marature

Yeah I was not expecting a phone call since I'm not in the country, but I got an email inviting me for a Skype chat instead! It was a great opportunity to ask questions and the student was very helpful.

You sound like a GREAT candidate - good scores, diverse experience - and personally I think the founding a non-profit bit is particularly impressive... it seems like a lot of admitted students in various programs I looked at have done things like that. HGSE in particular puts quite an emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship etc (a vibe I got from IEP events) so having shown that kind of initiative would be very helpful I'm sure. (Though I'm not in Admissions - so take with a grain of salt - just my personal opinion!).

Yes and on that note, the GA is only 5 hours/wk of work (which is why the amount is small, but it's quite a good hourly rate, I think, if you calculate it), so you can still work in other jobs. I don't know if they redistribute scholarship money but I will likely decline mine, for the same reason.

sounds good! I was going to say I think you would definitely get more out of the IEP or similar programs after you have some 'real-world experience' because you would have a better idea of your interests and questions. on the other hand, I wouldn't send someone out to the field with no training, so it's a good idea to start out with something you know first and go from there. I hope they give you some kind of cross-cultural training/orientation, that's pretty important.

Thanks! I might do that, so I know I can safely decline.... I just got the email telling me to look at my Financial Aid Letter on the web site... still says 9k lol. I guess there is a lag from the time the info goes in to when the email is sent.

Okay, I guess I'll wait until I do get an email from them and then take THAT as the final decision? Is the reason they haven't sent the email yet because it's not finalized? Or just glitches in the system?? Otherwise, they should expect that students will be looking at the site, since it's indicated in the award letter and most people are not like me and can actually read. (In my defence, I've been quite busy this week, and I should actually be reading work stuff now and not posting on this forum). Well, in any case, unless a miracle happens, I will probably have to decline, so I guess I should just chill and not over-analyze...

As far as I know, there are no need-based scholarships. There are only the ones that you apply for as part of your application, though some seem to have to do more with your profile/background/ethnicity etc. The need-based aid is all federal stuff via the FAFSA etc (so none for intl students).

Thanks for all the info, it's good to be able to compare and contrast I got my acceptance early, but the email about official transcripts much later than others here, and nothing at all about housing. Also, I totally missed the line about the Admitted Students Web site in the letter, so thanks for talking about it! I went to Web site and looked at my Financial Aid Letter and saw my scholarship award - also $9k. If not for all of you, I would be just waiting around wondering! so THANKS!!!! Like Heather said, the rest of the expenses are too much for me. But it's nice to be offered something nonetheless. I did apply for one other scholarship, but that's a way long shot, I'm not in the profile for it really. Should I assume that I didn't get it since it isn't in the letter? Or are those other ones done separately? Also, anyone know about the possibility of Master's students getting assistantships as another way to cover costs?

thanks, that's helpful. I've got 6 years experience on the ground in sub-Saharan Africa and some other job experience (not directly related) prior to that. There are a few programs that specify they want you to have international experience, whereas for others you can apply straight from undergrad. Penn, HGSE, TC, for example, don't say that you must have work experience, tho' I'm sure it helps. At an HGSE event, the director said it's important to show in your SOP why you want to attend, demonstrate your commitment - "not just something where you woke up one morning..." I think if you can make a convincing case with whatever activities you have done already during undergrad or prior, even if they are not in a full-time capacity, that would be important. You could read the current student bios on the Web sites of a lot of the programs to get an idea of their backgrounds.

wow, that's awesome. glad it's working out!

congratulations! wow, that means it was about a month before you got your scholarship info. happy you got into your top choice!

same here - I don't have student loans, but otherwise am in a similar situation. still, waiting for the funding letters before making the final decision.

Hopefully the visits will help! I was very impressed with the HGSE virtual events I attended when I was researching last year. I haven't yet had an opportunity to attend a Penn virtual event, but have found info from their student blogs etc very attractive too. My impression of HGSE was that it was also very practitioner-focused, so I think you can get the 'development' (if you mean project-related skills etc) side as well. If you look at the courses, they do have things like monitoring and evaluation, project management, designing training programs... I don't remember where I got this list, somewhere on the site, but it's a sample. From my limited perspective, it's really a toss-up between the two in terms of course offerings. It would probably be other factors that differentiate them... ethos/atmosphere/faculty/living/... there is the internship thing you mentioned, but I would think most HGSE students do internships as well... something to ask about. iep-fall-2013-course-descriptions.pdf

Interesting discussion in the Decisions thread, thanks for starting it! All the best for your decision.

Thanks! I'll definitely stay up another half hour or so

Yeah! Maybe in the order of application? I submitted mine at the end of Nov. On another note, I just got another decision, so if HGSE does do a blast today, that will be 3 decisions in one day! (a good thing, of course!)

I'm sure it'll come in soon!

Thanks - hope it comes soon!

It's tough, but my top choice right now is UMass Amherst International Education - their program is the most flexible (almost no core courses) and funding opportunities are good (assistantships with almost full tuition waiver). Even though they don't have the prestigious name, the program seems very focused on practice and building skills for working in the development world. It's designed for mid-career professionals. Penn would have been my top choice - a happy mix of practice and network - but it's so expensive! HGSE is similar; if they offer a better package, that would give me a lot of food for thought. I attended an AU ITEP webinar and received a very positive impression - the people seem to be very friendly and there's a lot of networking opportunities with all the intl orgs in DC. However, there are a LOT of required courses, and some of them don't interest me. A similar program, but perhaps in a less diverse setting, is Vandy. The Peabody admitted student group on FB has been great for learning more about the program. One current student in particular has been very helpful in answering questions, so I feel I have a good avenue for finding out more. It's a toss-up between the two of them, to me. I do hope the rest of the decisions come in soon!

Since we've been all geared up for the HGSE decision, I was surprised to get an email from TC this morning (my time)! Directed to Web site, confetti as someone else said. An acceptance, but no funding info. Does anyone know when we can expect that? Or how to know if no funding is offered?

I'd like to echo the question above, but now in 2016! Is it too late to look for off-campus housing in mid-August? I'd be coming from abroad and won't be able to visit earlier.

Congrats on NYU! I hope your prediction about HGSE comes true and we hear sooner rather than later I've heard from 3 of my schools, interviewing with one this week, and waiting on TC and Harvard for March - which could be soon!

Hi, I'm not sure about your program, but I know a number of Master's students in the IEPM program got the scholarship offer together with the admissions offer, in the same letter.

Hi, thanks for the info! Would you care to comment on your experience at Peabody, how you've found it so far? And is life in Nashville as awesome as I think it might be? I still have some reservations about my program specifically (IEPM), but the location is pretty attractive to me... I'm more inclined towards sunny climes nowadays...

Got the PDF from Google! It's great, thanks, as is the Web site... really appreciate it