Vulpix
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Posts posted by Vulpix
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8 hours ago, Huskyboy2015 said:
Hello everyone ! I plan on applying for Ed.M program at HGSE for fall 2016 acceptance. Taking my GRE's on 30th. I looked up acceptance rates for HGSE on Peterson's: The link is below:
It says 50% accepted. Any thoughts??
My guess is this is a little high, and varies greatly by program. Also, 50% sounds high, but Harvard grad school applicants are a self-selecting pool, so I'm going to keep in mind that the 50% who were rejected were likely very or somewhat qualified in their own right.
Just trying not to get my hopes up too high, which I'm already doing in my mind
That being said, unlike some graduate schools, HGSE does not have a "cap" on the number of students they can take. So, in theory, if they think you are a fit for the school, they will have a seat for you. They don't have to deny anyone they think is qualified because they don't have room, which is definitely a consideration Harvard and other schools have to take for undergrads.
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I finally fleshed out a first draft today and I'm not happy with it. I thought that after mulling over it for months, brainstorming what I would write about, and planning an outline, a beautiful SOP would just flow right out. It has not. I guess that's what the revise, revise, revise process is about
Anyone else feel this way with their first draft? How did you go about improving it?
Also, anyone else frustrated that different programs ask for sometimes radically different lengths for SOP? I can submit generally the same narrative to every school with a few vital changes specific to the programs, but it's quite annoying that HGSE wants 1500 words, Penn wants 750 words, and TC wants 2-3 double-spaced pages. It's like I have to randomly cut parts from each or extend them to make it fit.
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4 minutes ago, jlt646 said:
I went to Bryn Mawr! Better dead than co-ed.
No, no- Vassar is an excellent place. I'm from that area of NY originally, and I miss it all the time. Good luck with your SOP! It was the hardest part of my applications, for sure. To call the process of writing it akin to a bloodletting would be an understatement- and I was an English major!
Awesome! Yes, the Hudson Valley in the fall is to die for! (Missed it this year
)
Well, it seems like HGSE cares more about the SOP than many places. Everything I've heard, they consider applications "holistically" aka who cares what your numbers are, tell us what you stand for. So I really do feel like I can win or lose this admissions game based on my SOP. Given that my GPA/GRE/experience is probably no worse and no better than anyone else's (average), it's really what it comes down to. But if you turned phrases like "akin to a bloodletting" in your SOP, I'm sure it was top notch!
I'm also eagerly awaiting my AWA score for the GRE because they've said that's the statistic they value highest in the application. If I can get a 5 or higher I will feel much better
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4 minutes ago, jlt646 said:
Hi everyone!
Program: Education PhD, CIS Concentration
GRE Score: V 166, Q 156, AWA: 4.5
GPA: Undergrad- 3.7 total, 3.9 in major
Work Experience: Finished undergrad as a non-traditional student, so I had about 7 years of work experience before going back. In the field, I'm participating in a one year fellowship with an awesome college access nonprofit in Philly. I'm in a high need high school full time, doing workshops, mentoring, college prep, tutoring, and about a million other things.
Undergrad Institution (Public, Private, Ivy, etc..): Private- Seven Sisters
Research Experience: Honors thesis in undergrad, but minimal otherwise.
What Other Schools Are You Applying To: UPenn, Columbia TC, Penn StateI'm hoping that my LOR and SOP are enough to swing the HGSE vote in my direction, but I know that I look like a lot of other applicants. Everything is in and done, and I'm just waiting. Until March. (Ugh.)
Happy to be here, good luck everyone!
Which Seven Sister school did you attend? I went to Vassar
(OK, we have men now...)
Best of luck to you! Jealous that everything is in and done, I'm hoping to have it all submitted by early December. Still have to get up the nerve to actually write my SOP. I just have like 9 pages of random ideas and notes!
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16 minutes ago, mjsmith said:
I've stewed on this too, as there are portions of my resume I am planning to discuss in my SOP. After the open house, I plan to highlight a lot of the why/how these events brought me to the field of education, why HGSE would help further the process for me, etc. I think your idea of "re-telling it with a deeper purpose" is the way most people go, but that is just my educated guess.
Agreed. It's kind of a catch-22 because the items on your resume should realistically play a huge role in your purpose for applying to school!
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Thank you SO much for such a thorough and clear overview of your day!! Sounds like it was powerful and productive experience.
I have a question about "do NOT rehash your resume." Of course this makes sense to me, and you said you can still mention parts of it while telling your story. I'm still trying to figure out what the balance/fine line is on this. There are elements of my resume that may seem unremarkable but they were formative moments in my trajectory to now. I want to focus on these moments in how they shape my desire to apply to HGSE. Do you think the admissions committee will see this as "rehashing" or recognize the difference between just "showing off or listing" what's on there vs. re-telling it with a deeper purpose? It seems like a really tricky, nuanced difference!
- sassypenguin and mjsmith
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Just took the GRE today! (jeez, what a ridiculously high-security process... I was not allowed to remove my sweatshirt during testing if I got hot because it was a 'security breach'?)
So here's me...
Program: International Education Policy (IEP) Masters
GRE Score: V 161, Q 155, AWA: TBD, but I felt confident about it today?
GPA: Undergrad 3.69 (why can't my transcript just round this up to 3.7, I don't know!), Grad: 4.0
Work Experience: My work experience is limited to 3 years teaching inner-city math since college at different New York City charter schools, focusing on closing the achievement gap. I have also served as a special education teacher.
Undergrad Institution (Public, Private, Ivy, etc..): Ivy sister school
Research Experience: Awarded a grant to conduct thesis research abroad at Oxford on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, studied in Spain and received certification for TESL, received a fellowship in which I researched and co-authored with a professor an English curriculum for immigrant youth, which I presented at the National Association of Multicultural Education Conference (was the only undergrad there, other scholars were professors/education policymakers). I also am currently completing an MS.Ed in Literacy.
What Other Schools Are You Applying To: UPenn IEDP, TC IED, NYU IEI hope my lack of international policy work experience will not be a major deterrent to the admissions committee. I believe I can articulate the origins of my passion for IEP, my goals, and how my undergraduate research experiences prepare me for this. My recommendations should be strong, particularly from my former advisor who holds an EdD in IED from TC... wow that's a lot of abbreviated jargon!).
What do you guys think? I think my GRE scores/GPA are average or good enough (especially GPA coming from a prestigious institution, and also when they look at my transcript they will see that if not for my first semester freshman year, I would have a 3.9
) I think all things considered, it will come down to my SoP.
- mjsmith and HiEdHopeful
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This is a really silly question... do people put titles on their SOPs? ("Statement of Purpose" vs. "My Journey" or something cheesy like that
)
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5 hours ago, Shlee467 said:
Wish I could! I'm in the process of drafting my personal statement, the last and most important thing I still have to do for the app. Eeeks.
That's all I have left as well. (Taking GRE's tomorrow!) I have like 9 pages of random notes/outline/ideas (mostly lists, not paragraphs), but have yet to tackle actually writing the darn thing. I'll probably start next week and take most of December to revise. I want to submit early but really there is no point, I assume. They likely don't begin reviewing applications until next year anyway.
19 hours ago, mjsmith said:Hey everyone
Just stumbled on this forum (wish I'd found it sooner). Excited to be jumping in here.
I'll add more about myself shortly, but just wanted to see if anyone else will be at the HGSE daylong open-house tomorrow? I'd be happy to post impressions and insights I get from them after attending if people here would be interested in that.
Best of luck to everyone as we apply!
I can't go, but I'd really love and appreciate any observations you can share!
1 hour ago, JD2015 said:Hi everyone,
I am interested in applying to the International Education Policy Program. My background, however, is in a totally unrelated field. I am currently working in a molecular neurogenetics lab doing bench research, but found myself getting more and more drawn to education. Besides some informal classes that I taught in my parent's school in Nepal, I don't really have any experience in the education field. GRE Scores: V: 163, Q:160.
Should I wait for another year to gain some more relevant experience? Or will they trust me enough based on my theoretical ideas?
Also, what about the funding the program? Any way to apply for funding? Don't really want loans :'(Thanks for your help!
You sound like me (sort of!). I'm applying to IEP as well, similar GRE scores. I've worked in education but NOT in an international capacity, which I feel is the most important thing they are looking for in applicants (if not international experience than like you said, theoretical proof of genuine interest). I feel like if you can craft a narrative about why and how you were drawn to the field, you stand a strong chance. I attended a virtual info session last week and the admissions staff really emphasized that they value people with different experiences because it adds something enriching to the cohort of students to have a scientist or whoever mixed in. If you have the grades, scores, and recs to back it up, and can defend your interests passionately, I don't see why they wouldn't take you.
That was equally a pep talk for myself
I've been a math teacher for three years but I want to study humanitarian intervention and refugee education under IEP, none of which I have any actual experience in. But I want to believe that if I can explain where this desire to switch careers comes from and how HGSE can help me achieve my goals, I could be accepted. It's tough, I feel the program is slightly more competitive than the teaching ones, and the majority of applicants will be coming from international ed/development backgrounds.
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Anyone know about the International Education Development Program? Super competitive? (I read there are only 30 people in the cohort)
I decided today to apply to Penn. It would be my last choice because I'd rather not move to Philly, but the program seems good. I like that the application is free and the admissions is ROLLING! (Sadly my recommenders are going to take another month to write, and I'll be waiting on GRE scores, but I plan to submit before 2016).
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On 10/30/2015, 11:08:14, elveintiocho said:
Hi everyone! I'm currently an Ed.M. student at HGSE and this forum was very helpful when I was applying last year, so I just wanted to jump in here and contribute.
As for the question above, no, your "extra activities" do not need to be education-related. They want to get a better picture of who you are as a person and they have all the other sections in the application to know what you did professionally and academically. Also, note that the application asks for a start and an end date for each activity, meaning you can and maybe should include activities you did in the past if you think they add to your application somehow. My "extra activities" were my history working as a professional ballet dancer before I started college (completely unrelated to my program, I wasn't applying to AIE), volunteering as Social Media Manager for a non-profit independent theatre organization, and volunteering at an anti-bullying organization (this one was the only one somewhat related to education). Think of interesting things that you have done in the past and try to come up with 3.
As for the other questions discussed above...
- Do GRE scores matter?
As the alumni in this thread have said above, they are just a small part of your application. HGSE is very much part of the discussion around standardized testing, and the first thing that they tell you when you get here, at least in TIE, is "exams and grades are bullshit" (one faculty literally said that). That being said, if you get extremely low scores it might raise some eyebrows, but if you are at least close to the average scores of admitted students, I wouldn't sweat it. The most important part of the GRE is the AW section. An admissions officer said last year that they would worry if you got 3.5 or less. But if you get 4.0 or above, I don't think it really makes any difference. Focus on your SoP and LoRs, those are the two most important things.
- What's the acceptance rate for Ed.M. program?
Again, as some have said above, no one really knows. I've heard people speculate it was 10%, and others say it was 40%. The truth is, no one really knows, as they don't make that information public. The closest thing I ever heard an admissions officer say last year was something like "we are willing to accept as many talented and passionate individuals as we can" (or something like that). In other words, if they think you are a good fit for HGSE, you're in - there's no cap.
It's nice to know there is no cap... makes me feel like they'll evaluate me based on my own merit and not necessarily in comparison to others (as much as possible).
For those who have taken the GRE already AND done practice tests... how closely did your practice scores mirror your actual GRE score? I have taken practice tests on PowerPrep and gotten HGSE average percentile scores, but still have to take the test next week.
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Anyone else applying for International Education Policy program? This will be a career change for me (3 years teaching NYC urban schools, now I want to go into NGO/international policy work), so I'm a bit nervous with my lack of international work experience. I think I can defend myself well in my SOP, though. I have good GPA/recs.
Taking the GRE for the first and obviously last time November 7 (wouldn't have enough time to take it again)... really dropped the ball on giving myself time to fail on that one... looks like it's gonna be a one-shot deal, so here's hoping a little bit of studying will get me decent scores. Eeek!
Is anyone else struggling with/confused by the "other activities" section of the application? Like, I work full time in education, and I am currently finishing another Masters degree.. I don't tutor kids on the side
. I can easily fill this up with education-related volunteering I did as an undergraduate, but that was almost 4 years ago now and I'm not sure Harvard wants to see that. Plus, wouldn't anything important already be on my resume? But I feel like I couldn't possibly leave this section BLANK. Advice from current students? Do they want to know about my non-education activities? (Such as fundraising for cancer research or ... I don't know...)
HGSE 2016
in Education Forums
Posted · Edited by HRK1011
Woooo I just got my writing score from my first and only GRE test on November 7... got a 5.5!!! (98th percentile) I know HGSE looks at apps holistically, but they did say they value the writing section the most, so this is very encouraging for me!
Although some say this won't make a difference unless I got below a 4, but I like to believe it helps my chances a little?