Fall 2015 Applicants

[AKCarlton]

Agree with the last two comments...and just want to voice the opinion that I was told to never go to grad school without funding. Definitely ask yourself if you're willing to pay for your degree (on top of moving to your program, rent, food, transportation, insurance, etc).

Edited September 20, 2014 by AKCarlton

[jmschwar]

Hello Everyone! 

 

I will be finishing up my degree next spring and will be applying to schools for next fall. Right now, I'm a Anthropology major, bioanth track with special focus on Bioarchaeology and Forensic Anthropology, and minors in Biology, Public Health, Environmental Studies, and Archaeology. I am the assistant to the City Archaeologist of Boston when I am in Massachusetts as well as a research assistant intern at University of Tennessee - Knoxville, Forensic Anthropology Center. I also have been on projects in the Majes Valley, Peru for Bioarchaeology and Palaeopathology. 

 

I'm planning on applying to about 6 schools, may less, but around there. They are: Tulane, Vanderbilt (Maybe),NYU (Maybe), Sheffield, Bradford, and Durham. My main focus is Bioarcheaology of South America and Forensic Anthropology. I'll be taking the GRE's in the fall though and have been preparing myself for the exam. 

Hi there! I notice that you have great connections in Boston. I currently attend the State University of New York at Buffalo in medical anthropology. My director previously worked at Boston University and does research in South America, specifically west brazil. He might be of great interest to you. His name is Dr.Donald Pollock .

[smg]

Hey, so glad to see fellow anth-applicants here I hope you're all doing great! 

 

I'm applying to PhD programs in sociocultural anthropology but am so nervous because I think I'm going to bomb the GRE (my quant is....erm... quite "something"). 

 

I received my MA in Human Rights (Gender and Sexuality) from Columbia and am currently working towards a master's in Women, Gender, Sexuality and Religion at Harvard. Besides English, I know Tamil, and am currently in intermediate Chinese (will be going to China soon); will begin Indonesian next Fall.

 

I'm probably applying to 9 schools, half of which are in the UC system (Davis, LA, SD, Berkeley). Am also thinking about USC (which seems to be a great fit but I haven't heard much about their program).

 

So nervous, and it feels like I barely have time these days!

I'm going to bomb the quant too.  One of my LORs suggested getting diagnosed with a "numerical learning disability".   I think its a silly idea but I'm mulling it over.  With two MAs I'm sure your apps will shine. 

[smg]

Anyone else intimidated by all the competition out there in the world? 

[Bschaefer]

Hi there! I notice that you have great connections in Boston. I currently attend the State University of New York at Buffalo in medical anthropology. My director previously worked at Boston University and does research in South America, specifically west brazil. He might be of great interest to you. His name is Dr.Donald Pollock .

Awesome! Thank you so much! 

[AKCarlton]

Anyone else intimidated by all the competition out there in the world? 

 

There's no need to be...just remind yourself that everyone is applying to multiple programs. I declined two other offers to be in my current program. With all the numerous acceptances/rejections people get, the odds really aren't terribly out of your favor.

[smg]

There's no need to be...just remind yourself that everyone is applying to multiple programs. I declined two other offers to be in my current program. With all the numerous acceptances/rejections people get, the odds really aren't terribly out of your favor.

 

You're very positive. 

[AKCarlton]

You're very positive. 

 

I hope that is a good thing!

[trogdorburninator]

hello everyone,

if anyone is like me, its the heat of drafting statements/CV/tracking down faculty. I feel like it is draining the life out of me. Anyone else out there feel silly putting together a relatively empty CV, esp. in light of the competition? (@smg?)

anyone else applying to Northwestern, UC San Diego, Michigan? U Chicago? (Though I'm mostly interested in the Comparative Human Development Program). 

[smg]

hello everyone,

if anyone is like me, its the heat of drafting statements/CV/tracking down faculty. I feel like it is draining the life out of me. Anyone else out there feel silly putting together a relatively empty CV, esp. in light of the competition? (@smg?)

anyone else applying to Northwestern, UC San Diego, Michigan? U Chicago? (Though I'm mostly interested in the Comparative Human Development Program). 

 

I'm applying to UChicago. I'd like to work with Masco and Rajan but that aint gonna happen.  Plus Postone is in their history department.  That would be a juggernaut of a committee.

 

I haven't even thought about my CV yet.  I have one from my last round of apps 3 years ago I'll probably polish it up a bit. 

 

I feel silly applying anywhere with all the competition out there.  It seems like everyone and their dog has an MA from an Ivy League.  All I have is a broken spirit and some bad tattoos. 

[joynow26]

I really feel you. I'm coming from a theater background. BA in theater 2008. I'm switching gears because I've always been interested in anthropology and I have a topic that I've been researching on my own for about a year now and I'd like to formalize my research. I certainly feel intimidated by so many people with undergrad degrees in related fields and different MA degrees.

[Ajtz'ihb]

First of all:

 

All I have is a broken spirit and some bad tattoos. 

 

Amazing.

 

Second, neither of y'all should feel intimidated. I keep trying to emphasize that anthropologists of all people are not going to be blown away by pedigree. They're looking for intellectual seriousness and knowledge of your specialty area. Find letter writers who can speak to that, and who (preferably) know at least one of your POIs a little bit. 

 

I had a chat with my own adviser about this recently, and he said the main value of an MA from an admissions standpoint is that it means the candidate has had some time to focus in on what they're interested in. If you already have a focus and make a good argument that you're ready for serious graduate work, then there is no reason to think that somebody with an MA from an elite school has any advantage over you.

[NOWAYNOHOW]

Last year I let the fear of my competition cripple me -- all I did was focus on what I didn't have (field work, publications, good GRE scores) when I SHOULD have been working on developing connections between what I did have.  I am not letting that happen this year, and I don't think anyone else should either. When it comes down to it, competition only matters between people with the same or similar topic focuses. Don't let it get you down!

[smg]

Last year I let the fear of my competition cripple me -- all I did was focus on what I didn't have (field work, publications, good GRE scores) when I SHOULD have been working on developing connections between what I did have.  I am not letting that happen this year, and I don't think anyone else should either. When it comes down to it, competition only matters between people with the same or similar topic focuses. Don't let it get you down!

 

Pessimism, competition and black coffee keep me on task and in the fight.   

[trogdorburninator]

Bullying myself into reaching out to interesting and impressive faculty is pretty rough way to spend most of the day; especially when one considers that they can like you plenty, think you have great potential, experience, (etc etc) and it can still go down the toilet because thats the game. 

I'm going to stop pulling this thread into the dark depths of insecurity we all have; since I'm also have a terrible time applying for work right now, I'm just taking hits alllllllll over the place.

 

more interestingly, anyone got any good reads? 

[FaultyPowers]

Confederacy of Dunces. Always.

[FaultyPowers]

....I should specify that that's a book recommendation, not a generalized complaint about the application process.

[Meglet]

I'm definitely in the heat of writing statements of purpose, fellowship application, etc, and yeah, it's pretty draining.  I also bullied myself into emailing faculty.  I wasn't going to, but a friend with a PhD in English scared me into it.  Of course, so far the responses have been the generic 'encourage you to apply, can't tell you anything, you have to apply to the whole department' spiel.

 

Joynow, I have a theater degree, too.  I do have an MA relevant to the research I'm proposing, but some days I feel pretty down about my lack of anthropology credentials.

 

Books...do GRE guides count?  I think that was the last thing I read besides these forums and department websites.  Can't say I recommend them. 

[Ajtz'ihb]

Maybe Carrasco's City of Sacrifice, just to remind us of even more unpleasant possibilities?

[FaultyPowers]

I really enjoyed Out of the Easy. I'm not sure whether it's YA or not...the main character's mother works in a brothel but there isn't anything that graphic about sex or violence. But it's about a girl in New Orleans who aspires to get into an exclusive college on the East Coast and I found many, many parallels between her experience and this...MESS that we all find ourselves mired in. 

[smg]

I'm reading Moby Dick its pretty rad. You cant go wrong with Mr Melville.

[joynow26]

Re: books. The Warmth of Other Suns just blew me away.

 

Thanks for pointing me to this thread, smg. I'm new here (thus the decaf?) and was viewing on my phone's browser and I didn't see this thread last time, but I knew there was something specific to anthropology on here because I replied!

 

Meglet, glad to see someone else with a theater background!

 

I think my story is a bit unusual and I'd love any feedback that you folks can offer. 

 

I finished my undergrad in theater in 2008 and I've been working as a professional actor in NYC for the past 6 years. Last year I started creating a solo performance piece about victims of religious shunning and realized that I want to continue my research academically and I've always been drawn to anthropology so I decided to jump in this whole PhD process.

 

I continued conducting research and interviewing people and now my interests include shunning practices in different parts of Africa and the social and cultural implications of excommunication, particularly focussing on the transition processes of people who have been shunned.

 

I will be going to Africa (Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Senegal, Togo, Cape Verde, and Morocco) for 6 months to continue interviewing people and further expanding my research. I leave THIS TUESDAY OCT 28TH!  I'll submit my applications while I'm away and write about my travels in my SOPs.  

 

I'm taking the GRE tomorrow. I'm so nervous! I've been studying for the past 2.5 months. Got a math tutor because seriously...omg. But hey, my practice tests aren't terrible considering that I haven't been in school (high school + college) for a total of 17 years. Last practice test: Q:151. V:165. 

 

I'm only applying to 2 schools: Stanford and Tulane. No POI has responded to me from Tulane (I've written 2), but I did get a curt but hopeful (made me feel good at least reply) from my Stanford POI.

 

This is such a life change for me. I'll be 30 in February (celebrating in Cape Verde).

 

So do you think this is a long shot? Any words of wisdom? I'm passionate enough about this research that I'll do it no matter if I'm accepted to a PhD program or not, but I would like the cred. Know what I mean?

[Meglet]

That sounds like a great project, and I'm sure it will impress them that you're going out and doing fieldwork on your own!  My only advice would be to maybe find a few more programs to apply to.  Good luck on your GREs today!

[smg]

I'd try to apply to a few more program or even one more.  2 isn't a lot when the competition is so fierce.  I'm applying to 4 min and probably 6 max.  

[trogdorburninator]

Nice reads y'all. The numbers game is hard- I'm only applying to 4 programs and I had a faculty at my MA seriously tell me that was only half as many as a should apply to if I'm serious abt this. But, as I'm super broke, its just not an option this year at least. On the other hand, I had a different prof. tell me anything more than 5 made her skeptical students had spend enough time evaluating fit. So, 6 one was 1/2 dozen the other.