Fall 2015 Applicants

[smg]

I think I'm going to keep my list of 10 a bit quiet until I know where I am at (it was too depressing last year when I just kept crossing things off after putting them out there!) but I'm very aware of programs pretty much anywhere in the northeast.  I just can see when I'm obviously not going to be a fit (like I said, BU, Harvard, but also Princeton, Temple...). If you are super curious it probably isn't that hard to guess, or you can PM me.

 

I have another question or two for the crowd -- where are you at with your SOP and theory? I had a couple professors tell me the SOP was great, but another that it seemed like it wasn't yet fully theorized; however, that professor comes from critical media studies, and the others anthropology...I have nods to other fundamental studies on my topics, I mention some theory (from my MA thesis) but haven't devoted space to it otherwise. Seems odd unless it's a big part of your orientation, right? Like, I'm not here for continuing my work on ontology, so I didn't elaborate.

 

Secondly, are you going over a lot of what is included in your CV + transcripts in your SOP? Last year I used a lot of SOP space to explain why I was qualified for graduate study in anthropology (talking about courses, professors I'd already worked with) and I struck out, so haven't done much of that this year besides mention my MA work, my thesis adviser (prominent in my field), and how that project connects to proposed PhD work.  I've so far left out my teaching and professional experience (R1 research)...maybe that is a mistake? 1,000 words is not a lot of words!

 

tl;dr are you including a lot of theory in your SOP? Are you reiterating a lot of stuff from your CV + transcripts in your SOP? Thoughts?

 

Off topic, but a POI elsewhere warned me about the $$$ at Berkeley - even if they do fund you, I was discouraged from applying because of an "unreasonably low" stipend.

 

My SOP is essentially a research proposal.  It is a document about the future but I do touch on my undergrad thesis, a research gig, my current job, shit like that.  I'm still sorting out how to approach theory in my SOP.  2 of my 3 LORs think theory should be up front and prominent but not necessarily more than a nod.  I'm still figuring out how to nod clearly and subtly. I am also applying to theory heavy schools with a theory heavy project. I've been told at UChicago you can easily end up reading back to St. Augustine in order to make sense of anthropology's place in western thought.   I think that's pretty great.  I'd read Augustine over Boas any day of the week.  

[Meglet]

NOWAYNOHOW, you can totally keep your list quiet - I was just throwing it out there because, for example, I didn't realize MIT had a graduate anthropology program until pretty recently (not that it's in any way appropriate for me). 

 

I'm not going over very much of what's in my CV, but I do have a few sentences about my MA dissertation and courses (since they're relevant to what I want to do and why), and a paragraph about the relevant things I've been doing since (studying more dance, teaching, discovering anthropology and taking a few classes) plus how that informs my career goals.  I don't mention a lot of theory, except that I'm interested in symbolic anthropology, mainly because I feel like I don't have the background yet.  I am really interested in theory, but I haven't had time to read much while working full-time+ and applying.  The project I'm proposing does involve some of the theories and larger issues I'd eventually like to work on, but I'm keeping it very grounded in my previous work.  Since I've only taken 2 anthropology classes, I feel like anything else will look unrealistic coming from an arts and area studies background.

[Ajtz'ihb]

smg, you should check out Nagarjuna and other Madhyamika philosophers (and their interlocutors) if you're into old-school thinkers whose ideas are constantly re-discovered and recycled. Pity that they're outside the Western tradition and therefore count as "religious philosophers" rather than "philosophers."

 

That said, I do still like Boas. Even if he was a bit stiff with the verbiage. 

[AKCarlton]

 

Re: book. Yes! Read tThe Warmth of Other Suns! Anyone have any good travel reads to suggest?

 

Just ordered it via Prime on Amazon because of your recommendation and my insatiable interest in African Diaspora...thank you...I now have three books related to African-American history to read over Christmas break and I cannot wait.

[smg]

smg, you should check out Nagarjuna and other Madhyamika philosophers (and their interlocutors) if you're into old-school thinkers whose ideas are constantly re-discovered and recycled. Pity that they're outside the Western tradition and therefore count as "religious philosophers" rather than "philosophers."

 

That said, I do still like Boas. Even if he was a bit stiff with the verbiage. 

 

Damn!  Busting out the ancient Buddhists!!!!   

[Ajtz'ihb]

I prefer to call it the Emptiness Bomb. 

[smg]

I prefer to call it the Emptiness Bomb. 

 

Sunyata shrapnel.    

[Ajtz'ihb]

Look at that: dependently originated jokes!

[smg]

anyone else out there wondering if there proposed project isn't sufficiently anthropological?

[NOWAYNOHOW]

anyone else out there wondering if there proposed project isn't sufficiently anthropological?

 

Because my project could work in other disciplines (STS, American Studies, Public Health) this has been a major aim of my SOP.  I am also switching disciplines, so it has been a priority throughout. I think the key isn't asking if the project is anthropological enough, but if you can and do frame it as such. For example, I am mentioning anthropologists currently producing similar work and the anthropology literature that has gotten me to this point. I also discuss in great detail what anthropology can do in my topic that other inquiries cannot, with a special emphasis on the power of ethnography as a method and what it does and can do.  It sounds abstract, but if you can answer these questions in regard to your topic (I like to think of anthropology as squeaking through cracks in the system, going where other disciplines just can't for one reason or another) you should be fine.

With that said, if you find yourself unable to answer these, or even unable to conceptualize a potential field study, then yeah, it might not be anthropological enough. 

 

Finally, it's worth noting (and I don't know if this applies to you too) that faculty at many different places have told me that because my work is US-based, it is automatically seen as 'less anthropological' and that detail works against me from the outset. If that does apply to you, it might be worth really focusing on this part of your proposal - why anthropology, and why you are qualified to do anthropology.

Edited November 10, 2014 by NOWAYNOHOW

[smg]

Because my project could work in other disciplines (STS, American Studies, Public Health) this has been a major aim of my SOP.  I am also switching disciplines, so it has been a priority throughout. I think the key isn't asking if the project is anthropological enough, but if you can and do frame it as such. For example, I am mentioning anthropologists currently producing similar work and the anthropology literature that has gotten me to this point. I also discuss in great detail what anthropology can do in my topic that other inquiries cannot, with a special emphasis on the power of ethnography as a method and what it does and can do.  It sounds abstract, but if you can answer these questions in regard to your topic (I like to think of anthropology as squeaking through cracks in the system, going where other disciplines just can't for one reason or another) you should be fine.

With that said, if you find yourself unable to answer these, or even unable to conceptualize a potential field study, then yeah, it might not be anthropological enough. 

 

Finally, it's worth noting (and I don't know if this applies to you too) that faculty at many different places have told me that because my work is US-based, it is automatically seen as 'less anthropological' and that detail works against me from the outset. If that does apply to you, it might be worth really focusing on this part of your proposal - why anthropology, and why you are qualified to do anthropology.

 

I'm in the same situation.  My project could easily be an STS, cultural studies or American Studies project.  I just touched based with my LORs about this particular concern and was told don't sweat it you don't want to be where they care about policing what is and what isn't Anthropology. 

[trogdorburninator]

I have a US based project also and this has come up in convo; mostly in terms of gauging what departments support US based work and which really don't and picking appropriately. It has made me work hard in my statement to communicate why I am interested in approaching these questions from an anthro perspective while also maintaining my interest in working with sts clusters and gender studies, in particular. I think its just one more "fit" item to go through.

[Munich]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm Robin and applying for cultural anthropology programmes. I have an undergrad in international politics and a Masters in African Studies. 

 

I had a couple of questions, mainly because i am from and in the UK and finding applications to US schools a bit difficult to get my head around.

 

My frist question is about grade equivalency. I got a good 2:1 in my undergrad and a 1st in my Masters (71%). I am finding impossible to find any sort of usefull conversion scale - as a result i have no idea what my GPA is!

 

The second is about the statemet of purpose. In the UK because PhD programmes are shorter you are usually expected to have a more specific set of ideas and a research question before applying. AAs well as all the usual things an application is split into a personal statement and a research proposal. I have finished writing my SOPs but have found it difficult to sort of include a research proposal and a personal statement in one document. My main question is about how much personal (but relevant!) stuff should be included? My proposal and research ideas have been heavily influenced by my background and work and i feel both of those are strengths for me.

 

Finally slightly more flippantly but how old are applicants usually? Is 25 too old?!

 

 

 

[smg]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm Robin and applying for cultural anthropology programmes. I have an undergrad in international politics and a Masters in African Studies. 

 

I had a couple of questions, mainly because i am from and in the UK and finding applications to US schools a bit difficult to get my head around.

 

My frist question is about grade equivalency. I got a good 2:1 in my undergrad and a 1st in my Masters (71%). I am finding impossible to find any sort of usefull conversion scale - as a result i have no idea what my GPA is!

 

The second is about the statemet of purpose. In the UK because PhD programmes are shorter you are usually expected to have a more specific set of ideas and a research question before applying. AAs well as all the usual things an application is split into a personal statement and a research proposal. I have finished writing my SOPs but have found it difficult to sort of include a research proposal and a personal statement in one document. My main question is about how much personal (but relevant!) stuff should be included? My proposal and research ideas have been heavily influenced by my background and work and i feel both of those are strengths for me.

 

Finally slightly more flippantly but how old are applicants usually? Is 25 too old?!

 

I'm 32.  My SOP is almost entirely a research proposal.  It's not very personal. I just counted 6 sentences that are personal. I would treat the SOP more like a research proposal than a tell all autobiography.  I believe there is a link in this thread to some successful SOPs.  They are super helpful. 

[smg]

I'm 32.  My SOP is almost entirely a research proposal.  It's not very personal. I just counted 6 sentences that are personal. I would treat the SOP more like a research proposal than a tell all autobiography.  I believe there is a link in this thread to some successful SOPs.  They are super helpful. 

 

http://culturalanthr...radStmts(1).doc

 

I was wrong it was in another thread. 

[DanJackson]

A few posts back there was an interesting debate about including theory in your statement.

 

My advice is that you must address theory in your statement for a cultural anthro PhD.

 

I posted more about why in this pinned post so that it would be available for others who are looking:

[smg]

How are everyone's writing samples coming along?

 

I'm cleaning up an essay from 8 years ago on depictions of indigenous people in fur trade journals.  It's totally unrelated to my current project but it's what I got. 

[trogdorburninator]

writing sample --> :-/ 

feeling confused about it. 

[smg]

writing sample --> :-/ 

feeling confused about it. 

 

ditto.

 

what's your sample about?  is it related to your future research plans? 

[daykid]

Hey all,

 

Just chiming in to wish you all luck this year. And, to give some advice on your writing samples. It should be the best piece of academic writing you have. If you've published something, use that. If not, use a chunk of a thesis or a really outstanding term paper. Don't write something new unless you have nothing else. The point is to show that you've got the goods. It doesn't have to be about your current topic by any means.

 

As for SOPs, you should definitely engage with theory in the sense that you show how your work is going to contribute to a larger body of work. You want to show that you have a sense of what is out there and that you are thinking about where you fit. This is also how you should work in a sense of where you fit in your potential program. What is is that the professors you hope to work with are doing that you feel makes them good potential advisers for you.

 

Hope this helps! Good luck.

[NOWAYNOHOW]

 

As for SOPs, you should definitely engage with theory in the sense that you show how your work is going to contribute to a larger body of work. You want to show that you have a sense of what is out there and that you are thinking about where you fit.

 

Reflecting back on my initial post about theory in the SOP, I think I was over thinking the whole question. Coming from what is essentially a critical theory department, "theory" as I have known it is a bit different (see: unnecessarily complicated) than what it should be in an SOP (unless theory is your thing).  For example, theory is not my thing, so my SOP just addresses embodiment and affect (and ontology, to a degree) where it needs to and mentions both foundational studies in my area of interest and emerging work by younger scholars, etc, etc, does the editing ever end?

Thanks DayKid!

[smg]

Reflecting back on my initial post about theory in the SOP, I think I was over thinking the whole question. Coming from what is essentially a critical theory department, "theory" as I have known it is a bit different (see: unnecessarily complicated) than what it should be in an SOP (unless theory is your thing).  For example, theory is not my thing, so my SOP just addresses embodiment and affect (and ontology, to a degree) where it needs to and mentions both foundational studies in my area of interest and emerging work by younger scholars, etc, etc, does the editing ever end?

Thanks DayKid!

 

I'm curious who are you citing for affect and ontology?  Both are key to my research.  I'm using Negri and Heidegger. 

[trogdorburninator]

ditto.

 

what's your sample about?  is it related to your future research plans? 

 not really.... coming from a professional MA, I only have a few options that seem appropriate. The one I might like to use is sort of related- coming from a course where I am discussed a US health related thing, biopolitics, human rights, whatever. However, I didn't knock it out of the park at the time. It got a B. Here's why I still might use it- got tons of v. specific and useful feedback throughout as well as a good comments about my writing quality and the ideas. So, I can work on it. The other problem, however, is that the person I wrote this paper for is the head of one of the departments I'm applying to. 

uhhhhhhhhhhh. do I look like a chump using that sample? will they just be like, um, this is the best you have? I saw this. whatever. 

 

other relevant options include: short essay from social policy class, includes field notes but is only 8 pages and from my first year, or short seminar paper (12pg) which is largely a close reading of texts rather than an argumentative paper (though at least they are athro texts). 

 

blargh.

the one thing I am happy abt is berkeley v. short writing sample page limit, which makes it perf. for an STS related mini-ethnography/proposal I got great feedback on but is only 5 pages. 

[smg]

 not really.... coming from a professional MA, I only have a few options that seem appropriate. The one I might like to use is sort of related- coming from a course where I am discussed a US health related thing, biopolitics, human rights, whatever. However, I didn't knock it out of the park at the time. It got a B. Here's why I still might use it- got tons of v. specific and useful feedback throughout as well as a good comments about my writing quality and the ideas. So, I can work on it. The other problem, however, is that the person I wrote this paper for is the head of one of the departments I'm applying to. 

uhhhhhhhhhhh. do I look like a chump using that sample? will they just be like, um, this is the best you have? I saw this. whatever. 

 

other relevant options include: short essay from social policy class, includes field notes but is only 8 pages and from my first year, or short seminar paper (12pg) which is largely a close reading of texts rather than an argumentative paper (though at least they are athro texts). 

 

blargh.

the one thing I am happy abt is berkeley v. short writing sample page limit, which makes it perf. for an STS related mini-ethnography/proposal I got great feedback on but is only 5 pages. 

 

I wouldn't worry about using a paper that the head of the department has already seen especially if you can fix it up.  If anything they might be impressed with the newer cleaner tighter better version.  They can see growth, development, etc.  That could work in your favor.  

[NOWAYNOHOW]

I'm curious who are you citing for affect and ontology?  Both are key to my research.  I'm using Negri and Heidegger. 

 

I'm not citing anyone for ontology (my MA thesis was on multiple ontologies, so that is where it gets mentioned. If they want citations they can enjoy the million citations on ontology in my writing sample) and citations on affect have more to do with the topic (ie. emerging scholarship on X where affect is a big part of it, not just work on affect itself).  Hope that makes sense! I know this sounds confusing! I think Heidegger and Negri are fine!