bythesea

It probably happens, but remember that there are other sources of rejection info than the grad office. There are also presumed rejections, e.g., you haven't received an interview & all interview notices have gone out; you have an email from your POI saying he/she isn't taking students or is recommending someone else; etc. Rejections notices sent out from grad offices often seem to be happening much, much later than the actual rejection, which someone could hear about in other ways.

wow - lot of nice-looking stats there - but, in contrast to HGSE's info put out for the M.Ed. programs (total cost around $60K), HKS never tells you what percentage of the graduates have found employment. Perhaps this is elsewhere on the HKS site, but if not, my brain would be ringing little alarm bells. Added: The assumption would be that anyone with a Harvard degree can get a job, but for the M.Ed., about 25% of respondents were still searching for a job a few months after graduation.

I meant, some of those who added their email address later didn't get the original mass email... perhaps they added too late?

umm... I'm not in English, but read this topic because it said "Tufts" (yeah, I have it bad...) The following is from the 'Notifications' thread in the psych forum & it sounds like a similar general email from graduate admissions. One note, though: those who added their email addresses in the online app management didn't get the general email retroactively. But it might help for future mass emails. hope it helps you all too.... Posted Yesterday, 03:35 AM Just a tiny reminder for those who are applying for Tufts Psychology - check your contact details on your online application manage system. I just discovered today that my email address part was left blank for some reason - I didnt think to check it before because I think the graduate school would automatically have my record. Only after I manually add my email on the system, I received the notification email from the grad school that che psyra psyra previously mentioned. Hope this helps.

It seems that #8 has been an issue for many of us - this sits in the background of the whole application process for me. I love the image that the wording of this sentence calls up: I picture myself walking up to my past, shaking hands, and walking off into the sunset together! OK, that's a little strange, but February is becoming the month of being strange...

AnotherSis, maybe you've just found a different way to enjoy your free time?

What I've gained from the application process: 1. knowledge: a lot that I didn't have and probably wouldn't have gotten otherwise (reading 1,000 POI articles is a good thing!) 2. a like-minded community: exchanges with people who are interested in the same things I'm interested in (yeah, all 23 of them in the world...) 3. empowerment: the realization that I can do a lot of what I'm interested in doing in grad school even before/without going there: reading, writing & research (just need a bit of $$) 4. confidence! ironic, huh, this is from rejections - with feedback, thanks to some helpful grad admissions offices, now I have powerful input on some things I'm good at and some things that I can work on -definitely worth the application fee!

oooh, great! -going there now....

Crazygirl2012, that is a brilliant idea. You should start a new topic; wait, there already is one in some upside-down way, 'things I wish I had known', or something like that. But the way you do it is so positive - I'm going to start my own list, because, it's true, I've learned a lot since June, and have grown in many ways, whether admitted this year or not. Thank you

@mediaphile, YES! -panic that I won't, alternating with panic that I will; depression that I won't and then depression that I will; thinking, 'what in the world was I thinking when I applied!' But deep down, I really want to go into academic research, and I'll keep trying next year and the next and the next if I have to. I think it's just that deep down, I also recognize what an enormous change and commitment this entails - If I'm accepted, I'll leave behind a (relatively) well-paid and satisfying job, a comfortable house, a meaningful role in the community, friends and family, and a culture that I'm at home in. I'll be going to a place where I don't yet have an identity, and worse, I might fail, intellectually, socially and financially. I think if I weren't able to recognize and mourn those losses and uncertainties now, I'd be in for a big shock once I arrived somewhere else. And most people will have losses and separations, even if they aren't leaving a nice job or a house behind. So, yes, I think your cold feet and second thoughts are actually normal & helpful feelings that lead to a better understanding of the reality of the process. (and good luck in your applications!)

Airwick, maybe it would depend on what kind of job it is and what the opportunities for learning and advancement will be. If it's a creative job that can lead to more, then that might be a learning opportunity that would be much harder to get than a Harvard M.Ed. (And you could always reapply for HGSE a couple years down the road if that's what you want.) But if it's a dead-end job, even with a great company, that's another matter. just imo.

Have you guys seen this? http://www.gse.harvard.edu/about/administration/careers/prospective_students/statistics.html It looks like about 1/4 of the master's class hadn't found jobs 3 months after graduation in 2008. The salary range has a large spread, but the median seems to be in the 40k-50k range. So maybe a better question is - how much cumulative debt (including undergrad, future weddings, etc.) is reasonable for a degree with this salary prospect?

awwww... that is just so sweet. I can't decide who's lovelier - grandma or hubby - you are both two lucky human beings!

@FutureEdStudent12 - yes, isn't the cross-registration great?! It seems there is so much available, but so little time... @pourtant, you've put it in a nutshell. I need to remind myself of what's absolutely essential in a master's program - and for me, it's research experience and a step into a Ph.D. program. HGSE would be great for that, but you're right, other programs can do it too, and imo, $40k is too much for someone in education who doesn't have $40k (i.e. more than a year's salary). However, I'm wondering what I'd do if the debt were $20k... I might be sorely tempted. In the world of 2012-13, how much debt is too much for a M.Ed., even at HGSE?

@FutureEdStudent, thanks for your input This sounds like what people on the old HGSE forums were saying. I'm never sure how to weigh intangibles like 'great experience' and 'amazing people' even though those things must express something important. On the other hand, I can understand factors like 'incredible network'. So: pros: 1. wide (and supportive?) network of alumni 2. (for me) department POI who has been foundational in the field 3. name-brand recognition (for future employment, study, etc.) 4. cons: 1. 20k - 40k debt after 1 year of study 2. short program duration (less time for learning, networking, research experience) 3. anyone like to add specific & concrete factors?

but maybe... applying might end up being a process like childbirth - they say you forget all the pain afterward? hopefully? MAT item: pregnancy : grad application as labor : ______________ a. January b. February c. March d. April e. all of the above

@dec4rhapsody, what's a Tofu-ish mentality?

I applied to Tufts child development. Someone posted a Tufts child development acceptance today - that's very early compared to last year. If the poster is here, congratulations!!!! Do you mind posting some details or sending me a PM? Thanks

@pourtant, do the people you know who have done the program have any thoughts about this now that they're done? The old forums on this topic seems to say either 'Do it because it's great.' or different versions of, 'The debt's not worth it.' I'm wondering if the program would open (not necessarily direct employment) doors of opportunity/experience/knowledge that I wouldn't be be able to get by staying put and trying to improve my application for a Ph.D. at other schools.

I applied to mixed ed and developmental psych too because my interests were also labeled as different departments depending on the school. I have a strong ed background, not so much psych. How strong do you think a good candidate needs to be in each area? Or maybe it depends on your research interests...

If you go to your UMich Friend account (not the application website) and log in to the New & Prospective Student Center, you'll see a link for your application status. Just as blue_the_puppy said in 2010 above, you can just email the CPEP office - I did and received a very kind and friendly reply.

umm... this is a forum, right? where people ask questions and explain concerns for feedback? and it's also a time of rather stressful waiting? IK - I don't post much, but I do appreciate the variety of questions that you and other frequent posters put out there. When I see your names on the home page, I know that there'll be something interesting that maybe doesn't affect me at the moment, but might in the future. And it might even have been a question that I was just too shy to ask. And I might be shy because I'd be afraid of getting a response like msafiri's. So thanks for posting - keep it up

Master's applicants (or Ph.D. applicants who think they might get moved down to the M.Ed.) - how do you feel about the average debt load that Harvard warns about for this program? The program I applied to sounds wonderful; the funding not so much. OK, right now it's counting chickens, but is anyone else afraid they'll make a foolish financial decision for this program? There have been posters in the program and recent graduates who rave about how the program is worth it. I'd like to talk to graduates five or ten years after - wonder if they would make the same choice to attend.

Yes, one of my biggest concerns! I didn't apply to one program that would have been a good fit because I thought the location would be very difficult for my child. I have one child in middle school - a little different situation from younger ones. All through the app process, I've been explaining why I'm applying and showing him pictures of the schools/cities on the internet - but also emphasizing that it's very possible we won't go this year and will try again next year. If I get in anywhere, I plan to spend a lot of time setting up some support structures for him in advance (schools, activities, pen pal) and making sure he has some tools for looking forward & backward (skype, videos, etc.). There are also a lot of good books on moving for children, such as Dinosaurs Move. My son is a little old for this, but if I get in, I'll look for it or a similar one. Actually, we should have a whole thread in Decisions, Decisions on children going to/in grad school. (And for us older people, another thread on stuff like - how do you get your coursework done when you've misplaced your reading glasses? )

Hey, axc, hang in there - people here are rooting for you! I have rejections too, 2/5. I guess we'll just walk through the feelings now and then later work on the next step. Whatever happens, you will be moving forward next year, in one way or another (yeah, not much consolation right now, but....).