fumblewhat

paper tiger

I don't think I'd mind either, generally. I'm more looking ahead for when I apply for my PhD, and wondering if it'd be better to have an advisor whose been in the field that much longer and would have that many more connections. My decision probably won't come down to that. It's just something I'm pondering. I just got into the University of Michigan! It's my dream school. Their acceptance package could bankrupt a small developing nation. I've never seen so much glossy, color print paper in all my life. Funding results out in mid-March.

I stuggled with the same issues when putting together my application. I got a lot of conflicting advice about how specific I should be. Your statement seems to be pretty in line with what I did, however, and I think it's dead on. Very generally: I outlined my past research interests and training, as well my current research interests and how I came into them. I stated why at this point research on Topic X is important to my field. I then listed the questions I would like to explore related to Topic X, concluding that I would like to beter define and explore thesequestions through the guidance of the Department of Y at Z University. In my final paragraph I mentioned how one or two professors research interests meshed with mine and put a bow on top. This allowed me to show that I have the academic chops to conceive of a well-definied research project, while also showing that I'm not rigid, that I'm open to mentorship, and that I expect my project to change. I think that the focus should be on your work and your experiences, rather than on "yourself." It's better to show the adcomm your attributes, rather than tell. They can gather that you are a dedicated, intelligent, interesting person from the way you present your work or experiences. I'm not in your field, but feel free to PM me if you want a general once-over of your SOP. And good luck to you!

I'm completely up in the air at this point. Most schools have a relatively good fit for me, though I find myself perfering the more Japan, anthropology focused programs. Here's a question: would any of you feel uneasy, as a masters student, having an adviser not on the tenure track? I have a perfect-fit adviser,but she's classified as a lecturer. That said, she indicates she has research responsibilites at her university and hasn't indicated that she'd be leaving during my stay (not that she would necessarily volunteer that). Her school is also a better situation for me and my significant other, and well ranked (if that matters). At the other programs, I would be working with more senior scholars with (potentially) better connections, if not perfectly matching research interests. Any thoughts? If funding comes through on any of my other programs, I think that would decide it for me. But I find myself drawn to this program because of the fit and personal convenience.....

It seems like most, if not all, of us have received some responses. Has anyone come to a final decision yet? I'm still waiting on a few programs, but it's difficult not to weigh the acceptances I've gotten so far. What criteria are you all using to make your decision? I've seen some good threads on other areas of the board about this, namely But I'm curious how people in area studies are approaching this. I also wonder how my fellow masters applicants are going about their decision making process. Hope it's going well for everyone!

I believe the original poster said they graduated from "a public university in Michigan," not the University of Michigan. I think there are about a dozen public universities in the state. To address the original poster's question... Congratulations! It sounds like you've had an excellent admissions cycle! There are about a million factors to consider, but I've been told to place a lot of weight on who my potential adviser will be. Not necessarily just how prominent they are in their field, but the quality of their advising, their availability, whether their advisees graduate within reasonable time limits, etc. Advisers are a defining element in a PhD student's experience, so you should probably give it some consideration. Though, I don't know, funding can be quite persuasive! You might also consider, as a minor point, how far their funding offers will take you considering cost of living in each city. Best of luck to you!

red fish

I don't have a place to stay! Any suggestions? I could probably swing a cheap hotel for a few days to a week. I went on the UW off campus housing website and they list some neighborhoods with prices and commute times. I saw earlier in this thread that people think well of Wallingford. Do you have any opinions on Wedgewood or Northgate? I'd prefer someplace cheap and close enough to campus to bike, but that seems a scarcity. I'm on the fence about adding "finding a roommate" to this madness, but single living seems prohibitively expensive. Would Craigslist be the best way to find one? UW doesn't seem to have a roommate match making service.

Anyone have advice about how early to start the apartment search? When I crash land in Seattle in August, will there be any apartments still open? Is the on campus housing anything worth looking at?

If you don't yet have a specific topic you'd like to research, graduate school at this point wouldn't give you much return for your time and money -- assuming you could even get in without a clearly defined direction. And while a J.D. looks nice (oh and how I have been tempted), law school is also a huge investment. Most people enter without knowing what the legal profession is all about. Many find (after $100,000 in debt) it doesn't suit them. I think your poll is missing a crucial option you should seriously consider: wait. You could get work experience after graduating that leaves all of the above options open while allowing you to explore your interests. If the job market is too tough or intimidating, though, there are some alternatives to that, too. You could do Teach for America or Peace Corp or some other experiential job. I myself have spent the last three years teaching English in Japan on the JET Programme. I'm way up in northern Honshu, where I snowboard and hike every weekend (and even after work some days). I've paid down down my student loans, traveled a bit in Asia, and had a lot of time to think, read, and research. (Totally worth it: http://www.jetprogramme.org/) Taking time out of school to develop yourself, experience, and ideas would only make you a stronger candidate going into gradate school, no matter what flavor you choose.

I'm in the same position. I just got into my top choice, but I somehow spaced the funding deadline. I'm trying not to spend more than a couple of hours a day hitting my head up against a wall. I found this thread from last year on the subject. It was helpful, though the posters all seem to be pursuing professional degrees, which can probably tolerate higher levels of debt. Personally, I think it really dependso on how much debt you already have and how much the masters will contribute to your earning power. In my case, I'm using a masters as a stepping stone to a second graduate degree (either PhD or J.D.), so I'm really hoping not to take out more than 15,000 or so, as I already have about that much undergaduate debt. At the very least, I don't think people should take out more than they're able to earn in their first year out of school... Has anyone looked into / had any success finding alternate means of funding? I wouldn't mind working in residence life or at the libraray or something to help defray costs. But how does one even start to look into that before the fall?

square pants

lost hope

street justice

And.... just got my follow up email from the department at UCLA! I'm being considered for a one year fellowship! Woohooo!

I just got accepted to UCLA! It's not the top on my list, but it's my first response, so I'm pretty pumped about it! No word in the official email about funding, and since it's the University of California, I'm not really holding my breath... Still I need to know before I can make a decision. I wonder if it'd be outside of protocol to contact the department and inquire at this point. Continued good luck to everyone!

turn out

I'm sure you're an excellent writer, and I'm sure your essays on the test were excellent. In questioning the validity of ETS's assessment, I in no way intend to question the skill of your writing. There's been a lot of discussion about the analytical writing section here: People in this thread seem to have covered most angles of argument about the AWA, while still remaining civil. It's good reading.

It's actually true -- statistically, the biggest indicator of a high AW score on the GRE is length. I've won undergraduate writing awards and I got a 3.5 AW score. One of my advisers suggested I call ETS up to make sure they hadn't made a mistake... But I'm not a fast writer, period. I just trust that the adcomm will read my statement of purpose and writing sample.

I would really recommend reading this blog post from the blog Savage Minds. "Who needs alumni from 'top schools'?" Much of it is Anthropology-specific, but one point stands out to me: graduate students in top programs tend to have less teaching experience, and teaching experience is currently what is in demand. I don't know much about the hard sciences, but I know in the humanities and social sciences tenure-track positions at research universities are a scarcity (like, seriously, forget about it), and most PhD's will be competing for positions at smaller, less research-oriented, more teaching-oriented schools. If you think you might be headed in that direction (keeping in mind that only 1/4th of all PhDs will ever obtain a tenure track position), then you may want to weigh the quality of the professional teaching experience each program would offer you, in addition to ranking. (That is, if you consider ranking more important than fit and academic atmosphere, which I personally don't. YMMV.) Prestige is great, but graduate school is professional training. After people stop their "ooooohs and aaaaaaaahs" they're going to want to know what you're bringing to the table. Having an impressive pedigree and a famous adviser doesn't mean you can teach a 4/4 course load. So my question would be this: What program is going to get you the skills you need to compete?

rum raisin (ice cream is my favorite)

Sesame Chicken (yum)

Another Gaga parody, but with LIBRARIANS!