hantoo

I'll be moving out of state this fall too, and I will not have a chance to go and check out the apartment I'll be living in. I chose to sign a lease at graduate student apartments close to campus. I know not every school has this option, but many do, so it might be worth looking into graduate housing, apartments, etc. at your university. I don't think I'll live there for more than a year because it is slightly more expensive than I wanted, but I need to establish residency in my new home state in the first year of my program so I can qualify for in-state tuition, which means I need to have my own name on a lease rather than renting or subletting an apartment or room in a house. Graduate living options seemed to make the most sense to me since I won't have a chance to really check anything else out before I move--it's also usually safe to assume that graduate/professional housing will be more quiet and less rowdy than an apartment complex with a lot of undergrads living there. Also, as a general rule, if you're looking at apartment options, typically the farther away from campus you are, the nicer/more quiet the apartment. Did you check out the City Guide thread on here yet? People tend to give really good advice about living options on there as well, so definitely take a look if you haven't yet.

I'm about to sign a lease at The Continuum--it's graduate student apartments affiliated with UF. It's definitely a bit more expensive than what I wanted, but it's cheaper than the apartment I live in now (in the very expensive DC area) and I'll have a roommate. It looks like a really nice place and it's close to campus, there's guaranteed parking, amenities, etc. I won't be able to visit before I move down and won't be able to tour any other apartments, so a grad student living option seemed to make the most sense. Also, I need to establish residency in FL during my first year down there, so I needed to quickly find a place where I could have my name on the lease rather than renting, subletting, etc. After my first year I'll probably move somewhere cheaper. It might be worth looking into for anyone still searching for a place to live who might be in a similar situation. Also, I kind of like the idea of living with a lot of other grad students my first year--it could be a nice way to meet new people/students outside my program.

I'm a sociocultural anthro student starting a PhD program this Fall so I think I can offer a little help here--there are A LOT of things I wish I had known going into the application process, and looking back there are things I wish I had done differently (I esp. wish I had found this site sooner because there's a lot of great advice here!) You have an interesting background, and in anthropology programs that can actually give you a big advantage, IMO. Although my undergraduate degree is in anthropology, a lot of my research experience has been interdisciplinary, and that is something that I strongly emphasized in my SOP, and my LOR's were written by an anthropologist/museum specialist, an art historian, and a historian, so my entire application made it clear that I had a diverse education/research experience that informed my current interests in anthro. Your experience as a TA, the experience you will ultimately have from working internationally, and I think some of the research interests you list, will make you a strong candidate. The first thing that strikes me when I read through your list of anthropological interests and your education background is your business experience. Business anthropology is a specialization that exists in cultural anthro. A year or two ago, my dad told me that there was a "business anthropologist" who came into his office one week to give a few seminars. I eventually got to meet her and hear more about her specialization in studying business/workplace culture. It turned out that she was a PhD candidate in UPenn's cultural anthro program (a top tier school), none of her undergrad experience had been in anthropology, and her dissertation focused on the development of collaborative work spaces and remote workforce management. So, your background in business and the interest you mentioned in multinational corporations in East Asia is actually a really strong place to start if this field sounds like something that would appeal to you. Anthropology graduate programs are extremely competitive, and they are probably most competitive when it comes to cultural anthropology. For this reason, you need to be very specific about your research interests. I would recommend reading some scholarly articles related to your interests--see who's writing them and if those people are faculty members at universities (if they are find out where they are), and see what kind of existing research is out there so you can shape your own research proposal. You need to determine: 1) What your research questions are/what exactly it is you want to study 2) Your area of geographic focus to study that topic 3) Why the school you chose to apply to would be the best place to pursue those interests. In terms of MA vs. PhD, I would encourage you to aim for the PhD if you are able to develop a specific research focus, but maybe also apply to ~2 MA programs if you feel that would be a good back up. In terms of the schools you want to apply to, what I said above about finding out what schools have anthropologists working in your research area is a good place to start. I did not do this for every school I applied to, and I wish I had. The biggest piece of advice I can give about choosing programs to apply to is to not be swayed to apply just because it is a top tier school. Pick a program that fits in well with your interests, where there are practicing anthropologists on the faculty, where you will have opportunities to TA/RA, and where you will be able to publish. Pick the schools where you think you will be able to accomplish the most and get the most out of your experience. Finally, with your GPA, etc.--I think your GRE is fine, and I think if you have a strong SOP and LORs, you will be fine. Feel free to message me if you have other questions!

When you begin new research, nothing will ever be "clear/cut step-by-step" unless maybe you're doing a very specific and delicate scientific experiment or test. I have no idea what your project is, but if you're starting with a lit review, that should be fairly straightforward. Find publications relevant to your topic and read through them for information that relates to your current project, then summarize and evaluate those publications. I'm not really sure if anyone will be able to give you very clear advice without knowing what the goal of your publication will be--is the publication itself going to be a literature review? Is it a presentation of new research findings? Lit review can be difficult mostly in the way that it is time consuming and it can be hard to find material on a subject that has not been researched extensively. I wrote an honors thesis during undergrad (pretty much like a Masters thesis) on a very under researched area of archaeology. I spent 3 years on the overall research, and I spent an entire semester during one of those years doing an independent study that was only lit review. If you're working on a topic you're not very familiar with, then you should be using this lit review as an opportunity to learn as much as you can about it. Consult academic journals in your field, and whenever you find a relevant article or other publication, look through the references to explore other sources that could potentially be useful. I always find that my specific research goals become more concrete and clear once I've familiarized myself with all of the existing information related to my topic. You'll figure it out.

So excited to see a post about the Science March--I was just about to post about it as well! I definitely consider myself to be an "activist," and I'm involved with a lot of organizations and support many different causes related to social/political/environmental justice movements. I also study cultural anthropology, so every time I attend a protest or demonstration, the most exciting part is sometimes just observing how different people come together and how they act when they're all representing the same cause or idea. I certainly am no expert on collective action, but there are cultural anthropologists out there who study social movements from an ethnographic perspective, focusing on collective action among specific populations, so there's definitely a lot written on what you're describing. I attended the March for Science in DC, and a few things stuck out to me: First, the demographic of the protesters was fairly unique. There were more elderly people and families than I usually see represented at large demonstrations. Most often when I attend a larger organized protest, people come individually, with small groups of friends, or with a specific organization. Also, depending on the cause, the crowd is usually young adults to middle aged adults. I would absolutely say the crowd was a little more subdued as well. In part that was probably because it was so rainy and cold, but even during the actual march following the rally, there were almost no chants, there was certainly no rowdiness, and everyone just seemed content to walk with their family and friends and talk about science! I think the uniqueness of this demonstration also had a lot to do with the cause. Unlike other recent protests, like the Women's March which broadly focused on gender equality but also brought up a lot of other issues like abortion, LGBTQ rights, indigenous women's rights, etc., this event was pretty much just focused on making the point that science is real, and essential to the advancement of our society. I think everyone just wanted to show up and say, "Hey Prez stop cutting our funding and undermining all the important things we scientists do for this world." In terms of the psychology behind today's protest, I would say that the speakers, the funny posters, and the excitement of everyone there representing the field they are passionate about really spread a good feeling and kept the mood positive/high during the day. At other protests, like some of the anti-Trump protests I attended back in January or some of the things I saw take place on inauguration day, the feeling of the crowd can sometimes be angry or tense, and things can get out of hand. This particular protest was much more tame and positive, and I think people went away feeling inspired and like they had done something good on Earth Day. Personally, every time I take part in a large event like this, I always walk away feeling hopeful, but also a little worried that people won't continue to take action after the big event. A lot of times when people become a part of a cause that's bigger than themselves, they get caught up in the moment and are excited and passionate when they are in a big group of like-minded people, but then forget about their experience and don't take steps later on to fight for that cause. So, I'm hoping the momentum of the March for Science (and the People's Climate March next week) will motivate participants to take further action. And just a general statement and what I originally wanted to post on here: It was really exciting to see so many different fields of science represented today, and the size of the crowd despite the crappy weather really gave me some hope that there are tons of intelligent, dedicated people in this country who will continue to work hard to make this planet healthy and keep its people informed and equipped with the knowledge they need to affect positive change in our society Just wanted to share that feeling here on grad cafe with all of you scientists/scholars/artists/communicators/experts/students who work hard every day to make a difference.

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny @hippyscientist I finished undergrad at PSU a little less than a year ago and seeing Saloon monkeyboys and an Arts Fest reference pop up on a gradcafe thread just gave me hard core nostalgia and brought a tear to my eye. Penn State is indeed a wild place but I LOVE IT AND MISS IT SO MUCH. **Pro tips from a PSU bar pro: if you like Saloon and want to go when it's less crowded, avoid Thursday nights when My Hero Zero is playing. Also you should go to Zeno's if you're into a more chill vibe and want good music and fancy pants craft beers**

@OptimiscallyAnxious Sorry you're dealing with this, but maybe you can think about things from the perspective of starting fresh and beginning a new journey to pursue your passion! Just take this time to focus on your personal goals and your future. You got into grad school. That means you're smart and talented and good things are coming your way. Everything will be okay.

Definitely attach your CV/resume to the email as requested, but I would stick with just explaining your research interests initially. Be specific but not super long-winded, and politely ask if your research is something that the professor would be interested in, or if she/he is focusing on anything similar at the moment. The strategy I took was to briefly share my background experience and list ~3 major research questions I was considering. I did this in emails for two professors for one of the programs I was ultimately accepted to. After a few initial emails, both offered to edit my SOP, which I sent along to them later. One also offered to Skype with me to discuss my interests, which also ended up being very helpful. They may or may not offer to help edit your SOP--I think it depends on the program and the admission process at that particular school. I contacted individuals at other schools who simply expressed interest in my work but did not offer guidance beyond that. Anyway, just start by expressing interest and passing along your CV, and see where it goes from there. Good luck!

@skaikru I think the most significant thing you mentioned in your original post was that the PhD program you were admitted to is "top 3 in your intended area of specialization." I think you should consider that ranking much more important than the ranking of the school itself or the broader program. Fit is the most important part of any PhD program, IMO. Do your research interests strongly align with those of your POIs and other faculty members in the department? Are the faculty members at that particular program publishing frequently? Will you have a lot of opportunity there to be a part of that research and maybe publish something yourself before graduating? Having one/multiple publications is one of if not the most important component of getting a job when you finish your program. Gaining teaching experience through TA positions can also be helpful. I would just think really critically about your decision before turning down a funded PhD offer to a program that could turn out to be great for you. Sure, going to a top tier school for your graduate education may look impressive on your CV, but it won't be all that impressive if you don't accomplish as much there as you could at a "lower ranked" program that is a better fit for your interests and skills. Also, every application cycle is different, and there are certainly no guarantees that you will get into a better program the next time around even with a Masters. To be honest, I've heard a pretty 50-50 mix of opinions regarding whether or not a Masters will help you in future application cycles. In my area of study (and I think in a lot of programs), you receive a Masters on the way to your PhD anyway. It's pretty common for students with only a BA to enter a PhD program. And I hate to overanalyze this, but I was in the same situation as you, choosing between a Masters program at a prestigious school and another PhD offer, and this is an important piece of advice I received: A lot of Masters programs will boast that they have an impressive placement rate in T25 PhD programs among their students, but what they don't tell you is that those statistics do not include students that drop out because they decide graduate school isn't for them, students who choose to pursue a job after completing the Masters program because they don't want to continue to the PhD, and students who do get into PhD programs after but don't receive fully funded offers. So when you consider that impressive placement rate, it might be representative of only a very small group of people. I was also advised that if I received a PhD offer with funding, I should not even consider a Masters offer. Final thing I'll say is: timing is also somewhat important to consider. Although I personally believe that it's never too late to pursue a PhD in the field you are passionate about, you have to consider how much time you will commit to a graduate education. It takes a long time to get a PhD. If you spend an additional 1-2 years getting a Masters, then spend another year working/applying, and THEN enter a PhD program, I would recommend being absolutely, 10000% sure you are prepared to invest that amount of time and money into your education before beginning a career, esp. if it's just to get into a school with a better ranking. Do what feels most right to you, but be sure of your decision.

Thanks @rising_star---I've been looking at the fall 2017 schedule of classes for the dept. I'll make sure to ask my POI if that includes everything that will be available for the upcoming semester. And yeah, mix of broad/topical seems like the best route to go. Thanks for the advice!

Thanks for the feedback @museum_geek And I'll be heading to the University of Florida this fall for their doctoral program in Sociocultural Anthro with (hopefully) an interdisciplinary track in Latin American Studies. Since there wasn't a ton of opportunity for me to take cultural anthro courses during undergrad, I might go for the ethnographic field methods course. But there are also some other super interesting/relevant classes I saw listed, like International Heritage Management, Ethnoarchaeology, and Photoethnography (!!!!) which all sound mind-blowingly awesome to me and would fit in really well with my proposed research. But I'm guessing I'll have a chance to take them all at some point!

I finally accepted an offer (Woo!) and am already preparing to schedule my first semester of courses. In addition to my RA position, I'll be taking three courses my first semester. One is a mandatory pro-seminar so I don't need to worry about that, but I am free to choose the additional two. I am a cultural anthropology student, and in looking at the course catalogue, I see there are quite a few classes that are very relevant to my proposed research that I think would be really interesting to me. I am definitely going to contact my POI for advice on what classes would be best for my first semester, but for current grad students, what types of classes did you schedule for your first semester/year? Would it be better to schedule courses with a somewhat broad focus like "Ethnographic Field Methods" over a course with a much more specific topical focus? Obviously I have quite a few years to take classes, but I want to make smart scheduling decisions for my first year in the program. Let me know what you think!

Retweet to the poster above! Any guy who is "intimidated" or otherwise unsupportive of your intelligence and success as a woman is big ole' D-Bag who isn't worth your time and energy. It's fine for your partner to be impressed by your success, but they should respect and admire you for it, just as you would respect and admire them for their great qualities and skills. Be yourself and love what you do. The right person will be attracted to your determination to work hard in the field you're passionate about.

Finally getting ready to commit here after months of waiting/stressing/making decisions! I won't be moving down until August, but will likely be making a visit in June or July to explore campus, meet my POI's, and look at housing. I'll be starting the doctoral program in Sociocultural Anthropology. I'm really hoping to find some roommates on here or through another site, so maybe we could start a new thread in housing for that if you're looking as well!

I really like this thread and I think everyone on here has contributed useful advice/perspective. To be honest, even though the graduate application process was brutal, it was a really good learning experience for me. I did end up getting into some good programs, but I have a solid stack of rejection letters too that made me feel fairly crappy about myself for a while. Rejection does kind of suck, but as many people on here have said, it's a huge part of academia and something we all need to learn to accept and move on from. I think the moment I really took a step back and realized I was taking my rejections the wrong way was when I was rejected from one of the PhD programs I applied to, but offered admission to the school's Masters program. My first reaction was to be disappointed and almost angry. Then I stopped myself and was kind of like "Wow WTF is wrong with me?! I'm so jaded by this whole process that I just got upset about being accepted to a really good program!" Even though it wasn't what I initially hoped for, it was awesome to get another offer and have some options. Now I think of my rejections kind of as a good thing, because it probably means 1) those schools would not have been a great fit for me or my research, and I would not have been happy there, 2) It almost makes my decision of which school to attend easier and less stressful because I have less options and 3) This process has taught me how to accept rejection and move on rather than take everything really personally. When we apply to graduate programs, we compete with the best of the best in our field for a VERY SMALL number of spots. For every rejection we get, there are hundreds of other very qualified applicants in the same position, so we should certainly never feel too disappointed or singled out if things don't go our way. Rejection is a part of life and there are always more opportunities available to us if we're willing to work hard for them!

If it really gets down to the wire and you need to make a decision, there would be nothing wrong with contacting the admissions office/DGS to ask about your admissions status, especially if it's a program at the top of your list and you want some time to think about it.

Aside from hanging out with friends and family before I move away, I've been thinking more about things I'll do this summer that might be harder to make time for once I start my program. For example, I'm really into fitness and running, so I'm considering doing my first half-marathon (or at least some sort of big race) at some point during the summer. Obviously I'll still run/stay active in grad school, but I'm thinking I might not have as much time to dedicate to a training program. Last summer I also joined an acoustic group near my hometown that performed at coffee shops and just jammed together every few weeks, so I might make time to do that as well. I also want to go to the beach, read a ton of books for fun, and make as many road trips as I can to visit friends before I move farther away. And, most importantly, spend all the time I possibly can with my dog <3

I'm in this same situation. To be honest I think it's fairly common to accept before visiting campus--I have a few friends currently in Masters and PhD programs who did not visit prior to accepting their offer. In fact, I have one friend who moved halfway across the country to work with a POI she had never met, move into an apartment she had never seen, in a city she had never been to, and she is perfectly fine and loves her program. I wasn't able to attend accepted students weekend at the program I'll likely be committing to, but I have talked to my POI's quite a bit and have discussed what the school/campus is like to get a better idea of what to expect. Assuming I accept the offer, I'm also planning on making a trip down sometime during the summer to check out campus and look at apartments. It might be a good idea for you to contact current grad students in the program to ask about campus life, where they live, etc. to feel more sure of your decision before you commit to the program. Based on what I've head from current grad students, location is somewhat important in terms of how you make your decision, but overall program fit is the most important, so if UW Madison is your dream program, I say go for it!

You're welcome! Unfortunately I don't know too much about Lion's Gate and I don't think I have any friends who live/have lived there. I can say that Vairo Village, from what I've heard from students who lived there, is pretty nice, and it is certainly a pretty popular place to live for graduate students or people who just want to live farther away from campus and the chaos of downtown. It's accessible via the Cata bus service as well if you don't have a car/would prefer not to drive every day. The apartment I lived in for 2 years was originally managed by the Apartment Store but transferred to management under ARPM halfway through my first year living there. I was not a big fan of ARPM because I felt the previous property managers were much nicer and MUCH more prompt when it came to maintenance issues. However, ARPM was certainly not terrible, and I actually lived next door to their main office in Beaver Terrace, so when I really needed something I just walked over and asked and they would handle it very quickly. Also, they have a more convenient process of handling security deposits, etc., which can make things much easier if you have roommates and/or if your roommates change year to year.

Hi everyone, So tomorrow I am Skyping with my POI at a program I've been accepted to. I've had consistent contact with her throughout the application process, since I've been admitted, etc. She wanted to give me the opportunity to ask more questions about the program and discuss funding during this conversation. I have not yet accepted the offer as I am still waiting on several responses and considering my options, but right now this program is at the top of my list. What types of questions should I ask that could help me make a decision? I am certainly interested in learning more about my funding options, TAships, opportunities to attend conferences, etc. Would it be appropriate to ask her things like where grad students typically live, or other more logistical information, or would that be something I should ask other grad students? Also, as I have not yet accepted the offer, how can I politely say that I'm still considering my options, but there's a good possibility I'll be attending this school? I will not be able to attend the admitted students weekend for this program, so I want to be sure I make the most of this conversation and get as many questions answered as I can. Let me know what you think!

I received a formal acceptance from UF back in February and several follow-up emails about TA applications, etc. I also received the email you are talking about. First, I would suggest certainly calling or emailing DGS (the woman in charge there is extremely nice and would be happy to answer your questions I'm sure). It's definitely possible it's a mistake that they sent you this email and did not send the formal acceptance. Second, to my understanding of reading that email, this event is a "Recruitment Weekend" rather than an accepted students day, but the fact that they also sent it to you along with other accepted students makes me think that you most likely got in, but there was maybe some issue with sending your acceptance letter in the first round if they did not have all of your application materials yet (i.e. your application may have been reviewed later than the others by the adcom). Another possibility may be that you are on a waitlist. Definitely call today to get it sorted out though!

Hey Everyone, I just finished undergrad at Penn State and know State College extremely well, and had friends that lived all over the area, and I myself lived downtown 2 out of my 4 years there. If any of you have specific questions about anywhere you're considering checking out or just about what PSU life is like in general, feel free to ask on here or message me! Just as a general comment: most of the graduate students I am friends with at Penn State live farther off campus and have a car, or just take the bus in during the week. The farther off campus you go, the nicer the apartment, generally speaking. To be honest, I would suggest that you avoid living right down town near campus, as that is where all of the undergraduate students live, and Beaver Ave. and College Ave. tend to be fairly crazy places most nights of the week, and are basically insane on weekends (i.e. if you are not interested in hearing people screaming all night Thurs.-Sun. in your building and in the streets and finding half-eaten slices of pizza and other gross things in your stairwells and hallways, avoid the close to campus living options). The absolute nicest off campus living area in my experience is The Retreat, but it's also more expensive than other options--the apartments there resemble town houses, most allow pets, you'll likely get your own room, there's a pool, little backyards, and things that you just would not otherwise have closer to campus. Park Forest is also a really nice area with townhouse-like apartments. Another apartment option that is slightly closer and likely more affordable would be University Terrace. It's pretty far east from campus, but if you don't mind the walk it's not terrible, and you can certainly take a bus if you need to. A lot of undergraduates live out there, but I think it's at least slightly more tame than living in the middle of downtown. There are lots of houses on West College Ave., and if you can find a solid group of roommates to live with, that could be a decent option too. White Course Apartments is Penn State's "graduate and family housing" option, but I don't know much about it and never went there.

I agree with @boneflower, and I would just be sure to be very specific. It's obviously important to have an overall idea or general interests within anthropology, but it's even more important that those interests are relevant today. What is your regional focus? What specifically is it that you want to study, and why? What research questions can you propose, and what would be the value in pursuing those questions as a career? Remember, what you propose in most statements of purpose should be the thing you hope to study for the rest of your life and career--obviously things might change along the way, but you need to make it clear what exactly it is you hope to achieve through graduate study and why it could best be done at the school/program to which you are applying.

I don't think you need to cite another offer to bargain with them. They already admitted you with at least some offer of funding, even if it's not as much as you hoped for. If a program offers you any money at all that means they definitely want you to accept and they're definitely interested in your research. Communicating your enthusiasm/interest for being a part of MAPSS while (politely) emphasizing that you would need a better funding offer to attend should make a pretty good argument, IMO. Also (and this may be totally off, I don't know exactly how they determine funding) depending on how many people decline their offer in the coming weeks, there might be more funding available to you after that. And yassss all of this. This was my first time applying too, and I consider myself EXTREMELY lucky that I got into an (as in just 1 out of the many I applied to) anthro program that I like--I'm pretty fresh out of undergrad so I thought I had a ~0% chance of getting in. After receiving the MAPSS offer yesterday, I'll admit I was kind of disappointed at first too since it wasn't what I had wanted, but then I took a step back and was like...wow what the heck is wrong with me? Am I seriously wasting time being disappointed about getting into a Masters program? The application process is INSANE. As @enfp said, we're competing with hundreds of very qualified, experienced people for, in most cases, less than 10 spots. I think it all comes down to the people who are in the room when admissions decisions are made. I saw a very wise post on this forum a while ago that said something along the lines of "rejection is a big part of academia" from applying to schools to trying to get research grants and other opportunities once you're in, to trying to find a job when you graduate. We all have to learn to brush it off and keep working hard. The fact that most of us on here spent a lot of time and money applying and are willing to commit a solid chunk of our lives to grad school should indicate that we're pretty freakin' excited about anthropology and want to dedicate our lives to it. @ironshieldmaiden what I'm trying to say is just keep working hard if it's what you love. Something good will happen. **ends long and emotional rant**

You should still feel awesome about getting into MAPSS! That's a really competitive program and there are plenty of people who were rejected from UChicago that didn't even receive an offer to do the Masters. They also have a really impressive placement rate for PhD programs their graduates apply to after completing that degree. If you make your case well, I think you could probably get additional funding. Hang in there!