kristinat08

I had slightly worse GRE scores than you. I applied to 6 schools and got into 2. I'd say to keep up hope. That being said though, all other aspects of my application were very good, such as GPA, research experience, honors, etc.

Hello! I received my master's of education completely online so it was easy for me to teach full time and also go to school full time. It just depends on what you want to do. I found that online learning is easier (and less stressful) than having to drive to a university and sit in a classroom after a full-day of teaching. Plus, the classes were structured so that each course lasted only 5 weeks, with a week-long break in between each course. Now, I am a doctoral student who is also attending school completely online once again, through the University of Buffalo. I have found that doctoral courses are much more time-consuming and require more time than that of master's coursework, and it's much more demanding overall. Therefore, I did quit my full-time teaching job which was a HUGE sacrifice, but I do receive support from my university in the form of a Graduate Assistantship, in which I assist one of the professor's with research-related tasks up to 20 hours a week. I certainly do miss my teaching salary though! You have to be willing to make that kind of sacrifice for possibly up to 4 or more years, if you do wish to pursue your doctorate. I hope I have helped!

Going into teaching and getting that real world experience with ESL students was what really pushed me to pursue a PhD, along with personal experience. I began school in the U.S. knowing very limited English and this continued until I met probably the best teacher I ever had in the 4th grade who really pushed me and never allowed me to give up. She was able to instill a love in me for science which up until then, was my worst subject in school (mostly because I didn't understand all the jargon-type language). It was because of her and getting able to teach these exact same students as a teacher myself why I want to pursue doctoral studies. I want to make sure teachers are equipped with all the knowledge and tools necessary to make sure that all students whose first language is not English, have an equal opportunity to succeed in school.

Hi! I just accepted an offer for a PhD program in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of North Texas in which they did not interview me or anything-I applied and was notified of an offer about a month later. Congrats on your interview! I've heard many great things about the Teacher's College. Yes, different schools do use interviews for different reasons but I think the mere fact that you were able to secure an interview at this college is a great sign. I don't think universities would waste their time on interviewing someone they don't think would do well in a doctoral program. At this point, I would start researching faculty research interests to see if any of their interests would match yours or sounds interesting to you. It also shows that your genuinely interested in what they're working on and serves as an excellent conversation point for interviews.

I think you would stand the same chance as anyone who completed their Bachelor's degree on a campus. I did my Masters of Education degree 100% online because of the fact I was working full time as a teacher and thought it would be easier to handle. I did not consider myself any less qualified and was accepted into 3 different PhD programs. I would not worry

My GRE scores were lower than that and I still managed to gain acceptance into two schools for a PhD program. Some schools will expect applicants to have higher scores than others. I was terrified that no school would accept me, but it's only ONE data point they look at out of all your other application materials. I did, however, to make sure to include a strong SOP and ask for LOR from professors who I knew would write me favorable ones. This, in my opinion, offset my sub par GRE scores. So do not fear!

Hi guys! Fellow teacher here from Texas. I applied to UNT's (University of North Texas) PhD program in Curriculum and Instruction and was accepted with no prior interview, in addition to applying to other area schools. I'm quite certain I will accept UNT's offer based upon research interests and location. The whole month took about a process from the time I applied. I teach 4th grade math/science and just completed my Master's in Education in C&I. If I can help anyone with advice or questions, please let me know!