The Completion Of This Cycle... And Beginning Of The Next

[Rapang]

Now that the admissions process is coming to a close, for those who got in somewhere and those who didn't, What would/will you do differently if you plan on applying again next year or insubsequent years?

 

I'll start out... While I enjoyed spending my last semester of Udg studying abroad in the fall, it affected my ability to visit campuses before applications were due. Although I would still study abroad, I would have applied to multiple master's programs as well, since it seems as though many of the strongest and most qualified PhD candidates for Sociocultural have received their Masters degree, and I have spoken to some professor "informants" who have said that they have a bias against cultural applicants coming straight from Undergrad, due to lack of life experience. Unfortunately, I just didn't look up the statistics or ask whether a lot of admitted students came in with masters, because I assumed they didn't since many programs combine the MA & PhD.

 

Here is a good article I recently read about the admissions process and where people fall through.

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/mdia/0522508.0018.102?rgn=main;view=fulltext

 

Fortunately, I was admitted to the MA program at U of Denver (funded) and will most likely be matriculating there next fall. Regarding PhD programs, I feel as though I may have had unrealistic expectations of where I was as an applicant, even though multiple UDG anthro professors, mentors and advisers looked at my application and said they thought I was a strong applicant for the top programs I was applying to. While it didn't work out the way I imagined this cycle, Im not feeling to down on it. In addition, I am still waiting on a response from the U of Georgia, and am supposedly on the waiting list, I don't believe I would accept, because I most likely won't receive sufficient funding.

 

Another thing I would do differently, is keep in consistent contact with my POIs, as I believe this had a significant effect with my success in getting into DU. However, this was also affected by my being halfway around the world.. Well that's what I got so far. What are your thoughts?

Edited March 21, 2013 by Rapang

[anxiousanthro]

hey rapang!

 

i just wanted to say i really admire your attitude!  i went through the same process last year (so this year was my "redo") and I think what you said about the bias towards masters students is correct... another thing my undergrad advisor told me was that that bias also has to do with funding.  a lot of programs worry about student who go straight through burning out and taking longer to finish, which costs them more than someone who is ready to get in there and execute quickly... 

 

thanks for posting the article!