HGSE 2019

[JWalters]

3 hours ago, OperationPhDforMe said:

Just feeling the need to vent here as I am coming to terms with not hearing anything from Harvard. I've heard this in whispers and throughtout other forums on the internet but it seems like althought Harvard says..."masters degree not required" or "masters in ed field not required" they have a VERY CLEAR preference for people who 1. Not only have Masters in Ed but 2. Recieved them at Harvard. I looked at the past  4 years graduating cohorts of PhDs and on average about 90% of PhD students have an EdM from Harvard (many have at least two Masters.....)

All of this to say, I think getting rejected from Harvard (though it's not official yet) has really made me evaluate this whole process with new eyes. I find it quite disgusting that in order to really hedge your bets on gettting into Harvard, you first need to fork over 60k in tution for an accelerated Masters degree. I wonder how many students who complete EdM's there go on to be innundated with debt but have a "at least my degree says Harvard" sort of attitude about things and don't go on to pursue the PhD's...I attended the open house this fall and many potential students were already bitter towards the EdM to PhD pipeline as they felt it was apparent that the EdM program essentially funds the PhD students.

I did say I'd like to be considered for the EdM (to my detriment possibly) though I have no intentions of attending if I'm accepted that route. The more I dwell on it the more frustrated I become simply because of the background I have and the research interstests I have....only Harvard (and possibly Penn, Princeton, Columbia) can get away with denying people the opportunity to have a fully funded PhD experience and counteroffer with the opportunity to have a lesser degree and tens of thousands of dollars in debt and people willingly take it. 

Getting denied has truly been a blessing as it's allowed me to see this school with new perspective. Harvard was not my top choice and now I am excited about the prospect of attending a school that from the outside seems far more open-minded about who they select and why they select them.

For those that may think this is a post froma  bitter rejectee, I hold a Bachelors from an elite institution and a Masters from an Ivy League (though for what it's worth Ivy League is just the name of the athletic conference....) so the allure of Harvard was never there for me in that respect. While titles and schools do mean something, at the end of the day, I would be perfectly content attending a state school/small liberal arts school if the funding was there and the fit was better.

HGSE claims to be a a thought leader in education innovation and reform but at the end of the day they are still elitist pricks who sit levels above the lives they claim to try and impact....

If you don't get invited to doctoral weekend at Penn, will you feel the same way? I'm trying to understand how much of your opinion is Harvard-specific, or more of an overarching ivy-league sentiment..

[OperationPhDforMe]

@JWalters I applied to Penn and did not get an invite to their weekend. I am not upset in the slightest for many reasons...

1. Their application is free...Harvard is $105. The only investment it took to consider Penn was simply taking the time to apply.

2. They don't have a PhD to Masters alternative that they openly promote in a way that Harvard does. I also applied to Columbia and they don't readily promote PhD to Masters referrals. While some departments at Penn did say you may be offered a spot in a Masters instead it's not guaranteed and it's not as common as it is at Harvard.  This was something many people pointed out during my visit to Harvard as well. When it came time to discuss the possibility of being admitted to the Masters instead, the convo was geared toward "the benefits of HUGSE". The community and intensive experience. But when it came time to talk about raw numbers......the conversation got tense very quickly. Financial aid was very facetious and admissions officers became protective. Many students asked the question, why would I consider this option...in one way or another, but were steered away from the money and asked to consider "the benefits".  

3. Harvard is Harvard. Despite their claims to not care about their status...they bank on students falling in love with the name more than the actual practicality of what they're getting into by committing tens of thousands of dollars for a Masters, to better their chances at a PhD. Previously I've mentioned I know a few students currently in the PhD program. All of whom have masters from Harvard as well. In speaking with them, they made it clear that having a Masters didn't really benefit them as it didn't shorten time to a PhD but also, wasn't financially worth it because they knew they wanted to get PhDs in the end. The main takeaway I gathered from all of them was the only benefit to having a masters is that you learn "Harvard's way" of doing things. I refuse to subscribe to this notion that in order to be a great candidate I need to have already committed to the "Harvard lifestyle" via an expensive masters degree (especially since I already hold a Masters from an Ivy League school). 

I can't be mad with Harvard because...at the end of the day they do what the want ( sometimes to their detriment as we are seeing in this lawsuit they're facing at the undergrad level). I'm just disappointed that I fed into the hype, took time to apply, visit, connect, engage and show my commitment and now all I have to show for it is $400+ in the hole and anxiety waiting to get the inevitable rejection letter they'll send in 2 weeks. I know that's how admissions goes but at the end of the day, I still have a right to feel annoyed.

Edited January 21, 2019 by OperationPhDforMe

[GreenVea]

22 hours ago, OperationPhDforMe said:

@JWalters I applied to Penn and did not get an invite to their weekend. I am not upset in the slightest for many reasons...

1. Their application is free...Harvard is $105. The only investment it took to consider Penn was simply taking the time to apply.

2. They don't have a PhD to Masters alternative that they openly promote in a way that Harvard does. I also applied to Columbia and they don't readily promote PhD to Masters referrals. While some departments at Penn did say you may be offered a spot in a Masters instead it's not guaranteed and it's not as common as it is at Harvard.  This was something many people pointed out during my visit to Harvard as well. When it came time to discuss the possibility of being admitted to the Masters instead, the convo was geared toward "the benefits of HUGSE". The community and intensive experience. But when it came time to talk about raw numbers......the conversation got tense very quickly. Financial aid was very facetious and admissions officers became protective. Many students asked the question, why would I consider this option...in one way or another, but were steered away from the money and asked to consider "the benefits".  

3. Harvard is Harvard. Despite their claims to not care about their status...they bank on students falling in love with the name more than the actual practicality of what they're getting into by committing tens of thousands of dollars for a Masters, to better their chances at a PhD. Previously I've mentioned I know a few students currently in the PhD program. All of whom have masters from Harvard as well. In speaking with them, they made it clear that having a Masters didn't really benefit them as it didn't shorten time to a PhD but also, wasn't financially worth it because they knew they wanted to get PhDs in the end. The main takeaway I gathered from all of them was the only benefit to having a masters is that you learn "Harvard's way" of doing things. I refuse to subscribe to this notion that in order to be a great candidate I need to have already committed to the "Harvard lifestyle" via an expensive masters degree (especially since I already hold a Masters from an Ivy League school). 

I can't be mad with Harvard because...at the end of the day they do what the want ( sometimes to their detriment as we are seeing in this lawsuit they're facing at the undergrad level). I'm just disappointed that I fed into the hype, took time to apply, visit, connect, engage and show my commitment and now all I have to show for it is $400+ in the hole and anxiety waiting to get the inevitable rejection letter they'll send in 2 weeks. I know that's how admissions goes but at the end of the day, I still have a right to feel annoyed.

As my deeply Southern Grandmother would say "whew chile".

I can't find a reason to disagree. I also find it out Harvard's PHD is 5 years, where UPenn and others are 4. You technically earn a masters while in the program but I already have a Masters of Ed so I applied for the EDLD program. Best of luck to you.

[Belle2019]

I am extremely anxious, but I think E.d.L.d candidates will find out about interviews by February 4th. I've looked through all forums from 2016 to present and in the past 3 years applicants were notified on the first Thursday and Friday of February. However, this year February 1st is on a Friday. My prediction is that they will send out invites on Thursday January 31st and Friday February 1, 2019 or the latest Monday February 4th. 

Apparently in the past they have sent invitations out over a course of 2 days but some candidates get late interviews but it is not so common. In the past forums candidates have mentioned that they received their rejection letters in March. I also applied for a masters but I already have one. 

[Lavaniya]

On 1/18/2019 at 10:00 AM, Belle2019 said:

Hello,

Has anyone applied to the E.d.L.D program? Applications were due on December 15, 2018 and interviews are on February 21. 

I applied but haven’t heard anything...

[Belle2019]

2 hours ago, Lavaniya said:

I applied but haven’t heard anything...

I think we will receive notice in the upcoming week on Thursday or Friday. 

[Anon79158]

How competitive do you guys the masters in education programs are to get into? I was hearing about 50% acceptance rate.

[Belle2019]

2 hours ago, Anon79158 said:

How competitive do you guys the masters in education programs are to get into? I was hearing about 50% acceptance rate.

I know someone that just finished the masters program and I was told that  although it is competitive it  really depends on what the faculty wants. The faculty hand picks each class. I am just hoping to hear back soon.

[mems2019]

3 hours ago, Belle2019 said:

I think we will receive notice in the upcoming week on Thursday or Friday. 

I agree this is the most likely date, but I think I'm still gonna be nervously attached to my email for the next 10 days or so! 

[ripplesincolor]

Hi, all! Would anyone who interview for the PhD program mind sharing how the interview went and what you were told in terms of timeline going forward? 

 

I interviewed this week and I would love to just hear some other experiences so I can know how to interpret mine. Feel free to PM!

[Belle2019]

4 hours ago, mems2019 said:

I agree this is the most likely date, but I think I'm still gonna be nervously attached to my email for the next 10 days or so! 

I’m trying not to do that lol.I just want to know! If I don’t hear anything by Feb 7th the latest , I’m throwing in the towel. But I’m sure it has to be next week based on the information in the groups from previous years. Also, they can’t give candidates less than 2 weeks notice. 

[Belle2019]

3 hours ago, ripplesincolor said:

Hi, all! Would anyone who interview for the PhD program mind sharing how the interview went and what you were told in terms of timeline going forward? 

 

I interviewed this week and I would love to just hear some other experiences so I can know how to interpret mine. Feel free to PM!

Did you have to sign an NDA? 

[ripplesincolor]

3 minutes ago, Belle2019 said:

Did you have to sign an NDA? 

No, I did not.

[Belle2019]

1 minute ago, ripplesincolor said:

No, I did not.

What were the interviews like for the PhD ? I wonder if the process is similar for E.dLD applicants. 

[ripplesincolor]

Just now, Belle2019 said:

What were the interviews like for the PhD ? I wonder if the process is similar for E.dLD applicants. 

PMing!

 

[JWalters]

4 minutes ago, Belle2019 said:

What were the interviews like for the PhD ? I wonder if the process is similar for E.dLD applicants. 

EdLD is almost completely different from the PhD. Consider the accepted student profile: the average age, amount of experience, and GRE scores are all quite different. The way that the cohort is selected is also quite different. As far as I know, there is no group component of the PhD interviews, and the group component of the EdLD interviews is a critical part of building the cohort. Training to be an educational leader vs training to be a researcher and professor limit the amount of overlap in terms of the application process.

[ripplesincolor]

2 minutes ago, JWalters said:

EdLD is almost completely different from the PhD. Consider the accepted student profile: the average age, amount of experience, and GRE scores are all quite different. The way that the cohort is selected is also quite different. As far as I know, there is no group component of the PhD interviews, and the group component of the EdLD interviews is a critical part of building the cohort. Training to be an educational leader vs training to be a researcher and professor limit the amount of overlap in terms of the application process.

I think this is spot on. The programs are for very different ends. 

[Anon79158]

10 hours ago, Belle2019 said:

I know someone that just finished the masters program and I was told that  although it is competitive it  really depends on what the faculty wants. The faculty hand picks each class. I am just hoping to hear back soon.

Thanks for the reply. Is it also true that programs such as higher education are more competitive due to its smaller class size, or can that be attributed to small number of total applicants to that specific program? 

[EducationJSL]

Hello - first time posting!

I am planning to apply to the HGSE for its EPM /IEP / TIE program for hopefully class of 2021. I was hoping to see if there were mainly teachers or non-profit applicants to the program? Are there many students with a corporate / private background? I wonder if the school deems my type of students as not having a great fit... I was hoping to have this masters as a stepping stone into the education field (NGOs, universities, etc)

For my background, I have been a consultant for Deloitte's Human Capital Consulting, as well as a role in People Operations at Google. I hold a bachelor of commerce at McGill University, and I am also currently pursuing a masters of science in decision analysis (kind of a data science masters) at Minerva Schools. How does the school look at applicants who already holds masters?

Thank you so much for your help!

Edited January 25, 2019 by EducationJSL

[Anon79158]

1 hour ago, EducationJSL said:

Hello - first time posting!

I am planning to apply to the HGSE for its EPM /IEP / TIE program for hopefully class of 2021. I was hoping to see if there were mainly teachers or non-profit applicants to the program? Are there many students with a corporate / private background? I wonder if the school deems my type of students as not having a great fit... I was hoping to have this masters as a stepping stone into the education field (NGOs, universities, etc)

For my background, I have been a consultant for Deloitte's Human Capital Consulting, as well as a role in People Operations at Google. I hold a bachelor of commerce at McGill University, and I am also currently pursuing a masters of science in decision analysis (kind of a data science masters) at Minerva Schools. How does the school look at applicants who already holds masters?

Thank you so much for your help!

Same situation as me. Coming from the startup scene with an MBA. 

[civitas]

2 hours ago, Anon79158 said:

Same situation as me. Coming from the startup scene with an MBA. 

I have a startup of my own in educational technology. 1 interview for this year; for master programs, it is too early to hear back. For now, I believe it is doable. 

[Anon79158]

36 minutes ago, civitas said:

I have a startup of my own in educational technology. 1 interview for this year; for master programs, it is too early to hear back. For now, I believe it is doable. 

My startup is in educational consulting, focusing on college admissions. We initially started off targeting only the ultra luxury market, but then it was unfulfilling. My partner’s main goal is profit while mine is to penetrate the lower end of the market and provide a service that everyone should have access to. So, I wanted to use the Master’s in Higher Education program as a platform to get into policy making or admin. Wanted to do something more meaningful for society. Hope that came across in my personal statement.  

[civitas]

4 hours ago, Anon79158 said:

My startup is in educational consulting, focusing on college admissions. We initially started off targeting only the ultra luxury market, but then it was unfulfilling. My partner’s main goal is profit while mine is to penetrate the lower end of the market and provide a service that everyone should have access to. So, I wanted to use the Master’s in Higher Education program as a platform to get into policy making or admin. Wanted to do something more meaningful for society. Hope that came across in my personal statement.  

Great idea. I wish I could donate my main product - now serves more than half a million users almost free - to some NGOs, which is impossible in my home country.

[Belle2019]

15 hours ago, JWalters said:

EdLD is almost completely different from the PhD. Consider the accepted student profile: the average age, amount of experience, and GRE scores are all quite different. The way that the cohort is selected is also quite different. As far as I know, there is no group component of the PhD interviews, and the group component of the EdLD interviews is a critical part of building the cohort. Training to be an educational leader vs training to be a researcher and professor limit the amount of overlap in terms of the application process.

Yea, that makes sense. Thanks for this. Which program did you apply for? 

[Anon79158]

14 hours ago, civitas said:

Great idea. I wish I could donate my main product - now serves more than half a million users almost free - to some NGOs, which is impossible in my home country.

What I don’t know is if our startup/corporate profile is commonplace to many applicants, or if we are more or less unique?