MMcKay

Hey, Friends - Congrats to those who have been recommended and condolences to those who haven't been. I've been recommended for a full research grant to South Africa to work with University of Cape Town. I'm an economic Anthropologist, applied at-large, planning to look at the impact of private sector participation on black entrepreneurship. I'll be doing my field work in the wine lands. Obviously, I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but I also am struggling with deciding what to do about my career in the mean time. I've been short listed for a Country Director position at a research consultancy; I'd be CD of their South Sudan ops, about a 15-20 member team. I currently live in Burundi and work as a consultant, which is pretty bleak, but Juba is a whole new level. I currently work as a consultant, but if by some grace I got both the Fulbright and the job, I'd be leaving the job after a year (UCT starts in January so I'd be one of those weird, mid-year starters) and I think that would look pretty terrible. Then again, what looks better? A year as a CD in South Sudan and then a Fulbright or multiple years as a CD in a conflict country? I focus on using private sector development to secure unstable or post conflict countries, btw. I was admitted to Cambridge on the master's track but their funding was terrible so I decided to decline. I still plan to do a PhD at some point but I'll focus on American institutions this time, I think. Sort of rambling... but seeing as you all are thinking through similar challenges, I'd love to get some feedback from this group!

In case anyone else has been wondering, Prof. at Oxford told me letters were mailed this week so if you applied expect to receive notice next week or just after. I learned from Cambridge that my application was moved from Mres to Mphil committee so I'm told I likely wont know until the end of March. However, she tells me that many rejections have already been issued.

@Nic42 I'm med anthro/MPH - they only take 2 students or so which I'm assuming accounts for the interview. The results page says several folks have been invited to interview for sociocultural though and one mentions that 8 in total have been invited for 4 spots. So I'm not sure what to tell you, unfortunately. @Anzaria thanks for the info! I think I may contact the departments as mail by post tends to get lost in the depths of the capital here. We've yet to work out a postal system, sadly. Just want to know if I need to go stake out the central office.

@ah2191 Maybe that's just their method? Agreed though - I was pretty set on Yale but now interested to see if my Northwestern interview leaves me with more warm fuzzies. On a related note, I see on the results page that folks have received January rejections from Oxbridge Mphils via email. I was meant to be considered in the Nov. pool with results in January. Think that's a good or bad sign? Any other info out there on where they are in the acceptance/rejection process?

Received invite a few weeks back, they were clear they wanted to interview this week if possible. Hope that helps.

Just had a totally brutal interview with Yale - Skype (I'm in East Africa). Invitation was for an informal conversation - was definitely NOT informal. Anyone else have similarly intense interviews?

Not to harp but - no one has heard anything from Harvard?

Can't say - I heard from Northwestern a few days ago and Yale today. I'm applying for Northwestern's dual MedAnthro PhD/MPH program, so that might put me in a smaller category for consideration?

Has anyone heard from Harvard? Interviews at Northwestern and Yale here.