The Other Cheek

sshopeful, I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I think the rest of us are waiting for a rejection letter to land in our inboxes. Results from previous years tell us that Fridays at 5pm are rejection time. ::bracing myself:: (Yet still, irrationally, holding on to a smidgen of hope.) I might need y'all to hold my hand while I cry . See you in 15 minutes!

Alright, no call today - I think that seals the deal. I'll still wait for the email, of course, just to have that final nail in the coffin (for now). Congrats again to those accepted!

Just saw the results page. Looks like admits have been called. If previous years are any indication, all admits are typically called at least a day in advance of the official letter/email. Congrats to all!

Congrats, JHampton!! Do you mind my asking about your stats/background? Something to keep in mind should I apply again next year.

Wow, came sooner than I'm mentally prepared for. Any word on number of spots for CCE (Culture, Communities & Education)?

Any insider knowledge about size of the applicant pool this year? They were predicting that the pool would be smaller since it's the last prospective group of EdDs.

Ew.

I thought I'd go ahead and create a thread for those who applied to the Ed.D. (Doctor of Education) program at HGSE. This way, we won't have to shout at each other across a room full of Ed.M. applicants. Any word on the size of the applicant pool this year? Given that it's the last Ed.D. cohort, do you think less applied (and are holding off for the Ph.D.), or did more apply (with everyone trying for what they assumed were better odds)? Also, I applied for Culture, Communities & Education. Any idea whether this concentration is more/less selective than others?

Thanks! The website does have a published number - 9%. I just don't know if that's the most recent number (from last round of applicants). Do you happen to know which concentrations are more/less selective? I applied for Culture, Communities and Education. Also, do you think not having interviews hurts the process?

The website says HGSE's EdD acceptance rate is 9%, but I've heard 6% from someone in one of the EdD cohorts. Which one is more accurate? (I would've thought the website would want to advertise the lower number...)

Hi Dizzi, thanks for your comprehensive reply! That was very helpful. I had a few followup questions: 1. You mentioned that my Master's GPA *may* be negligible depending on whether the coursework was difficult. This is kind of relative; I've spent most of this first year in core classes. These have been econ/stats/polisci-oriented - nowhere near my English background. At the same time, I don't know if simply stating that I've started from scratch with these subjects is reason enough for not performing up to par. I will certainly do my best to raise it between now and next semester, but I believe adcom sees grades up to the end of my first year during application season. I don't know - if they're concerned about your 3.6, I wonder if they'd even glance at someone with a 3.0. 2. To your knowledge, how much do they consider undergrad GPA? How much do they care about the GRE? 3. Why is there reason to believe Fall 2013 admission rates might be higher? Which programs are more selective than others? 4. I'm really interested in the impact of growing social mediums, reality and creative programming on adolescent development. I know Joe Blatt lectures on media, child development and civic engagement, and that the Sesame Workshop was first developed at HGSE. Still, I'm not sure which of the EdD program concentrations this would fall under. 5. Is my 3-year work experience a bit thin for the 5-year average in the EdD program? Any other insight you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Are there any people here who are working on or have obtained an EdD from Harvard Graduate School of Education? I'm kind of in love with HGSE (I've looked at a few other schools but they just don't speak to me in the same way), but I'm really concerned that my Master's GPA is going to kill my chances. I know that admissions is quite selective, but their website also states that there is no minimum GPA. To what degree is admission about the numbers, and to what degree is it about being the right fit in terms of interest? I've checked out the faculty and found one lecturer/professor in particular who I'd love to work with, and just reached out to him today (waiting for a response). I met with someone from HGSE admissions in September and he seemed to suggest that what matters most is whether my research interests align with work being done among the school's faculty. He was vague about GPA and numbers in general. I don't have much of a research background, but I hope to build on it in the coming year (I have one more year left in my master's program). Any advice you can give on any front would be extremely helpful, thanks! My numbers and WE: Undergrad: WashU (English major, Women's Studies minor) Under GPA: 3.61 Master's: Harvard Kennedy School Master's GPA: not explicitly stated on transcript, but so far around 3.3 GRE: 730Q/680V/5.5W Work Experience: Teach For America Corps Member (2 years), Incubator Playwright (1 year), Grassroots Campaign Manager (fundraising, 6 months), wrote for online magazines (6 months) - some of these experiences happened simultaneously, so overall about 3 years of work experience. 2 summers of Breakthrough Collaborative summer internship (teaching-related).

I've decided to go for my MPP at HKS beginning this fall, but my ultimate endeavor has always been to pursue a PhD at the Kennedy School. I wanted a Master's so that I could also have a professional degree. I was perusing the GSAS when I found this: "Note to internal applicants from the Kennedy School only: Applicants for predoctoral study may apply as early as the first term in residence. In some cases a student may choose to wait until the midpoint of the second year to apply. Through careful choice of elective courses, students usually can complete the course requirements for the predoctoral program concurrently with those of the master in public policy (MPP) and master in public administration (MPA) programs, if they choose." Those in the know: Does this mean I could go ahead and apply for one of their four PhD programs my very first semester as an MPP candidate? How often do they accept HKS internal applicants, especially those who apply in their first semester in a master's program? All advice is welcome.

I've decided to go for my MPP at HKS beginning this fall, but my ultimate endeavor has always been to pursue a PhD at the Kennedy School. I wanted a Master's so that I could also have a professional degree. I was perusing the GSAS when I found this: "Note to internal applicants from the Kennedy School only: Applicants for predoctoral study may apply as early as the first term in residence. In some cases a student may choose to wait until the midpoint of the second year to apply. Through careful choice of elective courses, students usually can complete the course requirements for the predoctoral program concurrently with those of the master in public policy (MPP) and master in public administration (MPA) programs, if they choose." Those in the know: Does this mean I could go ahead and apply for one of their four PhD programs my very first semester as an MPP candidate? How often do they accept HKS internal applicants, especially those who apply in their first semester in a master's program? All advice is welcome.

If anyone here is heading to HKS in the fall, PM me and let's talk roommate business! I need to live as cheaply as possible (which, in Boston, is an oxymoronic hope...). Do people split studios?