Undergrad student asking for help

[bioarch_fan]

Hi everyone.  I am just starting my junior year of undergrad (I know I'm starting to prepare for grad school very early...I've actually been preparing for 6 months) but I have a few serious questions that I need answered as soon as possible.  One of them is about a class that will is important to start taking this Fall.

 

Questions:

 

1. I am wanting to specialize in physical anthropology with a concentration on forensic anthropology, Near and Middle Eastern bioarchaeology (specifically Egypt, Sudan, Israel, and Jordan), paleopathology, and paleoepidemiology.  I was debating on minoring in German since I figured it would look good on my grad school applications, as well as on my transcripts in general, but I was just thinking that maybe I should just take Arabic classes instead of German since Arabic is directly related to my future career goals.  I have had different responses from people on what I should do but I want more people's opinions as well.  Do you all think it would look better for grad school apps to have my minor in German or to have it shown on my transcripts that I have already started to learn Arabic?

 

2. What is the earliest that I should contact potential professors that I am interested in working with?  I have a total of 39 schools listed that I am looking at, but only 15 that I am REALLY interested in going to that have professors that do all of my interests or that have more than one professor in these interests.  

 

3. I am planning on starting to visit potential grad schools next Spring, either during Spring break or during other days that we don't have class since some of the schools (like University of South Carolina, North Carolina State, Purdue, and Michigan State) are only 9 hours away from where I live.  Do you think that is too early to start visiting grad schools?

 

4. I plan on finishing my senior thesis before I start applying to grad schools, I am doing the research this Summer and in the Fall and writing it up during the Fall, Spring, and finish it up by next Summer.  Plus I plan on interning with our local historic society and museum to have some type of experience under my belt.  And I also plan on applying for internships and bioarchaeology field schools next summer.  Based on these facts, and also that I am planning on presenting my findings and publishing my thesis, I plan on maintaining my 4.0 GPA for as long as I possibly can, and I will be studying for the GRE during most of my free time so I can get the best score that I can (I'm not THAT great with math so I'll be studying a lot), how do you think my chances will be for grad school?

 

Thank you everyone for your help.  I look forward to talking to you all more.  If you want to know the top 15 schools that I am interested in let me know.  I'm not sure if those schools might affect my chances of being accepted with funding.  

[anthropologygeek]

You should start contacting profs the summer before you apply say not this July but next unless you want to visit then email them and set up a visit in the spring. One thing to keep in mind is conferences. I know two major ones are the end of February and middle of April for forensics and physical anthropology. Field school would be ideal for bioarch programs. I do research in the Middle East and I've learned if you need the language you can pick up what you need in the field. Most schools require a foreign language so my advice is pick the easiest one for you. If you want specific advice you can IM me.

[rising_star]

I wouldn't bother visiting unless you've already applied and been admitted. Why? Because at that point, they'll be paying for you to visit.

 

As for languages, you'll need both Arabic and German. The German to read scholarly work, the Arabic for your fieldwork and to read secondary and primary sources. So, take both.

[bioarch_fan]

You should start contacting profs the summer before you apply say not this July but next unless you want to visit then email them and set up a visit in the spring. One thing to keep in mind is conferences. I know two major ones are the end of February and middle of April for forensics and physical anthropology. Field school would be ideal for bioarch programs. I do research in the Middle East and I've learned if you need the language you can pick up what you need in the field. Most schools require a foreign language so my advice is pick the easiest one for you. If you want specific advice you can IM me.

Yeah, I'm actually planning on going to the AAPA and AAA conferences for the 2013-14 school year.  Yeah, I know I could pick up the language in the field but I didn't know what would look better on my grad school apps, having the minor or learning the language that is important for my future career so they can see that I am committed to my goals.  

[bioarch_fan]

I wouldn't bother visiting unless you've already applied and been admitted. Why? Because at that point, they'll be paying for you to visit.

 

As for languages, you'll need both Arabic and German. The German to read scholarly work, the Arabic for your fieldwork and to read secondary and primary sources. So, take both.

Yes, but do they pay you for the visit if you don't have to interview?  I was thinking I would visit before I applied so then I wouldn't waste the money on a school, and town, that I didn't feel a connection with.

 

Well, I sadly can't take both languages since I only have 2 years left and they will be packed with my major classes.  That's kind of why I was wondering which one I should take during undergrad and which would look better for grad school apps.

[anthropologygeek]

I would concentrate on German is German is the easier language for most. As for visiting, I visited my top 3 schools i thought i wanted to go to and after which I didn't applied to one of them based on my visitation. And also, at least two students a year come and visit my university on their own dime. Just saying is it worth say 500 when the app fee is a 100 in itself and there's a chance you could be spending five years there? My current university was umber 3 originally but moved to my number 1 choice after visiting. By happen chance I got into the two I visited and if I didn't visit on my own my future would of been negatively impacted. Visitation all weekends are all the same. I preferred to be able to get the actual feel for programs versus seeing them at their best only.

[rising_star]

Yeah, I'm actually planning on going to the AAPA and AAA conferences for the 2013-14 school year.  Yeah, I know I could pick up the language in the field but I didn't know what would look better on my grad school apps, having the minor or learning the language that is important for my future career so they can see that I am committed to my goals.  

It's not about "what will look better" on your apps. It's about showing that you're preparing yourself for the career that you need. And, either language could help you do that. Were it me, I'd start learning the language that will help you with your career now. It's not like Arabic is easy to learn or that you'll be fluent in it after 2 years of undergraduate study. You're going to need summer intensive programs, time living in Arabic-speaking countries, and lots of study time to become proficient in Arabic, particularly if you'll need to be reading less modern versions that primary sources are often written in. German you'll probably only need reading knowledge of (based on a quick convo with a friend who has a PhD in near eastern archaeology).

 

Yes, but do they pay you for the visit if you don't have to interview?  I was thinking I would visit before I applied so then I wouldn't waste the money on a school, and town, that I didn't feel a connection with.

Depends on the school but yes, in many cases. I went on numerous paid visits and none of them were interviews. They were all visits after I'd been admitted. If you do your research on a place (the internet is magical and has loads of resources), you can get a better sense of the school and town before you apply.

 

By happen chance I got into the two I visited and if I didn't visit on my own my future would of been negatively impacted. Visitation all weekends are all the same. I preferred to be able to get the actual feel for programs versus seeing them at their best only.

Now this I find very interesting. How do you know your future would have been negatively impacted if you hadn't visited on your own? For the record, I never visited any school on my own dime, in part because I couldn't afford to and in part because if the school wants you, they'll contribute towards your trip expenses. My experience was that all visitation weekends are not the same, even those that are planned by the department. For example, I went on a visitation weekend where the department definitely did not show itself at its best and let us meet with a variety of students, some happy, some disgruntled. It went a long way to helping me feel like I had a good sense of the department and whether I would fit in there.

[anthropologygeek]

Rising star- how I know is based on my opportunities here that would not be available elsewhere. Can't go into to much detail here without giving away where I attend but no other place can give me these opportunities.

Well to me, I went on official visits and visits on my own and in my experience they were completely different. Like I said I didn't visit everywhere I applied because I was not rich but the places I really wanted I visited on my own and again on official visits to confirm I made the right choice.

[rising_star]

Rising star- how I know is based on my opportunities here that would not be available elsewhere. Can't go into to much detail here without giving away where I attend but no other place can give me these opportunities.

Fair enough. But what you said earlier implied that there's no way you would have ever known about those opportunities had you not visited. I find that highly suspect given the wealth of information available online and from talking to current students and faculty about a department and university.