#mapss

I’ve just gotten through my first week, and it has been both exactly what I expected and not really what I expected at all. 

Before even making my decision to attend UChicago, I did as much research as I could find about not only my program (MAPSS), but the different PhD programs, the undergraduate life- I wanted to see what it would be like to attend the school from every perspective because I knew that it would have an impact on my experience no matter what (e.g. disgruntled Anthropology PhD students might make for a poor potential network). It seemed that wherever I searched, I was met with sort of the same thing, and it always revolved around how difficult the school was; where fun came to die, etc etc. I became nervous that I wouldn’t be able to handle it, especially not with my state-school training, and being out of school for two years. 

I expected the worst when classes started- even though I only have a load of three courses, I knew the amount of reading was going to be herculean (I was told to expect upwards of 1800 pages of reading per week for all three classes). I expected to come to class and be outshone by brilliant ivy-league-undergrad-grad-students, by prodigy undergrads taking grad courses; I expected professors to be abstruse and esoteric, whose attention would be difficult to grab. 

It hasn’t really been any of that. I’m taking the Anthropology of Food and Cuisine, Cultural Psychology: Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations, and the required Perspectives course. The reading has been a lot, but certainly manageable, and I’m working between 15-20 hrs a week for my job back in San Diego still (remotely). There are roughly 200 pages of reading per course/week, but I find that it’s not too bad because the material is incredible interesting. If you’re like me and are attending graduate school (more specifically, the MAPSS program) because you love your field, love reading, love learning, then the most “difficult” part of graduate school is not really a problem at all; it certainly isn’t for me. 

Further, the classes I’ve chosen are quite small (one is an actual seminar and the other, while a lecture, didn’t have many people sign up for it, so it’s like a seminar as well), which probably is why I don’t feel lost among many, or feel like I have to fight for the professor’s attention. 

I haven’t really run into any PhD students yet- or, not that I know of. This is surprising to me because the school consists of double the amount of undergrads there are, yet the undergrads seem to be everywhere. One of my classes (food & cuisine) is filled with all undergrads, save for one PhD student and myself, which to be honest, is rather disheartening. I don’t have a particular issue with undergrads, or feel like I’m too good to be around them or anything (especially since many of them are way smarter than I am!), but I don’t like being in a class where everyone is an undergrad. My reason for this is that these 18, 19, and 20 year-olds just don’t have the perspective that I need at this point in my life- I’ve done what they are doing, seven years ago now, and it’s rather boring to me. Most of them haven’t had jobs, haven’t had professional experience, and really lack an awareness that ventures beyond the academic setting. I was the same way when I was that age. Next quarter I’ll do my best to register for classes with mostly graduate students...

The only class I’m having “trouble” with is the perspectives class. There’s a lot of reading for something I don’t feel like I need training in; it feels like those painful intro courses I was forced to take in my first year of undergrad, where they’re supposed to teach you “how” to think. I know how to think, thank you, and I don’t need to read Marx for the hundredth time to prove it.

In closing, this week has shown me that academic rigor UChicago is famed for is real, but it’s not entirely overwhelming like people made it out to be. I am still in the first week, so this could change, but looking at the syllabus for all my courses for the rest of the quarter, I don’t see it changing too much. I haven’t had anyone (students or professors alike) discredit me or shame me for being a MAPSS student; I haven’t felt lost or out of place in class, like I’m lesser-than by being a MAPSS student; and I don’t feel like I’m being crushed. Again, we’ll see where I am mid-quarter!

I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to document my thoughts in the form of a blog during my time at UChicago. While my blogging skills are abysmal, and my thought process as scattered as ever, giving this a shot seemed like a good idea. We shall however see how long I stick to this in a disciplined manner. 

I don’t know how helpful this will be to people, nor what kind of information I want to put up here, but I’ll just take it as it comes. I remember how when I first got acquainted with MAPSS, my attending it didn’t seem like a possibility at the time. I went the common route of a referral from the PhD program, and when I received the acceptance I was: confused. Not because I got it, since I knew that there was a high likelihood of my being accepted, but rather exactly how I would move forward since this wasn’t in the cards, atleast in my head. I immediately got into the task of finding out more about the course, what it entailed and was overwhelmingly hit with multiple accounts of how intensive it is, it being a cash cow program and the apparently minimal attention that is given to MAPSS students at the University. While these accounts made me apprehensive at first, I came to realise that these things could be dealt with through my own initiative if I so chose. The cash cow argument became quite tiring and repetitive after a bit. The course is very expensive, I will admit, but being offered a substantial aid package, made the prospect of attending much easier. On how intensive the course is, the faculty themselves had no qualms about informing us repeatedly that it will be a very tough and busy year, but I come from a position where I actually welcome that intensity. I enjoy academic rigour, and work a lot better in academic environments. I know I’ll probably work myself to the bone because my ability to maintain a work-life balance is absolute sh!t, but I’m hoping my awareness of it will allow me to discipline myself better. 

Discipline, discipline, discipline. I think that’s key to surviving the program. 9 months are going to pass by in a blink, and that is as exciting as it is daunting. Just the thought of being in Chicago, and being surrounded by so many people with whom I can share ideas and engage in meaningful conversation with, makes undertaking this a bit more worth it in my head. And let’s be real, its the University of Chicago *faints*.  I still have a few months before the start of classes, and lots of work to do in between now and then. Let’s hope I can stay on top of my feet (for this blog and in life as well)! 

I’ll try to keep this brief and offer a few pointers for those who are moving from California to the Midwest by car, like I did. It can be useful for students of all kind looking to find an apartment near the University of Chicago. 

Pre-move

I am a bit obsessed with budgeting and did a reasonable calculation of how much money I would need to move, and what I could save up in the two months leading up to the move. I calculated about $600, but I knew I would have help with food costs from my mom, who would be making the drive with me, along with my cat. It turns out $600 was just about what we needed, with her contributing $200, making it just shy of $1000. 

I had a bit of a hard time finding housing for a good six months. I couldn’t afford to come out to Chicago all the way from San Diego and find an apartment in person, so it all had to be done remotely, which was challenging. Some property management companies refused to even work with me, saying I had to physically be in Chicago (or have a relative on my behalf) come and see the unit before discussing moving in--looking at you, TLC Management Group. I read online that MAC Properties was shady, didn’t take care of their apartment buildings, and was extremely overpriced, so I avoided them as long as I could before I became desperate. I ended up almost getting an apartment with them before I received help from StudentSpace, a third party organization that helps connect students with properties free of charge, and ended up signing a lease with Hyde Park Management. I highly recommend this route to students like me who can’t afford to make it out, but need a trustworthy agency to help find a place. 

What’s nice (and interesting) about Chicago is that securing an apartment is relatively low-cost and easy to save for, as they don’t collect what I considered to be the normal costs. In California you ALWAYS pay first months rent, last month’s rent, and a deposit that is at least the amount of the rent and sometimes more, making total move-in costs in the thousands. All of the units I looked at only required a non-refundable move-in fee ($200 since I used StudentSpace, otherwise it would have been $400),  and a pet fee (I have a cat). These costs are just to secure the apartment. You don’t have to pay the first-month’s rent until the lease date begins, which depending on when you’re looking, gives you some time to save. 

Hyde Park 

I found a place a little less than a mile north from campus, near “downtown hyde park”. It is a very quiet neighborhood with several primary schools nearby, and all of the buildings are apartment buildings filled with families and students. This isn’t to say that I feel safe, though. I don’t say this lightly, either, being raised in San Diego’s “ghetto” in Logan Heights, having lived in Oakland’s “ghetto” areas, and also having spent a great deal of time in San Francisco’s Tenderloin and Bayview districts. I have always maintained that if you’re aware and vigilant of your surroundings, you shouldn’t have to worry too much. Indeed, I never did have to worry, in the past, and never felt uncomfortable or unsafe. I’ve never owned pepper spray. 

Hyde Park and the surrounding areas (like getting to the L stations) are a bit different. It’s not immediately what you would consider “ghetto” but there are a number of young people who seem to always be on the lookout that is slightly unsettling. In the week before I moved here, I received FIVE alerts from the university about five armed robberies that took place near the campus, and when I moved here, I received an alert about an armed car-theft that happened while two men were IN the car, and it happened on my street. Even in the worst parts of Oakland, I never was afraid of having my car stolen while I was in it, or being held at gunpoint in broad daylight. I think that being a student definitely makes you  a target in Hyde Park, because people know that students have laptops, nice cell phones, headphone gear, etc. I don’t like going out at night, and again, this is coming from someone who used to take street photography in the tenderloin at 2am. 

Moving by Car Across the Country

I have a very small Nissan Versa Note, which is a tiny hatchback, and this is what I used to move all my stuff (one medium sized room’s worth). I did not move any furniture, including no bed. I seriously recommend using vacuum-sealed bags for storing clothes- I did this and saved a huge amount of space, especially with all my cumbersome coats. My car was completely packed, save for a tiny space in the back for my cat to lay down in. I stored her litter box on the floor, partially under the passenger seat. 

Starting from San Diego, we took the most time-efficient route offered by Google Maps, which was to take the 15N to the 70E. It was a pretty good route until we hit the Rocky Mountains. My mother an I did not anticipate the climb that tiny car would have to make, and we lived to regret our lack of foresight. The car, packed with 600 lbs worth of stuff, operating on only 4 cylinders, simply couldn’t handle the 10,000 ft climb. I strongly advise that if you’re going through the Rockies, to have a 6 cylinder car! We ended up having to go 40mph through most of the mountains, delaying our trip by an entire day. 

After Colorado, we went through Nebraska, Iowa, and then Illinois. We started at 6am on Saturday morning and made it in Tuesday morning at 9am. 

This may be one of the most important posts of this little journal, because the decision to attend the MAPSS program was certainly something I struggled with for months. I took the exact amount of time allotted after admission to the program to give my decision, and it was mainly due to one ugly thing: perception of the program by other grad students online. I, like many other MAPSS admitted students, had never heard of or considered the program before being admitted. 

2015 and 2016 Application Cycles

Before getting to the decision process, this is what I went through before I was admitted to MAPSS: I was a reject from 11 programs over the course of 2 application cycles. As I mentioned in my intro post, I graduated from my undergraduate institution in the Fall/Winter semester of 2014, and I had graduated early. While in undergrad, I was sure that I had wanted to pursue graduate school, but I never quite knew in what capacity. I was also interested in the Peace Corps, and even was successful in securing an offer to volunteer in Africa before it was rescinded due to violence in the region. This is all somewhat relevant inasmuch as it expresses how multi-directional I am in general. After graduation, I was eager to work full time in a “real” job (i.e. anything that wasn’t food/retail sector, which had been miserable during my undergrad years) and make money. About three months after I graduated, I found a job in the tech industry, like many other freshly-minted college graduates in San Francisco. The company was and continues to be a large, national on-demand service provider for food and retail goods, and what I found in the industry was violent stratification, not only internally within the company, but in the consumers and providers of the services all over the nation.  I began to see a shift in identity formation, and more than a tenuous correlation between online social media identity and how one treated others in the “real” world. 

While my job was taxing on my soul, it revealed important shifts taking place in the market, and in the area of technology and social media, sparking the academic in me once again and stoking the fires of my anthropological curiosities. I decided to go to graduate school. I studied for the GRE and by all accounts failed the quantitative section and did just above average for the verbal and writing sections (at least, average for top anthropology programs in the U.S.) Having taken the GRE pretty late in the application cycle (November 2015), I didn’t have time to retake it, and so I applied to 7 programs that cycle with my paltry scores. I rounded up my Letters of Recommendation (LORs) from undergrad professors who knew my work well and liked me (which is always a plus!), and I was (naively) confident I would secure admittance to at least one PhD program. I was rejected across the board, and one of my LOR writers graciously offered to edit my State of Purpose (SoP) in a way that she knew would be readable to application committees, which was immensely helpful for me, a person with no contacts in the graduate school world and had no idea what committees were looking for. 

After months of rewriting my statement of purpose and training myself to write in the manner of my proposed projects--by writing articles in my intended field, even if they would never be published--I narrowed down my second cycle of applications to programs that were absolutely, positively, the best fits for my intended project. I found faculty members and did my best to correspond with them prior to applying to secure familiarity and support of my application and project. Despite having chosen the most perfect programs for my intended project (MIT HASTS, UChicago PhD, Cornell PhD, and UMASS Amherst Masters) they still were some of the most prestigious programs in the country/world, and it was not too much of a surprise when I was rejected, yet again. The Chicago rejection was the last to come in, and it was because along with the rejection, there was also the referred admission to the MAPSS program with 50% scholarship. At the time, I was overjoyed; I had secured admission to graduate study (even if it was an MA and not the PhD that I wanted) with scholarship to one of the world’s most prestigious and renowned universities! 

Making the Decision

This joy did not last long after I began googling the program and lost myself in the sea of negativity on Grad Cafe. I felt disappointed, as some readers of this might also have felt, or currently feel. People on Grad Cafe and Reddit said that it was a “cash cow” program that was not very selective and was a sort of “consolation prize” for lesser-than intellects who were good enough to pay to be at UChicago, but not to be one of the exclusive PhD students. I spoke with at least a dozen MAPSS grads and more non-mapss graduate students who had a strong opinion about the program, trying to get to the bottom of the “real” perception of the program among faculty and graduate students both in and outside of the university. MAPSS grads, unsurprisingly, did not have many bad things to say of the program and were extremely appreciative of what it had provided them in the intellectual and practical sense. Faculty members at the University of Chicago did not seem to express any of the vitriol that had been rumored on Grad Cafe. The only consistent reservations I received both from faculty and previous students was cost of attendance. As many will attest, it is not a cheap program to attend, being nearly $60k for the year. The good thing about the program is that it does provide some financial aid to a good portion of its students, and the even better thing about that aid it that it is completely merit based; If you put out the best statement of purpose you possibly can and show your strong intellectual capacities, you will get funding. 

While still not feeling 100% about the perception of the program, my most concrete concern was the cost (despite having 50% tuition scholarship, it would still be $50k to take out in loans additional to the undergraduate loans I had). It didn’t seem prudent to spend $50,000 to attend a program that was dismissed and held in poor regard with serious academic circles. I sought advice from current graduate students at universities all over the country via grad cafe. The “advice” given was frustrating, and maybe it has frustrated you, too.

Many of the current grad students I spoke with strongly advised against ANY graduate program that required you to pay any kind of tuition or living expenses (e.g. programs that didn’t offer living stipends). This essentially rules out any Masters program across the country, as it is not customary to receive fully-funded masters; masters degree are usually attained en route to the PhD once already admitted to a PhD program, especially for cultural anthropology. 

This advice seems logical enough, except one tiny tidbit; if you’re aiming for a top PhD program in the country, you either need an undergraduate degree from an intellectually-rigorous Ivy League (or the rare equivalent thereof) or you need a masters degree. If you aren’t among the majority of college grads who didn’t attend an ivy-league institution, then you need to be wealthy to afford the masters program you need to show that you’re intellectually capable of the graduate workload. The advice becomes frustrating, quickly, because most of us aiming for a PhD in a social science don’t have an ivy-league undergraduate education, nor do we possess the trust funds for a masters, which leaves us to make the decision to pay for a masters, which grad students advise never to do.

The reason the masters becomes so important for the non-ivy-league-college-grad is that the most important aspect of your application is showing these top-program-committees is that you have a strong theoretical foundation in your discipline and can handle the rigor of the PhD at their renowned institution. One of the most important pieces of advice I’ve received on this note from a UChicago faculty member was this: the committee needs to know that you have the necessary training in your field to handle work at the graduate level, and many of these faculty members went to ivy-league institutions themselves and are very familiar and confident with the training they’ve seen at these institutions. I.e. they can vouch for the training, and know that you are prepared, at least based on the name of your school and the GPA you attained. 

If you attained an undergraduate degree from a lesser known, or known but less prestigious university (think state universities), that committee most likely has no idea what kind of training you’ve had, and if you can handle the level of work being done at that program. You’re a risk, no matter how good your statement of purpose might be. This isn’t to say that those with just an undergraduate degree from lesser-known or less prestigious universities can’t or haven’t been admitted to top PhD programs; they surely have, but they have a smorgasbord of field work, conferences, and published works. If you were like me, who had nothing but a cum laude degree from a California State University, then there’s no way for the committee to know what you’re capable of (which is most likely, a lot! you just need your chance to shine!). 

Numbers & Perception of MAPSS

Most of the things I read in regards to MAPSS and MAPH (I have literally found every piece of public information on these programs that is available on the internet) were about their lack of prestige, respect, and competitiveness. After doing some research about the MAPSS program with regard to its numbers, I couldn’t reconcile the results with the low-esteem people held it in. Someone had to be lying, and I seriously doubt it was the division of Social Sciences at one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Of my admitted MAPSS class, over 1,200 applications were read (this includes referred applications like mine, and direct applications) and only 279 students were admitted. That is a 23% admission rate. While not as exclusive as the 2.5% admission rate for PhD applicants into the MIT program I had also applied for, or even UChicago’s >10% admittance rate into the Anthropology PhD program, it’s nothing to scoff at. 23% admittance rate for a masters program is selective. 

Someone like me (with a slightly above average GPA from a run-of-the-mill state school and no published work) has no shot at earning a funded PhD from a top program. If you’re like me and trying to pursue a social science PhD, you need to be getting that PhD from a top university. It’s no secret that the social sciences are not a lucrative field. If you want any chance at entering academia or even using your graduate degree to your advantage in the nonprofit or private sectors, you must have a degree from a top-program in your field.  

The advice of people on places like Grad Cafe can be incredibly isolating, because it feels like what it boils down to is money and experience in your field. People will tell you that you either must be brilliant and gain entry into a PhD program straightaway (bypassing the need to attend a separate school for a masters degree), or you must be independently wealthy (or have access to a great trust fund) to pursue a graduate degree. While the advice has the best intentions in mind--e.g. avoiding future financial ruin--only you can know yourself, and what you’re capable of. For me, I decided MAPSS would be worth it because I value education more than anything else in my life- this is a fundamental part of me, and will never change. Higher education, and becoming thoroughly trained in a field I am passionate about is a life-fulfilling goal for me. Many people have told me that one of the biggest reasons NOT to go to graduate school is what I’ve just mentioned: that you shouldn’t go merely because you’re passionate about it. I think this is largely true- I would never suggest someone devote tens of thousands of dollars to pursue any passion, be it basket-weaving or the fine arts. My passion-while perhaps not immediately clear that it will be lucrative- is more than just something I love, it’s something that informs my entire being and worldview. 

As it so happens, MAPSS has a lot of data to back it up in terms of job placement in the nonprofit and private sectors, as well as securing funded PhDs for those still pursuing that route. 

A lot of people who end up pursuing the MAPSS degree were referred by PhD committees. However, I choose to apply directly to the program. I felt that, while I wanted to go to grad school, I didn’t quite have enough experience reading social scientific texts, nor did I have a firm handle on methodologies required of my discipline. MAPSS offered me the perfect opportunity to ‘brush up’ on my skills. 

Do you want some pointers on applying to the program? If so, read on!

When I applied to the program, I used the program’s very own guide on how to write a statement of purpose. You can find it here. Some important elements:

No fluff.

Structure your statement in four sections, beginning with a creative, original, but feasible research proposal (which should make up roughly 50% of your statement), followed by your previous training, relevant experience, and why you would be a good fit for the program.

Don’t start with your life story (You know, “I’ve always loved anthropology, ever since I was young...”).

It would behoove you to find some faculty advisors that you would be interested in working with. Since this is an MA application, I’m not sure if it’s essential to name them, but it probably wouldn’t hurt.

You’ll need three letters of recommendation. I used two from Classics professors, and one from an anthropology professors. I don’t think the disciplines of these professors matter that much, but these teachers (who should also have PhDs) need to be able to vouch for your academic skills and your willingness to learn and succeed, yada yada yada.

The program doesn’t require a writing sample, largely because at the end of the MAPSS journey, you will be producing your very own thesis, which in turn will be used as a writing sample if you wish to apply to PhD programs. Woo!

The program does, however, require the GRE. I have no idea what their cut-off limits are, but I’ve been told many times that you need to merely beat the mean (If you’re wondering, I got V: 166 Q: 159 W: 5.0).

You’ll also want to have a properly decent GPA. The closer to 4.0 the better. Again, I’m not sure what the cutoff is (again, mine was 3.99*).

Be realistic about funding. When I applied, I was really, really, really banking on getting aid. In the end, I was lucky enough to receive a 50% tuition waver, which allowed me to attend the program, but had I received less than that (or none at all), I would’ve been sunk. This program is excellent, but it is expensive.

   I had just left my fully funded PhD program in International Relations for a field that was completely new to me. I had spent two semesters arguing, until I was red in the face, about the critical value of cultural norms for the exploration of questions regarding the behaviors of state-level institutions in the international system. All the while, I'd spent most of my time choking down popular International Relations theories. The structuralists like Kenneth Waltz were shitting all over constructivist theories and vice versa, and I struggled to stake a claim squarely within one camp or the other. "Why aren't we talking about culture," I'd ask, and the answer was always the same. Culture and cultural change cannot be codified and quantified with the same level of accuracy of a more structural factor, like income or various power structures. Yet and still, I couldn't join the conversation. Unsatisfied with my particular program's overwhelmingly narrow focus on structural explanations for political behavior and uninterested in boiling the every basic fact of human life down to statistical data points, I had finally had enough. After just one year as a PhD student, I had to take a step back and reevaluate my academic and professional interests. I didn't want to spend the next six or seven years completing a dissertation that I hated.

   With an "Unsatisfactory Academic Progress" note (This particular program does not have a fluid PhD coursework-to-MA option for students who don't complete the PhD) stamped to my first post-graduate transcript, I sat out to discover what it was that I was after. In the past two semesters, I had almost become a caricature to the people around me, always making the argument for culture at the seminar table. But, what I actually meant by "culture" and its application to the problems of global politics were still unclear to me. Until this point, I didn't have the resources to cultivate the vernacular or conceptual basis necessary for even beginning a discussion about how culture influences the behaviors observed throughout the international system. For example, how does culture change state decision-making processes, or how does it determine the power structure of state-level institutions? Without ignoring the critical importance of structure-based paradigms and the quantitative methods used to apply them, these questions are worth exploring. About four months after I left my PhD program and moved back in with my parents,  I applied again to a handful of PhD programs--this time in Cultural Anthropology. Despite the fact that it's a new field to me, I tried for the PhD for two reasons: 1) Funding and 2) Most Cultural Anthropology Programs don't have MA programs. After several rejection letters I began to wonder why I threw away my stipend and tuition at top tier IR program. Maybe I should have abandoned culture and gone with the flow.

A deep and exhaustive depression was just beginning to set in when I got my first letter from the University of Chicago.  As I expected, the letter began with the basic perfunctories, "This year, we received an overwhelming number of highly qualified applicants...," followed by the final gut punch, "Unfortunately, we are not able to offer you admission at this time." At this point, I had already resigned myself to the fact that I had made a series of bad decisions and would never be able to get back to grad school. I would have to join the workforce without an advanced degree. "Making some money isn't the worst thing in the world," I sighed as my eyes skimmed the rest of the email sent from Chicago admissions. However, just as I went to click out of the email, I noticed another attachment. I opened a letter that read, "Congratulations." I looked on in puzzled amusement as the letter explained that I had been accepted to the Masters of the Arts Program in the Social Sciences--a program to ehich I did not apply. "This is not a consolation prize," the letter continued. It further disclosed how it was that the faculty o f the Anthropology Department had recommended my application to the MAPSS (as the program is frequently called) admissions committee. At first, I sat in stunned silence. I had just been accepted to the University of Chicago--Cool. But, what was this program?

Postings on College Confidential, Grad Cafe, and a countless other sources revealed a program with a mixed reputation. Some academics, who I now know to be somewhat ignorant about the goal and virtue of the MAPSS program claimed that it was nothing more than a source of income for the PhD programs. Others understood this interdisciplinary program as an incredible opportunity for students to build a foundation in the disciplines of their potential future doctoral research, which is what I need and how I choose to view it. After attending the "Campus Days," event where I was able to meet with current students and faculty, I was certain that this was a program worth investing in. And just to put those "cash cow" rumors to rest, I should add that I received a 75% scholarship.

Needless to say, the next year should be pretty interesting. I'm hoping to cultivate all of my intellectual interests, secure a clear path for future research, and a complete a fairly broad reading of major works in my field up until now. I will be posting here periodically about how things are going. I will try to address common questions about the program and to provide insight into what life as a MAPSS student is like. Of course, if there are specific questions, please ask. Just a little over a month until fall classes begin!