gunlesswonder

The April 15 deadline is for people who want to present papers; otherwise you can sign up anytime you'd like. As to the cost, it depends by the program. Mine will cover everything if I'm presenting, but wont just pay for me to go. It's great to go (New Orleans this year rocked!) but not mandatory. If you can swing it, go, I learned a lot, met great people and am going again this year. If you have any questions, let me know.

Thanks so much jcandy! Can you give me any idea about how the U of A is thought of within Scotland? And wow no classes at all, even in the first year? Do you have any idea if teaching/ TA appointments common? Intresting.... I already have my MA in anthro, do think that it might make a difference? Is the difference due to the shorter time spent on the degree? Thanks for the encouragement Langoustine! It looks like a great program, and I've done several large research projects and things on the side that (I hope!) would prepare me for a more hands-off approach. We'll see And as to the weather... I'm from Seattle originally, but have lived in Egypt the last five years. Rain sounds perfectly lovely to me!

Thanks so much for the info Bukharan! I will be taking you up on the offer of PM if I get in! When I was asking about pedagogy, I meant the difference in the style and system of teaching. In the US system for example, you are strongly guided by the classes that you are taking; most of the work you do is for those classes. It's my understanding that in the UK system, you are pushed to be a much more independent researcher. You meet with your advisor, you talk things over, and then go do work on your own. I know that there are some differences between Scotland and the UK in terms of schooling, but I'm not sure how big those differences are. When you say "You will dedicate your 2nd and 3rd years primarily to doing research and writing up a dissertation," am I correct in thinking that you are talking about doing fieldwork outside of the university? Do most people finish a ph.d program in three years? The programs I'm looking at have specific fellowships attached to them that are open to both UK/EU and international students, so the funding is not as tricky as it might otherwise be. I hope! Do you have any recommendations about things to stress on the SOP or the app process? Thanks for the link Peanut! I'm in Egypt, and let me tell you the thought of rain makes me very happy. Aberdeen looks like a lovely city, and the department looks good and the interdisciplinary ties are fantastic. I figure if I don't get in, meh, and if I do it's on more option to put on the table.

Hi all- I'm still waiting to hear back from one of my schools, but I hold very little hope of getting into the program because of low GRE's. Everything else I have rocks- peer reviewed publications, presented at several big European and US conferences, lots of research experience ect. Thus it now appears that I have a couple of choices. I can wait and reapply for next year, and retake the GREs (I did poorly on this round in part because I was sick and jetlagged). Not a bad option, but it would mean start paying back some of my loans, which sucks. Finding a job might also be very difficult. I'm now looking at applying to an anthro ph.d program at University of Aberdeen, which has later deadline and does not ask for the GRE. While I've spent my entire college career going to school outside the US, it's always been in the American system and I know that the UK pedagogy is very different. Has anyone had any experience with university level studies in Scotland? I know that it's generally a shorter time to ph.d, but other then that I've have no real idea what I might be getting myself into and what sort of expectations there are. Can anyone clue me in, or comment on the University of Aberdeen? The program is fully funded, so that's not a worry. I really do feel that that reason that I'm not getting in my scores, and I know that I can improve on that. Moreover, the programs that I applied to seem to be a great fit and all made me very excited. The U of A program would mean changing the research design a bit, but is something I'm still really interested in. And I must admit, the thought of getting my ph.d done earlier would be great. My worry is that I will get there and not do well because the pedagogy is so different. So what say you all? Wait, try getting into Scotland? Thanks!

Hi all- I've posted this elsewhere, but am hoping that the wonderful people in our forum can help out. I'm still waiting to hear back from one of my schools, but I hold very little hope of getting into the program because of low GRE's. Everything else I have rocks- peer reviewed publications, presented at several big European and US conferences, lots of research experience ect. Thus it now appears that I have a couple of choices. I can wait and reapply for next year, and retake the GREs (I did poorly on this round in part because I was sick and jetlagged). Not a bad option, but it would mean start paying back some of my loans, which sucks. Finding a job might also be very difficult. I'm now looking at applying to an anthro ph.d program at University of Aberdeen, which has later deadline and does not ask for the GRE. While I've spent my entire college career going to school outside the US, it's always been in the American system and I know that the UK pedagogy is very different. Has anyone had any experience with university level studies in Scotland? I know that it's generally a shorter time to ph.d, but other then that I've have no real idea what I might be getting myself into and what sort of expectations there are. Can anyone clue me in, or comment on the University of Aberdeen? The program is fully funded, so that's not a worry. I really do feel that that reason that I'm not getting in my scores, and I know that I can improve on that. Moreover, the programs that I applied to seem to be a great fit and all made me very excited. The U of A program would mean changing the research design a bit, but is something I'm still really interested in. And I must admit, the thought of getting my ph.d done earlier would be great. My worry is that I will get there and not do well because the pedagogy is so different. So what say you all? Wait, try getting into Scotland? Thanks!

Good to know, thanks for the info . You are going for the med anthro program too, right? Did you apply for the concurrent Ph.d/MPH?

If makes you feel any better, I'm completing this app round outside of the US. More than that, I'm In Egypt and it's still pretty revolutionary here. I'm pretty sure the post isn't up and running, and even if it is it takes two to three weeks to get post from the US. So I'm really hoping that one of my schools changed their notification methods between this year and last or it's going to be a really, really long wait. Hope your wait is short and sweet!

Hang in there verbatim! I know how you feel- I'm still waiting to hear back from two schools and I think that I have hope for only one of them (the UW, whose funding isn't so great, so If I'm ever so lucky to get in, I may not be able to pay for it). But focus on the positive- you have been wait listed, and are continuing to get good feedback from the department. It could be worse... like outright rejection (that happened to me!). Do you know exactly how you stand on the wait list? Have you asked about people getting off the wait list in previous years? Keeping talking to the department, and don't lose hope! I've had several friends get in off the wait list to top schools like UChicago and Yale. So it happens! Wishing you the best

I work on stuff related to gender, sexuality and reproductive health in Egypt. And to some of the people below, Carol Vance does indeed rock. I got to meet her at a conference last year and it would a dream to work with her. Hope that at least one among us gets that chance!

There are a couple of admits and rejects for the various MA tracts if you look on the results board under columbia sociomedical. If you don't mind me asking, what is your research area? I'm always curious about other med-anth projects. : )

I've also applied, and heard only when they asked me to resend my writing sample. So curious as to what is going on as it seems that there are already MA acceptances. Did either you apply for the predoc fellowship in gender and sexuality? Wishing all the best!

Congrats to all the people who gotten acceptances so far, and best of luck to everyone still waiting! Yeah, I did an informal interview at the AAA in New Orleans, but didn't make the cut. I wish they'd do like Duke and just let you know right away. And yes Mubarak is gone! I was in Tahrir when the news came out, and it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. It gives me chills even now to just write about it. There are supposed to be a bunch of labour protests tomorrow in the square, so we'll see how long the revolutionary spirit can hold out over the bureaucracy. The protests have definitely been a wonderful distraction and have been making me reconsider my decision to leave Egypt. I guess that's a silver lining if I don't get in anywhere this round....

Oh, is that the UW you are refering to when you say Washington? Man, it would be nice to have the wait over!

Ha.... I wish my footprint was a little less random. There is some good, but odd looking stuff (I write about porn in the ME, so it screams "SEX" and "PORN" under my name), a couple of published papers, info from the dog training business that I run, and then links to the online x-files fan club I was vice president of way back in the day. So yeah, porn, dog training and the x-files. I am sure well rounded! Hope that the ad com has sense of humor.... lol, seriously though, Facebook as all well and good for social stuff, but I'd recommend that you'd join something like academia.edu which will give you a more professional, controllable google CV. Congrats on your acceptance!

If I may ask, how did you get your Emory reject? Was it for cultural anth? Did you interview? Still waiting to here back from them, the UW and Columbia. This is killing me! I have a plan b (and a plan c, hell, I've got plans to zed) and would be disappointed but fine with some time off. I just wish I knew so that I could move on. I live in Egypt, and I don't know what has been worse, waiting for Mubarak to go, or waiting for this. Either way, I clearly have no patience! Best of luck to all!

Hey just curious, and feel free to ignore, but what are the objections to Seattle? The other poster is right, it's an amazing department, and the city rocks. Great night life, lots of really lovely restaurants, and plenty to do year around, skiing, hiking swimming ect. I'll let you into a really big secret- it doesn't really rain that much in Seattle. NY, San Fran and Miami all get more that they do. Good luck!

They are all really good programs, all are fully funded, and most people would be thrilled to get into any of them. That's the rub however- they are all really, really hard to get into. You need to be a rock star, or have a professor that is willing to fight for you. From what I've heard from people at Berkley and UChicago, there is a rather nasty amount of politics and competition at play which is why I didn't try for either school. You may want to consider Emory (heard nothing but great stuff, and the people I've met are lovely), Northwestern and the University of Washington (Great program, amazing city, and big connections to the school of global health); they all have great med anthro programs. The big thing seems to be finding a department that has not just the same theoretical interested, but geographical as well. Once you do, get in touch with the people you want to work with. Good luck!

I've done both, and my thought on it is unless there are kids involved, or you are actively planning to get married (not knocking ltr at all, but there is a diff between being in a ltr, and being in a ltr as well as being engaged) or the SO is willing to make some huge considerations and sacrifices to make sure that you are being fulfilled, it's better to chose in favor of yourself. I turned down an amazing opportunity to be with my ltr of over 5 years, and we broke up less than a year later. And you bet I regret giving up that offer! Flash forward, I'm in a different relationship, get an offer to work and study in the ME and took it, it was a really hard 3 years, but the relationship made it and now we are about to get married and have great jobs in the same city. Make yourself happy. You only have so many chances to set yourself up to be in the career and job that you want! Best of luck!

Hi all- I'm about to finish my MA in anthropology, and I'm currently in the midst of applying for my ph.d, also in anthro (looking to specialize in medical anthro and/or sexuality). How much do ya'll think already having an MA will be a leg up? I ask because while having a conversation with a rather well known prof, she said that many schools don't necessarily like having an MA because it means that they have to "retrain" and besides which, you get an MA in most of these programs. She even when so far to say that it may harm my chances. Has anyone heard this before? A little about myself- I'm applying to a host of big schools-Duke, UW, Columbia, Stanford, Emory, and Rutgers. I've got excellent grades in my MA, and solid grades as an undergrad. I've published three papers, have presented at conferences in the US, Europe and Africa, and have quite a bit of teaching experience. Please tell me she was just blowing smoke! Thanks- gunlesswonder