Fall 2017 Anthropology Applicants

[Just a display name]

Hey everybody, 

Just wondering if anyone waiting it out has applied to Anthro programs this Fall. I guess I'll start, I've applied to 3 MA programs at IUPUI, Ball State, and SIU Carbondale. I'm in archaeology, and am hoping to research prehistoric North American arch, specifically Mississippian/Fort Ancient relations. I've been working in the CRM field for the past 3 years, and as some of you might know, you hit a wall as a field technician without a MA. So that's my goal, get an MA, then an RPA, and perhaps eventually a PhD! I would love to direct my own field school one day.

My GRE scores really sucked (154 V/147Q/ 4.5 AWA), but I'd like to think everything else I have on my applications are pretty damn solid. I've worked in an arch lab setting for 4 years and have copious amounts of fieldwork experience. I'm currently on a Phase III project excavating a mound! I've got two co-authored reports and a number of lithic analysis contributions as well ...but I am going CRAZY waiting to hear back from these schools. I try to forget about it so I don't worry as much, LOL. 

So anyone in the field of anth (any subfield) applying to graduate school this fall/year? I'd like to hear about your research ideas and perhaps we can share our anxiety of this process! Good Luck!!

Edited January 28, 2017 by Just a display name

[nmpps]

I have applied to 4 PhD programs (I can't really afford the 5th MA program app fee... oops!). I'm archaeology, too! Although my experience is in the American Southwest/zooarchaeology. My experience is very similar to yours: solid experience/GPA with "ehh" GRE scores (156V/141Q/4W). I also had some solid LoR but your application seems to be a lot stronger than mine. 

I think my anxiety came to a head to day and fate decided to have some pity! I was accepted into one of my first choices so I'm super excited! Of course I'm still a bit anxious because I'm waiting to hear from my 2nd choice but I am a lot calmer now that I know my career isn't completely over. My friend who is getting her PhD relatively soon has always iterated that programs in anthropology truly emphasize "fit" in their acceptance decisions. I believe her a little bit more now!

Good luck!

 

 

Edited January 28, 2017 by nmpps
spacing

[Mrbenfield]

I applied to the PhD in cultural at UIowa, the master's in cultural at SUNY Albany, and the PhD in archaeology at SUNY Binghamton. My backup is a CRM masters at Adams State because they accept applications until the first week of classes and the professors already know my crazy. My GRE scores are slightly above average, but weren't high enough for a fellowship at any of the UC schools. I'm really relying on the rest of my application. 

[ChrisTOEFert]

Applied to two Canadian schools only, as they are both "at home" and require minimal commute from my home city.  Applied to McMaster University and the University of Toronto.  I finished my MSc at Toronto in August of 2016, accepted a PhD program that was in Copenhagen for October 1st, 2016...hated it...was back home by November 1st, 2016.  I'm happy that my previous acceptance for Fall 2016 at U of T, and me subsequently rejecting it, did not hurt me in this application season.  I got an email from my MSc supervisor, who is going to be a co-supervisor for my PhD that I was accepted as of Friday or something.  I am happy, but truth be told, I hope McMaster comes through as I am a little bit more invested in the project and it is more aligned with my research interests.  

Good luck to all.  

[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.

PhD Cultural | Emory - Rejected

PhD Cultural | Brown

PhD Cultural | Stanford

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!