santhf

One of my profs, a well respected anthropologist, did her MA at UGA before going on to do a PhD elsewhere. If you like enviro anthro they are REALLY great, and everyone in the field knows that (i think) - If it was me, I would even consider doing an MA there over Columbia if you are interested in Enviro stuff (there is little going on in enviro at Columbia - this is my area of interest and thee is really one (maybe 2 ) anthros doing that kind of work at Columbia. gl

HI! so, my response is that it is not terrible. it is expensive though and it is a money maker. If you get offers elsewhere, i would go there. I decided between hunter and columbia and decided to invest in columbia because if i didnt go on to get a PHD (which I am now doing) then, I wanted to have the MA from a "big name" (BS as it may be). I am a pretty assertive person and I went in to the program knowing what i wanted. (Recs, relationships, and to get preped to go on to a phd program). If you dawdle in the program, no one cares and no one is going to catch you. If you are self directed, and efficient, i think it can be great. Honestly, i never had a problem getting into classes...but, the profs. i ended up working with were considered pretty friendly to MA students. It took a while to forge those relationships though, so you have to be patient. There are no profs. welocming you there. I was disappointed when I first started, but honestly i got into some amazing phd programs - now im deciding between Berkeley, Duke and NYU. I WOULDN NEVER have gotten into them without the MA and the help i got on my apps from my friends/faculty at columbia. My thesis advisor helped me with my admissions essay and really critiqued it, so it was really tight and good by the time I sent it out. This required a lot of planning on my end (i started the summer of 2010 for Fall 2011 admissions). So, its a crap shoot, and expensive. if you are organized, nice, and excited i think youll do well at Columbia. you need to go in with focus and commitment and the faculty will take that seriously - at least that was my experience. an MA from Columbia though is NO GUARANTEE for acceptance into PhD programs, its all about your recs, statement, and well thought out project. (which being in an MA can help with). GOOD LUCK!

Hi All, I did the MA at Columbia and am now choosing where to do my PhD.. I think it was a really successful endeavor, but financially difficult. Hunter is another great option if you are NY based, and you can take classes at CUNY for cheapola. I loved Columbia and have had a lot of success - i think if you are dead set on getting into a top rated phD program, and you go into Columbia knowing that, trying to find advisors who will write you recs, and staying really focused all along, it can be useful. There is little sense of a "cohort" feeling as you are taking classes in a mix of PhD, MAs and other depts. Using the time during your MA to make connections though is a really great way to have a lot of PhD options. Also getting your faculty advisors to help you write your application essays, etc. Email me if you have more questions. I would say the MA is good if you are self directed, but dont expect any hand holding through it. You have to struggle to get faculty attention as they are not committed to their MA students (some wonderful faculty are, and you need to find out who they are in your subfield). Some faculty just dont care about MAs. Which is frustrating since you pay 30,000 for it. These are just my 2 cents, but I think others would say the same thing. I got into a lot of PhD programs with funding and this would never have happened with out my MA from Columbia. -S

Got news i was waitlisted at UCSC - anyone else heard anything?

Hey all, has anyone heard acceptances from UC Santa Cruz? S

Are you talking about UA or UCSC? I heard from yesterday UA that i got in too....no news from UCSC

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone has a sense of what Berkeley financial packages look like in the social sciences.... Thanks! Stephanie

HOnestly, i have no idea. I would reach out to the people you were interested in working with at the institutions you didnt get into (that you would eventually like to get a phD from there)....and discuss it with them. I would imagine some might be receptive to this sort of conversation. I mean Brandeis/WashU are great institutions! I think an anthropology committee would recognize success at one of these departments. I dont think its a good idea to go into too much debt, especially if u are gonna be an anthro...theres not much money in our futures I think its also about the quality of work you do while you are in your MA. If you go in with the intention of making strong realtionships with faculty, doing a killer thesis, creating great writing samples, etc. with the intention of going on for a PhD, then I cant imagine why you wouldnt get in in the future - plus you might have some credits knocked off your PhD and maybe a better idea of dissertation topics.

Hi all, I just wanted to add my thoughts on this topic, ie. MA from prestigious university will help you get into phd programs. So I got an MA from Columbia University in Anthropology and applied to PhD programs this year. I applied to 12 schools for PhD and have only been rejected from one so far.....(Michigan) With that, I would say, it is by no means that I am more intelligent than any one else. Rather, I think the proven success in a rigourous graduate program, alongside the recommendations from top scholars in the field, made me a really appealing candidate for PhD programs. It is a challenge to choose such a financial endeavor, but if you can make it work, and anthro is your career of choice, then I would go for it. I feel like I am entering my PhD with a lot of clarity about what I am doing, why, and will be very productive/effective in my years as a phD student because of what i have learned in my MA. message me ofline if you have questions. S

yes!!!! me....

haha, persian doc made me feel sane

cant wait

Hi! This is wait is intense, they have a real closed door policy dont they...ugh!

Rutgers did interviews for their spots a couple weeks ago, they are slowly handing out offers....