Picking Schools:
Decide what you're interested in academically: archaeology, osteology, folklore, etc.. Try and be as specific as you can, but don't be afraid to change your mind. (Taking classes outside of anthropology can help with this and a minor, or a second major can also help you get accepted.)

Decide if you want to go straight for a PhD, or if you want an MA first. Generally, a PhD program will take five years, an MA program two to three years. If you get an MA first, a PhD will take you three to five additional years to complete, depending on the school you attend.

Talk to your professors. Explain what you're interested in and ask what programs they know about that would suit what you want.

Look up programs in the AAA Guide (copies are available in the anthropology office). Determine which have strengths in the area(s) you're interested in.

Look at the actual web sights of programs you think you're interested in (the USU anthro web page has links to many different anthropology departments: www.usu.edu/anthro/program). Things to look for:

• How well is the program regarded nationally - this will make a difference when you apply for jobs after you receive your degree
• Is it a big or a small program
• What are the opportunities for funding
• What are the requirements for admission and for completion of the degree
• Are there professors who are conducting current research in the area you're interested in and will it be possible for you to be involved in that research
• What proportion of their graduate students received degrees last year (a low proportion (ex: 2 PhDs and 3 MAs out of 160 graduate students) may imply that the program is very difficult and time consuming to complete).
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Actually visit the schools. This is probably the best way to determine if you like school, the program and the professors. It also gives you the opportunity to get information from students going through the program, including how they like being there. If visiting isn't an option, you should probably at least email professors you think you would like to work with. This provides you with a little more information and it also makes them aware of you.

Generally, you want to pick between three and five schools to apply to. That way, you will have options (including financial ones) if you don't get into your first choice.

The Application:
Applications for grad school generally include:

• official transcripts
• GRE scores
• A letter of intent (also called the statement of purpose)
• 2 - 4 letters of recommendation
• Additionally, graduate schools may ask for an academic vita and/or an additional writing sample (this would be something like a term paper you wrote for a class).

The GRE:
The GRE is a standardized test that consists of three sections: verbal, quantitative (math) and analytical (logic). Each section is worth 800 points, for a total of 2400 on the test. Almost every graduate school in anthropology requires a GRE score that is no more than five years old (after five years you must retake the test). Additionally, many schools require certain scores (often about 1800), but low scores can sometimes be made up for by other parts of the application, including GPA and letters of recommendation.
Because of its importance in the application, it is advisable to start studying for the GRE as soon as possible. Several books are available to help with this, including Kaplan GRE Prep, which is one of the best (it can be found at the USU bookstore for about $40). Additionally, to learn vocabulary for the verbal section (by far the most difficult section of the test and often the one given more weight by admission committees), you can use word-a-day calendars or vocabulary books like Word Power. The point to all this is that it's never to early to start studying for the GRE. The more you do, the higher your score will likely be.
If you take the GRE and do poorly, you can retake the test. However, all of your scores will be reported to the schools you apply to and some schools will take the average instead of just the highest.

The Letter of Intent:
This is usually a 1 - 5 page paper stating what you're interested in and why you want to go to graduate school. Every school has different criteria on content and format however, so you must deal with this (this can include minor alterations for each school or entirely different letters). Because the letter of intent is often used as evidence of your writing ability, you should have others, especially professors, review and critique your drafts until you're satisfied with what you have.

Letters of Recommendation:
Usually, graduate schools require two to three letters of recommendation. Letters from professors are preferred (usually at least one is required), but letters can also come from employers, mission presidents, or others who are in a position to comment on your abilities. Some schools also have a form to be filled out by the recommender in addition to them writing a letter. The important thing about letters of recommendation is that you choose people who will write favorably about you and that you ask them as early as possible so you can get your applications in before the deadline.

Academic Vitae:
Not all schools require a vita and for most it's just optional. It is a nice way to sum up your achievements however, so you may want to include it if you can. An academic vita is very similar to a resume you would use to get a job, the difference is that the content is different and it's usually pretty short.

Funding:
Apply for everything you can at the particular schools you're applying to. Check their web sites for this information. Funding is often limited however, so you may also want to consider applying for financial aid (as a graduate student you are only eligible for loans and work study) and national scholarships which can be used at whatever universities you attend. These include:

• National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships - for graduate study in the sciences, engineering and social sciences. Provides funding for up to three years. At the time of application, you must not have completed post-baccalaureate study in excess of 30 quarter hours. Application deadline is November 1. Applications are available in September, write to: NSF Graduate Research fellowship Program, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, PO Box 3010, Oak ridge, TN 37831-2010, or email nsfgrfp@orau.gov.
• Fullbright Grad Fellowships - for graduate study or research abroad. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree before the beginning date of the grant. The deadline is October 1. Applications are available at: www.iie.org/fulbright.
• Mellon/Woodrow Wilson Fellowships in Humanistic Studies - for students who plan but have not yet begun to pursue graduate study toward a doctoral degree. Minorities and women are strongly encouraged to apply. Applications are due in mid-December and are available in July from The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, Mellon Fellowships, CN 5329, Princeton, NJ 08543-5329, or by email: www.woodrow.org.
• Jacob K. Jatvis Fellowship - to assist students of superior ability to pursue graduate programs leading to a doctorate or MA in selected fields of the fine arts, humanities and social sciences. Eligibility is limited to students who, at the time of application, have not yet completed their first year of graduate study. Applications are due in early January. They may be obtained from Education Publications Center, PO Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398.
• Environmental Protection Agency - for environmentally related fields, including the social sciences. Funding for up to three years. Women, minorities and disabled students are strongly encouraged to apply. Deadline for application is November 1. Application materials are available all year by calling 1-800-490-9194.
• Ford Foundation Predoctoral and Dissertation Fellowships for Minorities - this fellowship provides funding for minority students in research-based programs in the behavioral and social sciences, engineering, math, physical sciences and biological sciences. Funding for up to three years. Applications are due November 1 and can be obtained from Fellowship Office, National Research Council, 3101 Constitution Avenue, Washington D.C. 20418.

Many more funding opportunities are available (far too many to mention in this list). If you're interested check out the web including: the American Anthropological Association.

Note that the deadline for most of these are November and December before the year you attend grad school. Applications for admission are also due around this time, so it's best to start on these much earlier, as soon as the applications become available.