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It is true that HGSE has a smaller endowment than other Harvard schools, but let's not kid ourselves. Even schools like Harvard Law and HBS are known for giving small aid packages. Harvard knows students will pay. Furthermore, Master's programs at most institutions around the world are rarely funded at all. I say this all not to scare you away from HGSE; rather, to demonstrate that some of this is not a problem specific to HGSE...Master's programs simply aren't often funded.

And there's nothing wrong with speculating! I don't mean to be a total downer! That's a difficult question to answer...it depends on what you mean by "terribly hard." If you're comparing HGSE to - say - Harvard undergrad, then no, HGSE is not "terribly hard" to get into. But then again, most graduate programs (in any field) across the country are less selective than the undergraduate admissions process. That being said, graduate admissions is a completely different beast. Most people who apply to HGSE are passionate about education. Most people who apply to Harvard undergrad have no idea what they want to do with their lives. Each Master's program at HGSE has a different admissions committee, so it also depends on which program you're applying for. You can peruse the Grad Cafe survey results to do some "smart speculating." If I had to do my own "smart speculating," I would say it is not "easy" to get into any program at HGSE. In fact, I would guess that HGSE is probably overall the most selective graduate school of education in the U.S (I know, quite a bold statement). So the real question is "are ed schools hard to get into?" And the general answer to that question is "no," but I do think HGSE (and some other institutions commonly discussed here in this forum) is an exception because of its name and history. Furthermore, I think it's pretty common for grad programs to be hush-hush about their admissions statistics. Mostly because - again - they're not very useful.

I said that HGSE does not release acceptance rates, and the email you quoted indeed mentions no acceptance rate statistics - it even adds that HGSE purposefully withholds information on acceptance rates. So, no, the Ed.L.D. admission rate is not "for sure" around 5%. Sorry if I seem nitpicky - I just don't want anyone to be misinformed, and there is quite a bit of misinformation in this thread. Anyways, @csmith14 is correct in pointing out that dividing 24 by 500 would not give you the true acceptance rate, statistically speaking...so again, any comments on HGSE "acceptance rates" are completely speculative.

http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/cl560c.pdf You'll need to take the CBEST along with the CSET in the subject you plan to teach. This you can do right now, if you wanted to. After that, things get admittedly confusing, particularly for students - like yourself - who attend schools without education certification/credential programs. The Cal States offer such programs, but the UCs typically don't. The most straightforward way to get your credential is to enroll in a teacher preparation program. Many teacher preparation programs also give you a Master's degree. Some teacher prep programs require the GRE as a part of the application process, but not all. All will require passing CBEST and CSET scores. You could also do something like TFA, if you are interested in urban teaching or social justice-minded education. Also, UCLA and Claremont are definitely not "top tier" teacher preparation programs. The 2014 NCTQ report ranks UCLA as #368 in the nation and Claremont as #380 in the nation. http://www.nctq.org/dmsView/TPR_2014_All_Programs That being said, all teacher preparation programs are being notoriously "scrutinized" lately, with many questioning their quality of instruction and preparation. This is why many prospective teachers are drawn to TFA. So, to be honest, it might not be a bad idea to simply attend the teacher preparation program most convenient/least expensive for you. You don't need to major in education as an undergrad. Just major in something relevant to what you plan to teach. You'll likely have no issues getting into a master's + credential program. With the exception of competitive programs like STEP at Stanford, most programs in California are not that selective. What IS hard, though, is finding a job. Your opportunities will increase tenfold if you pursue biology instead of social studies.

Current student here. A lot of what is in this thread is complete hearsay (not to discourage you!)... HGSE does not release acceptance rates for its individual programs, nor does the admissions staff ever release such information to prospective students...anything you read or hear about a program's "greater than 50% acceptance rate" or "lower than 5% acceptance rate" is not necessarily accurate. Anyways, the numbers change significantly from year to year. I think it's also important to realize that acceptance rate is not really as meaningful in the graduate school context as it is in the undergraduate context...a lot more "self-selection" goes on. It seems a lot of people miss this important page on HGSE's site: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/masters/life/who-studies Lots of good info regarding the average student can be found there. The importance of the Statement of Purpose cannot be emphasized enough, but some of the posts in this thread are implying that the GRE is unimportant...and that is not necessarily the case. HGSE approaches the GRE as most grad schools do: it's one part of a larger holistic application. @awalrus If the doctoral program admissions committee decides to refer you to a master's program, the master's admissions committee will see both your original statement of purpose and the Ed.M. addendum. If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me! I applied directly out of undergrad, in case anyone has questions regarding that experience.

When is the deadline to respond to UCLA TEP offers? I was strangely put on the wait list after I finally emailed the admissions office asking if I should expect to hear back soon...I've already accepted another offer (today is the deadline for my other offers), but UCLA is still in the back of my mind, and I'm curious to know how much time I would have to decide if I am taken off the wait list. Kind of disappointed by how little communication/organization there seems to be in their offices...it almost seemed like they forgot to send me my email until I contacted them...almost two weeks after their listed "late March" decision release date.

Cal! Go Bears! And just to prove I'm not making things up: https://gse-step.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/stepfactsheet1.pdf Stanford and Berkeley are - by far - the two most represented undergraduate institutions. STEP has a pretty strong hold on the "high achieving Bay Area grad" market (take a look at those GRE averages - very high for an ed school). Also, I don't mean to sound like I'm bashing Harvard's TEP - it's just that I simply know nothing about it! I feel like no one here at Grad Cafe ever applies for TEP@HGSE (http://www.gse.harvard.edu/academics/masters/tep/)

^I think this is simply because Stanford's STEP (teacher education) program - particularly its secondary teaching program - is very highly regarded...one of the best in the country. It attracts a lot of students out of undergrad - especially Cal and Stanford grads - looking to get their teaching credential. STEP is definitely the "star" of Stanford GSE. HGSE has never been particularly well known for teacher education...

Just got my aid package....and it's pretty pathetic.

Since my acceptance over a month ago, I have not received one email from Penn. Is this a mistake? I also don't know *anything* about the Preview Day this Friday, and don't really feel like going...don't exactly feel "wanted."

It was in the letter itself.

@LetsHope I got my official decision today for TESOL/MA+Cert. through Apply Yourself (not through Next Step). Log in to your app through the link where you filled out your application. Also received funding.

So I'm elated to have been accepted to every Ed. School to which I've applied. I have a very high GPA at a top tier undergrad, excellent recs, average GREs, and an eclectic resume. However I have NO classroom experience. I'm very passionate about education and plan on working in the field, but I can't help but worry that I'm not ready for Ed. School simply because I'm young and inexperienced. Apparently the admissions committees think differently, which I should take as a sign of my being incorrect. For example, I was accepted to HGSE's Masters in Learning & Teaching program. I'm having visions of us going around the room talking about our previous jobs, and me having nothing to talk about. In addition, I can't help but feel a little apprehensive about potentially being a 23-year-old surrounded my mid-career professionals in their 30s. I guess I'm a bit worried about meeting people that are in my age group and stage of life, as superficial as that may sound! Anyone in the same boat as me? Am I worrying unnecessarily?

^I applied for the same program, also before the early deadline, and am also still waiting.

Have any of you heard about this? http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/2009/07/they_messed_with_the_wrong_blo.html I'm really excited about STEP, and I'm fairly passionate about teaching for social justice, but I can't help but feel a little apprehensive after hearing Michele Kerr's story. I know nothing about FIRE (the nonprofit which defended her). For all I know they're a bit loopy, and so is this student. But it seems like an odd series of events, especially for a university that should be encouraging open discussion?... Are there any current/former STEP students out there who can talk a bit about how their experiences were? Was their practical, tangible, and useful instruction? Or simply ideological lecturing? Will I leave feeling prepared, or simply brainwashed? I have similar concerns regarding UCLA's TEP program...