GreenEyedTrombonist

Hola!

I'm actually looking at many of the same schools (U Penn, Penn State, and Madison, now that I've reduced my list) because I am intending to conduct research in the same general area (online political communication). I'm also coming from a social science background and have reached out to several of these Comm programs about goodness of fit given my different background. I made sure to explicitly state my research interests and my concerns given my different background when reaching out. All the schools who have responded so far (4 comm programs at the moment) have responded positively and given me additional information to help me judge my fit to the program. Although some schools are going to be more competitive due to the number of applications they receive (some receive 100 applications while other will receive 400 for a given cycle) the ultimate deciding factor is how well you seem to fit in the program and how well you come across as a competent researcher/asset to the department. 
Is there a reason you are worried about competitiveness other than coming from a different background? Many Comm programs are interdisciplinary in nature and actually specifically mention wanting people from social science backgrounds (Washington State, for instance, does not require additional coursework from those with a degree in social science).
 
For reference, the schools that have gotten back to me so far aren't on your current list, but they are Washington State, University of Oregon, Boston University, and Temple. Penn State sent me a robo-email letting me know they got my question and to allow a couple weeks for a response and I know UW Madison hasn't started yet so I'm being patient on that front (also, one of my friends, whom I met through this forum, goes there).  The only other comm program I'm waiting to hear back from is NYU, but at this point I've got time.  

@museum_geek I always welcome advice, especially about SoPs.  Good to see you're still active here!

@museum_geek I always welcome advice, especially about SoPs.  Good to see you're still active here!

@Bschaefer Awesome! My list is currently (still researching, not finalized for applying yet):

1. Columbia
2. UC Irvine
3. USC (California, not Carolina)
4. U of Penn
5. UC Davis
6. Rutgers
7. Cornell
8. George Washington
9. U Mass Amherst

and then 7 comm programs:
1. Boston University
2. U of Oregon
3. Penn State
4. Temple
5. Washington State
6. UW Madison
7. NYU

Right now I'm considering removing Boston because, when I emailed them about my research interests and goodness of fit, the reply was they wouldn't look at my research interests until after I'm admitted, but their application website clearly says I need to prove goodness of fit and faculty research connections in a personal statement so...

@Pencilvester I was brand new to the field when I applied last year so I don't know about rankings. Like @gradswag has stated, it really is specific to the subfield. The NCA rankings are quite old but still a useful place to start. The NCA also has a list of "hot" new publications, looking at where those authors teach may help. 
In terms of "slots" by subfield, there are some schools that do something like that (UW Madison, for example) but not all do. I know what it's like applying from another field and worrying about whether I was aiming waaaaay too high or not high enough etc. But I'd still say it's best to really look at which schools best fit your research interests and talking with potential advisors/ DGS. Communications is a pretty Midwest heavy discipline so you may miss out on really good programs if you focus only on schools that are generally "good schools."

@Bschaefer Awesome! My list is currently (still researching, not finalized for applying yet):

1. Columbia
2. UC Irvine
3. USC (California, not Carolina)
4. U of Penn
5. UC Davis
6. Rutgers
7. Cornell
8. George Washington
9. U Mass Amherst

and then 7 comm programs:
1. Boston University
2. U of Oregon
3. Penn State
4. Temple
5. Washington State
6. UW Madison
7. NYU

Right now I'm considering removing Boston because, when I emailed them about my research interests and goodness of fit, the reply was they wouldn't look at my research interests until after I'm admitted, but their application website clearly says I need to prove goodness of fit and faculty research connections in a personal statement so...

So, now that I have finished my MA, figured I'd weigh in.
 
I am down to 9k in student loans after taking out 5k my first year and 12k my second year (to help pay off the first loan and consolidate my debt). HOWEVER, my debt would have been much lower because my first year I worked as a student researcher (helped me pay off that first loan quite a bit) and my second year I was hired as a TA by a different department (paid my tuition, fees, and a monthly stipend). I was hired as the TA right before the school year started so I had already taken out the 12k loan. Had I known I had the position earlier, I would have never gotten that loan and would be down to 1-3k in debt right now. So, in essence, even in a non-funded program, it is possible to find jobs that either reduce your debt or get rid of it completely.
 
I loved my MA program. I was able to research what I wanted (online philanthropic communities with emphasis on Twitch, Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter) and made connections I would never have made without my professors. I have been able to present my research to Nissan, various professionals in user and ethnographic research, and have upcoming presentations at a large company and a non-profit. I believe my experience in my MA program has made me a stronger candidate this PhD round (and has certainly strengthened my LoRs since I've worked much closer with professors during my time as a graduate than as an undergrad). 

hey @Bschaefer ! Good to see you again and good luck!  
I've got my list of anth programs down to 9 and plan to email PoIs in the next 2 weeks (want to catch up on some readings first). 
I'm working on reducing my list for comm programs now. 
At which schools are you looking?

I'd suggest contacting someone from the program you are interested in, whether a graduate student services coordinator or a specific professor or two with which you'd like to work. None of us can answer if you should apply since each program is different. For instance, I have decided to apply to anthropology and communications programs this season (based on my research interests), but my background is anthropology. I've been reaching out to comm programs I'm interested in and mentioning my research interests and my background, then asking if they think my interests and background would be good for their program/if they would like me to do additional work to improve my knowledge of comm on top of the degree program/any other questions I may have for that program.
So far, it's served me well. Some programs are explicit about their intent to not submit students without a specific background while others are quite interdisciplinary and encourage applicants from multiple majors. In short, contact the program first and ask. At worst, you get told you probably wouldn't be a good fit and you don't apply. At best, they say you might be a great fit and encourage you to apply (plus now you're on their radar). 

Even if you can't study much it might be worth it to retake. I did not study for either time I took the GRE, but I saw increases in all of my scores between the first test (end of undergrad) and the second (1 year into my MA). I think, if you intend to go into a sociocultural anth program, trying to bump your Verbal and AW scores could prove beneficial. HOWEVER, GRE scores don't usually matter as much as your SoP, LoRs, and overall application, so if you really don't have time focus on polishing that SoP and making sure the rest of your app makes up for it.

Hey guys, I’m reapplying for fall 2018 and refining my SOP as well. I earned my MA in Anthropology (Andean Bioarchaeology) amd graduate certificate in Latin American Studies. Right now I’m on track to finish my MPH in Infectious diseases and outbreak prevention. 
Im mostly interested in warfare and violence (including ritual) during political transitions of major empires in Andean Peru. 
So far, I have about 6 or 7 schools I plan to apply to which is better than my 2 last year lol. 

Sounds like you have a great start! I received really encouraging email from one of my schools on Friday, so I've been super motivated this weekend to do GRE and SOP tasks - kind of reaffirmed I'm on the right path. It's funny how sometimes that's all you need to keep going!

Research experience =/ publications. Lots of research is done that isn't published for any number of reasons. I would think about the skills you learned and used in your BA and MA dissertations and how that can apply to future projects you're interested in doing. Did you, for example, take courses in statistics and use R, SAS, STATA, or SPSS to analyze a large data set for your dissertation? Did you conduct qualitative research where you can discuss the skills you learned regarding data analysis (which could include software like Atlas.ti or NVivo)? Worry more about that and less about publications.

@DBear Definitely think I've entered the nervous stage. I did a big long "what can I improve" post over on the anthro side, haha.

Good to see you again  I'm rooting for you!

Hi all - just wanted to say good luck!! This forum was a god send last year and wanted to say that I'm here to help
@GreenEyedTrombonist I know what you mean about how to communicate that you can do Comm even though you come from a different background. Remember I applied with 2 BAs and 2 MAs NONE of which were remotely related to Communication. That was might greatest concern in writing my SOP as well. In then end, I tried to kind of not mention it and focus on what I want to study and hope that would show that my research interests are very much in the Communication world. What you do need to show is that you have the aptitude to be a scholar in general, and now that your MA is done, it'll be easier to communicate that. This is just from my experience, others may disagree

Have you looked through photos of the current PhD students at the universities you applied to? Seeing what their facial hair is like should be a good indicator of whether your interviewers will look kindly on the beard.

There's definitely no rule saying you have to publish under your legal name. I think everyone's hit it pretty much on the head, but I just wanted to contribute my own story. I'm a freelance writer who writes under two names and a graduate student in a terminal MA program. I also just finalized my divorce last fall. I made a point to never let anything I wrote be credited with my married name since I knew it would change once my divorce was finalized (my two writing names are my now legal name and the screen name I use everywhere). This was a pretty easy process for academic publications (I've worked on a few research projects with public deliverables and presentations) as I just made a request with the research leads prior to publishing.  

@AnthropologyNRT Didn't get in this year (tracker updated again in the afternoon). At least it's all done and I can focus on finishing my MA, attending conferences, writing articles, and getting a job.  

Well keep in touch with me and I can maybe be a resource next cycle! Good luck friend!

@AnthropologyNRT Didn't get in this year (tracker updated again in the afternoon). At least it's all done and I can focus on finishing my MA, attending conferences, writing articles, and getting a job.  

That's wonderful news! I accepted at Irvine and am pulling up stakes for California in the fall! Hope you get in!

Guys, stuff is finally happening at Irvine.
For those who remember, my Irvine tracker said "waiting for supplemental documents" for (basically) forever. Contacting the school didn't change it and neither did contacting the program DGS. I was resigned to my fate that it would say this (despite knowing I sent them everything) until it finally said I was rejected (acceptances already went out). Well, my status changed this morning and I'm officially "being reviewed". I'm not holding out hope of an acceptance or anything, but this at least means something's happening, haha.

Thanks guys! After I got the initial feedback I realized I didn't tackle this bit very well. In my SoP I talked about how my interests came about (both anthropology and animal studies), but I didn't say anything about the relevance of animal studies in anthopology in general, and how my research could be relevant for animal studies specifically.
The 2018 cycle is going to be different ant better! And more sigarets, probably.
 

Hi there, this board is not intended for help with homework assignments. We're here to discuss applications to graduate school and life in graduate school. Please contact a teacher for help.