Prepping for the 2018 cycle!

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

hey @Bschaefer ! Good to see you again and good luck!  

I've got my list of anth programs down to 9 and plan to email PoIs in the next 2 weeks (want to catch up on some readings first). 

I'm working on reducing my list for comm programs now. 

At which schools are you looking?

[bioarch_fan]

On 8/25/2017 at 0:22 PM, Alynnh said:

Hi guys!

I'm applying this application round too! I'm in my senior year right now, and spent most my summer looking into schools, preparing my application materials, and studying for the GRE.

I'm interested in bioarchaeology, and specifically the bioarchaeology of childhood. I'm most interested in things like cultural contact and migration and how they affected biological aspects of childhood. I have about ten schools on my list, and my next steps are to start reaching out to them. I've got two field schools underneath my belt and an independent research project. I volunteer in three labs and also occasionally help with our campus archaeology program. I have a good GPA and should really strong letters of rec. I didn't do awesome on the GRE, but my advisor said that other aspects of my application will hopefully compensate for that, but its still nerve racking because I really don't have the time to study all over again, and I still haven't decided if I want to retake it or not.

I'm still putting the finishing touches on my SoPs, but if anyone wouldn't mind looking at my CV that would much appreciated!

I'm a bioarch MA student right now. If you have any questions please send me a message and I'll respond fairly quickly!

[Bschaefer]

Hey @GreenEyedTrombonist same to you! 

I'm looking at Emory, Brown, UIC, UC Riverside, UNC Chapel Hill, Penn, UMass, and Tulane this round. I think I had a few more on my list but I'm drawing a blank tbh. What about you?

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@Bschaefer Awesome! My list is currently (still researching, not finalized for applying yet):

1. Columbia
2. UC Irvine
3. USC (California, not Carolina)
4. U of Penn
5. UC Davis
6. Rutgers
7. Cornell
8. George Washington
9. U Mass Amherst

and then 7 comm programs:
1. Boston University
2. U of Oregon
3. Penn State
4. Temple
5. Washington State
6. UW Madison

7. NYU

Right now I'm considering removing Boston because, when I emailed them about my research interests and goodness of fit, the reply was they wouldn't look at my research interests until after I'm admitted, but their application website clearly says I need to prove goodness of fit and faculty research connections in a personal statement so...

[museum_geek]

Hi all,

I applied last cycle and I'm now in the first year of a PhD program.  I'd love to stay active on this forum, so please feel free to use me as a resource during the upcoming application cycle.  I'm happy to offer advice, edit SoPs, share my own application experiences, etc.  Best of luck to everyone this application season - feel free to reach out for any help you may need as the (incredibly long) application cycle keeps moving.

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@museum_geek I always welcome advice, especially about SoPs.  Good to see you're still active here!

[EvelynD]

On 27-8-2017 at 1:12 AM, Bschaefer said:

Hey guys, I’m reapplying for fall 2018 and refining my SOP as well. I earned my MA in Anthropology (Andean Bioarchaeology) amd graduate certificate in Latin American Studies. Right now I’m on track to finish my MPH in Infectious diseases and outbreak prevention. 

Im mostly interested in warfare and violence (including ritual) during political transitions of major empires in Andean Peru. 

So far, I have about 6 or 7 schools I plan to apply to which is better than my 2 last year lol. 

Huh, I thought you got in last year :/ Good luck then!

[museum_geek]

On 9/2/2017 at 1:41 AM, GreenEyedTrombonist said:

@museum_geek I always welcome advice, especially about SoPs.  Good to see you're still active here!

Super late response but yes, feel free to send me your SoPs!  I remember how stressed I got about writing a SoP when I applied last year - I ended up going through 4 or 5 drafts before I felt comfortable submitting applications and even then I wasn't totally confident in what I had written.  I'm happy to pay it forward after all the great advice and edits I got last year, so feel free to get in touch!

[Bschaefer]

8 hours ago, EvelynD said:

Huh, I thought you got in last year :/ Good luck then!

Unfortunately no, was. Emy. Lose from what my POIs told me. But thank you and same to you as well!

[museum_geek]

@Bschaefer I have no doubt you'll get in this cycle, especially after how close you came last year with only a couple apps sent out!

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@museum_geek thanks so much! I'm trying to do some work on them this weekend.

[EvelynD]

Do all you second-timers feel super anxious too? Last year I was way more naive, applying was stressful but also a lot of fun. now I feel like, this is it,..if I don't get in this time my chances are over. I'm not even sure of my LoR's will help me, especially since I'm applying at 10 uni's this year (4 last year). 

[Bschaefer]

Wow that was not correct English —“was. Emy. Lose” translates to “was very close” in extremely tired graduate student lingo haha

 

sidenote: do people still use the word lingo?—asking for a friend...

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@EvelynDMe too! I applied to 5 last year and am currently looking at 11 this year (still need to contact a couple POIs). It does feel like if I don't get in this year I won't be able to apply again. I'm trying to ignore that and just work on my SoPs and whatnot. :/

[EvelynD]

On 9-9-2017 at 3:36 PM, Bschaefer said:

sidenote: do people still use the word lingo?—asking for a friend...

I think I heard my grandma say it once..;)

Just kidding, I don't know, I'm not even a native speaker.

[EvelynD]

23 hours ago, GreenEyedTrombonist said:

@EvelynDMe too! I applied to 5 last year and am currently looking at 11 this year (still need to contact a couple POIs). It does feel like if I don't get in this year I won't be able to apply again. I'm trying to ignore that and just work on my SoPs and whatnot. :/

I'm now down to 8, so I'm gonna try to find some more schools just to be sure.  I'm scared to contact my LoR's, because I think they might refuse to help me. Also, one schools requires me to send in an official copy of my thesis to the graduate department. The thing is, I think my master thesis sucks! I got a 7/10 for it, so its concidered ok, but my English sucks and the content itself does too. I'm not sure what to do,..

[EvelynD]

Pff, I'm down to 5 schools again,...One doesn't hire this year, and the others either want you to come in with a MA in anthropology (mine is in archaeology so I have to ask all faculties if this is a problem), and others have GRA requirements that I don't meet. 

So tomorrow evening is going to be dedicated to finding programs all over again  Will this ever end? Why did I even choose such a dificult topic that I can't even find a proppoer amount of programs?

[Islamahmed]

Are you guys applying to M.A programs, Ph.D programs or both?

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@Islamahmed I am applying to PhD only. I just got my MA in Applied Anthropology, so there's no reason for me to apply to do an MA again. On the Comm side, I'm not necessarily opposed to entering at the MA level, but might as well try for the PhD.

@EvelynD Doing better than me! Writing is pretty much on the wall that I'm much more likely to get into a Comm program given my interests. x] Regarding the submittal of your thesis, I would reach out to friends to see if they'd be willing to edit a chapter or section for grammar. Does the content suck because of the findings, the quality of the methods, or something else? Some of these can probably be corrected for before submitting it with your app. 

Still need to edit my SoP, but I have an article due today (not academic/journal, just for work) so I'm procrastinating...

 

[Bschaefer]

@Islamahmed echoing @GreenEyedTrombonist, I have my MA in Anthro, a MA in Latin American Studies (i took too many classes for the g.cert), and will have my MPH by spring so I am only applying to PhDs. However if I can get another masters en route to the PhD in anthro, I’ll most likely do that. 

[EvelynD]

15 hours ago, GreenEyedTrombonist said:

 

@EvelynD Doing better than me! Writing is pretty much on the wall that I'm much more likely to get into a Comm program given my interests. x] Regarding the submittal of your thesis, I would reach out to friends to see if they'd be willing to edit a chapter or section for grammar. Does the content suck because of the findings, the quality of the methods, or something else? Some of these can probably be corrected for before submitting it with your app. 

It sucks because,..well,..because of everything. It's a bit all over the place because I combined photo analysis, literature analysis and ethnography (or, as my co-supervisor called it '''something yóu call ethnographic research''). Then I compared all my results with a specific theory to see what new insights I could gain. It sounds ok, but it was only graded as an average good thesis. How am I going to compete with you guys, with your research experience (we don't go on research projects, can't TA, etc)? I just don't feel secure about it. I could correct the grammar to make my thesis less cringy, but is that even allowed? 

 

 

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@EvelynD I don't think the mixed methods approach is a bad thing. I'd listen to the advice from your other post and reach out to your POIs. Let them know that the thesis is from some time ago and ask if you can either do some edits before submitting it, submit a different writing sample, or also submit a more recent writing sample.

I'm trying to figure out my LoR situation now. :/

[EvelynD]

1 hour ago, GreenEyedTrombonist said:

@EvelynD I don't think the mixed methods approach is a bad thing. I'd listen to the advice from your other post and reach out to your POIs. Let them know that the thesis is from some time ago and ask if you can either do some edits before submitting it, submit a different writing sample, or also submit a more recent writing sample.

I'm trying to figure out my LoR situation now. :/

What are you struggeling with?

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@EvelynD Just stressing over applying to Comm programs with only anthro profs.

[EvelynD]

22 hours ago, GreenEyedTrombonist said:

@EvelynD Just stressing over applying to Comm programs with only anthro profs.

Does it really matter? They know you, and you probably aren't the only one switching programs.