South Asian Studies M.A. program at Columbia University

[MettaSutta]

Hi folks!  Last month I was accepted to the South Asian Studies M.A. program at Columbia GSAS with $10,000 scholarship.  (There's another thread on it, but it's quite old-2011).  I was allowed to deefer admission until fall 2019. Did anyone else apply and/or get accepted to the program, or is a current student/grad?

A couple questions: 

• Will $40,000 be enough for cost of living for fall 2019, spring 2020, summer 2020, and fall 2020?  That's how much I should have saved up.
• How competitive is it to get the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship?  Do most people who apply to one get one?  I want to study Hindi.
• Do most grad students live in graduate housing, or at least in Morningside Heights?
• I plan to get a terminal M.A. and not go the Ph.D. path and become a prof, so I was hoping to get practical experience during the semesters (volunteer work, internships, etc. 8-10 hours/week) so I could be in the best position to get a job at graduation. Is this feasible given the rigorous workload of a grad student? I also will hopefully be doing a work-study job, as unfortunately, internships in the public sector are unpaid, ugh. At GSAS I plan to take 9-12 credits a semester tops. Also, does GSAS provide stipend funding for internships the way SIPA, the law school, etc. do?
• What are your impressions of the department in general? What do you wish you had known before starting it?
• What are the typical career paths of terminal M.A.s in this department?
• I'll be in my early 30s when I start. Are most folks 21-22 and coming fresh out of undergrad, or are there plenty of GSAS students with past careers?
• How is the counseling center at Columbia?

[azeemkhan1489]

Hi

I got accepted, with a $12000 scholarship amount. Currently looking into funding options but I have just begun to contemplate the option of deferring as well. 

• I am 28 and a lecturer of Pakistan Studies at a college
• My friend just completed his LLM degree from Columbia. He stayed off campus. I am planning to stay in the dorms as I have never had that experience.
• According to the limited information available on the internet, Columbia does seem to be the best option for South Asian Studies. What do you think? Does Michigan have a comparable program? I've read they offer significant financial aid

Why did you defer for next year?

[MettaSutta]

On 5/21/2018 at 10:42 AM, azeemkhan1489 said:

Hi

I got accepted, with a $12000 scholarship amount. Currently looking into funding options but I have just begun to contemplate the option of deferring as well. 

• I am 28 and a lecturer of Pakistan Studies at a college
• My friend just completed his LLM degree from Columbia. He stayed off campus. I am planning to stay in the dorms as I have never had that experience.
• According to the limited information available on the internet, Columbia does seem to be the best option for South Asian Studies. What do you think? Does Michigan have a comparable program? I've read they offer significant financial aid

Why did you defer for next year?

Sorry for the late reply!

I have a JD and started a Judicial Clerkship in August 2017-these are supposed to be 1 year gigs, but my judge was satisfied with my work product and asked me to stay on another year, so that is why I deferred to fall 2019. 

Congrats on the scholarship!  Will this be a terminal MA, or do you plan to get your PhD?  I'm quite distanced from college (2010 grad), so I'm thinking I might be too old by the time I finish my PhD? (mid-late 30s). I also really want to practice law. 

I plan to live off campus, but in Morningside Heights.  You have to be enrolled FT to live in campus housing, and I'll only be taking three classes a semester. 

Did you apply for the FLAS fellowship?  I did for Hindi!  I'm at an intermediate stage at the moment. 

I only applied to Columbia!  I've heard good things about Michigan, but Columbia has the Ivy pedigree, and plus, NYC seems much cooler than Ann Arbor!  It also has the UN, and I'm interested in international human rights work focused on South Asia. 

What specialization will you pursue?  I'm interested in Religion.  I hope to also take courses at SIPA and Columbia Law. 

[MettaSutta]

On 5/21/2018 at 10:42 AM, azeemkhan1489 said:

Hi

I got accepted, with a $12000 scholarship amount. Currently looking into funding options but I have just begun to contemplate the option of deferring as well. 

• I am 28 and a lecturer of Pakistan Studies at a college
• My friend just completed his LLM degree from Columbia. He stayed off campus. I am planning to stay in the dorms as I have never had that experience.
• According to the limited information available on the internet, Columbia does seem to be the best option for South Asian Studies. What do you think? Does Michigan have a comparable program? I've read they offer significant financial aid

Why did you defer for next year?

Hey!  Did you end up deferring?

[azeemkhan1489]

Sorry for the late reply. I myself plan on completing a PhD and realize i will be relatively old by the time I complete. But I think different people have different timelines in their life, so I am not really worried about that. 

I cannot apply for a FLAS as im from Pakistan. Very few scholarships available to me. Im hoping Columbia provides me a significant chunk and I can pay the rest through working part time.

[MettaSutta]

4 hours ago, azeemkhan1489 said:

i will be relatively old by the time I complete.

You'll fit right in.  Plenty of early-mid 30s people in PhD programs.  

Do you know when we find out about funding?

[MettaSutta]

I withdrew because they offered me zero funding, unfortunately.  Good luck to those waiting!