j7887

Accepted! I'm in. Go check!

Some may, but I haven't seen any here sadly. 
 
Mac that was rude and very unprofessional..

That most recent post must be a joke right?

I'm inclined to believe they've all gone out. I don't have any direct evidence to prove that assertion, but that seems to be the general direction the evidence is moving in: no one on here getting an interview since January, interviews being requisite for admission, being pretty sure they wouldn't have started making offers until all the interviews were done (based on knowing Harvard and how much they like to keep as many cards as possible in their hands in all things and accepting someone without having alllllllll the info from alllllll the interviews in front of them first just doesn't seem like their style), knowing acceptance letters are going out next week, etc.
 
I can't accept or reject thelastgoal's 16 number, but I don't really feel like we have any way to determine the percentage of applications this site captures and consequently we have no way to infer the number of acceptances that have gone out. 
 
I might be totally wrong though!!

It is clear from SheWrote that no decision will be made unless all interviews are over. Since it has been made, all interviews are over. So, condolences to many like me- We have not had interviews, We are already out!
 
Congrats to the God's unique creations who got in

I applied to the Ed.L.D. program but was not invited for an interview. Although it may sound like "sour grapes," I'm genuinely not upset because I all but asked to be rejected. How is that, you ask? Well, my short essay, personal statement, and professional experience spoke to strengthening public education as a democratic institution rather than dismantling it and selling it off to the private sector. I supported collective bargaining and I opposed high stakes testing. In short, I explicitly rejected the corporate reform policies that many of the program's partners have so often championed.
 
So, whether you were accepted or rejected, please don't kid yourself about this program. This program costs a lot of money and if you're not paying for it then the money has to come from somewhere.
 
Of course, I could be dead wrong--but I've lived long enough to know that there's no such thing as a free lunch. That being said, I would love to hear from somebody with a different perspective.

Don't worry, Sunshinegrl! I'm sure you came across great! I think interviews are mostly to verify a) you are the person you claim to be on your application, and b ) you're not insane. 

Good point gingin6789!  Maybe it's normal...

I just hope they don't monitor how many times an applicant checks the app status!

What previous posters have said about the fit is the crux of it, I think. Unlike the hard sciences there really is no "If you have X publications, then . . ." or, "If you have X research internships, then . . . " advice for an Education PhD. The departments know they can mold you into a research machine in due time.
 
Here's what I've gleaned from talking to 10+ professors from different schools last year:
 
1. Experience in the field (work experience) is always positive.
2. Research experience is a plus, and for some programs carries more weight, but not one professor said it was required.
3. Likewise quant/statistical background is a plus, and for some programs carries more weight, but it's not required. You can make up for a lack of research methods experience with a good GRE score (160+ maybe) and vice versa.
4. Professor contact + a detailed SOP are probably the two most crucial factors of your app. It really is about fit. You might be a top candidate but if there isn't a professor at the school who a) shares your interests and sees you as an asset to his/her/the school's current work and is able to take on new advisees, then you could be passed over. It's not YOU, it's them. You're likely fantastic.
5. Professor contact is crucial.
6 (to infinity). Professor contact is CRUCIAL.
 
I sent introduction emails to professors who never replied. Naturally I assumed I'd have less of a chance at these schools. To my surprise, when I heard back from these schools about acceptance or interview, the emails I received were from these professors in REPLY to the emails I'd sent. So they must be filing these emails away somewhere even if they don't reply (makes sense - they probably get so many they can't reply to all of them). I was chuffed, absolutely chuffed.
 
Sorry, that's really all I know. I'm in the same boat as everyone else - accepted some places, interviews some places, and half my applications seem to have disappeared into a void of quiet, polite no-thank-you. 

I just hope they don't monitor how many times an applicant checks the app status!

I just hope they don't monitor how many times an applicant checks the app status!

I would say take things you see on GradCafe with a grain of salt. You can usually tell who you can believe. There are a lot of well respected, long time members who constantly give good advice. Read what some people post. If they've never written a complete sentence but claim a 170 verbal and 6.0 writing, maybe think twice. I've seen people who've only ever posted 2-3 times who registered for GradCafe just to tell someone that they got a perfect GRE score without studying. Also, keep in mind, there are a lot of very good, intelligent, dedicated, hard working students who post on GradCafe. If you're a serious member of GradCafe, that shows you probably care and you like to be prepared. A lot of people in the "real world" don't know these things and aren't prepared when they do things. They just kinda wing it.

harangue = high frequency GRE word