[HGSE 2020]

23 hours ago, Oden said:

Hi Rev, 

I did not find any HGSE position statements on a doctoral degree holder applying for a masters degree.  But, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and Harvard Extension School (HES) have posted guidance.  The GSAS statement is related to a doctoral holder applying for another doctorate, while the HES version is relates to any graduate degree holder seeking a masters at the HES (highest degree awarded).

Impossible to know whether these shed light on a general policy at Harvard University, or if they’re college specific.

GSAS

https://gsas.harvard.edu/admissions/apply

If you already hold a PhD or its equivalent, or are an advanced doctoral candidate at another institution, you may apply to a PhD program only if it is in an unrelated field of study; however, preference for admissions and financial aid will be given to those who have not already had an opportunity to study for a doctoral degree at Harvard or elsewhere. You may also want to consider pursuing non-degree study through our Special Student or Visiting Fellow programs.

HES

https://www.extension.harvard.edu/graduate-degree-program-admissions

If you already hold a graduate degree, you may earn a master’s degree from Harvard Extension School provided the two degrees are in dissimilar fields with unrelated content.

 

Don’t worry about the other stuff you mentioned. . .

Oden

LOL well my degree is in Sociology so it’s pretty much relevant to everything! ? 

[HGSE 2020]

15 hours ago, oldisgold said:

how many of you also applied without any clue how to pay for it? 19k aid doesn't cut it for me.

It me, friend. IT ME. I am really struggling with the potential cost in relation to taking on an opportunity that will likely never happen again in my lifetime...on online degree? At Harvard? WITHOUT the GRE? And I can choose all of my own classes? And also go to MIT? I just don’t know if that is worth $50K (well 50K minus 19K I guess). I’m 45 and am pretty set in my career, it’s not like I have to do this— but I really really want to! Best of luck to you and maybe we will both win the lottery! If I win I promise I got u covered lol

[HGSE 2020]

14 hours ago, Ibn Rushd said:

I have an MD, and I’m currently a dual doctorate student, in different fields and different schools but simultaneous. 
 

I think you’ll be fine. In fact, I think you’d make for a perfect candidate since you’ve been there, done that, and now know exactly what you want (I presume). Hence, choosing SSP. Besides, I doubt many people had a chance to spend time on writing very good SOPs. Given the time crunch, I wrote mine only a few hours before the deadline since that was literally the only time I had. All that goes in your favor in terms of standing out, and I wish you all the best! 
 

For myself, the challenge I really foresee is them just laughing at the notion of me trying to get a masters while currently being enrolled in two doctoral programs. Either way, I believe in trying and then coming to peace with the eventual outcome.  

Wow that’s intense!! Do you also work?! I could not even imagine! I also can’t imagine my “EFC” from the FAFSA being so ridiculously high. I mean yeah I have a full time job but jeebus mine is like 20K...that’s pretty much impossible for me so I’ve been looking at Plan B’s...Columbia is looking good! Harvard is like my dream though so I might be willing to take out some loans and hope that someone gets elected who can then give us all amnesty lol

[HGSE 2020]

Anyone else applying who already has an advanced degree (Masters, Doctorate, MD, etc.?). I don’t really know if that is helpful or harmful. Maybe they will think I have already “had my bite at the apple.” I have a Ph.D. in a different (but related) field from a “Big Ten” university. I thought it might show that I have the discipline and motivation to complete the Ed.M. program successfully, but now I’m not so sure. Especially because my undergraduate GPA was not so great (3.5 overall, 3.8 last 2 years), but my graduate GPA was a 4.0. I do feel my SOP is really strong, I had several colleagues look it over who got into top-tier schools and have served on admissions committees and they loved it. One even said it was the most passionate statement of purpose they had ever read, which felt great (because I got news for y’all, imposter syndrome is real and doesn’t go away just because you have multiple advanced degrees).

I guess I’m just waxing because I have so much anxiety about it and the waiting is killing me.

Good luck to everyone else in the home stretch! I look forward to hearing good news from everybody!

[HGSE 2020]

20 hours ago, hlang said:

Hey guys! what program is everyone applying to?

Specialized Studies! *jazz hands*

[Social Justice/Activist-Oriented PhD Programs in Anthropology]

Are you wedded to the East coast/midwest? Highly recommend U of Michigan, and highly NOT recommend CUNY. They are really horrendous to their adjuncts and faculty (and graduate students). California has some very awesome social justice/applied schools. My background: BA, MA, PhD in anthro and tenured faculty member for the past 10 years. Yale anthro is wonderful. If I had to do it all over again, I would honestly choose either Univ of South Florida (excellent faculty invested in social change), Duke, UNC Chapel Hill (I did post-docs at both places and they were wonderful), or Columbia. UMass Amherst is great too. So is Vanderbilt If you’d like to share more about the work you’d like to do I can better advise— good luck to you whatever choice you make!

[William and Mary Counseling]

Did you get accepted? I am applying for admission for the Spring 2021 for the online Counseling degree.

[HGSE 2020]

On 7/17/2020 at 11:53 AM, dangelykarla said:

Hi!

I am glad I found this community. I recently applied for the Higher Ed Program, Ed.M. I received a financial aid portal sign up notice. Did you all? Also, I did not apply part-time because when I spoke to the financial aid office they said that part-time students would not qualify for the the 19k grant. Prior, I thought it I read that part-time would minimize the chances of obtaining the grant, but not eliminate it. Perhaps, they have narrowed the grant qualifications? I am not sure.

Good luck to all! Everyone on here seems like a wonderful applicant with great stats. As for me, I am a 3.86 GPA from UC Berkeley, have higher ed employment experience and  research experience. MY SoP and letters of recommendation are strong. 

Best wishes to you all!

 

Same to you! Are you still in Berkeley? I live in Orinda. If we both get in we should be study buddies lol. I am also applying part time, and am anxious about whether or not it is worth the $$$.

[HGSE 2020]

On 7/13/2020 at 9:41 PM, DrPH Applicant said:

Just applied to EdM SSP. The eternally painful wait lasting 2.5 weeks begins now. 
 

Any other SSP applicants? Already accepted? Applied during this (July 2020) cycle? Decided not to join SSP? 

I applied, but I am not optimistic. I did not submit GRE scores (I have been an educator for almost 20 years). I chose to apply because of the “once in a lifetime” opportunity to do a distance ed master’s at Harvard. There’s no way I would be able to travel to Cambridge.Haven’t heard a thing.

[HGSE 2020]

On 7/17/2020 at 1:10 PM, DrPH Applicant said:

Hey, 

I applied to the online Ed.M (SSP) and received the invitation to submit financial aid application around 12:30 pm Eastern (7/17/20). It is super simple application that would take 5 minutes or less to finish. You also have to submit FAFSA separately. 

 

Also. I reached out to HGSE Financial Aid to check for applying to merit-based scholarships and broader Harvard Committee on General Scholarships. They said online Ed.M applicants are not eligible for any other scholarships besides the need-based grant. 

 

Hope this helps. 

Hay another SSP applicant! I was wondering if I was the only one! Have you noticed that the SSP track is not going to be available for new applicants past 2020 (it’s not a separate track in their new program debuting in August for Fall 2021). I hope that doesn’t mean we are at a disadvantage. I am a “July” applicant too and I am truly bummed out that we are not eligible for merit based aid especially since we are paying the exact same tuition as continuing students. But, I guess we kinda knew that going in. 

It’s killing me to have to wait this long! I hope we both get good news...