Espeon

I taught and spent a lot of money on my teaching credential program, and I WISH I had spent it on a Master's program, because (a) I sank a lot of money into something that wasn't going to have any financial returns and (b) a master's is something I could have taken with me even outside of the classroom. It can also make you stand out as a candidate and will result in a higher wage from the get-go, which is definitely worth doing. It is, of course, possible that a school may not want you because of the higher wage--and getting a master's while teaching is often a favorable path for that reason--but I don't think it would totally preclude you from getting a job. And since you'll probably get a job (and will just want to be a little flexible about which school), I would go with the master's first.

I would think about which option you will be happier with and which option will best set you up for success. Think about things you can access even if you aren’t attending a school (e.g. connections) vs things you can’t (advisorship, certain classes).

Hi there! I'm a waitlist admit from last year (Ed Policy, not RILE, but someone said above that a lot of people transfer around programs/aren't direct admits, which is completely true). I don't think it's a long waitlist, which should give you some hope! I also got off the waitlist on April 4 last year. It was after all of the admit days, but they still gave me the same offer (reimbursed my travel up to a certain amount and let me meet with professors, current students, etc) before the April 15 deadline. Feel free to message me if you have any questions!

Hi ShePersisted! Stats: GRE Score: 170V, 165Q, 5.5AWAGPA: 3.88; major gpa 4.0Work Experience: Two years teaching English and being content lead for my subject area at an underserved public high school; I worked in various capacities for the college I attended while I was a student there. Research experience in undergrad, but no publications or anything. Undergrad Institution (Public, Private, Ivy, etc..): Top 20; private Applied to: Stanford, Harvard, Vanderbilt, Berkeley, Princeton (Sociology), Columbia, UNC Chapel Hill, a few local universities

Hi Escussel! I'm studying at Stanford. That's awesome that you have already heard from MSU! I would echo Levon3's thoughts on interview day, and add that if possible, make a concerted effort to see the campus--I didn't do that at every school I interviewed with/visited, and it put those schools at a disadvantage because I had a hard time seeing myself on the campus. I think it really helps to get an idea of what daily life would be like.

Good luck, guys! It all works out on the other side! Been in my PhD program for a year and have loved every minute of it.

Hi there! I contacted between August and October, and I got responses from most--I think three people emailed me back personally, one person's secretary emailed me back, and two people never responded. For the people who did email me back, they typically took a while (like a week or more). I don't think it hurts to get in touch, as long as you're respectful and keep your message short and sweet!

I was accepted to HGSE for the PhD program and do not have a master's degree, but I do have three years of research experience in undergrad and all three of my recommendations came from people on my honors thesis committee, so they were familiar with and could articulate my research capabilities. I also have two years of teaching experience in a public school. A friend of mine is at Vanderbilt doing a PhD in international ed and she went straight from undergrad (can't remember how much research experience she had, but I know it was at least one year). There are a ton of factors that go into admissions decisions, but it is absolutely possible to get in without a master's degree, especially if you have demonstrated experience in exhibiting the qualities that will make you a successful doctoral student (research, teaching, writing, etc) and have recommenders who have witnessed those qualities in you. I also didn't study education in undergrad (I took a few classes, but didn't major or minor in it). If you can demonstrate why you want to be in education, I don't think that matters. It could actually be helpful--you can see education through a linguistics perspective, for example, whereas someone who studied economics might see things through a different perspective. Basically, it's possible. I'd recommend checking out grad profiles of current students in programs you're considering just to see what is typical, but I imagine you'll encounter a mixture of master's and non-master's PhD students (for those that don't require it at least). And you can always try, and if you are not successful, maybe a master's would be the best path to give you a more solid foundation for pursuing a PhD.

I'm the waitlist poster. I am a SHIPS applicant in Ed Policy.

A few of us have heard back. I got the call from the dean on Wednesday last week, and my application status was changed on Friday.

I'm going to meet with my principal as soon as I am pretty certain about which program I'll attend and have documentation of my admission. I'm just going to set up a brief meeting with him, and then I'll meet with my assistant principal and department chair after I meet with him.

I've only heard official word from two schools. I 100% thought I would have heard from more by now. I applied to 9.

I am in the exact same position as well. Like most of us, I adore my kids and would do anything for them, but I'm itching to do research and have a broader impact. I teach at the same low-income and underperforming high school I attended, though, so I am hoping my matriculation to a really good PhD program will inspire my kids to reach for their goals, as well. I am also going to give them my contact information so they can keep in touch and let me know if they need any encouragement. I'm probably going to print out my admission letter to the program I'll choose to attend and say something like, "It has been an absolute honor to begin my career in education at this school. I want to continue to do great work in education, and the right path for me to do that is to take the next step into a PhD program. Unfortunately, it breaks my heart not to renew my contract this year, but I am going to do everything I can to ease my transition out of here and to do right by my students." Something like that.

I got the call for EPPE yesterday. I think they will send out official acceptances/waitlists/rejections tomorrow (at least in the phone call, the dean mentioned that I'd get the offer in writing on Friday, so that's something!).

I did! I emailed one POI, and his admin assistant ended up responding.