truc

It is really worth noting that completing an MA in anthropology at the new school guarantees you nothing. Sure, the pool of applicants to the new school's phd program are all 2nd year MA students, but the faculty sometimes choose not to take any of them. What saveageminds says is true, most people I know who went to the new school have multiple phd options when they finish their MAs, but others have no choices and are just saddled with $40k-60k in debt. That isn't to say they don't appreciate the time they spent, but it does come with a hefty price tag.

This is written by an anthropologist and provides a healthy discussion of strategy if academic work is what you hope to do (http://chronicle.com/article/Graduate-School-Is-a-Means-to/131316). It's kind of mechanical and elitist, but she makes some good points.

Don't know much about LSE (heard it's great), but I'm quite familiar with the new school. PMed you about it.

I don't know what the specific requirements are for applied anthro, but I'd assume being proficient in a language other than English would be beneficial. If you take a year off to teach, make sure you incorporate why you did in your SOP. It will lend weight to the actual experience.

Don't take this offer and then reapply. Pick one. IMHO, take the GRE again before it changes and apply in the fall.

Can anyone recommend good (read not terribly sketchy) ways to find apartment shares/roommates? My quite limited funding from the New School is going to need to stretch as far as possible.

free pass

The April 15th deadline, though signed by most US schools, is more of a guideline. If a program violates it, all they risk is a rather light slap on the wrist by CGS.

Washington Heights and Inwood are pretty affordable, I have a friend who lives on Fort Washington near the CU medical center and she loves it. Not a bad commute to Columbia either.

Have you talked to current/previous students at Rutgers? Particularly students who have worked with your POI? You could ask if he/she has any who would be willing to talk with you about their experiences...that'll buy you 30 seconds. To be honest, I think letting them know that you are waiting on other decisions yourself and don't want to make an uninformed decision should be fine. You are probably neither the first person nor the last who hasn't instantly accepted their offer. You might also consider contacting Chicago to find out the actual likelihood of your getting in, just so you don't hold on for no good reason.

political science

To sum my final semester of undergrad up in a nutshell: I'm over it. Besides my thesis writing seminar, I had no course requirements left to graduate. Still, in order to keep my financial aid, I had to take a "full" course load. The 12 credits of bullshi* courses I am in right now are the lightest load ever, but also the most unbearable. I just want it to be April 19th so I can turn in my thesis and relax until september.

Sorry to break with what others have said, but a program for which I am an alternate said it was their word for waitlist. That said, there are only four people on this waitlist from what I am told.

Similar, but also different. I've been accepted to a 50% funded MA program in New York City for anthro and a PhD program in anthro (also in New York City) where funding won't happen until the second year, or so I am told. While I'd love to jump into the open arms of my dream PhD program, the possibility of having to fund myself (read - take on vast amounts of debt) for five-plus years is daunting. I'm just finishing my undergrad where I have been lucky enough to be on scholarship and avoid taking out loans. For this reason, I'm leaning towards the MA program. I think it will give me time to network and improve my cv a bit before applying again to PhD programs in two years. EDIT - and hopefully be funded at that point! Also - I have a SO who is applying to grad schools (in clinical psych) this coming fall. We are beginning to realize how inconvenient being in a two grad student (and potentially academic) relationship is.

Yeah, I got 1/2 funding to the New School and am in the same boat. Here I come NSSR! Not to say that getting admitted to the MA at Columbia isn't an honor in and of itself.