How Can I Make My Application More Appealing

[ceazaro]

Hi Everyone,

 

I'd like to apply to study for a Masters in Anthropology (with an emphasis on the anthropology of food). However, my undergraduate degree is in Management and Marketing and I have no work experience in the field of anthropology. To confuse things further, I went to culinary school last year and am currently work as a Baker. When I graduated from university in 2011, I didn't know what to do so I decided to do something seemingly more productive than trying to 'find' myself on a beach in Thailand (as the majority of my friends did). I'm really struggling to work out how I can turn this into a positive rather than a negative - will it make my application less appealing?

 

I have done a lot of reading and truly find the subject fascinating; I'm also currently applying for volunteer and part-time positions at local museums. Also, my  undergraduate dissertation was about how subtle differences in culture can alter the effectiveness of adverts; I received a very high grade - equivalent to 4.0. However, I have a fairly average undergraduate grade (2i in UK - roughly works out to 3.4 GPA; this is primarily due to personal difficulties in the first two years (I was averaging about 3.0), but in my final year I was averaging 3.7) On the GRE, I'm averaging 162 verbal and 5 analytical writing.

 

So, basically, how can I make myself look appealing to grad programs? Any thoughts? 

 

Thanks in advance!

[socanth]

Hi ceazaro! 

 

Culinary school and working as a baker is in my view not a negative at all, especially if you want to go into the anthropology of food.  I would have thought it would in fact make your application far more appealing!  Especially if you link your training and work there with your MA plans - I think in many ways that would be a logical step in your overall transition arc from management and marketing to anthropology, in fact.

 

I don't know too much about Masters programs in the US, so others can speak to that.  In the UK, applying with a 2:1 to Masters programs is not an issue at all (as I guess you know).  The one thing you'd want to do is make sure that you make clear in your statement that you got a First for your dissertation, as of all your undergraduate work that is the most indicative of your potential as a graduate student.  

 

The most important part of the application that you can control is your statement of purpose.  Make sure it's clearly well thought out, demonstrates that you have made yourself familiar with the field, lays out your reasons for wanting to do the program and addresses your field change, shows how you're prepared for it and gives an idea of your future plans stemming from it.  With that, you would be in with a very high chance of being accepted.  

 

Good luck!

[La_Di_Da]

My stepmother did a lot of ethnographic research as a corporate anthropologist. There is little difference between her work and market research, really. In your SOP, I would emphasize the similarities between market research and ethnographic research. Explain how the knowledge and skills you acquired as a marketing student are easily transferrable to anthropological scholarship.

 

I second socanth's comment. Working as a baker would support your anthropological turn, especially given your research interests. You may even wish to qualify it as fieldwork. Are you taking ethnographic notes?  

Edited July 4, 2013 by La_Di_Da

[Canis]

 

My stepmother did a lot of ethnographic research as a corporate anthropologist. There is little difference between her work and market research, really. In your SOP, I would emphasize the similarities between market research and ethnographic research. Explain how the knowledge and skills you acquired as a marketing student are easily transferrable to anthropological scholarship.

 

I second socanth's comment. Working as a baker would support your anthropological turn, especially given your research interests. You may even wish to qualify it as fieldwork. Are you taking ethnographic notes?  

 

 

Depending on the program you apply to comparing ethnographic fieldwork with marketing could be a kiss of death for your application. The real question you need to answer is: What do you want to do with an MA in Anthropology? That will limit which programs you want to go to, and which programs you apply to will determine how you craft your applications.