Credentials needed for a Sociocultural Anthro PhD program?

[kasserole]

I earned my BA in Anthropology this past May at a top-tier liberal arts college, and am now working towards applying to graduate school. I am applying to both PhD and MA programs, but I really want the PhD. Bad.

 I have been working towards a PhD in Anthro since my sophomore year of college by getting as much research experience as possible. I have done 1 field school w/ an independent study built in, 1 semester-long independent study abroad, and an undergrad thesis (for which I received high honors in the Anthro dept at my school). I also presented at 3 undergrad conferences and built strong relationships with professors who are writing my letters of rec. 

I am spending the next year getting more practical/work experience within my specific research interests, and reading a ton of books, to really gain as much insight as possible into what I wish to study and make a killer argument for my fit in the departments in my application essays.

I am wondering what the general applicant pool to SC Anthro PhD programs will be equipped with in terms of experience. I think I have done well for myself, but I've not been published, I've not presented at the AAA conference or anything like that. Who might I be up against? Are my credentials anywhere near competitive for a PhD in SC Anthro? If not, do you have any suggestions about how I could improve my application package?

Thanks!

[karennakamura]

Writing as a faculty member who has sat on admissions, your profile would put you in the top quarter of applications. At this point, the only things you can do to improve your portolio would be to work on your statement of purpose and to make sure that your letters of recommendation are the best possible.

[kasserole]

Thank you so much for your reply. Knowing that definitely eases my anxiety.  If I may, I'd like to ask you: how are GRE scores usually considered? Mine are the only negative aspect of my application package. I'm wondering if applicants will still be considered with a lower score, or if there is some sort of cut-off/other barrier present. 

[karennakamura]

Some programs have no cut-offs, others are more variable.  Some places use it to do the first "cull" of files, others ignore it completely. Some use it to determine fellowships and other merit fellowships, others ignore it. It's hard to make a blanket statement.

Something I've noticed though is that graduate schools are increasingly telling us NOT to rely on GREs because of the correlation between GRE and economic status of the applicant. So more and more, we've been deprecating its use. 

 

[kasserole]

Thank you for answering my questions, I really appreciate it so much!

[Lexie16]

Also, kasserole, in addition to the wonderful advice above, I would suggest contacting the faculty you find have the most compelling fit for your interests. While some of them might not respond, conversations with the ones who do reply can demonstrate your passion, dedication, and depth of knowledge in a way that your application materials cannot. You will discover pretty quickly if you two get along and if you like their advising method. This will also tell you if faculty are planning to retire (this happened to me at two different schools) and give you time to fix your SOPs before submission. Furthermore, contacting profs beforehand may result in said prof supporting your project, thereby allowing you to include a line in your SOP that "so and so supports my project" which is a fantastic place to be. Even if you cannot say this, many will give you feedback on your proposed project, and tell you if the department is looking for something specific that goes unmentioned on websites.

I wish you luck as you prepare!! Be sure to keep us posted.

[karennakamura]

Always, always, always try to contact your POI before applying. The worst that can happen is that your e-mail falls into a black hole.  Before contacting your POI, make sure you have a pretty good idea of what you want to do -- and what your POI does. But speaking as a POI, I'd rather have an unprepared scholar contact me and walk them through putting an application together, than getting an application from someone who clearly needed more mentoring and wouldn't be able to get into programs with the portfolio they submitted.

Furthermore, with some programs receiving hundreds of applications, the first evaluation of applications is often made by faculty outside of your particular regional/topical specialty. If a POI knows to lookout for an application, they can often rescue someone who was passed over in the first round. But if they don't know about you, your application can get lost. This has happened at all the schools I've been at, so it's not particular to my current position.

 

Edited February 20, 2016 by karennakamura