emg28

Sounds like the typical responses of families who have never gone to college. Stay strong, it's never easy doing something different than from what other's have done. Personally, because I'm an immigrant and a girl I was expected to stay home- go to the commuter college and be a "teacher" so I could get married and have kids. Pffftttt....I said f that and went my marry way. Even with people in my family doubting me. Now they see I wasn't as stupid or crazy for having those ideas. Keep at it! ( side note: a bachelor's will soon become as basic as a high school diploma and needed to even get a decent job)

I chose Penn for several reasons: 1 year length versus 2 years (I've been out of school for 3, so going back for another 2 yrs would just be painful lol), the fact it's focused on higher education administration and not just student affairs (it has given me more of a broader over view of how higher education works and not so narrowly focused on one area of higher education), the diversity of the work faculty are doing and the student body are real (you see it and feel it, it's not just a talking point in an admissions brochure), the fact the people are easy going within Penn and Philly. I was struck by how laid back the atmosphere felt for an Ivy League, and the campus was unique because its in a urban setting yet has a collegial feel to it. It was difficult to make my final decision because I was offered full rides, but I'm glad I chose this program. It can be a little over whelming to take on 5 classes and a GA (graduate assistantship) but as long as you organize and time manage yourself, you'll be fine. Trust me, everyone gets the hang of it after a month or so. Your professors and GA's are also aware of how much you have on your plate, so they're understanding. There's also the cohort to lean on and drink with to help you through it lol (which is a perk of having a cohort). About 90% of the previous cohort is employed. The rest have chosen to travel or not work out of personal choice, so I wouldnt worry too much. Currently my cohort is getting into the job search gear, so I cant give you many facts yet. One person has already gotten a job because an opening happened in her current GA. So you never know. I think you just need to look at what you value and prioritze that. How much experience do you have in higher education? What do you want out of the program? If you're searching for a more slow paced program where you can focus on theory and research then perhaps 2 years would be best. We have people in the cohort that came straight out of undergrad as well as people who are shifting careers, so there isn't a typical "student". You just really need to have a clue of what you might want to get out of the program and graduate school in general. I hope this long winded answer helps lol. If not, feel free to message me any other questions.

I haven't heard of anything less. Beside's not getting a scholarship offer. In theory, it's already a "privilege" to be admitted so the scholarship money is a perk. Take that however you may want to. But that's what we were told.

Hi All, I'm a current student at Penn GSE in the Higher Ed program. The amount of scholarship funding depends on the program you applied to. Some of my cohort members received scholarships of 5k or 10k. Yes, it's not much but you have to weigh your options and plus and minuses of attending Penn versus another school. Graduate assistantship information should be sent out the closer we get to preview weekend. But this might be changing due to our new program manager. restructuring the weekend. I recommend you attend preview weekend so that you can sign up for a slot to interview for a chosen office/assistantship you might be interested in. If you have any other questions feel free to drop me a message. Best of luck!!

You need to be careful with conditional acceptances. Ask the school what the terms and conditions are. Sometimes a conditional admit will hinder your ability to get financial aid (loans, grant money, scholarships) or continue your studies at the school if you fall below a certain GPA or grade. Ie: USC Rossier admitted me with a conditional admit. Their terms stated that a grade level of B was required for all classes the first semester. If a B was not met I would not be able to continue studies.

Emvtgse, please let us know what you find out. I'm also a bit confused on how they go about the process.

The recruitment days were March 7-8th. As of right now I'm waiting to hear back from the internship sites but I do have a second interview tomorrow morning via Skype. If anyone else hears back from an internship site please let me know. Thanks!

Congrats SMF711!!! That's great! Also, did anyone else receive the Higher Ed GA packet? It's so intense!! 90pgs! Lol

I was told that we will be given a list of possible assistantship sites that want to interview us. If you don't want to interview for them you can let them know in the morning. You can also pick up interviews if there's openings. At the end of the day you rank your preferences and they will match them with the sites' preferences. As of right now, I haven't done much prep except look at websites. I feel a little limited not knowing what specific spots are open. I'm annoyed that they're withholding the packet till the end of the day. I don't see what the point is.

I haven't thought that far lol but living near in Cambridge or Somerville would probably be more economic. I lived in Inman square (on the border of somerville and cambridge) and shared an apartment with 2 other people. My rent was $750 plus utilities. I know people had pets in my area because there was a park. Just a suggestion :-)

I'm flying out to NYC today and am a little worried about things getting delayed because of this winter storm....ahem, HGSE! Hope decisions come out today, and weather.com didn't get it wrong lol.

I spoke with my assigned Recruitment Day buddy and she told me about 60 people are attending for about 25-30 spots. Or atleast, that's how many are in her cohort from last year.

LOL...people must certainly think we're nuts. Loveeeee it. My money's on tomorrow. Just when we least expect it...