AnthroScout

If you are okay with a bit of a drive, I would recommend looking at some of the surrounding communities and counties. The prices will be lower and you won't be competing with as many undergrads or other students for housing. The downside is traffic and paying for parking, but you can always park at a commuter/free parking lot and walk/bike the rest of the way. As for LGBTQ+ and persons of color, Charlottesville itself isn't a bad place to be. The further that you move from the University however, the worse things can get in a hurry. I'm not saying that you need to worry about your physical safety per se, but things might become at least socially uncomfortable in some of the really small towns or gas stations.1 On the other side of the same coin, there are places in Charlottesville that can be less than socially comfortable for white people. As always, be aware of your surroundings and if it seems or feels wrong, it probably is.2 My housing option fell through so it looks like I might have a bit of a commute from August to December. After that (or perhaps before), my wife and I are planning to buy a house; if anyone else is intending to do so, I can give my thoughts on staying in the area long term/areas in which to consider purchasing a home. This is a good calculator to compare buying versus renting. Notes 1. I grew up less than an hour from Charlottesville and have seen or heard of some less than stellar things happening. 2. I was also in the Army and a police officer; this is generally good advice no matter where you are and has kept me mostly intact ?

I will be quitting my job, finishing up as many art projects as I can, going to Pennsic*, and working on getting back in shape. I'll also knock out as much of my wife's to-do list as I can! *Giant SCA "war" in Pennsylvania. I'm super excited!

This has been my experience so far as well. I was told that the giant packet will be along in "a bit".

I got a call yesterday admitting me into my top choice from off of the waitlist. This is after every other school I applied to this cycle declined to admit me. Keep hope alive!

I think that it really does, especially since you don't appear to be of the mindset that "OMG a PhD is everything!". I have heard/read/seen a lot of people who do not seem to have a plan beyond finishing a semester/dissertation. While I have been in a similar place before, I think that it can hurt your chances when you get out into the "real world". It sounds like you have a roadmap to what you want to do and how to achieve it. Good luck! P.S. - I'm glad you're taking a stats class; stats have helped me so much in the real world.

church bells

I'm still on the anthropology program's waitlist for UVA and American University, both of which are financially viable for my family should I get in. I may be deluding myself but I think I have at least a reasonable shot of getting into UVA. I have no idea about my chances for AU. In the event that I don't get into either, I have a few options: - Accept the offer to attend an unfunded* MA program in anthropology and reapply to the school the next cycle. - Go to law school, enter politics, and defund public universities and education out of spite. ;-) - Start a consulting firm and *sigh* actually make money instead of doing what I love. I am completely aware how these are first-world problems but you asked what I plan to do. As always, if you've gotten into either of these schools and do not plan to attend, please let them know! *Might be able to get the VA to pay for it.

Pitch Perfect

mountain range

I am far from a traditional student and have a bit over a decade in both the private and public sector. I have friends at all levels of education and I have found that jobs depend largely on two things: availability of positions and how well you market yourself. To that end, I've taken the advice of a professor I had at Texas A&M which was, "Get a bachelor's in whatever interests you, because the actual degree normally doesn't matter. Get a master's in an industry field to make money, and get a PhD in what you love because ideally you'll be doing that for the rest of your life. When the economy tanks again however, that industry masters will help you get a job to pay bills over the person with a PhD in competitive underwater basket weaving." This professor was not an anthropologist (business/marketing actually), but had a few decades at senior levels of large US corporations. I've found their advice to be helpful over the years so far. I would say that if you are an anthropologist, look into certifications or additional courses that can make you more marketable in the public or private sectors. In my case, I'll be sitting for the PMP exam in a couple of months and also looking to see what other industry certifications there are that I can pursue. None of these things are directly related to anthropology but are in line with current market trends and demand. In fact, my industry master's would arguably help me make more money in the long run. I'm trying to do a PhD because it is what I love while still realizing that it may not help me bring home the bacon. tl;dr - Consider ways to diversify your experience and marketability across several sectors.

I'm wondering if anyone has heard anything from UVA as well? They were supposed to release results last week or early this week.* *Fully realizing it is still early in the week.

I would only send out an email to POIs or the DGS if you have something substantial to add to the ongoing conversation (article accepted for publication, won the Nobel Prize, cured "WaitingForDecisions-itis, etc.") otherwise I would say to take a breath, hope to get accepted, but plan for the worst news. Might sound a bit pessimistic but it is at least reasonably practical and is what I am doing.

I got married to my wife when I was in the Army and we hit our 9 year anniversary last month. We've been married/together through three deployments to the Middle East, two Bachelor's degrees, two Master's degrees, an Associates, and a toddler. At this point, what's a PhD but another thing? But seriously, the support system is awesome and the financial stability can help too.

Does anyone know if American University is dividing up their decisions based on sub-field? I have a friend who is an archaeologist who indicated that she had received word but I've heard nothing from the sociocultural folks (either here or on the results thread). I asked and was told by their graduate enrollment asst. director that decisions would be released the third week of February. Anyone heard anything?

UVA, William and Mary, American University