pyramidstuds
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Posts posted by pyramidstuds
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I admit I just scanned your post
but the title caught my eye (before I even realized you were in anthropology). I came to say that I got accepted to two PhD programs with a master's from a no-name tiny school, a master's that isn't even in anthropology (granted it's in an emerging niche of anthropology that falls under the umbrella and is highly specific to my research interest). I was a little concerned about a lack of prestige, but ultimately it didn't keep me from acceptances to R1 programs, with funding. What mattered (I assume) is that I wrote some good papers and honed my interest through my master's, proving myself a strong PhD candidate.
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If anyone else applied to UVA and assumed rejection when not invited to the on campus interviews, as I did, there is still hope. I just got an email this afternoon requesting a Skype interview tomorrow. Although they are on spring break, the committee is still conducting some interviews. I'm the one who posted on the results page, FYI. Didn't see any other UVA interviews as recently as today.
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On 3/12/2019 at 1:19 PM, FujiShe said:
Yea im hoping to be within biking distance at least, walking would obviously be great but its not a huge deal breaker. Im glad to hear that everything ive read and heard is positive about Durham.
Were trying to pay less than 1000 bucks a month for a 1BR, and so I'm just trying to figure out regions/locations that would be conducive to that!
There is a lot around Duke...9th Street/Old West Durham (near East Campus) is a district with shops/restaurants, grocery stores (Harris Teeter, Whole Foods). The apartments here however are "luxury" and I'm sure will be more than $1K a month because they're new and look nice from the outside.
I'd look at the various spots off Erwin Road. Duke Manor starts at $730/month for a 1BR, looks like.
I haven't lived in any of these, mind you, so I am not sure if any have reputations (for being full of loud undergrads, etc.) but that's a well-located complex that is close to campus and to the area of 9th St. Downtown Durham is the place to be, though--downtown central, but also the area around Durham Central Park, up towards Motorco and Fullsteam.
University Commons is dirt cheap...$560+...but they don't look very "luxurious" and the area doesn't look great, either.
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On 3/9/2019 at 11:53 PM, FujiShe said:
Hi guys, I'm looking for any info you can offer up on living in Durham, as I was just accepted into the MPP program. Particularly, I'm looking for nice apartment complexes for my wife and I.
Congratulations on your acceptance! Durham homeowner here, in the Triangle for 10+ years (UNC undergrad and stayed around, back to UNC this fall for PhD). Love the city and happy to help. I live in South Durham and it's great. Will you hope to be quite close to Duke?
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On 2/27/2019 at 11:31 PM, greenturtle said:
I've lived in Chapel Hill for about seven years. It's an amazing place to live! I've rented the entire time I've lived here, and in my experience, if you can find a house/condo/townhouse from a private landlord, it'll be a much happier experience for you than renting from any of the apartment complexes in town. Avoid Glen Lennox like the plague (it's in your price range, but trust me, it is not worth it). I suggest going on Zillow (or even Craigslist) and looking for someone who is renting out a property or a room somewhere. In my experience, because the demand for housing in the Triangle is so high, many of the apartment complexes in the area are overpriced, predatory, and horrible to their residents. Private landlords should also be more flexible about the length of a lease- all of mine have been fine with 12 months. A lot of apartment complexes will try to get you to do something longer.
Good luck, and let me know if you have any other questions!
I went to UNC for undergrad and rented in the area for a total of about 5 years. I've since purchased a home in Durham and will return to UNC for a PhD this fall. I'll commute from Durham, which from my home (South Durham, Southpoint Mall area) is about 20 minutes. I don't know if this is helpful, however, if you end up completely frustrated by renting in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area, Durham is far more affordable as far as real estate goes. I love living in Durham, but biking or busing would admittedly be a challenge.
I agree with the poster above that apartment complexes in Chapel Hill are overpriced. Look at Carrboro, too, for sure--great place to live with bike/bus access to campus. For the record I lived for three years at Crosstown Chapel Hill (which went by a different name when I lived there). They introduced a dog breed ban which went into place as I was buying my home, so I was lucky, but it forced lots of other dog people out. They then renovated the units and raised the prices. The walls were paper thin and it wasn't worth it before when I was paying $870 a month--now prices are much higher there.
I know the area well, ask any questions, I absolutely love the Triangle!
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6 hours ago, Hope.for.the.best said:
The point of a biography is to get others to know more about your current research background and area. It would be more like "I completed an undergraduate degree in xxx and have an interest in xxx. I am currently working on [your research project] to [your aims]." It is rare to include future plans in a biography, at least I have not seen that. You can mention your future plans when you get to chat with other participants of the conference, e.g. during tea time. However, given that you don't want your current employer to find out that you will quit to attend grad school this fall, it is probably wise to not say anything. You never know. It's possible that someone at the conference knows your employer. If asked, you could give vague answers like "I like research and would like to attend grad school some time in future."
Great answer, thank you! I didn't realize future plans were not typically mentioned, but it makes perfect sense. Thanks!
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5 hours ago, GenericResearcher said:
Hey! I know this is technically an Interview Thread question, but I can't quote this in a different thread so I'll ask here-
Do you happen to know if every admitted applicant is interviewed at UVA? I saw a couple informal interviews on the Results page. I haven't received an interview invite, but I haven't received a rejection either...
Thanks!
I see someone just recently answered this, but just adding that an informal phone call with a POI and the dept. website both advised Virginia required interviews.
I also have received nothing!
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7 hours ago, scarseed said:
You know to be deadly honest, all I want it a note that says "No, it's over." But what I want attached is a breakdown of the number of apps, waitlists, accepts, etc. That said, I'm saddened that these programs won't take all of 10-15 minutes for each applicant to give some idea of why they were rejected and/o what might've contributed to a stronger and more desirable profile. That would seem kind and respectful and would allow us to stop guessing and maybe even better tailor our apps next time if we reapply.
Cornell, in their defense, halfway did this:
”Unfortunately, because we received well over 100 applications for 6 positions, we are not able to provide individual feedback to the applicants that are not admitted to the program.”
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4 hours ago, stressedimposter said:
Just got the reject mail. With the standard 'Decline.pdf' attached. And to add insult the subject said 'Fw: Admissions Letter'. Not even a mention of my name. ?
Sorry. Just sour grapeing about this.
I got that on Friday. Yours had "Fw:" so I guess they couldn't be bothered to draft a new thread? I also like how the font was the standard default when you open Microsoft Word. I realize this observation makes me overly petty, but I can't help that I am an avid font observer!
The whole Cornell rejection process has just been impersonal and, by our shared experiences evidenced on this forum...rushed and dismissive. A rejection is a rejection, sure. But I believe their app fee was one of the highest, $105? I can't get Times New Roman and a mention of my name for $105?
While we're here being sour together, what about "Admissions Letter," a little misleading, maybe? "Decision Letter" seems better?
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On 8/31/2018 at 11:01 AM, placeinspace said:
Congrats on getting it done! I wouldn't sweat it, you'll have it on your CV for applications and it was good practice. I wish I could redo my first conference presentation over, but instead, I just used it as a learning opportunity. Sometimes that's all you can do!
I know now this is an old thread, but, to both of you--I am doing my first presentation in one month. What would you have done differently? Mine's a 20 minute talk.
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I am presenting at my first conference in a month, and I'm super nervous.
They've emailed asking for a one paragraph bio that will be used to introduce us.
Would I mention my future school plans, i.e. "pyramidstuds expects to attend UNC Chapel Hill this fall" or leave that out? Any other dos/don'ts for intro bio? Am I way overthinking the minutia?
My hope is that it would be a good point of conversation during the conference, and maybe help make connections. I'm not sure my hesitation, other than the fact that I have not publicly announced this anywhere, only to friends and family, because I am currently employed and don't want to jeopardize being letting go from my job early.
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Just now, elx said:
Holy shit, that's so dark. I hope that the initial poster is doing ok, looks like they're taking it pretty hard.
Also, @pyramidstuds, that is such a messed up email subject line. Hope you do very well in UNC!
Thank you, @elx!
And I actually came to post (following my recent thoughts above) about this McGill "scammer" person. Looks like they're breaking down the math on this theory...
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26 minutes ago, crackademik said:
It’s not particularly common, but a few schools do it, which in theory is helpful when deciding where to put your money. I definitely think some schools bait and switch to make money of off application fees (even though it doesn’t seem practical). It’s pretty ridiculous considering it’s not really that much money. Let’s say a school has 700 applicants (which is pretty outrageous) that all pay 70$ for an app fee. That’s 49k, which is chump change for a chemistry program. That’s not even enough to buy a new mass spec or pay an additional faculty member.
edit: the only motive I could see is if a sketchy admissions person is pocketing the fees if that’s even possible
Yeah, I agree it seems like a negligible amount, but either tons of us have mismanaged expectations based on positive faculty interactions...or there's a general culture of encouragement (even with applicants who are not a good fit). Maybe that's okay, though. Maybe I'm viewing it the wrong way, and in fact this helps the applicant pool to be as diverse as possible--that might be the real benefit to the program, not the $.
Your story just got me stuck on the $ aspect! Denied in 2 days. So rude.
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57 minutes ago, crackademik said:
At least it was a reach. I got rejected by the lowest tier school I applied to only two days after the deadline. This school had a preapplication to screen for qualified applicants, so I did it, and they told me to apply because I had a good chance of acceptance. It was the biggest waste of 70$ I’ve ever spent. I almost feel like they only told me I was qualified so they could take my money.
Wtf? Is that common--pre-app screening--in chemistry?
The more time I spend on this site, seeing people get rejected after having promising interactions with faculty, makes me think that there's a culture around not pre-rejecting applicants in order to make a few bucks on app fees. Even if people are obviously not a fit. This is different from your case, which seems more objective and just generally shady. I mean those of us who had actual conversations with people who empowered us to apply.
Maybe everyone else will see this comment and think "uh, duh, pyramidstuds, how naive are you?!" but I'm reflecting back on my pre-application exchanges, and also the fact that it just makes sense. At least with this Cornell experience, my POI did tell me ahead of time they were accepting a tiny cohort, and also, she nudged me towards others who may be a better fit than she.
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2 minutes ago, crackademik said:
“Decline.pdf” ???? How original of them. I’m sorry ?
Thanks! It's alright--this is the biggest stretch application I submitted (Cornell) and this came as no surprise.
As I was about to pay another application fee I thought "do I really wanna waste $105 on this?" but thought what the hell, and here I am, $105 poorer. Alas!
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9 hours ago, crackademik said:
That is actual torture ? I'm one of those people who will freak out after just reading the subject line and first few words so I'd probably run around excited like I got accepted only to look further and be defeated.
Seeing the word "admission" had me do a double take last night, then I saw the name of the attached letter and any suspense at the decision dissipated.
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I’m the one who just posted the Cornell rejection. “Decline.PDF” lol (at least there was no “holding my breath” moment with that one.
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5 hours ago, kandai said:
It's hard to maintain perspective in the face of rejections, but just look on the bright side -- if we don't get in to our chosen programs we are probably on track to be ahead financially and practically in life over those who sacrifice six or seven years at poverty level fellowships and stipends. I applied to seven schools, interviewed at one and then rejected from that school plus two others. No word yet from the other four, but implied rejections from two of them are expected. I'm not hopeful at this stage and ready to move on with my life. Graduate school is not the only path to happiness and knowledge, just one of them.
FWIW I had this identical mindset and got unexpected good news—folks on this forum helped me remain cautiously optimistic. Have a backup plan, yeah, but there is hope. I got rejected from (what I thought were) strong fits and got into my top choice (where I didn’t think they’d find me a fit). Despite having gone to campus and meeting with people post-acceptance, I’m still convinced it’s a mistake. I feel a bit odd and awkward offering “happy” advice like this, but I was there mere weeks ago.
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58 minutes ago, ringoandme said:
Absolutely brilliant
Came here to post this
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I can't overstate enough the incessant feeling of dread and despondence that had been following me like a dark cloud during this waiting process. After getting a first rejection and an implied rejection (from a top pick), on the same day, I resigned myself to knowing I'd be unanimously rejected this cycle. If a top match rejected me, I didn't stand a chance elsewhere. Since that day, I'd been unreasonably depressed and moody. It was still January, but I just wanted to get it all over with, and felt irritated that other impending rejections weren't arriving yet. On top of this, my job had been beating me down all month. I work at a non-profit for a cause I'm very passionate about, which means I am burdened with compassion fatigue. It's been a lot.
Spoiler alert: my top choice (which you can see in my signature I'll be attending, despite other decisions still pending) is UNC. I absolutely did not feel confident about the match but wanted to get in so bad. I'd looked at the admissions stats, etc. and knew I had no chance.
Monday, January 28 is the day I got the decision. I'm off work Sunday-Monday, and I'm in school full-time for my master's right now, too, so my days off are my days on for writing my thesis. I'll do 12 hour days writing non-stop. (Side note, maybe this is why I am so burned out and anxious, hmm)
I'd woken up like any normal Monday, started coffee, gotten my laptop ready, stuck a bagel in the toaster. Strangely, I remember that despite how I'd been feeling so down about likely rejections, at this point, as of this morning, I had kinda moved on? Like, I'd made peace with rejection. I think this is a coping strategy I subconsciously employed. Maybe this is one of those "stages of grief?" I felt strangely calm and had renewed focus on my thesis project. If I wasn't getting accepted to a PhD program, I had to at least make sure to have a kick-ass thesis paper--"this is still an achievable goal," I thought.
As I'm settling in to write all day, I checked my email on my phone to find this subject: "UNC Anthropology Decision."
All that BS I just said, about my mental state, where I'd "moved on" and "made peace?" Yeah, that all immediately evacuated my body. I cared a LOT, actually. My heart dropped, it was such a neutral subject line, the body of the email said nothing, just "Please find your attached decision letter regarding your application."
I took a breath and opened the attachment. "It is with great pleasure that I write to confirm..."
I think maybe that's when I started sobbing? Who is to say, but at some point, I was HEAVING with sobs, I went and hugged my dogs and thanked them each individually (I have three who are the lights of my life), I then called my boyfriend who was at work and answered--I scared the hell out of him (I never cry and I called him sobbing). Before I told my friends and immediate family (I actually only told like 5 people I was applying to PhDs at all, lest I be rejected everywhere and embarrassed) I read the letter 15 times to make sure it was real. I also (after reading horror stories on this forum) confirmed it was indeed my name on the letter.
I didn't get much done on my thesis that day, my brain was buzzing. I also was so sure that the decision would be revoked or something that I refreshed my email constantly. Once 12 hours had gone by, I thought maybe I was safe. But really, it wasn't until I got additional emails from the department that I fully realized I had actually been accepted (and not by mistake).
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16 hours ago, CN0rd said:
I was sitting at work when I got an email alert for both of my emails (personal and academic). I expanded the push notification and saw the word "Congratulations!" At the beginning of the email! I raced to my computer to read the full acceptance letter on a bigger screen and only processed about every 3rd or 4th word as I went through the letter. Fully funded, I was ecstatic! Immediately after texting my family and emailing my undergrad advisor I got another email from them that said they had made a mistake in my acceptance letter and they had just attached the correct one. My heart sunk thinking they had mistakenly offered me full funding or something else equally devastating, only to realize they had unnecessarily repeated a word, which I hadn't even noticed on the first read through.
Umm, that is TERRIFYING.
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@charliekkk sorry for the delay, the week got away from me. My interests have evolved a bit throughout my study thus far, so let me just tell you the first authors who pop into my head at the moment: Annie Potts, Jamie Lorimer, Marcus Baynes-Rock.
I love multispecies ethnography, but I haven't done any work of my own in that yet--Baynes-Rock's book on hyenas in Harar is an awesome example of something I'd hope to someday emulate. And a new theory I've just recently begun exploring is necropolitics as it pertains to nonhuman animals (new paper: https://aag.secure-abstracts.com/AAG Annual Meeting 2018/abstracts-gallery/11239). My research and views are generally ecocentric, tempered with the reality of wildlife conservation being an increasingly competitive space.
Hmm, I guess my sample is on a topic that's current and also showed my abilities in other disciplines (namely linguistics). There wasn't fieldwork, it was a term paper for a class and that didn't allow me a ton of time for fieldwork. I did conduct three interviews. It was mostly a content analysis, ultimately.
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4 hours ago, charliekkk said:
Hello Gradcafe fellows,
One of my closest friends is applying for MA/PhD programs in cultural anthropology, and we've both found it very opaque as to what in the world is the admission committee looking for in an applicant, given that 1) this discipline is relatively new and the norms are more fluid than other older disciplines, 2) method is predominantly inductive thus it's harder to gauge one's capacities, 3) and many other reasons beyond my grasp. Professors at our school aren't helpful since they tend to tell us only the positive things, and I did some research and didn't find a thread specifically devoted to this topic. So I'm wondering what are some of your thoughts/past experience about it -- thank you in advance!!!
Some specific questions we have:
- Writing sample: how would you describe the standards/features of a good/bad sample? It'd be immensely appreciated if people with good application results in the past would like to share with us your samples or their topics!!
- Fieldwork experience vs. analytical reasoning: which would you say is valued more highly, substantial fieldwork or strong abstract theorization?
- Interdisciplinary background: is it good or bad to have some knowledge in other disciplines and/or discuss interdisciplinary interests in one's SOP and sample?
- Fit: how important is it to have a good fit with the department and faculty?
These are our main concerns right now (with the sample being the biggest one), but people who have other questions are welcomed to bring them up!
EDIT: Since all applications are already submitted, I guess we're not looking for advice as to how to make a stronger application -- but similar. We're trying to get a sense of the general shape of a strong applicant and compare it with ourselves, so that we can be more informed and prepared and able to better understand why X school makes Y decision.
I'm not sure quite how helpful I can be, as an applicant on the same side as you, but I am in my first cycle now, and miraculously someone decided to accept me. I'm happy to share my process/experience thus far, because I know I relied on tons of people through the process, and I would love to help someone if I can.
Not only is the discipline relatively new, but my niche of anthropology, anthrozoology, is even newer. So, I had a limited pool of programs that included that sub-discipline even tangentially. I think a big help for me is that I'm currently enrolled getting an MS in anthrozoology, and I had a strong LOR from a leading anthropologist in my field, who was one of my professors in that program.
I submitted different writing samples to different programs depending on what I emphasized in my SOP for that program/POI. Also, different page length requirements affected that a bit, some programs had strict maximums and others did not. I used samples that got me an "A" in my master's program and that had been accepted for presentation, so I knew they were halfway decent and had had a few sets of eyes on them. I think that boosted my confidence (what little I had) and lent some credibility to them. I also mentioned conference presentations in my SOP, so being able to then provide that writing sample was helpful, I hope?
"Is it good or bad to have some knowledge in other disciplines and/or discuss interdisciplinary interests in one's SOP and sample?"
I think it's good! My BA is in linguistics, and in my SOP I explained how, in my master's coursework, I infuse sociolinguistic elements into my research/analysis. Instead of my BA looking irrelevant, I explained why it was actually very relevant.
Fit
From all I've read on this forum, blogs, etc. (and, uh, it's a lot) I think fit is the most important. This may be a relief, or it may be frustrating to you--but fit is where we lose control of the process. For me this is refreshing, in a way, because as long as I did everything I could, and was honest and my best self in my application...what will happen will happen. Waiting is agony, that does not change. But one of my strategies for coping is putting things behind me once I cannot change them, but allowing myself to learn from them.
One thing you didn't specifically list is SOP, maybe because you already feel good on it, but I think the SOP is super important. I imagine many writing samples go unread (especially if 200 people submit 25 page papers!), but I could be entirely wrong. Maybe writing samples only get read at a certain stage, maybe as a tiebreaker, or if a committee is on the fence? Maybe they just scan the abstract and want to see a person is capable of writing an academic paper (especially if coming straight from undergrad). Again, I'm fortunate that my master's program has me writing 30-40 page papers and a thesis, so I think that experience helped bolster myself as a suitable PhD student.
Anyway, hope this is somehow helpful, and good luck.
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3 hours ago, Anama said:
Thank you everybody! You're so kind. I hope everybody gets into the program of their choice.
I am an international applicant and therefore might have underestimated some requirements for a successful application. I still have some hope for my other applications but have already decided that I will not go through another cycle. So - without wanting to be dramatic, for me getting rejected would mean such a big change of direction. I had just gotten used to the idea of moving to the US and found some joy in it and now it might already be time to let it go...
It's quite interesting, I feel I stayed in this very secure place of what is expected in my culture rather than adhering to US Gradschool madness. Now I see how that might have come across as arrogant and yet I acted from my own values and did what I could without putting my mental and physical health at risk with the little time I had for this process due to personal reasons. There is a part of me that would be very ok with a European, bit more laid back doctorate study. It is all so exiting either way
I was a mess on this forum just a couple weeks ago feeling defeated and hopeless, but people here reminded me to have hope, within reason—I counted myself out thinking there was no chance, I guess preparing for the worst. I got a rejection and implied rejection same day (and the implied rejection was, I thought, one of my strongest fits). It was an awful day. It is a huge stress and I cannot imagine also moving continents (I was barely prepared to move within the US).
I am sure you don’t seem arrogant. Good job sticking to your values and not sacrificing health! That counts for a lot...
Membership required to present?
in Writing, Presenting and Publishing
Posted
I found an interesting conference, and feel my thesis research would be a great fit for a panel. The panel for which I would submit has the following requirement: "Those accepted must be members of [insert association name here] to present." Only a couple of panels have this requirement, the majority do not.
Can anyone explain this to me--I am new to academia/conference presenting, and wonder if this is common in some disciplines? Is it worth it to pay for membership? For context, I'm in anthropology, but my area of research is highly interdisciplinary; this is a language conference, and the student membership cost is $35 annually.
Should I apply, see if I am accepted, and cough up the $35 thereafter?
And again, I am just curious about the requirement and whether it's common.
Many thanks!