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?

Just got a phone call. Accepted to MPA program!!!

Yay, just got in for MPP. The decision should be embedded in the email.

YLSnKSG, have you heard anything about admission odds in favor of Teach For America corps members? I've heard TFAers get grouped in a different (more favorable) pile for consideration for certain grad programs, but am unsure if HKS is one of them.

Totally panicking right now - I just realized that, on my MPP application, I listed Democracy, Politics and Institutions as my PAC (Policy Area of Concentration), yet my statement of purpose was devoted to educational leadership and its place as a broad area of discipline (which is supposed to be Social/Urban Policy). Did this just mess up my chances? How stringently do they look at what we chose for PAC?

etornfelt, sure! My stats are below: I'm currently a second year (2009) corps member with Teach For America, Undergrad: UC Berkeley Major/Minor: English / Gender & Women's Studies GPA: 3.61 Last 60: ~3.8 Work Experience: 2.5 years, not including college internships WE Specifics: 2 college summer internships with AmeriCorps' Breakthrough Collaborative (teaching), 6 months with Fund For the Public Interest as Campaign Manager (simultaneously 6 months freelance with green-living website), 2 years middle school Language Arts teacher (via TFA), also taken on some leadership roles at my school (founded two clubs/organizations, in charge of Yearbook and English Language Learners) and serve as Public Partners Representative with TFA and am a contributing member of their diversity committee. GRE: Q 730, V 680, AWA 5.5 Thoughts? Also, I'd love to get your stats too!

Has anyone heard from Ed Policy & Management for the EdM?

I believe they listed March 15th as the date to expect a response, but I was wondering if anyone has already heard from them?

In my SOP, I specified an interest in the intersections of academia and public outreach, and specifically named education reform as my primary reason for applying to HKS.

I'm currently a second year (2009) corps member with Teach For America, and I was wondering to what degree TFA is considered an asset on the MPP application? How much (do you believe) the admissions team will consider/value the selectivity of TFA's own acceptance process? Some of my basic stats: Undergrad: UC Berkeley Major/Minor: English / Gender & Women's Studies GPA: 3.61 Last 60: ~3.8 Work Experience: 2.5 years WE Specifics: 2 college summer internships with AmeriCorps' Breakthrough Collaborative (teaching), 6 months with Fund For the Public Interest as Campaign Manager (simultaneously 6 months freelance with green-living website), 2 years middle school Language Arts teacher, also taken on some leadership roles at my school (founded two clubs/organizations, in charge of Yearbook and English Language Learners) and with TFA GRE: Q 730, V 680, AWA 5.5 I'd love to hear your thoughts!