darlindukkie

Ceek- I heard from UCB today! got a call from POI! Woot woot!

Chunti - I submitted my GRE scores and app on December 15th (nothing like last minute...). Inquisitive87 - thank you for sharing! It's helpful to know that I'll receive the financial info separately.

Thanks! I'm in northern CA, so yes, relatively close. My status hasn't changed online. The application still says "submitted".

Hello! I just received an admission letter and welcome packet from USC's Office of Graduate Admissions (admitted to MPA program). If they didn't include any fellowship award information, does that mean I wasn't recommended for any? If anyone reading this receives financial/fellowship info, please keep me posted - either here or by PM. I would love to go to this program but the $$ is a real factor/potential deterrent. Thanks!

Thank you FutureEdStudent12! I received an email from "UCLA Application Decision" with a link to the letter. The link takes you to a different location than the Grad App. In fact, if I login to the application, then my app still say "status: submitted." I'm sure they're still rifling through the apps, and just haven't notified everyone. Best of luck!

For both international and domestic students, the term "stipend" isn't one the feds recognize - mostly because schools use the term differently. Sometimes stipends are actually employment related, and therefore should be considered "income". Other times stipends are actually just fellowships/scholarships with a different name. With that being said, consider the nature of the stipend to determine how it will be taxed. If it's income, then it'll be taxed as all of your other income is taxed. If it's a fellowship, the taxability of a fellowship/stipend will depend on what the money is spent and awarded for (see the table on page 4 of the link). I'm not sure how that differs for international students.

Hi Atmaero, Most nations have tax treaties with the U.S. that stipulate the rates at which you'll be taxed. You will have the option of electing or opting out of the tax treaty. Chances are that Ohio State has a tax manager or graduate division contact that specializes in taxation for nonresidents, and they may be able to provide specific guidance for you. International taxation really depends on lots of factors, including which country you are from. I think this is may be a good resource for you: http://controller.osu.edu/pay/pay-nrafaqs.asp

Hey everyone! I've been a lurkin' and thought I'd join the party (or just commiserate?? ). I I've heard from UCLA on 3 occasions now - an email from POI, an unofficial letter of admission from GSE&IS, and finally-an electronic official letter from the Grad Division. The mailed letter was in a tiny envelope, by the way - so don't assume the worst if you receive a small envelope. Also, I received the official letter just a few days ago, even though the letter itself was dated 01/30. Btw, I applied to UCLA's HEOC, MA program. I've gotten the sense that UCLA isn't the most organized with its communication, so I wouldn't be surprised if they don't send everything out this week (even if they intend to). This is the one school that wanted two original transcripts after all....(wtf, can't they just share?). It's such a massive place that it probably takes a day and a half just to get the letter from UCLA's mailbox to USPS. Grad in Education - I'm not sure if you're still waiting around or not, but the GSE admin staff was very responsive on the two occasions I emailed her. Does anyone know when financial aid information is sent? It's really what I'm most concerned about at this point. Congrats to all those who've received positive news, and best of luck to everyone waiting. And remember, all of the UCs are amazing schools - we're super lucky to have such high quality, public GSE's to choose from!!

LOR Encouragement Hello everyone! I thought I’d offer this bit of encouragement since I’m sure there’s someone out there who is struggling to meet their letter of rec requirements for their applications. I’ve been working for the past two years in the field I want to study, so getting professional letters wasn’t a big concern (except for the whole “do I or don’t I tell my boss?” freakout). However, getting an academic letter has been a big concern for me because I did not form any relationships with any of my professors. I graduated in 2009, and attended a large research university with 19,000 undergrads. I did well as an undergraduate, so I never really felt the need to stay for office hours, and I transferred a lot of AP and IB credits, planned my courses well and completed my degree in 3 years. Attempt no. 1: I contacted a professor that had complimented my work, even though I only had one class with him. I took a small class with him, contributed to class discussion quite a bit, and figured this guy was as good a reference as I was going to get. I emailed him, waited a week and followed up. I still haven’t heard back from him. Attempt no. 2: I looked through my transcripts for other classes I did well in, and decided to email a professor with whom I took two upper-division classes. His classes were really hard, and the only way to get an A was to produce well-researched papers and mid-terms. I didn’t email him first because I’ve literally never spoken to him. At first he emailed back and said that he wasn’t comfortable writing for someone he didn’t know and asked me to stop by his office. I work full-time and live 5 hours away, so I can’t just swing by his office on the fly. I reply and let him know that I can make a visit within the next week, he replies he’ll be out of the country fron Nov. 1 – dec. 9, but that he’ll write me a letter from Italy. Uhhh….what am I supposed to make out of that?! A couple of days later he emails me back and says that my resume, statement and papers from his class are impressive. He will write me a good letter, and regrets that he didn’t get to know me. Super sweet of him, and I’m super relieved. Long story short: You can’t control who will and who will not write you a letter, so focus on the things you can control. If you’ve worked hard and done what you need to do, then your resume, statement of purpose, and past academic work will speak for themselves. Focus your energies on improving your resume and statement, so your professor can say, wow, I would like them working for me! I know I lucked out with this professor being receptive and reliable, but giving up isn’t going to get you what you need. Are there recommenders who you can shamelessly say “I need your letter to kick ass”? If so, tell them! I’m really comfortable with one of my recommenders and told him that I needed his letter to make me sound like I walk on water. He smiled, and said, “OK”. Don’t give up, and if LORs are holding you back, then accept that it’s the weak point of your application and improve another area!

I haven't ruled out their Master's in Student Affairs. Info on both programs would be appreciated!

Hey everyone! I'm looking at grad programs in higher education administration. Does anyone have any information on UCLA's higher education and organizational change program? Their website is awful (http://gseis.ucla.edu/about/academic-programs/education/heoc/program-information/application-and-admissions). I am more interested in organizational management, program evaluation, and policy analysis than I am in student personnel-oriented programs, so I really would like to know more about this program. Also - I'm slightly concerned that their website is so awful because it makes me think that their program is not well organized. I know UCLA has a wonderful reputation though, so someone, prove me wrong, cast my doubts aside! Thanks!

Ahh Merced . I've worked in Merced, and have lived in Modesto. Grew up in Modesto, went to college, moved back, and preferred to commute to Merced and live in Modesto. Merced is right smack dab in the middle of the central valley of CA. I would caution anyone planning on attending UCM for a grad (or undergrad) program to visit. I'm not trying to be negative, because I've spoken to a number of students who have loved their experiences there, I just think that the location of the campus is a real factor to consider. I'm sure that attending such a new university offers unique opportunities for more hands on research, etc. But! The town is super small and very limited in terms of nightlife, restaurants, coffee, music, arts, etc. It is true that Yosemite, San Francisco, and a number of other great cities are only a couple of hours away, though. The UCM campus itself is still pretty small (granted I went to a school with 20,000 undergrads.) To date, the campus consists of two large classroom/lab buildings, several dorm buildings, rec center, dining commons, and a Library/Student Center/Administrative offices building. That's about it. Everything is bright shiny and new! The campus sits a few miles out of the city limits, and it literally emerges out of the middle of nowhere.