modernity

Your letter writers won't mind as long as you show them how you improved in the year off - when I asked for letters again I told them about the work experience I had gotten, the contacts, how I had improved my GRE, etc. and they were more than happy to write another set of letters and told me it was great that I was so determined and that I had spent time improving my background. I wouldn't worry about them thinking you aren't good enough, heck it could be cause they wrote a lackluster letter themselves! Just do your best this round before you worry about the next one! You might be one of the lucky ones who gets in right off the bat!

I just want to chime in with the chorus of 1200 or above, especially if you want funding. It's not impossible if you have rockstar LORs, if you have a 4.0, if you have the best SOP written in the history of anthropology applicants... that's all going to change things of course...but if you're human like the rest of us 1200 is the place to aim for to be sure you don't get thrown out in round one.

Be prepared not to get in... a lot of people apply to the wrong schools/programs/advisors for what they're doing and the schools know this, a lot of people overestimate their background/credentials, and then.... most importantly a lot of people just have bad luck... you could be applying in a year where everyone has a CV as good as yours, a great string of LORs, etc. Your luck can change though. I was rejected across the board my first round, and accepted across the board my second. Grad school is about having a lot of patience - that includes the application process!

But it's important that you guys know this stuff goes on, so you can be diligent and keep on top of any "incompletes" or other issues that might arise, and that you don't trust the school to just do their job properly (they are human after all). Being an applicant is not easy, in the least.

Yes you can use the next year before you apply to foster relationships - once you find out what you want to do, get involved even on a volunteer basis in that field - at a job, at a university, email someone in the field with research questions if you have them - start talking! Some programs will accept nonprofessorial recommendations IF its still an expert in your field. Contact those old professors - remind them who you are, what class you took, and what your grade was... offer to send them old papers of yours if you still have them, and find out if they can remember enough of you to write a recommendation letter. LORs are an expected part of a professors job, they won't be surprised at the request and they won't be surprised you're brown nosing to get a good one. It's part of the process. If you only can obtain two LORs - there are programs out there that only require two although they're generally MAs - however if you have limited recommendations, and limited research experience you may need to do an MA before you go for a PhD in order to help secure a good program/funding at the PhD level. GradCafe is a VERY competitive community and I guarantee you there are people out there who are much less qualified then the people here, that still get in to grad school (and funded I might add)... however its kind of good to have people like this around in the application process because it forces you to shoot as high as you can, and work as hard as you can... not to mention the benefits of having these guys to critique your SOP and other elements of an application.

I also hate hearing other people that went through the app process with me having problems! I am really sorry to hear this guys! So I'll start with the positives... I love my new city, I've made great friends already, and the professors in the program are very open and supportive. The negatives: the school itself, and its resources...not so hot, I had to TA my first quarter - was it not enough to deal with my own problems of adjusting to grad school, but then having to coach undergrads through their problems? ... TAing wasnt as hard as I had expected though, and the work load wasn't killer and it is after all, paying for my tuition.... I also had some problems coming up with a thesis topic but... I think I've got it nailed down finally. Adjusting to some of the material we had to cover was hard though... a lot I hadn't been exposed to, and I felt like a moron the whole time, but like everyone said... that's the process. So... all and all a pretty good experience, and I definitely appreciate it more hearing about some of the problems you guys are encountering with your advisors. Ugh. Good luck to you!!!

Agreed coya! I have a very small collection of things that I keep now, and until I'm sure I'll be somewhere for some time - I plan on keeping it that way. As far as your mattress - you can try craigslist - I spent about 800 on a mattress, had it a year, and sold it on craigslist for 600 - which I thought was a pretty fair return. I kept it clean and under a mattress pad though, so it looked brand new which is why I could get so much for it... but I sold my mattress/couch/table/and various odds and ends like a toaster oven the night before I moved and I got about 1200 total from them, when I had probably paid about 2500 for it all, and had used it all for a year. I completely understand how it can feel wasteful but that's unfortunately the price of being a nomad sometimes.

As someone who has moved cross country (2000 miles) about 6 times in the last three years... unless your furniture is worth over about 3000 dollars -or has major sentimental value to you, leave it and buy new. I've priced everything from UHauls, to PODS, to moving companies and they all - for a one bedroom plus, for a distance like that, will cost thousands. You can generally furnish a new apartment with the help of IKEA or a cheap furniture store for about that much - and its much less hassle. Drive the car(s) you have - load them down with everything - ship everything else, and let the big stuff go - or better yet sell it on craigslist - and not only will you save yourself the 3K + but you'll have some money to help pay for the new stuff.

I didn't get a note written on my admissions letters but I got phone calls and personal emails from potential advisors. You should take it as it was meant! They want you to know that it's not just a form letter accepting you, and that they've really looked at you/taken the time to decide that it's you specifically that they want. For me, this was a huge factor in my decision - how much personal effort the school put into contacting me/letting me know they wanted me. The advisor that seemed the most interested, is probably going to be the one that will be of the most help for me communication wise once I get there too. This isn't an infallible means of reasoning of course, but it was important to me.

Thank you for this info! Very helpful!

I'd be willing to help if you'd like it!

Is the school you were waitlisted at the one you really want to go to? I think this is all that really should matter. I understand the second-rate feeling, definitely. The schools that accepted me from the get go and gave me funding certainly made me feel better about myself than the waitlist, but I would try not to take it personally. It's a hard year and I think in some cases it probably came down completely to chance as to who they said was in, and who was waitlisted.

I'm thinking I really need to ask for some more funding. I have a great package so far so I feel badly about asking for more money, but it would really help if I could get it and pretty much seal the deal for me on this particular school. Normally I'm very good at correspondence but I'm searching for the perfect words on this one, and coming up a little short... advice anyone?

I am pretty sure I am going if I can finish negotiating funding. Their program and the faculty seem great. If you end up going send me a PM! I would love to know someone else attending since it seems to be a relatively small program.

Haha. Apparently April 15th is getting to everyone. I don't think it's ideal that you signed in red ink - but - it's your acceptance and not your application so there's not much they can do about it. I doubt anyone is going to remember in the fall that *gasp* thats the student that signed in red ink... most professors see much worse than that.

All of this info, in excessive detail, should be on the school's financial aid website- that's what I use when I'm trying to figure out all the details. A lot of this stuff is in flux at the moment because of the new bills that have been signed - so that's probably the best place for your info. I know this is a bit of a cop out answer....but just fyi. On a side note - I just wanted to reiterate that you can use federal loans/plus loans/private loans to live off campus- in whatever apartment that can afford you. In fact when you fill FAFSA out, it gives you the "off campus/not with family" option to check. If they really looked down on this, it wouldn't be an option. Credit card debt is a different story - but if you've been using your credit card to put gas in your car to get to classes, books for classes, etc. I would say this counts. I had to do this several times because sometimes I need my books and other items before my financial aid processes, and I certainly don't feel guilty using that money to pay off that debt. I think as educated adults, you can use your judgment on what's acceptable and what's not. Wild vodka driven weekend in Vegas to forget the frustrations you had with your thesis work that quarter? No. Housing off campus, putting gas in your car, paying off a credit card you used for books? Yes.

Glad to hear you got your money back!! Hopefully you can treat yourself to something with it to make up for the painful process they put you through.

I saw a few other acceptances on the results search so I thought I'd see if there are any of you out there considering/attending.

Exactly... I wonder if schools forget this, because they find themselves in a position of power. But if I sent you a SOP that you could clearly tell was a form that I used for every school, sent in the least amount of information/effort possible in my application, and never responded to your email inquiries, would you want me as a student? Probably not... So why when you treat me that way would I want you as a school? I have no guarantee that you'll change when I get there.

Thirding the advice that's already been said here. If you don't know why you applied, or did it just to see if you could/the thought of more money seemed like a good idea... it's probably not enough to get you through the PhD process.

Do you have any proof that they forgot about the application? Perhaps you could lobby to have your application looked over again in light of that information? I can't imagine that you'd want to attend there at this point, considering your treatment but in case you would.. it might be worth pursuing. Really, if they forgot about it, and are rejecting you because of that, they should at least offer you the 80 back.

I was accepted to my first choice masters program unfunded. I've decided not to go. I have some debt from undergrad, and funding the 40K plus for each year of that degree just seems ridiculous to me - especially because of the type of degree I'm pursuing and the fact that I likely won't make enough money for some time in my career to pay that off quickly (although the new 10% laws going into effect will help that but I don't want to be in debt forever either). I think this has to be one of the biggest factors in the decision. It's also hard though, to know exactly what you'll make when you get out with the economy being so unstable right now. I got a funded offer from my second choice masters program, and while its not ideal in terms of location/school... I'm happy with the program and the advisor and that's good enough for me.

So, I've already been accepted to two other programs - one with a great funding package (this is for a masters). There is a third program, that I've received notice that I was waitlisted for. I'm nearly ready to accept the other offer, but I was/am very interested in this third program that waitlisted me and I kind of want to know their answer - however knowing I'm waitlisted I don't know if it's worth waiting to hear. If I'm number one on the waitlist I'd be willing to put off the other offer for awhile, but if I'm 30 or something, I just want to seal the other deal and be done with things. Is it poor form to email the department head to find out what number I am - will they even tell me ?

No other Denver info...anyone? anyone? I won't be visiting before I accept so it's a little nerve racking.