2008 Anthro PhD Applicants

[nailbitingnmiserable]

Hey Guys,

I was hoping to find some other Anthro applicants who might be out there and playing the waiting game. I'm miserably trying to survive the next couple of months while waiting on NYU, UPENN, UChicago, UVA, WashU and Brown. Has anyone heard anything about when we might start to be notified, and/or how notification will come? I keep seeing and hearing different things.

[pleasegodletmein]

Hey, I'm waiting too, checking the results on this site every few hours even though I know we won't hear anything till the end of Jan/beg of February at the earliest. Crap. I've also applied at NYU and UPenn. I have a couple of friends in Providence if you end up at Brown, though I don't necessarily recommend Providence as a place to spend 5+ years. Anyway, you can get an idea of when people were notified last year if you go to this url: http://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/index ... &DT=A&PL=A

It's last year's grad cafe results. Good luck! Nice to know other people are wigging out a little too. I'm beginning to consider consulting a fortune-teller.

[acoustic_mayhem]

Just wondering what it is about Providence that makes you not reccomend it to someone for 5+ years?

I've never been there myself, but I'm applying to Brown as well...... :shock:

[nailbitingnmiserable]

Anyway, you can get an idea of when people were notified last year if you go to this url: http://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/index ... &DT=A&PL=A

It's last year's grad cafe results. Good luck! Nice to know other people are wigging out a little too. I'm beginning to consider consulting a fortune-teller.

Thanks for the web address. I don't know if is it better or worse knowing that if I'm in I will probably hear between Feb 14 and Feb 28, and if I'm rejected it will probably be sometime in March. It looks like all the anthro programs I applied to, except Penn which isn't listed, have late Feb notification for accepted students.

If I go to Brown, I might end up of staying in Boston and commuting to Providence, though 5 years or more of that might actually be worse than just moving there. :|

[pleasegodletmein]

if you look under 'city guide,' i posted something on providence under "Providence, RI"- last page. let me know if you want more juice. my schools:

Indiana U

NYU

CUNY

Columbia

UPenn

Temple

Emory (women's studies)

UTexas

WUSTL

UCLA (women's studies)

Berkeley

UWashington

any word on any of these?

[pleasegodletmein]

yeah, commuting to providence from boston would take a while b/c you have to get to the train station, take the train (50 mins?), get to brown from there (it's on the other side of town- not walkable- not sure about the bus system- but biking would take about 20 mins i think). so you're looking at at least 1 1/2 hours each way. you could try it though. some people live in between. but those little towns sort of blow. i would try living in providence for the first year and see what you want to do from there, if i were you.

[nailbitingnmiserable]

I recently visited Brown, and spoke with some grad students there who commute from Boston. I took the train there myself and it wasn't too bad. Lots of time to sleep or catch up on reading, but a nice direct route overall. The walk wasn't bad from the train, and there are buses to campus. Providence seems a lot like Cambridge, just a little more quiet. The campus is lovely, old and walkable, the professors older mainly, but respected and friendly, and the students a mix - many of them seem kind of disenchanted with the school and the program, but I would prefer to form an opinion for myself.

[nailbitingnmiserable]

 

 

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pleasegodletmein said:

Indiana U

NYU

CUNY

Columbia

UPenn

Temple

Emory (women's studies)

UTexas

WUSTL

UCLA (women's studies)

Berkeley

UWashington

any word on any of these?

I also applied to NYU and UPENN. I don't know about UPENN, but NYU looks like they generally send out acceptances at the end of Feb and rejections at the end of March.

what is your research focus?

[pleasegodletmein]

Sociocultural, Latin America, health and globalization

[pleasegodletmein]

I would prefer to form an opinion for myself.

definitely form your own opinion- to some folk, Providence is the "big city." to me, it's just a tad better than afton, wyoming (population 899).

[leros]

I applied only to two schools, University of Toronto and Cambridge, UK

Started of with 5, and ended up with two above mentioned

All I can do now is wait and finish my thesis

good luck to you all with your applications!

[nailbitingnmiserable]

Sociocultural, Latin America, health and globalization

Me:

Sociocultural, South Asia (India) and Indian Diaspora, gender studies and Immigration

What about everyone else?

[heythereman]

Hey everyone!

My area is sociocultural, China/East Asia, religion (Christianity) and language, effects of globalization. I'm applying to:

U Chicago

Columbia

CUNY

Cornell

Washington University in St. Louis

Michigan

UC Berkeley

UC San Diego

U Wisconsin-Madison

Harvard

Yes, it's a lot of "reach" schools, but I decided to give it a shot. Besides, I definitely found it hard to find a lot of programs in anthropology that were middling and "safety" but still had acceptable funding options and research going on.

I've seen this done on other threads, but I was curious as to other people's backgrounds in anthropology? Are you coming straight out of undergrad or have you taken time off? Have you had fieldwork/research experience or any publications?

Since I asked, I'll start: I'm taking a year off after graduating, and I did do a fieldwork project and wrote an honors thesis on it. No publications yet, but *fingers crossed*.

[nailbitingnmiserable]

I've seen this done on other threads, but I was curious as to other people's backgrounds in anthropology? Are you coming straight out of undergrad or have you taken time off? Have you had fieldwork/research experience or any publications?

Since I asked, I'll start: I'm taking a year off after graduating, and I did do a fieldwork project and wrote an honors thesis on it. No publications yet, but *fingers crossed*.

I went straight from undergrad into an MA program in anthro, and then took a few years off. I've had some fieldwork experience, and research experience, but no publications. My MA program did not include writing a Thesis; instead I interned with the Smithsonian Institute in DC.

[leros]

I am applying straight from undergrad... currently working on my thesis in medical anthropology... already have one publication (in one American journal), and another is due soon (in February, in a German reader).

And I have some fieldwork experience... both in anthropology and archaeology (which is my second major).

Anyone into med. anthro.?

[nailbitingnmiserable]

I've been reading over some of the anthro postings from 2006, and making myself even more nervous. I'm also terrified that I tried to pack too much information into my Statement. Reading over it, it seems disjointed, and I've found typos...typos! I must have looked it over a hundred times before I sent it in, how am I only now finding these typos? My original statement had a lot more of me in it, and was more organic. The one I sent in is crammed with name dropping and reads terribly. I made the changes based on the suggestions of my recommenders, but really it just seems awful. What if the one person I need to like it -- the head of the NYU grad admissions committee -- doesn't like the way it is written? Is that it for me? Do I lose any chance of getting in?

[pleasegodletmein]

i would try not to wig out about it too much. in fact, you probably shouldn't even look at it again at this point. how could you not hate something you've read 50 zillion times? even the best books/papers in the world would become sickening at that point. my own statement of purpose now makes me want to vomit. your statement is probably good, if you had your recommenders look over it.

[heythereman]

I've been reading over some of the anthro postings from 2006, and making myself even more nervous. I'm also terrified that I tried to pack too much information into my Statement. Reading over it, it seems disjointed, and I've found typos...typos! I must have looked it over a hundred times before I sent it in, how am I only now finding these typos? My original statement had a lot more of me in it, and was more organic. The one I sent in is crammed with name dropping and reads terribly. I made the changes based on the suggestions of my recommenders, but really it just seems awful. What if the one person I need to like it -- the head of the NYU grad admissions committee -- doesn't like the way it is written? Is that it for me? Do I lose any chance of getting in?

I'm right there with you. I'd caution you against reading last year's thread for sanity's sake, but as I've already done it myself, it'd pretty hypocritical. :-) Rationally speaking, I don't think previous postings are a very good sampling of what real results and experiences are for applicants -- those who have grievances and are freaking out are the ones posting on this board. (I guess that means I'm freaking out? Hmmm...).

As my apps are all in and confirmed and re-confirmed, my approach now is trying to be Zen about it, trying not to check my email every three seconds, and telling myself that somehow, someday, things will work out.

[rising_star]

I've been reading over some of the anthro postings from 2006, and making myself even more nervous. I'm also terrified that I tried to pack too much information into my Statement. Reading over it, it seems disjointed, and I've found typos...typos! I must have looked it over a hundred times before I sent it in, how am I only now finding these typos? My original statement had a lot more of me in it, and was more organic. The one I sent in is crammed with name dropping and reads terribly. I made the changes based on the suggestions of my recommenders, but really it just seems awful. What if the one person I need to like it -- the head of the NYU grad admissions committee -- doesn't like the way it is written? Is that it for me? Do I lose any chance of getting in?

Stop re-reading your statement. There's nothing you can do about it now so why torture yourself by reading it over and over and playing the "what-if" game.

[pleasegodletmein]

As my apps are all in and confirmed and re-confirmed, my approach now is trying to be Zen about it, trying not to check my email every three seconds, and telling myself that somehow, someday, things will work out.

i'm trying to be zen. i now have to limit time spent on this board because the night before last i stayed up all night worrying about it, wondering what people were posting, wondering if i would get in, when, where (well- who cares where- just let me in!)... my name is pleasegodletmein, and i'm addicted to grad school forums. i've been clean for... whoops.

[nailbitingnmiserable]

Thanks everyone...I'm feeling a little more relaxed right now, but I'd be even happier if they would update the websites to show that they rec'd all my materials. Two of the schools are still showing incomplete. I emailed and called, but no wants to talk to me. They keep sending these auto messages saying I should chill another week or so, and then worry.

I thought getting all my material in over a month early would prevent this from happening. Silly me.

[pleasegodletmein]

i know exactly what you mean. i still haven't heard from some schools i applied to in September on whether my file is complete, whether they've received anything at all, etc. - and i've been emailing and calling since October. i've decided those schools will be my last choice, if i end up with a choice (knock on wood). my blood pressure is rising. i guess it's a little normal to flip out when you have no idea of where/how you will spend the next 5-7 years of your life but know that you will find out soon... or that soon you will be screwed and will spend the next 5-7 back at starbucks (working- not drinking delicious lattes).

but for now, i'm going to try and relax for the weekend. there's no need to flip out when i'm not on the clock for it.

[nervouswreck]

Hell! looks like everyone is applying to UPenn!! when does one get to hear from them?? I hate this waiting period. Has anyone applied to MSU or Univ of Florida?? For forensic and osteology?

[nailbitingnmiserable]

I don't know when UPENN starts getting back to people, but I imagine around the same time as the others, mid - late Feb. That seems to be the make or break period for most Anthro programs.

[thundersaber1985]

Hey Nervouswreck

I'm applying for osteology and forensics too, what schools are you applying to? Here is my list

Arizona State

Ohio State

CUNY

SUNY- Binghamton

Tulane

Missouri

Michigan State

Tennessee

UC Santa Barbara

Good luck with the waiting game