Hey, everyone! I've been lurking on these forums for a while now and so I figured it's about time to actually contribute to them by asking for some advice.
I am currently finishing up a MA in Political Science - Public Policy emphasis and a graduate certificate in Student Personnel Administration from Saint Louis University and will graduate either this December or the following May, depending on my current funding situation. I am looking at PhD (or EdD) programs in Education Policy or Higher Education where there is an option for a policy emphasis. My start date would be Fall '17. My research interests include higher ed policy and resource allocation in regards to underserved students such as international students and first generation students. That said, I am a first generation college student, if that matters.
Stats:
3.63 undergraduate GPA
4.0 graduate GPA
153 verbal/148 quant/4.5 writing (Can I explain these scores? I was an employee at the university in which I am obtaining my MA, so tuition remission was guaranteed, thus no real reason to study to get a competitive GRE score. I just had to score high enough to get accepted.)
One publication
Working on presenting somewhere
Experience:
3+ years as part-time office assistant at a university
2+ years in full-time position at a university registrar's office
currently working as an academic advisor via a graduate assistantship since August 2015
current graduate student rep. for Political Science
1.5 years of volunteering teaching refugees English and how to pass the U.S. citizenship test
All that considered, am I qualified to get in to a solid PhD/EdD program in Higher Ed / Ed Policy? I have my eyes on University of Missouri - Columbia (PhD), University of Michigan (PhD), University of Missouri - Kansas City (EdD) and George Washington University (EdD). The EdDs are slightly iffy to me because I would want to pursue the degree full-time, something that is rare among EdD programs.
Lastly, I will (hopefully) be having my significant other follow me wherever I go. He works in international business, so I'm struggling to convince him that moving to Ann Arbor or Columbia is a great idea for both of us. Haha. Has anyone else faced this predicament where a partner wants to follow but would have a hard time finding a job while you complete your degree? This whole process is making me feel anxious and selfish.
Let me know if this post is in the incorrect forum. I'm new to this!
Thanks, all.