[Scholarships with Summer Deadlines?]

So I have recently been accepted into an expensive Masters program that offers no funding, as funding is reserved exclusively for PhD students. The thing is, I had applied exclusively to PhD programs, expecting either to get in or not get in. I had no plan in the event that I get rejected to a PhD but accepted to the Masters!

Because I had limited time and resources, I had only applied to scholarships only to the PhD programs without automatically secured funding, and of course I did not get in to those schools. The school that I got into for the Masters also had a very late notice date, early April. As a result, I have been accepted unexpectedly (but fortunately!) to a Masters program and most of the scholarships I would have applied for had I known have already expired, most of them in February or March.

I am wondering if anyone is aware of any scholarships with late May or summer deadlines that I would still be eligible to apply for, as a Graduate student. Or should I just resign myself to taking out massive loans? Any help is appreciated!

[Anthropology 2011]

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!

Hello! So I have been accepted in to the MA at Columbia (originally applied for the PhD) and am now weighing my current options. I had one quick question: does anyone know how many "consolation prize" MAs are handed out by Columbia each year? I know that my drive to get my PhD and a career in this field will carry me through just fine, and the above comments are very helpful in regards to what I can expect if I go to Columbia next year. However, if there are some 50 students pursuing their MA in anthro, obviously it makes the job of standing out and getting the attention of professors who in general do not care about MA students even more difficult. Of course, I don't think there are actually 50 students doing this, but you get my point.

Judging by responses on these boards more than a handful of students were rejected to the PhD but accepted to the MA. I am just wondering if anyone has an idea of on average how many students will be in the same boat as myself if I choose to accept the offer. Being 1 out of 5 verses 1 out of 25 brings a completely different atmosphere to the table.