anthropology departments?

slipper1234
Wed, 16 Aug 2006 17:30:36 +0000

I was a Dartmouth anthro major.

It is an AMAZING department with total focus on undergrads. It starts sophomore summer when anyone with over a 3.2 gets to work one-on-one with a professor for what is called a “presidential scholarship (paid to boot).” THEN Dartmouth offers a grant to anyone in the dept (up to 10K) if you prepare for your thesis (I got 10K for my thesis research and did independant cultural research on a pacific Island!), a great thesis program which many students elect to take (I had TWO advisors). The culminating seminars usually have less than 10 per class (two of my final classes had THREE people). I literally had 5 classes with practically one-on-one instruction and tons of one-on-one time away from class (I had dinner with my professors families and went to dinner with them…)

To top it off 100% of the 6 or 7 majors who got their PhD in my class right after school went to top 5 grad schools like Berkeley, Chicago, and Harvard. Many more elected to do further international research, which their professors were instrumental in getting. I think the difference is that students graduate from Dartmouth with incredible recommendations and actual research experience.

Oh yeah, AND there is a Dartmouth anthro study abroad program in New Zealand.

Its amazing. Not to mention the fact that Dartmouth is one of the best schools anywhere AND is a terrific social experience. Interestingly, I (a person who only wanted anthro for undergrad) leveraged my experience into getting into a top 5 business school as one of the youngest in my class.

People WAY overrate graduate department ranks. While a Michigan student is probably sitting in a class with 100 people, I was out at my professors house meeting his family and eating lasagna. THAT is what makes your career.