jc14

@Chai_latte I was - however I decided to not attend.

I'm going to bump this thread. Considering NYU Steinhardt as well for Applied Stats. I'm currently transitioning into the data science field - and am thinking about doing the Applied Stats program at NYU Steinhardt - and use some of the electives to take courses from the NYU Data Science program.

I appreciate all of the responses. Again, I did not want to give an impression that I was trying to hide behind Columbia's prestige - or hoping to an Ivy League bumper sticker on my car. My point is simple, though: We pay a lot of money for these degrees. I did not apply just to go to an Ivy League, but I did apply/pay for the education, as well as the opportunity. It's tough when you got into a handful of other schools - and when choosing between a handful of great programs, you begin to really consider prestige. In my decision-making process, I certainly considered the prestige of Columbia University. And again, many people say it's okay because TC is highly regarded in education. However, I am not going into teaching, I will be doing an Applied Statistics program, hoping to get into data science/big data in the education field - but for companies (e.g. Udemy, Khan Academy, or even companies like SumAll.org) I don't want to be disingenuous on my resumes - but at the same time, part of the reason I put all the time and money into this degree is for more opportunities. I hope this doesn't come off as snobby/pretentious/ignorant. I am also planning on taking a handful of courses from the Columbia University Data Science program, and so I suppose that carries some weight. But it seems like all in all - we can argue about the affiliation of TC and Columbia; and TC degrees being "conferred" by Columbia - but in the end, the most honest way to put the degree is: Teachers College, Columbia University?

Anyone have any other inputs/sources? As expected, there's some conflict.

@galliardsghost thanks for the reference! any idea why it specifically says "Ph.D degrees are specifically conferred..." What about Masters degrees? And would anyone here know why they have an independent board/endowment/etc. Is this just a common thing?

Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone here had some good information on this topic. I've read a lot of things online, and seem to always get mixed opinions. What exactly is TC's relationship with Columbia? Some say it's just an affiliate, and is actually really not all that closely linked with the school. Other's say that it is essentially the Graduate School of Education for Columbia University. The former would say that a degree from TC =/= a degree from Columbia, and the latter would say that a degree from TC is a degree from Columbia University. I have also read officially that a "diploma itself is from Columbia University as well." However, it seems like TC students don't have all of the resources a Columbia graduate student would have. Anyone have any thoughts/facts? I'm a little more worried because I won't be going directly into teaching or anything like that - and so my field might not be as familiar with an education program like TC. If it's relevant at all, I'm going to TC for Applied Stats, and want to get into data analytics/science/quantitative research in different fields of Education (either non-profits, universities, etc.). I'm wondering if the TC degree will be equivalent to a Columbia degree; and while it comes off snobby (I certainly did NOT choose my school just based on names), I think it's an important question especially when you're paying $60k in loans and are passing on other big name schools. TLDR - Is a degree from TC ==== a degree from Columbia University?

Hi guys, I'm going to be attending a master's program this fall in Applied Statistics. This question is geared more towards graduated students who are working - but I was wondering, what are the most practical stats classes you have taken? I'm trying to decide which courses to take as my electives. My future goals are still up in the air - but I generally want to go into the quantitative research/data science direction. Some suggestions I have gotten: -Bayesian Statistics: seems to be a consensus. Many people suggest taking multiple courses -Time Series: this one has mixed opinions. Some say it's really only useful for those trying to work in finances? What do you guys think? -Generalized Linear Models -Exploratory Data Visualization -Linear Models and Experimental Design -Statistical Machine Learning -Applied Data Science -Data Mining -Any others? If you have experience working in a heavy data analyst job/big data job, I would love to hear what courses ended up being really useful. Thanks!

@diazc94 thanks for the info. I was actually just offered $13k, which obviously isn't much. My degree is also an M.S. in applied statistics. With plans to work for non-profits and universities, obviously I'm still not going to make anywhere near $100k, but at the same time I'll probably have a higher starting salary than some other professions in education. always a tough decision though.

Most likely attending Columbia... $50k in loans, no scholarships or assistantships. Anyone else looking to attend with straight loans? How are you guys handling it/managing it?

Wow @higheredhopeful, NYU gave you a full-ride + assistantship for a master's program? Was this announced in their acceptance letter or on the NYUHome page? I haven't heard from NYU for my funding.. Currently between Penn, NYU, and waiting on Columbia (hoping for some really good news there regarding funding IF I'm lucky enough to be admitted). Funding is always the problem...

Hey guys, Now that many schools have released their decision, I thought I would start this thread. Most master's students aren't fortunate enough to get full-funding/stipends, and are going to be taking out loans on loans to get a master's degree. And for many of us, the question "is it worth it" is going to be on our minds for a long time. I was wondering if any graduates (from Master's programs) wanted to give their best advice on how to get the most out of a Master's program. Is it the networking, relationship with cohorts, the classes we take, the internships, seeing assistantships for experience? What do you guys think?

Thanks for the responses everyone. I was interested because I wasn't sure if the type of degree should influence my decision when choosing a program: M.Ed Quantitative methods; M.S. applied statistics; etc I also thought it was strange that Penn changed their program from M.S. SMART (Statistics Measurement Assessment and Research Tech) to an M.S.Ed, simply because they were getting rid of their thesis portion of the program.

@StenoLubr well I just meant in the realm of education, what are the differences. For example, an MA in in Statistics vs. and MS in Statistics might have different implications than an M.Ed in Educational Policy vs. MA in Educational Policy; or in my case, an M.Ed in Quantitative Methods vs. M.S. in Applied Statistics (both degrees are for and from the Education departments). And I'm thinking more along the lines of the practical differences both inside and outside the world of academia. (Jobs, pursuing PhD's, etc.)

Hi all, I started a thread earlier that has been discussed many times, and so I'm hoping this topic isn't as redundant. I'm currently debating between some Master's programs, and I was wondering what your guys' takes were. How would you describe the differences between an M.S., M.Ed, and M.A., especially regarding the Educational field? I'm guessing this is going to come down to "what is it that you want to do?" I'm not sure I want to pursue at PhD as of right now. I'm going for Applied Statistics/Quantitative Methods in Education. Anyone care to give their two cents? I'm also wondering if you guys think there is a significant difference between holding one or the other. Again I hope this topic isn't too repetitive, I tried to search around a bit but couldn't quite what I was looking for.

Hi all, I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right topic section, but I just wanted to get everyone's input/experiences with negotiating financial aid packages. More specifically, using funding from school A to negotiate a better funding package from school B by expressing strong interest in school B. For example, my friend got into medical school X with a full-ride. He then found out that he got into his dream school, medical school Y, but with a smaller scholarship. He told school Y that they were his dream school, and that he got the full-ride from school X. School Y eventually gave him the full scholarship. Does anyone have any experience with this, either first-hand or through hearing from a friend? For what it's worth, I'm deciding between Master's programs, not PhD's. And if so, how did they go about doing it? E-mailing the department chairs, POI/professors, financial aid department, etc.

I like this topic. I'm an applicant for the Fall 2015 cohort as well. I think TC is very rigorous in terms of course work. The program I'm talking about in particular is their M.S Applied Statistics program. I've also found Vanderbilt's QM program and NYU's Applied Statistics in SS to be just as rigorous. Of course this is all just based on my research. And my impressions are mostly just based off of the curriculum. @missgord - what makes you say washington is more technical/rigorous quantitative work. I've been admitted to the UW Measurement/Statistics program, but I'm on the fence because I feel like it's not rigorous enough. Same with BC's ERME program. I'm very curious as to what other people think - both current and prospective students.

Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone has tried asking for a rec letter in a very straight forward manner. For example, rather than working at a lab or something for a year, and then asking, contacting a professor and just saying "Hi Professor ____, I took ___ and ___ with you, and I'm really interested in your research - I was wondering if you would be willing to write me a letter of recommendation and get to know me a little bit better." Almost everyone says being direct about rec letters isn't a good idea - but I'm wondering if anyone has tried something along these lines and have gotten a favorable response.

Thanks for the reply bsharpe269. I definitely agree.. The only reason I'm kind of rushing is that I'm trying to finish my GRE by the end of June to focus on work/school. But I do realize, realistically, it'll take more time. The verbal section especially seems to require a gradual growth in vocab/reading comprehension skills. Thanks for the advice, and congrats on improving your scores!

Hey guys - thanks for the responses - I really appreciate them. Definitely agree imnotbatman - I try to review all the words I've learned on a regular basis to make sure I'm retaining them to a certain degree. I'm trying to get in the habit of reading those articles as well, so since it seemed to help you. I'll try to be more diligent in that. (Congrats on a great score btw) And thanks for the advice DeepSaklani! Anyone else care to chime in?

Hey guys, I know I'm starting a thread that's been discussed before - and believe me I've read through most of them. I'm currently studying for the GRE's - it's been about a month. I've been scoring around the 165+ range for the quantitative sections without studying - but verbal is killing me - and quite frankly, I'm getting pretty discouraged. Most the threads I've read have been up and down. Some people see improvements, some don't. My verbal score will range from around 150-158 - but usually right around 150. (My goal is to break 160 in verbal and score over 165 in Q). I've been memorizing a lot of vocab words from Magoosh/Manhattan - I've memorized around 500 in the past month. But it just seems pointless - so many vocab words out there - and even some of the words I know well, there's like a 9th definition that they ask you about (I know I'm exaggerating, but for those who have taken the test, you know what I mean). I'm basically ranting and looking for some encouragement. If you didn't improve from studying - why not? Do you think the GRE (especially verbal) is just a tough test to study for due to the myriad of words that they use? Or you didn't study hard enough? And if you did improve - what exactly was it? Did the memorizing vocab words really help? Also, I haven't taken an official GRE yet - this is all from the Magoosh program, which I do recommend in that it is thorough and helpful . Let me know what you guys think - if you feel my pain, feel free to vent. If you have words of wisdom - I'm all ears.