Networking

FACULTY

1:Contact Faculty at your current institution to inquire if they have any contacts at the institutions you are applying to. If you are in good standing with this/these professors ask them to make personal contacts on your behalf.

2: Directly contact the individuals you wish to work with at the graduate schools. Send them a short email explaining who you and why you would like to work with them. Professors may be on sabbatical, retiring or only accept a certain number of grad students they want to mentor each year.  So contacting them ahead of time is important.

3: Letters of recommendation.  Ask faculty to write you letters of recommendations, preferably faculty you have taken several courses with and in which you have done very well (A or B) in their courses.  Provide the faculty with your letter of intent, your CV, and a list of the schools (include address, contact name, and deadline). Request letters at least 1 month before the deadline.  DO NOT ASK FACULTY TO WRITE YOU LETTERS DURING HOLIDAYS (Winter break, Spring break or summer), as you are unlikely to get a response.

STUDENTS:

Consider contacting through email one or two students at the graduate school you are applying to, to get the inside scoop.  Often there is a list of current graduate students and their projects listed on department web sites.

For the Future (Advise from the USF TAMPA ANTHROPOLOGY PROGRAM HANDOUT):

Prepare your applications carefully and thoroughly.

• Check your spelling, grammar, and content for your letter of intent. Better yet, have someone else check.
• Fill out all portions of the applications. If you do not understand something call or email them.

• Be sure to specifically address what they are asking for, as the letter needs to be specific for each school you apply to

Campus Visits:

• If you find one or two schools that you believe are PERFECT for you, make every effort to visit the campuses to talk to students and faculty and to evaluate their facilities. Do this before you apply.
• Visits are the best way to find out which graduate program will best suit your academic and career goals. Most graduate departments will invite you to sit in on classes, visit the library, meet with faculty and students, and talk with department chairs or directors of graduate studies.
• Your objective here is to stand out and be noticed, a face-to-face interview allows you to make an impression.
• These visits require planning and forethought:
• Make appointments with the people you specifically want to meet & talk to.
• Draw up a set of questions to guide conversations with those people.
• Prepare well, and dress for the occasion, you want to make a positive impression.

Once you send off your application packet, your work is NOT over.

• Follow up with phone calls, especially to the faculty members you'd like to work with or the director of graduate studies.
• Find out when acceptance decisions will be made and call again the week before.
• Schools are often eager to encourage serious graduate students. Make sure they know who you are and what areas you're interested in.
• Presenting yourself as an organized, competent student will certainly attract like minded advisors.
• You want to make yourself visible to the faculty, make them aware of your goals, abilities, & desire.