tetrisenthusiast

You're definitely not alone in feeling this kind of ambivalence; the best comparison I can make is to buyer's remorse. I'm still not 100% certain that I selected the "right" school, still feel terrible about declining the other offer, and have only recently stopped running through what-if scenarios in my head. There's also some lingering anxiety over whether I'm prepared for graduate school, period. It might be helpful to remember that at one point, we decided that the paths we chose were the best ones available. We had our reasons then, and it's probably best to focus on those now. I know for sure that I'm happier now than I was during the beginning and middle of the admissions cycle, and feel happier still when I remember the reasons why I was excited about graduate school in the first place. Trite though it may be, try to focus on the positives. We're lucky to be where we are now, and have a helluva lot to look forward to soon.

Of the people who will be attending the event at Penn GSE this weekend, I've noticed that a considerable number have already posted on TGC (and I imagine that even more are lurking). Here are my thoughts: For me, this will be the first recruitment/applicants' weekend, so I'd like for it to be as pleasant an experience as possible. As such, I would like to propose some kind of informal get-together for Friday and/or Saturday night. Regardless of anyone else's plans, I plan on stopping by the Sofitel's bar at around 5:30 on Friday to enjoy a drink before dinner. If you'd like to join me, you're absolutely welcome to do so. If, alternatively, you'd just like to judge me from afar, you're also absolutely welcome to do so. As anxious as we've all been during these past few weeks, I think it would be nice to have an opportunity to compare notes or commiserate, just between us grad applicants. If any of you are game for Friday, feel free to reply in this thread, PM me, or simply appear at the bar. Whether or not anyone responds, I'll be enjoying a li'l aperitif.

Don't throw in the towel just yet! Invitations to the Applicants' Weekend aren't tantamount to actual offers of admission; we really have no idea what criteria they used for selection. For all we know, a given invitee could've been invited based on proximity to Penn or because he/she is a marginal candidate and thus would benefit most from face-to-face interaction. I've read a number of your other posts this year and you seem like someone who has found a calling in education. If you're absolutely set on attending Penn, there's no reason why you can't apply next year after strengthening your application. If you've been discouraged by your GRE score or GPA, then submit an addendum. (Although Penn's online application has no field for this, it couldn't hurt to ask the admissions office to add a document to your file.) Because you've already earned a JD, exceptional performance in law school beyond LSAT-implied levels of achievement would give credence to the fact that you're more than just your numbers. I really believe that education is a bit of an odd duck compared to other graduate programs. Perhaps more than in any other field, applicants should have some expectation of being holistically reviewed. Best of luck this cycle!

I just received an e-mail from Penn with an invitation to the PhD Applicants' Weekend. I wasn't expecting to hear anything for at least a few more weeks, so this is certainly a surprise (albeit a very pleasant one)! The e-mail mentioned that the faculty are currently in the process of reviewing applications, but also noted that the final admissions decisions would not be rendered until late in February. Consequently, I'm reaaaally trying not to read too much into all of this. Is anyone else planning to attend the event?

I applied to the Quantitative Policy Analysis program for Fall 2010. I guess there's nothing we can do now but wait...and post on these forums.

Absolutely. I haven't decided yet whether fretting over applications for the last 3 months was preferable to agonizing over the responses for the next 3. I'm almost glad that we've been slammed at work lately; it's so much easier not to worry about grad school when you barely have enough time for three meals daily. It sounds like you're ready to hit the ground running next fall, wherever you may be attending school. Your profile seems so strong that I'm rather relieved that we're applying to different programs. Who've you worked with during your time at Penn? I ask because I know that a few Penn professors have coauthored papers with researchers at my workplace.

I was wondering where all the PhD/EdD applicants were hiding this cycle! I saw another post of yours in the Waiting it Out forum, and it looks like we're applying to some of the same schools. If you don't mind my asking, which programs are you applying to within those schools? For me: Policy Research, Evaluation, and Measurement at UPenn Quantitative Policy Analysis at Harvard Experimental Education Research Training at Vanderbilt. My background: -3 years as a math teacher in public schools -2 years at a non-profit research organization that contracts with several federal and state offices No masters yet, but I'm currently enrolled in classes that could culminate in one if I'm not admitted to any other schools for Fall 2010. Also, congrats on the acceptance from Maryland! I know their graduate programs in education have very strong reputations.

http://www.gse.upenn.edu/node/117 This might be useful. The US News numbers concerning the admission rate for their doctoral programs may be misleading, as US News may not have disaggregated the EdD and PhD applicants. Also, the numbers published by Penn only reflect those students who actually matriculated, as opposed to those who were admitted.

Don't write yourself off just yet. Instead, try to think about the admissions process from the adcomm's perspective. If I recall correctly, UPenn waives tuition and pays a modest (<$20,000) 9-month living stipend for all students admitted to a PhD program at their GSE; this would represent a significant investment on their part for each candidate. It's extremely unlikely that these programs would simply use a formula to create an index to judge solely according to two numbers. There are reasons why they ask for a CV, a personal statement, and letters of recommendation. The GPA may be used as an indicator of an applicant's work ethic. Due to varying degrees of grade inflation at undergraduate institutions, the GRE may be used as a benchmark to compare applicants' capacities to handle a rigorous course of study. Together, GPA and GRE are only useful insofar as they allow schools to judge whether someone would have the minimum diligence and acumen required to complete at least 2 years of graduate-level classes and spend multiple years conducting substantive research in the chosen field. Work experience can be quite useful in gauging a student's non-academic level of maturity, and relevant experience. Considering that some doctoral programs (e.g., at the Harvard GSE) require students to work as TAs and RAs, it is important to know whether someone has proven his or her capacity beyond the classroom. Furthermore, for a field such as education that is largely informed by practice, an applicant who has practical, as opposed to purely theoretical, knowledge of the subject may not need to worry so much about the GPA, especially if he or she graduated a number of years ago. If you look at the CVs of many professors at the top schools of education, you'll find that a large number worked as teachers before earning their doctorates. Ultimately, these schools would like to admit a group of students who will make significant contributions to their fields of study. Remember that a PhD provides training for roles in research-based or academic settings. The school must ensure that you are capable of achieving highly at that level and in those roles, and that they (and their faculty) are capable of fostering your talents accordingly (hence the "fit" of the school). Study hard for your GREs if you're worried that much about your GPA, but don't think that a lackluster number for either precludes you from consideration at UPenn. Remember that you're not applying to an engineering program or to a business school (not to impugn the adcomms of either). These are people dedicated to the field of education, so they, more than any other group, are likely to view your application holistically. Plus, UPenn and Vanderbilt don't charge application fees for their education programs Best of luck this cycle!