Low Tier PhD Program in Anthropology/ Archaeology- Is it worth it?

[Daisy123]

After loosing hope that i will get in ANYWHERE this year...i was wondering...if applied to a lower tier school next cycle, ,would it be worth it in the end. 

I want to be a researcher and secure a teaching position at a research institution eventually...those are my goals. 
I am in contact with a professor from University of Nevada Las Vegas who 's interests match mine and i fit very well with the program. But in the end, if i do this...will i ever be able to do what i want? Would any of you attend an institution that you never even heard of before? 

[anthroflea]

Hi Daisy, I think most people here agree that it is the research focus/prestige of the advisor and not so much of the school which is important. There are some people who are very influential in the field who work at lesser known universities. Things such as grant money, publications, teaching experience and networking all play a huge role when you apply for a teaching/research position and they don't actually have that much to do with the university you went to. 

[FaultyPowers]

I'm not sure I would actually rank UNLV as a low tier school...but it really depends on your subfield. Deb Martin is at UNLV, for example, and she is a major name in the field of bioarchaeology. I'm not familiar with the archaeologists there, but it would come down to not only the school's overall reputation but the reputation of your specific professor in his or her specific area of research. You should look at their profiles and also the profiles of the other professors they collaborate with.

[Daisy123]

Hi Daisy, I think most people here agree that it is the research focus/prestige of the advisor and not so much of the school which is important. There are some people who are very influential in the field who work at lesser known universities. Things such as grant money, publications, teaching experience and networking all play a huge role when you apply for a teaching/research position and they don't actually have that much to do with the university you went to. 

Thank you so much for your answer. I really appreciate the advice. Have you applied to such a school. 

[Daisy123]

I'm not sure I would actually rank UNLV as a low tier school...but it really depends on your subfield. Deb Martin is at UNLV, for example, and she is a major name in the field of bioarchaeology. I'm not familiar with the archaeologists there, but it would come down to not only the school's overall reputation but the reputation of your specific professor in his or her specific area of research. You should look at their profiles and also the profiles of the other professors they collaborate with.

Thank you!! I will be working with her if i get accepted, because i am going to do bioarchaeology and mortuary analysis in Neolithic-Bronze Age Anatolia . I just never heard about the school before...and i cannot find its ranking ...thats why i am assuming it is not well known. But i really dooooo like the program. 

[anthroflea]

Thank you so much for your answer. I really appreciate the advice. Have you applied to such a school. 

 

I didn't pay any attention to ranking at all, actually, but applied to programs with POIs I really want to work with and which are a good research fit. 

[Daisy123]

thank you guys for all of the information. i just have always had people scare me and tell me that if a program is not hard to get into and the PROGRAM is not ranked high, in the end , your education is not regarded as high , and that i will get eaten in the research world when people from the top programs can get their hands on what they want to do, and i will be left with crumbs because i wont be able to get funding. > but it cannot be THAT bad right otherwise the programs should shut down!

[anthropologygeek]

In anthropology, at least physical or bioarch side,it's all about your advisor and what research opportunities you have there. UNLV USA good school but not a safety school. They have around a 5-10 percent acceptance rate.

[Daisy123]

In anthropology, at least physical or bioarch side,it's all about your advisor and what research opportunities you have there. UNLV USA good school but not a safety school. They have around a 5-10 percent acceptance rate.

thank you so much! i did not know about their acceptance rate- i thought it was like 88 % (this is what it says online....). Can you recommend me a good  safety school 

[pears]

Thank you!! I will be working with her if i get accepted, because i am going to do bioarchaeology and mortuary analysis in Neolithic-Bronze Age Anatolia . I just never heard about the school before...and i cannot find its ranking ...thats why i am assuming it is not well known. But i really dooooo like the program. 

 

If you would be working with Dr. Martin, that is NOT a "low" tier school. She has a very good reputation! I'm actually making a point of seeing her talk at a conference in the spring. Just because it's not a "name brand" program doesn't mean attending isn't worth it. Grad school is what you make of it, anyhow.

[anthroflea]

thank you so much! i did not know about their acceptance rate- i thought it was like 88 % (this is what it says online....). Can you recommend me a good  safety school 

 

Undergraduate admission rates are veeery different from PhD admission rates. As everybody already pointed out, you apply to work with a specific person when you apply for the PhD. If that person is well known in the field, acceptance rates will be very competitive no matter the university. 

[strudelle]

I was gonna say, I'm surprised that you were talking about UNLV.  I've actually heard amazing things about their program and many of my professors suggested I apply there.  

 

I also agree that ranking is not everything.  It's really the connections you make and what you make of it.  I would go for it if I were you!

[anthropologygeek]

Daisy- you shouldn't apply to a safety schools. One university you are guaranteed to get into is an Austrian school that accepts all but funds no one. But why go they can't get a job when they graduate. You should only apply to programs your a perfect fit for.

Pears- UNLV is a Huge name in southwest archeology and I hope to end my career as a tenure professor there due to this. This is if I ever make my way back west which is seeming less likely by the moment.

[0000]

After loosing hope that i will get in ANYWHERE this year...i was wondering...if applied to a lower tier school next cycle, ,would it be worth it in the end. 

I want to be a researcher and secure a teaching position at a research institution eventually...those are my goals. 

I am in contact with a professor from University of Nevada Las Vegas who 's interests match mine and i fit very well with the program. But in the end, if i do this...will i ever be able to do what i want? Would any of you attend an institution that you never even heard of before? 

 

Going to a "lower tier" school isn't necessarily going to hold you back in achieving your career goals (just like going to a big name school doesn't guarantee them), but the thing to think about is why certain schools are deemed "lower tier."  Often times it is based on resources and opportunities available to students, as well as the success of its graduates and the faculty.  These all factor into how likely you will be to achieve your goals, but doesn't necessarily mean you won't if you can overcome the limitations of these programs.

 

But instead of applying to lower tier schools (and I agree with others that UNLV is not necessarily lower tier), I would suggest taking an honest look at your application.  Are your grades competitive?  How much fieldwork/lab experience do you have?  Do you have experience in the area (region/theory/method) in which you propose to do your dissertation work? Are the schools you are applying to a good fit with what you are proposing in your statement of purpose?  Do you have a firm grasp on the current thinking regarding your research interests and questions and have you clearly conveyed them in your SOP?

 

If you don't already have a master's degree, I would considering going to a master's only program first and use that as a stepping stone for getting into a top program.  I know a lot of people who have done this (many are now in TT positions) and it really can make a difference.