Hi all,
Thanks for your interest in my post.
Here's my situation: I got in to Harvard (MA in International Education Policy) and Columbia TC (MA in International Educational Development). I haven't decided where to go and am still waiting to hear from Vanderbilt. ANYWAYS, I really need someone who knows this area well and possibly can give me an advice that I really need.
The Harvard program is a year-long program. Since my background is Chemical Engineering (a huge transition) and I didn't have an opportunity to take any education-related courses during my undergraduate years, I wonder if I can make it just for a year (actually 9 or 10 months). For now, I would like to pursue a ph.D after completing a master's program and this is another problem; I have no publications, thesis or something similar. Would I really be able to apply for ph.D program after completing a MA at Harvard (only with my SOP and recommendation letters)? However, everyone tells me, 'it's Harvard'. Needless to say I'd love to study at Harvard, share my experience with my future classmates and awesome faculty, and take advantage of its prestige, and so on.
For Columbia TC, it's a two-year program. It's in NYC. It will offer me great opportunities. Yet, its cohort size is far bigger than the Harvard case which possibly means it might be hard/harder to communicate with professors out of the classroom. I also heard that chances that international students can get scholarships are slim (never heard about Harvard regarding this. If anyone knows about this, your comment will be very appreciated). It's in NYC, again, of course, it's very expensive. TC is a practical program and I wonder if it's still okay to go for TC when I'm considering pursuing a ph.D after a master's program.
I really need your opinions. Thank you for your time in advance.
Cheers
+ If you know more about the two programs, could you share it for me and other viewers? Thank you.