Anthropology is the study of cultures and customs in context, and anthropologists have helped us gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, those around us, and those who came way before us. Archaeology is, after all, a subset of anthropology! So, whether you are curious about ancient cultures or one not too far from you, a major in anthropology may be a great fit. Before you press submit on your application, though, there are some things you should do to make yourself stand out.
Very few students have access to dedicated anthropology courses before college, so taking specialized courses that will show up on your transcript isn’t an option for most. No matter what your options are for courses, however, we highly recommend that students interested in studying anthropology in college pursue relevant experiences outside of the classroom to show colleges that you really mean business. Below are the best extracurriculars for prospective anthropology majors.
If you’re not sure how to make your application pop, send us an email. We work with students to build strong applications from the ground up.
School Newspaper
You may not immediately connect anthropology with school sports reporting, but we highly recommend that prospective anthropology majors join their school paper reporting, or even editorial, teams. Anthropology in the field requires thoughtful communication, keen observation, careful note-taking, and the ability to see patterns and themes. These are all things that are developed by working for a school newspaper, so it’s a great extracurricular for showing off that you have been developing the skills you need to thrive as an anthropology student at a top college.
History Club
If your school has a history club — join! Similar to the school newspaper, this is not a super obvious connection on its face but at the core there are strong commonalities between anthropology and history that mean that spending time in a history club will make your application stand out as a prospective anthropology major. If your school doesn’t have a history club, start one! The only thing better than being in a club is leading one successfully, and the story of starting it could be a great subject for a supplement.
Internship with a Professor
If you live near a university, college, or community college (and most people do), we highly recommend reaching out to professors and instructors in the anthropology departments at those schools to inquire about opportunities for internships. Many professors relish the opportunity to ~shepherd along young minds,~ and would appreciate the help. Expect an internship to be heavy on the paperwork side of anthropology. You may be filing books and articles or transcribing research notes, and it’s unlikely that the internship will include any field work, but that doesn’t diminish the importance of the experience. These internships are also nearly always unpaid and should be expected to last for a minimum of a month. Internships that are shorter than a month do little to improve your application, as application readers know that a few hours of work a week for a few weeks isn’t enough to really dig your teeth into a subject.
Summer Job
If you have at least one summer left between when you’re reading this and when you’ll be pressing submit on your college applications, we also recommend students to get a summer job at their local town library, or with the town history department. If you’ve never heard of a town history department, that doesn’t mean your town does not have one. Go to town hall and ask around, and it’s likely that there’s a full-time or part-time town historian (or even more than one!) tasked with preserving the history of where you live. Working with a town historian will, like working for your school newspaper, develop many of the skills anthropologist call on in the field. We also recommend looking for a job as a seasonal tour guide or docent at a museum near your home — ideally one that specializes in something you’re genuinely interested in understanding better!
If you’re considering a major in anthropology, it’s important that you give your extracurriculars close consideration. You most likely won’t be able to telegraph your interest in the subject through your course load, so the clearest way to communicate that your interest is deep and genuine is through long-term extracurriculars that show commitment well in advance of pressing submit. A mix of jobs, internships, and clubs will do the trick!
If you know what you want to study but aren’t sure where to study, send us an email. We help students find, and get into, their dream colleges.