pourtant

I got an email with all the info (including my assigned advisor -- the POI I mentioned in my SOP) around 6 pm today.

I finally heard from University of Washington this evening (good news!). Anyone else? Or are they rolling this out slowly?

Well, you could do worse than NYC! I haven't heard back from TC yet, but since we're both ready for a change (I've been here 7 years, boyfriend grew up here), it's almost a non-factor at this point.

I hear ya. Of all the places I applied, I think my partner would most want to live in Seattle, so I'm feeling that added pressure. Are you leaning towards UT or Michigan State?

I can't believe today came and went with no word from University of Washington. I just really didn't want to spend this weekend thinking about this one. I know I have a longer wait ahead of me with University of Wisconsin and I really got some comfort out of thinking "at least I'll know about Washington by the end of this week." Alas....

@Malachi Constant or anyone else who applied to U-Washington...has anyone heard ANYTHING? March 9 was the "target" for a bunch of departments in the school of ed.

Hey guys, I got into TIE as well. Still waiting on 5 schools and pretty sure I can't afford it, but still great to get an acceptance.

@bythesea Yeah, everything I've heard is "great experience" "glad I did it" "loved the community," etc. Which is wonderful and I'm glad for them. In fact, the attitude was infectious enough to get me to apply, even after I'd decided I couldn't swing it financially. But it just seems unwise to spend so much on a masters degree in education. I'm 30 years old, I've been working FT for nearly 10 years (in museums, so low pay) and my partner is unemployed right now. We may want to get married, buy property, have a family in the near future. I'd feel wrong saddling us with 40K in loans. Your mileage may vary, but it's too high a price for me to pay for a masters degree, no matter how wonderful the experience and vast the network. For what I want to do, I think I can get what I need from a program that's less expensive or offers more financial assistance. Again, I don't mean to take anything away from anyone who's super excited about HGSE. I just have more practical concerns because I'm (relatively) old.

@bythesea, I am VERY worried about that, especially now as I scramble to fill out the FAFSA forms. Like some of you I applied to T.I.E. and I know a few people who have done the program, but I'm not convinced it's worth the loans (plus uprooting my life for a year to live in Boston). I'm actually wishing I'd applied to a few more state schools. I'm sure it's a really cool program (and there are some really enthusiastic alumni on these boards), but I think the cost will probably keep me from attending if I'm accepted.

Yes, I just assumed that part of the attraction of Interfolio was telling your recommenders "you only have to write one letter!," but they could tailor when necessary. Thanks for sharing the additional info. I just wish there could be one easy FREE system for these recs.

I ended up not using Interfolio, but I did a fair amount of research. I talked to customer service reps from Interfolio and then called up some of my schools and asked about using it. Everyone I talked to said they definitely prefer their own system, and that with Interfolio, the letters cannot be tailored to each program and they might not be as recent. Basically it just doesn't look quite as good. I decided not to risk it, but your mileage may vary. Also, when I talked to reps from Interfolio they were really vague about this. I never saw a list or anything. Maybe you need to purchase the service first?

UC Santa Cruz - DANM and Georgia Tech (Digital Media) for me. Anyone else out there?

Hi! I'm applying to (all M.Ed) Harvard GSE - TIE University of Wisconsin - Educational Communications & Technology University of Washington - Learning Sciences Columbia TC - Instructional Technology Also applying to three media studies programs at UC Santa Cruz, MIT, and Georgia Tech.

I've wondered the same thing. From the research I've done on the schools on my list, it seems like it really varies. Most schools seem to offer some scholarships, but funding is not guaranteed. I agree that 80K in debt is unwise in this field. Personally, I'm applying to a few state schools where the tuition is more manageable, a couple programs that offer full funding (not education schools, though), and two expensive private schools.

Thanks, tut. I'm finalizing my list now and I think I will apply to TIE. The fit of the program is really great for me, so I might as well try.

Thanks, cogscipixie -- I don't think I could get my SO to agree to Indiana, but I know they have a very good department. Tut - I was definitely interested in that program, but I've read on other boards that people had a lot of difficulty getting financial aid. Complicating factor is that my SO has been unemployed for nearly a year, so we need to be especially wary about finances. On the other hand, if most other programs take 2 years, maybe getting it done in 1 would be cheaper in the long run?

I'd like to study what often seems to be called "educational technology." Specifically, I'm interested in serious games and other interactive technologies for classroom use. My ultimate goal is to work for a game developer or a tech company as an education consultant, so I'm not planning to be a classroom teacher in the long-term or go to the PhD level in academia. I would, however, like to build up my credentials in the field of education, and study the science of learning. I'm looking for guidance on programs as the Masters level and would love any suggestions of schools that would fit the bill. A couple hitches: 1. I am one of those guilt-ridden people who dropped out of TFA after one year. In my case, it wasn't because of my teaching experience. I was a great teacher, the principal loved me, I got amazing evaluations. But I had to leave the city for personal reasons, and (luckily) another member of my TFA cohort was in need of a job and took my place. So, I took a few credits toward an M.A. while I was part of the program, but that's it. I'm not sure how to explain this in my applications. 2. I've been working in the non-profit world for my entire adult life while living in NYC. My savings are small and my partner has been unemployed for almost a year. I can't spend 30K+ on a masters degree from Harvard, Stanford, etc. If cost weren't a factor, I'd be looking at Harvard's Technology, Innovation, and Education program or Stanford's Learning Design and Technology program. Other programs I am considering are Oregon's Educational Technology and Virtual Schools program, or UT-Austin's Instructional Technology program. I have roughly 8 years work experience in media and education: 1 year kindergarten classroom teaching (TFA) 2 years as a museum educator at a film museum, 1 year at a history museum 2 years as the education manager at an arts/media non-profit 4 years producing public programs at a television/radio/media museum I got my B.A. in film in 2003 (yep, I'm old!) from a well-respected liberal arts school (GPA 3.5ish?) and I took the GRE a few years ago, got something like 740 V 700 Q, if I remember correctly.