jbriar

Did either offer you funding?

Yep. Even winning $7 had 1:306 odds, so I was pretty excited. I'm buying McDonald's breakfast to celebrate my windfall.

Seven dollars. Excellent.

Same here. I would go for sure, and enjoy not having to worry about student loans.

Don't do it. Have her do other activities during the day. You are right, your mom shouldn't be coming with you.

I am going to send a hand written letter to each recommender, with a thoughtful (but inexpensive) gift. However, I have know most of my recommenders 4+ years in a mixture of settings (a couple came to my wedding). -J

I applied to ECE special education programs, so while not directly in your sub-specialty, I know something about ECE programs. The "best" school really depends on what you want to do with your career. I'm planning on teaching in a public school district then pursuing my Ph.D. For me, that meant that I needed to pay attention to academic quality, research opportunities, connections with potential employers and state certification requirements. So, the deal is that if you just want to teach in the PK-12 school system, it doesn't matter as much where you go, except for the location. You preferably want to go to a school that can place you in the district you want to teach in for your practicum. Also, it is important to be aware of how much debt you will take on. PreK teachers are paid notoriously low wages (most start under 30K), and you don't want to be strapped with more loans than you can reasonably afford. On the other hand, if you want to go in a Ph.D/Ed.D program in the future, you should be aware of the academic community's perception of your Master's program. Are you looking at M.A. programs or M.Ed. programs? How will that relate to your future career path? Will you have opportunities for research? Will you have an opportunity to complete a Master's thesis? Hope this gives you a launching point for finding the best school for you. Good luck! -J

UW is one of the best schools in the country for social work. Also, having a partner in the field of social work (and being a longterm social worker myself), I can tell you that you'll want to keep your expenses as low as possible. The first job you'll get out of grad school will pay 30-40 grand a year. That isn't much when you have massive student loans to pay off, even with the new payment reduction options. However, if you want to stay in NYC long term, I'd go to school there. The most important thing you'll do in grad school is network within the field, and no amount of family connections can make a better impression than you in person during your practicum hours. Good luck. NYU and UW are both great programs!

All I know is what I'm able to read in the bill that passed. It seems fairly spelled out to me, but we'll see what happens come this Fall.

As everyone probably knows by now, subsidized loans will most likely not be available for most graduate students this coming Fall. The text of the budget deal is here, which modifies the Higher Education Act here. You can search within the budget deal document for "graduate loans" and see that there is an exclusion clause for those seeking a teacher's certificate in the Higher Education Act. The exception is for those pursuing graduate study in order to become teachers in public schools. So, for those of us pursuing teaching certification, Federal subsidized loans will remain available. Hopefully some good news for folks out there. -J ETA: Link fix.

Unless your GF is in academia, she most likely won't be able to find a job in Pullman, or even anything an hour or more away. Pullman is a college town in the middle of nowhere. And I mean nowhere. I just drove out there for a half marathon. After you cross the Cascade mountain range (and another college town called Ellensburg), it is 3.5 HOURS before you hit the next town of any substance, which is Pullman. I'd personally go with Riverside, just because there are more networking opportunities almost anywhere other than Pullman. Plus, the UC schools are all fairly well-known, so you'd have an advantage there, too. The reason why there is so much animal based research happening at Pullman is the fact that there is an on-site dairy and other animal-based programs that make it realistic to. If you're in the middle of a city, I'd assume straightaway that there will be less of those opportunities. Like the poster above, I agree that your research interests can and will most likely change. Set yourself up for success. That includes access to funding, research opportunities, job networking prospects and frankly, your own sanity. Good luck- this is a tough one. -J

Pretty much all of this is true for WSU as well. Except at WSU, you'll be 5 hours away from the next major urban hub. Sounds like you have to chose between a not so great urban environment and a not so great rural environment. On the plus side, WSU is known for their AMAZING cheese. On a serious note, I agree with the poster above- look at the funding offers and fit, then decide what is best for you. -J

@SixFender- You are confusing WSU with UW. University of Washington is a top ranked research university in Seattle. Washington State University is a state school with a not-so-great reputation in the middle of cow fields near the Washington/Idaho border. The weather is extreme (HOT in the summer and tons of snow in the winter), and there is very little to do in Pullman. You'll be 5 hours away from Seattle. Buyer beware.

I can put up a couple of people coming into town for the UW visitation event at my collective- we are one bus away from UW. I'm also more than happy to show people around town, or answer any questions you may have about the UW. My wife and I are happy to orient new folks to Seattle. -J

Yep, no worries- as long as you are in school half-time, they will defer your loans.

Hmmm. As another indebted student, I would suggest going with the shorter, more affordable school. I know Vanderbilt seems great, but I've heard it is relatively difficult to get English teaching jobs- you don't want to be stuck with all of the extra debt while you're struggling to find a school placement. The payoff of debt to future income for teachers is not a good one. I would take the financial aid offer from Vandy to OSU, and ask OSU for money. If they say no, you can think about Vanderbilt again. However, if they say yes, I would take the money and run. It is hard enough to be a teacher, much less one strapped down with debt. Good luck, J

Ann Arbor, Mi- Yes, queer/LGBT friendly.

Thanks,yumpeh12! Anybody want to claim the other special education admit on the results board?

Official acceptance letter to Vanderbilt! And coupons. Yesterday was a good mail day for me.

Just heard back- accepted to the Special Education program. So excited!

Washington is an interesting state for a lot of reasons, one of which is the geography. On the west side of the state, you have Seattle, rain forests and urban/suburban living. Crossing over the Cascade mountains to the Eastside, you have more rural farmlands, dried up soil and cows. That is where you'd be going. Get ready for extreme weather- this winter, they had so much snow it piled over people's cars. In the summer, it is hot as an oven. Also, if you've ever lived in a big city, get ready to feel really isolated. While Pullman is more liberal than the rest of the east side, there are many folks who remain with antiquated views on race, sexuality and gender. On the positive side- AMAZING cheese. There is a dairy on campus that sells cheese in tin can rounds (I know it is weird, but you have to try it). Really cool recreational opportunities. Idaho (less than 30 minutes away) has some of the best hiking, rafting and climbing opportunities anywhere. There are some cute little hangouts like zeppoz (bowling alley) and too many bars to count. There is a decent rec center on campus, good sports teams and a lot of school spirit. I have lived all over the US in both small towns and large cities (from Fayetteville, Arkansas to Seattle, WA) and I can tell you without a doubt that Pullman is one of the crappiest towns I have ever been to. However, if you love (I mean unrequitedly love) small town, rural living and hold some moderate/conservative values, you have a good shot at fitting into the Pullman community. Understand that wazzu is not a well-respected university in Washington or the NW region- it is seen as a fall back school for people who didn't get into the University of Washington. In short, if it is a terminal degree, I wouldn't take their offer if I was trying to find work locally. So, if you end up in Pullman: Bring a car. Seriously. You do not want to be stuck in Pullman. You can take weekend trips to Seattle and Idaho that way, and won't feel like you are trapped in a small town for 2-7 years. Find a community, ASAP. For my brother, that was the community gardening group. He mentioned feeling isolated on campus a lot. Find hangouts other than the bars- there is a huge alcoholism issue at wazzu. Moreso than other schools, because it is in the middle of nowhere. Don't live on campus/ near the frats. Hope this is somewhat helpful. Feel free to message me if you have any questions. -J

This site is super self-selecting. Just remember, people share what they want to. If I had a 2.0, I would be hesitant to post it here, and if I had a 4.0 with a 1600 GRE, I'd be far less hesitant. Similarly, I take the results section with a large grain of salt. In my discipline, there are incredibly few rejections posted on the results board. Do I think that means that there is a 90% acceptance rate to grad school for special education? No, unfortunately. In short, don't worry about other people's stats. It does nothing to help your application- if you are concerned about stats, do what you can to increase your own. Good Luck! -J

Now. Seriously, though- I help administer a higher education program, and it does not matter at all when students "like" or "friend" us on social media, as well as list us on their profile. It is a great way to let friends and family know what is happening in your life. From an administration standpoint, it is great advertisement, too. Congrats on your admission! -J

Hey- I have friends working through their 5 years right now. Not only is the program legit, you can also defer your student loans all 5 years if your total in loans/interest is less than the 17,500 you'll receive at the end of the program. It is a great deal, and just another benefit of working with young folks. -J