Fall 2017 Applicants

[hantoo]

Well, you guys were right--got the acceptance letter from University of Florida a little while ago. Had been in close contact with my POI's there and they had seen my SOPs before I even submitted my application. They haven't decided on funding yet, but fingers crossed I get something!

Just finished undergrad in anthro in May (no Masters) and have been interning in the Anthro Dept. of the SI Natural History Museum since, so wasn't necessarily expecting to get in first try. Very excited, but still waiting to hear back from 5 other schools.

Hoping the rest of you hear good news soon!

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@farflung Yeah, I know. It's extremely attractive to consider having this person as a mentor and I definitely will be weighing my options carefully if I'm accepted. It's the only non-US school I applied to. A friend reminded me today that it's not a race and I do have options if I don't get into a place with funding this year. Right now I think the most concrete thing I've decided is that I'm going to run off to the mountains for a month or two during the summer and work on writing a book.  

[homogenius]

Accepted into Binghamton!! Just got an email from POI, its my first acceptance! I was scared I wouldn't get in anywhere 

[farflung]

2 hours ago, GreenEyedTrombonist said:

@farflungRight now I think the most concrete thing I've decided is that I'm going to run off to the mountains for a month or two during the summer and work on writing a book.  

This is basically my dream! 

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@farflung I'm very lucky in that my father's side of the family has a vacation home in the mountains. I'm going to book the house for a month or two and just work on turning my MA research into a book.  

[Konstantine]

I would like to say first and foremost, congratulations to all who have been admitted somewhere so far. I'm really excited for all of you! Great jobs!

As for me, I didn't anticipate coming out of this without a single offer. For some reason, I assumed that getting a Master's Degree would be a huge factor, along with all of the life, work, and academic experience I've gathered in the last few years. This is my second round of PhD applications. The first was when I had a BA with no experience at all. But, combined with the experience of going through the process once (very clumsily) and all the things I mentioned above, I assumed I would get in SOMEwhere. I applied to 16 schools. I basically made PhD applications my life for a while. I didn't half-ass anything, that's for sure. But, so far I've gotten 4 rejections, and some of the other 12 are not looking promising. Kind of at a loss for what to do in life at this point...I am stuck in my dead-end CRM Archaeologist job and I don't foresee any situation in which I would be able to get more experience in Sociocultural Anthropology as a field outside of an internship or volunteering, which I have no time for, because of said job. Maybe I'll just wait until next year and reapply in Archaeological Anthropology instead? Not super excited about that. Anyway, I'm sure everyone who's been experiencing rejections is equally disheartened. But I'm just not sure where to go from here :/

 

[boneflower]

17 minutes ago, Konstantine said:

I would like to say first and foremost, congratulations to all who have been admitted somewhere so far. I'm really excited for all of you! Great jobs!

As for me, I didn't anticipate coming out of this without a single offer. For some reason, I assumed that getting a Master's Degree would be a huge factor, along with all of the life, work, and academic experience I've gathered in the last few years. This is my second round of PhD applications. The first was when I had a BA with no experience at all. But, combined with the experience of going through the process once (very clumsily) and all the things I mentioned above, I assumed I would get in SOMEwhere. I applied to 16 schools. I basically made PhD applications my life for a while. I didn't half-ass anything, that's for sure. But, so far I've gotten 4 rejections, and some of the other 12 are not looking promising. Kind of at a loss for what to do in life at this point...I am stuck in my dead-end CRM Archaeologist job and I don't foresee any situation in which I would be able to get more experience in Sociocultural Anthropology as a field outside of an internship or volunteering, which I have no time for, because of said job. Maybe I'll just wait until next year and reapply in Archaeological Anthropology instead? Not super excited about that. Anyway, I'm sure everyone who's been experiencing rejections is equally disheartened. But I'm just not sure where to go from here :/

 

 

Hey,

You clearly did all of the right steps; got an additional degree, applied to many schools, working a field-related job. You are waiting on 2/3 of your replies- don't lose hope just yet! If you're feeling down and want to talk to someone, feel free to PM me. I'm also finishing up my MA and hoping to start my PhD in the fall. Keep your head up

[sierra918]

3 hours ago, Konstantine said:

I would like to say first and foremost, congratulations to all who have been admitted somewhere so far. I'm really excited for all of you! Great jobs!

As for me, I didn't anticipate coming out of this without a single offer. For some reason, I assumed that getting a Master's Degree would be a huge factor, along with all of the life, work, and academic experience I've gathered in the last few years. This is my second round of PhD applications. The first was when I had a BA with no experience at all. But, combined with the experience of going through the process once (very clumsily) and all the things I mentioned above, I assumed I would get in SOMEwhere. I applied to 16 schools. I basically made PhD applications my life for a while. I didn't half-ass anything, that's for sure. But, so far I've gotten 4 rejections, and some of the other 12 are not looking promising. Kind of at a loss for what to do in life at this point...I am stuck in my dead-end CRM Archaeologist job and I don't foresee any situation in which I would be able to get more experience in Sociocultural Anthropology as a field outside of an internship or volunteering, which I have no time for, because of said job. Maybe I'll just wait until next year and reapply in Archaeological Anthropology instead? Not super excited about that. Anyway, I'm sure everyone who's been experiencing rejections is equally disheartened. But I'm just not sure where to go from here :/

 

I worked in CRM for many years before going back for my PhD. Don't give up!! Feel free to message me if you want to chat.

[bioarch_fan]

On 2/6/2017 at 11:11 PM, terraaurea said:

This process is just terrible, but I'm glad there are so many good people here on Gradcafe to talk to about all of this!!

I've got a great interview weekend coming up--much to my chagrin that I might live far away from everyone I know and love--but the program (University of Cincinnati) is just so good that I could never turn them down if they offered me admission. Then I'm on a waitlist, then have one rejection so far. I anticipate two more rejections (UCLA and Michigan-Ann Arbor) because they would have contacted me by now I think if they wanted to offer me anything. 5 more to go...

Cincinnati is an amazing program for Classics!!! Good luck.

[EvelynD]

5 hours ago, Konstantine said:

I am stuck in my dead-end CRM Archaeologist job and I don't foresee any situation in which I would be able to get more experience in Sociocultural Anthropology as a field outside of an internship or volunteering, which I have no time for, because of said job. Maybe I'll just wait until next year and reapply in Archaeological Anthropology instead? Not super excited about that. Anyway, I'm sure everyone who's been experiencing rejections is equally disheartened. But I'm just not sure where to go from here :/

 

Same situation here, I have a BA degree in archaeology too and one school who rejected me told the this was one of the reasons. They told me to get more experience in anthropology, but how? There are no anthropology jobs in the Netherlands, and internships aren't going to pay the rent. 

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@EvelynD Are there any conferences you could present at as an independent scholar? I did this during my break after undergrad and I do think it helped me get accepted to an MA program.

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

*Sigh* So, emotions all over the place the last few days. My POI at UCL was interested in moving on to the interview stage (we've been emailing pretty consistently over the last week or so and had an email conversation last summer), but he just sent me the bad news. At UCL, you need a second supervisor willing to take you on, so he was looking for someone to be second before the interview. No one else was willing to be second, so my app can't proceed.  

UCL was a tough sell since they don't offer funding, but still disappointed not to have the opportunity. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to work with this professor in the future.

[kittyball]

27 minutes ago, GreenEyedTrombonist said:

*Sigh* So, emotions all over the place the last few days. My POI at UCL was interested in moving on to the interview stage (we've been emailing pretty consistently over the last week or so and had an email conversation last summer), but he just sent me the bad news. At UCL, you need a second supervisor willing to take you on, so he was looking for someone to be second before the interview. No one else was willing to be second, so my app can't proceed.  

UCL was a tough sell since they don't offer funding, but still disappointed not to have the opportunity. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to work with this professor in the future.

I feel for you. The disappointment comes naturally. But it could be the best result you can get from this school. Here are some other possible scenarios:

1, The professor find someone to be second at first, but during the procedures the second change his/her mind. You feel bad and maybe it cost you other opportunities.

2, The professor works hard to get you a second, but eventually you decide to turn UCL down. You feel bad.

3, You get into UCL, start a life worrying about fundings and other sunk cost, which affects your academic performance in a bad way.

And now, they have made the decision for you. When things get rough in the future, you will never have to wonder what if I chose UCL...

I hope this could make you feel a little better at this rough time.

 

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

Thanks @kittyball  The prof did request that I let him know where I end up and stay in contact, so maybe I'll have the chance to work with him in the future.  

[hantoo]

9 hours ago, Konstantine said:

I would like to say first and foremost, congratulations to all who have been admitted somewhere so far. I'm really excited for all of you! Great jobs!

As for me, I didn't anticipate coming out of this without a single offer. For some reason, I assumed that getting a Master's Degree would be a huge factor, along with all of the life, work, and academic experience I've gathered in the last few years. This is my second round of PhD applications. The first was when I had a BA with no experience at all. But, combined with the experience of going through the process once (very clumsily) and all the things I mentioned above, I assumed I would get in SOMEwhere. I applied to 16 schools. I basically made PhD applications my life for a while. I didn't half-ass anything, that's for sure. But, so far I've gotten 4 rejections, and some of the other 12 are not looking promising. Kind of at a loss for what to do in life at this point...I am stuck in my dead-end CRM Archaeologist job and I don't foresee any situation in which I would be able to get more experience in Sociocultural Anthropology as a field outside of an internship or volunteering, which I have no time for, because of said job. Maybe I'll just wait until next year and reapply in Archaeological Anthropology instead? Not super excited about that. Anyway, I'm sure everyone who's been experiencing rejections is equally disheartened. But I'm just not sure where to go from here :/

 

Even though it's not super easy to do, I would recommend maybe searching for some research opportunities outside or in addition to CRM. This past year I've been working at my internship (which is awesome but unpaid) as well as a part time job, which is difficult and was especially challenging while I was applying to schools, but I think more than worth it in the end. I gained incredible research experience through my internship and had access to resources that I didn't have during undergrad. Even if it's a lot of work and obviously challenging to make much money doing this, I think it really is worth it for the experience and the connections you make in the process. Also, I do think schools like to see that you're the kind of person who can balance/handle a lot of work at once--grad school is hard and they want to know you won't burn out.

Also, although my focus is sociocultural anthro, I can say that I've really tried to get interdisciplinary experience over the years, and I think that's something that a lot of grad programs like to see. I've done archaeological field schools and lab work for many years, museum research, and NGO and community outreach work, all of which contributed to the development of my proposed graduate research and helped me connect with more people in the academic community.

You might consider getting any job you can in a museum or research institution just to get your foot in the door--I have close friends who worked in visitor services or front desk jobs at museums, and then were able to make connections with the anthro departments there which helped them gain experience. One friend in particular (although she was formally working at the front desk selling tickets) was ultimately able to volunteer to do lab research, become a part of a curator's reading group, and get heavily involved in an amazing anthropology department at the institution she worked at, all of which helped her get in to a lot of great graduate programs. There are also, believe it or not, paid research and lab positions out there if you know where to look. You said you have a Masters degree too--you could probably find a museum research job or more relevant position at an institution because you have that additional experience/certification.

I would also recommend staying in touch with the people you work with, former professors, etc. because often times they can offer you amazing opportunities to add to your CV. For example, I'm currently working on a publication with a former adviser who I had stayed in contact with--she was one of the people who wrote my LoR's, and she somehow got my university to pay me for working on this project with her.

We all know it's not easy (maybe even nearly impossible) to be really successful in this field. It's important to be creative and reach out for every opportunity you can find, because if anthropology is something that you're truly passionate about, it's worth working for!

Edited February 10, 2017 by hantoo

[EvelynD]

5 hours ago, GreenEyedTrombonist said:

@EvelynD Are there any conferences you could present at as an independent scholar? I did this during my break after undergrad and I do think it helped me get accepted to an MA program.

Thanks for the suggestion! I am totally new to my PhD subject (human-equine relations, I came from Mexican traditional dress) but I am doing a lót of reading right now to 'pre-PhD' prepare myself. I don't have any previous essays or anything but I can always think of something! I'm also thinking about doing volunteer work for animal welfare organizations or some kind of non-academic internship. Its all not academically related, but its something I guess.

There is also this great conference on human-animal studies, and a special about human-equine studies in Kentucky this year, but I don't know anyone who is going and is would be really expensive. Something like this is a cool idea / fantasy, but not possible in real life. *dementor mode off*.

[museum_geek]

@Konstantine Don't give up hope!  First (and most importantly) you still have 12 schools to hear from - this application season is far from over for you.  As a fellow sociocultural applicant whose entire (aside from 1 or 2 classes) undergrad focused on archaeology, and whose only field experience coming out of undergrad was a bioarch field school, I can sympathize with your position.  I ended up working at a small science museum for a couple years after undergrad and I'm now finishing up an interdisciplinary MA, during which I did an internship at a large anthropology museum which allowed me to work with ethnographic collections.  

In any case, even if you don't get an offer this season, you definitely have options - summer internship apps are just starting to open up and I'm sure you would be able to find something relevant.  AAA has some decent anthro internships listed on their website, and you can also go to this website to find more museum jobs/internships.  Hope this helps!

[usiwenawasiwasi]

14 hours ago, Konstantine said:

I would like to say first and foremost, congratulations to all who have been admitted somewhere so far. I'm really excited for all of you! Great jobs!

As for me, I didn't anticipate coming out of this without a single offer. For some reason, I assumed that getting a Master's Degree would be a huge factor, along with all of the life, work, and academic experience I've gathered in the last few years. This is my second round of PhD applications. The first was when I had a BA with no experience at all. But, combined with the experience of going through the process once (very clumsily) and all the things I mentioned above, I assumed I would get in SOMEwhere. I applied to 16 schools. I basically made PhD applications my life for a while. I didn't half-ass anything, that's for sure. But, so far I've gotten 4 rejections, and some of the other 12 are not looking promising. Kind of at a loss for what to do in life at this point...I am stuck in my dead-end CRM Archaeologist job and I don't foresee any situation in which I would be able to get more experience in Sociocultural Anthropology as a field outside of an internship or volunteering, which I have no time for, because of said job. Maybe I'll just wait until next year and reapply in Archaeological Anthropology instead? Not super excited about that. Anyway, I'm sure everyone who's been experiencing rejections is equally disheartened. But I'm just not sure where to go from here :/

 

I really empathize with this. I applied in 2013 and was rejected across the board. I have a few apps to go this cycle with two wait lists (which I may never get off of), and three to hear from (but Harvard and Oxford are famously difficult spots to secure). I got pretty down on myself this week about it. It's tough. Like all of us, I often feel wholly invested in this path and the waiting game is exhausting.

I guess the only things I can suggest we do is try to stave off melancholia until all of the decisions are in, allow ourselves to treat ourselves when the wait gets bumpy, and keep our attitudes forward-directed if things don't go as planned. I have been trying to wrest myself of the belief that I need to continue in academia to do work that is relevant and fulfilling to my interests. I think the other posters have mentioned some nice options for continuing and diversifying your research. This is also important to keep in mind even if you pursue a PhD, as research and teaching careers are becoming a thing of the past. We all have to seriously consider what else we can do with an Anthro PhD beyond the academy.

Edited February 10, 2017 by usiwenawasiwasi

[EvelynD]

It is a slight comfort to me that most people are feeling shitty. You are not alone in this! Ánd you are waitlisted for Toronto, I haven't even heard back from them whatsoever!

[usiwenawasiwasi]

6 minutes ago, EvelynD said:

It is a slight comfort to me that most people are feeling shitty. You are not alone in this! Ánd you are waitlisted for Toronto, I haven't even heard back from them whatsoever!

They seem to be rolling them out one by one. I'm American, so getting off a waitlist at Toronto is going to be a tall order. Fingers crossed for you!

Edited February 10, 2017 by usiwenawasiwasi

[EvelynD]

Thanks! I'm from Europe, no idea of that is better/worse. But sometimes you see people on this forum who have like a million acceptences, to they have to decline 999.999 offers. Hopefully that means more sports for us  

[farflung]

14 hours ago, Konstantine said:

Kind of at a loss for what to do in life at this point...I am stuck in my dead-end CRM Archaeologist job and I don't foresee any situation in which I would be able to get more experience in Sociocultural Anthropology as a field outside of an internship or volunteering, which I have no time for, because of said job. Maybe I'll just wait until next year and reapply in Archaeological Anthropology instead? Not super excited about that. Anyway, I'm sure everyone who's been experiencing rejections is equally disheartened. But I'm just not sure where to go from here :/

 

This is definitely a tough spot, and I feel for you. Like others have said, you still have many applications outstanding, so wait until those come in. As a current PhD student moving out of academia, I will try to offer some advice. First, this time may require some serious self-reflection and maybe even therapy. Do you have a good support system around you-- including friends in academia who can give you perspective on your material or faculty mentors who can discuss your individual case? Lean on other people, hard! Why is it exactly that you want to get a PhD? You seem willing to get a PhD in either cultural anthropology or as a last resort archaeological anthropology, which makes me think your goal is to get a PhD regardless of how you get there. If that's the case -- ask yourself: why? I would caution against getting PhD because you're in a dead-end job and it is a way to get out. Lots of people reinvent themselves career-wise! You don't need grad school to do that-- you need professional experience outside of CRM, an open mind and a willingness to start anew in something that may be unfamiliar. Have you tried searching for other jobs? If you reallllly want a PhD because you really want an academic job, keep in mind -- only a sliver of us are likely to find stable academic employment. It's kind of a silly degree in some concrete senses, as there are not really jobs outside of academia that require a PhD. You really only need an MA for non academic jobs. It's true that academia is harsh and terrible, and though it may feel awful to be shut out of PhD programs this year -- it could also be an opportunity to take your future in a cool new direction. Be open to that!

[farflung]

33 minutes ago, usiwenawasiwasi said:

 I have been trying to wrest myself of the belief that I need to continue in academia to do work that is relevant and fulfilling to my interests. I think the other posters have mentioned some nice options for continuing and diversifying your research. This is also important to keep in mind even if you pursue a PhD, as research and teaching careers are becoming a thing of the past. We all have to seriously consider what else we can do with an Anthro PhD beyond the academy.

Yes yes yes yes. Just yes. This article might be helpful on the question of moving beyond the academy, whether that means forgoing an academic job search or giving up on the idea of going to graduate school: https://thesiswhisperer.com/2012/11/07/when-should-you-quit-your-phd/

Edited February 10, 2017 by farflung

[Medanth013]

Who posted the Maynooth acceptance for Anthro? Considering there myself and have questions

 

Would be most appreciative! 

 

I'm posting here for the first time, but in the thick of it with all of you. Applied to 10 phd programs for sociocult/med anthro and 5 rejections so far. I have my MA already and work in a clinic, which is an exceedingly rare thing for an anthropologist with only an MA. I'm thinking my major mistake this year was not contacting any professors beforehand..... my SoP got passed around quite a bit and got some solid stamps of approval, my letter writers are semi well known, my MA gpa is very good (BA was not good, had family crisis) and GRE at least above par. I have international experience in 2 amazing regions that I secured on my own, international university connections and several conference presentations (even chaired one). 

Crossing my fingers for the other 5, but some are really competitive. 

Also, for those who got rejected from michigan ann arbor - a friend gave me a protip for why he got in last year. The anthro dept has VERY LITTLE in terms of funding. Securing your own or going for a dual degree in a dept with better funding helps quite a bit. I wish I'd known that earlier, as I would have been researching funding at schools in various departments. 

Did anyone secure outside funding? Did that help you get in? I'm concerned with the current political climate that funding and acceptances over the next few years in the US might be very sparse. I've already heard that some schools (even Ivys) are being conservative over budget cut concerns....

[farflung]

25 minutes ago, Medanth013 said:

Did anyone secure outside funding? Did that help you get in? I'm concerned with the current political climate that funding and acceptances over the next few years in the US might be very sparse. I've already heard that some schools (even Ivys) are being conservative over budget cut concerns....

This is true. Funding is a real concern for my Ivy League institution under the current government, and I can imagine it is much more pronounced at public universities. First and foremost, we're afraid many sources of external government funding are about to dry up -- including major sources of federal grants like the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. The way most universities (and PhD programs) are able to subsist economically is that a large percentage of faculty and graduate students are able to secure external grant funding from federal agencies and private foundations. These externally funded students and faculty save the university money (who doesn't have to pay them anymore), and in turn allows us  to take on more PhD students.

In sum: universities will accept less PhD students if federal funding is more scarce, because they will have to provide funding to a larger proportion of their admitted students. 

Edit-- forgot to add-- external funding will always help you get in. It's very difficult to secure without the support of a graduate program, however! I'm externally funded but 100% owe it to the time and dedication of faculty members willing to ruthlessly edit my grant application materials. 

Edited February 10, 2017 by farflung