calikate

Thank you for your insight, that definitely gives me something to think about and some ways to proceed to research various programs. I really appreciate it! Aloha.

Right, if I decide on the forensic route I was thinking about Tennessee, Florida, or LSU. The biggest drawbacks to going the forensic route, that I can see, are the locations of these programs (none sound all that appealing, though if anyone has insight into these three areas I would love to hear about them), and getting a job after the fact. That's why I am leaning toward historical arch, though I've always been drawn to the idea of forensic anthropology... It's hard to decide! Thanks for the feedback!

Aloha, I am a 31 year old archaeologist currently working in the private sector of cultural resource management in Hawaii. I received my BA in Anthropology from Berkeley with a very strong departmental GPA, not as strong overall GPA (I can't remember exact numbers off the top of my head as I graduated in 2006). I took the GRE a year and a half ago and received around 1430 combined (again, can't remember off the top of my head). I have been working in CRM for three and a half years now, and I have decided I really want to go back to school. I am still completely broke and paying off debt from the first round, but I am seriously considering an Ivy (likely UPenn, maybe Columbia?) so I don't know exactly how I'm going to swing that, if I manage to get in at all. I think I want to go just for my MA right now, then perhaps do a PhD later when I have payed off (some or most of) my BA and MA debt. I am interested in forensic anthropology, though my strength is in historical archaeology and I have a strong draw toward Europe (Italy or Greece?), or the near east. I was considering biohistoric archaeology (a field two of my mentors are attempting to develop at Berkeley), but I don't think I want to go back to Berkeley based on what I've heard from recent grads. I feel like my options are very open and I'm excited to narrow things down, but I just don't know how to and am feeling a bit lost. Does anyone have suggestions for programs/schools/professors to work with? Funding possibilities? Whether or not you think getting an MA and going back to work first is a good idea, or is it better to go through and get the PhD now? What is UPenn like? UMich? Other ideas? Does anyone know about professors who work in historic European or Near Eastern archaeology? Pretty much anything would help at this point... Thank you much and aloha.