applying is tough, good luck", or reply with a canned response to look at the program's website. Oh, and I actually don't have a BA from Cornell- you see, I was moving to Ithaca because my boyfriend is attending Cornell's law school, and I started looking into Cornell's anthro program because I would be there anyway. I am no longer moving to Ithaca, but I still did a lot of research on Cornell's program and it really seemed like a potential fit for me, so that is why I am still considering it. I went to a state school in San Francisco for my BA and it's one of the largest commuter schools in the state- it was very difficult to get to know students and professors alike just because it was so large and everyone was in their own world most of the time. So I guess my question is this: What does one do if they are not competitive enough to get into a PhD program right away? Should you not get an MA simply because of debt? I only have so many options...

@rising_star I was planning on moving to Ithaca and got some great advice from someone on here about what to do while reapplying to graduate programs, in a new city. She herself got an admin job at Cornell and gave me some great advice about staying in touch with faculty and attending public lectures. While I'm no longer moving to Ithaca, I've applied her advice to the city I have relocated to for the duration of a year (my hometown, San Diego). So, I am applying to jobs at the universities in the city so that I can remain close to the academic arena and be there on the scene when a professor needs a research assistant/other research opportunities. But, that is truly an ideal world. Without those connections, a place like indeed.com (where I've tried) is useless to me because I am way underqualified. The qualitative research positions are either not in my field, or I am completely underqualified. I'm trying to establish connections with professors whose work I am interested in/current grad students at the programs I am thinking of applying to/reapplying to, and I've sent probably close to a hundred emails to various people all asking for their help/insights on their program/faculty. There's not much more I can do in the way of that. I'm not trying to use MSc as a crutch- I'm trying to use it as a stepping stone given that I literally have no one to help me figure out the best path for my interests. I don't have published work, relevant research experience, I'm just a normal undergrad student trying to pursue higher education. I am more than happy to do the critical work on my own- I just need a place to start. @knp I actually have a BA in Anthropology and during my last semester did a somewhat substantial ethnographic project concerning identity conferment/construction by analyzing the SFMTA. I have what I feel is a solid foundation in anthropological theory/history/core ideas. The professor from the ethnography course is the one who encouraged me to apply to grad school and spent a lot of time drafting and editing my SoP for last application cycle. I've talked with her a lot about what I need to do, but she has offered little advice more than "most of academia is about the roll of the dice". So I've done a lot of outreach on my own to faculty members of the programs I want to apply to, as well as contacting the students of those programs. I wanted to consider getting my master's in London because it's a large metropolitan city and my research interests concern the West- I have focused a lot of my interest on cities in the U.S., but I also have kept in mind metro cities abroad as well. I also feel like I need a change of pace, and I feel like admitting that on here is sort of something to be ashamed of. I am considering applying to Cornell's program still, and their tuition is 60k/yr + living costs for two years. I would be 150k in debt just for a masters- I don't see why people here object so much to master's programs! They aren't useless and give one a solid foundation. I just don't see what I'm supposed to do if I can't get into a PhD program right out of undergrad- and if someone knows how I can, please let me know! I am actually looking for a job again now that I've relocated cities and like I said before, I am really trying to just limit my search to jobs at universities in San Diego.

@rising_star You raise some excellent points. I know that the gap between undergrad and graduate matriculation is not only recommended but often necessary in terms of maturing, determining a project, and having the right prudence in taking on such a burdensome financial responsibility. I know that extending the gap won't be the worst thing in the world, especially if I am able to fill my time in-between with things that will make me more competitive. That's why I feel the MSc is a good route- it specifically prepares students to be PhD candidates with training, theory, fieldwork, and finely developing the research proposal. These things can definitely be done on one's own, but for me personally, I have no guidance whatsoever- I just need somewhere to start, as I have no resources and no idea where to begin. I doubt that in five years I will know much more than I do now in terms of where to start, and that's why these forums are such a wealth of knowledge and help to me. I don't know where to begin in gaining qualitative research experience. I could do fieldwork on my own, and prepare it on my own, but how do I know it's something that can be considered for academic purposes and not just the equivalent of a personal diary? Since the research I want to be conducting is in the U.S., language skills aren't necessary- though I have been self-studying in French for almost two years just for my own personal benefit.

@rising_star thanks for the response! I definitely looked into living costs and estimated 20-25k in additional loans for that reason. The reason I'm looking to consider a 1-yr study based MSc is because honestly, I'm afraid I'm still not competitive enough for a U.S. MA or PhD. I have no real guidance and am trying to figure out on my own how likely it is I will be admitted to these programs I'm reapplying/applying to. The truth is, I really am dying to be back in the academic environment. It would be heartbreaking to get rejected again and have to wait another year to reapply- putting a three-year gap total between graduating undergrad and matriculating to grad school. I really want to be in school again and begin the path to fulfilling an ultimate life goal of mine. I'm also happiest when in school- and I don't want it to be delayed any longer. Of course, I wouldn't ever enter a program I knew wasn't a good fit just because I want to be in a program. But I really want to exhaust all of my options so I can start my dream. The 1-year study program seems like it would be at least a start- I'll still apply to traditional MA programs, but I guess I came here looking for advice on that, and different international options for that equivalent.

@superskorupek Thank you for the reply and input! I believe that US FAFSA actually allows loans to be taken out for international schools- and LSE does accept those loans. I am having trouble even getting in touch with LSE anthro faculty- on their graduate student webpage for anthro, it does not have a link for "faculty" or "current students" like U.S. programs do. I'm wondering if that is as important in their application process as it is here? I know that if one applies for an MA or PhD in the U.S. and doesn't contact any faculty members/determine a potential POI, they have little chance at being admitted. Is it the same in the UK generally (at least for LSE), or do they just read your Statement of Purpose and determine your eligibility/fit based on that?

As some might know, I've posted before about being rejected from every program I applied to last application cycle. I applied to seven schools, three of which were in California. While I did my sufficient research on the programs and faculty at each school before applying, I naively forgot that the California UC and CSU system is broke- and this lack of funding limited my opportunity even more beyond the normal fierce competition. With all this mind, I am going to apply again for graduate school this application cycle. However, I am not reapplying to any California schools, and I likely won't reapply to the programs I didn't believe I had a fair chance at being admitted to (Duke, for instance). All of this combined with some personal changes in my life have led me to look abroad for grad school. I currently am looking at LSE and their 12 month MSc program in Social Anthropology. I've looked at costs (about $30,000 USD) and it seems reasonable, especially given that it's a one-year program versus a traditional 2-3 MA in the U.S. I am concerned about loans and immigration. I haven't been able to find much information on how the student loan system works in the UK (or anywhere abroad, really), and how feasible it really is for a U.S. student to attend. I've read some experiences of MSc anthro students at LSE, but not much. I know all programs at LSE are rigorous and consuming as it is a prestigious university, and I wonder how likely it is that someone with my stats can even get in. My overall undergrad GPA was 3.5 (their minimum at LSE), but my Major GPA was 3.9. LSE's anthro department doesn't require GRE, so I don't know how I can make my application more competitive. Lots of ideas and questions, any input is so appreciated!

Thank you everyone for your responses! @GradSchoolTruther It is quite difficult to put a relationship on hold, but what I mean by this, is sort of understand that we will be broken up, but have the desire to come back to each other once the dust settles. I'm not that keen on doing this, however, because I think the whole point of being in a committed relationship is being able to rough the tough spots together and not just do the easy thing and stay apart. But, I also realize that there are a lot of benefits to giving people space and time to figure themselves out, so they can come out of it as a better or more whole individual. @ihatechoosingusernames You raise a lot of good points. There are many opportunities for people who aren't necessarily admitted in a program- I guess it's easy to get distracted with one's failure to get into their program of choice, and feel like there aren't any academic opportunities outside of it. But, there are, as you've pointed out, and I will definitely keep that in mind! I'm happy to hear you were able to make things work with your SO even though you hate the small town. I would be in a similar position. @birchleaf That bus ride is so long! I took it from NYC and back with my BF so he could go to ASD and so I could see Ithaca. It's nice they have the bus running so frequently- makes it feel like one isn't so isolated after all. I know I need to have my own thing and all, and I'm definitely open to admin jobs, I just wonder if it's necessary for someone in grad/med/bus/law school to be in a relationship with someone else in a comparable school- I'm wondering if it puts a strain on the relationship when one person is super invested in their rigorous academics, and the other is just sort of getting by until their "thing" comes along, ya know? @catcatcatdog I feel a smidge embarrassed that I didn't catch all the times I wrote "he wants". I didn't intend for that to happen, but I guess it shows where my subconscious is at! Truthfully, I do value what *he wants* more than what I want, and that's not good nor healthy (i do know this). I just really, really don't want to be a burden upon him- I love him so much, and even though he loves me a lot as well, I would rather breakup than make him miserable/add to his misery and burden in law school. I want to be sure that me moving out there with him is not only good for me (because honestly I would follow him anywhere), but it's good for him. I don't think he thinks about things like that, or at least, he doesn't want to, because it might lead to some unwanted or tough decisions. Maybe we're both immature for all the reasons I've pointed out here. In short, what I want is this: I want it to be okay to follow him- and my life will definitely diverge from my original path, and I want that to be okay. I feel like so many people have told me (including my bf) that individuals in couples need to be totally individual and have their complete separate lives outside of each other in order for the relationship to flourish. I don't agree with that. I think largely people should "have their own things"; codependency is NOT the answer and is very unhealthy. But I also don't see what's wrong with adjusting your plans for someone you love. Not giving up your plans- just tweaking them.

Hi everyone, First, I would like to congratulate everyone who got into programs/programs of their dreams! I wish I could say the same for myself. Second, I wanted to open up a discussion about thoughts/input on relationships while in grad school/having a significant other in grad school. I have been with my boyfriend for about 3.5 years now, are living together, and consider ourselves pretty committed. We are both largely independent, aspiring intellectuals. He is pursuing law school and was accepted at one of his top choices, Cornell Law. I, on the other hand, was rejected from every program I applied to. He is starting school in late August and will be moving to Ithaca in July. We recently returned from a trip to Ithaca to see the campus/town, and while he loves it, I'm incredibly scared of it (coming from San Francisco, Ithaca seems like a good place to be murdered quietly, no offense! it's beautiful though). He wants me to move with him, but he understands it's a huge sacrifice for me, and we are both being very cautious about the position we will be putting each other in. He wants me to be with him because, of course, he wants our relationship to continue. BUT, he will be a new law student, where the hour commitment is some 70 per week, not including campus activities/clubs that he wants to engage in. Obviously he is worried that I will be upset that he won't be spending too much time with me. He wants me to "have my own thing" so I can be engaged myself and not be too upset about not being able to spend much time together. The thing is, because I'm a failure and didn't get into any programs, I won't really have my "own thing" besides a normal job, until Spring 2017 where I find out if I got into any programs upon reapplying. So, I can move with him and chance being quite unhappy due to not liking the small-town feel of Ithaca, combined with lack of time spent with my bf, but at least remain happy in that we're together, or I can diverge and either stay in CA or join the Peace Corps- either way, putting the relationship on hold (as we both don't want to break up). Has anyone every done this? Put their relationship on hold? What are your experiences? So all of this is basically just trying to gauge where others are, and what's a healthy way to look at the situation. Obviously none of you know every detail, and it's hard to give specific advice about something so personal, but if you could share your experiences on being in a committed relationship while in graduate school (whether it's a grad program, law school, business school, med school) it would be really appreciated.

@sierra918 that's great advice. My boyfriend is going out east (same areas I applied to) to look at law schools, so maybe I like come along and request to speak with the professors whose work I am interested in. Thank you!!! @TheMagicMoment yeah you're right. I've only briefly looked into americorps- but I had a friend who did it and loved it. I guess I immediately jumped to peace corps because it had been a dream of mine since I was around 17. I will give americorps more thought- thanks for the help!

@sierra918 congrats on your admission! Vanderbilt is an amazing school. So you do think that having the MA helped? Some people have expressed that an MA doesn't really help all that much, and can sink students further in debt versus jumping into a funded PhD program where you attain your MA along the way. I agree with you that one of the most important factors in being admitted is how much research you've done- and certainly, with an MA, you'd have more research done than those who don't have an MA. How did you manage 8 years full time experience in your field? I can't imagine how lucky I would be to have that. I also feel that I intend to spend the rest of my life pursuing academia- I am not naive and banking on getting to be a full-time lecturer or the ever-mythical tenureship at a school...obviously I will hope for those things, but I certainly don't count on them. This being said, maybe my early twenties would be better off spent doing something for another community, even if research is not directly related. I just wish I knew if this made me less competitive when I returned for my PhD applications. My subfield is sociocultural, but I also applied under psychological anthro at UCSD (one of the few schools that offers such a great subfield). I focus on modernity, identity, tech-culture, class, and neoliberalism. My main focus is how all of those things are affected and perhaps created by entitlement culture produced by technology within the United States.

wow @farflung ! That's a really inspiring story. I hope to be like you and one day get into one - even if it's the only one- program of my dreams. thanks so much for all your insights. super super helpful!

Thanks so much to both of you who responded with your thoughts. It's very helpful! You definitely raise a lot of good points- and it's interesting that you were rejected from many schools your first year and then were admitted to top ten programs the next! That's certainly inspiring. The thing is, I didn't apply to schools that I felt were that extremely out of reach- maybe the UC schools were reaching just because of their lack of funding, but I honestly thought I had a chance at Northwestern and UMich (Ann Arbor). I felt that the professors I chose were not too high-profile and their work really coincided well with my intended project. There was one professor at UMich I was really hoping to be my advisor, because I had read her full works and she also was a more conservative anthropologist, which I really liked. It was a shame to get the acceptance email, only to read another email an hour later telling me that it was a mistake and I was actually rejected. Also, a little more background might help- I worked no less than two jobs all throughout undergrad (I live in SF and even with loans could not afford the living costs of the city), and I graduated early (in three years instead of four). I took that extra year off to think about what I wanted to do (I had intentions of going to grad school all my life but now that it was really time to apply, I wanted to give it a lot of thought). I worked at a vicious tech start up for a year, getting promotions and demotions. I hear you on the work experience - it's definitely valuable, and I have a lot of experience in the private and non-profit sectors. So, that's why I was so crushed when I was rejected- I thought I would be able to leave in June, travel a bit, and jump into grad school. I am tired of menial or cutthroat jobs. That's why I am disappointed to be continuing my time in the workforce - it's hard to imagine working another 1.5 years before waiting to see if I will be rejected or accepted again upon reapplying. That's when I considered the peace corps- after all, it had been a dream of mine for a long time. I'm almost 23 now- if accepted in the peace corps, I would depart January 2017 and return summer of 2019. I will be 26 when I return. Is that really too late for a PhD? Sometimes I think my age upon applying this cycle was a deterrent, as I felt the committees would think I was too young.

Hi all, I've posted before about resources in terms of applying to graduate school, asking for advice on which programs to apply to. I asked this bc I applied for the 2016 fall cycle and was rejected from every one of the 7 schools i applied to. I chalked it up to my low quant GRE score, not having contacted professors personally (I instead just read their work and wrote why i wanted to work with them), and lack of funding (UCLA, UCSD, and UCB being among the poorly funded). Now that I've been rejected from every school I applied to, I am scrambling. I honestly though I'd be accepted by at least one, and I would have attended any of them (i only applied to schools I really really wanted to attend). Now my lease is up in June and I have nowhere to go. I'm racking my brain to see what I could have done differently. I wrote a pretty solid SoP that my career academic professor helped me edit, and for the schools that required it, I wrote a pretty solid diversity/ personal background piece as well. Where did I go wrong? departments I've asked feedback from won't reply, and I have no idea where to pick up the pieces and begin anew. If any of you have some insight from your own experiences, i'd be truly grateful. lastly, in my undergrad, I really wanted to join the Peace Corps. That dream sort of sat on the back burner when I started a committed relationship and traveling became less of an option since he wasn't interested in joining the peace corps. Now that he is going to law school, and my dreams for grad school this year have fallen through, I considered applying to the peace corps and reapplying to grad school when I get back (in two years). Graduate school, and eventually a PhD, is my dream and I'll pursue it again no doubt. My questions are these: 1. does the peace corps make an applicant more competitive? I'm considering peace corps for non-selfish reasons, but it would be great if it also helped me get into grad school later! 2. is getting my MA at a less prestigious school the better route to take before applying for a PhD? Should I attend a state school in my state (california) and have a thesis under my belt before becoming a competitive candidate for a PhD?

I am also there with you Peanut & ChrisTOEFert. I scored 158v (79 percentile), 145q (21 percentile yikes), and 4.5w. I was upset I didn't score higher in verbal bc I was really relying on that to show committees that I could truly excel in one area even though I can't perform more than a basic level in quant. I am looking to retake the GRE to raise my verbal score by 5 points and my quant score by at least 5 points (hopefully 7-10 though). I am upset that many schools I am looking at do not list a cutoff. It's very unhelpful for those trying to put together a competitive application. I've seen some state schools (like SDSU) publish a minimum GRE score for their MA program, but I was not looking to apply to MA programs frankly just because there are so few out there. This narrows down staff I can see myself working with /etc. So people coming out of undergrad (or even people who've taken time off after undergrad) have little choice but to apply for PhD programs. also Peanut I know you mentioned being first gen/low income, but what do you think qualified you for the prestigious schools you applied to? is your research topic really align with the faculty at those schools? I too am first gen/low income and didn't even bother considering those schools (columbia, cornell, UCSB) bc I figured they would be auto rejects for someone with my scores. I'm not trying to be weird or anything I just want to know what you thought made you competitive so other people might consider applying to programs they otherwise wouldn't have considered before.

Thanks tracyb for all the advice. it was very very useful and i'm grateful. follow up question: given my low scores, what's your opinion on retaking? is it worth it to drop another $200 plus countless hours restudying, to improve my score if it's not even a large consideration in applications? I've read all over the place that GRE scores, while considered, are not actually that important. Trying to gauge the most efficient way to use my time. I could be strengthening my SoP, but instead I'm devoting all my time to studying for the quant section of the GRE.

Hi All, I plan to apply this year for 2017 admittance cycle. I graduated from a state school with my BA in anthro. I already took the GRE and my results were not the best- 21st percentile for quant, 80th percentile for verbal, and 80th percentile for writing. I am planning to retake. I am interested in social and cultural anth (with a foci on modernity, affect theory, structural violence, class, all within the U.S.) but I do not have a good sense of what schools I should apply to. my major GPA was 3.9, but total GPA was 3.5. I am very average. I was hoping to get some advice or resources from those who are in the application process as well. How does one know if a school is worth going to (I intend to pursue a PhD at a top program) in the long run? I do not want to go to graduate school just to go. I want it to be meaningful and beneficial to my future PhD application. Any advice in how to go about even beginning to find worthy schools/MA programs but are not out of my league, would be greatly appreciated.