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<p>That’s good, and you should be looking at those things. However, I doubt that this one PhD program produces 100% of the professors in your field - there have to be other archaeology programs that also have good placement rates into academic positions. Find them, too. Remember that you are making the choice like “Either I go to this one particular program or I don’t become an archaeologist at all.” That’s a valid choice, but it has to be the one you want to actually make. You’re also taking a huge risk in the case things don’t work out - and I know you say that your undergrad work was “very integrated” with grad work, but it is ALWAYS different to be an undergraduate student in a department than it is to be a grad student in the same one.</p>
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<p>I get the feeling that students here greatly overestimate the amount of time additional applications take.</p>
<p>Your statement of purpose for each program will largely be the same - after all, your background, experiences, and research interests don’t change. The only thing that will change is the 1-2 paragraphs towards the end in which you talk about the individual program that you’re applying to.</p>
<p>Your recommenders will write essentially the same letter for each school; they may change or tweak a few sentences here and there but that doesn’t take a lot of extra work. Your GRE scores are sent electronically, so it’s not like you’ll be licking envelopes into the early morn. Your CV won’t change. The only task that you have to do over and over again is fill out those electronic applications, and they take maybe 20 minutes tops.</p>
<p>In other words, you can do 5 amazing applications with just a little more effort than it takes to do one amazing application.</p>
<p>Again I say - if your choice is “Either I go to X University’s program or I don’t get a PhD at all, because I don’t want one if I can’t go there,” then just apply to one program. That’s a VERY valid choice, IMO. I felt that way when I was applying to grad school - I had very specific research interests and the program I’m currently in was the only one that completely satisfied those interests. Therefore, I applied to one PhD program; I would have rather gone to a better-tailored/suited master’s program and earned a PhD later than gone to a different PhD program the year I applied. That’s totally fine!</p>
<p>But if you want your choice to be broader - i.e., “I want to go to a PhD program in archaeology next year and become an academic archaeologist/research professor” - well, I’m betting there’s more than one program that will allow you to do that. And I think it’s the safest bet to apply to several programs (between 5 and 10) that will get you to your goal.</p>
<p>Last thing:</p>
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<p>You may not believe me, but lots of professors say this to lots of students. They get really excited when another young scholar shares their interests, and they start thinking of cool ways that you can collaborate, projects you can do together, etc. That does not mean that you are in the program. You’re not in until you’re in - you never know, another student could have an even better project idea than yours, or similar ideas but more research experience, or knows some skill that the professor doesn’t and needs, or is related to the professor’s sister. You simply do not know what the rest of the pool looks like.</p>
<p>If you’re close to this dean and you think you have a pretty decent shot of getting in, why not simply ask her point blank? Some professors do give assurances like that to prospective students. One example: my lab’s former lab manager (and currently one of my fellow grad students in the department) knew, through conversations with our PI, that if she applied to our program she was getting in. And even then she still applied to like 4 other programs. Because you just never know - she may have gotten a better offer somewhere else, or discovered a new interest or area of expertise, or our program could’ve crashed and let no one in. <em>shrug</em></p>