Fall 2010?

[modernity]

Anyone out there applying for Fall 2010? I've just started really narrowing down schools I'm interested in... and wondering if anyone else out there is doing the same?

[urojas17]

Hi Modernity,

I am applying. Taking the GRE next week. Have you taken it yet? Where are you applying to?

[modernity]

I am still narrowing down universities. I'm studying something I guess is a little obscure - ie not SE Asian, or African related..so I think it might be a little harder for me to find the perfect fit. I have taken the GRE but I was sick and bombed it, so I'll be retaking it next month (with lots of flash cards and studying in between). Do you know where you're applying yet?

[sunshine6]

Good luck to both of you!

Let me know if I can help, I am not a mod or anything, but went through the pain off applying last year and I applied earlier than most. So this board helped a bunch, but some stuff I learned after the fact. If there is anything I can do just post, I'll be checking back!

[modernity]

Thanks! I am sure I will need some help during this process and it would be nice to get it from someone who has gone through it.

[vanishingpoint]

Hey, fellow travelers,

I thought I'd chime in, too: it's nice to see some activity on the board, after a quiet summer. I am also applying this fall, and just got my GRE scores back tonight: my writing was a little lower than I would have liked, but the others were fine. I'm interested in the contemporary U.S., possibly with an anthro of science and technology slant.

Right now, the six schools that I'm looking at most seriously are Yale, Brown, Michigan, Chicago, Texas, and Minnesota. Looking forward to having some of you to keep me company as this whole process unfolds!

[joro]

I'm definitely applying for Fall 2010. I've written my SOP and starting to do some revisions. I hope to have it done by the end of this week so that I can start studying a bit for the GRE. I'm not too happy about my score from last year, everything was okay except for my verbal score which should have been between 60 - 100 points higher. If I do retake my GRE, I need to be certain that I can get at least 200 points higher in total than my original score. I have a list of schools, but I'm trying to narrow it down a bit and identify others I've overlooked. I wish everyone applying the best of luck and hope you guys get into your top choices.

[urojas17]

Hi Everyone,

Modernity: I have not decided where to apply yet, I have about 12 or 13 universities in mind but i am waiting to take the GRE so i can take some time to look at the people in each department with a bit more care and decide which ones i'll be applying to. What area are you looking into? I am more into politics and economics in Latin America.

I thought schools don't take the writing section of the GRE into consideration for admission. Is it really important. I have not look at that part of the exam. I've been too worry with vocabulary and mathematics revision to worry about the writing section.

vanishingpoint: Brown seems to be big in interdisciplinary studying, I am also considering that one.

[sunshine6]

The writing portion's importance is up for debate. Just take care when answering, use proper punctuation and spelling. Also, read about the test's instructions and objectives in a Kaplan book or online, and keep those objectives in mind while writing. I tried to get too creative and link their topic with another relevant to my field as an example. This turned out to be a bad idea, as I think they were looking for concise writing as opposed to a critical thinking approach.

2 cents..

[AKJen]

I'm applying this year. It's a little (okay, a lot) overwhelming. I graduated two years ago from a no-name liberal arts school and have spent the time since then working in a small research department with an Alaska Native tribal health organization. It's been very interesting and I've had the chance to take lead roles in our current NIH-funded efforts because the department is so small. We're working on one large scale qualitative study looking at the ethical and cultural implications of specimen banking among Alaska Native people. However, I can't really progress at all until I have my Ph.D., which has always been my plan anyway.

I've narrowed my list down a little, but not much. I hope to apply to about 10 schools.

I'm taking the GRE next month.

I don't know that my area of interest is that rare, but it certainly has been challenging finding faculty that have at least an interest in Alaska Native research, even if it's more a Native North American focus. I've been looking at a few interdisciplinary programs as well, because I'm very interested in the impact of federal law on Alaska Native culture from the recent past to the current era. Any advice or programs I should be looking at? I'd certainly appreciate the help.

[vanishingpoint]

jennyb, have you looked at Wisconsin at all? Paul Nadasy's work in the Yukon Territory sounds like it might have some resonances with your own work:

http://www.anthropology.wisc.edu/people_nadasy.php

[AKJen]

Ooh, thank you. I hadn't looked at Wisconsin, but I will now.

[urojas17]

Hi everyone,

I just took the GRE and got V:620 and Q:560 (won't know if the written part until later). I have a 3.65 GPA for my undergraduate in International Relations (from a US university) and a 3.76 GPA from my Anthropology MA (from a Hong Kong University). I have 1.5 year field work experience as a graduate research assistance for one of my MA professors.

So my question is: should i worry about taking the GRE again to pass the 1200 mark that seems to be somewhat of a magical number?

Thanks...

[a fragrant plant]

Hi everyone,

I just took the GRE and got V:620 and Q:560 (won't know if the written part until later). I have a 3.65 GPA for my undergraduate in International Relations (from a US university) and a 3.76 GPA from my Anthropology MA (from a Hong Kong University). I have 1.5 year field work experience as a graduate research assistance for one of my MA professors.

So my question is: should i worry about taking the GRE again to pass the 1200 mark that seems to be somewhat of a magical number?

Thanks...

urojas17,

you should be fine. i would focus on the personal statement.

are you focusing on china area? may i ask which schools you're applying to? i'm struggling to narrow down my choices.

english is not my native language. i didn't do well in verbal. my Q is similar to yours. can you share your experience in studying the verbal section?

many thanks!

[modernity]

Glad to see more people talking on here, I was beginning to feel a little lonely! Are you all applying for PhDs, MAs, or a combination?

[AKJen]

I'm looking at PhD and MPH/PhD programs. I think I've got my list of schools narrowed down, but I'd hate to rule out anything at this point. How many programs do people in Anthropology usually apply to?

[Dubya]

Most people I know applied to between 6 and 10.

[modernity]

I had professors suggest 4 or so- but I am applying to about 10, I think. I am also applying to a mix of PhD and MA programs. Normally I wouldn't go so high, but I'm paranoid about the economy and other things playing into my chances as much or more so than my credentials. I've taken my time off from school, and I'm ready to get back into the swing of things. I would be happy completing an MA first if that is what I needed to do to strengthen my chances at a PhD.

[urojas17]

Hi peanuttheanthro,

I will be focusing in Latin America... what about you? what area would you like to focus on?

So, as far as the verbal section of the exam I must have memorized over 1200 words, I went through the process of making flash cards using the Princeton Review book, (Hit parade, and advanced vocabulary) and then making flash cards for every word I did not know that came out on the practice tests I did. For practice tests I used the ETS past exams book: I did about 15 practice tests. I also tried to work hard on the analogy questions that were my weakest part and tried to improve on making better bridges for the words... the bridge sentence is essential for that section. Hope that works..

Where are you from? I mean what is your native language. I found that a lot of the words that came out in the exam that I had not studied for had Latin roots and were very similar to Spanish.

Modernity,

I will be applying for PhDs....

[enoughisenough]

Aloha all,

So, I just took the GRE. Let me just say that I cried when I saw the scores. I have been taking the practice tests from ETS, Princeton Rwv., etc. and have consistently scored above 700 v&q. What gives with the discrepancy of 200+ points? I am thoroughly ashamed.

I am taking the paper test in Oct. (I register tonight). :::I will write a paper about this later :::::

In the meanwhile, I am narrowing down schools, working on my SOP, and building up my CV.

Anyone publish any papers recently?

Anyone going to the AAA meeting?

Anyone interested in the Pacific?

Mahalo nui loa

[urojas17]

Hi enoughisenough,

I will be going to the AAA meetings. I am presenting a paper on African people in Hong Kong. Will you be talking or just attending?

Anyone else going?

[papayadance]

hi everyone!

I'm an anthro & gender studies undergrad (09) and applying to masters & PhD programs for 2010. I took the GRE this summer and didn't do as well as I'd like (even after legitimate studying with Princeton Review books!), so I'm planning to re-take in November. I'm an American but I'm currently doing a research project in the Philippines for a year, so I'll have to make a trek to a test site

Other than that -- my list is about 10 schools. Too many? (MIT HASTS, Harvard, U Penn, Berkeley, Yale, Columbia, NYU, Stanford). I'm considering an MPH somewhere down the road, so a school with/near a public health school is ideal (MIT, Harvd, Columbia).

Anyone else in public health-related anthro? My focus is mobile health, anthro of development, etc.

Anyone applying to UK schools? I'm considering Oxford/Cambridge masters (migration studies at Oxford).

Any tips on personal statements, resumes, contacting profs would be awesome. I wrote an undegrad thesis and I'm submitting it to conferences/journals, but I don't have anything yet... how do people feel about having publications/paper presentations for apps to top programs?

thanks yall

[Paleoanth]

it seems like this board is inundated with cultural anthropologists! Anyone out there applying for physical anthropology programs??

[a fragrant plant]

urojas17,

My research will focus on an alternative health movement in China.

Thanks for your valuable advice about GRE. Chinese is my native language and I don't have a lot of experience in standarized test. GRE is really my biggest obstacle!

I'm applying to 10 schools: Cornell, Harvard, UW in Seattle, UCD, NYU, UCI, Chicago, Stanford, WUSTL, Indiana Uni.

papayadance,

I did my Master degree at the University of Edinburgh. Is there anything that I can help?

[urojas17]

Hey peanuttheanthro,

There are good Anthropology departments here in Hong Kong. Let me know if you need some contacts. I did my MA in CUHK and I know a couple of people from HKU.

Good luck!