Fall 2017 Applicants

[MedAnth2016]

15 hours ago, PurpleHibiscus said:

Just got into Brown University 

Interview Request: Jan 25

Phone Interview: Jan 26

Admit: Feb 1

Still waiting to hear back from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, UChicago and NYU

Thank you for the info @purple hibiscus!!  Congrats again on the acceptance

[ishouldbeworking]

Congrats to all of you getting interviews, and a special congrats to those who have gotten acceptances!! 

I have a question about the substance of applications. I'm asking not because I'm salty that I've gotten 3/6 rejections so far (LOL), rather I'm asking so that next time around I can have a better sense of what I need to be doing. 

Have any of you published anything? What would you say were some of the strongest points of your application/CVs? 

For example, I (thought) my SoP was very well written and outlined 2 good examples of projects I have and could undertake in the future. Also, I will be presenting at an international conference this spring; have received 2 FLAS fellowships, am editor for an art platform, and have research experience in a relevant field, and a bit of research experience in Anthro (I'm a Linguistics major!). I keep hearing about my peers publishing papers and all, which is FANTASTIC!, but I wonder if that's what places like Berkeley typically look for/admit.

Thanks, and may the adcoms smile upon our apps favorably 

michelle

[farflung]

9 minutes ago, ishouldbeworking said:

Congrats to all of you getting interviews, and a special congrats to those who have gotten acceptances!! 

I have a question about the substance of applications. I'm asking not because I'm salty that I've gotten 3/6 rejections so far (LOL), rather I'm asking so that next time around I can have a better sense of what I need to be doing. 

Have any of you published anything? What would you say were some of the strongest points of your application/CVs? 

For example, I (thought) my SoP was very well written and outlined 2 good examples of projects I have and could undertake in the future. Also, I will be presenting at an international conference this spring; have received 2 FLAS fellowships, am editor for an art platform, and have research experience in a relevant field, and a bit of research experience in Anthro (I'm a Linguistics major!). I keep hearing about my peers publishing papers and all, which is FANTASTIC!, but I wonder if that's what places like Berkeley typically look for/admit.

Thanks, and may the adcoms smile upon our apps favorably 

michelle

Hi Michelle and everyone else receiving rejections-- I'm a cultural anthro PhD student at a top research university. It took me two application cycles (i.e. two years) to get admission, even with a stellar record, an awesome SoP, and tons of research experience abroad in my area of interest. This is normal. There are only a couple of admission slots at top programs. It sounds like you're qualified for grad school, so don't worry about publications! Most of us earn our first publications in our FINAL years of grad school or even after graduating-- it's really quite rare for cultural anthropologists to be published before doing their dissertation fieldwork, and even rarer to already have publications coming into a PhD program. Lots of the admissions process is out of your control, things like-- whether a faculty member who likes your application package happens to be present in the room when they're making decisions, is on sabbatical, is too senior/junior to "earn" a graduate student, etc. So no, don't need to publish. And yes, sorry to say -- you might be in for another year of applications, so you should just continue to build your application package and accept/embrace that rejection is a HUGE part of academia (just wait until you apply for grants, jobs, submit your first article, etc)!

[EvelynD]

43 minutes ago, farflung said:

I'm a cultural anthro PhD student at a top research university. It took me two application cycles (i.e. two years) to get admission, even with a stellar record, an awesome SoP, and tons of research experience abroad in my area of interest. This is normal. There are only a couple of admission slots at top programs. It sounds like you're qualified for grad school, so don't worry about publications! Most of us earn our first publications in our FINAL years of grad school or even after graduating-- it's really quite rare for cultural anthropologists to be published before doing their dissertation fieldwork, and even rarer to already have publications coming into a PhD program. Lots of the admissions process is out of your control, things like-- whether a faculty member who likes your application package happens to be present in the room when they're making decisions, is on sabbatical, is too senior/junior to "earn" a graduate student, etc. So no, don't need to publish. And yes, sorry to say -- you might be in for another year of applications, so you should just continue to build your application package and accept/embrace that rejection is a HUGE part of academia (just wait until you apply for grants, jobs, submit your first article, etc)!

I'm not trying to sound like a bitch, but just the fact that you come from a top school ánd that it took you two cycles gives me só much more hope! It might not be me personally, its difficult for everyone!

[enfp]

Congrats to the Brown acceptance but also, it's making me so nervous!! It's weird no one else here seems to have gotten an interview? Really, really hoping I hear back from them, it's one of my top choices and a perfect fit for my interests, although some of the pressure is off because I have an acceptance from UC Davis at least now. @purple hibiscus sorry you're getting bombarded with questions, but was the admit email from your POI or graduate admissions? 

[frscsci]

9 minutes ago, enfp said:

Congrats to the Brown acceptance but also, it's making me so nervous!! It's weird no one else here seems to have gotten an interview? Really, really hoping I hear back from them, it's one of my top choices and a perfect fit for my interests, although some of the pressure is off because I have an acceptance from UC Davis at least now. @purple hibiscus sorry you're getting bombarded with questions, but was the admit email from your POI or graduate admissions? 

Hi @enfp! Do you know if UC Davis sent out all of the acceptances? I applied to their evolutionary wing. Thank you and congrats

[enfp]

6 minutes ago, frscsci said:

Hi @enfp! Do you know if UC Davis sent out all of the acceptances? I applied to their evolutionary wing. Thank you and congrats

So I'm socio-cultural and from what I understand, evolutionary and sociocultural operate pretty independently of one another. I don't think they have sent out all acceptances because I just got an informal email from my POI saying they've admitted me, and she'll let me know as soon as she has details about funding. She then emailed me saying we can discuss the offer further on Skype (my call is scheduled for tomorrow). Not sure how much of this is normal protocol, but the impression I get from this thread is that some people do get informal acceptances/rejections (across universities) from POIs before official decisions are sent out. And thanks!! Glad to know I have somewhere to go, if I get a visa to enter the country that is. (international, Muslim, yada yada)

Edited February 2, 2017 by enfp

[AnthropologyNRT]

56 minutes ago, farflung said:

Hi Michelle and everyone else receiving rejections-- I'm a cultural anthro PhD student at a top research university. It took me two application cycles (i.e. two years) to get admission, even with a stellar record, an awesome SoP, and tons of research experience abroad in my area of interest. This is normal. There are only a couple of admission slots at top programs. It sounds like you're qualified for grad school, so don't worry about publications! Most of us earn our first publications in our FINAL years of grad school or even after graduating-- it's really quite rare for cultural anthropologists to be published before doing their dissertation fieldwork, and even rarer to already have publications coming into a PhD program. Lots of the admissions process is out of your control, things like-- whether a faculty member who likes your application package happens to be present in the room when they're making decisions, is on sabbatical, is too senior/junior to "earn" a graduate student, etc. So no, don't need to publish. And yes, sorry to say -- you might be in for another year of applications, so you should just continue to build your application package and accept/embrace that rejection is a HUGE part of academia (just wait until you apply for grants, jobs, submit your first article, etc)!

Hi. I have to agree. I have gotten two interviews at top tier sociocultural anthropology programs this cycle, but this is my THIRD cycle. Honestly, my experience as an MA student has made me a much better candidate. Persistence is rewarded in this world and, yes, rejection is mandatory.

[runningwithquills]

@enfp can you let me know once you've received the official email from UCD? I haven't heard anything from them, so I'm assuming them once you get the official offer, it will translate into rejections for the rest of us who haven't heard back. Congrats btw!!

[enfp]

13 minutes ago, runningwithquills said:

@enfp can you let me know once you've received the official email from UCD? I haven't heard anything from them, so I'm assuming them once you get the official offer, it will translate into rejections for the rest of us who haven't heard back. Congrats btw!!

Sure! Will message you. And thanks! Don't assume it's a rejection just yet though! Sending good vibes to everyone waiting to hear good news. 

[Boaty McBoatface]

Hi everyone! Thanks for this forum, it's good to see what kind of timeline one can expect to be contacted/interviewed and so on (and to share in the collective hysteria ). Congrats to those of you who have received offers, and good luck to everyone else!

I am applying again this year after a 4 year hiatus. I am particularly interested in UPenn, and my application status on applyweb still says "materials needed'. English proficiency status: needed."
I haven't taken any language tests, but the admissions office said I wouldn't need to as I already have two degrees from English-speaking institutions. In late December, I emailed them and they said not to worry, they would waive this manually when they started looking at applications. However, the status hasn't changed yet. Does that mean they haven't started looking at apps, or that mine has fallen through the cracks for some reason? I know I should just be patient, but I'm getting increasingly nervous.

Should I email them again? I don't want to be annoying. How likely is it that they just haven't started reviewing apps or haven't got to mine yet?

Any comments or tips would be greatly appreciated. (If anyone has been in touch with UPenn, or been in that situation?)

Thanks! And good luck to everyone.

 

 

Edited February 2, 2017 by Boaty McBoatface

[farflung]

2 hours ago, EvelynD said:

I'm not trying to sound like a bitch, but just the fact that you come from a top school ánd that it took you two cycles gives me só much more hope! It might not be me personally, its difficult for everyone!

Yes, do NOT take the admissions process personally, for your own sanity. I only ever received admission at ONE place, of the double digit numbers of places I applied over two years. That place happened to be a really stellar program.

Sstudents at top programs aren't better than anyone else -- often, we don't even have better records (publications, fancy awards etc). I think many of us are simply lucky, and fit into the department's particular vision for that application cycle. We applied lots of places, experienced a ton of rejection, and were fortunate enough to win over someone with our research interest at the right time.

[her_black_tights]

Has anyone heard anything from Princeton?? They historically usually send out notifications on the 2nd/3rd/4th and I'm kind of losing my mind a little bit. Also, thank you to everyone for their input/advice!! This is my first cycle and I'm applying right after getting my BA so I don't have high hopes but all of the advice in this thread has made me feel better about the possibility of not getting into a program this year! 

[museum_geek]

I'm also anxiously awaiting news from Princeton.  Fingers crossed!

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

Even though I haven't heard from anywhere yet, I'm just gonna assume I'll be rejected this cycle. If I haven't heard by March I'll be sending out my resume to a few places and then I'll spend some time trying to make my app better for the next cycle.  

[EvelynD]

8 minutes ago, GreenEyedTrombonist said:

Even though I haven't heard from anywhere yet, I'm just gonna assume I'll be rejected this cycle. If I haven't heard by March I'll be sending out my resume to a few places and then I'll spend some time trying to make my app better for the next cycle.  

You haven't heard nothing at all? Your nerves must be through the roof!! I'm still waiting on two of my applications and I've already started working on my plan B! I'm here with you!

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@EvelynD Absolutely nothing. I do know things have happened for 2 of the programs I applied to (interviews at one, acceptances at another), but I haven't heard from either so it's probably waitlist/rejection for me at those schools.  

I'm a high-functioning anxious individual, so it could be worse, but I'm definitely feeling the anxiety. I've stocked up on chocolate, haha.

[EvelynD]

Haha, this weekend is going to be thé weekend where I buy a whole chocolate cake for myself. I found thé bést school in Scotland this week and the two professors I contacted were super enthusiastic about my research. However, I would have to complete an unfunded MA degree first, and the PhD itself had really poor funding. I made a quick calculation; this would cost me at least 50.000€ in total. So yeah, thats not going to happen. 

[solitaryweasel]

I planned to apply to 4, decided 3 was fine... except I couldn't get out of my tunnel vision long enough to see that applying to only top programs was a gamble at best and a mistake at worst. If it doesn't come through this cycle I'll apply in a much more realistic way.

The first rejection from Emory really allowed me to think critically about my application stuff. I don't really expect to get into to any of them anymore, and I alternate being ok with it and being devastated. I was pretty panicked during application season and I think it shows in my personal statement. My GRE scores aren't that great (158V 147Q 4W). I think my LORs are pretty good, all relatively well known- as well as the exiting and entering anth department chairs. I'm the research assistant for a project that's an intended research direction, headed by both the anth and psych chair. No honors thesis, just latin from my gpa, 3.95. I think I've been spending too much time on the results list. Now just to wait and pretend not to care, ha!

[runningwithquills]

1 hour ago, Boaty McBoatface said:

Hi everyone! Thanks for this forum, it's good to see what kind of timeline one can expect to be contacted/interviewed and so on (and to share in the collective hysteria ). Congrats to those of you who have received offers, and good luck to everyone else!

I am applying again this year after a 4 year hiatus. I am particularly interested in UPenn, and my application status on applyweb still says "materials needed'. English proficiency status: needed."
I haven't taken any language tests, but the admissions office said I wouldn't need to as I already have two degrees from English-speaking institutions. In late December, I emailed them and they said not to worry, they would waive this manually when they started looking at applications. However, the status hasn't changed yet. Does that mean they haven't started looking at apps, or that mine has fallen through the cracks for some reason? I know I should just be patient, but I'm getting increasingly nervous.

Should I email them again? I don't want to be annoying. How likely is it that they just haven't started reviewing apps or haven't got to mine yet?

Any comments or tips would be greatly appreciated. (If anyone has been in touch with UPenn, or been in that situation?)

Thanks! And good luck to everyone.

 

 

I have a bit of inside info re: Penn as I graduated back in May, and still remain as an RA to one of the profs there in my spare time. I didn't apply but I can tell you that they will prob issue interview requests in a week or so. I would recommend NOT emailing them. I've been trying to resist emailing the schools i applied to as well because it's really not a good idea to irritate them. The Penn prof I work with advised me "not to appear too hungry" during interviews. 

Edited February 2, 2017 by runningwithquills

[farflung]

24 minutes ago, runningwithquills said:

I have a bit of inside info re: Penn as I graduated back in May, and still remain as an RA to one of the profs there in my spare time. I didn't apply but I can tell you that they will prob issue interview requests in a week or so. I would recommend NOT emailing them. I've been trying to resist emailing the schools i applied to as well because it's really not a good idea to irritate them. The Penn prof I work with advised me "not to appear too hungry" during interviews. 

This is good advice for any school. If you submitted your application materials, they have them. They will contact YOU if they have news.

[Boaty McBoatface]

30 minutes ago, runningwithquills said:

I have a bit of inside info re: Penn as I graduated back in May, and still remain as an RA to one of the profs there in my spare time. I didn't apply but I can tell you that they will prob issue interview requests in a week or so. I would recommend NOT emailing them. I've been trying to resist emailing the schools i applied to as well because it's really not a good idea to irritate them. The Penn prof I work with advised me "not to appear too hungry" during interviews. 

Thanks for the advice! I have the feeling they haven't seen my app yet, since it still says "materials needed". If they're going to issue interviews in a week, that's not a good sign for me. But thanks for letting us all know!

There's a thin line between "appearing too hungry" and showing strong dedication/motivation, and I guess it's easy to fall from one category into the other when stressed. But it's good advice! 

[runningwithquills]

16 minutes ago, Boaty McBoatface said:

Thanks for the advice! I have the feeling they haven't seen my app yet, since it still says "materials needed". If they're going to issue interviews in a week, that's not a good sign for me. But thanks for letting us all know!

There's a thin line between "appearing too hungry" and showing strong dedication/motivation, and I guess it's easy to fall from one category into the other when stressed. But it's good advice! 

 I think "materials needed" probably means exactly that. You should double check to make sure that your application is complete-- has Penn received all your materials? 

[menge]

11 minutes ago, runningwithquills said:

 I think "materials needed" probably means exactly that. You should double check to make sure that your application is complete-- has Penn received all your materials? 

FWIW, Northwestern's portal says "materials needed" even for candidates that have been interviewed, so it may or may not mean something. Regardless, I don't think its intruding to e-mail the graduate admissions coordinator or secretary to check as @runningwithquills suggested. 

[rkstahl]

6 hours ago, ishouldbeworking said:

Congrats to all of you getting interviews, and a special congrats to those who have gotten acceptances!! 

I have a question about the substance of applications. I'm asking not because I'm salty that I've gotten 3/6 rejections so far (LOL), rather I'm asking so that next time around I can have a better sense of what I need to be doing. 

Have any of you published anything? What would you say were some of the strongest points of your application/CVs? 

For example, I (thought) my SoP was very well written and outlined 2 good examples of projects I have and could undertake in the future. Also, I will be presenting at an international conference this spring; have received 2 FLAS fellowships, am editor for an art platform, and have research experience in a relevant field, and a bit of research experience in Anthro (I'm a Linguistics major!). I keep hearing about my peers publishing papers and all, which is FANTASTIC!, but I wonder if that's what places like Berkeley typically look for/admit.

Thanks, and may the adcoms smile upon our apps favorably 

michelle

I can't speak to the process/criteria on the linguistics side, but so far the most encouraging feedback I have received from sociocultural faculty (1a/3i/0r/3?) concerns my statement and proposed project. To that end, I proposed a single project, with more detail than I initially believed I needed to provide, that spoke to something that I both have intimate familiarity with and that I was able to argue would benefit from ethnographic study and is currently politically and socially salient. I workshopped that statement for months and sent it to as many people as would read it for feedback, including faculty members at a few different programs - I wasn't shy about cold-emailing folks to chat and then requesting they take a look at what I had written, bc the worst that could happen is they would say no and you can imagine the best case scenario.

Otherwise, I provided a solid writing sample, had what I would describe as only "pretty decent" GRE scores (not great or even super good), and am a co-author on a single peer-reviewed article published in a professional public health journal. Also, I know my rec letters (3) were very helpful. I worked closely with each recommender to ensure that they cited specific examples of my work and experiences to support the flowery superlatives that is common across promising application packets and to make certain that it was clear that they knew me and understood my potential well.

Hope that is helpful, although I acknowledge that the exact same application packet may well have resulted in 6 rejections for me in a different year. For better/worse, luck seems to play more than a small role with these things. So, best of luck!