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I'm working on my programming skills as much as I can without making it too much of a chore and trying to keep up with new papers in my field. Every once in a while I start feeling like I'm not doing enough with all this free time before September, so it's cool to see people are kind of taking it easy as well.

Hi, monkeymarci. My experience with applying to grad school has left me with the notion that fit (with a Professor and within the dept.) is chiefly important and conveying that 'good fit' through communicating with potential advisor(s) and in your SOP are the best chances you have as an applicant to get yourself an interview. I had a 3.89 GPA, no publications and no fieldwork. Though, I did research for a year in computational biology where I learned many desirable skills. Letters of recommendation are very important as well. You want them from Professors who know your work (in class and/or in a research/field setting) well enough to comment on the type of grad student you will be. It's a mistake to ask for letters from individuals who view you only as a bright student and who do not really have an understanding of your interests and goals. Basically, choose your recommenders wisely. The last thing I'll say is regarding interviews: be yourself. Don't try to put on a facade or seem in any way that you're faking. Ask questions that you genuinely want to know the answers to and talk forthrightly about your undergrad coursework, research/field work, skillset, and the type of work you hope to do as a grad student. The application process itself was, for me, completely painless. I think I completed the entire thing with a weeks time; however, I gave plenty of notice to my recommenders ahead of time. Follow the instructions on the website(s) very carefully and you'll be fine. Good luck!

Yes, I'm on IGERT funding.

Thanks for this info, Allouette!

Has anyone heard anything from anyone (director, profs, etc.) since accepting and doing financial aid? It's been pretty much radio silent for me, and I'm wondering when we'll receive info on registration, how stipends will be disbursed, etc...

I'm confused about number three on your list. Why would you get a PhD in another field? And, more importantly, why would getting a PhD in genetic epidemiology be more attractive to you than getting one in biological anthropology, especially if you want to teach anthro?

You nailed it! It's easy to talk with him, but what to talk about is a whole other issue entirely.

I've seen a few threads here about what to do to prepare for the coming first semester, but none that mention anything about communicating with your advisor before you actually start... What's the consensus on this? For example, I've met with my advisor a couple of times in person already and of course emailed back and forth a few times before I was accepted, but we haven't spoken since he emailed me to notify my of my acceptance. Should I email him to sort of 'check in' or just wait until we get closer to the start of the semester?

Allouette, the CUNY apartments are priced just a bit higher than what I'd call "average" for the space your getting. They are tiny, but I've heard they're nice places. The only thing is the waiting list, which I think is very long. The best advice I can give you as a New Yorker is to look in the outer boroughs for cheaper places. Most of the people I've talked to who are grad students quickly learned this by living in student housing for a year or so and then finding a cheaper, better place in, say, Brooklyn or Queens. Brooklyn--more specifically parts of Brooklyn, e.g. Park Slope, Williamsburg, etc.--is the 'hot' place to live right now and prices are likely to be competitive with Manhattan, but there are still some decent neighborhoods with cheap rents available. If you're going to look into living in an outer borough though, you need to make sure the subway and/or bus stops relatively close to where you live and that the commute wont be too hellish--you don't want to be stuck paying high rent AND making a >1 hour commute into Manhattan. Part of the reason neighborhoods like Park Slope are so popular is because of subway access.

Just checking in and saying hi to fellow admits. Regarding housing: I'm having issues as well, and I'm already a New Yorker! I'm struggling with whether I should continue to live on LI--where I pay next to nothing for rent--and endure the commute or move into the five boroughs... Anyone received any info on the NSF fellowship beyond the initial acceptance letter--e.g., disbursement info, etc.? Nervous, I'll send you a PM shortly!

I was wondering if anyone can shed some light on the deadline for Columbia's MPH. It says June 1, but other parts of the website say that decisions will be mailed out in March... I'm asking for a friend and am, myself, unfamiliar with how MPH admissions are run...

Awesome article. Thanks for posting that!

Thanks, Allouette... Helped me out again!

I think about alternative career paths a lot. I would love to stay in academia, and I plan on gearing my career as a graduate student toward that goal, but it's unrealistic to think that that's the only career path worth 'fighting' for. Before I decided to apply to PhD programs, I struggled a lot with whether or not I was doing it for the right reasons, and I came out of the introspection with the realization that I'm not trying to do it for job training--I'd be doing it because I want to make my mark on the field in some--even if very small--way. I do have the added consolation, as someone trying to make my way in genetic anthropology, that there will likely be jobs for me in fields like bioinformatics in the private or government sectors, and maybe even a plethora of them depending on the timing of my degree conferral. Human genomics will likely explode in the coming years, and I'm hoping to ride that wave into a non-academic career if the market is still so dry in universities. I would be remiss if I didn't bring up the job openings that this will bring to fields like bioethics and ethnography and medical anthropology as well. They won't be plentiful, but companies and agencies will need people to do these things...

Pretty much what the title says... My POI has been very open and kind, so I was wondering if it's appropriate to ask him what the dress code for the interview is...? What do you all think? And if it's not appropriate, what's the accepted dress for interviews in biological anthropology?