Polanthro

If she is interested in cultural anthropology, I don't think research internships will be as common or easy to come by, but it might be good for her to either volunteer as an RA to a professor of Anthropology at her institution, or try to do an independent study with someone and design her own research project. In my opinion, the best and single most important thing she can do to help her application is to spend some time in the part of the world she is wanting to study, and if it requires a language, to study that language in some capacity or another. There are so many opportunities out there I never took advantage of as an undergrad, but I also had no idea I would eventually want to study anthropology. If she knows that's her interest, she can now focus on developing her knowledge of and contacts in a region of the world that will be relevant to her research.

Syracuse, anyone? All thoughts on the school and department welcome.

Hi all, I got an offer from Syracuse yesterday morning. Incredibly nice email, saying that they nominated me for the FLAS and were even willing to pay for me to attend a language institute this summer to learn the language I need for my fieldwork. No word on funding for the school year though, which will be a deal breaker for me. Could anybody give me a sense of how this program is regarded, what students go on to do typically, if they know anything about Syracuse as a city at all...? Any information or input is welcome!

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that! How did you find out?

I applied for the PhD, thought it was the perfect fit for me since Syracuse is so strong in South Asia studies. Not feeling too hopeful now, though, to be honest (though I may get a pleasant surprise). What about you?

Khacker, I emailed the department yesterday and got an answer back from an administrator who said she wasn't involved in the process too closely, but she mentioned that some letters had been sent out on Monday and the remaining ones would go out tomorrow. She said if we don't know by next week, we should get in touch with folks there again. Only thing is, I am not sure if the "letters" she means will come via email or as actual physical letters...we'll see...hang in there!

Thanks all. Just to clarify, I finished my MA in Political Science two years ago, and while I was a grad student I got interested in anthropology through various area studies courses and grad-level anthro seminars that I took. I ended up writing an MA thesis that was sort of a cross between anthropology and political science. I am looking for suggestions of any kind about where I could publish a shorter version of my thesis, or some other papers I have. I don't care if they're low ranked, I just want to know what's out there. Even stuff that is online-only would be fine with me. Curious about anything that could help me broaden my horizons.

I'm in my second year of applications for cultural anthropology PhDs and am already quite sure I won't be making it in anywhere with funding. I'm trying to turn an awful feeling into something more positive and am thinking about ways to do research and get my writing out there. Since I am trying to switch over to anthro from political science, I am not too familiar with some of the journals out there for younger scholars who are not yet in possession of a PhD. My interests are focused on ethnic conflict and nationalism, South Asia (Sri Lanka) and development discourse. If you all know of any journals that are focused on those issues, perhaps from an interdisciplinary perspective, would you mind letting me know? Many thanks!

Can anyone shed some light on the Syracuse acceptance?

Congrats you guys, I was told I was on the longlist and also invited to apply for FLAS, so I would love to get some good news today too...

Savagemind, congratulations! May I ask, what is your area of interest? Who did you apply to work with? I was really feeling hopeful about Duke, it's sad to know I've probably been rejected.

Congrats on UCSB! What a great option. I too struck out last year (or rather, I got into only one place and was not offered funding so I'm giving it another try)...what was your new strategy? I'm trying to stay hopeful.

Can anybody shed light on the UNC acceptance? I applied there also and would be curious to hear more about it...does anyone know how difficult it is to get in there? I'm guessing "very", but I'd love more info if someone can chime in.

The best coping mechanism is having every single person you know come stay as a house guest, one after another, so that you have no time to obsess over school stuff in the evenings/weekends!

Wait, so are all Columbia notifications definitely out? I really hope not.

Anthrogurl, that's what I'm thinking right now too...I'm in the same boat. Uggghh.

Hey all, congratulations to people who have made it in so far! As for me, I'm starting to feel pretty negative about my chances of an acceptance -- no interviews, no news so far. I was wondering, and I know this might be a touch personal so please PM me if you prefer, but would people mind possibly sharing what they think helped them stand out/any pointers from personal statements that contributed to successful applications? I am beginning to feel really lost and want to know how I can improve my chances in the future. I don't have a BA in Anthro, so maybe that's part of it. I have a Poli Sci/History/Interdisciplinary Studies background, and am interested in Cultural Anthro. Any advice anyone has for me whatsoever is welcome!

Thanks PersianDoc, I didn't get an interview at Yale even though I applied so I guess that means a rejection?

Hi PersianDoc, sorry to hear about the bad news from Brown. Would you mind filling us in though on your Yale interview? It's amazing that you got one! I am just curious if no interview means no hope? You can private message me if you prefer, good luck with it!

Any word from NYU Cultural Anthro for anyone? Seems like someone got an interview for Bio Anthro, should I be worried?

Hi everyone, I'm new to Anthropology and somewhat unfamiliar with the application process. In my old field of study, interviews were never part of the application process, but I have heard mixed answers as to whether they are common for applicants in Cultural/Social Anthropology. Should I be hoping for offers of interviews, or just expecting to hear good or bad decisive news? Thanks!

I also applied to PhDs in the second year of my MA program ... I was not successful that time around but it was doable and I hate to admit it but I actually did learn a lot about the process even though I did not make it in. My only recommendation to you is to keep in mind that 12 schools is a lot and although you can replicate materials from school to school, I found it to be surprisingly time consuming (and costly!) even applying to just 6 schools and using many of the same ideas/materials, etc. Basically, just make sure you don't leave things till the last minute. Otherwise, just try to stay positive and remember that if this all does work out, there's a great payoff at the end of the road!

Thank you both. So sorry to pester you but just a couple of other questions, also open to anyone with insight on this topic: do people think it's important to stress my ability to adjust to Anthropological methods versus Poli Sci ones, or is it expected that one can learn this when already in graduate school? Poli sci is kind of methods-crazy at the moment so I know most people in that discipline stress making methodology (preferably quantitative!) a big part of the personal statement. Also, do people have suggestions on particularly good places to look at for political anthropology? Thanks again!

Sorry about the above, ^, I am new to the site and thought I had to enter a new box to reply. Thanks a lot MissAmy, I am glad to hear other people have gone through this. Did you tie in all your past experiences to make a case for why you belong in Anthropology, or did you focus more on what you will do in their program? Anyone else have a similar experience they'd care to share???

I have a Political Science background but have increasingly felt that all signs point me towards Anthropology and I am wondering if people out there have advice/opinions/perspectives on what my chances might be at a good program, preferably in the New York City area. Basically, I started off thinking I was interested in civil war/ethnic conflict in the traditional poli sci sort of way but have realized that now my interests are more in line with the way that Anthro asks some of the "bigger questions" and doesn't just count battle deaths. My regional interest is South Asia with a focus on constructions of ethnic "otherness", development and identity, nationalist ideologies and violence. I am also interested in post structuralist understandings of the issues above. I have a BA from a US public school in a well respected state system, and an MA from a Canadian university. GPA a little above 3.8 at both. My GRE scores were not stellar, but okay with 720 verbal/670 quant/4.5 writing. I have coursework in Quantitative Methods, Political Theory, Anthropology of Development, South Asian politics, African politics, etc. I have a couple of RA ships, TA experience, a conference presentation. I have traveled to my country of interest twice, once as a volunteer and once as an intern and have done some private tutoring (which I need to continue next year) in the language I would use for my fieldwork. I think that's basically it...also, I would be working during my application season if I were to apply for Fall 2011 so there would be some professional experience too though it probably doesn't matter. Do people think I could get into a program and that there are places for me in Anthro departments? I appreciate any insights you might have!