[How will US universities evaluate your foreign degree?]

While you probably would be required by American Universities to provide for a evaluation services, I cannot stress how bad my experience with World Education Services has been. Take this with a grain of salt, since I'm sure other have great experiences. My evaluation was horribly done: WES graded my higher foreign grades, as a lower American equivalent then a lower foreign grade. In other cases, they had two different American grades for the same foreign grade. WhenI tried to get my grades reevaluated, they simply e-mailed me back saying no changes were needed according to their grading scale. Then when I tried pointing how they were not applying their own scale correctly and consistently, I got the same generic e-mail.

It took a credit card dispute and numerous complaints until they finally changed my grades two to three months later (much after application deadlines were due). Since they changed my grades so late, I had to pay for another company to do the job and pay extra for expedited service. I strongly suggest that anyone needing evaluations done go with a different company.

I had the same bad experience with WES.At the end of the day I just wanted to be done with it since it was just a formality.

[How will US universities evaluate your foreign degree?]

Most American universities rely on the World Education Services (WES) for an understanding of a foreign degree.The WES is essentially a company that converts your scores and grades to a US grading system.The process is called a credential evaluation.The WES provides you with a credential evaluation report consisting of your scores and its US conversion including the GPA and the US equivalent grades.You should go have a look at their website

http://www.wes.org/

To my knowledge this is an essential part of your application.

Hope this helps.

[Interviews at Teachers College?]

Nope nothing so far.If we haven't been invited to an interview yet could that mean we are out?

[Anyone heard anything from Columbia Teachers College yet?]

Hey, did anyone apply for PhDs and did they have interviews?

Thanks everyone for the information.I have also applied for a PhD program.I have not found anyone so far who's applied to the same program...But no I haven't heard anything about interviews or intimation of the sort....

[Anyone heard anything from Columbia Teachers College yet?]

Has TC,Columbia sent out any notifications at all?About interviews or decisions?I have other things/options to respond to & I unfortunately have no time .Their delay in responding has made it very difficult for me to decide as to what to do.Does anyone have any inkling/clue at all about how long they will take?I was really keen on their program but am so confused right now Whatever decision it is I need to know!It's hard living like this in limbo

[Please evaluate my profile]

GRE- 1140 (Q-750, V-390)

Undergrad in electrical engineering - 3.85 GPA

MS in electrical engineering - 3.67 GPA

3 Publications - 2 conference proceedings, 1 journal

1 Report of Invention (Patent in process)

Author of a Book

Active member of IETE, ASME and NSF IGERT

Prizes in Technical Extempore

3 Recommendation letters from Co authors of my papers

Applied for Phd in Electrical engineering in Yale & MIT...?

Any chances of getting admitted....

I think you stand a good chance.Firstly I say this because you have a publication and that is a good thing.I do not have a publication and that worries me.It's a key booster to your application.Secondly,your GRE won't hurt much cos frankly your quant score is definitely good.I don't think verbal would be very important for your course.Having said that I would say that I am sure you could get into other universities,just not sure about Yale & MIT, cos you know how competitive these schools are.There's no harm in applying though cos I already said you would stand a good chance.So there you go!

Good luck!

[Admissions Committees]

I was just thinking who are the people that go though our application materials.One of my aunts (who's involved in the administrative departments of a university) says that it differs from one school to another.Who are the members of this committee that decide on taking in students?Does it only consist of Professors and Faculty members?I really would like to know...

[Columbia Univ.]

I have a question about Columbia application. My status of application is still saying "Incomplete". What does it mean? Does it mean that mine is still in process of reviewing or that I missed some requirements for completing application?

It means that some of the components of the application have still not been submitted.You might want to go through their check-list to see if you've sent in all the needed material...

[Rutgers]

Hi~

Has anyone here applied to Rutgers this year? Have you heard about anything from the department? It seems they've already made some decisions~

Thanks

I've also applied to Rutgers,haven't heard a thing. But I heard they've made their decisions.I don't expect to get in anyway cos of my crap GRE.I remember here that someone got into New Brunswick.

Good luck!

[Could being a guy help?]

I don't think it would make a difference.At the end of the day a university is more interested in what's your worth than what's your gender.Most/All of them clearly maintain a stance of equal opportunity irrespective of race,religion, gender etc as it must already be known...

[Teachers College is Cruel]

Why are you doing this to me TC?

@ Angelicasassy I have been told by a reliable source that most of us would know of a decision next week.So it's not too far away.Fingers and toes crossed...Also TC gives out decisions later than most schools.Wonder why...

BTW has anyone here been interviewed by your respective departments at TC?Are you guys expecting a decision post interview?

[Where Would You Go?]

I need to choose between UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, and University of Michigan Ann Arbor. I am totally lost as to what to do, because I like all of the schools for different reasons. What would you do if you were facing this choice? Does anyone have any advice?

I am interested in doing research, not a degree for practicing teachers.

I guess you are at the toughest point having an approach-approach conflict.I can understand why cos all of these schools are amazing. However,if I were you I would go for University of Michigan,Ann Arbor.It's an excellent school with great faculty.My cousin went there and loved every moment of it.Second preference would go probably for UC Davis.

Good luck!

[What does it take to get in?]

Hi everyone,

I have been reading grad school related stuff for a long time and finally decided to take the plunge. My main concern however is to be seen as too weak a candidate for admission to a phd program in education. The main reason I'm asking this is experience. My understanding is that to be accepted to phd or EdD program you need a long teaching career. I will have taught for 3 years before I begin grad school. I have a Master's degree in an unrelated field and worked for two years in a university library for 2 years before teaching. I will be 28 when I begin.

It looks like I have absolutely no chance at places like Harvard, Upenn or other top schools with 10%-20% acceptance rates. Would you agree with this? What was your profile like that got you in?

Thanks for the answers.

I have the same concerns as you.Cos I am young, for a PhD in Education maybe (I think!Hope I'm wrong), and have one year plus four months teaching experience.I did some teaching during the summer when I was in my undergrad, like internships & stuff.I wonder if that counts.The only thing I am able to rely on are my GPAs, Personal statement and recommendations.I am also an international applicant.I wonder if that is an advantage or disadvantage...

[Am I too old for graduate school?]

No you're not at all old to start your program.You're just the right age actually.Age is more of a crucial factor in programs of education.For instance if you apply to any School of Education most of the times the school is keen on knowing about your work experience and yes sometimes if you are older it works.Teachers who want to pursue research must have abundant work experience before applying...

[Acceptance Methodology: Why the late admits?]

You all are a lively bunch...I was wondering if any of you had ideas about acceptance timing methodology at schools. See it seems to me that quite a number of universities wait until quite late to sent out both admits and rejects. Do you think they are trying to clean up on good people who happened to not get into the pie-in-the-sky dream school? Or is that putting too much thought into random tricks of scheduling? Risky business if you ask me. Ideas?

The Universities are just playing mind games with us I tell you.How terribly frustrating this whole process is !

Feb is technically over now with three more days...Anyway to answer your question I think it's got to do more with 'random tricks of scheduling'.

[my greatest worry - GPA]

Considering that you were facing some issues which affected your GPA consequently, I feel that the Admission Committee may be ready to overlook the issue.You've got so much of work experience that it makes me jealous!A high GRE score, good recommendations-I think it's gotta be thumbs up for you !

Good luck anyway!

[Adjunct Faculty as Advisor]

Is it a good idea to approach an Adjunct Professor at a Department to be your PhD Advisor?Do they normally supervise PhD students?

[Dreaming of an admit....literally]

I dreamed Yale accepted me and then two days later I got the reject letter; the other night I dreamed of a Fordham acceptance, so they should be giving me the bad news soon.

The same happens to me as well.It's almost always that the my dreams never come true & only the opposite happens

[Dreaming of an admit....literally]

I had a dream last night that I received an email from UNC Chapel Hill saying that a decision had been made on my application and to go check the website. I clicked on the website and it took me to another page that said that a decision had been made and to click on another URL. I clicked on that URL which took me to another website saying that a decision had been made, and so on.

Then I woke up and remembered that I don't even have an application at UNC Chapel Hill!

Gosh then I'm not the only one who's having these weird dreams!We're all sailing in the same boat I guess

[BAD GRE, STILL ACCEPTED]

FWIW, I had crap GRE scores as well and was admitted to the only PhD program I applied to in Geoscience (yay!).

Q: 640

V: 560

AW: 6

I choke on standardized tests, but my undergrad GPA was decent (3.4 in the college honor's program). The GRE is ridiculous. I used the ETS Powerprep and I scored 800 and 1560 on the practice tests. Goes to show you -- the whole scoring algorithm totally screws you over if you get hit with a question you're weak on at the beginning of the test.

Yes maybe the GRE is 'ridiculous'.But I realize that it is still an important aspect of an application.Despite good SoP, LoRs, GPAs and academics my application was rejected cos of my nadir low GRE scores .I was saddened but now I know that the GRE is still an essential consideration in any application.

[Is a PhD ADVISOR same as a PhD SUPERVISOR?]

Thank you for the information.

[rutgers]

i see there are two rutgers admits. anyone want to claim them w stats or anything? thanks!

I have also applied to Rutgers.But no news yet.I am really worried cos I have the lowest possible GRE scores.Rutgers looks at GREs with great emphasis I am told.And I already got a reject from one university cos of my dismal GRE performance.So saddening...

[Worst GRE Story]

It's really sad that so much importance is given to the GRE that your other achievements are completely overlooked.Despite having good grades and academic history my application was rejected only because of my poor GRE scores.

[Is a PhD ADVISOR same as a PhD SUPERVISOR?]

I am a bit confused about the usage of the terms PhD Supervisor, PhD Guide & PhD Advisor.Are these terms used synonymously or do they have different meanings and functions?

Please help.

[Should I address weak GRE scores in statement?]

A friend told me that you might sound too desperate if you talk about your GRE in the Personal Statement.Don't bring too much attention to your scores in your SoP.If you still feel that you should address this issue you might just want to say that these scores are not a true reflection of your abilities.

Good luck!