What's your plan if you don't get in this year?

[a fragrant plant]

I'll keep my current job, do some more volunteering and take classe that I've always wanted to take. I'll also retake the GRE.

[medanthrograd]

Fortunately I won't have to do it again, but I applied a couple of years ago to a bunch of PhD programs in a different specialty and got accepted nowhere. I was just arriving from Europe and didn't realize that my specialty in EU did not correspond to what was carrying the same name here. Retrospectively, I imagine how surprised they must have been, and how bored I would have been, had I gotten in! Moving was more than a translation, I had to look for the cultural cousin of my discipline.

For this round, I did not retake the GRE (I hate it, and I don't think it matters too much in cultural anthro), but the rest of my application has totally changed, except for one recomender and the foccuss of my research that carries through! I audited classes in the US to test my new focus, and developped a strong relationship with a Pr who wrote LORs for me, even if I was never an official student. Also, my writing sample ties my past experience and training to my project in a much more coherent way...

[BluRoze]

If I don’t get in anywhere I plan on staying at the university I’m at, get my masters here and then reapply for phd. I’ll keep my job here, maybe pick up another or a TA position (if the department gives me one) to help pay for the tuition. By doing this I’ll be adding more conference papers, publications and so on to my application. But I’m still hoping for an acceptance…!

[samjones]

if i don't get into schools this year, i'm gonna keep my job (which makes the situation win-win because it was hard work getting a good paying job in nyc as a recent graduate in the economic climate and i don't mind being paid well). i'll repeat the same application process again next year but with a few more relevant activities under my belt (i have some stuff planned for the summer whether or not i get into school and i'm currently participating in a relevant working group, too). i will also be able to apply to schools outside of the geographic region i limited myself to this season because my partner will be in the last year of her grad program and readying to join me in the application frenzy.

honestly, getting in and knowing what i'll be doing next year compared to not getting in and anticipating the next season is win-win for me. obviously i'd like to get in this year but i won't be too upset if i don't! i look forward to the next month or so.

[Anthro14]

a question i have is... if you dont end up getting in anywhere... is it worth reapplying to the same schools next year? I mean, I imagine we all chose those schools for a good reason the 1st time and got rejected. What are the odds that the same thing will not just happen again? Thoughts?

[lily_]

a question i have is... if you dont end up getting in anywhere... is it worth reapplying to the same schools next year? I mean, I imagine we all chose those schools for a good reason the 1st time and got rejected. What are the odds that the same thing will not just happen again? Thoughts?

I think it really depends. Some anthro departments are small, and a rejection could simply mean that the professor you would have fit with best wasn't accepting students. Other times, they may have liked parts of your application, but you were lacking in some area that could be alleviated through further coursework or fieldwork. I know of a girl who applied to one department three times, and the third time was a charm.

Especially with something like anthropology where you have a limited number of people to work with and it tends to be competitive, I think that applying for a second time in some circumstances is fine. Obviously, if you are planning on doing that, following up with the schools that rejected you is a must. One school that rejected me told me that I would have a better chance of getting into their PhD program if I pursued an MA first, so obviously, not going to reapply unless I earn one.

And sometimes people get rejected for reasons that have nothing to do with their applications. It could have been a bad year for funding, you could have applied to work with someone who was headed off on sabbatical, or one sub-field was going to have preference over another (I've heard many of my colleagues complain about this at various institutions). You could have a stellar application, and get rejected for things that have absolutely nothing to do with you, and whose to say those circumstances that got you rejected this year would be the same next year.

Edited March 4, 2010 by lily_

[lily_]

1. Apply to MA program that is affordable, reputable, and in my city and if I get in, work my butt off to get a high GPA, one or more publications/presentations at conferences, and find new profs to write positive LORs.

2. LEARN TO READ FRENCH. For Old World arch there is no way around this in many departments. I should learn an ancient language to make me more attractive at straight archaeology programs, but I would much rather study arch within an anthro department rather than risking getting a Classics-heavy education (especially since I don't want to study Classics).

3. Possibly retake the GRE. I'm up in the air on this one. I have about a 1200 with a 6.0 AW. Most of the departments I've talked to say they have no hard-and-fast rules about the GRE, and some people I know who have gotten into departments I applied to this year had GREs lower than mine. I think with the proper training I could potentially get it over a 1300, but I'm concerned with my low undergrad GPA that I would fall into the "smart but lazy" category that gets your application put directly into the trash. To be fair, I was a lazy undergrad, but four years later I'm a much more driven, motivated, hard-working person, and hopefully getting the MA will illustrate that.

4. Research more programs. I only applied to 2 programs this year, and I think next time around I will shop around more. I did visit 6 universities and found that I am much more suited to anthropology departments rather than departments of archaeology. I looked mainly on the eastern seaboard, but I think I am going to pursue universities further afield and apply to a better range of schools next time, including at least one safety. I didn't do that this year and I may have had better luck instead of only applying to my top two choices.

5. Continue to attend conferences and work on my networking skills. I know this is a long shot, but I really feel like face-to-face meetings with potential faculty members and advisers is important, and if you get in this is something you will have to do, especially if you go onto professorship. Best to get your name out there as soon as possible.

6. Continue to work on the excavation I've worked on for the past 2 years. This goes without saying, fieldwork is important (and it's fun!).