<p>I'm starting my Junior year in undergrad and I notice a lot of people on CC grad forums talk about engineering and sciences, but for a subject like anthropology (or archaeology in my case, but very few schools offer the straight archaeology program), what would it take to get into the top Ph.D programs? I feel like the process is incredibly subjective. I am specifically looking at Cal, UCLA, Stanford, BU and Harvard. So, I have a couple questions regarding specific application things as well:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>I transferred as a sophomore from a community college (the best in CA, but still a CC). How does this affect the GPA a grad school sees? My CC GPA was 3.8, and my current GPA is a 3.4. (Major GPA: 3.9/3.7- I am a double major) How do grad admissions committees read this? My school keeps the GPA I've earned here separate, and I know I'll have to submit both transcripts.</p></li>
<li><p>Since being at this school, I've gotten incredibly into faculty-mentored research and have published papers twice and presented at three academic conferences. I've received three research grants from the university and had an internship with a major arts institution in conservation science. I'm worried that my CV might reflect too much involvement and not as much academics? Because of this I am kind of retreating from my ECs (including research) and trying to bring up my GPA... Is this a good move?</p></li>
<li><p>Does any work experience factor into graduate school, or should I keep it off my CV?</p></li>
<li><p>Does volunteering at a museum count as relevant work experience?</p></li>
</ul>
– High GPA
– High GRE scores (less important for admission, very important for fellowships)
– Strong letters of recommendation, preferably from well-known professors
– A focused statement of purpose that clearly sets out your goals
– Excavation experience
– Research experience
– A research fit with one or more faculty members who are willing to take you on</p>
<p>
Be warned that you have virtually no chance of funding at BU without a MA. For the PhD program, they receive 150 applications, admit around 50, and fund 2. </p>
<p>Berkeley is nearly as competitive, normally receiving 60-80 applications for 4-6 funded spots. A MA is strongly encouraged if you are applying to the AHMA program at Berkeley. Admissions and funding in archaeology at UCLA and Berkeley will be incredibly competitive for the next few years.</p>
<p>
Your research experience will help a great deal in graduate admissions. As long as your GPA is within the suggested range (3.5+ overall, 3.7+ major), you’re fine.</p>
<p>thanks! I’ve been looking into programs a bit deeper today, and actually realized there are few programs listed in the top arch/anthro programs (which I found in the CC history) that offer my area of interest (Asia, specifically Buddhism, religious/cultural systems, economics and complex societies). Looks like I’ll be really searching past rankings.</p>