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kapuzenernie

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About kapuzenernie

  • Birthday January 24

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  • Gender
    Man
  • Pronouns
    he/him
  • Location
    Philadelphia
  • Application Season
    Not Applicable
  • Program
    History / Anthropology

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  1. I got a personal email yesterday from the DGS stating that I was wait listed. Looks like one other person has also shared that result on the portal. Best of luck! Also, I need a bit of advice. For those of you who had multiple offers, what did the negotiation process look like? I've had at least two schools express that they would be open to making more competitive offers based on my other results.
  2. @Akinokaze @thatlastmoment I'm not the person who posted this on the results portal, but the CUNY admissions committee reached out to me about three days ago to set up an interview for next week. I'm in the modern Euro field fwiw
  3. So what's the solution? Go back to school for a second bachelor's and more debt? Spend a couple thousand (that I don't have) on a coding course? Attempt to force myself to do something I have no aptitude for? I think my ultimate frustration with this conversation is that time and time again people suggest alternative career tracks that also involve considerable personal sacrifice, investment, and debt.
  4. This probably says more about my own personal situation than it does any general trend, but I would really love to know where all these supposedly lucrative non-academic jobs are. I've been out of school for three years now and have yet to break $20k/year despite working full-time. If I get into PhD program not only will I have a guaranteed, stable income, but I will also have health insurance. For someone with my background that in and of itself is enough reason to pursue the PhD, putting aside the fact that it is something that I am passionate about. Also, I think for many of us hopefuls it's difficult to swallow this advice from current students because obviously you also disregarded this advice when you were applying. Just some 2¢ from a lurker.
  5. No problem! Yes there are some special requirements for applying to the DAAD before you have secured admission, but it can be done. I would also recommend talking to someone at your current school in the fellowship/student research department to see if they can help you with your application. Best of luck and if you have any questions about Germany feel free to DM me.
  6. You mentioned being interested in studying in Germany, so I thought I would address that potential. Most German universities are "free," which means that they only charge a student services fee which usually includes a transportation pass. I studied at the University of Hamburg, which was 350 euro/semester, ~120 of which was my metro pass. You may also find that the cost of living is much lower in Germany, with the exception of real estate in large cities like Munich or Hamburg. Even then, there are plenty of affordable places to live. German MA deadlines are usually in the spring, but I would highly recommend applying to the DAAD Masters scholarship in November to see if you can get funding through them. Having an award like that would definitely be leg-up in later PhD applications. There are two very important things to consider when applying to German MA programs though (with a few exceptions): (1) your BA degree must match what you plan to do in your MA (which it sounds like it does) and (2) the language requirements are very stringent. Most degree programs require that you are fluent in German and English as well as two foreign languages in your subject matter. Some schools allow you to achieve fluency during your program, but some require you to already have that fluency upon admittance. So, regarding your plan, it might be worth it to dedicate a year or so to taking language courses. If I could recommend two programs to you, I would suggest exploring the Global History program at Humboldt Berlin and the East Asian Studies MA at the University of Göttingen. Both are English language programs, plus Berlin and Göttingen are both cool places to live :)
  7. As I mentioned in my original post, I am not opening up my SOP for history programs with this anecdote. No it is not it is not a recent discovery and I would not attempt to suggest it is. There has been a shift in recent years to an ethnography of policing which warrants a discussion in my SOP. I am not telling anyone how to do their job and would never presume to do that. However, engaging with questions of the ethics of fieldwork is something that I have seen in successful SOPs from other Anthro applicants. I am not attempting to "move the needle", but show I am aware of existing debates. As for brevity, we're writing on a forum lol
  8. The reason I include this incident in my SOP is because I later make the argument that American anthropologists who do research on vulnerable communities need to be attuned to these issues you listed -> leading in to an engagement with the extensive anthropological literature on the topic of surveillance, the role that anthropologists have played in conducting surveillance for governments, etc. It was also one of the early defining experiences of my fieldwork, so why would I not mention it?
  9. I am applying to both Anthro and History PhDs, but taking essentially the same approach: opening short anecdote that (1) shows my experience with fieldwork/archival research & (2) is directly related to my research questions (e.g. in my Anthro anecdote, I talk about how there was a rumor going around my field-site that I was connected to American intelligence agencies; I am studying surveillance and policing) -> go straight into the research questions and current literature (which seems to be more common in Anthro than History, but correct me if I am wrong) -> elaborate on your previous research experience and coursework -> why this school is a best fit and wrap it up. I also expect to re-write this thing at least once from scratch, based on my experience applying for Fulbright. Try writing multiple draft statements, using different structures and see what works the best. To that end, I would also recommend getting in touch with the fellowship department at your undergraduate/current institution. At my former university, at least, they are more than willing to assist people in editing their SoPs for grad programs. It is definitely worth reaching out! I also second @TMP's advice. If you just need a SoP, focus on the project you are proposing above all else. If there is a personal statement included/that is what is being asked for, there you can talk about your personal history. Again, this is based on my experience (successfully) applying for a Fulbright, but I think they are very similar processes.
  10. Thank you for the response! I except to have to develop more language skills regardless of what field I end up in. Thankfully most of the schools I am applying to seem to have rather robust language programs and/or offer funding for language acquisition, summer programs, etc. (I guess it should also be noted that my interest in Spanish is actually more rooted in personal goals than academic lol). I think ultimately the kind of language learning I do in graduate school will be totally dependent on attending a History vs. Anthropology program. For example, I could very well see myself learning, say, Turkish or perhaps Kurdish if I go the Anthro route, less so if I end up in a History program (although who knows!) A question for you specifically, @TsarandProphet, was Russian the first slavic language that you learned? And if so, did you find that it helped you with learning other Slavic languages? Also a resource to share, if anyone is interested in learning ""rare"" Eurasian languages: https://melikian.asu.edu/ Which offers funding for graduate students (unfortunately only for US citizens in most cases ?) for some of their summer programs. I am definitely planning on applying to these programs at some point, if my research necessitates it!
  11. Hello! I am new to the forum and thought I would pose a question that I don't think has been answered yet: What is the consensus on putting beginner language skills on your application? The conventional wisdom for professional resumes is that anything below professional competency isn't worth getting a line. But when applying to PhDs, I would think that demonstrating self-study would show initiative. But if I am only an novice speaker at the time of applying, is that really worth noting? I know that some PhD apps require proof of competency in two languages upon application, so I am not asking about those programs. Rather, those that allow you to prove competency somewhere between year two and three. Little background -- if it matters -- I am planning on a applying to both Cultural Anthropology and History PhD's. I am thematically interested in issues of policing, political violence, and terrorism; geographically focused in Central/Eastern Europe with a blooming interest in Central Asia. I am quasi-fluent in German, currently working on Russian and Spanish. I began taking Russian classes while living abroad at the German equivalent of a community college and am planning on taking Spanish courses at American community college in the fall (granted the classes are available in-person). I have been using a lot of duolingo and listening to lots of language-learner podcasts in the interim
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