Please help! Updating my CV and have urgent question

[tom5156]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some last minute advice on how I should approach updating my CV to send out to potential faculty advisers. Here's my situation, and I would love to hear any of your feedback/help if you have any!

I'm going to Africa for the next six months (hence why I need to contact professors ASAP) to do research that is directly relevant to the field that I am applying for PhD programs in this fall for the entry in fall 2013. I just went through my first round of applications and was rejected from both PhD programs, and accepted to both Master's.

When I get back from Africa, I'll be attending a Master's program starting Spring 2013. I am planning to only attend the program for a semester and begin a PhD in the fall, and committed to the Master's program because a) I don't want to waste time doing nothing I could try to knock out grad pre-reqs (stats) while I'm there c) it's a back-up. The thing is, I just received a full tuition scholarship and was awarded a teaching assistantship with a stipend for my master's program.

My question is-- I will obviously include my research in Africa, but should I reference that I will be at this master's program starting Spring 2013? I want to highlight my achievement of receiving a competitive scholarship/assistantship to the program, but I don't want them to think that I can't commit to something or that I'm already trying to get out of a program that I haven't even started.

I sincerely appreciate any help you guys can provide or any of your opinions. I need to contact professors in the next day or two so I hope to hear back!