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lily_

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Everything posted by lily_

  1. I can understand why you would interpret that negatively, I probably would too! But the rest of the posters are right, it's probably a department policy, and besides, most acceptances come from the desk of the head of whatever department you're applying to - not the secretaries answering the phones. Hang in there, I'm waiting it out too!
  2. Yeah, I am waiting on Hunter College. I live in NYC, however there are a couple outside scholarships and grants I want to try to apply for with deadlines fast approaching!
  3. Some of the academic departments pushed back their admission deadlines by almost a month, which makes me feel like the whole process is taking even longer than it should! I too am waiting to hear back. Can't offer much advice except wishing you the best of luck.
  4. That's definitely worse than just getting flat-out rejected. U of T should do more than just sincerely apologize, sheesh!
  5. Yes, you have to submit transcripts from all of the schools you attended, even if they are online or overseas. I would ere on the side of caution and submit all of them, because if they were looking over your transcripts and saw some credit from an outside university on it, they would wonder where it is, assume your application was submitted incomplete, and move on to other applicants who submitted everything.
  6. I would start e-mailing these people now to refresh them with who you are, and inform them of the work you've done since you graduated. I have two stand-by letter writers from my undergraduate university who I periodically e-mail and visit to ensure that they remember who I am and what I have done since I graduated, and most importantly, how I've improved. I echo fuzzy that finding letter writers who have PhD's is extremely important. I would only use an employer if the work you did for them was directly related to your field of interest and in the best-case scenario where a professional with a PhD in that field. I'll give you a breakdown of the people I use: Professor A - distinguished and well-known member of my field's community. I took class work of hers, and I know that in at least one of those classes I was the best student. I have also worked for her on a field project for over two years and written papers for her that she used for her publication research. Although she is flightly, and known for submitting a "standard" form rather than personal, her name carries a lot of weight. Professor B - an "up-and-comer" a young scholar who has secured a tenured track position and is known for producing many publications. He is a recognizeable name, although not as distinguished as Professor A, and I took coursework with him during my final years of undergrad where I earned high grades, most of this coursework was at the graduate level. I know that he says in his letters that he was completely unaware of blemishes on my GPA and that I had the makings of a great graduate student, and scored higher and participated more articulately in theoretical class discussions than most of the other graduate students did. Professor C - not particularly distinguished professor emeritus who I took a few courses with early on in my undergraduate career. He watched me go from party-girl to hopeful scholar, and will write things like, "you would be insane not to admit this all-American bright eyed girl into your coursework - her blemishes are not indicative of her abilities, and if you don't accept her someone else will and she is a rising star in the field." Above all else, he feels as though his personal success is tied with my success. I could be wrong, as this application season I did not get accepted to any PhD programs, but I still feel like at this point this is a well-rounded group of LOR writers. However, if I get into this MA program I am waiting on (their deadline was April 15th, so there's still hope!) I will incorporate one or more of those professors into this corpus of LOR writers. I'd go with Professors A and B so long as they both have PhDs.
  7. To echo the sentiments above, it really has a lot to do with finding a good fit for yourself. I'm assuming you want to pursue cultural anthropology? From my experiences, here is a brief synopsis of opportunities in the NYC area. NYU - their anthropology department is small, and offers an MA to PhD program. They tend to favor cultural anthropology and bio-anthropology, however they do have a few archaeologists. They tend to accept about 14-15 people into their department each year, 1-2 for archaeology, and the rest divided between cultural and bio (not sure exactly how those numbers break down). They give you a modest stipend (well modest for NYC, generous if you lived anywhere else) for 5 years. It's a good department, however job placement is always an issue. They do, however, want their students to succeed, which is extremely helpful. They also don't have any GRE requirements (other than over 1000-1100) Columbia - They probably offer the most generous stipend package if you get in, but it is probably the most competitive in NYC. From what I have heard, it's a very difficult department to navigate through if you can get through the admissions process. I'm not sure how the numbers break down, but if you want to pursue archaeology you can only do New-World or prestate societies at Columbia (otherwise you'll have to do their art history department, which also appears to be kind of a scary place). If successful, the Columbia PhD tends to fare better than others on the job market, but it's a very competitive department. There are also foreign language requirements. CUNY - there are a lot of anthropologists in the CUNY system. Although not prestigious, it's a good program appears to have a more friendly attitude towards graduates. I'm not sure how competitive it is, but I have heard that meeting with faculty beforehand definitely helps here (while it might not so much at Columbia). They do offer funding, although I do not think it's a full stipend, however CUNY is one of the most affordable instate public universities in the country, so it is possible that even if you had to pay out of pocket for a year or two that you won't end up owing the government a house to earn your PhD. I'm not sure about prequisites, however they do look favorably on candidates that have performed previous fieldwork. If you want to go straight for the PhD, you should apply to the CUNY graduate center. If you want a stand-alone MA, then apply to Hunter College. None of the other CUNY schools have anthropology programs. Neither does Fordham. SUNY- Stony Brook - a little further afield, however this is a really great department if you can get in. They give students a modest stipend and generally all of the faculty members are down-to-earth people who want their students to succeed. Out of all of the NY area schools, this one has the highest job placement for graduates and the highest amount of graduate students able to get outside funding (which helps a lot on the job market later). They offer a MA to PhD program, require one foreign language, and do not have hard-and-fast rules on the GRE. They are very welcoming if you wanted to visit there and set up a meeting with the faculty. They are mostly known for Louis Leakey and physical anthropology, however there are a growing number of archaeologists and a few sociocultural anthropologists there as well. Best of luck, hope that helps.
  8. That sounds outrageous considering most humanities or social science departments do not expect applicants to have 800Q scores. I guess this year was just super competitive for funding? But I seriously doubt that for English your Q scores are low...I would definitely delve deeper into this and ask if there was anything else aside from your GRE that got your application denied. Sorry about that, huge bummer. I'm especially surprised about your AW and Subject scores, you would think those would be weighted higher for an English program.
  9. Mind if I ask what your field is? Was your deadline one of the ones they extended? Congrats!!!
  10. someone who applied to the English master's program just got accepted...hope anth hurries up because there are deadlines for outside funding I want to apply for!!!
  11. Yes! The last program I am waiting to hear back from is @ Hunter College and at first their deadline was April 1st, then it was April 15th, so I hope to hear by June, but the waiting is KILLING me (mostly because I want to apply for a couple outside fellowships that seems silly unless I know for sure I got in).
  12. I received this e-mail as well. From what I have heard of the Draper Program, is that it's a poorly defined interdisciplinary degree that preys on students who aspire to get into NYU's PhD program in any of the social sciences in order to fund PhD student's stipends. I know a girl who did this program and came out of it with over $200,000 in debt for a 2 year degree (that's including the tuition and cost of living in NYC). Very few graduates of the Draper Program go onto be accepted into the Anthropology department at least. University of Chicago has a similar program (MAPSS) but it's only a 1 year degree, which makes the cost of tuition slightly less outrageous. I honestly feel like if you are stuck trying to get into a PhD program and feel like a master's is the way to go, find one specific to your field, NOT interdisciplinary. You are more likely to have classes waived when and if you get into a PhD program, and for anthropology you won't have to continue your education and have access to jobs that pay more if you decide not to go for the PhD, while in the job market a lot of those interdisciplinary degrees are useless as they are kind of ambiguously defined. If you look around for in-state schools, the amount of debt you'll get from a 2 year degree is a lot more manageable. I really don't understand how NYU can get away with charging so much for a 2 year degree, when the school I attended out of state for four years for my undergraduate degree cost me less. If you are in NYC, check out the CUNY system. They have decent anthropologists there, and many people who complete a master's with them have gone onto top schools in anthropology (Yale, Michigan, Berkeley). It's affordable, with the potential for financial aid and work study assistance. You won't end up owing the government a house to get a master's.
  13. I had the same issue with my SOP. I came out around 512 words for one that said "approx. 500 words". Advice I was given is that there is a 10% rule, where you could go up to as an absolute max, (so for a 500 word SOP it would be 550) but only if those extra 50 words were totally essential to the points you were trying to make. Other advice I was given (there is a similar post on this forum) was that it's better to err on the side of caution and stay within the listed parameters. This is an extremely difficult application season due to the economy and you don't want to do anything that might get you eliminated before they even read it. I would try to edit, edit, edit, take out all flowery language and try to condense as much as possible without detracting from your SOP, and at least try to get it under 550, if not right at the 500 mark. Best of luck!
  14. Radcradick gave you excellent advice. Write out something, the next day go back to it, edit, change things, edit some more. Once you think it's good, ask one of your professors (preferably an older professor who has served on admissions committees and knows what mistakes applicants make on the SOP, or what sounds hoakey, boring, generic, etc) and let them rip it to shreds. Then edit some more. I'm serious, it sounds redundant, but this is the most important part of your application because you have 100% control over what it says, and it can make or break your application.
  15. Honestly, I think that your cumulative UGPA is competitive for graduate study as is. I would not mention the fact that you were in highschool or anything that sounds like you are trying to make excuses for something that you don't need to make excuses for. Focus more on developing an interesting project, who you can work with, and what makes you the perfect candidate to the universities you're applying to and you'll do fine. Best of luck!
  16. Definitely your last 60 credits are almost always considered when an admissions committees evaluates your application. Assuming you apply for graduate degrees in the same or similar field that you majored in as an undergraduate, it shows them how well you did in those courses. Also, typically as an upperclassmen in college those classes are more rigorous and difficult, similar to graduate level coursework. Some universities allow junior and seniors to take graduate level courses during this time as well. If you have a lower UGPA, showing improvement over the last 60 credits is essential.
  17. The admissions office at Hunter's school of arts and sciences seemed a bit disorganized. My program originally had a deadline of April 1st, which was delayed until April 15th, so I am hoping that I will hear back from them by June. A friend of mine went there as an undergraduate and said that she received her acceptance sometime in June, so who knows.
  18. I'm not quite sure about environmental anthropology, but I looked into various departments (higher-end) for anthropological archaeology and they all seemed to say that so long as your GREs aren't abominably low and everything else is strong about your application they don't put a lot of weight on it. Showing that you can write successful grant proposals definitely boosts your application by a lot - most applicants have never needed nor had the opportunity to apply for grants, let alone be successful at it. It also helps on the job market. However, for anthropology and many other fields, this year was particularly competitive due to the economy. People in the demographic "fresh out of college" have had a terrible time on the job market, which means many are trying to apply for graduate study to wait out the recession, which means that you might be competing against an extra 100 candidates. It's hard to say if next year's application season will be much different considering. I would probably try to retake them and shoot for 1300+ just to ensure that your application can compete with the added pressure and higher volume of applicants. Also, it helps to contact the departments you're interested in applying to and ask them what the mean GRE score for admitted applicants is. The top anthropology programs like Berkeley, Michigan, and Yale are likely going to be higher, but I've heard of people getting in (with funding even) who had GREs lower than 1200 and sometimes sub 3.0 GPAs. The one score that I think is easiest to raise is your AW, however since that's a relatively new feature of the GRE many schools don't really consider it. I raised mine from a 4 to a 6 the second time I took it by following the formula the graders are looking for - a simple 5-6 paragraph essay. They aren't grading you on anything else but whether you can churn out a logical essay within the hour they give you to write it. Otherwise, I would make flashcards for the verbal, and also try to read things that use GRE words frequently, nineteenth-century literature, New York Times, the Economist, and, surprisingly, Star Trek: The Next Generation uses a lot of words that appear on the GRE. Immersing yourself in these words and constantly exposing yourself to them will help you remember them better. And although many say that you only need those words to take the GRE, you'd be surprised how often they crop up in texts and articles in anthropology. For the quantitative section, all I can help you with on that is to practice, practice, practice. Get a couple books and work through them beginning to end, and make sure that you're familiar with geometric formulas. You've taken the test, so you know what to expect. And always remember, experience, strong LORs from recognizable individuals in your field and those who know what a great student you are, and a strong SOP will carry you further than the GRE ever could - especially in anthropology. Best of luck!
  19. Most programs list requirements for application, with a few clicks and a few minutes of research you can find out whether the GRE is required or not. Sometimes it's not required for admission, but they might use it to determine who receives funding. It's a good idea just to take either in your final years as an undergraduate or right after you graduate, because the skills required to score high are still fresh in your mind and as time passes sometimes those abilities fade. Maybe right now you're not thinking about applying to programs that don't require it, but it could save you a lot of time in the future if you change your mind and want to apply to ones that do. Best of luck!
  20. If you were on academic probation, you might have reason for the title "how screwed am I?" Consider yourself lucky. Many of us as college freshman had more of an attitude of "cool, no parents!" rather than, "OMG WILL I GET INTO A PHD PROGRAM???" So you're ahead of the curve. If you have trouble getting A's in your classes, maybe take a lighter load the next semester, at my alma mater you could take four courses a semester and still be considered a full-time student, that way you have the time to truly devote to earning high marks. Use this time to figure out what you want to do. Go to office hours for your professors of courses that you really like an enjoy. Take classes in a foreign language (trust me you never know when you will need this skill) and maybe even do a study abroad. DON'T freak out about earning a PhD right in the beginning of your college career, focus on the here and now, know that's something you want to aim for, and work hard and do your best. And don't drink too much! The partying lifestyle at colleges will only make your GPA go down and your weight go up! Ha.
  21. Update: I tailored it down to 499! Win, and thanks for the advice gradcafe
  22. Instead of pursuing a post-bac, is it possible for you to work your way into a department taking a route of starting as a non-matriculated grad student (no funding or financial aid there though)? I have heard that say someone really has their heart set on going to a certain school and working with a certain professor that taking courses, doing extremely well, and getting face-time with the professor can help get into some PhD programs when someone has a sub-3.0 or non-competitive UGPA. I also would not forget about terminal master's program, many instate programs are affordable, and often are either linked up with PhD programs in the same school (so if you do well as a master's and then reapply for the PhD everyone in the department knows you and knows that your UGPA is not indicative of your abilities). Even doing a completely stand-alone terminal master's at a second-tier school, but doing extremely well and coming out with a high GPA, a publication or two, and field work can push you over the top. I'm not sure at this point that totally retaking the classes that tripped you up as an undergrad would be the best idea. To me, doing well at graduate level coursework seems like a better plan than retaking undergraduate coursework. Best of luck! And for the record, I am in the same boat - low undergrad GPA but the makings of a strong application in every other realm. I'm applying for a master's in hopes of working under a big name in my field, doing well, publishing, and then reapplying for the PhD.
  23. I'm in a similar boat as you, low GPA, everything else about my application exceeds other applicants as far as field work, experience, GRE, recommendations, and pertinent coursework (with high grades). I applied to two higher-end (but not top) programs in my field for PhD's and was denied at both this year, and am going for a master's and plan to work my tail off to eventually be able to be a competitive applicant for the PhD. I asked one of my undergraduate advisers after I had been rejected if I was running up hill for no reason. I asked him if having such a low UGPA was a futile quest, and if my goal of earning my PhD was even possible. He said, absolutely, so long as someone works hard at the graduate level and proves the old adage "graduate success is best determined by undergraduate success" wrong that makes you a more competitive candidate. I apologize, I might not be the best advise giver since I am in the social sciences and not engineering, but I would try contacting the departments you want to apply to as early as possible and maybe talking to potential advisers or individuals who serve on admissions committees about what your career goals are, why are you are pursuing your PhD and what you can offer the departments, as well as networking and putting a face on your application. Also, (and I'm sure that you know this, but it can't be stressed enough) a strong statement of purpose with a specific project in mind and how you plan to execute it with the help of different professors can make your break your application. I would think that an admissions committee would be more interested in a candidate who can articulately plan an interesting project that meshes well with the department who has shown vast improvement over the later years of their education than a candidate fresh out of college with a 4.0 and a very vague idea of what they wanted to do. Best of luck. There is hope for us sub 3.0 UPGAs.
  24. GRE is only one part of your overall application package. From what I've heard, your scores are high enough to get you passed most "cut-offs". However, there are some programs (engineering, and "hard" sciences) that have very high cut-off for the Q score. If you are concerned about your score, I would try to contact the departments you want to apply to and ask them if there are cut-offs, and ask if there is an "average score of a successful applicant." But, it's not all about the GRE. GPA, your SOP, strong LORs and from what I've gathered "luck of the draw" all come into play. Make sure that you know where you're applying, who you want to work with, and be able to come up with some kind of project in your SOP. Frankly, unless you're talking about MIT I think your GRE scores are relatively strong.
  25. Hi5 for a sub 3.0 UPGA PhD hopeful! I never realized there were more of us than I had originally thought. Your LOR from your undergraduate days might be a positive spin on your package. You have a representative from your graduate work, one from professional, which is great. But who is going to tell your story of how you found your passion in life and turned your academic career around and worked your butt off and are a total success now? No one better than your undergraduate professor. Who else can tell that ad comm, that no really your UPGA is not indicative of what you're capable of and that they've seen the change in you. I also second Emilee's suggestion that you should go ahead and have all four write letters for you unless it explicitly states otherwise. At worst, they throw one out at random. At best, they see how many people think you're great and deserving of a PhD!
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