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rnyc - 1. As some have mentioned, it will likely help you to pursue your master's before applying to PhD programs. Many programs explicitly require a it before they'll consider your application while others just stongly prefer it. Apart from actually qualifying you for admission, a master's could really help you hone your research interests. It would be difficult to form a clear, succinct statement of purpose around your list of four research interests (some of which are very different). There are some good, funded master's programs out there, but you shouldn't feel the need to limit yourself to higher ed. Sociology, econ, public policy/whatever you're actually interested in are all good options. 2. Based on your goals, it's more important to look at which higher ed programs are actually producing faculty members more than at the rankings. The US News Rankings in higher ed admin are based on reputational surveys sent to deans. A high score reflects productive faculty members but also reflects the skill of an institution's PR department in advertising that productivity. So while they'll give you some idea of the good programs out there, cutting it off at ten might eliminate some schools that do a pretty good job of placing graduates in tenure-track positions (Arizona, Stanford, Iowa, Wisconsin), while including others that may have a different focus. Hope this helps!

I'm counting on it! Yes, most post-secondary institutions (aside from for-profits) are 501c3, so these fall into the 10-year (120 payment when working full time) forgiveness category.

I agree with this statement - like all rankings, it's a quick and dirty way to get a sense of where the good programs likely are and to provide a platform for further research. Looking at programs in depth will give prospective students a sense of who the faculty are, the faculty at other universities with whom they're working (snowballing to identify even more programs of interest), and what kind of research is going on.

With regards to living in Boston, if you live in Somerville, it's very easy to get into Harvard as others have previously mentioned. I'd also recommend Cambridgeport - it's in between Central (MIT) and Harvard Squares, close to a whole foods, etc, and cheap compared to Harvard. EDIT: and you're next to the river, so easy access for the running path!

Though I'm still waiting to hear from one last school, one thing I'm definitely considering in my process is the strength of departments outside of education. Since it's definitely a cross-disciplinary field, I'm looking at the organization management departments at business schools, sociology departments, public policy schools, etc. I'm also considering places where I would be able to work with multiple faculty and cultivate a variety of research skills - this is definitely more appealing to me than the science model where a student works with one faculty. Good luck to everyone - it's getting to be that time.

It's likely unranked because the program is master's only. US News's rankings are ranking doctoral programs. I'm not familiar with Northwestern's faculty or curriculum, so I cannot comment on its quality, but I'd imagine that's why it's unranked.

The tax return is the paperwork you fill out based on the documents you've received from banks, schools, employers, etc, so no need to wait for something to come back - the IRS won't send anything unless its an audit or a refund

You may be thinking of the Graduate Student Center. It's a fairly small building on the main drag of campus - small but managed very well with lots of space for graduate students and free coffee. Other than that, the Law School has a new building, there's a new nanotech building that should be opening soon, and there's always construction going on around the hospital, but I rarely venture down that way. In general, Penn trumpets it's cross-disciplinary culture, so I'm sure any building anyone talked about was called "interdisciplinary"

I have already done my master's degree in higher ed and now work in fundraising at a law school - I like to think of the comparatively tight finances of education school as a sort of badge of honor. The ed schools will never be able to woo you in the same way that a law school can, but that kind of appeals to me... we're mission-driven, not to be swayed by gifts!

I certainly cannot comment on strength in field or facilities at each institution, but I have spent considerable time in both areas. Troy - as mentioned above - is nicer than Schenectady, but the entire area is going through some redevelopment. Downtown Schenectady has become a fairly nice area, and Troy certainly has a good amount of stuff going on. And Albany is a great little town - reminds me a lot of Providence. As for outdoor activities, Troy has a lot - you're close to the Catskills, close to the Adirondacks, and it's a short drive to Vermont/the Berkshires. It's definitely going to be cheaper than Boulder. The major downsides: can definitely still be dangerous, and there's going to be about 4 months of straight grey skies every year. Boulder is great. The Flatirons are right there, you're 45 minutes from the Rockies and 45 minutes from Denver. It's incredibly friendly, laid-back, clean (almost too clean), bike-able, and there's a vibrant academic culture. You're just not going to beat this in the Northeast - I say this as someone who has spent most of his life in the Northeast. One other thing I'd consider: getting around the East Coast (and Mid-Atlantic, in this case) is easy. It's all well connected by train, bus, and even cheap airfare. It's much harder to get from place to place on the Midwest and West unless you're on the coast. This could actually make a difference for going to conferences, collaborating with faculty/students at other institutions, etc. Either way, congratulations, and it sounds like you have some great choices.

Hi all - as far as I know, SUSE offers funding for visits. I can't speak for other programs, but while Penn does not offer funding, it does put on a good program and has a fairly efficient assistantship interview process. In terms of questions, I would ask about assistantships - if they're guaranteed, if students have found employment through them, what kind of guidance they provide, etc. Also, depending on your goals (whether or not you want to pursue a doctoral degree), you might ask about opportunities to participate in research with faculty. Also, you can look at other opportunities to mitigate cost - some schools allow students to be RA's, which gives you free housing and food. Finally, if you're there because you're interested in a particular faculty member, I would definitely ask about course offerings, who's on sabbatical, etc. If it's a 1-year program this can make a huge difference.