viget

I think some higher ed doc programs would support those sorts of questions (that is, if you decide higher ed is your area of interest!), but perhaps not all to the same degree -- some higher ed programs are much more oriented toward policy or research-to-practice than big philosophical questions, or at least that's the vibe I got at some schools. and higher ed can be very focused on its own body of literature, so if you're looking for a strong disciplinary grounding for your work, you may want to focus on broader, more interdisciplinary programs like the ones you're already looking at (for example, I think that ECS at Penn would be a better fit for you than Higher Ed at Penn). The one downside with the programs you're looking at is that they're all ridiculously competitive -- like, admit rates of less than 5%, which means that tons of super qualified people don't get in. but if you apply to a good number of schools, you'll get in somewhere fantastic!

ahh, okay. I don't think ed theory is the term that best conveys your interests -- or at least, it's not a term I've heard people in the field use to describe such questions. I think there are absolutely programs in ed schools that will support those sorts of big-picture, philosophical questions -- I'm sure there are many others, but maybe look at ECS at Penn, CIS at Harvard, Stanford's SHIPS Philosophy of Ed, and maybe TC's Philosophy and Education? in my application essay I expressed interest in some similarly big questions about education -- whom it serves, why it's going in the direction it's going in, is that a good thing, etc. I think the big thing with expressing an interest in that kind of stuff is to be very specific in your statement of purpose to show that your questions are thought-out, not vague and nebulous and half-formed -- but I think you'll be good at that, given the fact that you're already grounding your questions in a body of literature and a discipline. I second themissingsock's advice to think about choosing a domain within education if you decide to apply to education PhD programs. it might not be readily obvious from the outside that there are divides within the discipline, and it's kind of a shame that K-12 and higher ed are often so siloed, but knowing what particular populations or part of education you want to study can help narrow your areas of interest. the other big thing I'd say to consider when you're thinking about applying to PhD program in Education vs. in Philosophy is where you want to wind up ultimately. what conferences do you want to go to? who do you want to be in dialogue with? if you want to teach in a philosophy department, you probably need the philosophy degree, but if you're interested in teaching in an ed school, there may be more flexibility.

what follows is based on my own experience (just went through the phd app process this cycle) and conversations I've had with faculty at a number of ed schools. re: 1) and placement data (which I've personally seen prominently displayed on very few ed schools' websites): instead of looking at rankings, I looked at where faculty members in programs I'd like to teach at someday got their degrees. I noticed trends, which helped me figure out which programs are turning out productive and sought-after graduates. talking to faculty and current students also can help give a sense of what programs are well regarded in your specific sub-field. also, no offense to mattthew, but I'm skeptical of that rankings site; there's some great ed schools that are conspicuously absent, and I find it very odd that Capella tops the list. I'm not sure how a degree from there would be viewed on the academic job market... 2) ed theory seems really niche; I can't think of any programs in that specifically. but history and philosophy of ed programs exist, so I'd look at those. 4) ECS has some wonderful faculty (I did my master's at PennGSE in a different division, but my favorite class was in ECS). ECS also is super interdisciplinary and the faculty encourage phd students to work with faculty in Arts&Sciences -- so you could work with people in the history, philosophy, anthro, or sociology departments (don't mention these faculty in your statement of purpose though -- PennGSE's statement of purpose is super short, so you need to focus on the standing GSE faculty members you want to work with). 5) for the phd, based on things I've heard, it seems the rec letters and statement of purpose are the most important. GPA/GRE matter to establish a baseline level of being "qualified" (and unfortunately, at some places, it seems like where you went matters too, not just how well you did), but the rec letters and SoP are what make you stand out and show your fit with the program. research experience is critically important, and the writing sample can be offer good insight into your ability to research and craft an argument, so I'd say it matters. 6) it's perhaps not fair to say it's common for education PhDs to be fully-funded, but neither is it uncommon. at 4 of the 5 schools I was admitted to, I was given a funding package of full funding (including summers) for 4+ years. full funding can happen, but it seems to be at schools where the app process is very competitive. full funding also means different things at different schools -- some places have more of a service (i.e. RA/TA) requirement, whereas others include service-free stipend support during key parts of the program. not all places that fully fund include summer funding, although finding income over the summer isn't necessarily a challenge at some of those places. full funding packages are sometimes offered by the graduate school, not the ed school, so there can be another level of competition for university-wide fellowships even once you've been vetted and approved for admission. hope some of the above is helpful. PM me if you have further questions!

I checked the PhD pre-mat site and couldn't find anything. if someone could find that link and share it with me (maybe via PM?), I'd be so so grateful!

hi y'all! I heard from an admitted master's student that there's a fb group graduating students use to share apartment/housing openings that incoming students might be interested in? could someone share the link to that? I'm an incoming PhD student looking for a place to live, and would be happy to take an apartment off a graduating student's hands!

Personally, I think it might be hard to get strong letters of rec from profs you've only known for a couple of months. I considered applying to PhD programs during the fall of a one-year master's program, but ultimately decided waiting another year was worth it. I can't speak to how the process would've gone for me had I applied in the fall of my master's program, but I feel confident that I was a stronger applicant after finishing my master's (due to more defined, clearly articulated, and sophisticated research interests; more research experience under my belt; and stronger relationships with faculty) than I would have been 3 months in.

the popular wisdom is that if you don't have to pay for a master's program, don't, and if you do have to pay, minimize your debt. especially if you're considering a PhD, you really don't want to be saddled with tons of debt from a master's program. if you're in a position to finance the degree without going into debt, then perhaps that's a different conversation -- then it's really about whether the extra tens of thousands of dollars are worth it to you or could be put to better use. only you can make that decision. UVa is a very respected school, so I personally don't think going to Penn would be worth the cost, unless you have a very clear and strategic plan for how Penn is going to be a steppingstone toward the PhD (e.g. you intend to pursue an independent study with a particular faculty member, or something like that). Otherwise, I don't think having the Penn name on your CV is necessarily worth it. I'd be sure to ask very specific questions when you visit about who is teaching what courses next year, opportunities for research, etc. Then you can make a more informed decision about whether it's worth it. But based on reputation alone, I don't think the additional cost is necessary to undertake, since you have another great option available to you.

has anyone heard from NYU? I applied to sociology of education and haven't heard a thing -- they're now the only school I haven't heard back from yet (well, except for Penn, but they're taking their good sweet time sending out official rejections, ugh).

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you applied to a doctoral program at PennGSE and haven't heard anything yet, it is almost guaranteed not to be good news. I'm in a similar position -- I applied to the higher ed phd and haven't heard anything -- but I have it on good authority that being invited to the phd interview weekend is a prerequisite for admission, and since that interview weekend happened two weeks ago...

got the rejection letter -- I'd applied to SHIPS Sociology of Education -- and I'm feeling surprisingly sad despite having other great options. Excited for those who were accepted, though! Congrats!

it seems like at least one person who got into Stanford got in without an interview, so maybe it's not a bad thing not to have heard anything yet? If previous years' patterns hold, I feel like we should hear this week, though!

certainly no expert on this, but personally, I would only send a connect request after being admitted, since some profs seem to really avoid contact with prospective students.

congrats on getting an interview, and thanks for replying! I applied to the Sociology of Education program but haven't heard a peep, which I'm assuming doesn't bode well.

my call came from the Dean of HGSE. I don't have any insight into whether all the calls were made today, though. I was just told that I'd hear from my potential adviser in the next couple of days.

huge congrats! I also just got a call; I'm completely floored and freaking out. and visit day next month is on my birthday, so this is pretty much the best news ever.