OCD or Perfection?

You've said mostly pretty solid things but I would say that the average salary number is way off, especially for SLPs. Graduates of school leadership program who end up taking leadership positions in the area start off above 80k (that's the lowest end of Assistant Principal salaries in MA, to say nothing of comps in NY, CA, IL where most SLP grads head to after). I remember when I did this research around application time, average salaries for Ed. M. was $62K. As far as the SLP program is concerned, it is worth its (financial) weight in gold.

Many many congratulations to all of you. I am an HGSE' 15 graduating student and instead of living alone, I was part of a six-person house of students coming to HGSE from India, Florida, Pakistan, Texas, France, and New York. Intentionally, we are all from different cohorts and from many different countries and religions. Staying together, we have been able to make the most of the (very) short year at HGSE. Right from insight into dozens of different courses we were collectively taking, to getting the opportunity to network across HGSE’s 13 cohorts, to sharing an Uber to events happening all over the city– we had the best of times this year staying together. Not only that, we saved massively on rent! We pushed each other intellectually and personally, helped find jobs, select classes—two of us are starting a company and moving to Silicon Valley upon graduation. How did we do it? At the very beginning, two of us got together and decided on what we wanted most out of this year. Then we put up a post on the 2015 group advertising our ideas, many people were eager to be part of ‘the house’. When we started thinking about this last April, we had no idea if anyone would be interested. By the time we finalized the last six, we had over 40 people apply, around a dozen of whom we seriously considered before making decisions. We had discussions with several students to find a match (we also had a spreadsheet where each of us shared biographical information, future professional goals, experiences, political views, religious inclinations, and many other such things) and finally we diversified the house to have different cohorts, experiences and interests! You can create a house to suit your needs, all from same cohort, two cohorts or complete diversity – you will be fine anyway you go. A key part of this experience is also getting the right house. A warm welcoming house which has plenty of common space, enough to host party for an entire cohort. You should try and secure such a house, that ways you would be able to have different cohorts, professors over at your place every now and then. It’s a super-fast way to get to know your class, to form a network and to tap into opportunities at Harvard and elsewhere. Best of all, we are here to support you. If anyone, or a group, is interested in taking the lead on organizing something similar this year—we are happy to meet with you, talk to you, and connect you with both our experience and the resources we have from last year. We are excited to help you brainstorm logistically (house type, rent, distance etc) and intellectually (what to look for in roommates that will push your thinking, whether same cohort, people from across Harvard grad schools vs. MIT and many other things). We also have a list of realtors we worked with—and actually, might have just the magic house for a group of 5 or 6 (details on that later). So, if you are interested, feel free to reach out to me. I work well with messaging—feel free to add me on facebook.

Congratulations to everyone who got admitted! This is such an exciting time for you and the beginning of what I promise will be a transformative journey. As current students, we are looking forward to welcoming you on campus soon and are getting ready to engage with the great minds that will be joining us soon. I saw lots of questions about scholarships and fin-aid. Based on the experience from last year, I can share that that information has not yet been released and will probably be shared out by the time you're getting ready to make a decision to fly out for admitted students' day. Once again, my heartiest congratulations and best wishes during this exciting time. Feel free to reach out if you have questions around where to stay etc. that have not already been answered on the HGSE admitted students' website!

you're fine! HIGH! true-around 4%. Everyone should apply for deferral to masters. A good bird in hand.

ummmm...rhfer...HGSE has programs with an acceptance rate over 50%. I wouldn't worry.

yup! True

Good morning HGSE hopefuls. Last year, when I was going through this extremely stressful process, a couple of current HGSE students stepped into our year's thread and gave some valuable information. As such, I want to pay it forward and offer some suggestions: 1. Connect with a current student who is an ambassador. You can do this here: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/admissions/student-and-alumni-ambassadors 2. In connecting with students or admissions department, try your best not to ask questions the answers to which are already listed on websites. 3. At the same time, questions about which program to apply to vs. others, and other such things are fair game and very helpful to you. 4. Attend any virtual/in person things you can; they help with anxiety and you get lots of answers to questions you didn't know you had. http://www.gse.harvard.edu/admissions/events 5. Start writing your personal statement three months ago. At this point, that should nearly be the only thing you are working on. Try to address not only what you already know but the burning questions you are bringing with you that will add to the learning of the entire school. In writing your personal statement, focus on these three questions: why you why now why HGSE 6. The GRE is truly one part of the application; a smaller, less significant part. Remember that HGSE is a big part of the dialogue around standardized testing, what it captures, and what it misses. They take that into consideration and when they use the word holistic, they really mean it. 7. There are two HGSE scholarships available; the urban scholars award and the leadership in education award. Whether you think you'll qualify for them or not---APPLY! You may be amazed! 8. This is no hard science but if you have extensive (5+ years) experience, it would be advisable to get two professional and one academic LOR. LORs should always be from people who know YOU very well; not from people the world knows. A generic letter from Bill Gates is a lot less impressive than from your bicycle mechanic who can speak honestly to you. This is Harvard; no shortage of impressive people here. 9. Finally, it is exciting and humbling when we hear from you; do not be shy to reach out, this is a great community.

I am going to Harvard. My 4 roommates are as follows: 1. Fresh out of India's top school undergrad, never worked a day in his life. GRE=similar to yours. 2. 2 years ago undergrad from no-name uni. Worked at non-profits (started a non-profit connecting people). Average academics. 3. 4 years experience working for ed-tech startup, out of UC-Berkley. No idea about scores. 4. 7 years experience teaching in district schools. Scores are slightly higher than yours. 5. My story is below. I think you have a great chance of getting into the schools you've mentioned. I would venture to suggest not to consider TC along the same lines as Penn and HGSE. If you have time, retake the GRE; in the GRE forum I have some specific advice on how you can increase your scores significantly-the scores are pretty decent anyway, not stellar-in particular that writing score. As someone mentioned, especially for someone who is an English major-for top 1% schools, you probably want to do better than 72%ile in writing. Your GPA is strong-HGSE will weigh the difference between a gpa from Berkley vs. a 4.0 from a no-name school. Vis-a-vis the application, the often-ignored part of it is the recommendations and the personal statement. Don't try to get Bill Gates to write your letter---the letter is about your hard work and professionalism, not some accomplished chair or alumnus. None of the three people that wrote my letters had a PhD. I selected people who I thought could speak best about my academics and experience. You should get 2 professors and 1 supervisor (most recent) to write your letters. At the end of the day--the most important thing is your personal statement. Remember to focus your personal statement on three questions: 1. Why you? 2. Why Harvard (or another school)? 3. Why now? If you need help, feel free to reach out!

Direct supervisors, always. Between LORs, you should have: 1. Direct (and current) supervisor 2. Professor-preferably someone you've done research with 3. Pick one between an ex-supervisor and ex-professor-whoever is strongest.

Jordan and I are two, recently introduced, incoming HGSE students, super excited to make the most out of our short time at HGSE. We’re seeking 3-4 roommates who are just as pumped. We’d like to find a big house where we can live together, community-style, among folks who enjoy deep conversation about educational equity, social entrepreneurship and other creative outlets to get the most out of our collective experience. Hopefully, by the end of the year we’ll discover/develop some type of social project that resonates with each of our passions. If not, that’s cool too. More importantly, our home will be a place of friendship, collaboration, critical thinking, awesomeness, and challenging/provocative (yet meaningful) conversations. This is going to be fun. It will be an inclusive space for all those who want it. Even if we’re not roommates, I’m sure we’ll spend a few late nights brainstorming in the house soon! If you’re interested in these ideas, and want to be a roommate shoot me or Jordan a message and we can chat more from there!! Looking for (in a roommate): You’re open-minded, sociable, well-traveled (or just have plenty of stories to share), and motivated most by your surroundings. You also have some experience with, or curiosity in, tech/entrepreneurship/nonprofits/media/business. All genders are welcome, and maybe even a cute couple or dog (though it might strain the housing search). Looking for (in a house): The house will be a hub for creativity and intellectual growth. Costs (rent+utilities) will ideally be under $1000/person, and location will be within 20 minutes of Harvard by public transport. We have shortlisted some gorgeous houses and could use some help from other roommates to choose the spot. 5/10 of the houses we're looking at are within 6 minute walk of campus. Again - If you’re interested in these ideas, and want to be a roommate shoot me or Jordan a message on facebook and we can chat more from there!! Ali: https://www.facebook.com/nomanimali Jordan: https://www.facebook.com/jordan.magid?fref=ts

This is hard to advise on without any names. If your choices are Harvard, Columbia and University of Miami; Harvard is the best pick in terms of slightly cheaper/better housing than NYC. Harvard's name is also usually immune from fluctuations in the job market and gives you the best shot at getting sponsored for work visas post graduation. This is a shot in the complete dark btw.

This is good to hear. I don't mean to, at all, undermine the work people do for education outside of the campus either; just that I think that when kids interact with people from Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, xyz these big intimidating names seem pretty accessible and within reach to them

You are right. Harvard has 13 concentrations at the Master's level. Out of these (arguably) only three prepare students to unequivocally work directly with students at the school level. These are Prevention Science and Practice (PSP), School Leadership Program (SLP) and the Teacher Education Program (TEP). This is not to say that other concentrations cannot go into working directly with students; it just seems that the programs are not designed for them to do so. While I fully appreciate the importance of educators' preparation for research and policymaking that HGSE designs most of its programs for, I really wish there were more Harvard people actually interacting with students instead of going to work in leadership positions in UN, district leadership positions or other policy areas. If anything, it would make more students see these people as normal everyday people that went to a great school which they, too, can one day attend. I was able to access mine but my friend is having the same issues as you are. Hopefully it will become available soon. Best of luck with the aid package

Wait longer. I was called and notified of my scholarship decision three weeks ago. And then I received it by email two days ago. The official email info stated it was $2000 less than what I had been told on the phone, was a minority scholarship (no thank you) and was not guaranteed ("all TC scholarships are subject to change").

Seems very close to my assessment. Acceptance rates within programs also differ. I think my program, School Leadership, has a high acceptance rate. Could be complete untrue.

Interesting. My statistical speculation () comes from a few sources, including ranking websites, HGSE's website and last year's thread on gradcafe. Also some other website I don't have the energy to locate right now From HGSE, for the 2014 class: Ed.D. Students: 25 Ed.L.D. Students: 25 Ed.M. Students: 576 Peterson's (not for the same year-based on difference in tuition): Applied2,754

I'll give you a few short answers and then you are welcome to reach out to me through PM if you'd like. The acceptance rate is not 50%. That would mean 1/2 students get admitted which is not the case. HGSE's yield rates are very high because there is a lot of self-selection in the process with many people thinking "I won't get in, why bother?" or "I can't take a year off of work" or "Too expensive" or "My S.O. lives there, how can I leave". Having said that, about 2800 people apply, around 750 are accepted out of which roughly 670 attend (this varies each year and is statistical speculation based on seeing past years, US news and other such websites). A very generous estimate of acceptances is 30% or 1/3. In truth, I feel it's closer to 25%. I am curious to know which multimillion dollar project you are spearheading right out of college. Also, HGSE is happy to look beyond GPA if you have an otherwise compelling application. All the admitted students I have met (around 30) had exceptional academic credentials (3.8+ gpas, high 80s to 90s in GRE etc). But there are the odd ones out with less than stellar gpas and downright abysmal GREs (7th percentile Quant) who are also there. Also, I wouldn't recommend going with "internationally acclaimed experts" for your Recs, unless you are on a day-to-day first-name basis with them. A direct supervisor from state university of nothing who knows you and your work very well is preferable to someone whose names appear in international journals but will give you an off-hand letter. HGSE is not impressed with internationally acclaimed-it has more of those than any other place in the world In short, you have every chance of getting in. And you're doing a great job of starting your research early. Your gpa is no longer in your control, but everything else still is---focus on those.

Congrats Joseph! JHU is only like...the best in the world? lol! You did it. Now go without looking left or right twice!!! Don't be distracted by the rankings that place your individual program lower than some state schools somewhere. The intellectual growth and exposure you will get the the amazing faculty and the top brass of students will far outweigh any ranking system anywhere. Moreover, even if you stick to rankings, JHU is the #1 grad school for Education.

Sorry, I was not referring to you when I spoke of the people bashing TFA. You presented a couple of thought through questions...I was directing this to people who have portrayed TFA as the next worst thing after sin.

lol @ bump! I wanted to know if TC-Columbia was anyone's first-choice program? It seems to me like everyone who was admitted to it is attending elsewhere? It was my top choice for so long that I was very sad after I mentally said goodbye to it. I have detailed my reasons for doing so under the TC page. Would like to hear if they are pretty consistent with others'. Program: Masters, Education Leadership Attending: Harvard Experience: 8 years in special education, mainstream and non-profit publishing children's books in Urdu. Worked in Houston, Dallas, Lahore and Karachi. Helped start Pakistan's first inclusive-program for children with intellectual deficiencies and emotional needs and a bilingual book publication non-profit aimed at cultural exchange in Houston.

Hmmm...how many of the people bashing TFA were actually rejected by TFA at some point? Who in the heck thinks TFA is easy to get in? TFA is more than twice as hard to get into than the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a (2012) acceptance rate under 13% compared to HGSE's ~30+%. So you think the university of crap in the middle of nowhere I went to does a better job of preparing teachers to take on classrooms? Have a look at this for those of you who always need research to back your common sense: "Teaching has tended to attract weaker pools. In 2004 the National Council on Teacher Quality reported that education draws a “disproportionately high number of candidates from the lower end of the distribution of academic ability.” In 2004, the average combined SAT score for college-bound seniors was 1026; for those intending to major in education, it was 965." Historically and the world over, other than developed countries that pay teachers equal to doctors and investment bankers (Finland, Denmark, Luxembourg), the teaching profession attracts its highest number of teachers from the lowest performing students. I have personally met so many students in the three countries where I have taught who got into teaching for: 1. not getting their major of choice or knowing they never stood a chance 2. the chance to spend the summers with their kids and have a long vacation without having to worry about daycare 3. the excellent retirement packages that district schools offer teachers---REALLY??? You wanna BREATHE through the 30 most important years of your life so you can LIVE a bit more comfortably in retirement? 4. surprise surprise, most teachers in public schools aren't sitting on gradcafe trying to figure out how to get into Ivy League grad schools and upwards of $50,000 in debt for a chance to be able to change children's lives. No, they have more worthy causes for their money like buying a house or adding to that cushy retirement fund or getting together on happy hours to bitch about the crappy system they chose to be a part of for extrinsic reasons. Having said this, and after seeing this thread, I spent a few hours today reading different research and commentary on TFA. I am in no way affiliated with TFA, never attended any of their recruitment events (they never thought it worth their time to show up at my crap university which btw was still "preparing" teachers by the truckloads). I have had the good fortune to meet four TFA alums and they are the most impressive and dedicated lot. All four of them are still teaching and one is attending HGSE with me this fall to continue to work for children, which was her passion-not an excuse to get into law school. Meanwhile, as a teacher and college coach for undocumented citizens, she has sent more kids to college that would otherwise never have gone than anyone else I know. I'm sorry, I don't believe the myth of teacher training. In the last 8 years, I have taught at five private schools that served from 80-1500 children. In all 8 years, the number of certified teachers teaching alongside me has been nearly non-existent. The one certified teacher with a degree in education (unlike any of the rest of us) was fired because she could not fit into the culture (read: being on time, speaking to children gently, leaving her baggage at home, being there for lunch duty). Meanwhile, despite being exposed to the horrors of all of us untrained teachers, our students have continued to flourish on every measure of standardized testing. Currently, the school I work at serves twice-exceptional students who have failed out of the public school system where they were taught by special education "trained and certified" teachers. Students whose performance was consistently ranked as LD, MR etc etc flourish at the 90%+ percentiles in our school full of non-professional educators. Against this backdrop, TFA does an amazing job of exposing students from low-income schools who would otherwise NEVER be touched by the kinds of quality people TFA recruits. Like all organizations with such a big undertaking, they surely have plenty of flaws. But to unequivocally write them off when people much smarter and better informed than your average grad-cafeer are giving them preference for ivy league admissions...well, that's just silly... To the OP...best of luck-I know I didn't answer your question but feel free to reach out to me through PM if you want.

I've actually declined TC for reasons I elaborated in detail above. I'm attending HGSE. Feel free to contact me if you want to hash out together what the options going forward are.

I will try to chime in to the discussion here, based on my perspective on being accepted to two of the top schools in education and also to the third one I applied. My opinions are based on the numerous (over 20) alumni and current students I spoke to at both programs and extensive research, attending visit days etc etc. First, for those of you considering TC-there is an extra $30,000 about to become available as I'm going to decline their offer. While I love the confidence TC has shown in me, with almost full funding for a 9-month program, I have a better (full) offer from Harvard and have every intention of taking that. So, I would piggy-back was wjdavis said and say take heart and wait for that revised letter. That said, why am I declining TC's offer of MA in Private School Leadership knowing that it is the best/most prestigious/oldest/richest program in the country (the world?) for leadership in the private education world as well as my top choice? Money has nothing to do with it-I'm sure they'd match Harvard if it came down to that. Despite the fact that each and every one of the people from my program I spoke with loved it and lauded it no end (alumni from seven to one years ago), TC in general does have the diploma mill vibe. That is something which is impossible to get away from and as someone said on yelp, if you want an Ivy League degree that's not worth the paper it's written on, go to TC. I know that's a terrible exaggeration and that the real story is probably not even 1% accurate-but when you're dishing out that much money in cash and opportunity cost, you don't want to make even a 1% chance. I also agree with wjdavis that dropping that kind of cash on Teacher Education is not worth it. Unless you wish to go into elite private schools (which I did), this is a poor return on investment from a financial standpoint. From a personal growth standpoint..well, that's priceless. But I never saw a person struggling financially (think an additional car payment for the next 15 years as the same as the cost of financing an Ivy League education) experience a lot of personal growth. If you have a good shot at getting into these schools, apply to a second tier school like Rice University, get fully funded to attend there, enjoy the weather and CHEAP cost of housing. In the end, what decides these things is your gut feeling and your own financial wherewithal about your particular situation. What made the decision for me were too things: 1. TC's overall reputation as a diploma mill at the master's level-despite the same not being true for my program/department. 2. My family's reaction to me getting into Harvard (which came after Columbia) and was so much more heartfelt than Columbia. Initially, I was concerned about Harvard's hands-off vs. Teachers College much more personal recruiting style. TC called me a lot and gave me a lot of time during the application process when I called them. But since I've been admitted, Harvard has tried everything to get me to attend from calls from program director, alumni, current students and other members of the faculty. Hope this helps you. I am very available, willing and eager to help with the decision making if you want to bounce ideas and looking forward to being contacted by future applicants if you guys need any help. Hope my input puts something at ease for you

Wow! Never thought of that for long-term rental.. Guys you can join our admitted students' group on fb at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/708678272488623/ If the link doesn't work, search for Harvard Graduate School of Education, Class of 2014-2015

does it work this time? https://www.facebook.com/groups/708678272488623/