Nerd_For_Life

York extended their anthro deadline until the end of March. Anyone know how this effects those who applied by the Jan. 15th deadline? Does this mean they didn't get enough applicants? Don't like the ones they received? The number of faculty available for supervision changed? Gah.

24 and currently enrolled in my MA, will be 25 when I finish it this year and start my PhD (hopefully!) this Sept.

Anyone heard anything on York's PhD in Anthro?

Depending on the school I would call different people. If it was the school I'm currently doing my MA at I would talk to my current supervisor and then the graduate coordinator. At the other school I would talk to the graduate coordinator.

I'm in a similar situation, but at the PhD level. I am finishing my MA and got MA SSHRC, my PhD SSHRC app was sent to Ottawa (maybe 50% chance I will get funding?) and I have been waitlisted for the PhD program at the school/program that forwarded my PhD SSHRC, and am still waiting to hear back about my other PhD app to a dif school (will hear sometime in March). My plan is, if I get SSHRC and don't get accepted, to then call those schools and see if that makes a difference. Mostly though, I'm hoping to get into the program I'm still waiting to hear back from and if I get SSHRC on top of that it would be amazing Does anyone know if PhD SSHRC's can be deferred a year if you don't get accepted anywhere?

I noticed someone posted a rejection in sociocultural anthro, phd program, from York University. Does anyone have any other information on that? I applied to York and UofT's PhD programs in socio anthro and I know UofT should be sending out word any day now, but I wasn't expecting to hear anything from York until mid-March o.O

Yes tell them you're not going. I doubt it matters to them what your thoughts are on the waiting list. Their wait-listed applicants are already ranked in order of preference, with who gets in likely depending on what supervision opens up once you (and any other potentials) release admission spots.

I've heard that for MA SSHRC if you're passed along to SSHRC, chances are EXTREMELY high that you'll get it (I received an MA SSHRC in last years competition after being forwarded by my undergrad uni). For PhD SSHRC I've heard if you're forwarded by your uni to Ottawa it's like a 50% chance of getting an award. But that is not based on any personal research into the matter, just reading old forum posts. UofT forwarded me for the PhD comp.

Mundane SSHRC update: Received and email this morning confirming that they received my application (forwarded by UofT)

^^^This. I see absolutely no reason why her marital status or whether or not she has chosen to have children has anything to do with her abilities as an adviser, unless the real complaint is that she does not appreciate or has issues with how your other time commitments impact your performance. But since you haven't said that it seems irrelevant.

UofT anthro has a guaranteed funding package of $15,000 plus funds equivalent to tuition and fees. The way that they construct the funding package is such that having a $20,000 (or, as I currently have, a $17,500 MA SSHRC), you end up being only $1,500 ahead of the game for living expenses because you are required to pay anything from your SSHRC above $15k towards tuition ($8,400) and then you get a $1,500 award for getting a SSHRC. Net worth of a $20k SSHRC at UofT is only $16,500 at the end of the day. With the $35k SSHRC, even after paying my tuition out of it I still have over $25k for living expenses, thus giving the SSHRC a greater net worth. York anthro does not have a guaranteed funding package and their tuition is less expensive than UofT, thus presenting the possibility that a $20k SSHRC (if York offered me even a minimum of a tuition and fees scholarship) would leave me with more money left over for living expenses than it would at UofT where it would be reduced because of tuition, leaving me in no better condition financially than if I just received the departments guaranteed funding package. Long story short: UofT anthro funding package complicates things and while it's fantastic that they offer a guaranteed funding package, if my money goes farther at York that is an important consideration when choosing what school to attend. But, I will have to make my decision without knowing if I will be receiving a SSHRC (and if so, for what amount), which leaves me in a bit of a pickle.

I need a moment to rant in light of something I already knew but had forgotten about until yesterday. Whether or not I get a PhD SSHRC and, if I do get one, how much it is worth, is directly linked to what school (providing I am accepted to more than one) that I go to, but I won't heard from SSHRC until after I have to decide which school to go to. Any suggestions for how to navigate these muddy waters? For the past two years SSHRC has notifies PhD recipients at the end of April. The two schools I'm deciding between are UofT and York. UofT often starts letting successful PhD applicants know end of Feb/early March and York in late March and early April. Bah! Of course, crisis averted if I only get into one (severe crisis if I get into neither).

Just heard yesterday that my application was forwarded to SSHRC Forwarded by UofT, currently in the UofT MA program (BA hons from UVic) and am applying to UofT and York for a socio cultural anthro PhD. Yey! at being passed on. Fingers crossed that my application fairs well in the national competition.

What?! What is this, dare I say it, nonsense? Doing a PhD is a full-time commitment and requires savings up for travel expenses, living expenses, tuition/textbooks, medical + dental if necessary, and a host of other things. Feeling obligated to, on top of that, come up the funds for a bridesmaid dress, airfare, and accommodation costs? I would talk to her sooner rather than later. As a fellow nerd I'm sure she respects that you might end up in a position where you are unable to be her maid-of-honor, and this gives tons of advance notice to either decline outright or tell her that you won't know until a year or two before the wedding.

If you have not officially completed 12 months of study, which, if you took a formal break it sounds like you might not have, then I think you would be eligible to apply. You might want to clarify this by emailing SSHRC or calling them if possible. Edit: Also, if you are applying through a university than your uni should be able to answer that question for you as well.

My schools deadline i s mid-January but they haven't released any other details. I do know that my department is only allocated 12 OGS awards, which is a substantial drop in the number of awards students of that department normally bring in. I think it will up the competition and I definitely think it will be used in the admissions process.

Are you going into the 2nd year of your MA? Also do you mean the SSHRC MA scholarship? I didn't think SSHRC had a bursary. If you have completed 12+ months of MA/graduate level study then you are not eligible (but I'm not entirely sure what you mean but period of suspension, were these formally leaves of absence?)

Are you getting funded or is part of your funding package a research assistant (or some other sort) of position in which he is your boss? To me that seems like the only reason you should be doing any of this secretarial stuff. If this is the case, I would recommend being really clear with him and setting out meetings that are to discuss your school work and meetings that are explicitly to discuss your work for him. In regards to courses: is there a graduate adviser that you can talk to?

Boo Ya! SSHRC application is done (after 5 or 6 drafts?)! Now I just have to await the arrival of transcripts and letters of recommendation in the mail and it's submission time How's everyone's SOPs going?

I see where you're coming from with not liking grad school, it's definitely not for everyone. Realistically: what are your employment options with your current level of education? Is there another field that interests you more? Dropping out of grad school can have a negative impact on future programs you apply to so take that into consideration as well.

I'm currently on version 4 of my proposal draft and am going over it again with my MA supervisor on Monday. I'm kinda freaking out because I am in a one year MA program, started this Sept., so while I'm adjusting to grad school I'm also working on the SSHRC app and trying to figure out where I'm applying to PhD programs o.O (Background info.: BA, Pacific and Asian Studies from University of Victoria, successful in getting an MA SSHRC for my Anthropology MA at University of Toronto.)

Shall we turn this into a more general SSHRC 2013 thread? It has the title for it o.O

If you can get a proper MA degree out of the time you have spent in the US I think that puts you in a pretty good position for PhD programs. In Canada the majority of PhD programs require that you have an MA to apply in the first place. The only trick I can foresee is getting letters of reference since your current supervisor sounds apathetic.

First installment of Sept start SSHRC payments are out! Mine was direct deposit via my uni ($5,800 and change, being split into three installments)

Be more confident in yourself! Writing proposals are tricky but you really need to own it and come across determined, confident, and capable. Writing areas of expertise are standard, imagine you were submitting an article for publishing: what would you put? Try doing an academic search at your uni's library and look at what key words are listed linked to articles/chapters/books that are interesting and relevant to your research. That should give you a good idea. You should include a couple specific words/areas (eg. sex work) and also some broader words(eg. gender; culture; policy). In your case perhaps the specific would be the area of Philosophy of Law that you are researching, and the broader could be Philosophy of Law, or Law; Philosophy; something else broad; etc.