budaya

hi everyone! after a hiatus after undergrad, I've decided to pursue an anthro phd. after I graduated (2019), I wanted to make sure that a phd was what I truly wanted before applying. covid really extended that timeframe by a few years, I think, so I have a few questions as I'm getting back into the swing of things. I'd prefer to apply in the 2025 cycle, but if the things below are crucial for a successful app, I'd push it back to 2026. but it'd be great to get started sooner rather than later! are publications really necessary to the success of your app, especially at top schools? if so, I could probably workshop my undergraduate thesis over the next few months and at least get it submitted, but if it's not really that big of a deal, it would be great to allocate that time to strengthening other aspects of my app. likewise, is a high GRE score still a big plus? many programs have GRE optional apps (UPenn, for example). not sure how truly optional they are? I haven't taken the GRE (covid), but i could try to prep for and take it in the next year. finally, how important is having a master's? i remember my undergraduate advisor saying that many of the top programs will want to see either publications or a master's, but I'm not sure how things stand post-covid. aside from those 3 things, I think (hope!) that I would have a compelling application overall: graduated with 3.96 gpa in anthropology 50+ page honors thesis, plus several research projects at my school and other institutions; I have presented research at conferences I think my LORs would be strong & I received several awards through my school received a fulbright eta to the country I'd like to do fieldwork in. i speak the language fairly well & plan to spend a lot of time improving over the next few months i have a pretty good idea of what I'd like to study, though i still need to narrow (historical memory, nationalism, ecological change in country) work experience after college (not sure if this really matters, though) I know for sure that I want to apply to UPenn and UChicago, but other than that, I still need to do some digging. very appreciative of any advice or insight anyone has!