Vulpix

Although it is the biggest, I was also under the impression that is because it is one of the most popular programs and receives the greatest number of applications... certainly that can be seen on this forum over the years, there are always plenty of Ed Policy people. BUT, the good news for HGSE, and this is what gives me hope also, is that there is no "cap" on the number of students they can admit. It's not like you have to edge out 100 people for the last slot----there are, theoretically, an infinite number of slots (and why not? You're paying THEM for the education), you just have to be qualified in their eyes. If they want you, they can take you, without having to choose between you and someone else.

Yes, I realized that about analysis and quant. but i thought it was curious that the verbal sections wouldn't be much higher. Certainly written communication would be really important. But I TOTALLY agree that test scores in no way reflect leadership ability. I'm good at tests. I don't see myself as much of a leader yet.

Weirdly enough, it looks like EdLd has lower average GRE scores than the EdM. So I think you're right, it's very much a minor point. I do think they might be alarmed at a horrible verbal or writing score specifically, but not in the way they really value it for the PhD.

Others have been accepted with a low GPA (still above 3 so that's important) and considerable work experience. Your stellar GRE scores should hopefully offset your GPA, and it seems like your experience is worthy. Also, a low GPA from a top university is probably weighed differently (in your favor)

For Americans it is the FAFSA. Other scholarships are done automatically with your submitted application. HGSE has another form they are supposed to release sometime soon that is due in February.

Understandable! It's so "out of your hands" but like, THEY NEED TO SUBMIT! I was panicking loudly via email at one of my recommenders to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE hit submit NOW. I think I freaked her out enough to rush it in, but I was able to read what she wrote and it was very thoughtful. It'll all be over soon! And now for two months of impatience and me unnecessarily checking my status page when I know there will be no changes to it until March.

That's very encouraging! Congratulations anyway. Did you already decline the offer? I totally agree that Penn is VERY expensive (like 20K more than HGSE just for tuition!!)

I'm no expert really, but it just seemed that, based only on gradcafe postings, you had to receive an interview to be accepted. I'm not certain about that though.

In short, yes you can still get accepted for PhD. Long version: I think they wait until they have interviewed everyone before giving a formal PhD rejection to people who didn't get interviewed. If they find the people they interview are not actually what they want, they may return to the applicant pool and ask for new interviews from those who weren't initially offered, but that doesn't seem very common because they typically ask 30+ to interview for even fewer slots, so I think it's rare that they wind up needing to interview more people, but I'm sure it's possible and happens once in a while. I think they wait until after they've interviewed everyone before formally rejecting the other PhD applicants who did not get an interview and that would be when they defer you to EdM. Hope that made more sense.

Based on previous years threads, it looks like they write about interviews mid-late January, and if you're not invited it is still technically possible you can be accepted, but much less likely, and you'd be deferred into the EdM pool if that's something you selected.

The only way to definitely not get in is to not apply You NEVER know what they might see in you, and if it's something you're passionate about, and they can see that, anything is possible. I know that sounds trite but having read HGSE and other top notch schools' previous years' threads, it's clear that people with so-called underwhelming credentials can get accepted.

I was soooo trying to get that to happen for me, and I submitted my application around November 20th, but my 3rd recommender didn't submit until mid-December despite me having given her several months notice and request to have it by then. Alas! I have a feeling they work slower after Christmas, but here's hoping! Thanks for the inside info Mind if I ask what the decision was? I know you're applying to the same program as me and we share similar interests, and it sounded like you should have gotten in based on your experience and grades... plus I was wondering if they give you news about scholarships yet, if you were accepted?

When did you submit your app? Thanks for the info! Hopefully this year they're running more smoothly.

I do think a masters will be necessary down the road, especially to teach in Mass public schools, so it's really a question of now or later. Keep in mind Massachusetts has arguably the best education system in the country, so getting a teaching job as an uncertified teacher in a public school will be difficult without an education degree, unless you go the non-traditional route mentioned before of TFA or other programs. So, you are right, you will need a masters and it is good to have some education background. That being said, you will NOT be a horrible teacher due to the lack of training necessarily---most first year teachers are horrible with plenty of education degrees . You can of course teach in any private school and some charters without any education degree, but you have to sell your experience.

I was actually responding to PersonPeople's post regarding GRE, but having attended a TC open house and talked to admissions people, they actually said that the majority of the time, even if people submit their scores (as I did), they actually completely ignore it unless they are totally stuck on the rest of the application. So in that sense, I don't think it could hurt to submit them or not----for better or worse, they mostly ignore them.

You definitely don't need a perfect GPA for grad school (for a PhD, perhaps). Keep in mind the key difference between many grad schools and undergrad is that grad schools are a money-making business, and many of them do not have a cap on the number of students they can take, unlike undergrad. Your GPA will get you into a grad program, it just depends what schools you are interested in. I am currently in a teaching related masters program at a public CUNY school, and although I had great numbers, many of my classmates did not. Required GRE is not necessarily an indication of the program quality, ESPECIALLY for education, it is often not required (many social sciences/humanities programs do not require GREs). For example, Teachers College does not require the GRE and it is a highly respected school in general. The deadlines for some applications for fall 2016 are quickly approaching in January, but there are many programs with spring or rolling admissions deadlines, so if you know where you are interested in, you still have time to take the GRE. For many schools, you may not even need it, so first look at that and apply to those ones first. General advice: if your immediate goal is to be a classroom teacher (as mine was), do not shell out big bucks and go into enormous debt. I thought I wanted to be a teacher forever, so when I was choosing what grad school to attend, it was between the cheap public school (that I could pay out-of-pocket with no loans because I had a teaching job and each semester was only $1500-2000), vs. the highly prestigious Ivy league school for some $40K+. Thinking my end game was teaching, I knew there was no reason to attend the prestigious school, and had I not changed my plans, I would be right. If you're like me, and you wind up wanting to do something in education outside of teaching, you can reconsider your other graduate options down the road. If you already have an inkling that you may not want to stay in the classroom after a few years, you might want to keep your options open.

I'm not in a similar boat, but I do think your experience will speak to your strengths, and the GRE scores prove that you can put up good "numbers" that they can't see in your GPA, so I think as long as the schools view your undergrad institution as legitimately accredited, it shouldn't be a problem. Mind if I ask what school? I'm curious. I would suggest submitting your GRE scores to TC and other schools that are "optional" for GRE, because it'll give you some good quantitative data to back up your application.

Admissions has said the writing score is the most important of the three, (many people have been admitted with sub 150 math, but I haven't seen anyone on this forum admitted with sub 3.5/4 writing---that's not to say it hasn't happened, I'm sure it must have). Beyond that, though, it is just one of many factors and your SOP is probably the most important thing. For a doctorate though, you'd want all components to be as stellar as possible. This is why I'm not letting myself re-read any of my applications after I submit them.... nothing I can do, and I'll just see the bad in them. But like we've said, it'll be fine!

This is one of my fears. I suppose it couldn't hurt to email them, but maybe it's drawing too much attention to a very small problem. I have heard from admissions departments (not HGSE) in the past that one typo here or there is not the be all end all of the application, and would likely be something they overlook if your application is strong. Multiple typos would be a different story. Considering this was for one of the side application questions and NOT your SOP, I don't think it's a big deal at all and probably best left alone. I also think they're reading our applications so quickly that half the time they don't even notice things like that (or appreciate the good). I know they say they read over our applications with great care, and to some extent I believe that, but not in every capacity.

I've definitely seen people get accepted to these schools on this site with low Q scores like that one. it's definitely not an automatic disqualifier, and your other scores are good

Thanks for that Sadly I haven't applied yet... I'm still waiting on one grade to appear on my transcript. Really cutting it close, the masters deadline is January 4.

I'm sure your experience at TC will be/is worthwhile nevertheless Thanks for sharing. I'm currently in one of those "I'm never going to get in..." moods because I read that 70% of students in the IEP program are international, and I'm just a generic American applicant who adds little diversity to that program. *Sigh*

Wow! It sounds like they are very interested in you, then! Awesome that you feel so welcomed and confident.

I could have read your signature That's amazing! When is it? How long do they give you to prepare? Are you nervous? I'm a masters applicant to completely different schools, but my curiosity is piqued! That and I'm just so amped up about these applications I'm desperate to keep talking about things

Congrats!!!! Where from?