All right folks, I'm sure you won't be surprised by how much I ramble on in this. It's going to be organized as I took the notes during the sessions!
HGSE Visit Overall Thoughts
So when I said I was blown away, I really mean it. I think the key factor in this was meeting my future classmates. I knew this was important, but didn't anticipate how big of a factor it would become in my decision. They are truly a remarkable group. In the span of the 4 minutes of awkward mingling before the Open House started, I met an Emmy-award winning documentary filmmaker, 3 Peace Corps volunteers with amazing stories, and just, in general, one of the coolest group of people. I think it hit me when I mentioned (to a group of fellow IEP-ers) a non-fiction book about Rwanda that I had read, and EVERYONE had read it. I realized I was among people who were truly passionate about the same things as me, and were deeply interested in discussing these things but also in a down-to-earth way. By the end of the day, I actually felt like I had made FRIENDS, not just one-day acquaintances, and we were sharing cat memes and Ted Sheeran (Ed Sheeran with Ted Cruz' face) photos. What I am trying to get at with this is that to find a group of people that are simultaneously BRILLIANT in their experiences, academic ability, and passions while also just being regular, not stuck-up "Harvard" types was really great to see.
The second major factor that blew me away was the impression I got from current students that "you really have to try hard to fail here" in the sense that there are SO many opportunities. I feel like we've all heard that you can't fathom the Harvard network/reach/resources, and I still probably can't, but I feel like I got a glimpse of it yesterday and was completely blown away. I think this manifests itself in the ways students and professors connect one another with other people/organizations that would be of interest to them.
The last big factor was the career services session, which I explain more below.
OH and the reception had chocolate covered strawberries, fancy cheese, beef skewers, champagne.... Food is the way to my heart
Class Observation:
I observed the class Educational Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship with Fernando Reimers (head of IEP, but the class was a cross-registry of students from all different HU schools + MIT). I was a half hour late because Admissions gave me the wrong building on the other side of the river (), but it wasn't their fault the class very randomly relocated just for that day. ANYWAY, I was blown away by the quality of students' ideas and very impressed by how well they listened and responded to each other's ideas, and also how well Fernando connected his students ideas and pushed their thinking. He clearly knew all of their names (or at least the ones who are active participants) and cracked jokes, even with a large class. They talked about really interesting business/ed related topics like whether or not we have an obligation as educators to share our intellectual property, if that's a good business model, whether we need to be competitors or collaborators, how to make a sustainable profit as a social entrepreneur. The professor clearly wanted his students' advice on his own ventures as well. What most impressed me was how reflective both the students and Fernando were about their privilege in being at HGSE, and Fernando in particular seemed to be very concerned about HGSE's catch-22 of being in the business of education and how the school does not want to "dilute" the HGSE brand by sharing its success models, but that this is a disingenuous approach to education because as educators we should want ALL schools to have what Harvard has. I just thought this was fascinating.
Professor & Student Panel
One professor gave advice to engage in methods courses that give you real skills and currency in the job market, saying that you'd be surprised how many people unwittingly become quantitative researchers even though they come in thinking they're not math people
Real focus on not being stuck in the "ivory tower" and doing tangible things that make a difference in the world
- Recommend taking negotiations and management classes at HKS
- The microeconomics class is specifically ABOUT education and real issues, gives you the tools to actually analyze educational programs and not just economic skills. Class includes very little actual math, focused on handling difficult problems faced by NGOs, etc.
- Some larger classes are supported by 3-4 teaching fellows (TFs) who are PhD students... they sometimes lead sections but never whole classes.
- Fernando Reimers' accessibility to students is unparalleled. Most professors are busy but always willing to help. As an example, a student went to a professor saying she wants to get involved in X organization/agency, and within an hour the professor had emailed her back with his connections to leaders in that organization, which then led to an internship.
In IEP, students are doing real development projects in their classes that are then often put into place by agencies like UNICEF, and some students are getting the chance to travel to other countries to present their projects or witness implementation. The opportunities for internships are OFF THE HOOK. Some students had 3 internships, including remote consultancies (with an international org, for example). In IEP, they are doing a lot of remote work with UNESCO, constantly on Skype calls with ministries of education abroad, etc. Several of them got to travel or will be traveling as part of their work. The majority of these opportunities came directly from professors, program managers, or career services. Classes are very practical and focused on implementation and hard skills (if you choose to take such classes, or you can focus on theory/research).
It seems like almost all students are organizing/attending/presenting at conferences ALL THE TIME.
Research Opportunities
This was the part that was kinda ?? So basically, professors rarely have students get involved in research simply because EdM students are only there for 9 months, and professors are looking for a longer commitment of work, so they typically collaborate with PhD students. It's not impossible, but it is unlikely to do research on a professor's project. However, they are more than happy to assist you in personal research. MORE likely are the different "centers" at Harvard that have RA positions and internships.
Classes/Cross-Registrations
This was fascinating. The HGSE students really talked candidly about the major differences between Harvard Law/Business/Ed/Kennedy students. As a whole, we are a less competitive, more supportive community (not surprising), but we are still driven. They talked about how something we have to recognize is that as GSE students, we all share a philosophy that education matters and can change the world, but that this is not a belief shared by business/law/government students, so when we are in cross-registered classes, we have to really defend why education matters in a way that is a given among our GSE peers. But this is good and pushes us all to think harder.
They recommend cross registering in the first semester and getting comfortable with it... it's not hard!
Financial Aid
Depressing session - don't bother appealing your aid package, it's not gonna change.
Careers********* THIS SESSION WAS AMAZING
Seriously, after this session, everyone around me just wanted to marry the CSO woman. HGSE will start working with you THIS JUNE to help you start thinking about job opportunities next year. With internships, she said they always have more opportunities than students, and that there is an internship expo in August with over 75 employers (seeking multiple students). Additionally, HGSE receives over 300 job postings a month, usually from alumni who not only want to hire you but also probably get a referral bonus for hiring you, and this is how many students get jobs. Many students also get jobs (or interviews) through professors who are deeply connected to EVERY organization in the world.
Some job stats:
50% of HGSE students have jobs secured to start immediately after graduation (considering this is the teaching industry and many jobs start in September, this is actually an impressiv enumber)
85% or more of HGSE students have jobs secured within 3 months of graduation, the remaining 10% typically do some kind of summer fellowship (not sure what these are)
These stats are also considered under the different "time to hire" timelines (corporate jobs take 30-40 days, government jobs 120 days)
She said that for the remaining 5% who don't have jobs, it's usually for a very specific reason (aka they have offers but are being super picky, or they have some kind of interviewing problem) and that if you are "still seeking" then you receive EXTRA coaching and one-on-one intensive appointments to help you change your resume/interview skills/acquire some other experience. Basically, if you need help, they're gonna get you there.
Random fun fact: Texas is DYING for HGSE alums! CSO lady said that if you want to work in Texas, she has people banging on her door!
You have access to HGSE job postings for the rest of your life.
Professors (even if they're not yours) are VERY giving with their professional network, so don't be shy, they love to hook you up
Hi! Congratulations on your offers!!! Good for you to apply to OISE!!! I didn't because a couple of faculty members told me funding opportunities are very limited for international students, and I really don't wanna fund my way through the whole programme. Did they also offer a funding package?
I just got a formal acceptance letter from UVic, but am still waiting to hear from them regarding funding...the waiting doesn't seem to end....
Not sure about that. I heard in the first big batch that came out, ROSI changed to invited (will note that it didn't change to "decision made" until 2 weeks after I got accept so don't worry about that). I think the acceptances went out over a period of time and then the waitlist acceptances went out after the time period where the first round had to notify by. Don't quote me on that though, I'm not positive. The first round will have, if I remember correctly, about 3 weeks to accept or not.
I was accepted to UofT for fall 2014 but due to my health I couldn't attend. They deferred my acceptance until fall 2015 and I received a new acceptance letter when the fresh batch of acceptances went in. A deferral means your spot is guaranteed for the following year.
You're looking at this too narrowly. They asked if you were still interested not if you were planning to enroll there. So, you write them back and say, "Yes, I am still very interested in your program. I'm eager to hear about the next steps in the admissions process and the availability of funding. Thank you." Don't volunteer information which they haven't asked for. If they haven't asked you to accept a funded offer, then you're fine.
Just got a phone call from a student in my program! She talked to me for 25 minutes and was SUPER helpful and informative, gave me great advice about how she chose between Stanford, Penn, and HGSE, and really did a great sell of Harvard! She talked about networking, jobs, classes, the works! It was great.
I suppose I'm in a similar situation to the OP, since I'm trying to weigh all sorts of factors (fit, advisor/research compatibility, quality of life, prestige, etc.) in a really tough decision. At the moment, I'm most torn between Princeton and Chicago for a (high-energy physics) PhD. Certainly, one is a more recognizable name, but – like Penn and Harvard – they're both prestigious schools with a "name brand."
The worst part about a "problem" like these is that you can't really convince any reasonable person that it's a problem.
Any idea which way you're leaning at this point, OP?
I agree in general that the PhD with full funding (at presumably a good school) is a better option. However, I found myself in a similar mindset about a year ago regarding "testing the ropes" and knowing what I'm getting into. I have a masters degree, but am switching fields. I was originally going to apply straight to doctoral programs, because I didn't see the point in having a second masters/thought it would be weird to do. However, I quickly realized that, even if I got accepted to the doctoral programs, I wouldn't really know what I was getting myself into, having never exactly studied it before (international ed. development, like you). So I decided I should get a second masters as a means of entering the workforce in this field, gaining more relevant experience, gauging my interest in it, and then re-evaluate my passion/PhD goals much further down the line. If you aren't 100% positive that this is something you would enjoy studying with the intensity of the PhD, then that would be the primary reason I might say to opt for the masters.
Well if you really want to, it may be possible to defer entry for a year if you contact the program, so then you could do the year masters then go to the PhD program. Honestly though, it is a waste of time. Honestly, this is an easy decision, the general rule is always choose PhD program over masters if that a PhD is your final goal (assuming that the PhD program is not significantly worse than the school where you would get the masters, remember though that adviser reputation and research fit is more important than school reputation at PhD level).
When I met with my coworker who is a Harvard alum, while she was effusive in her praise of the school and support for me to go there, she was quick to say, "Listen, there's nothing wrong with saying NO to Harvard. In fact, it's kind of badass."
Ok, so first of all, definitely don't use a service that makes you pay for the pleasure of having your grade converted.
Second, RLemkin, you're doing the calculation wrong. I've never, ever ever ever seen a chart that gives a borderline 2:1 as a 3.0.
For the Scottish 20-point system, here's a conversion chart from St Andrews: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/media/Grade%20Conversion%20United%20States.pdf . As you can see, a 2.1 that's just barely not a first would be a 3.7, which is accurate. As for the British marking system, you're looking at (very roughly):
And by the way, as I've told a bunch of people: no matter where you're applying, you are not the first using your grading system to do so. They've seen Scottish, British, Ugandan, North Korean, whatever applicants before, and they'll understand the system you use. Follow the directions on the application to the best of your ability and let them do their job by interpreting the scores themselves.
I asked that same question ("Would YOU turn down Harvard?") in this general thread outside of Education. Interesting and really hard discussion for me too.
The Harvard acceptance is still so fresh. All I can say, is that the way the people around me reacted is affecting me right now. When I told people I got into Penn, they were like Congrats! When I told people I got into HGSE, they couldn't believe the words they were hearing and everyone in every corner of my life was freaking out. That means a lot about what the word Harvard can do, I'm thinking mostly about future employers.
I wish HGSE had the internship that IEDP has, which would make this so easy for me. The money situation is still TBD...
I am an internaional applicant too. I submitted my application for IEDP on Jan 23 and it was only ready for review on Feb 11. I emailed the admission office about it and it turned out that they had issues with matching my GRE scores - my name was hyphenated in the GRE report but not in my Penn application... My application became ready for review 2 days after I got the reply from the admission office. Perhaps you should also contact the admission office and see if there's anything wrong with the application?
I heard back January 15 after applying mid-December (it took about a week to be marked Ready for Review), and I know that at least 3 people on this site have also heard back (with good news!!). If it's still not corrected, I recommend contacting them more directly (via phone if possible). They're generally very responsive to any concerns I've thrown their way.
Good luck everyone!
Hi! When I submitted early Jan, I had the same thing -- I emailed and they manually waived the English requirement, and it was ready for review mid Jan, I think! And I heard back mid Feb, thankfully with good news! Perhaps you could try calling or emailing again? Though I think they were also super busy in Feb as well, so it might take longer.... All the best of luck!
